April

What a month. I love April, it’s when winter turns to spring in my neck of the woods, but this one was exhausting. Yard work, online programs, rewrites…I’ve had enough. 

Drained, you may have noticed, was delayed. That’s okay with me! My publisher decided at the eleventh hour that two chapters were too dark for the target audience. Whoops. I worked hard to lighten them up, and they’re better than ever. We’re shooting for May.

Happy Earth Day

Earth Day was on April 22nd. The kiddo and I picked up trash along our road (her idea) and planted seeds.

Monsters of the Month

A Real Maine Monster – Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis)

Spring deer tick activity tends to peak in April. We saw our share this year. Don’t let your guard down as we move into May. Some hungry females are still looking for blood to nourish their eggs. Read more about deer ticks and how to manage them.  

Cloaked Creatures

When they want to stay hidden, the monsters in Drained can turn themselves as transparent as the clearest glass. Looking right at a lorkai, you’d see little more than a distortion in the landscape. Picture the Predator from the movie of the same name (one of my favorites), and that’s pretty close. No doubt this badass alien helped inspire the lorkai’s abilities. But might transparent creatures exist?

Maine Magic

The Menagerie

As mentioned in my tick article above, Esmeralda tested positive for Lyme disease. It’s been a rough year for old Reld! But she’s still going strong and hasn’t displayed any symptoms. She won’t need antibiotics unless she does. The other beasts are doing well.

Happy Beltane!

Tomorrow is Beltane, a Celtic fire festival and the first day of the light half of the year for many pagans. It’s a time to celebrate spring. We have a tradition of cooking Bannock, making faery houses, planting flowers, and having a bonfire.