Since last Sunday, we’ve only had one day with plenty of sunshine and no rain. They say April showers bring May flowers. Hopefully the snow, sleet, and hail hasn’t damaged too many of the flowers that are already blooming. Looks like we’re in for another day of overcast skies and misting rain.
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on April 7th. (compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
William Wordsworth, English poet laureate (The Prelude); Flora Tristan, French writer and social activist; J. P. [Jens Peter] Jacobsen, Danish writer (Niels Lyhne); Gerald Brenan, English writer; Robert Charroux, French writer; Henry Kuttner, American sci-fi author (Dark World, As You Were); Johannes Mario Simmel, Austrian writer; James White, UK, sci-fi author (Star Surgeon, Star Healer); Donald Barthelme, American writer (Snow White, Sadness); Megas, Icelandic singer, songwriter and writer; and Artemis Gounaki, composer, writer and music producer.
How many did you recognize? There’s one or two who might be familiar, perhaps not by name, but by the title of their work. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one and many more to follow!
My Work in Progress
The initial editing phase on my third novel, Carnage in Singapore is now complete, at least for now. I finished the fourth edit pass this week, with perhaps one more to follow before submitting the manuscript. Here’s another snippet:
“Wait.” She held a hand in the air. “I remember another man. His name was Omar or Umar, something like that. Deep scars covered both sides of his face as if he’d been in a bad accident.”
Goh turned to Natalee. “What kind of scars? Recent? Old? Deep? Shallow?”
She pursed her lips. “They seemed recent. They were shallow like someone raked their hands along his face.”
“Anything else?” Aiden leaned forward as if his movement would help coax more information from Natalee.
“No, that’s all I remember. Will this help?”
Aiden stood, followed by Goh. “Yes, it will. So would a sketch artist to draw the faces and a hypnotherapist to help you remember your dreams. Too bad we didn’t think of these ideas sooner. We’ll take this new information back to our inspector. I’ll come by in another day or so to check how you’re doing.”
Natalee nodded. “Please catch them, Aiden.”
A grim expression crossed his face. “I will.”
***
Later in the day, a man dialed a long-memorized number. He let the phone ring twice and hung up. Five minutes later he received a call.
“Trouble. The girl is regaining her memory and revealed more information. She identified Musa and gave a description. She mentioned your name and the scars. What should I do?”
A sigh came from the handset. “Keep me apprised of the situation. If she remembers anything more, I don’t have to tell you what must be done.”
Perhaps more next week.
I also continued working on the fourth chapter of my next work-in-progress, Ultimate Escalation. All being well, the chapter will be completed over the following week and posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. So far, there have been forty-one chapter reviews, all assisting me in improving my writing. Here’s the draft synopsis:
Punjabi militants seek to distance themselves from Indian and Pakistani dominance and interference. With the dissolution of British India in 1947, families were ripped apart as the Punjabi region was split between the two countries. Limited attacks within each country caused further persecution and heartache. 
The militants have no idea how to achieve their desires–until the appearance of Vladimir Aleksandr Nikolai, a disgraced Spetnaz colonel. He offers the militants a means to spark a conflict between the two nuclear powers.
Russian subs sold on the black market and manned by Iranian and Russian sailors will surface off the coasts of the two countries and destroy Karachi and Mumbai. Propaganda machines will levy accusations against each country, leading to escalation of hostilities, pushing the countries to the brink of nuclear war.
The Bedlam organization fields their three teams to counter the violence and seek to restore calm before it’s too late. Will they be successful or will South Asia become a smoking ruin?
Books I’m Reading
I recently finished reading A Kingdom’s Cost: A Historical Novel of Scotland (The Black Douglas Trilogy Book 1) by J.R. Tomlin. This is a fascinating blend of historical facts and riveting fiction making for a fantastic portrayal of events during the time of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Follow eighteen-year-old James Douglas as he pledges his allegiance to Robert despite his family’s castle having been seized by the English.
With life-like characters and a realistic plot, Tomlin weaves an interesting story of what might have been. Will Robert the Bruce and Douglas survive the war with England or succumb to infighting among the Scots? If you like historical fiction, this one is for you. I’ve already purchased the second story in the trilogy and look forward to more adventures.
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.
