As we head toward the end of January, it’s great to see the days are longer. Not a great deal yet, but we’ll take what we can get. It’s been a mixed winter thus far, and I’m sure a lot of readers will agree it can end for this year.
The snow’s been melting thanks to some above-seasonal average temperatures, but that just provides a false sense we’ve seen the last of the cold and snow. Not so fast–we’re supposed to receive some more of the white stuff tonight and additional flurries tomorrow. At least the wildlife are getting a bit of a reprieve, making it easier for them to forage. Roll on spring!
My Work in Progress
The bulk of my writing time this past week has been devoted to editing Dangerous Alliance. I think another week or so and I’ll put it aside and have a go at a new chapter for one of my other works in progress. Of course, the draw to complete Dangerous Alliance is a strong one, so I anticipate editing will continue to be at least a partial focus.
For those who didn’t catch the cover and what it’s about, here you go:
United Nations’ sanctions are crippling North Korea. China has turned her back on her malevolent partner. The North Korean military machine is crumbling, unable to function. Oil reserves are minimal and the government seeks new alliances.
Cargo and tourist ships are disappearing along the Somali and Kenyan coastline at an alarming rate. Speeches abound in the United Nations, but inaction emboldens al-Shabaab to seek their next prize: Kenya. The terror organization controls land but requires weapons.
Soon after Bedlam Bravo is called upon to disrupt their plans, a VIP’s son is kidnapped while on a mission to aide refugees. Can they manage to disrupt the North Korean-al-Shabaab axis and save the kidnapped son?
Team leader Colonel (Ret.) Trevor Franklin leads the small international team into East Africa. Tempers flare as the team is embroiled in a political quagmire. The axis must be stopped to avert an international crisis but will it be at the expense of the VIP’s son?
If you’ve read my debt novel, The Kurdish Connection, you’ll know I like subplots with plenty of twists and turns. Dangerous Alliance will be the same.
So I’ll have to make a decision on what to work on next: Carnage in Singapore, the follow-on to Dangerous Alliance with Bedlam Charlie is an option. So is A Cartel’s Revenge, which features an interesting leader fighting for survival to keep the family safe while others plot their downfall (full synopsis at a later date). At present, this is planned as a stand-alone novel, but I’ve been tinkering with a spin-off series from it.
Lastly, there is New World Revolution, where we find a tenant farmer and his family in dire straits in northern England. They are handed a lifeline, only to end up in America in time for the Boston Tea Party. I’ve planned this to be a three-volume set, but enough background will be provided so they could be read in any order. Decisions, decision!
Books I’m Reading
I’ve been reading a number of novels simultaneously and still collating my thoughts as I finish each one. I recently read The Chaos of Change by J.T. Riggen. This is a super political thriller and well worth reading. Imagine the U.S. breaking up into diverse territories, each thinking they know what’s needed to run the country. With a complex plot and a myriad cast of characters, it’s hard to believe something like this could happen. Is this a warning to us of what might happen in the future? Pitting brother against brother, family against family, it begs the question–is a second civil war on the way? I’ll have to grab a copy of book two to find out how things continue.
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.
Sideways Eight Series – Join author AJ Wallace as she spins the tales of Charley and Murphy, two FBI agents. Two novels have been published so far (Mindfield and Devil’s Door), with two more to follow. Well worth the read!
That brings us to a close for another week. Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading.
© Copyright 2018 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
