Memorial Day, weekend, traditionally the start of good weather, is upon us. As you enjoy your picnics, parades, and family gatherings, please also take a moment to reflect upon the background of the holiday. It’s also a time for honoring and mourning the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Happy Memorial Day to all who are enjoying the long weekend, and Happy Bank Holiday to my English friends, too.
We’ve had another week of crazy weather, but finally had two somewhat sunny but dry days in a row. Could we make it three? Hard to say–fog began rolling in during the early morning hours and is still with us. Hopefully, the sun will pop out and burn it off.
As I had mentioned before, we were able to purchase a few bedding plants this spring despite the lockdown restrictions. Here’s a couple of photos from our front yard (garden). This first one
is along the front of the property. We were fortunate to pick up these plants the morning they arrived at our local Tesco. They’ve taken well and are one of the best borders on our street, even if I do say so myself. Many of our neighbors have given it a thumbs up, too.
The second photo shows a variety of new plants with those that survived the past winter. Some
perennials which we expected to be with us again this year didn’t make it, but my wife has done an excellent job of blending colors together to create another stunning display.
We’re still tackling the ‘jungle’ in the back, but next time I’ll add a couple of photos of the various types of flower and colors brightening up this area.
Here’s this week’s quote (Compliments of http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com/): Life is short. Don’t waste it being angry or sad. Be happy and enjoy the time you spend with your loved ones.”
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on May 30th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays): Randolph Bourne, American writer (Education and Living); Cornelia Otis Skinner, Chic, writer (When Our Hearts Were Young & Gay); Countee Cullen, African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance (Black Christ & Other Poems); Joseph Stein, American dramatist and playwright (Fiddler on the Roof); Julian Gustave Symons, writer; Guadalupe “Pita” Amor, Mexican poet; Evelyn Wesler Zemel, American author (American Glass Animals); Arthur C. Jacobs, Scottish poet; Michael Piller, American screenwriter; and Kelley Armstrong, Canadian novelist (Women of the Otherworld).
While I don’t remember Joseph Stein, I’m certainly familiar with Fiddler on the Roof. Any names familiar to you? 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 had another whirlwind writing time this past week, completing chapters thirty-nine, forty, and forty-one of Revenge, the sequel to Colombian 
Betrayal. All are now posted to the two online subscription writing sites I use. I also updated my outline. After merging some of the final chapters, I believe I’ll finish with forty-five.
Over the past week, there were another nineteen new chapter reviews, bringing the total number to 614. As always, plenty of useful suggestions as always to improve my writing.
Here’s this week’s snippet:
A whimper escaped from swollen lips. She touched her face. Dried blood crusted her upper lip.
“Help.” The woman gasped. “Please. Someone. Help… Me.”
She collapsed.
* * *
Heidi awoke to darkness. Something scurried across the floor. A blanket was draped over her. She felt around—still clothed. She passed out again.
* * *
After she regained consciousness, the same dim light cast eerie shadows around the room. Next to her, a bottle of water and a sandwich wrapped in plastic.
She drank half of the lukewarm water. She wet her fingers and dabbed around her nose and mouth to rinse off the dried blood. Voices in the distance—strange, yet familiar.
Heidi pulled the sandwich from the bag and sniffed. “Ugh—I hate peanut butter.”
Her stomach growled in response.
She nibbled along the edge of the bread to minimize eating the filling, turning the sandwich as she progressed. When she finished, Heide drained the remainder of the water and lay back down on the rug.
Tears trickled down her face.
***
After dusk set, Bennie and Justin headed to the basement. Both wore clown masks. One of them flicked on the dim light, and they thundered down the stairs.
Heidi bolted upright, keeping the chair between her and the two men. “Stay away from me!”
“Relax, princess.” Justin stepped closer, a cloth in his hand. “We’re going to take a little ride.”
Heidi rushed to a corner of the room, pressing her back against the wall. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Bennie pointed at the ceiling. “Sound-suppression tiles. While someone upstairs might hear you, no one outside this building will.” He grinned. “You belong to us.”
Heidi jerked away as Bennie tried to grab her hand. She swung a fist, catching him on the side of his mouth. “Bastard!” She stepped forward, thrusting a knee into his groin.
He collapsed to the floor, hands covering his wounded parts.
Before Heidi realized where the other clown was, Justin grabbed her in a bear hug. He worked the cloth into Heidi’s mouth before pinning her against the wall.
“Help me, Bennie!” Justin grabbed one of Heidi’s hands and wrenched it behind her back. “Quit playing with yourself and help tie her up.”
“But she kneed me. It hurts like hell!”
“Just help me.” Justin grabbed Heidi’s hair and slammed her forehead into the wall.
She dropped to the floor.
More next time.
Books I’m Reading
I recently finished Habitat Zero (Sam Reilly Book 15) by Christopher Cartwright. As with all of Christopher’s novels in the series, Sam is thrust into serious situations involving myriad myths and legends from the past. Habitat Zero follows along in the same style as readers are immersed in a hybrid of reality combined with a people from the past and a sphere which could only come from the future (or have been left by aliens).
While a bit far-fetched in some parts, this is another easy-to-read story, with plenty of twists and turns as Sam and his sidekick Tom, explore an unbelievable habitat. I always look forward to reading Christopher’s books as they allow readers to forget about what’s happening around them and enjoy a thrilling adventure.
I also finished Airliner Down: An Aviation Thriller by John Etzil. What would you do if you were stuck on a plane containing a bomb? Follow the actions of the plane’s crew and several of the passengers in this gripping thriller. With an intriguing plot, realistic characters, and plenty of non-stop action, you’ll keep wanting to turn the pages to find out what happens next. This is the first of John’s books I’ve read, and it definitely won’t be the last!
That’s all for this week. I hope you found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing and reading. 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.
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