Times of stress tend to show us things that have always been true but somehow overlooked. Obviously, there is the importance of people providing supplies for us as we are stuck in our homes right now. Nothing highlights the babysitting potential of schools than their absence. The stupidity of the “just in time” supply-chain is also glaringly apparent (how much toilet paper do you have in your larder?). But I would like to talk a bit about uncertainty, which also has become one of the most anxiety-producing states we have experienced during this pandemic crisis.

Uncertainty comes in many forms. The 30 seconds of “am I pregnant or not” while watching the “pee stick” resolve with an answer — that’s a 30-second Schrodinger Moment when you are potentially both pregnant and not pregnant at the same time. But even once you know you will have a kid, it’s still just a potential — until birth, there are no guarantees you will become a parent; until you see 10 toes and 10 fingers, you just don’t know what the true outcome will be. There is an old Jewish joke that fetuses don’t become children until they graduate from medical school. Yeah, well… This uncertainty of outcome is true for a COVID test, too, although that Schrodinger Moment can stretch from 30 minutes to ten days depending on how well-connected you are and where you live. And if you are positive, you still don’t know how your COVID will turn out — will you be the 40% of easy COVID? Are you going to be one of those “long haulers” that can’t shake it off? Will you live? And of course, there are endless other situations when we wait for outcomes that are undetermined until we open the envelope — like waiting for an acceptance or rejection from a university, which can take months. Our lives are filled with Schrodinger Moments, times of uncertainty when two contradictory things are still possible before the future resolves itself into a clear outcome. And the thing is that humans are really terrible at handling uncertainty (granted some are better at it than others). The 2020 election has been a particularly painful example.

Here’s an unbelievably beautiful reaction of a mother learning her son passed the bar.

COVID made our Schrodinger Moments sharper, more well-defined, somehow. I want certainty when it comes to the lives and health of my loved ones. I want us all to make it to vaccinations without ever getting sick. I reckon it’s at least another six months or so (perhaps a bit longer)…and then I will breathe a bit easier.

During these very difficult (emotionally) times, I just wanted to point out that we all live in-between potentialities, surfing along waves of possibilities and probabilities. And as humans, we really really suck at this.

For Those Waiting on Their ARCs for Shadow Heart (aka Lord Night)

So, I’m late with my next revisions and edits of two novels! In the meantime, I have written 4 short stories and halfway through a novella. I find staccato bursts of energy, and ideas flow. But I’m also waiting for a breast ultrasound and meeting a new cardiologist…will they make me take a little chunk out of my body? Do I really need a pacemaker? Can all of this be postponed for some time after everyone had a COVID shot? These kinds of considerations really put a damper on writing… So I guess I’m saying sorry for the delay. I will try to get through my backlog soon.

If you want me to send an Advanced Reader Copy as well, please email me. Happy to add Beta Readers to my list! Thank you!

Those Who Read Suddenly, Paris and are Interested in the Sequel

I’m making Coding Peter available for free for 5 days, starting January 16th. Enjoy!

Of course, you can always download the Suddenly, Paris as long as you are on my newsletter list.

Stay safe my friends!

NOTE: Due to technical difficulties (my stupidity), the sale will start on the 17th!