Randall’s Ramblings, July 23, 2017

Yesterday’s rainfall was a welcome relief as it broke the high humidity, which had descended upon us. Today is somewhat cloudy, cool and crisp, although thunderstorms are predicted. Looks like I’ll escape from cutting the grass for at least another day.

Our beach is looking good after having it cleaned as I mentioned last time. The only sign of imperfection is a ragged line of flotsam tossed onto the sand by the waves. A day or so in the sun and it’ll be easy to rake up and use as kindling for a nighttime fire.

My Work in Progress

Despite the continued pressures of summer’s chores and pursuits, I finally completed chapter 21 of Dangerous Alliance. It’s now posted on the two subscription writing sites I used and reviews are beginning to appear.

The next chapter is beginning to take shape. Since I use an outline for my stories, I already had an idea of where I wanted to go next. A bit of tweaking and I’m moving forward.

Writing has continued to take a back seat to other requirements–unfortunately! But it’s important to prioritize things and as a friend used to say, ‘do the needful’ before enjoyment. So I’m still putting the final touches on the next chapter of Dangerous Alliance. While I know my reviewers would be happy to begin reading now, I don’t want to make their work any more difficult than necessary, Of course, they’re always willing to provide their suggestions.

The person I assisted with his draft chapters was delighted with my feedback. He’s already asked if I’ll continue and will be sending me the next three chapters. I’m looking forward to providing further assistance.

Here’s a bit more from Dangerous Alliance:

“Where is the captain?” Dacar glanced around the bridge while his men detained the crew.

A small, white-haired man limped forward. “I’m the captain. Don’t hurt my men. What do you want?”

“Simple, Captain. Your ship now belongs to me. Behave, and no one will be hurt—except for the injured man who killed one of mine.”

Dacar pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the captain. “Here are the coordinates for your new destination. Take us there. No tricks.” He pointed at the young-looking helmsman. “Or he dies.”

***

“I hope Dacar and Sahid are successful.” Harbi waved an AK-47 in the air. “These are excellent weapons, but we need more firepower and armored vehicles to take on the army.”

“What do you want? Perhaps we can make a trade.” Busuri launched a stream of spit into the shimmering sand where it sizzled in the intense heat.

“We have a few mortars, RPGs, grenades. I want—Hummers.”

Gari stared at Harbi and shook his head. “Dreamer.”

Perhaps more next time.

Books I’m Reading

I recently read Devil’s Door by AJ Wallace. The second novel in the Sideways Eight series, Devil’s Door picks up where Mindfield left off. Having successfully identified who had been killing little girls, FBI Special Agents Faraday and Murphy are now embroiled in a new case.

Brutal murders are appearing, each with a grisly similarity. The perpetrator is collecting trophies while at the same time leaving a calling card. It’s up to Charley and Sean to put an end to the trail of corpses appearing across the United States. Join them as they uncover clues leading toward the killer. What caused the attacker to commit his crimes? The answer will surprise you. Grab a copy, go to your favorite reading place, and follow our special agents as they attempt to solve another crime spree. You’ll be glad you did!

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. Unfortunately, I ran out of time this week and didn’t find anything to share with you. I hope to have something next week.