Randall’s Ramblings, August 7, 2016

We’re off to the races–racing against time to complete every outdoor task on this year’s agenda. The higher-than-normal humidity has made this a challenge. Good news though, two nearby empty lots were purchased last summer and the owners are planning to build this year.

We’ll be surrounded by building sites but with only two homes going up, the upheaval should be intense but brief. Their homes will complete the small cove we live on and bring new acquaintances, and one day, new friends.

Okay, who are the birthday people this weekend? If your special day was yesterday or today, you’ve joined a select few from the writing world: Alfred Lord Tennyson, English poet laureate; Richard Hoftstadter, historian with two Pulitzer prizes; Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob, science fiction and fantasy author; and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author.

With a short list this weekend, I’ve added a few additional names which should be recognizable for their contributions to our lives: Alexander Flemming, Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin; Lucille Ball, actress and comedian; Andy Warhol, pop artist; Louis Leakey, and anthropologist who believed Africa was the cradle of mankind. Happy birthday to all!

Why I want to Write–What’s Led Me to This Stage in My Life

Here’s a bit more from ‘A Cartel’s Revenge:

The vehicle lurched forward as the man tried to reverse. Grinding the gears, he backed out of the parking spot, left the airport and headed away from the city on a winding, dusty two-lane road.

“Give me your passport. Forget Alberto. Your name is Abdul Rahman.”

Alberto handed over his Argentine passport. “Where are we going?”

“To the mountains. You will join other faithful traveling to al-Raqqah. No more questions.”

He leaned forward and whispered. “Good to see you, Abdul. Close call in Madrid, say what?”

“Call me Alberto here. We’ll save Abdul and Mahmood for other environs.”

“Gotcha. How many will we be recruiting this time?”

“None. We’re to organize training facilities for up to 150 men.”

“I don’t know anything about training. Why pick me?”

“I liked your style in al-Raqqah. You’re dedicated to the cause and with your European appearance and passport you’ll be able to travel easier than the others.”

From ‘Countdown to Extinction’:

“Three … two … one.”

The rocket sprang upward, inertia thrusting the red, white, and blue bullet into the sky. Slow at first, speed increased until the transport slipped through the exosphere into outer space.

Sam Rogers, better known to his friends as ‘Reckless Roger’ scrunched into his seat. Settled, he flipped the turbo switch, thrusting his chariot faster through the void toward his destination—Mars.

More next week.

My Work in Progress

It’s been a hectic week with plenty of life’s daily preoccupations to contend with but I finally completed editing of my short story, ‘Countdown to Extinction.’ I also wrote a short poem, my first, for a writing club. Look forward to reviews on ‘Ode to My Humans.’

Work also continued on chapter five of ‘A Cartel’s Revenge,’ but didn’t complete the chapter yet. Should be posted for review by the middle of this week. Editing is also ongoing on my other novel ‘A Malicious Affiliation’ and short stories ‘Trek for Survival’ and ‘Lakeside Retreat.’

Books I’m Reading

Late last week I began reading an action-adventure story by Phillip Strang called ‘The Vane-Martin Conundrum.’ My review won’t be posted until next week, but it’s a great story.

 I’ve identified a couple of more books to read. As soon as I finish, I’ll provide my thoughts to you.

Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share

I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites. Hope you’ll check out the links!

Musings of a Mad Woman – Although nothing’s been posted during the summer, this provides an interesting look at things from one person’s perspective.

Channillo.com – Looking for something different to read? Check out the varied works by numerous authors, covering multiple genres provided through novels, short stories, poems, and more.

Writing Resources

I don’t have any new writing resources to share this week.  I hope to have something as soon as I resume my research, but it will likely be the end of August as I’m tying up various loose ends. Have an enjoyable weekend.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2016 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.