A PERSONAL STATUS UPDATE FOR THOSE I OWE COMMUNICATIONS

3/15/2025

Personal Status Update – [Unproofed due to time constraints]

Scott C. Holstad

Hi, it’s Scott Holstad.

Please forgive the impersonal nature of this email message. If you’re getting this message it likely means I may owe you an email, message, thanks, response (or perhaps you owed me a sub response at some point). This message is meant to acknowledge I’m aware of this, have been having to deal with some of the most complex times and issues of my life but do plan and intend to contact you as soon as realistically plausible, which is a way of saying ideally soon but with no time parameters or expectations in place. Everything has been painfully fluid for so long now that we’ve had to schedule and reschedule practically everything, though it’s rarely our preference.

I don’t have time for in-depth explanations because there’s just so much, but I’ve posted a few times about some happenings over some months. 2024 was insanely challenging with a million things, highlighted by a surprise IRS ambush which is costing us and which I felt I could successfully fight but circumstances dictated I devote my time to other endeavors, as well as a dubious exhaustive Social Security review. The review just wrapped up last month and took 10 months to complete, hundreds of my hours, thousands of pages of documents, redundancies, stupidities and it’s great to finally have that unexpected nightmare out of my hair. Worst of all was my 94-year old mother falling and having an unanticipated horrible death involving very questionable actions on the part of too many and this still consumes my time to a huge degree. In fact, necessary business and legal travel has had to be postponed more than once now, another issue trying my patience.

2025 hasn’t let down on the pressure and I won’t list most specific examples except to say over the past 4-6 weeks, while my health has been utter crap for years and I’ve officially outlived my predicted expiration date, Gretchen has finally hit her first bad luck with health now that she’s in her 60s. The past month has been especially challenging as she had a bad fall, breaking her arm and shoulder while messing up her rotator cuff, which has incapacitated her and for which she’s experienced her first real, serious pain, something that’s hard for anyone. The irony is that she’s been MY caretaker for years yet now I’ve had to try to become hers. To go along with that, I tore my own right rotator cuff on the day of my mother’s funeral last year and have had to delay MRIs in preparation for shoulder surgery, while also having to delay MRIs in preparation for potentially serious cervical surgery. Gretchen has long been our only breadwinner, driver, cat mother/nurse, interface, etc., so the irony of me – with a torn rotator cuff requiring surgery along with other injuries, unable to drive, with logistics issues as well – having to assume caretaker duties for my wife with a near-identical injury is not lost on me. I’m also going through another unanticipated emergency surgery situation, so it’s bordering on black comedy at this point.

Anyway, I wanted you to know I’m aware I should touch base, respond, etc., and I intend to, so please remain patient, with thanks. It’s a slow process. Additionally, to those recently contacting me, any non-response on my part isn’t meant to be rude nor is it desired. I’m just extremely time and labor-challenged right now but plan to respond as/when I can. Finally, some editors and publishers have shown great generosity and interest lately and for those who have had to wait to hear from me, my apologies, I’m honored, I intend to respond but sometimes it takes me weeks just to answer a few emails, so when we’re talking dozens or hundreds, it can be daunting.

I’ve had occasional email service inconsistencies lately so have been advising everyone in writing and publishing to use the following address:

scott at hankrules2011 dot com

Of course I still have my old gmail account but it’s got over 75,000 unread emails in it so…

A number of people and publications have contacted me on X and other social media. I haven’t been able to respond to most individually and want them to see this, so I think I’ll post it on my website and DM them a link to this. I don’t know any vastly better way at the moment.

Thanks so much and I can’t wait to get In touch. I’ve been wanting to write this and send it out for over two weeks but circumstances haven’t allowed it. Thanks for your patience and support. Hope you’re having a great weekend.

Regards,

Scott Holstad

Some relevant links:

ATTN: #UPDATE. I owe some #messages, responses, etc & will get there but in the coldest winter in our 5 years in PA, we lost our #heat & have been freaking #freezing for 5 days. I bought a new #furnace today to be installed soon & will be online again in 2 days. #freezingtodeath
— Scott C. Holstad (OOP — Out Of Print) (@tangledscott) February 4, 2025

UPDATE: If you missed my post (https://t.co/OA2E5cqTFf) where I said we're without any #heat in the coldest month for 5-6 days but I'd get in touch when I got #backonline, I'm Back! It'll take me awhile to #messageyou cause there's a lot going on, but thanks for your #patience.
— Scott C. Holstad (OOP — Out Of Print) (@tangledscott) February 5, 2025

My wife fell on unmarked ice & shattered her damn #humerus bone so at hospital for weekend. This will devastate us for too many reasons to list. Past 1.5 years have been #cursed for us but come on! This will impact Everything. I have 2 #surgeries scheduled myself! (Poor Baby…)
— Scott C. Holstad (OOP — Out Of Print) (@tangledscott) February 24, 2025