Wow. I did not plan to have the serial version of Just Because You’re Paranoid end right on top of Christmas, but it is convenient. And if you need a last minute holiday present, you can download a copy from your favorite retailer by clicking here for the book page.
I have to say that I’m excited about this one seeing the light of day. It is one of my favorites in the series, mostly because it’s as much about Real Life as it is about two spies with somebody out to get them. Because Sid and Lisa’s world is so full of rare events – let’s face it, most people are not spies and don’t have bad guys out to kill them – I’ve always felt that it grounds the stories to have situations that reflect life as it happens for the rest of us.
Such as when Nick, Sid’s son, keeps getting sick, then spreading his germs to Sid and Lisa. As any parent knows, when your kid goes to a new school, that kid will be bringing all sorts of fun stuff home and sharing it. It happened to me when my daughter went to nursery school for the first time, and it happened again when she changed schools and we moved in with my husband. And given that Sid and Lisa are still dealing with Sid’s AIDS scare, that adds an extra element of interest. Yes, it’s been over six months since his last potential exposure, but they really didn’t know for sure in 1985 how long it took for HIV to show up in the blood stream and Sid ain’t taking any chances. So, we know he doesn’t have it, but he and Lisa don’t.
That was also a fun storyline to play with. When I originally wrote this one, probably sometime in 1983, AIDS was around, but under the radar. It never occurred to me that it would affect Sid. But this takes place in the fall of 1985, when the epidemic had exploded onto the scene. People were scared spitless, much of it for no good reason. I did toy briefly with the idea of Sid getting AIDS, but then it would have been series over and I did not want to do that. I did have to deal with it. But we have a mild scare and life eventually moves on.
Which it will with the next Quickline book, From This Day Forward. However, next up on this blog will be the sequel to my time travel novel, But World Enough and Time, Time Enough. Look for it starting January 6, 2023!