Over the past week, our friends in Canada celebrated Canada Day on the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, coming into force of the Constitution Act, 1867 (then called the British North America Act, 1867), which united three separate colonies into a single country.
On July 4th, Americans celebrated Independence Day, celebrated the anniversary of publication of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776. Of course, with the holiday falling in the middle of the week many communities held their festivities yesterday.
Hope people in both countries enjoyed their holidays.
Last Sunday I provided a list of people from the writing world who had birthdays on the 1st of July. Today, we’ll look at those who born on the 4th of July (compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
Paul Scarron, French writer (Virgile Travesti); Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet and novelist (Fables & Tales); Nathanial Hawthorne, American author (House of 7 Gables, The Scarlet Letter); Mao Dun [Shen Dehong], Chinese writer (Midnight); Lionel Trilling, American literary critic and author (1969 Poses Award, The Liberal Imagination); Lynette Roberts, British poet; Christine Lavant, Austrian poet and writer (Das Kind); Abigail Van Buren [Pauline Phillips], American columnist and radio show host known for “Dear Abby” advice column, twin sister of fellow “Ask Ann Landers” advice columnist Ann Landers (Eppie Lederer); Patrick Tilley, British sci-fi author (1st Family, Blood River); Paul de Wispelaere, Flemish writer and critic; and Ron Kovic, American anti-war activist and writer, his memoir (Born on the Fourth of July) became an Academy award-winning film.
Whether your birthday was on the 4th of July or another day this past week, I hope you had a good one!
My Work in Progress
Breaking News: Dangerous Alliance, which recently placed fourth (3rd runner-up) in the 2018 Breakthrough Novel Awards, is now under contract with Solstice Publishing. Stay tuned for further updates.
I continued to work on the third book in the Bedlam series, Carnage in Singapore. Chapters seven and eight were posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. So far, Carnage in Singapore has received 125 chapter reviews, excellent sources for improving my writing. I continue to spend a great deal of time doing research to ensure the story is as accurate as possible, keeping in mind it is fiction.
Books I’m Reading
I’m reading faster than I can post my reviews. Here are comments on two of the latest novels I’ve read, both by Russell F. Moran.
A Climate of Doubt – Why is the world experiencing drastic fluctuations in temperatures, with blizzards in July? Homeland Security Director Rick Bellamy and his wife, Ellen, along with several familiar characters, are tasked by the President of the United States to determine if these changes are a result of climate change or something more sinister. Once again, Russell has created an easy-to-read and fast-paced plot. I won’t provide a spoiler, so you’ll have to follow Rick and Ellen as they strive to uncover the cause before the world becomes a frozen wasteland!
The Maltese Incident – What could go wrong on a cruise from Manhattan to the Azores? It seems Captain Harry Fenton is about to find out. With a flash, the cruise ship Maltese is thrust back in time. Not just a few years but back to when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Explore their new world with Harry and his new wife, Meg Johnson, as they and the crew and passengers of the Maltese come to terms with their new surroundings. How will they survive and will they ever find their way home again? Another whirlwind story by a great storyteller. I couldn’t put this one down and read it over two evenings. Grab yourself a copy of this excellent and entertaining story.
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!
Moran Communications – The Write Stuff – the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works, check out Russell’s blog, books, and his suggestions for writers.
That brings us to a close for another week. Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing and reading. 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
