It’s been a mix week, weatherwise. There’s been plenty of clouds, rain, and spurts of sunshine, with temperatures about the historical averages. As we head towards the summer equinox, the days are definitely longer with first light at 04:32 this morning and last light supposed to be at 21:45. The flowers have made their appearance and the hydrangea plants heavy with their buds as they begin to change color. It’ll be a smorgasbord of color when they are all in bloom.
Last weekend’s small business market was another success. Although it was quiet, I still sold thirteen novels, while Sylvia sold two of her poetry books and nineteen of her poetry sheets. A bit under our averages but we’re still pleased with the result.
I saw yesterday the average price of a U.S. gallon of gasoline (petrol) broke $5.00. On Tuesday, we saw an eight pence per liter rise at the local pumps. Now it’s up to £1.81, which makes it the equivalent of $8.61 for a U.S. gallon at the current exchange rate, a jump of twenty-seven cents a gallon since last week.
Here’s this week’s quote (Compliments of http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com/):
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” ~ Mark Twain
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on June 12th, the second Sunday of the month:
Juan del Encina, Spanish author and composer; Harriet Martineau, British controversial journalist, political economist, abolitionist and life-long feminist; Johanna Spyri, Swiss children’s book author (Heidi); James Oliver Curwood, American journalist and writer (Kazan the wolfdog); Djuna Barnes, American author (Nightwood); Sandro Penna, Italian poet; Bill Naughton [William John Francis Naughton], English playwright (Alfie); Milovan Djilas, Yugoslavian politician and writer (The New Class); Bob Carroll, American screenwriter (I Love Lucy, Stage Two Revue, Stranger); H. C. Artmann, Austrian writer; James Archibald Houston, Canadian author and filmmaker (Tikta’Liktak); Christopher Derrick, British writer; Henry Slesar, American writer and playwright (The Edge of Night); Anne Frank, Dutch Diarist and Jewish victim of the Nazi Holocaust (Diary of Anne Frank); Brigid Brophy, British novelist (Hackenfeller’s Ape) and campaigner; Jameel Jalibi, Pakistani scholar, writer, and Urdu linguist; Rona Jaffe, American novelist (Mazes & Monsters); Christoph Meckel, German writer; Harry Glasper, English writer; Jim Goad, American author and publisher (ANSWER Me!); Jordan Peterson, Canadian psychologist and author (12 Rules for Life); and Chanel Miller, American writer (Know My Name).
Any names familiar to you? There were two for me again this week: Johanna Spyri and Anne Frank. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!
My Work in Progress
Work continued once again on my next WIP, Frozen Conquest. The fourth chapter has been posted to the two online subscription writing site I use. So far, the four chapters have received fiftytw reviews, some from long-standing reviewers while others came from new people.
Here’s the next snippet:
Compensating for a skid, the pilot brought his aircraft to a gentle halt. Hydraulic lifts raised an opening, allowing enough space for the plane to enter a hidden hanger.
As soon as they stopped, a door opened on the plane and a set of stairs extended. A short, mostly bald man rushed down. “Chris! Grab my bags and take them to my quarters.”
“Yes, Mister Brown.” Chris Handler, tall, slender, and sporting a thick, black beard, handed Walter a thick legal-size envelope. “Here’s your latest messages, sir.”
Walter waved a hand. “Anything urgent?”
“No, sir. All routine. Everything is moving forward according to your plan.”
“Excellent. Bring me a black coffee and a heated croissant.”
“Right away, sir.”
Walter turned and strode along a red all-weather carpet. As he walked, he glanced around his cavernous facility housing his hidden headquarters. Built in great secrecy near the Aramis Range, Prince Charles Mountains, and at a cost exceeding five billion dollars, he considered it a masterpiece. The original above-ground facility was built by the Russian Antarctic Expedition and nicknamed Soyuz Station but was officially closed in 1989.
To ensure no one found out about his headquarters, building contractors lost their lives when one of his ocean-going vessels sank during a storm, taking its cargo of innocent victims to a watery grave.
When he reached his office, Walter entered a five-digit code onto a keypad, gazed into a retinal scanner, and pressed his index finger onto another pad that popped out of the wall.
Security protocols complete, the door clicked open, and Walter walked inside, tossing his coat onto a nearby chair. He slid into his ergonomically designed chair behind a polished oak desk. Walter pushed a button under the lip of the top.
A panel opened on the left side of the desk, and a computer slowly rose and locked into position.
He logged on as an inner door opened.
Chris entered, pushing a cart holding a china coffee pot, a cup and saucer, a sugar bowl, and a covered plate. Each was trimmed in gold with a blue D prominently displayed.
He placed the cup and saucer on a pull-out shelf and poured a cup of black coffee. After using a pair of tongs, Chris deposited two sugar cubes into the steaming liquid. After uncovering the croissants, he stepped back from the desk, cracking his knuckles. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
Walter nodded. “Will you please stop cracking your knuckles? It sounds like you’re breaking bones.”
“Sorry, sir. Just a nervous habit.”
“Well, once we launch our operation, you need to speak to someone about it.” Drives me bonkers.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll buzz you if I need anything else. Dismissed.” Walter sipped from his coffee and turned to the computer screen.
More next time.
Book Promotions
My novels are participating in four Bookfunnel promotions this month:
THE USUAL SUSPECTS: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Reads group promo. There are 171 novels to choose from:
https://books.bookfunnel.com/b…THE COLOR OF Action: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy with 18 novels to choose from:
https://books.bookfunnel.com/t…
Summer Chills and Kills: A Kindle Promotion: There are 84 novels to choose from:
https://books.bookfunnel.com/s…Thriller, Mystery & Suspense group promo. Another 70 novels in this one.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/t…
This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. 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 2022 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
