It’s hard to believe we’re approaching the end of July. Seems like only yesterday we were in the middle of May. Time is definitely marching on!
It’s been a pretty damp week, with rain most days. A couple of times it didn’t stop raining all day. At least everything is looking nice and green, with a huge array of colors as all of the plants which were late getting in the ground or decorate pots are blooming or getting ready to show us their stuff.
So, who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on July 26th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
George Catlin, American author and painter (American Indian scenes); Winthrop Mackworth Praed, English politician and poet; George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist (Pygmalion, Nobel Prize for Literature 1925); George Louis Beer, American historian (authority on British colonies); Antonio Machado, Spanish poet (Campos de Castilla); Alexander J. Kropholler, Dutch architect and writer; Andre Maurois [Emile Herzog], French writer (Balzac); Marcel Jouhandeau, French writer; Aldous Huxley, English author (Brave New World, Island); Lodewijk Rogier, Dutch historian (Henric van Veldeken); Paul Gallico, American novelist (The Snow Goose); Jean Shepherd, American writer and actor (A Christmas Story); Blake Edwards, American writer and director (10, SOB, Breakfast at Tiffany’s); Jan Berenstain [Janice Marian Grant], American author (The Berenstain Bears); Ana María Matute, Spanish author (Fiesta al noroeste); Ibn-e-Safi, Pakistani fiction writer and Urdu poet; Wopko Jensma, South African poet and graphic designer; Lawrence Watt-Evans, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Sword of Bheleu); Rick Bragg, American journalist and writer; and Anne Provoost, Belgian author (In the Shadow of the Ark).
Two names stood out for me this week: George Bernard Shaw and Aldous Huxley. Did you recognize anyone? 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 Published Work
When I first released Colombian Betrayal in late March 2020, it was at the introductory price of $2.99 for the Kindle version. 
I had planned to keep it at this price for thirty days before raising it. However, due to the global pandemic, I’ve kept it at this price.
However, all good things must come to an end. On August 3rd, the price will increase to $4.99. So, if you want a copy but haven’t taken the steps to grab one, now is your chance. Here the universal link for Amazon: books2read.com/u/4Az0j0
Many thanks for your support!
My Work in Progress
This week, I completed chapter thirty of Xavier Sear: Angola, and began work on chapter thirty-one. As of today, there’s been 367 chapter reviews from the two online subscription writing sites I use.
Here’s another snippet:
João pushed his plate away and finished a tall glass of water. He smiled at his hosts. “That was the best fish calulu I’ve eaten in years.”
Theo and Shantae laughed. She waved a finger at João. “The secret is the fresh vegetables to offset the dried fish. Would you like some cocada amarela? The cook made is especially for you.”
João patted his stomach. “Perhaps, later. If you don’t mind, I must discuss things with Theo.”
Shantae nodded. “I will leave you men to men’s business. When you are ready for the custard, we shall serve it with coffee.”
“I thought Angolans didn’t like coffee.” João pursed his lips. “Things have changed over the years.”
“As a member of the government, I must encourage our citizens to drink coffee because it is healthy for us.” Theo frowned as he stood. “I still do not like the taste, but the Americans say it contains antioxidants, which help control cancer cells.”
They went into the room Theo used as his office. “Would you like a drink, my friend? We made some of the whiskey kota you enjoyed many years ago.”
João laughed. “Perhaps later, we might share a glass of your homemade whiskey. But, first, can I connect to the internet? Cat should be sending me an email reading our rendezvous point with Sear.”
“As a member of the government, I receive one of the best internet connections in Angola.” Theo grinned. “Broadband is available in Luanda, but outside the major cities, we must rely on satellites, which can be erratic. Of course, our internet will not compare with the services in Portugal.”
After Theo helped João connect, he scrolled through his unread email. The usual batch of internet spam. Some business stuff to take care of later. Ah, yes! He glanced at Theo. “Just a moment—there’s a message from Cat.”
More next time.
I finally finished and posted chapter six of New World Revolution. To date, there have been 113 chapter reviews. I had provided a higher number last time, but I was looking at the wrong title.
Anyway, there’s been plenty of positive feedback on this one, which is fantastic as I spend countless hours each week doing research to make this as historically accurate as possible.
I hope to begin including small snippets some time during August.
Books I’m Reading
This past week, I’ve been reading The Finch Trilogy (Will Finch Mystery Thriller Books) by D.F. Baily. I’m almost finished with the final novel in the trilogy, so I’ll provide my assessment of the three books next time.
This brings us to a close for this 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 and hope you drop in again.
© Copyright 2020 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
