At last! We’ve seen three deer a couple of times this week. I think most days, they’re comig either before the sun comes up or after it goes down. The leaves are also starting to turn. There’s one tree that is now a blaze of gold–not sure what type of tree it is and we only have one, but it’s spectacular-looking!
Alfie, our long-haired cat from Scotland, has been in intensive care all week. He came home yesterday with a big bag of meds–nine to be precise. I think I can take him off the appetite stimulate as he’s eating at home just fine and starting to groom himself. He’s still not out of the woods with his heart problem, but the vet said he could come home as he’s now breathing on his own. Fingers crossed that he continues to improve.
The Detroit Lions Detroit beat Tampa Bay on Monday night, 24-7, raising their record to 5-2. They’re currently in second place in the NFC North Division and have a bye this week.
The Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans played each other last time. The Wolverines came out on top, 31-20, and raised their record to 6-2. Meanwhile, The Spartans dropped to 3-5. Hopefully, the Wolverines will move up the rankings from 25th.
My Published Work
I found out this week that Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thrill Book 2 is now on the 2025 Chanticleer International Book Awards short list for Global Thrillers. Needless to say, I’m thrilled.
Of course, there is plenty of competition to see who makes it onto the semi-finalists list. Not sure when that will be announced, but will let everyone know when it is.
“I’m out there to clean the plate. Once they’ve read what I’ve written on a subject, I want them to think, ‘That’s it!’ I think the highest aspiration people in our trade can have is that once they’ve written a story, nobody will ever try it again.” — Richard Ben Cramer. Compliments of https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/72-of-the-best-quotes-about-writing.
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on October 26th, the forty-third Sunday of 2025 and the fourth and final one in October. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).
Ahmad Baba, Islamic jurist and writer (biographical dictionary of the Mālikī); Dimitrie Cantemir, Romanian historian and Monarch of Moldova (1710-11); Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher (elementary philosophy); Charles Sprague, American banker and poet (Curiosity); Karl Weinhold, German sociologist (founder of Journal of the Association of Folklore); Napoleon Hill, American writer and philosopher (Think and Grow Rich); Mark Aldanov, Russian-French writer and critic (Novy Zhurnal); Runar Schildt, Finnish writer (Segrande Eros); Miloš Crnjanski, Serbian poet (Seobe); John S Knight, American journalist and publisher (Knight Newspapers); Karin Boye, Swedish writer (Kallocain); Sorley MacLean, Scottish poet (Poems to Eimhir and Other Poems); Stuart J. Byrne, American sci-fi author (Star Man, God Man); an Wolkers, Dutch sculptor and novelist (Turks fruit (Turkish Delight); Kort Amerikaans (Crew Cut)); John Arden, English novelist and playwright (Left Handed Liberty); Ulrich Plenzdorf, German writer (Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.); Demetris Th. Gotsis, Greek poet and author; Trevor Joyce, Irish poet (The Poems of Sweeny Peregrine); Andrew Motion, English poet (British Poet Laureate 1999-2009); and Jennifer Roberson, American sci-fi author (Shapechangers, Sword-Maker).
Any names familiar to you? There weren’t any for me this week. 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 slowly continued on my first edit pass of the manuscript for Harding’s Challenge: The Great Rebellion based on reader feedback and make adjustments based on what I think works best. Since my last post, there were another four new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to 323. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.
Here’s another snippet:
Evie retrieved the things she left in the woods, made her way back home, and headed to her room via the service door, which was not uncommon. It’s how she often visited her favorite people in the manor.
After she got to her room, Evie looked for the items she took to the Telford’s the night before. She found a few things hidden under her bed and sighed. As instructed, they were delivered, and Anna stored them out of sight.
With the thought of Anna, she wondered how she could have the discussion she needed with her newly discovered sister. She wanted to right away, but doing so in the house could be dangerous. At the very least, they needed to be outside.
Anna appeared in her doorway. “Do you need anything, miss?”
“Could you set up tea in the garden tomorrow for two?”
“Yes, Miss.” Anna started to leave.
“Anna, you will be my second.” Evie waited for her to face her. “I have a few things I would like to discuss with you, if that is alright?”
“Yessum, miss. That sounds right nice.” Anna smiled as she left.
Evie grinned at seeing her sister so happy. She supposed that deep down, there was something more there all along. Now that she knew the truth, it only strengthened the bond.
She headed towards her bed to lie down for a bit, but before she could, she set Prissy on the table and picked up the mantis. She placed the critter on her bed and let it work its magic. The mantis was nearly six inches long and much heavier than Prissy. The clockwork creature moved side to side across the bed, turning down the covers.
For something so small, the mantis posed amazing strength and could do miraculous things. It was one of Evie’s favorite creations. Sure, she could have pulled her covers back herself, but she enjoyed giving the automaton creations a chance to shine. After the mantis finished, she plucked him up and set him back where he belonged.
Evie laid down on her bed and smiled. This luxury was her favorite, and the only good part about being Barnabas Latimer’s daughter. She clapped her hands together, and mechanical creatures of varying kinds and uses crawled out of nowhere. Most were small, like the kitten that picked up her shoes or the dog that licked the carpets clean. But then there were the bigger ones: the tigress that walked back and forth by her doorway to guard her. There was even a massive chimp that swung around, closing the curtains.
They all played to her comfort level. In the middle of all this wonder, Evie was at home. It wouldn’t matter where she was. As long as they were with her, she was happy. They were her friends. Each had a name, and while her mother suggested they were senseless creations, they all had a purpose. It was those times she wondered if her mother new of her father’s armory of creatures meant of evil.
Within seconds, a drug-like lull of sleep blanketed over Evie. The sensation was warm and cozy, and while she liked the moments just before slumber, the dreams were soon to follow.
A little girl sat on a grand staircase. Her friend, Anna, was screaming in the distance. That was the first time Anna received a beating that she knew of. Evie was only four, barely old enough to understand what was happening.
Why was there so much blood and screaming?
A couple, two slaves, from what she could tell, were murdered. But by whom? Was it her father? Why did he kill them just right then and there? She was crying. Oh my. Was she the reason why? Did her daddy think Mr. and Mrs. Wingland were hurting her?
Father said it was all in the name of war, but the little girl didn’t know what war was, to begin with.
The image went away and drifted into something else.
More next time.
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.
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