Randall’s Ramblings, April 9, 2017

On Wednesday, I posted several photos of that morning’s sunrise. It appeared Mother Nature wasn’t happy with me. During the afternoon the winds picked up, blowing east to west, increasing the wave action hitting the beach. Rain accompanied the activity.

I had built a wooden boardwalk across the part of soft sand where the waves normally didn’t reach. Thursday morning, one eight-foot section was missing! Built out of four x fours and deck boards, it was nowhere to be seen. Through the day, the wind increased in intensity and the waves reached farther ashore than we had seen in the four years living here. Rain came down in buckets.

Thursday afternoon, with no signs of the storm abating, forecasters predicted the rain would change to snow, with two-to-four inches overnight. Fortunately, we only received about an inch.  I had an appointment to attend to and when I went to leave, I found a neighbor’s tree blocking most of the driveway. I managed to squeak past but later went out with a chain saw to clear the rest. It was a dead tree, hidden among several evergreens, about a two-foot diameter. Once the ground dries out, I’ll be able to finish removing the tree. 

Friday afternoon, another neighbor, about a quarter of a mile down the beach, called. He found my errant boardwalk, bobbing in the waves and eventually coming ashore on his beach. Now, all I have to do is bring it home. Is there a moral here? Perhaps–don’t tease Mother Nature!

My Work in Progress

Writing a novel is fraught with ups and downs, but for me it’s a great journey. My works allow me to share experiences I’ve had in my many years living overseas. Research broadens my mind, ensuring I’m as accurate as possible in my storytelling. The thesaurus further expands my vocabulary as I try to incorporate different words so sentences don’t become repetitive with excessive use. 

Sometimes, I have writer’s block. But what writer doesn’t? This is always a good time to read and review other works or continue with my research. Suddenly, something will jump into my mind, which smashes through the blockage and away I go.

Despite everyday activities cutting into my writing time this week, I did manage to complete and post chapter sixteen of Dangerous Alliance to the two subscription writing sites I use. It appears to be well received, based on the feedback, and I’m in the middle of the next chapter.

Here’s a bit more from Dangerous Alliance:

A cloudless day, the sun baked everything it touched. Two men hopped from the boat into the bath-like water as they approached the shore. Engine stopped, they helped guide the craft. A third leaped from the bow, pulling a rope with him while a fourth remained aboard, an AK-47 cradled in his arms.

“The Koreans changed our agreement.” Dacar shrugged his shoulders and motioned for Sahid to remain seated. “They want three tankers for each load of weapons. A shipload will be on the way to us soon and before we provide any tankers.”

***

Harbi walked up to the nearest soldier and kicked him in the ribs. The man groaned against the gag, trying to roll away from further jabs.

“Enough, Habri.” Tahliil bent down to examine each soldier. “Treat their wounds. Feed and water. Allow them regain strength.” He stood and glared at Habri. “No further mistreatment. If abused, someone will answer.”

“What’s the point, Tahliil?”

“The point is—” He jabbed Habri in the chest with his hand. “I spoke. Do as told. Must be healthy.” He left the tent, followed by the others.

“They are my trophies. I claim my rights.” Habri thumped his chest. Perhaps time for me to take over, too.

Perhaps a bit more next week.

Books I’m Reading

Over the past week or so, I finished Justified and Sacrifice by Carolyn Arnold. I enjoyed both and will provide my thoughts next time as I didn’t have a chance to craft my reviews.

I have several additional books queued up to read and I’m always looking for me. If you have a favorite mystery, crime, or action adventure, drop me a note and I’ll check it 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. However, with overwhelming day-to-day commitments this week, I wasn’t able to check out new sites. Perhaps 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 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.