As we move into August, the higher temperatures and humidity have returned. At least we received some rain, which will definitely help the local farmers and avid gardeners. I suppose one good thing about the dry spells—grass didn’t grow as much so people didn’t have to mow as often.
Are you celebrating a birthday today? Here’s a few people from the writing world who share today with you. (compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
François Hédelin, abbé d’Aubignac, French writer; Percy Bysshe Shelley, English romantic poet (Adonais); Walter Pater, writer (Plato & Platoism); Knut Hamsun, Norwegian writer (Nobel Prize 1920); Erich Weinert, German communist writer; Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author (Ferdydurke, Pornography); Leslie Wilkinson, journalist; Osbert Lancaster, English cartoonist and author (Daily Express); Robert Hayden, African-American poet (Those Winter Sundays); Iceberg Slim (a.k.a. Robert Beck), African-American author; Helen Thomas, American reporter and UPI journalist (starts press conferences); Mushtaq Ahmad Yusufi, Pakistani satirical and humor writer; Rutger Kopland, [Rutger van den Hoofdakker], Dutch poet; Allison Hedge Coke, American poet and writer; Laurence Anholt, British children’s author; Tim Winton, Australian author; Dennis Lehane, American crime writer; John August, American screenwriter.
Recognize anyone? I certainly did. Even if you didn’t spot any familiar names, I hope you have a great birthday and many more.
News About My Published Work
This is a new category for my blog and will only be included when there’s an update. My debut novel, The Kurdish Connection, is currently ranked 55th (out of 364) on Goodreads’ Political Thrillers list! There’s some well-known names on the list ahead of me, so I feel I’m in good company.
The Kurdish Connection received another five-start review this week (posted on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, etc.):
“Five Stars “The Kurdish Connection” by Randall Krzak is an excellent and exciting read by a brilliant author who kept me entertained throughout the complete story.
I liked the short chapters which kept this thrilling and well-crafted story moving with a lot of suspense and unexpected twists and turns which I didn’t anticipate. All of which made this an invigorating, fast-paced and great story and one of the best books I’ve ever read and one I seriously (and don’t mean to sound cliché) just couldn’t put down!
The intelligent author writes very well in a highly professional manner. The author is accomplished since he has the ability to write clearly from several points of view, and I had no trouble following this story and the action and excitement generated by this author.
If you like to read entertaining books that keep your interest, I highly recommend you read this book!”
I could certainly use a few more reviews like this, but I’ll happily take whatever comes along.
My Work in Progress
Progress continues on Carnage in Singapore while I’m waiting for my publisher to finish going through Dangerous Alliance. As with the previous few weeks, I’ve managed to complete another three chapters (eighteen through twenty) despite a fair bit of required research to make the content as realistic as possible.
A further twenty-six chapter reviews were sent to me this week, bringing the total for Carnage in Singapore to 263. I greatly appreciate everyone’s input to improve my writing.
Here’s a bit more from the story:
Her head whipped to the left and the right, her mouth open but no sound came forth. She lurched forward to a sitting position.
“An island.” She whispered. “I holidayed on an island. Where?”
She lay back on the bed. Murky images continued to appear. Men and women—she covered her ears to block out their cries. Tears streamed from her eyes, soaking her pillow. Her head lolled to the side.
***
The police officers returned to their station and filed an initial report. While Sergeant Ang met with the Station Inspector, Special Constable Goh continued searching through Interpol’s international missing person database.
“Inspector, we met with a young woman at the hospital. She couldn’t remember her name.” Sergeant Ang sat in a metal folding chair in front of the inspector’s desk. “What she did tell us confirms what other victims reported—something nefarious is occurring on one of the neighboring islands.”
The inspector nodded. “I suppose your mother tossed you out of the hospital again?” A smile transformed his craggy face, reaching to his eyes.
Sergeant Ang glanced at the floor, his face reddening. “You know what she’s like.”
“Yes. When is your next interview with the woman?”
“My mother said to return late afternoon. If we show up earlier, she’ll turn us away.”
“Very well. Do what you can—we have a mystery on our hands—one with terminal outcomes.”
Perhaps more next time.
Books I’m Reading
As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve been reading faster than I can write my reviews. Finally, here’s a couple more to share with you.
The Cleric’s Vault: A Sean Wyatt Archaeological Thriller (The Lost Chambers Trilogy Book 2) by Ernest Dempsey takes us further into the escapades of Sean Wyatt and his long-time friend, Tommy Schultz. Still running around the United States in search of clues, they end up in Ecuador. A beautiful woman named Adriana Villa appears on the scene and offers them assistance.
Will they find what they need to uncover a mysterious lost treasure? Ernest has surpassed his first novel in the trilogy with a smooth blend of fiction and historical fact, set around a rollercoaster journey. A captivating story which will delight both mystery and thriller readers! Can’t wait for the final novel in the series.
The Nostradamus Equation (Sam Reilly Book 6) by Christopher Cartwright is another excellent example of fiction merging with history. Is Dr. Zara Delacroix’s quest to uncover an ancient manuscript called The Book of Nostradamus a foolhardy journey or does it really exist?
Christopher’s larger-than-life characters think so. A warlord believes the manuscript holds the key to his successful takeover of an African country. With twists galore, follow Zara through the sands of the Sahara Desert and into Europe in the hunt for Nostradamus’ last written words. Who will reach the coveted prize first? A riveting ride which makes me want to read more of Christopher’s work.
Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share
I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but will also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites.
Teamgolfwell – a Zealand retiree group who combined two great loves—golfing and reading. Check out their website to find out what they’re up to!
This brings us to a close for another week. I hope you 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
