I cannot thank Krysia enough for all the battery charging she's been doing for me as I try to clear the decks of my life enough to make headway with the next novel, Pretenders. Krysia calls me up twice a week, lately, to tell me where and how she has encountered the Okal Rel universe in real life, to discuss the plot of the short story she is working on for the 2nd anthology, or to ask me questions. No author could ask for a more rewarding fan, and no editor a more industrious author :-) I have therefore invited Krysia to join the blog and share some of her adventures here, as well. (PS: Amel is a bit worried about distracting her from real life, but basking all the same, much touched and flattered. He sends his love, also.)

Image on the left is a screen capture of a digital doodle and afternoon fantasy concerning Ann and Amel, created by Krysia and my daughter Angie.

JADED CONFESSION: I got an teasing e-mail from Krysia about the message above, saying I am an Evil Lorel for implying the ORU isn't "real". Upon review of my reactions I decided my ambiguity is showing these days: my fear that maybe ideals have no place in the world after all, and meaning no business intruding on entertainment, and I should be hunkering down in my bunker, waving money and other status symbols over the parapets to defend myself or to act as a white flag of surrender; focusing on the pension and that sort of thing; or watching some reality TV about how to lie and cheat and get ahead. But if I really feel that way I should just stop writing. If I don't, I should stop flinching and live up to my own beliefs. Of course I don't "believe" the Okal Rel Universe is "real" (nor does Krysia) in the sense of being a physical place or the people who inhabit it being flesh and blood beings. But it is as real as the problems it tackles, the questions it asks, and the feelings it generates. I have always known that. It is the well-spring from which I write. Krysia ended her message with: "write until your fingers bleed i am. ps. give amel a hug for me". I'll do both. It might help. And my apologies for being so "flinchy" lately, folks. About a bunch of things. It has been a rough couple of years for me and I'm still wandering in the wilderness here, a bit. Good thing I have people like Kyrsia in my life to call me on it. :-) The ORU is half play and half "serious" in ways that are much harder to explain or justify than anything concrete ever can be. Always has been. Also should be. :-) But I gotta lighten up, on the one hand, and stick to my uh, well, swords I guess, not guns, on the other. :-)

posted by Lynda at 10:02   comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments