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Randall’s Ramblings, September 29, 2019

As we march on to the end of another month, we’re beginning to see some seasonal changes. Sporadic rain, mixed with bouts of sunshine are the daily norm. Leaves are beginning to change colors and drop to the ground in the endless cycle we experience each year. Morning temperatures are in the upper 40s/lower 50s, with daytime temperatures ranging from the upper 50s to mid 60s. So begins autumn!

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on September 29th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, Spanish author (Don Quixote); Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, English novelist; Stan Berenstain, American children’s author (The Berenstain Bears); Ankie [Johanna A Hoving-]Peypers, Dutch author/poet; Colin Dexter, English crime writer (Inspector Morse); Andrés Caicedo, Colombian writer; Stephen Platt, editor (New Statesman & Society); and Gwen Ifill, journalist and writer.

September 29th doesn’t appear to be a popular birth date among writers. Was anyone familiar to you? Even with the small listing, I still recognized a couple of works, even if I couldn’t remember the authors: Don Quixote and Inspector Morse. 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!

News About My Published Work

Dangerous Alliance with CIBA award(1)The new Big Thrill book giveaway, sponsored by the International Thriller Writers, will take place on October 25th. I’m pleased to announce that my award-winning novel, Dangerous Alliance, is part of October’s giveaway. Two lucky winners will each receive ten novels, all written by ITW members and released by publishers recognized by the organization.

If you’re interested in entering the draw, click here: contest.  Good luck!

 

carnage in singapore-001(1)Today is also the last day you can obtain a free download of the Kindle version of Carnage in Singapore. It’s available across the Amazon network. Here’s the U.S. link. Carnage in Singapore has already reached #4 in the U.S. for political thrillers and suspense and #2 in the UK. Help make it number one!

 

 

 

 

My Work in Progress

Writing continued on A Cartel’s Revenge this week with the completion of chapter thirty. 1541181671As always, it’s now posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. The chapter review count continues to increase, now standing at 426, an increase of nineteen in the past week. As always, plenty of good advice to help me improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

After dinner, Olivia kissed her young children goodnight. “Mamá is meeting with Ramon, now. He’s placed a guard on each of your rooms. I’ll peek in before I go to bed.”

“Yes, Mamá.” Both girls hugged her and ran to Pedro, who led them out of the dining room and upstairs.

Olivia took her coffee onto the veranda. Ramon sat in a white wicker swing, waiting for her. She seated herself opposite him.

“Ramon, last night my papa visited me.” Olivia grasped Ramon’s hand as she spoke. “In my dreams. He gave me a way forward if I’m brave enough to follow through.”

Ramon remained quiet, giving her time to decide.

“We must increase our sphere of influence, provide more security for our plants, and provide new methods to improve our growing, harvesting, and refining.” Olivia turned away from Ramon and gazed across the compound as if the answer lay beyond the lights from the house.

Her focus swung back to Ramon—her decision made.

“Arrange a meeting with Ramírez García Días.”

Ramon’s eyes widened, and he blinked. “Are you certain, Olivia? He’s a dangerous man.”

“We’re in a dangerous business.” Olivia stood in front of Ramon, pulled him to his feet, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders drawing him close. “We must succeed, for my family’s future.”

 Olivia kissed him goodnight before heading into the house.

***

Ramon grinned as he watched her go. “One day … I’ll rule this family—no one will stand in my way.”

More next time.

Books I’m Reading

Over the past week I finished reading Finding Billy Battles – Book One by Ronald Yates. We’re taken on a historic journey as Billy’s grandson inherits his grandfather’s journals. The story takes us back to Billy’s time as a young man caught between his mother’s wishes for him to attend university and his desire to strike out on his own. Offered an opportunity to work on a newspaper opening in Dodge City, Billy jumps at the chance.

Ronald’s characters are well-defined and larger-than-life. With a super plot and great attention to detail, readers are treated to Billy’s connections of many of the frontier names we’ve all heard of. The story will keep you spellbound and turning the pages late into the evening. This was the first book of Ronald’s that I’ve read and I can’t wait to begin reading book two.

This brings us to a close for another 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.

© Copyright 2019 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings,July 21, 2019

One of our cats, Hope, isn’t well. She’s spent the majority of Tuesday through Friday at the vet, receiving IVs and a variety of drugs. Her liver enzymes were highly elevated, so they’ve been giving her things to help her liver and fight what they suspect might be a bacterial injection.

KODAK Digital Still Camera
KODAK Digital Still Camera

She’s been at home over the weekend, but goes back to the vet on Monday morning, Anyone who has given their pets pills will know what we’ve gone through, trying to give Hope five pills a day. Overall, she’s done well with the pills. One of the biggest concerns is getting her to eat. She’s been grazing, but we would like her to ‘dig in’ to a meal. We’ve been giving her sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel, whipped raw egg (all for humans), along with some cat food (chicken, duck, beef). If anyone has any ideas about something which might tempt her, please let me know.

Hope’s alert, and this morning she was at the top of the stairs before she headed to one of her favorite places in the house. Hopefully, we can get things turned around.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on July 21st. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat; Anthony Collins, English philosopher (A discourse on free-thinking); Paul Julius Baron von Reuter, German-born founder of Reuters news service; Vasile Alecsandri, Romanian foreign minister, diplomat and poet; A S C Wallis, [Adele SC von Antal-Opzoomer], Dutch writer; Frances Parkinson Keyes, American novelist (Dinner at Antoine’s); Anton Schnack, German writer and poet; Hans Fallada [Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen], German writer; Ernest Hemmingway, American author (The Old Man and the Sea, Nobel 1954); Hart Crane, American poet (The Bridge); Diana Trilling, writer; Marshall McLuhan, Canadian writer (Medium is the Massage); Brigitte Reimann, German writer (Franziska Linkerhand); John C Gardner, scholar/writer (Grendel, Sunlight Dialogues); Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian English writer (Price of Bride); and Michael Connelly, American author.

Was anyone familiar to you? There were two, which clearly stood out for me: Reuter and Hemmingway. 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!

News About My Published Work

the bedlam series banner

My online book tour finishes this coming week on the 25th. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out but would like to do so, please click on: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-bedlam-series-book-tour-and-giveaway

My Work in Progress

carnage in singapore-001(1)Carnage in Singapore will be released soon by Solstice Publishing. The first edit pass was completed this week; just waiting to receive it back to go through the manuscript again.

Here’s another snippet for you:

Gesang picked up a backpack from a table near the door, rushed down the stairs to the ground floor, and stepped outside. He climbed into the rear of the vehicle, placing the pack between his feet. He grinned and gazed at the driver. “Today we make our statement. Musa Rahmet’s men gave the signal. Now we must do as Abu Zeze instructed.”

Wira, a slender man in his mid-twenties, nodded. “Did you make the final decision on the targets?”

“Yes. I’ll explain when we join the others.”

***

Two hours later, Gesang nudged Wira’s shoulder. “Time to dress.”

Wira stood, and Gesang helped him into the suicide vest. Covered with sticks of dynamite, packets of nails and ball bearings, wires led to an electronic switch.

After he put on his outer clothing, Wira glanced at Gesang, a look of bewilderment etched on his face.

“Don’t worry. You’ll live up to the meaning of your name.” Gesang patted him on the arm. “You’ll be a hero and martyr in Allah’s eyes and will live forever.” And if you don’t hit the switch, I’ll use the cell phone as a remote detonator.

More next time.

1541181484Work continued on A Cartel’s Revenge, although still at a slow pace. Chapter eighteen was posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. To date, the novel has received 240 chapter reviews. Plenty of excellent recommendations to choose from! I’ve also started working on chapter nineteen.

In the meantime, Michael and I continue our collaboration effort on Xavier Sear: Angola. He sent me the first draft of chapter five last night, and I’m busy working on chapter six. It might seem like we’re not moving forward very fast, but with eight time zones between us, we rely on email exchanges for communication. We’ve also made some additional tweaks to our character list and the chapter outline. Collaborating on a novel is certainly rewarding and I’m glad I’ve had this opportunity.

Books I’m Reading

With outdoor chores and the trips with Hope to the vet, I didn’t get a chance to put my thoughts together regarding books I’ve recently read. I plan to bring you two or three reviews next time, so stay tuned.

This brings us to a close for another 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.

© Copyright 2019 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

 

 

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, July 7, 2019

The weather continued to be decent this past week, so outdoor chores were the primary focus. The builder completed stage one in the back yard, and it looks fantastic.  I also continued painting the fences, and things are coming together. We also shifted some plants around. One area is now covered primarily with rhodedenrons, while another is filled with lupins. Still plenty more to do.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on July 7th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Albert Vandal, French earl/historian (Le Pacha Bonneval); Ludwig Ganghofer, German writer; Miroslav Krleža, Croatian writer; Robert A[nson] Heinlein, American sci-fi author (4 Hugos, Red Planet); Helene Johnson, American Harlem Renaissance poet; Harriette Arnow, novelist (Dollmaker); Margaret Walker Alexander, poet/novelist (For My People); Yvonne Mitchell, writer (Johnny Nobody, Genghis Khan); Reinhard Baumgart, German writer and critic; Hasan Abidi, Pakistani journalist and poet; David Eddings, American sci-fi author (Belgariad, Malloreon); Howard Rheingold, American author; Jason R. Rich, American writer (Celebrity Teen Talk); and Jeff VanderMeer, American writer.

Was anyone familiar to you? I admit, there weren’t many recognizable names for me. 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!

News About My Published Work

the bedlam series banner

My online book tour began on June 25th as scheduled. During the first week, I picked up over eighty new followers and one hundred twenty-eight people have added my novels to their ‘to-read’ lists. At one point, The Kurdish Connection was #23 for terrorism thrillers in Australia and 888 in the U.S.

If you’d like to find out more, please check out: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-bedlam-series-book-tour-and-giveaway

My Work in Progress

carnage in singapore-001(1)Carnage in Singapore will be released soon by Solstice Publishing. Here’s another snippet:

Noah exited the elevator and located Koh’s home. He unlocked the door and whistled at the luxurious decor. “Wonder how Koh made enough money for this place.”

He walked through the apartment, the straps of his backpack thrown over a shoulder. A mixture of taupe, mauve, peach, cream, gray, muted blues, and purples featured throughout the four-bedroom home. Downlighters and chandeliers highlighted the accent chrome features and decorative mirrors. Each room seemed to make a statement, whether it was a rare oriental carpet or a centered piece of artwork. A hint of sage permeated the air.

Noah collapsed onto a sofa in the sunken living room. The sudden movement made his head throb again, and he cursed. He spotted a remote and turned on the television. A local news channel presenter gave a recap of the rocket attack. “Balagan (a mess)!” He shook his head. “These terrorists must be captured before the situation worsens. They’ve been successful once, which will encourage them to escalate their attacks.”

He muted the television and pulled his laptop out of his bag. Using his satellite phone, he made a secure connection.

To: Skylark

From: Petrel

Sorry for delay in providing an update. Wild visit so far. Involved in a shoot-out with unknown individuals when heading to the survivor’s location. Received a graze and spent an evening in the hospital. Returned to hotel room and found it ransacked. Now staying at ISD contact’s apartment.

Unless otherwise advised, will offer my assistance to ISD in the aftermath of the terrorist attack.

More next time.

Work on A Cartel’s Revenge was almost nil again this week as I concentrated on outdoor chores. 1541181484Chapter seventeen is nearing Readers continue to provide their input, with 214 chapter reviews thus far. Plenty of excellent suggestions to choose from!

 

 

 

 

angolan cole-revised3Collaboration efforts on Xavier Sear: Angola continue. Chapters three is now completed.  There’s been a bit of tweaking to some of the characters’ names and the timeline. An additional chapter has been added to the outline. More to follow regarding both novels as the stories unfold.

 

 

 

 

Books I’m Reading

With all of the outdoor activities, I was pretty tired in the evenings, so I’m afraid I don’t have a book review ready for you. Will work on one during the week and present it next time.

This brings us to a close for another 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.

© Copyright 2019 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, June 30, 2019

Hard to believe we’re already six months through 2019!  Where has the time gone?

We’ve been fortunate with some decent weather over the past week.  About a third of the fence has been transformed from its weather-worn appearance with a coat of forest oak preservative/stain. When the sun shines, it appears to have a plum color, but when it’s in shadow, it almost looks black. All being well, more will be done this week.

A builder and his assistant arrived on Tuesday to rip up the old patio and install a new one. When they removed one of the old slabs near a retaining wall, a plume of water shot up. It continued for hours before the influx stopped.  As a result of this, completion of the new patio was delayed as it took a day and a half to dig through clay and install proper drainage, dumping into a drain on the other side of the property. The system was tested last night with a heavy thunderstorm, but everything looks fine this morning.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on June 30th. (Compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

John Gay, English poet and dramatist (The Beggar’s Opera); Thomas Lovell Beddoes, English poet (Death’s Jest-Book); Friedrich Theodor Vischer, German philosopher and writer (Auch einer); Stanko Vraz [Jakob Frass], Slovenian-Croatian poet (illyrism); Hendrik Jan Schimmel, Dutch writer and dramatist (2 Tudors); Gerrit Kalff, Dutch professor (history of Dutch writers); Georges Duhamel, French author (Vie et aventures de Salavin, 5 vol.); Charles Camproux, French linguistic and author (Bestiari); Winston Graham, British writer (Poldark novels); Czesław Miłosz, Polish-American writer (Bells in Winter, Nobel 1980); Juan Bosch, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (1962-63) and writer; Sam Moskowitz, American writer and historian of science fiction; James Goldman, American screenwriter and playwright (The Lion in Winter, They Might Be Giants); Frank Marcus, German playwright and critic; [Jacob] “Jack” Rosenthal, American journalist and government official; Assia Djebar [Fatma-Zohra Imalhayène], Algerian writer and filmmaker; and Robert Ballard, explorer/geologist/author/discoverer (Titanic in 1985).

Was anyone familiar to you? There might be at least a couple recognizable names. 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!

News About My Published Work

the bedlam series banner

My online book tour began on Tuesday as scheduled. I’ve picked up over thirty new followers and at least one hundred people have added my novels to their ‘to-read’ lists. If you’d like to find out more, please check out: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-bedlam-series-book-tour-and-giveaway

My Work in Progress

carnage in singapore-001(1)Carnage in Singapore will be released soon by Solstice Publishing. Here’s another snippet: 

“We’ll wait until the lights go out.” Umar turned to Seto. “Did you bring your tools?”

Seto patted a bag on the seat. “Be inside within seconds. The builder used basic locks—no problem for me.”

“Good. We’ll enter the apartment and locate the woman. If others are present, knock them out.” He handed both men a leather-covered sap and a black hood. “Gag the woman, put this bag over her head, secure her arms, and bring her downstairs. I’ll wait with the car I hired this afternoon.”

Lights went out one by one throughout the building. After the last was extinguished, Umar waited fifteen minutes. “Go.”

Seto and Joko jumped out of the car and raced to the entrance. Joko held a small penlight on the lock. Seto gave a twist with two different lock picks, and the latch clicked. Joko pulled the handle, and they entered.

Locating the stairs, they padded up to the second floor. They glanced around the hallway—no one.

Seto worked his magic, and the door to apartment four opened. A body stirred on the sofa.

Joko put a finger to his lips and whispered, “Shush.”

They separated and approached from either side. In the moonlight shining through a window, Seto glanced at a woman sleeping on her stomach, her blonde hair spilled across the pillow. A click echoed in the room as the air conditioning switched on.

They paused after the noise, but the woman never stirred. Seto covered her mouth to smother any screams while Joko secured her wrists with rope. After shifting the strap of his tool bag over his shoulder, he wrapped a cloth gag around her face. They pulled her upright and dragged her outside.

Seto closed the door, and they rushed the struggling woman down two flights of stairs. Stopping at the building’s entrance, Seto pulled a black bag over her head. The coast clear, they hurried out to the car and pushed their captive inside the back seat. Joko climbed in after her while Seto ran around to the other side. As soon as the doors shut, Umar drove in a sedate manner until he reached the corner and sped away.

***

Back in Seto’s apartment, they dumped their struggling prisoner onto one of the chairs. Seto held her in place until Umar had bound her ankles and wrists. Panting from his efforts, Umar grabbed the hood and pulled it away.

He gasped. “It’s not her!”

More next time.

1541181671Work on A Cartel’s Revenge was almost nil this week as I concentrated on outdoor chores. Readers continue to provide their input, with 210 chapter reviews thus far. Plenty of excellent suggestions to choose from!

angolan cole-revised3Collaboration efforts on Xavier Sear: Angola continue. Chapters three and four will soon be completed.  More to follow regarding both novels as the stories unfold.

 

 

 

Books I’m Reading

I recently finished reading Rope on Fire (John Crane Series Book 1) by Mark Parragh. This is Mark’s first novel and he’s burst on the scene with a well-polished story. Once a government agent, but now jobless, John Crane refuses to take a new position offered on the outside, and seeks employment elsewhere.  Before long, a billionaire hires him to find out why someone is sabotaging a project he’s funded in Puerto Rico.

Mark’s story is filled with a wide array of characters, and the non-stop action was an easy read and kept me turning page after page. Can’t wait to move onto the next novel in the series!

This brings us to a close for another 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.

© Copyright 2019 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, January 27, 2019

It’s hard to believe we’re almost at the end of the first month of the new year. At least I’ve noticed daylight is coming a bit earlier and staying a bit later. Always a good sign! We’ve been fortunate thus was regarding the white stuff (knock on wood), which means those animals and birds who forage during the winter will be able to get to their food supplies.

We assume our two hedgehogs are sound asleep in their nests, as we haven’t seen them for several weeks and their food is undisturbed. Roll on spring!

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on January 27th. (compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Johann A Cramer, prime minister/poet; Hester Thrale, Welsh diarist; David F Strauss, German theologist (Jesus’ Life); Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], English author (Alice in Wonderland); Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian writer (masochism); Rafael Obligado, Argentina, writer (Santos Vega); Neel [Cornelia H] Doff, Dutch/French/Belgian painter’s model/writer; Giuseppe Prezzolini, Italian writer (La Voce, La Cultura Italiano); Ilja Ehrenburg, writer; William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American newspaper magnate (Hearst Newspapers) and 1955 Pulitzer Prize winner; E. R. Braithwaite, diplomat and writer (To Sir with Love); Fritz Spiegl, Austrian journalist; Gastón Suárez, Bolivian novelist; Mordecai Richler, Montreal author, (Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz); Ismail Kadare, Albanian author/poet (Dimri i Madh); Ethan Mordden, American author; Alexander Stuart, British author; and James Grippando, American novelist.

How many are you familiar with? 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!

News About My Published Work

transparentbeverly_sweets_png copyI’m absolutely thrilled with the news I received earlier this week. Both of my published novels, The Kurdish Connection and Dangerous Alliance have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2018 Long List (aka the Slush Pile Survivors) to the SHORTLIST and have competed for the 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER SEMIFINALISTS positions. They are two of the thirteen novels making the semi-finalist lists! The complete list is available by clicking here: CIBA.

TKCDA-3D-cover

 

Dangerous Alliance will be featured in the February 1st edition of the monthly magazine, The Big Thrill, issued by the International Thriller Writers. To celebrate this event, the Kindle version of Dangerous Alliance will be free across the Amazon network on February 1st and 2nd. 

My Work in Progress

I completed the first draft of my manuscript for Carnage in Singapore last weekend. Now my time is spent going through the myriad of chapter reviews and selecting suggestions which I feel will help improve my story. As of this morning, I have 681 chapter reviews from the two online subscription writing sites I use, so plenty of recommendations to choose from.

I’ve also been playing with the outline for my fourth novel, Ultimate Escalation. While I do have an initial opening chapter, I’ve decided to add at least one additional one at the beginning. This will be used to show how the story’s main protagonist came to be.

Books I’m Reading

Contact, by author M.D. Neu, was released this week. This is a well-crafted story from an up-and-coming author about a civilization searching for a home after the destruction of their home world. But, what if this really happens? Will we be able to handle things as Todd Landon and his husband, Jerry, did?

Warning signs appear when the American President begins shifting troops back to the U.S. Why? Before long, he appears on television and explains: the Nentraee, a humanoid race, is approaching Earth. While some people begin panicking, thanks to his estranged brother, Brad, Todd and Jerry, although sceptical, appear to be handling the mind-boggling news rather well. When Todd is chosen by his company boss to be part of a welcoming committee when members of the Nentraee visit, before long he finds himself in a vehicle heading to a reception with one of their leaders.

Not everyone can handle the development, and their transportation is blown up in an attack. Todd is injured, along with the Nentraee leader. Racked with physical and mental pain, Todd is at wit’s end when the Nentraee state they want him to be their envoy to work with Earth. He eventually takes the role, much to the delight of the Nentraee and to the angst of the American Secretary of State. What will the future hold?

Although I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, I can’t wait for the sequel. M.D. Neu’s a brilliant writer and this story is begging to be read.

I’m also assisting a fellow writer in trimming the length of his memoir to meet his publisher’s desired word count. I think it’s a fantastic story about his father’s life during the Great Depression.

My Favorite Authors

I had planned to share with you one of the authors who helped to shape my interest in writing thriller novels. Unfortunately, I ran out of time, so I’ll cover this next time.

This brings us to a close for another 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.

© Copyright 2019 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, December 9, 2018

A crisp but sunny start to the day. Definitely beats the slightly warmer but rainy weather! Since it’s December, who know what the next week will bring?

As always, let’s check out those associated with the writing world who celebrate birthdays today (compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Peter, Duke of Coimbra and writer (Virtuosa Benfeitoria); John Milton, English poet and puritan (Paradise Lost); Johann Winckelmann, German archaeologist (History of Ancient Art); George Grossmith, British actor, comedian and writer (The Diary of a Nobody, A Society Clown); Joel Chandler Harris, US journalist (created Uncle Remus stories); Maksim Bahdanovič, Belarusian poet; Jean de Brunhoff, French children’s book author (Babar the Elephant); Leonie Fuller Adams, US poetess (Those not elected); Ödön von Horváth, Hungarian-born writer; Dalton Trumbo, American writer/film director (Johnny Got His Gun); Herbert Huncke, writer; Jerome Beatty Jr., American author; Jan Křesadlo, Czech writer; Joe McGinniss, author (Selling of President 1968); Ki Longfellow, American novelist; and Dobroslav Paraga, Croatian politician and editor.

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!

News About My Published Work

DA-3D-coverFor those using Kindle, Dangerous Alliance will be available free on December 14th-16th across the Amazon network. Also, Dangerous Alliance made it through the first round of cover voting from allauthor.com. Could certainly use some additional votes but check out the site and vote for the covers you like the most. https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/

My Work in Progress

Much of my writing time over the past week was once again devoted to social media marketing of Dangerous Alliance. However, I did manage to complete another chapter of Carnage in Singapore. The manuscript has now received 504 chapter reviews, all assisting me in improving my writing and tweaking the story.

This brings us to a close for another week as external events require my attenion. 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.

© Copyright 2018 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, June 3, 2018

Another month has passed us by. Hard to believe how fast times speeds by. The end of May brought us superb temperatures, reaching up to 88F/31C. However, the hot weather didn’t last long. Yesterday was only 59F/15C. While this would have been fine back in April, with a drop of twenty-nine degrees in just a day or so required the use of a sweatshirt to keep warm outdoors. Oh well–Michigan weather!

Are you celebrating a birthday today? If so, here’s a few people from the writing world you share with (compliments of http://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays):

Sydney Smith, preacher/reformer/author; William Hone, author/bookseller (Every-Day Book); Eugeen van Oye, Flemish writer/poet (Morning Twilight); Detlev [Freiherr Friedrich A von] Liliencron, German poet; Rosa Chacel, spanish novelist; Gerard den Brabander, [Jan G Jofriet], poet (Nothing New); Louis Simmonds, bookseller; Wilfred Thesiger, explorer/writer; Pedro Mir, Dominican Poet Laureate; David Richard Holloway, literary editor; Gerhard Zwerenz, writer; Allen Ginsberg, American beat poet (Howl);  Marion Zimmer Bradley, American sci-fi author (Storm Queen); Larry McMurtry, US scriptwriter (Lonesome Dove, Pulitzer 1986); Melissa Mathison, American screenwriter (E.T.); and Lawrence Lessig, American lawyer and author.

Recognize anyone? Even if you don’t, I hope you have a fantastic birthday!

My Work in Progress

My plans to finish the cast of characters for Dangerous Alliance this week didn’t work out as planned. Once again, too many external requirements meant I did very little with my works in progress. Hopefully, the next week will be more promising and I can get back to writing. I also plan to bring another snippet or two.

Books I’m Reading

Even my evening reading and reviewing suffered this past week. All being well, I’ll be back to normal and continue providing my thoughts on the various works I’ve been reading.

Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share

I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites.

Michael Kent – check out Michael’s crime novels–well worth a read.

That brings us to a close for another week. Hope you’ve 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.

© Copyright 2018 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, April 15, 2018

You know the phrase, ‘April showers bring May flowers?’ Do you suppose the same holds true for ‘April ice storms bring May flowers?’ 

I thought the harshness of the winter was over when we had a beautiful 71F/21C temperature with blazing sunshine on Thursday. Friday was almost as warm, but plenty of clouds. The weather forecasters predict rain for Friday night, turning to sleet and a wintry mix with winds up to forty-five mph through Sunday at noon.

They were correct. The rain came as predicted, and beginning about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, the sleet began. Hours later, it stopped, only to begin again this morning. The winter storm warning has been extended until 4 p.m.

When I look toward the lake, all I see is blurry patterns as every window and deck door are iced over. The good news–no outside work. The bad–yesterday’s Tigers’ baseball game was cancelled and rescheduled for today as part of a double-header. It appears both games today will be cancelled, too. Oh well!

My Work in Progress

I finished my first edit of Dangerous Alliance. It’s currently at 102,425 words and yesterday I began reading a paper copy of the story, going word by word and making changes and corrections, which will be transferred to the manuscript when I finish. With the storm and cancelled ball games, no guessing what I’ll be doing today.

Here’s a bit more from New World Revolution:

Sails dropped as the Wester rocked on the gentle waves. After seven weeks crammed into the hold, surviving on foul water and inedible hard tack and salt pork, dozens of immigrants from throughout England and Scotland pushed onto the deck, hopeful for a glimpse of their new land.

Hannah ducked beneath outstretched arms and reached the railing. She gazed at the spectacle as her mother joined her.

“Mama, ‘tis so different from home. So many people and buildings—how will we find our way?”

***

A tall, black man stood to the side, his hand blocking the sun’s rays as he watched the stream of humanity, hugging a few possessions to their chests, making their way down the narrow gangplank. Jostled by two new arrivals, he bowed his head, and stepped out of their way, as they shoved past. William and his sons hurried up to him. He stared at the man before putting out his hand. “You must be Abraham. My name’s William, and these are my sons, Thomas and George. Master Sutton described you in a letter to his brother.”

Abraham removed his hat and shook his head. “No offense to you, but ‘tis better not to shake my hand in public. I’m pleased to meet you.”

“Why is that?”

“Der’s a law in Boston dat says if a black man hits a white man, he receives a severe whipping. I don’t touch white folks so der’s no mistake. I keep myself to myself, don’t need no trouble.”

Perhaps more next time.

Books I’m Reading

This week I finished reading Shark Bait, the eight novel in the Aristotle Socarides series by Paul Kemprecos. As with his previous stories, Paul has created another fast-paced plot. “Soc” finds himself in trouble with criminals through no fault of his own. After he loses his vehicle and his boat is already down due to engine problems, he answers a call for a boat captain to work on a film set.

What could go wrong driving a boat while a movie is being made? As always, problems seem to escalate when Soc is around. I won’t spoil the story, so no more about what happens. However, I must say, once again Pauls’ larger-than-life characters and riveting plot had me turning the pages far into the night. I look forward to reading Soc’s next adventure.

Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share

I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites.

Charlie De Luca – check out Charlie’s blog and learn more about life, his writing, and horses!

Michael Kent – If you love crime stories, Michael has a great selection for you to read!

That brings us to the end for another week. I hope you’ve 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.

© Copyright 2018 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

 

 

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, December, 17, 2017

It’s been a snowy and cold week, causing the birds and deer to hit our feeders harder than normal. Glad to see all of the wildlife, even though we know they struggle when the ground’s covered, making it difficult for them to forage.

Even our indoor-outdoor cats have rarely ventured outside. One looks at us like we’re crazy when we open the door for him to go out. He’ll sit and stare outside, but any attempt to usher him outside is met with a quick dash to warmer areas of the house. At least the next few days are supposed to be warm enough to melt some of the snow. The ice that had formed at the shoreline began breaking up yesterday, and once again we could hear the waves crashing.

My Work in Progress

My final giveaway of The Kurdish Connection ends tonight at midnight, PST. This event is hosted on Goodreads and if you don’t have a copy, head over and enter the contest.

This week I concentrated on reciprocal reviews for those who have worked so hard on my behalf regarding Dangerous Alliance. Reviews are still coming in as readers go through the final chapters.

I also did some additional research for the next chapter of Carnage in Singapore. As with all of my stories, I try to get the settings as accurate as possible, and when I haven’t been to a specific location or know someone who has, online research tools come into play.

Here’s a snippet from Carnage in Singapore:

Unsure if wild creatures or savage humans created the path, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to escape.

The pain in her chest easing, she staggered away. She struggled in the mud and stumbled, her foot caught in the roots of a nearby tree. She fell to the ground, her hands sinking into the thick ooze.

“Help!”

Who would save her in the middle of nowhere? She kicked at the root and twisted her leg until her foot popped free.

Craack!

Back on her feet, she pumped her knees to escape the sludge, her heart rate accelerating as panic skyrocketed.

A bolt of lightning lit the sky, striking a nearby tree. Shadows slithered in front of her, blocking her way forward.

She turned, searching for an escape route.

Rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders in a vise-like grip and threw her to the ground.

Perhaps more next time.

Books I’m Reading

I’ve been reading a number of books but haven’t collected my thoughts yet. I hope to have one or two reviews posted next week.  In the meantime, I had the opportunity to read a short story by up and coming author, M.D. Neu, which will be released on Amazon tomorrow, December 18th.

A Dragon for Christmas is a lighthearted short story packed with plenty of emotions. Will Carmen get the dragon of her dreams for Christmas? The family and the facility staff are pulling for her, which is especially important given her curse. Like her best friend, Mattie, both use the bond with their dragons as a means to cope with their affliction. Will they always be together?

A perfect story for this time of year-bringing hope out of despair as we watch both girls mature and deal with what life tosses at them. An excellent story told in a way which is suitable for children and adults of all ages. Well done, M.D.!

Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share

I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites.

Reader’s Abode – Check out the bi-weekly blogs from the site’s group of international writers (including yours truly). Plenty of new things to read no matter what genre you prefer.

MD Neu – writer and published author, Follow MD’s writing journey and check out his interviews with other authors. His short story, The Reunion, is now available through Amazon, and his new story, A Dragon For Christmas, will be released tomorrow.

I’m afraid that’s all the time I have today. Hope you’ve 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!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, December 10, 2017

What a hectic week! First, our computer decided to die. This happened a couple of hours after I posted last week’s blog. Nothing I could do brought it back to life. That evening, we had dinner with some friends and sold another copy of The Kurdish Connection. They’ll be giving it as a Christmas present.

On Monday, I tried to have someone pull the data from the dead hard drive–no joy. I bought a replacement computer so we’re back in business. It’s amazing how much rely on them.

On Wednesday, I underwent my very first surgery. Nothing major and obviously I survived. I’m still feeling the effects of the anesthetic and the follow-on painkillers, but this too shall pass. I’m still slow on my feet and can’t lift more than ten pounds for the next six weeks–a good reason to spend more time writing.

My Work in Progress

My final giveaway of the year began on December 8th. I’ll be giving away twenty Kindle copies of The Kurdish Connection. This event is hosted on Goodreads and will run through December 17th,

I didn’t get much editing done on Dangerous Alliance this week, and with the computer crash, I have to rebuild the later chapters. Fortunately, everything is posted on the two subscription writing sites I use, so it’s a case of copying and pasting what I need. Just a hiccup in the process.

Despite the ups and downs of the week, I did manage to edit the first three chapters of Carnage in Singapore and begin working on chapter four. I’ll begin providing snippets next week.

Books I’m Reading

The First Chapter by Michael Maxwell is an interesting collection of short stories culminating in his first novel, The Whistler. I enjoyed following Michael as he shared his earlier work, giving us insight to how even as a novice writer, he clearly exhibited outstanding storytelling skills that have matured as time passed. While this is the first of his work I’ve read, it won’t be the last. Many thanks for sharing your journey with us.

The Romanov Ransom by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell didn’t disappoint. Clive has been one of my favorite authors for years, and this one is another excellent journey by Sam and Remi Fargo. With plenty of twists and turns, lifelike characters and a compelling plot, all Cussler fans should enjoy this one, too.

Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share

I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites.

Reader’s Abode – Check out the bi-weekly blogs from the site’s group of international writers (including yours truly). Plenty of new things to read no matter what genre you prefer.

MD Neu – writer and published author, Follow MD’s writing journey and check out his interviews with other authors. His short story, The Reunion, is now available through Amazon, and his new story, A Dragon For Christmas, will be released this month.

I’m afraid that’s all the time I have today. Hope you’ve 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!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved