First: Mira is having a small sale on the ebook version of Cast in Shadow (1.99), Cast in Courtlight (3.99) and Cast in Moonlight (.99). This will continue for the month of April.
Second: we are in shelter-in-place in Toronto.
Because I work from home on the days I don’t work at the bookstore (which is closed to the public, but — at least for now — taking mail orders and shipping them with a skeletal crew of 2 people, one of whom is not me), and because my long suffering spouse worked for years as a freelance programmer, I expected his move to telecommuting to be painless.
It’s been a bit more challenging than I thought it would be, because telecommuting isn’t freelance. He has to keep normal office hours, because he’s in contact with the rest of his team – also all telecommuting. When I work at home, I measure the day by the number of words I’ve managed to write. I aim for a certain number as a minimum, but sometimes hitting that minimum can take Way Too Long. But I will break between words. I’ll go grocery shopping. I’ll clean the kitchen, etc.
This is not what you do at the office. So… husband is home but at the office.
I know we are lucky, though. Husband, for now, can telecommute. I can write. We are both therefore employed. I know many people who have been laid off without pay, and who have mortgages or rent to pay. I know governments are offering various forms of aid or relief during the shutdown – check to make sure, if you’re in a position in which this applies.
Also: check to see if your libraries are still lending ebooks — I know they’re not lending physical books because they, like schools, theaters, community centers, are shut down in an attempt to flatten the curve so that our medical systems aren’t forced to abandon people to death.
And that’s the thing: I have cousins who work in healthcare, and one who is part of the management team of a hospital, and that’s the nightmare they face. Medical people will die in greater numbers to covid-19, because of constant exposure. And they accept that, while trying desperately to minimize risk because they, too, have spouses and young children at home. But… being medical people who have been trained to save lives, however imperfectly, and being forced to literally choose who gets to live because there are too many people and not nearly enough equipment – that’s a nightmare.
Also: I want to shout out to: grocery store clerks, UPS/Postal/Delivery service drivers and workers, warehouse workers, janitorial and cleaning staff – people who are currently on the front-line, every day, under much greater stress. Without you I think whole countries would devolve into riots and panic. You are the trace of ‘normal’, the glue that allows the rest of us to keep our doors closed and our families at home. You are necessary, and you are fighting the fight just as much as our medical professionals – but often far less visibly.
Thank you, all.
Tchula 
Julianne 
Mary Allen 
Angie Gaule 
Tyronne Lorne Hodgins 
Hugh Myers 
MaryW 
Candace 
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Concur on the delivery folks — they’re working near-holiday-type hours around here to keep us all supplied. If you can put out a note near where they leave your packages thanking them, or even better, a container with some (sanitized) waters and snacks with your note, that’s a great way to show your appreciation.