Randall’s Ramblings, November 24, 2019

With the late sunrises and early sunsets, we’ve turned to a few indoor chores as the weather is too unsettled do continue outside. Armed with a few decorating devices, new paint has been added to walls in the living and dining rooms, along with the stairwell providing access to the four levels of the house. We’re slowly putting our stamp on the property.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on November 24th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Charles, Duke of Orléans, French poet; Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet; Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist/satirist (Tristram Shandy); Thomas Dick, Scottish scientific teacher and writer; Ludwig Bechstein, German poet; Collodi, [Carlo Lorenzini], Italian author (Pinocchio); Frances Hodgson Burnett, British-American playwright and children’s author (“The Secret Garden”); oão da Cruz, Brazilian poet; Dale Carnegie, author (How to Win Friends & Influence People); Cissy van Marxfield, [Setske Beek-de Haan], Dutch author; Ward Morehouse, American theater critic and newspaper columnist; Harry Kemelman, US detective author (rabbi-omnibus); Hotze de Roos, Dutch youth book author (Chameleon); Captain Stubby [Tom Fouts], American author and comedian (Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers); Alun Owen, North Wales, writer (Hard Days Night)/actor (Servant); William F. Buckley Jr, American conservative author and commentator (National Review, Firing Line); Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian writer; Spencer Johnson, American author (Who Moved My Cheese?); Eric Wilson, Canadian children’s author; Claudia Dreifus, interviewer/author (7 Stories); Jules Deelder, Dutch poet (T of Vondel); Spider Robinson, Canadian sci-fi author (3 Hugo, Callahan’s Secret); and Arundhati Roy, Indian activist and writer (The God of Small Things).

Were any names familiar to you? There were a couple for me, including William F. Buckley Jr and Dale Carnegie. 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!

News About My Published Work

Two of my novels participated in the 2019 Cover Contest sponsored by http://www.authorsdb.com. I’m delighted to say both were recognized!

My Work in Progress

Editing continues on A Cartel’s Revenge when time permits. Over the past week, additional chapter reviews were posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. The total now stands at 572, and increase of seventeen over the past week. As always, plenty of good advice for improving my writing.

Here’s another snippet from A Cartel’s Revenge:

Shocked by the unexpected activity, Alonzo stood still.

“Jefe, you must come. Now. The federales are raiding.” A hunchbacked man grabbed Alonzo’s arm and tugged him into motion.

They stumbled into the trees at a distant point from the commotion and stopped. Ahead of them, a ragged line of government troops, weapons held in front, weaved their way forward.

“Alto! Down on your knees. Hands behind your back. Now!”

Alonzo and his companion sank to their knees. Soldiers yanked on their arms, forcing them together while others clamped on handcuffs. Once secured, each man received a rifle butt to the back, knocking him flat.

More troops piled into the compound, shooting four workers holding weapons. Their bodies collapsed to the ground and lay still.

Those who put their hands in the air didn’t escape punishment. Rifles, pistols, even a whip, were used to subdue them.

Three aging military transport vehicles pulled into the center of the grassy courtyard. One truck contained the bodies of the four guards killed at the entrance. Those captured were forced to climb over the bodies into the transports. Soldiers jumped up beside them.

Other soldiers set the buildings on fire. Red and orange flames reached for the sky as thick black smoke spiraled upward.

“What is the meaning of this? These are my people, and this is private—” A pistol slammed against the back of his head and silenced Alonzo’s protest.

Two men tossed him into a truck. The remainder of the troops boarded the vehicles and soon departed, leaving behind death and destruction.

***

A man watching the commotion from a distant ridge lowered his binoculars after they dragged Alonzo away. He chuckled as he picked up a backpack and disappeared into the brush.

“Olivia, this is only the beginning. Soon you’ll beg for mercy.”

More next time.

Work also continued on my fourth novel in the Bedlam series, Ultimate Escalation. The first two chapters have been edited based on the original reviews and reposted. It’s already received sixteen chapter reviews!

In case you missed it in a previous post or would like a refresher, here’s the 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 Spetsnaz 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 didn’t get a chance to finish my review of The Power of Three, the second novel in JC Ryan’s Rex Dalton Thriller series, so I’ll have it for you 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.