Mother Nature kept the rain at bay most of this week. Good thing, too. Plenty of autumn leaves to clean up, hoses and solar lights to put away for the winter kept me busy. Not to mention a general tidy of the gardens. Things are beginning to look bare, but that’s typical.
With early nights and late sunrises, it’s clear time is marching forward. The local squirrels are busy harvesting nuts from the various trees, while the hedgehogs are enjoying extra meals in preparation for hibernation. And so the cycle continues.
So, who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on November 8th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):
Teofilo Folengo, Italian macaronic poet; Pierre Bayle, French philosopher and writer (Historical and Critical Dictionary); Sarah Fielding, English writer (The Adventures of David Simple); Girolamo de Rada, Albanian poet (Skanderbeku); Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager and author (Dracula); Qiu Jin, Chinese revolutionary, feminist, and writer considered a national heroine in China; Frank Speck, American anthropologist (Algonquin Tribes and Eastern Woodland Native Americans); Photis Kontoglou, Greek writer, painter and iconographer; Margaret Mitchell, American author (Gone With the Wind); Cedric Belfrage, English writer and journalist (cofounder of National Guardian); Martha Gellhorn, American novelist and journalist who was one of the first female war correspondents; Peter Weiss, German author and playwright (Marat/Sade); P. L. Deshpande, Indian Marathi writer; Ben Bova, American scifi author (Exiled from Earth); Kazuo Ishiguro, British author (An Artist of the Floating World, The Remains of the Day, When We Were Orphans); Richard Curtis, British screenwriter (Blackadder, Four Wedding and a Funeral); Vanesa Littlecrow, Puerto Rican cartoonist, dancer, writer and model; Masashi Kishimoto, Japanese manga author; and Seishi Kishimoto, Japanese manga author.
Anyone familiar to you? There were two for me: Bram Stoke and Margaret Mitchell. 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
I finished my third edit pass of Xavier Sear: Angola this past week. Based on feedback from my advanced reader team, I have changed the name to: Mission: Angola (A Xavier Sear Thriller).
With my concentration on the outdoor work and editing of Mission: Angola, I didn’t have any time left over to do any additional writing. That’s okay as it never hurts to take a few days off.
Reviewers on the two online subscription writing sites I use continue to check out Revenge. The thirteen posted chapters now have a total of 215 reviews. As always, plenty of helpful eyes spotting things which might need a bit of attention. In the meantime, I hope to get another chapter or two completed in the coming days.
Books I’m Reading
I recently finished reading the Sam Harris Adventure Box Set by BJ Skinner. The first novel in the series, Fool’s Gold, introduces readers to geologist Samantha Harris, who prefers to be called Sam. She knows her own mind, which is a good thing, as she embarks on a career in what was considered a man’s world.
BJ has created a number of larger-than-life characters whose interaction with Sam either help her on her journey or attempt to thwart her plans. She set off on her first unpaid field project to gain experience. As the plot unfolds, you’ll find yourself urging Sam on while at the same time, hoping she can overcome obstacles thrown up by others. An excellent opening to the series, which had me turning the pages in anticipation of what would come next.
Hitler’s Finger is the second book in this action-pack series. Sam returns to Sierramar in South America, the setting for the first story in the series. The boyfriend of her new friend, Gloria, goes missing. BJ’s plot will have you turning the pages to find out what happens. There’s a sinister mission underway by some of Hitler’s followers to create a Fourth Reich, and Sam finds herself embroiled in something she never expected. Not wanting to provide any spoilers, you’ll have to grab a copy to find out how things turn out. With complex twists and turns, this one should delight those who enjoy heart-pounding action.
The Star of Simbako finds Sam on her way to West Africa. Hired to work in the diamond fields of Fona, Sam becomes the victim of a voodoo curse. Or is it? She jumps at the chance to take on this project as this will be her first paid geology job. After a rocky arrival in Fona, Sam begins her new job. A chance meeting in the airport paves the way for her acceptance by the owner of the Star of Simbako, but will things be easy for her?
Once again, BJ has completed another fast-paced plot with more realistic characters. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
That’s all 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
