As the first week of November draws to a close, the temperatures have dropped and there’s been plenty of rain. Nothing like what has hit part of the UK as there hasn’t been any local flooding.
Outdoor chores are more or less completed for this year, so we’ve turned to some interior decorating before our son flies over from D.C. next month. Always something to do to keep things neat and tidy. Of course, there are plenty of NCAA football games to watch in the evening (recorded) and basketball will be starting soon.
A couple of hedgehogs are still making an occasional nocturnal visit but it won’t be long before they go into hibernation. Their homes have been cleaned out and filled with fresh straw with a pile of leaves nearby if they want additional padding. Will be interesting to see if they use them again this year. Will have to get the camera set up to find out.
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on November 10th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
Jacob Cats [Father Cats], Dutch grand pensionary and poet (Houwelyck); Anne “Ninon” de l’Enclos, French patron of the arts, courtesan and writer; Oliver Goldsmith, Irish novelist and dramatist (She Stoops to Conquer); Frederich von Schiller, German poet and lyricist (Ode to Joy); Dobri Voynikov, Bulgarian teacher, playwright and journalist (The Phoney Civilization); Jose Hernandez, Argentine poet (MartinFierro); Winston Churchill, American author (Crisis, Crossing) (not to be confused with Sir Winston Churchill, a former British Prime Minister); Nicholas Vachel Lindsay, American poet (Gen William Booth enters Heaven); Patrick Pearse, Irish poet, nationalist and political activist; Max Mell, Austria artillery officer and literary (Donauweibchen); an van Nijlen, Flemish poet and author (Bird Phoenix); Arnold Zweig, German antifascist and author (Erziehung vor Verdun); John P. Marquand, American writer (The Late George Apley); John Moore, English author (Portrait of Elmbury, Brensham Village and The Blue Field); Alvaro Cunhal, Portuguese politician and writer; W. E. B. Griffin [William Edmund Butterworth], American best-selling author (Clandestine Operations, The Lieutenants); Russell Means, Native American activist, actor, writer, and musician; Jack Ketchum [Dallas William Mayr], American horror fiction author (Off Season, Red, The Woman); James Chapman, American novelist (Stet); Magnús Scheving, Icelandic athlete, writer and producer (LazyTown); and Sean Hughes, Irish stand-up comedian, writer and actor.
Were any names familiar to you? Two stood out for me: W.E.B. Griffin and Jack Ketchum. 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
With the change in the weather, I had more time to devote to writing. Over the past week, I completed the final five chapters of A Cartel’s Revenge and posted them to the two subscription writing sites I use. 
The chapter review count continues to steadily climb, now standing at 522, an increase of twenty-eight in the past week. As always, plenty of good advice to help me improve my writing as I shift into my editing phase.
Here’s another snippet from A Cartel’s Revenge:
They touched down at Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport on time, accompanied by puffs of white smoke as the tires accelerated to match the speed of the huge aircraft.
Michael and Alberto cleared customs without any difficulty and shifted their carry-on luggage to an empty baggage cart. They stepped through the barricades to the interior of the terminal where Alberto spotted their contact—a short, thin man in Western clothing and a Detroit Tigers baseball cap.
He nodded as the men walked past. In the parking lot they slowed down, waiting for the man to catch up.
“Hola, que pasa, amigos?” Pepe waved them to a dark blue Toyota Land Cruiser parked at the curb.
“Hola. This is Michael.” After tossing their luggage in the back, the two men shook hands, then everyone climbed into the vehicle.
Pepe ground gears as he shifted, the SUV shuddering before the engine belched a plume of black smoke. He grinned at the others and punched the pedal to the floor, flinging Alberto and Michael back in their seats.
“Sorry. We’re running late.”
“I’d rather be late than end up in an accident.” Michael shook his head. “Give us a little warning next time, okay?”
***
Alberto and Michael grabbed their packs from the rear of the vehicle and headed toward the bar’s entrance. A warped wooden door, once painted red, rested against a brick exterior, allowing patrons access.
Alberto slipped his hand into the space between the frame and the door and yanked. The door opened with a loud squeal as the rusted hinges gave way.
The men stepped inside and waited for their vision to adjust to the dark interior. A myriad of faded advertising posters adorned Nicotine-stained cinder block walls. A dozen rickety tables with mismatched chairs were strewn around the room.
A long bar, made from old planks laid across a wooden framework, ran the width of the cantina in the back of the single room. A large mirror covered in spider web cracks seemed appropriate for the once-proud watering hole.
At the bar they ordered beer. Without a word, the bartender grabbed two bottles of Cerveza Aguila from a cooler, popped the caps against the edge of the bar, and slid them across.
Michael glanced up and spotted two beady eyes staring back at him. A small rodent peered through a hole in a ceiling beam. “There’s a rat up there.” He pointed as the scavenger scooted away.
The bartender smiled. “Sí—that’s Miguel. He cleans up after messy customers.”
More next time.
This coming week I’ll also be participating in a roundtable discussion sponsored by the International Thriller Writers. The topic: What are the advantages of the new media to bridge readers with authors? The link will go active tomorrow, November 11th, for this discussion, but you can catch earlier discussions at: http://www.thebigthrill.org/thriller-roundtable/
Books I’m Reading
I didn’t get a chance to complete any reviews this week, so I’ll have a couple next time.
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 2019 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
