But we have had devastating losses, and I honestly don't know if our losses are higher than most, but it doesn't matter, because each loss crushes a part of us because a family member, not some idle name at the end of my keyboard is no longer with us.
Each and every one of you, is gone too soon, but never forgotten. You live on in our hearts, in our shared dreams, our souls, and in the memories we created, and the words you left behind that live on forever.
KAREN MC GRATH...
not a day goes by when I do not miss you. Just last week I wept for you as your husband
Paul posted on
Face Book that two years has passed since you left us. I find myself often looking at the pictures I have of you that you shared as our friendship grew.
You opened your past to me as I opened mine to you. I thought you were getting better. I miss you, but you're an angel and I feel your
wings often fluttering close by. I will NEVER forget you, and I am NOT the only Muser who feels this way. To those who did not see the tribute to this amazing woman at the Muse Retreat in 2011...
here it is.
I have your first book on my Kindle and reread it often...PRIMORDIAL SUN:THE HEART OF THE AMAZON
and I saw the cover for your next book before you passed and have been waiting for it, and it's listed as coming soon on our bookstore...I'm hoping...it would feel like there's still part of you here to hold in my hands.
That one is called LOVE IN THE TIME OF MORTALS,...and I love the cover Suzannah Safi did for you .
Sweetheart...
We love you, Karen.
Our next loss brought us all to our knees. He touched us because his life was cut way, way too short.
AYDIN KENDALL HOPSON, son of Kevin and Gunes Hopson passed into God's arms before he took his first breath. His parents,
his father our brother here at Muse and his beautiful wife, shared their strength, love, and pride with us.
Aydin (whose name means LIGHT-BRIGHT) lives on in all our hearts and in the branch Lea and Litsa created here at Muse to permanently honor his part in this family we call Muse.
Aydin touched each and every one of us, and became an
angel we all longed to wrap our hearts around, and we did. We also claimed his parents as extended brother and sister, so deeply we followed them and we also cheered for joy when Gunes and Kevin gave birth to Aydin's brother
Skyler Blue Hopson in September 2011, Mother, Father, and Son are all doing well...but Aydin is never gone.
NAN D. ARNOLD...Kat and I met you, though you didn't know it, before many of the rest of the Muse Family and we
fell in love.
How do I express what we felt when we learned someone whose book we got to read early on was dying? It made reading your book all the more special and treasured and our part in it
a blessing for us.. It's almost like we're given the opportunity of being a part of seeing to it you got to realize your
dearest dream before it was time for you to join the
angels and Rest in Joy. In doing so, Kat and I felt joy too.
Your book, GARNET GALE GETS HER MAN was supposed to be the first of many, sadly you
passed too soon, but you're never going to be forgotten.
I want to personally
thank you for giving my daughter and I the opportunity of being a part of bringing your dream to fruition. We'll never forget you, any more than any member of Muse Family will forget our sister Nan. D. Arnold.
Rest in Peace Dear Friend and long may your wings flutter around us.
Six people in less than three years, and so far I've only covered three...how easily the heart hurts when remembering those no longer among us.
HUGH FOX...A robust man fighting a vicious enemy...one I've fought, and so far beaten twice. From his hearty attitudes and wicked outlook on life, I thought he'd make it. We'd already lost enough to that heartless mutant disease...but cancer is a relentless foe and it took another family member from us far too soon.
Again one book. IN THE BEGINNING.
God, is cancer jealous of what we can accomplish IN SPITE of it's vicious claws? Is it afraid if it allows us to accomplish too much while fighting it we'll out beat it, so it tears us down before we can realize the full
power of our dreams?
He'd lived long and according to Spock..prospered...in many fields...but as our Muse brother, he's gone too soon.
His book is timely and speaks about the importance of finding love when death is in the mixture.
We miss you, Hugh, but will always remember.
PAT DALE
left us fortunately AFTER leaving us with a plethora of books, and a
rich tapestry of the kind of friend and brother he could be to all of us. I remember him as being the only man I have ever met who could actually write from the point of view of a woman, and nail it every single time...an amazing skill.
It's going to take
some time here to recount the HUGE listing of books this tender, caring man has left behind as a legacy to the writer he was, but I know he is
an angel that spends a lot of time flapping his wings around us here at Muse, because he cared about us, and like me was here from the beginning.
Those of us who were here from the start know how special Muse is and will always watch over the House of Muse.
So Pat,
we love you,
miss you,
honor you, and
will never forget you.
Now to the rich number of books you left behind for us and the world to enjoy.
ZACH'S AMAZING DREAM MACHINE
SLEEPING WITH HER ENEMY
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL
THE EVIL WITHIN
BLUE STREAKS
TOCATTA
BLOOD LUST
Almost done these
testimonials to those we love,because for today we add one more name to the list of those forever etched upon our hearts, too soon gone, but never forgotten.
He came to us after a long, distinguished media career, but once
a writer in any form, always a writer. His first novel, and now, regrettably his ONLY
novel caught my eye when I saw his cover appear on the Muse Cover Blog spot awhile ago.
Sadly, I never had a conversation with him, but that does not make his loss any less profound. It just means Muse It Up Publishing, Inc. is no longer as small a publishing house as it was nearly three years ago and I don't always have the opportunity to
greet each author as they sign like I used to. I regret that.
His name will be recognized around the world because his
star shone brightly as a media icon, but to us he will be our brother, Jack.
Jack wrote about the world he knew because the best writers DO write about what they know.
His book
A SMALL STORY FOR PAGE THREE became available for sale today at the above link and at a discount as a tribute to honor our brother, taken too soon, but forever
engraved in our hearts and souls.
You will never be forgotten by your Muse Family Jack. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to get to know you, but when it is my time to
cross through the veil I will look for you, and greet you as the brother you now are.
Rest in peace my Brother, you have earned it.
Well My Muse Family There You Have It.
Six Angels and they belong to us...we will never forget!
