It’s hard to believe how fast July sailed by. It seemed just a blink since we were in June. We’ve been busy with a variety of outdoor tasks which needed done, but not so much we couldn’t stop and enjoy the colorful array of flowers which our efforts (and Mother Nature) produced this year. Absolutely fabulous!
This week, we continued doing some more Scottish genealogy. It took four eyes, a magnifying glass, and a bit of patience to decipher some of the documents we uncovered. However, we were successful in sorting through the loops, scrolls, and faded areas to identify the births of several ancestors dating back as far as 1692! It’s always a thrill when we uncovered a new piece of information.
So, who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on August 2nd. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
Kaspar von Stieler, German poet (Teutsche Wolredner); Joan Lucaz, Dutch journalist and patriot; Adolf Friedrich von Schack, German poet; F. Marion Crawford, American author (Mr. Isaacs); William Watson, British poet (Prince’s Quest, Father of Forest); Irving Babbitt, American writer (Rousseau & Romanticism); Ernest Dowson, British poet (Decorations in Verse and Prose); Aino Kallas, Finnish writer (White Ship, Estonian Tales); Ethel M. Dell, English author (Storm Drift); Johannes Tralow, German writer (Ottoman tetralogy); Viktor Maksimovich Zhirmunsky, Russian literary historian and linguist; John Kieran, American columnist and author (Natural History of NYC); Charles Bennett, English screenwriter; Mary Hamman, American writer and editor (Pictorial Review, Good Housekeeping); Lou Zara, American writer (Stump the Authors); Roger MacDougall, Scottish playwright and screenwriter (The Man in the White Suit); Louis Pauwels, French writer and editor; James Baldwin, American novelist (Go Tell it on Mountain, Another Country) and playwright (The Amen Corner); Isabel Allende, Chilean-American author (The House of the Spirits, City of the Beasts); Rose Tremain, British novelist and playwright (Restoration); Robert Holdstock, English sci-fi author (Ghost Dance, Labyrinth); James Fallows, American writer and journalist; and Caleb Carr, American novelist and military historian.
One name stood out for me this week: James Baldwin. 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. Tomorrow, 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-one of Xavier Sear: Angola, and began work on chapter thirty-two. As of today, there’s been 376 chapter reviews from the two online subscription writing sites I use.
Here’s another snippet:
Sear gripped the arms of his seat as the Emirates flight began its descent into Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. His eyes closed as the knuckles on his hands turned white from his exertion.
“Ease up, man. You’ll rip your seat apart.” Guzman gave a soft chuckle.
Sear glared at him. “Easy for you to say. I hate flying.”
“Flying isn’t an issue.” Guzman gave Sear a sideways glance. “It’s the abrupt landings which cause a problem.”
“Whatever. We’ll be on the ground soon, so take a few breaths and relax.”
* * *
Kruger continued toward Mongu, the sounds of snoring filling the vehicle. After coming around a bend in the road, he slowed. “Wake up, guys. Checkpoint ahead. Hand over your passports.”
Sear and Guzman passed their documents to Kruger before pulling out their weapons ad tucking them out of sight under their legs.
“Here we go.” Kruger pulled to a stop as three armed police officers pointed their AK-47s at the vehicle.
A fourth officer, with a Heckler and Koch G3 rifle slung over his shoulder, lowered a barricade he stepped forward. “Papers.”
Kruger handed over their passports. Inside his, four one-hundred-dollar bills were folded in half.
The officer glanced through the documents before handing them back. He smiled and waved for the others to raise the barrier.
Kruger pulled ahead, gaining speed as they left the checkpoint behind. “Check my passport. I put four hundred dollars in mine, and I didn’t see him take the money.”
Sear rifled through Kruger’s passport. “No dough—pretty adept at making things disappear.”
More next time.
I managed several hours of research for chapter seven of New World Revolution this week and should begin writing soon. To date, there have been 116 chapter reviews.
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.
Books I’m Reading
I recently finished reading three novels from the Will Finch Mystery Thriller series by D.F. Baily. In the opening novel, Bone Maker, we meet Will Finch, a crime reporter trying to put his life together after a family tragedy. Before long, Will is hot on the trail of a new story, with some gruesome results. Did a bear eat the sole witness to a multi-million dollar fraud or was it murder?
With a story filled with plenty of twists and turns, along with characters who could come from any part of the country, you’ll be turning the pages to find out what happens next!
It didn’t take me long to move into the next novel, Stone Eater. Once again Will Finch is on the trail of another story. However, this time, he teams up with a former police officer, Eve Noon, as they attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of a daughter of a U.S. senator.
If anything, D.F. Bailey, has amped-up the tension and excitement in this one, with even more twists and turns. Will Finch and Noon be able to solve the mystery before someone knocks them off? If you enjoy a fast-paced and well-written story, this one’s for you.
The third novel in the trilogy, Lone Hunter, was just as exciting to read as the first two. This time, Will teams up with Noon and a new player, Sochi. This one is another roller coaster ride as we meet new high-powered individuals who think nothing of taking a life to get what they want. I’m pleased to say each story in the series outdoes the previous ones. I just found out the thrills don’t end as there are now at least two more novels in the series!
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
Hi Randall I still enjoy your posts. Nice to get some news. On my side of the ocean I’m being very careful about the nasty virus. ( high blood pressure and a recent cancer makes me vulnerable) I do not have much time for TNBW but I am part of Writers First a help group for writers that offer resources when needed. We also help authors promote by doing some interviews that are posted on several social media platforms. I would love to do a virtual interview with you if you are equipped to do so. Let me know
Regards
Michael Kent.