Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Changes all around

I’ve been reading over the recent Samhain author blogs (I’m one of those eternal lurkers!) and have noticed that a lot of changes have been happening in people’s lives at the moment. I have to say, ours is no different.

The past two weeks have been taken up with moving countries, which is why I couldn’t think of a topic to write about today. Last time, I went through a bit of the background of The Dragon of Ankoll Keep, and there was a vague thought this time to do the same with Combat!, but all my best intentions flew straight out the window, surrounded as I am by unpacked boxes and — to be honest — a floor that could use a good vacuum and mop.

We have moved to Malaysia, which is an interesting personal experience for me. I was born in this country (though not in this particular part of it), yet I haven’t visited it in years. Everything has a familiar, yet different, feel to it, and I have to catch myself from assuming too much about anything. The amount of space around is a relief after the crush of Singapore, the people are genuinely friendly, and life is full of settling-in details at the moment.

Having said that, I’ve realised only this morning that, in the excitement of the move, J and I have not been as mindful of our children’s fears as we should’ve been. They were excited and happy to move to our new house but, as we all know, subconscious fears cannot be so easily assuaged. Hence not being able to get back to sleep after a scream-filled nightmare from The Wast at a quarter to four this morning.

As I soothed him back to sleep in our bed, I realised that he had been through some fairly major changes for one so young (eight years old). He had changed houses, environments, and schools and, during his waking hours, had handled everything with aplomb. That’s what lulled me into the misconception that he was doing swimmingly. But, of course, with so many new changes, there needs to be a period of adjustment, and I had forgotten that.

So, if you have a family and there have been upheavals in your life recently (whether good or bad), just remember to take special care of your younger charges. They may appear strong, adaptable and robust, but it’s important for us to remember that they need a bit more reassurance than we probably think they do. A good night’s sleep may depend on it. :)

KS “Kaz” Augustin
Website with FREE novel serialisation: http://www.ksaugustin.com
Blog with opinionated entries: http://blog.ksaugustin.com
Podcast that’s way behind schedule due to the move: http://RadioFreeBliss.ksaugustin.com