The days and weeks keep rolling by. Here we are already in August–where has the summer gone? Despite the calendar ticking over, we’re still getting plenty of rain and lower-than-normal temperatures. However, the forecasters are predicting we’ll be receiving above average temperatures soon.
“In my later years, I have looked in the mirror each day and found a happy person staring back. Occasionally I wonder why I can be so happy. The answer is that every day of my life I’ve worked only for myself and for the joy that comes from writing and creating. The image in my mirror is not optimistic, but the result of optimal behavior.” — Ray Bradbury. Compliments of https://selfpublishing.com/writing-quotes/.
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on 6 August, the first Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/):
François Fénelon, French Roman Catholic theologian and writer (Playing for Time); Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French writer; Alfred Tennyson, British Poet Laureate of Great Britain (The Charge of the Light Brigade); Thomas Alexander Browne, Australian writer (Robbery Under Arms); Fernando Canon, Filipino revolutionary general, poet, and the Philippines 1st National Chess Champion; Paul Claudel, French poet and playwright (L’Otage-1909); Emanuel Querido, Dutch author and publisher (N.V. Em. Querido Uitgeversmaatschappij); Charles Fort, American writer and researcher (specialized in anomalous phenomena); Louella Parsons, American gossip columnist; Scott Nearing, American sociologist, pacifist and author (The Good Life); John Middleton Murry, English poet and literary critic (Between Two Worlds); James Lees-Milne, English writer and architectural historian; Christa Reinig, German poet and writer (Idleness is the Root of All Love, The Tightrope Walker); J[anet] O[pal] Jeppson [nee Janet Asimov], author (2nd Experiment); Norman Wexler, American screenwriter; and Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob, UK, sci-fi author (Chthon, Phthor).
Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Alfred Tennyson. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!
My Published Work
This week, Frozen Conquest received its first Amazon review–a five star! Here it is:
Many thanks to Cherry Blossom for this review!
My Work In Progress
This week, I completed chapter seven of Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2. As always, it’s been posted to the two online writing sites I use. A further eighteen reviews came in this week, bringing the total to 114. As always, plenty of recommendations for me to consider.
Here’s another snippet. Please keep in mind that since these are first-draft chapters, things will likely be changed once I get to the editing phase. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
“Ah, yes, Sayyid Sear. We have been expecting you.” The man lifted a key from beneath the counter and pushed it toward Sear. “Don’t let the condition of our fine hotel fool you. For over two years, Sayyid Vincent has paid for every room, and he mandated the condition he wanted the hotel in to keep prying eyes away. Some of the rooms are occupied from time to time by people like you, while others use this as a transit point away from the fighting.”
Sounds like Vincent. “Shukran. Where is my room?”
“One floor up. There aren’t any rooms on the ground floor. However, there is an outside exit near your room.” The man pulled a small package from under the counter. “Vincent said you might need this.”
Sear nodded. “What is your name, so I can tell Vincent how helpful you’ve been?”
The man smiled and dipped his head. “My name isn’t important, but my parents called me Dabir.”
“Nice to meet you, Dabir. I’ll go to my room and relax. I’m expecting two visitors.”
“Yes, Sayyid. One of them was here earlier with the package from Vincent.”
Must have been Malik. “Shukran. I will speak with you later.”
Dabir pointed. “Take the stairs to the first floor, and your room is to the right.”
Sear picked up the package and headed to the stairs. When he reached his room, he used the old-fashioned skeleton key to unlock the door. Inside, a single bed, a small chest of drawers, and a bedside table. He opened an interior door and stuck his head inside. Whoa! Someone forgot to clean this. Worse than using a hole dug along the Zambezi River.
His phone beeped. He pulled it out and glanced at the text.
We’re on the hotel’s street—three motorcycles. Be outside in three minutes.
Sear responded, shoved his phone in his back pocket, and opened the package.
Excellent. A SIG Sauer P-226, three magazines, and a holster. I won’t feel naked. He attached the holster to his belt and loaded the pistol, putting the other two magazines in a small backpack he pulled from his carryon luggage. Satisfied he was ready, Sear left the room and headed through the side exit.
Outside once again, Sear headed to the street and looked both ways. From the right, he spotted three motorcycles and a car heading in his direction.
As the vehicles approached, the car nudged the rear motorcycle.
The motorcyclist swerved out of the way.
The car pulled alongside.
Boom!
More next time.
My Published Work – Promotions
The Kurdish Connection, Dangerous Alliance, Colombian Betrayal, Mission: Angola, and Frozen Conquest are participating in a Thrillers and Suspense promotion through the end of August. There are seventy-eight Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense / Thriller, and Romance / Suspense novels to choose from, so when you have a moment or two, please check it out.
Frozen Conquest and Colombian Betrayal are participating in an August ebook sales, deals & steals for mystery, suspense, thrillers and mayhem. Only two titles were allowed per author. There are fifty-eight books to check out in this one.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/mystery-romance2/6e3yxv7hc5
Here’s another promotion, called Vengeance. The Kurdish Connection and Dangerous Alliance are two of the sixty-nine participating titles.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/r…
And, finally, all of my novels are involved in a Heart-Pounding Reads promotion. There are 119 novels to choose from in this one.
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 2023 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
This week, my personal editing of Frozen Conquest continued. I’ve now gone through all 810 chapter reviews it’s received and incorporated the suggestions I wanted to use into the manuscript. I’ve also completed the first two edit passes, and will begin the third one later today.
I’ve completed chapter twenty of Frozen Conquest but haven’t uploaded it to the two online subscription writing sites I use. There were another twelve reviews this week, bringing the total to 353. As always, plenty of good suggestions to improve my story and I’m greatly appreciative of the support.
Tomorrow the Small Business Christmas Market begins and runs through Christmas Eve. If you happen to be in the Dunfermline, Fife area during this period, why not stop into the Kingsgate and see what’s on offer. There’ll be plenty of gifts to choose from as well as a mixture of goodies to sample. Hope to see you there!