We had our first dusting of snow for the new ‘winter’ season. Only about half an inch, just enough to cover most of the ground. With cold daytime temperatures hovering around freezing (32F, 0C) and nighttime much lower (8F, -13C), it’s no wonder it took several days for even this small amount of snow disappear.
Today, we’re off to a gloomy start, but nothing a cup of coffee or two won’t brighten. The sky is gray and so is the water. No hint of the sun, which must be up there someplace. With the leaves shed from the trees, it does paint a bleak picture but onward we go!
With the colder weather, we’re receiving more visitors at the apple tree feeders. Blue jays, cardinals, black-eyed chickadees, juncos, an occasional tree sparrow. Two different woodpeckers dropped by as well. It’s always a treat to glance out the window to see who has dropped by.
My Work in Progress
There’s always a positive side to inclement weather for a writer. Outdoor chores are put on hold, allowing more time with paper and pen (okay, a computer these days, but what the heck?).
Despite November being the annual NaNoWriMo competition, reviews of my latest manuscript, Dangerous Alliance, keep flowing, now up to 558 chapter reviews. A couple of faithful reviewers asked me to keep posting as they like to read several chapters in a row and not wait for the eventual announcements of a new post.
I agreed with them and it’s a good thing the words have been flowing. Over the past week, I completed six more chapters, leaving me five remaining to complete the first draft. Once the final chapters are completed, the hard work will begin–editing.
Here’s another sample from Dangerous Alliance:
Two men pulled the tent flaps open, allowing Busuri and Looshan to enter. Knives drawn, they rushed to the sleeping foreigners.
George stirred, eyes opening when the hilt of a dagger clipped the side of his head. “What? Who’s there?”
A hand covered George’s mouth as a dagger traced a line down his chin to his throat.
“Sshhh. Make a sound—you die.”
***
Several hours later, a phone rang twice before someone answered. “This is the British Embassy in Nairobi. How may I direct your call?”
“Hello, I’m Ian Jones, the Jujubba Refugee Camp coordinator near Malindi. We need help. There’s been a kidnapping!”
A bit more next week.
Books I’m Reading
I recently completed the first two novels in the new Ryan Kaine series by Kerry Donovan. I’ve already been an avid reader of Kerry’s DCI Jones Casebook series, so I could wait to get started.
I believe Kerry has taken his writing to a new level with his new series. The first one, Ryan Kaine: On The Run, grabbed me from the beginning. Holy smokes! Set up by his superiors, Ryan blasts a commercial airliner out of the sky. Not content with tricking Ryan into doing something he would never have voluntarily done, the boss sends out thugs to ensure Ryan remains quiet—permanently.
With eighty-three innocent deaths on his hands and guilt threatening to overwhelm him, Ryan sets out to prove his innocence. Will his skills, instincts, as well as new and old friends, be enough to spur him on?
With realistic characters an exciting plot, and riveting action, I found it difficult to put down. I wanted Ryan to succeed in his mission. An excellent beginning to this exciting new series.
After finishing this story, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, Ryan Kaine: On The Rocks. Kerry stepped up the action, having a somewhat vindicated Ryan traveling to Scotland to rescue the younger brother of one of the fatalities from the airliner. On a school outing, he’s missing on a Scottish mountain. Ryan infiltrates a rescue team to lend his knowledge of the area and his skills. The team took him at his word, until the schoolteacher leading the outing recognizes Ryan.
With Ryan’s identity revealed, he escapes and works his way up the mountain. Climb with him as he scales steep cliffs until he finds the boy. I read this one even faster than the first one; I was so enthralled with the plot. For those who love thrillers, the Ryan Kaine is a series not to miss!
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. Click on the events tab to learn about our exciting book give-away! My interview with Kerry Donovan is now posted (along with the reviews listed above of his Ryan Kaine series).
B. Douglas Slack – A newly published author, Mr. Slack provides an interesting style as he brings us a romance spanning the globe–an American man and a Japanese woman. I won’t say any more just now as my review will be posted next week. It’s a great story and one not to miss. Available now on Amazon.com.
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