Another week has passed us by. Another week hopefully filled with success for everyone and not missed opportunities.
Let’s see … what famous people associated with the world of writing had birthdays this past week? Did you? If so, you shared your special day with the following: Michael Crichton, writer (Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain); John Reed, American journalist, poet and revolutionary, (Ten Days That Shook the World); Doris Lessing, novelist (Children of Violence, The Golden Notebook); Ann Rule, true crime author (The Stranger Beside Me); Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet (“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” “Kubla Khan”); Ursula K. Le Guin, science fiction writer (The Left Hand of Darkness); Carrie Fisher, actress, author, screenwriter; best known as Prince Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy and her bestselling novel (Postcards from the Edge); Leigh Hunt, English journalist, essayist, poet and political radical; and John Le Carré, English suspense and spy novelist. Happy birthday to all!
Why I want to Write–What’s Led Me to This Stage in My Life
Personal commitments continued to require more time this past week, devouring most of my writing time. Ideas keep creeping into my mind, so I try to jot things down in the hopes I’ll capture enough to stimulate my brain cells and re-create scenes and characters which are springing forth, sometimes at the worst possible times.
My Work in Progress
With personal commitments taking so much time, writing progress was almost at a standstill. However, as planned, I did complete chapter four of Dangerous Alliance and it’s posted to my subscription writing sites. Good feedback thus far; just a bit of tweaking to do. Here’s a snippet for you:
A gunshot echoed from the bow of the ship. Another crewman refused to surrender. Dacar Khadaafi turned away from the dying echo and went back into the bridge. Inside, the ship’s captain, a bloody bandage wrapped around his head, sat in his chair. He glared at the tall Somali as Dacar approached. Two of Dacar’s men, brandishing weapons, stood guard.
The captain snatched the handset from Dacar’s hand and pressed the transmit button. “This is Captain Rossi. Toss out your weapon and move so the pirates can see you. Do this now or they’ll begin killing the crew.”
Moments later, two shots rang out, followed by cheers from the pirates.
Captain Rossi turned to Dacar. “You bastard. They killed him.”
Dacar waved a hand in the air and shrugged. “Oh well. He shot one of my men. He paid for his crime.”
Perhaps more next week.
Books I’m Reading
As I mentioned last week, I began reading the novels of Preston Holtry. His second book, A Troublesome Affair, is another action-packed mystery. Did the black Army sergeant really rape and kill a white officer’s wife? Or was it too good an opportunity to have the sergeant take the fall for someone else?
Morgan Westphal, our private investigator, is requested by the sergeant’s commanding officer to look into the matter, which could have serious negative connotations for the Army. Morgan agrees, but his task is complicated. The sergeant is highly decorated for bravery and the crime appears beneath him. Yet, many within the 10th Cavalry Regiment believe he’s guilty. Join Morgan on his latest quest for truth, as he follows the 10th into Mexico so he can continue his investigation. Another great read from a master storyteller. Each page will compel you to read further as different suspects appear. But who committed the crime? You’ll have to buy a copy to find out.
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. This week, I only had time for one but it’s well worth checking out.
Writers-network.club – I’ve mentioned this one before but we’re having a membership drive for this free writing group. It’s not to late to put together a short story or poems about nature and submit for consideration to their anthology, but you only have until the end of the month. You must be a member to submit any work, but there’s absolutely no cost. Complete information is available on the site. Get out your iPad, laptop, desktop, or if you still use pen and paper, sign up and get writing!
Writing Resources
Each week draws me a step closer to the release of The Kurdish Connection, so a large part of my research time is now devoted to work on a promotion/publicity plan. Hopefully, I’ll have something to share with you next time.
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.
