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Randall’s Ramblings, September 28, 2025

Randall Krzak

The temperature was all over the place this week, ranging from a high of 92 degrees to a low of 78. There were also a couple of brief thunderstorms. After today, the forecast is for temperatures in the 70s. Meanwhile, the deer and wild turkeys continue to visit, although their appearance aren’t as frequent, at least during daylight hours.

We had a pleasant surprise this week when T-Mobile showed up to install two-gig fiber internet on our estate. Needless to say, we signed up and it was installed on Thursday. Since we were used to fiber in Scotland, it was a disappointment when we moved and had to rely on broadband service that was intermittent, requiring us to also purchase a hot spot to ensure connectivity.  Now we’ve cancelled the broadband and hotspot, which was twice what we’re paying for the fiber.

After a fantastic start to the season and for most of the year, The Detroit Tigers were on a roll, with at least a ten-game lead over whoever was in second place in the American League Central Division. The regular ends today and Detroit is tried with Cleveland for top of the division. Both teams will be in the playoffs, but the final season games will determine who they play.

The Detroit Lions played the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night and came away with a 38-30 victory.  Detroit plays Cleveland today. Go Lions!

The Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans both had a bye this week, so I’ll wait to wait for next weekend to watch them play.

“The writing of a novel is taking life as it already exists, not to report it but to make an object, toward the end that the finished work might contain this life inside it and offer it to the reader. The essence will not be, of course, the same thing as the raw material; it is not even of the same family of things. The novel is something that never was before and will not be again.” — Eudora Welty, WD. 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 September 28th, the thirty-ninth Sunday of 2025 and the fourth and final one in September. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Agnolo Firenzuola, Italian poet and litterateur; Alessandro Tassoni, Italian political writer (La secchia rapita – The Kidnapped Bucket); David Walker, African-American abolitionist (Appeal to Colored Citizens); Prosper Mérimée, French author (Carmen); Francis Turner Palgrave, English poet (Golden Treasury); Rudolf Baumbach, German writer of student drinking songs; Henry Arthur Jones, English playwright (Judah); Thomas Frederick Tout, British historian (Manchester school of historiography); Kate Douglas Wiggin, American author (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm); Barry Pain, English writer (Punch); Wacław Rawicz [Berent], Polish biologist and writer; Stanner E.V. Taylor, American director and screenwriter (Lucky Jim, Ramona); Eugenio d’Ors, Spanish Catalan essayist and philosopher; Herman [H. C.] McNeile [pen name Sapper), English soldier and writer (Bulldog Drummond); Elmer RIce, American playwright (Pulitzer-Street Scene) and novelist; Charles Petrie, British historian known for his study of royalism and Jacobitism (If: A Jacobite Fantasy); Muchtar Auezov, Kazakh writer; Ed Sullivan, American newspaper columnist, and television host (The Ed Sullivan Show); Stephen Spender, English poet (Oxford Poets); Edith Pargeter, English author (wrote as Ellis Peters); Antonio Jacinto, Angolan poet; Edgar Feuchtwanger, German-British historian and author (Hitler, My Neighbour); “Tuli” Naphtali Kupferberg, American poet and singer (Fugs); Thomas J.J. Altizer, US Radical theologian (God is Dead); Michael G. Coney, English-Canadian sci-fi author (Cat Karina); Nabil Maleh, Syrian film director and writer; Gillian Rose, English philosopher and writer; Brian Keenan, Irish author (An Evil Cradling); and Ben Greenman, American author and editor (The New Yorker).

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Ed Sullivan. 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 307. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s another snippet:

Evangeline owned many pets. They weren’t real in the sense of breathing and with a heartbeat, but they were her pets. Nor were they make-believe. They were as real to her as the breathing type, but she’d fashioned these from her imagination. Her automaton creations were that better than your usual, run-of-the-mill breathing creatures.

She loved the sense of the cool metal beneath her fingers, the smell of hot oil that the things emitted. She cared most that she could give each tiny beast a purpose, a service of sorts. There were some that could fetch things for you, act as eyes and ears, or do repetitious tasks that made life easier. But for her, it was far more than that. They gave her the sense she wasn’t alone anymore.

Continual solitude, paired with an abusive father—not just to her, but to everyone around her—was just about more than the young woman could bear.

The one thing that upset her most as a child was her father never allowed her to have a live pet.  Not a single one.

However, her father held vast resources, which meant what she couldn’t create herself, she could dream up and he would find someone smart enough to bring her designs to life. It came with a cost, though; she learned later that often the designs of her creations were weaponized and used for evil.

Through time, her requests for specific types of creatures became very intricate and refined in nature. The one her mother insisted was the least ladylike creature she ever could have asked for was an arachnid.

“Spiders are not for playing with, Evangeline,” her mother would say. “You are a lady of refinement and are to act as such.”

Evangeline, who also went by Evie, was never too concerned with her mother’s criticisms; those often came filtered down from her deranged father.

Evie paced in her room, reviewing the events of the day and their implication as the automaton crawled up her arm. The spider her mother so desperately wanted her to discard quickly become her best friend and one of her favorite creations.

The spider’s clockwork gears moved its eight legs toward her.

“My dearest Prissy,” Evie murmured.

Smiling, Evie adored Prissy despite what her parents thought of it. Both Barnabas and Izabella Latimer insisted their daughter be nothing but the picturesque, prim and proper, young lady society would expect.

She was a natural beauty, after all; that part was easy. It was her willing participation in the events and discussions of the hateful beliefs of her father and his friends that were problematic.

Her striking, deep blue eyes complemented her pale white skin, but the raven color of her hair was one thing her father always detested when it came to what he wished to hide most from the world. Indeed, Evangeline Elizabeth Latimer was the picture of beauty and propriety; and her mother worked hard to ensure that her unfortunate mistruth should never come to light.

On the other hand, while her father was deceitful and secretive, his daughter’s hair was a quick reminder of the shrouded truth their family held, hoping she would stay in the dark about her history.

Deep within the core of Evie’s soul, she knew something was amiss with her parents. The stern way her father regarded her mother always showed an iciness bordering on disdain. Evangeline held theories as to why, but her delicate education and time at The Three Graces Finishing School for Southern Young Ladies prevented her from verbalizing them. Evie frowned, loathing that place with every fiber of her soul. Despite her aversion, she learned to be a lady.

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, September 21, 2025

Randall Krzak

Tomorrow’s the first day of Autumn 2025. It’s hard to believe, given the daytime temperatures between 85-89, except for one day, when it dropped to 72. Nighttime temperatures have ranged between 55-60, which has been a welcome relief to the heat.

Multiple does and fawns continue to visit throughout the day and into the early evening. Of course, once darkness falls we can’t see them, but the corn we put out is almost always gone by the next day.

The Detroit Tigers are struggling to hold onto first place in the American League Central Division. Over the past week, they’ve lost five consecutive games, while second-place Cleveland has won ten. Detroit’s lead has dropped to one game, with seven games remaining in the regular season. Hang on, Tigers!

The Detroit Lions roared back last Sunday, beating the Chicago Bears 52-21. Let’s hope they continue their winning ways today when they play the Baltimore Ravens.

The Michigan Wolverines moved up to 21st in the NCAA rankings last week. On Saturday, they hung on to beat Nebraska Cornhuskers 30-27. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans suffered their first loss of the season, falling to USC 45-31.

“Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. Shakespeare has perhaps 20 players. … I have 10 or so, and that’s a lot. As you get older, you become more skillful at casting them.” — Gore Vidal. 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 September 21st, the thirty-eigth Sunday of 2025 and the third one in September. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Francis Hopkinson, American judge, signer of the Declaration of Independence, author, flag designer (first American flag), and composer (The Battle of the Kegs); Ivan Dmitriev, Russian statesman (Minister of Justice, 1810-14), and poet (“Liberation of Moscow”); Sophia Hawthorne, American writer, painter and illustrator; Edmund Gosse, English poet, author (Father & Son) and critic; Cyriel Buysse, Flemish baron and writer (Sursum Corda, Ace Knave); H. G. Wells, English sci-fi author (War of the Worlds, Kipps); Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet; ushar Kanti Ghosh, Indian journalist, world’s oldest and longest serving newspaper editor (Amrita Bazar Patrika); Helen Foster Snow, American journalist (reported from China in the 1930s); Leonard Cohen, Canadian writer and singer-songwriter (“Hallelujah”; “Death of Ladies Man”; “Suzanne”); Trevor James Hold, British composer, writer, and musicologist (John Clare Songbook); Stephen King, American sci-fi and horror author (Carrie; The Shining; Kujo; Misery); Jim Keith, American conspiracy theorist and author (Black Helicopters Over America, Mass Control); Suman Pokhrel, Nepali poet, playwright, and translator; Samantha Power, Irish American author and diplomat (US Ambassador to the UN); Vanessa Grigoriadis, American journalist and author, known for “Blurred Lines”; and Nicole Richie, American socialite, author and TV personality (The Simple Life).

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: H.G. Wells and Stephen King. 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  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, but plan to be back at it this week. Since my last post, there were another six new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to 303. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s another snippet:

Finn walked the streets before finally deciding it was time to head to the club. He wasn’t a fan of crowded places—particularly in Canebreak, New Mercia Territory—but there wasn’t much he could do if he needed to discover what Hawthorn wanted.

He gave the card one last scan to make sure it didn’t mention something about a password. Most of these types of places required one to enter.  Finn didn’t think he’d be getting in on his looks alone. There was nothing on the card besides the address and a few other words, so he hoped he was wrong.

When he neared the location, he rounded the building to find a set of steps leading toward the basement as instructed on the card. The only other thing on it was the physical address. Apart from that, Finn was on his own.

He glanced around to see if perhaps Mars was waiting outside, but he didn’t see him. It was getting dark, which wasn’t good in this part of town.  Finn studied the area before giving the door a once over to see what he could learn before entering.

Someone had scratched odd markings over the doorframe, ones that the average man wouldn’t know. They were more or less a secret code for black folks and the like–words Finn happened to know. He made sure to learn them at the start of the war.  Finn fought for the North and held a deep regard for the freedom of all people, regardless of color.

 Finn rapped on the door a few times before a man with a bushy beard slid open a panel.

“Who goes there?” the man bellowed from the other side.

“Fi-,” he began but thought better than to give his full or real name. “Finn Gideon.”

“What are the words to enter?”

 Finn closed his eyes. Surely, he was in trouble. He paused and thought, once again smelling that odd odor in the air. He looked around the corridor that he was moving down for any clue. His eyes landed on the markings again.

“Any time.” The man scowled.

“Don’t let the sun set on Barnabas Latimer’s life.” Finn’s smile broadened when he heard the mechanical locks clicking open one at a time.

“Either you’re very smart, know someone who knows something, or you’re the luckiest man alive.” The doorman stepped aside, allowing Finn to enter.

“Maybe all three.”  Finn nodded as he spotted Hawthorn at a table across the room.

“Sir.”  Mars raised to shake Finn’s hand. “The name’s Marcus May.” He covered his lie with a slight wink, obviously looking for Finn to tell him his alias as well.

“You can call me Gideon, Finn Gideon.” He took a seat.

 Finn scanned the room full of men and stopped when one caught his eye who stood out from the others.

On top of the man’s table was a small automaton creature that looked like a spider.

Finn cocked his head. Once his meeting with Mars concluded, maybe he could make his way over there to pick his brain about small mechanics.

“I almost didn’t make it this evening, what with specific words and all,” Finn added.

“You mean the password?”  Mars laughed. “You see, I knew you would figure it out. I hoped, at least. I knew if you didn’t, then you weren’t the right man for the job.”

“How’s that?”

“You have to be wondering why I called you here,” Marston said. “This is perhaps the safest place for us to talk freely on one particular topic.”

“Let me guess.”  Finn smiled. “Barnabas Latimer?”

“How did you ever guess?”  Hawthorn smirked. “You see, this here is the I hate Barnabas Club, and you just joined it.”

“Now, Mar..cus.” Finn paused. “You and I have been acquaintances for a while now, but I wouldn’t say we have ever been close enough for you to know my distaste for Latimer or the reasons behind it.”

“I’m a tad poked up.”  Mars folded his hands on the table. “You may only remember us being acquaintances, but I recollect more. Remember that night about six months back? At the end of the war? Lincoln lost, and the South won. You know, the night the mobs were gathering in the streets? And you were down in the mouth?”

“I wasn’t down due to the war being over, you know. I mean, I was, but I didn’t have any hope after that,” Finn admitted. “It was just the injustice and those mobs were getting rowdy, and burning any symbol of the Union in the street. They all felt the opposite of the way I did and look where they are today.”

“This is the reason you’re here. You told me that night that if you could get your hands on Latimer, or anyone like him, you’d put a stop to his beating of those black folks and find a way to get them into Old Canada or Mexico. Right?”

“Agreed.”  Finn scratched the back of his head.

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall Krzak

I didn’t have an opportunity last Sunday to post my weekly blog. Sylvia and I, along with our three cats, made a trip to Maryland and Washington, D.C. for a much needed vacation and to spend time with our son. We’re back home now, which the cats greatly appreciate as they missed being on our deck where they spend a lot of time.

The Detroit Tigers are clinging onto first place in the American League Central Division, although they only have a 6.5 game lead over second place Cleveland. The Tigers are currently nineteen games above 500, with a 84-65 record, with about thirteen games left in the regular season. Go Tigers!

The Detroit Lions lost their first game of the 2025 NFL season, falling to the Green Bay Packers 27-13. Hopefully, the Lions can bounce back today against the Chicago Bears. 

The Michigan Wolverines began the 2025 NCAA football season ranked 14th. After losing last week to Oklahoma, they plummeted to 23rd. Hopefully, after yesterday’s resounding win against Central Michigan University 63-3, they’ll climb back up the rankings. 

The Michigan State Spartans aren’t ranked yet this year, but currently have a 3-0 record, beating Youngstown State University yesterday 41-24. Hopefully, they’ll make it into the rankings soon.

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” — Ernest Hemingway. 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 September 14th, the thirty-seventh Sunday of 2025 and the second one in September. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Francisco Gómez de Quevedo, Spanish poet and writer; Gisbert Cuper, Dutch classicist and historian; Alexander von Humboldt, German naturalist and explorer (Kosmos); Theodor Storm, German judge and author (Immensee, Der Schimmelreiter); Hamlin Garland, American writer (Middle Border); Paul Fechter, German writer (Der Zauberer Gottes); Martin Dibelius, German theologist (Die Lade Jahwes); Anton Zischka, Austrian writer (Lebendiges Europa); Yi Sang, Korean author and poet (Dying Words, Wings, Child’s Bone); Pietro Germi, Italian actor, writer and director (Divorce Italian Style, The Facts of Murder); Robert McCloskey, American children’s book writer and illustrator (Make Way For Ducklings); Eric Bentley, British-American critic and writer (In Search of Theater); Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan journalist, novelist and poet; Davidson Nicol, Sierra Leonean diplomat and author; Michel Butor, French novelist and essayist; Martin Caidin, American aviation writer; Larry Collins, American writer; Allan Bloom, American philosopher and author (Closing of the American Mind); Hans Faverey, Dutch poet; Kate Millett, American feminist and author (Sexual Politics); Leo Ferrier, Surinamese writer (Atman); Bernard MacLaverty, Northern Irish writer (Grace Notes); Michael Lydon, American music journalist and a founding editor of Rolling Stone; Christian Petzold, German screenwriter and director (Afire, Transit); and Robert Ben Garant, American screenwriter and actor (Reno 991!).

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

I found out last week that Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2 is now on the long list for the 2025 Chanticleer International Book Awards in the Global Thrillers category. There’s plenty of competition to see who moves onto the short list. Stay tuned for an update when the short list is revealed.

 

 

 

My Work In Progress

I didn’t have a chance to continue  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, but plan to be back at it this week. Since my last post, there were another nine new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to 297. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s another snippet:

The cold metallic clang of Finley Harding’s boot hinges hitting the cobblestone echoed down the vacant street. He adjusted his thoracic harness and stepped away from the carriage with a look of concern. A smooth and well-crafted sign moved ever so slightly in the wind over the street. Tankard Town.  Finn shook his head. What a silly name for a part of the city that boasted more machinist shops than saloons. 

It was ridiculous, but it made Finn smile, not that anyone could see since the street was nearly vacant.

The autostoker extended its change plate, waiting for a fare. 

Finn dropped three coins into it as the engine’s hiss sent a warm fog into the cold, damp night and a chill down his spine.

 He watched the intricacy of the mechanism as the extended arm retracted into the stoker’s side. The gears engaged and the carriage began to rumble down the street. No driver, no passenger it rolled away as if magically transported. It was indeed a wonder.

 Finn patted his pocket and felt the letter that led him here. His friend, Marston Hayward, requested a meeting but was nowhere to be seen. What little patience Finn possessed, particularly in this situation, began to fray with his friend’s absence. After all, it was well past eleven. Finn frowned, his annoyance growing by the second.

This was nothing unusual.  Finn closed his eyes to get a hold of his emotions, pushing his annoyance down deep. He hated that part of him, but it was there, nonetheless.

The distant sound of hobnails on cobblestones redirected Finn’s attention to a small alley ahead on the right. A glint of shimmering metal hit him directly between the eyes, descending from the darkness so quickly it nearly blinded him. 

Finn tilted his head, shielding his face, and sniffed the air, wondering if some newly engineered automaton was now patrolling the streets.

There was no reek of oil that Finn associated with machines, not even the light hint fumes that evaporated off the creations and filled the air. There was a slight essence, though, almost like ladies’ perfume. It wasn’t easy to place, and there certainly were no ladies in sight.

Lurching slightly, Finn peered down the alley. “Hello? May I be of assistance?”

The light that stunned his vision vanished down the dimly lit alley. He disliked unexpected circumstances that distracted him from his purpose. They frustrated him when a mystery presented itself and he couldn’t give it all his attention. His bottom lip twitched. I’m curious about this meeting. What agenda would it present?

He knew there were several reasons why Marston might have wanted to see him. It was months since the two had communicated. They parted ways when the war ended. Now, here he was with a handwritten missive and a few odd occurrences that made him wonder.

 Finn knew the area enough to feel somewhat safe, but he didn’t want to stand and wait for Marston long. Instead, he hurried toward a bench made of cogs and parts of old machines and clocks. He ran a hand over it and smiled. It was a statement piece.

Once he sat, he reached into his long, brown duster. It wasn’t fancy in the least, but it was the best-looking coat he owned. He felt one of the many watch pieces that lined his pocket, and tinkered with an automaton, trying his hand at something micro, but he failed every time. When he felt the small notepad at the bottom of his pocket, he pulled it out, along with a pen.

He jotted notes on many occasions to help with his meetings and various reports. These were his observations and passions. Tonight, he pondered the true reason he was there. He read these notes one after another, recalling his horror and disgust.

May 18th, 1870

Thomas Ross, slave to Barnabas Latimer, was killed during a culling party where they lynched black men for doing little to nothing.

May 20th, 1870

Betsy Laurent, black woman, mother of three, was sold to a brothel owned by none other than Felipe Vanderbilt, Latimer’s best friend.

May 25th, 1870

A black man known only by the name of Cain disappeared three days ago. No one saw him leave or be taken. Possible runaway or potential lashing gone wrong. Also owned by Latimer.

Good for him. Finn hoped  the man escaped.

After the war was won by the South, many men, women, and children of color or mixed race went missing, were sold, or were killed every day. It was a nightmare.

Yes, I’m sure that’s what the meeting was bout. If I was discovered taking notes, I’d be punished, but I will find a way to take down Governor Latimer—one way of another.

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, August 31, 2025

Randall Krzak

It’s hard to believe but our son turned forty-seven yesterday!  A belated happy birthday to him!!

The wildlife continue to drop in, with many wild turkeys and even some of the deer venturing closer to the back of the house. They’re always a thrill to see, but we have to be quiet at they are quite sky and take off at the slightest unfamiliar sound.

As we head into the last weekend of August and Labor Day approaches, the searing heat seems to have left. Over the past week the temperature rarely made it to mid-80, although it’s been a welcome relief. No rain for the past week, the first time in a long time. Hope everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

Over the past week, it’s been a tough run for the Detroit Tigers, winning just once and dropping five games. Even with the poor showing their record is still 79-58 and they remain in first place in the American League Central Division, 8.5 games ahead of second place Kansas City. I hope they get back to their winning ways this week!

This week saw the first games of the 2025 NCAA football season for the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans, with both teams winning. The Wolverines (ranked 14th) defeated New Mexico 34-17, while the Spartans (unranked) slipped past Western Michigan 23-6. Both teams play again next Saturday.

I do not over-intellectualise the production process. I try to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.” — Tom Clancy. 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 August 31t, the thirty-fifth Sunday of 2025 and the fifth and final one in August. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Alexander Radishchev, Russian writer (Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow); Théophile Gautier, French writer, historian and poet (Albertus, La Chanson de Roland, Émaux et camées); DuBose Heyward, American novelist (Porgy; Star Spangled Virgin); Ramon de Basterra, Spanish writer and diplomat (La Obra de Trajano); Albert Facey, Australian writer (A Fortunate Life); Félix-Antoine Savard, French Canadian priest and novelist; Marianne Bruns, German writer; Dore Schary, American producer, writer and director (Act 1, Boys Town, Big City); Sal Tas, Dutch journalist (Het Parool); William Shawn, American magazine editor (New Yorker, 1952-87); William Saroyan, American novelist and playwright (Time of Your Life); Amrita Preetam, Indian poet and author; Raymond Williams, Welsh academic and novelist (Second Generation); Jeremy Maas, British art dealer and writer; Julio Ramon Ribeyro, Peruvian writer; Robert Adams, American sci-fi author (Castaways in Time); György Károly, Hungarian poet and author; Raymond P. Hammond, American poet and editor of “New York Quarterly”; G. Willow Wilson, American journalist and comic book writer known for “Ms. Marvel”; and Dolly Alderton, British columnist and author (Everything I Know About Love, Good Material).

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

I’ve continued  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. There were another four new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to 288. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s another snippet:

Davis leaned forward. “Governor, I’m not a king, but I hope I can influence the people regarding how they vote. In fact, the 1870 census began in June, so in the next few weeks we should have the results and be able to use them to influence thinking. If it were up to me, you’d be the next president.”

“Me?” Latimer drained his whisky in an attempt to hide his astonishment. “I’m certain there are men far more capable than me.”

“Perhaps. Be that as it may, if I were a betting man, I’m sure you’d win the prize. Think about it. The next time we meet, you can tell me if you’re interested. If you are, we’ll start working on a plan, but if you decide it’s not for you, I won’t mention it again.”

“Jefferson—I don’t know what to say. I’m humbled and honored by your offer. I’ll give it due consideration.”

“That’s all I can ask.” Davis picked up the decanter. “Another?”

“Perhaps one more. I’m meeting Felipe later at the St. Charles Hotel for a late dinner.”

“How is Felipe? I haven’t seen him in years.”

“He’s doing well, although in my opinion, he drinks too much, but not when he’s working in Canebreak. He asked me for Evangeline’s hand in marriage. I’ve given an initial consent but told him he needs to improve his standing in the community in order to be wed to the governor’s daughter.”

“Quite right.”

“You mentioned two reasons you wanted to meet with me. What’s the other one?”

“Just a minute.” Davis rose and strode to a desk in the corner. He returned with an envelope in his hand. He pulled out a letter and handed it to Latimer. “This came last week from Mary Lincoln. I’d be interested in your assessment.”

Latimer unfolded the letter and began to read.

My Dear President Davis,

I hope this missive finds you, Varina, and the children in good health. Thank you for allowing us to send correspondence through the ambassador’s pouch. This keeps our letters safe from prying eyes who might want to do us harm.

The ambassador does an excellent job of keeping us safe, having assigned an armed guard to the charming cottage he found for us. While not the same as the house we had before moving into the White House, we’ve nevertheless made it our home.

Abraham and I both long to return to America. The weather—let’s just say it’s different, but the food still remains strange to this day. I have learned a smattering of French. With some difficulty, I can converse on a basic level when we meet people who do not speak English. However, I’m afraid Abraham struggles with the simplest of expressions. Even yes and please cause him such consternation.

I have one simple request, Jefferson. Before we die, please allow us to return to America. It’s not so much for me but for Abraham, whom I fear is withering away in this strange land.

 Mary

Latimer folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope before setting it on the table. He beat a rhythm on his lips with a forefinger.

“So, what do you think of Mary’s request?” Davis picked up the letter and put it back on the desk before returning to his seat. “I haven’t replied yet, but plan to do so over the next week.”

“If you want my honest opinion, I believe Lincoln should never be allowed to set foot back in America. I would be afraid of any of his remaining followers attempting a coup and putting him back in the presidency.”

Davis nodded. “I’m of the same viewpoint but wanted to hear your thoughts. I shall put her off returning—at least for now.”

The door to the library opened.

George entered. “Mister President, the First Lady, and your children are waiting for you in the upstairs dining room.”

“Thank you, George.” Davis turned to Latimer. “Are you sure you won’t join us?”

Latimer shook his head. “Thank you, Jefferson. Perhaps next time I visit.”

“Understood.” Davis glanced at George. “Will you please see that Governor Latimer heads in the right direction to the St. Charles Hotel? I wouldn’t want him to get lost.”

Everyone laughed.

“Of course, Mister President. I can escort him to the front door if you like.”

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, March 9, 2025

Randall Krzak

Last weekend, there were multiple forest fires in North Carolina and South Carolina. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be as bad as those in California. There were three fires in our general area, but they were promptly dealt with before they became too large. Many thanks for the brave fire fighters and other first responders who took care of things.

Plenty of visits this week from the local wild turkeys, including a couple of toms. The deer also made a couple of appearances, along with the normal types of birds and squirrels. It’s always a treat to see all of the wildlife.

As the college basketball  conference championships approach, followed by March Madness, which begins on March 18th, the Michigan State Spartans continued their winning ways. While they didn’t move up in the Top Twenty-Five standings, remaining in eight position, they did improve their record to 25-5 with two more wins. Meanwhile, the Michigan Wolverines stumbled, losing two games and dropping their record to 22-8. Their final game of the regular season is later today, when they play each other in Lansing.

During the past week, the Detroit Pistons played three games, winning one and dropping two. Their record is now 35-29.

While the temperatures over the past week have hovered in the mid-60s most of the time, we were in the upper 70s yesterday. Other than a couple of early morning showers, it’s been dry. The forecast for today and tomorrow is rain and mid-50s, before heading back to the mid-70s for the remainder of the week.

We were delighted to have a visit from our former neighbors in Michigan this week. They stopped by for a day as they headed south to visit their family. It was great to see them agian and catch up.

“If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn’t expecting it.” – H.G. Wells. Compliments of https://press.barnesandnoble.com/bnpress-blog/inspirational-quotes-writing/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on March 9th, the tenth Sunday of 2025 and the second one for March. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Friederike C. Neuber, German actress and author (Allerkostbarste Schatz); William Cobbett, English journalist and author; Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian national poet and painter; Phoebe Knapp, American hymn writer and organist; Umberto Saba, Italian writer; David Garnett, English novelist and editor (Lady into Fox); Josef Weinheber, Austrian poet and writer (Adel und Untergang); Vita Sackville-West, English novelist, poet (The Land) and gardener (Sissinghurst); Frank Arnau [Heinrich Schmitt], German crime fiction writer; Umberto Saba, Italian writer; Peter C. Quennell, English biographer and critic (Byron in Italy); Rex Warner, English poet and writer (Wild Goose Chase); Derk Bodde, American sinologist and historian of China; Ed Hoornik, Dutch writer and poet (Survivor); Mickey Spillane [Frank Morrison Spillane], American mystery writer (I the Jury); Marie Cardinal, French writer (La Clé Sur La Porte); Simon Heere Heeresma, Dutch writer and poet (Han de Wit goes in development aid); Robert Calvert, South African-British writer and musician (Hawkwind); Keri Hulme, New Zealand novelist (The Bone People), poet and short-story writer; Michael Kinsley, American journalist and editor; Kevin Wade, American screenwriter (Working Girls); and Jack Kenny, American television writer and producer (Warehouse 13).

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Mickey Spillane [Frank Morrison Spillane]. 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

I finished chapter fifteen of Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series this week. It’s now posted to the two  online subscription writing sites I use. There were another six reviews this week, bringing the total to 212. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

After CC emptied his magazine at the attackers, bushes around him rattle. He yanked his pistol and turned.

“Hold on, CC. Calvary to the rescue.” Rufus grabbed a piece of real estate next to CC while Evelyn did the same.

She pointed toward the jungle in front of them. “How many targets, CC?”

“I just kicked one into touch as I ran out of bullets. I think there might be one or two more, but I’m not sure.”

“What about Trevor?” Rufus gestured at the OP.

“Aye. He knocked out one or two others. Earlier, he said shots came from four different compass points, so there might not be any attackers left.”

Jungle noises resumed.

Trevor glanced at the body CC shot before he joined the others. “Looks like we got them all.”

“Aye. Let’s head back to camp and we’ll keep an eye on things from there. Holler before we approach as Bob’s still armed.”

The team leaders filled Bob in about the attack.

Bob shook his head. “You guys seem a bit subdued after what you’ve been through. I was ready to shit myself.”

Everyone laughed.

“Aye, Bob. We were all like that in the past, but time and experience have taught us how to control our emotions.” CC glanced at the others as he stowed his pistol, magazines, and NVGs in his rucksack before checking the magazine on his rifle and placing it near him on the table. “Let’s get some more rest—a couple of hours before daylight. I’ll keep watch for now. We’ll pack up as soon as possible.”

Trevor, Rufus, and Evelyn nodded as they headed to their personal tents.

“You, too, Bob.”

“If it’s okay with you, CC, I’d like to stay here. I’m too wired to rest.” Bob placed his weapon on the table next to CC’s”.

“Och aye. No worries. We’ll head to Panama City. Talk with the Embera-Wounaan and let them know what they can keep if they want it. We’ll need one or two of them to escort us back to Yaviza to the main road.”

“Will do, CC. And thanks.”

“Thanks for what?”

“Not treating might like a rookie.”

“Aye.” Although you are just like a new recruit.

The rest of the night passed without incident.

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, February 16, 2025

Randall Krzak

There’s been a fair bit of rain this week, culminating in a thunderstorm this morning. The weather hasn’t stopped the wildlife from visiting. In addition to the normal  myriad of birds and squirrels, flocks of wild turkeys range from fifteen to twenty-four were in attendance on four days. Twice at dusk , eight deer also dropped in.

We attended our first local farmer’s market last Sunday since moving. Although shorter in length compared to the small business markets we participated in while living in Scotland, the three-hour event passed quickly. I sold three autographed copies of my novels, while Sylvia sold two of her poetry books and four of her laminated poetry sheets.  I’m not sure yet when we’ll be there next, but we did submit an application covering numerous dates for the rest of the year. We should find out our slots in the next couple of weeks or so.

As the NBA headed toward its annual all-star events, the Detroit Pistons kicked things into high gear, winning three games and upping their record to 29-26. I hope they continue their winning ways after the all-star game!

The Michigan State Spartans played two games this week, splitting the pair. They saw a slight slide in the Top Twenty-Five, going from 9th to 11th. Their record is now 20-5.  Meanwhile, the University of Michigan Wolverines played one game this week,  adding another win and moving their record to 19-5. They moved up to 20th in the Top Twenty-Five. Hopefully, they’ll add another game to the win column when they play this afternoon.

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” – William Faulkner. Compliments of https://copyblogger.com/inspirational-quotes-for-writers/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on February 16th, the seventh Sunday of 2025 and the third one for February. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Orderic Vitalis, English-born French monk and chronicler (Historia Ecclesiastica); Giambattista Bodoni, Italian typographer (Bodoni), printer and publisher; Johann Wilhelm Heinse, German novelist and art critic of the Sturm und Drang period; Joseph Victor von Scheffel, German writer (Gaudeamus); Nikolai Leskov, Russian writer (The Tale of Cross-eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea; Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), and playwright; Ernst Haeckel, German biologist (Causes of Evolution) and philosopher (Social Darwinism); Henry Adams, American historian and writer (Education of Henry Adams); Octave Mirbeau, French writer (Journal of a Lady’s Maid); William S. Scarborough, American linguist and author (Birds of Aristophanes); Elizabeth Craig, Scottish cookery book writer; Van Wyck Brooks, American literary historian and writer (Ordeal of Mark Twain); Albert Hackett, American actor, playwright and screenwriter (It’s A Wonderful Life; The Diary of Anne Frank); Hal Porter, Australian writer (Tilted Cross, Paper Chase); Arthur Crook, British editor (Times Literary Supplement); Bob Tadema Sporry, Dutch author; Hubert van Herreweghen, Belgian poet; Araucaria [John Galbraith Graham], British crossword compiler (The Guardian) and priest; Paul van ‘t Veer, Dutch journalist and writer (Het Vrije Volk); Peter Porter, Australian-British author and poet (Chair of Babel); Alfred Kolleritsch, Austrian poet and literary journalist; [Ervin] Aharon Appelfeld, Israeli writer (Blooms of Darkness; Badenheim), and holocaust survivor; Paul Bailey, English novelist and biographer; Richard Ford, American author (Sportswriter); Eckhart Tolle, German-born author (The Power of Now) and spiritual teacher; Dorus Vrede, Surinam poet (Otobanda; the Other Bank); Guy Gallo, American poet, playwright, and screenwriter (Under the Volcano); and Warren Ellis, British comic book writer (Red).

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 continues at a good pace on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series, finishing chapter twelve and posting it to the two online subscription writing sites I use. There were another nineteen reviews this week, bringing the total to 181. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

As previously mentioned the cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  Here’s another snippet:

Around 03:00, Trevor was back in the OP. He munched on an energy bar and took a swig of water from his canteen. When he resettled himself, he used the AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced Night Vision Goggle (ENVG) to scan the perimeter. Hmm. Awful quiet. He picked up his radio and keyed the mic. He whispered, “Haggis, this is Black. Heads up. Jungle’s gone quiet. Expect visitors.”

***

In his tent, CC listened to Trevor and keyed his radio once to acknowledge the warning. Still dressed, CC dashed out of his tent, stopping at the other tents to pass the alert.

CC returned to the command tent, where he shoved his SIG Sauer pistol, and magazines for the pistol and his assault rifle in a rucksack, before donning his ATN PS31-2 night vision goggles.

Moments later, Evelyn and Rufus entered and did the same.

Bob joined them, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Get kitted up. Trevor said company is on the way.” CC grabbed several power bars and a full canteen and added them to his rucksack before heading outside.

“What?” Bob’s jaw dropped.

“Just do what we rehearsed earlier. Your designated station is here in the command tent.” Evelyn put a reassuring hand on Bob’s arm. “Rufus and I will follow CC. We’ll be ringed in a semi-circle between the command tent and the OP, so be careful if you begin shooting so you don’t hit one of us.”

Bob nodded before rushing to the corner and grabbing a rucksack CC made up for his earlier. He tipped over the table and took his position.

Evelyn nodded as she and Rufus dashed outside to their pre-arranged spots among the trees.

Craack! Craack! Craack!

Single shots woke the jungle.

The animals who made the jungle their home began screeching as they hurried away from the danger.

Rat-a-tat! Rat-a-tat!

CC, Evelyn, and Rufus strained with the NVGs as they searched for infiltrators.

“Incoming invaders!” Trevor spoke on the unified radio channel. “I’ve seen shots from at least four vectors.”

“Aye, Black. We’re ready.” CC removed the safety on his assault rifle as he prepared to take on their attackers.

A shadow, darker than the rest of the jungle, rose in front of CC.

With an automatic reflex, CC first a single shot.

The shadow screamed and dropped from sight.

More screams erupted as tracer fire lit up the jungle.

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, February 9,2025

Randall Krzak

Once again, we’ve had a myriad of wildlife visitors: squirrels, male/female cardinals, blue jays, pigeons, woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, and deer. Another flock of wild turkeys also dropped in on Wednesday–twenty-two if my count was correct. The deer and the turkeys left after they ate, while the others remained behind, going after what was left.

There were mixed results for the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans’ basketball teams again this week . Michigan moved back into the Top Twenty-Five at twenty-four after winning two more games and improving their record to 18-5.  Meanwhile, the Spartans dropped down to 9th in the Top Twenty-Five. They won one game this week, but lost a second one. Their record is now 19-4.

The Detroit Pistons continued on their march forward, now at 26-26. This is the most games they’ve won in a season since before the 2018-19 season. Hopefully, they’ll keep on winning, although they won’t match their most wins in a season, which occurred in 2005-06 when they won sixty-four games.

Last week, Frozen Conquest received a five-star editorial review. If you’re interested in checking it out, click on the title.

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath. Compliments of https://copyblogger.com/inspirational-quotes-for-writers/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on February 9th, the sixth Sunday of 2025 and the second one for February. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Ali-Shir Nava’i, Timurid poet and writer (Mahbub ul-Qulub) considered a founder of early Turkic literature; Giambattista Andreini, Italian playwright and actor (L’adamo); Adriaan Kluit, Dutch scholar and historian; Susette Gontard (née Borkenstein), the beloved of German poet Friedrich Hölderlin and inspiration for Hölderlin’s novel Hyperion; Vasily Zhukovsky, Russian poet; Felix Dahn, German Historian, jurist and poet; Anthony Hope, British novelist and playwright (The Prisoner of Zenda); George Ade, American playwright, writer and humorist (Counsel Widow, Fables in Slang); Fran Saleški Finžgar, Slovene folk writer (Our Blood, Service Girls); Amy Lowell, American poet and critic (Patterns, Sword Blades & Poppy Seed); Jacques Bainville, French historian, essayist and journalist; James Stephens, Irish poet (Crock of Gold); Frederik Gerretson [Geerten Gossaert], Dutch poet and politician; Vital Celen, Flemish writer and scholar (Puppy Love); Larry Semon, American silent film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (The Wizard of Oz (1925)); Charles Montgomery Monteith, Irish publisher (Faber & Faber – published “Lord of the Flies”; Brendan Behan, rish author and poet (Borstal Boy, The Hostage); J. M. Coetzee, South African novelist; Alice Walker, American novelist (The Color Purple, Meridian); Janet Issaca Ashford, American writer (Birth Stories); Mary Jo Duffy, American comic book writer and editor for Marvel and DC; and Tom Scharpling, American comedian and writer (Steven Universe, Monk).

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 continues at a good pace on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series, although I didn’t finish chapter twelve as planned. There were another eight reviews this week, bringing the total to 162. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

As previously mentioned the cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  Here’s another snippet:

CC glanced at Evelyn and Rufus. “You two stay here and be our backup. Come running if you hear lots of shooting. CC shoved a magazine into his SA-8-2A assault rifle.

Trevor followed suit. “Ready, CC?”

“I was born ready.” CC chuckled. “Let’s go find out what’s what. I’ll take lead.” He stopped by the table and picked up a radio, clipping it to his belt. CC handed one to Trevor.

“Just remember, CC, you can’t use your bagpipes to lead us into battle.”

Everyone laughed.

“Aye, that’s why I left them at home.”

CC and Trevor left the tent, crouching as they maneuvered through the jungle in the direction of the OP.

After climbing over fallen trees, under low-hanging branches, and around rock croppings, they approached the OP fifteen minutes later.

Craack! Craack!

Periodic shots came from the OP as Bob fired into the jungle.

“Hey, Bob. Hold your fire—it’s CC and Trevor.”

“Come in.” Bob fired again. “I think the attackers fled, but I can’t be sure.”

“On our way.” CC entered the OP through an opening at the rear.

Trevor studied the surrounding jungle before following.

CC scooted in beside Bob. “What’s the situation, Bob?”

“Two men approached, weapons drawn. I shouted at them, and they began shooting. I returned first while Jim went for help. I might have winged one of the attackers, but I can’t be sure.” Bob glanced around. “Where’s Jim? Didn’t he come back with you?”

CC shook his head. “No easy way to say this—he’s dead. Appeared to be a heart attack, but a coroner will have to determine the cause of death. He grabbed his chest after entering the tent and fell to the ground. Evelyn checked for a pulse, but there wasn’t any.”

“Gee, willikers!” Bob sucked in a lungful of air and exhaled in small breaths. “I can’t believe it. We went through security training together, and he became my friend. We’re both from Virginia.” He shook his head. “What do we do now?”

“First thing is to find out if any targets are still around.” CC turned to Trevor. “Check it out.”

Trevor nodded and left the OP in silence.

Bob began to shake. “I-I’ve never been in a firefight before. How do you and Trevor deal with the danger and tension?”

CC laughed. “I’m sure Trevor will agree with me, but we both had butterflies in our stomachs and reacted the say way as you are. There isn’t any manual to teach you how to respond. Everyone’s experience different emotions and act in different ways. When Trevor returns, if the coast is clear, he’ll escort you back to camp. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things.” CC shifted position so he had a better angle looking into the jungle.

Bob sat on the single camp chair in the OP and sighed. “I’m not cut out for this. I’d be better remaining in an embassy or consulate where things aren’t so dangerous.”

“Are you sure it’s any safer?” CC turned to look at Bob and grinned. “Several of our overseas facilities have been attacked, with some being overrun. Americans aren’t the best-like people in the world and the bad guys love to hit what they think might be soft targets—but not anymore.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Just ask Rufus about this. When he was in Peshawar, Pakistan, he was in charge of a QRF protecting the consulate. When the facility was attacked by the Taliban, he and his team were ready for anything.” CC shook his head. “They were fortunate the attackers blew themselves up before they breached the perimeter. Otherwise, Rufus and the others were perched on the consulate’s roof, waiting to strike.”

“Oh, wow! I’ll talk to him about how he and his men handled things. Many thanks, CC. You’ve calmed my nerves—at least a bit.”

The field isn’t ready for you—and might never be. CC shifted position again as he heard a noise from outside.

“What’s that noise?” Bob’s eyes widened.

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 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, February 2, 2025

Randall Krzak

There’s been plenty of wildlife visitors this week. Last Sunday, a flock of wild turkeys came. If I counted correctly, there were thirty in the flock. A couple days later, a slightly smaller flock appeared, numbering twenty-five. Finally, on Friday, there were twenty-two turkeys, with an eight deer escort. Of course, the birds and squirrels are here each day.

There were mixed results for the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans’ basketball teams. Michigan did fall out of the Top Twenty-Five as expected. They did win two games this week, improving to 16-5. Meanwhile, the Spartans moved into 7th in the Top Twenty-Five, but they won’t remain there when the next poll is released. They won one game this week, but lost the second one. Their record is now 18-3.

The Detroit Pistons also had a mixed week, winning once but dropping two games. They are even at 24-24. Hopefully, they’ll keeping adding to the win column.

“Just know that everyone’s writing is terrible. Until it’s not. No one’s stuff is right immediately. You gotta work it. Refine it. Shape it. Spend time with it. It’s a relationship. Between you and what comes from you. Not easy. Gonna be terrible before it’s not. And that’s okay.”  – Ava DuVernay. Compliments of https://copyblogger.com/inspirational-quotes-for-writers/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on February 2 , the fifth Sunday of 2025 and the first one for February. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Anna Roemers Visscher, Dutch poet; Gabriel Naudé, French librarian and scholar, personal librarian to Cardinal Mazarine, assembled his Bibliothèque Mazarine; Christian Gottfried Thomas, German composer, publisher, and musicologist; Hans E Schack, Danish politician and writer (Phantasterne – Fantasy); Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav, Slovak poet; Havelock Ellis, English physician and social reformer who studied sexual behaviour (Psychology of Sex; Curtis Guild, Jr., American politician, journalist and soldier, 43rd Governor of Massachusetts (1906-09; Annette Kolb, German author (Small Fanfare) and pacifist; Christian Gauss, American professor and writer (Phi Beta Kappa award namesake); James Joyce, Irish novelist and poet (Dubliners, Ulysses, Finnigan’s Wake); Aldo Palazzeschi [Giurlani], Italian writer (I cavalli bianchi); Kurt Baschwitz, German-Dutch sociologist and journalist (Du und); Carroll Righter, American columnist and astrologer to the stars; Buzurg Alavi, Iranian writer (Panjah va sih nafar, Namal’ha); Ayn Rand [Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum], Russian-American author, screenwriter and philosopher who developed the philosophical system of “Objectivism” (Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead); Bernardas Brazdzionis, Lithuanian poet, editor and critic; Evert Werkman, Dutch journalist (Het Parool); Xuân Diệu, Vietnamese poet; James Dickey, American poet, novelist and lecturer (Deliverance, Buckdancer’s Choice); Liz Smith [Mary Elizabeth], American journalist and gossip columnist known as “The Grand Dame of Dish” (WNBC, NY Daily News); Nydia Ecury, celebrated Afro-Dutch writer, translator and actress (Kantika pa Mama Tera); Judith Viorst, American author; Thomas M. Disch, American sci-fi author (Genocides, 102 H-Bombs); and Ina Garten, American author and TV cooking show host (Barefoot Contessa, Food Network).

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: James Joyce and James Dickey. 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 continues at a good pace on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series. I posted chapter eleven this week to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another thirteen reviews this week, bringing the total to 154. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

As previously mentioned the cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  Here’s another snippet:

“Hmm.” Andres closed his eyes as he stared at the ceiling. Carlos is right—I forgot about El Padre’s venture into the Darien which the rest of the Gaitanistas admired. If he hadn’t sent me to the los Estados Unidos to attend university, I would have remembered. But I can’t let Carlos think he’s in control.

When he opened his eyes, Andres studied his manicured hands before staring at Carlos. “Gracias for the reminder. I had forgotten El Padre’s efforts when the Gaitanistas began taking advantage of the Darien. So, if there are no objections, we will proceed with expanding our distribution center in Yaviza, but I also want to further explore putting a second facility in La Palma.”

Carlos and Diego glanced at each other. They both nodded.

“S-Sí, Jefe.” Diego grinned. “We both a-agree with your p-plan. W-Who will you put in c-charge of the new f-facilities?”

Andres put his hands together in a church steeple pose, his elbows resting on the table. “I wish Felipe was here to provide us with his opinions. However, since he’s at Yavizi more than either of you, I think he should be the one in charge.”

“But, Jefe, I have been with you longer.” Carlos shook his head. “Does not my seniority and loyalty count for anything?”

I knew he was hoping to be put in charge at Yavizi. “Of course, Carlos. You shall be responsible for setting up operations in the La Palma área.”

“What? Excuse me, Jefe. Gracia for this honor.”

I doubt he thinks it’s an honor, but I must establish my authority, especially with Carlos as he has friends in high places within the organization. Andres nodded. “This will be an important undertaking. Should you succeed, there will be ample other opportunities in the future.”

“Sí, Jefe.”

Andres turned to Diego. “Do not think I have forgotten you, my friend. I appoint you as the deputy jefe for both locations. You will work with Felipe and Carlos to sort out the details for your appointment.”

Diego beamed at the news. “I-It is a great h-honor you have b-bestowed on me, Jefe. I cannot thank you enough.”

Andres waved a hand in dismissal. “You are both being rewarded. Doing a respectful job will be the thanks I deserve—and respect. I—”

The dining room door opened, and a tall, thin man with short-cropped black hair entered. “Sorry, I am late, Jefe. I shall explain.” He gestured toward the buffet. “May I eat first?”

Andres nodded. “Welcome back, Felipe. Grab your food and join us.” Andres turned to the lone servant still in the room. “Bring more coffee, por favor.”

The servant nodded. He brought a new pot of coffee and a cup. After refilling Andres’ cup, he filled the others, putting the new cup in front of Felipe’s seat.  Afterward, he departed.

Felipe sat and began to eat, shoveling a large forkful of eggs and beans into his mouth. After he finished chewing, he sipped his coffee. “Jefe, I was late because our facility near Yavizi might be under surveillance. One of the Embera-Wounaan working for us spotted some foreigners in the area. Since there aren’t any roads beyond Yavizi, it’s difficult to move around. However, the man said there were three vehicles. Other members of the Embera-Wounaan had helped clear a path for the foreigners to set up a camp.”

Andres tilted his head. “Any contact with these intruders?”

“Sí, Jefe.” Felipe took another bite of his food and washed it down with more coffee. “The Embera-Wounaan took two of our men to where he had spotted the foreigners. They have several tents set up, including a command tent of some type. Our men spotted three foreigners, with one man in an observation post away from the camp. This man began shooting, so our men responded before disappearing into the jungle. They came back to our facility and reported to me.”

Andres nodded. “What happened next?”

“I warned Carlos I would be late for today’s meeting. Afterward, I requested six armed men return to Yavizi on the plane that brought me. They have orders to infiltrate the foreign camp, and, if possible, take one of them hostage.” Felipe grinned. “I assumed you would approve of this, Jefe.”

“Of course.” Why are things always going against what I want? “Anything else?

“Sí, Jefe. Once they kidnap one of the foreigners, they are to take care of the others. As the Americans say in some of their movies, they are to ‘dispatch them with extreme prejudice.”

Everyone laughed.

“B-But, Jefe, what if th-these men are Norteamericano f-federales?”

Andres shrugged. “It matter not. Whether they are federales or another cartel trying to encroach on our territory, they will learn the same lesson—El Tapon del Darien can be a dangerous place, one where they might lose their lives.”

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.

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, January 5, 2025

Randall Krzak

HapppyNewYear

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone has a fantastic, prosperous, and healthy 2025!

Starting on New Year’s Day, we’ve seen eight deer outback enjoying the corn we put down for them. Every day, we also see  six squirrels eating and playing tag. On Thursday, they were joined by a seventh one, about half the size of the others. It wasn’t playing but spent time checking out the available goodies.

The unranked Michigan Wolverines defeated the 11th-ranked Alabama Crimson Site in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve, 19-13. While Michigan’s season wasn’t one of it’s best with a 8-5 record, there were two highlights: the win over Ohio State 13-10 and beating Alabama.

This week, the Michigan Wolverines basketball team improved its record to 11-3, although they are still outside the top twenty-five teams. Meanwhile, the 18th-ranked Michigan State Spartans continued their winning ways and now are 12-2.

The Detroit Lions defeat SF 40-34 for their 14th win of the season. Sunday evening’s game pits the 14-2 Lions against the 14-2 Vikings for bragging rights. If Detroit wins they take their division and the NFC crown. If Minnesota wins, they take the division and NFC crown. Both teams will be in the playoffs by virtue of their records.

“Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.” – David Thoreau Compliments of https://www.aspiringwriteracademy.com/45-motivational-quotes-for-aspiring-writers.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on January 5th, the first Sunday of 2025. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Jean Baptiste Say, French economist (Political Economics); André Henri Constant van Hasselt, Belgian poet (La Belgium); Khristo Botev, Bulgarian poet and nationalist revolutionary; Gustaf af Geijerstam, Swedish author (Boken om Lillebror); Humbert Wolfe, Italian-born British poet; Anne Morrison Chapin, American playwright, actress, (The Wild Westcotts), and screenwriter (The Sailor Takes A Wife); Hendrik Algra, Dutch teacher, journalist, historian, and politician (ARP); Paula Ludwig, Austrian-German poet; Dorothea “Stella” Gibbons, English author (Cold Comfort Farm); Anton Ingolic, Slavic author (After Splavih, After Prelomu); Simon Harcourt Nowell-Smith, British bibliophile; Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss playwright and novelist (The Physicists, The Visit); Robert L. Bernstein, American publisher (Random House); William De Witt Snodgrass, American poet under the pseudonym S. S. Gardons; Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose); Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan writer; Michael O’Donoghue, American writer and performer (Saturday Night Live, Scrooged); Terenci Moix, Spanish writer; and Ioan Petru Culianu, Romanian historian.

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

Mission- YemenEditing of Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2  is well underway. I received a total of 648 chapter reviews. As of last night, I’ve gone through  595 of them, leaving fifty-three more to check over.

Here’s the penultimate snippet:

Badr glanced at his watch as he turned toward the door. Dabir!”

No answer.

“Dabir. Where are you?”

Out of breath, Dabir dashed into the dining room. “Sorry, Sayyid Badr. I was helping Cook with a food delivery.”

“Bring us more qishr.”

“At once, Sayyid.” Dabir rushed to the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Dabir returned, pushing a cart. In addition to three cups of the raisin drink, there was a plate of dates and a covered serving dish. Dabir placed mugs in front of Badr and Usamah before setting the dishes on the table.

“What is this?” Usamah pointed to the cover dish.

“I-I brought more of the sambusas you enjoyed before. I thought you might like to snack on them.”

Usamah nodded. “Shukran.”

Dabir pushed a hand into his pocket and fingered his Ruger LCP Max. Before removing his hand, he let go of the pistol. Not sure which is better—try to shoot them or add some poison to their food?

“Sit down, Dabir.” Badr pointed to an empty chair. “Are you not going to drink with us?”

“If permit, yes.” Dabir took the remaining cup from the cart as he sat.

Usamah pushed the plate of sambusas closer to Dabir. “Help yourself.”

“Shukran, Sayyid Usamah.” Dabir picked up one of the pastries. Good thing I did not add any poison yet. They seem to be reading my mind.

“So, Dabir, what is the latest information about the American?” Badr glanced at his brother. “I understand someone fired a shot at Sear before everyone was ready.” Badr glared at Dabir. “Was that you?”

Dabir paled as he sucked in a lungful of air. “N-No, Sayyid Badr. I just drove the vehicle and was not involved in the attack.”

“Hmmm.” Badr rapped a beat on the table with his knuckles. “You do realize if anyone attempts to warn Sear and the others, they will be dealt with—under the most extreme punishment I can think of.”

Dabir swallowed. “Yes, Sayyid Badr. I promise you I will not do anything against your wishes.”

“Good. So what is the latest?”

“I-I h-heard from Parvez. He was here earlier. He said his contact in the NSB asked for an update on Sear. He also wanted to know what you and Usamah were planning.”

Badr raised a brow as he glanced at Usamah. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him I knew nothing about what you and Usamah are doing. He also mentioned he was involved in the kidnapping of Shatara and Zahid and that some Saudis are mixed up with this, too.”

“The Saudi link is interesting, but I am already aware of this.” Badr rubbed the side of his nose. “I must think about what you should say to Parvez. It must be plausible but not be in any way linked to what we are really doing.”

Usamah laughed. “As a British journalist coined back in the 1800s, we must come up with a red herring to keep them looking elsewhere.”

Badr nodded. “A good idea. We must give this some thought before Dabir speaks again with Parvez. In the meantime, I want to—”

A low rumbling shook the building as Saudi planes once again returned to Sana’a.

“Come, quick! We must go to the shelter.” Dabir rushed out of the room and down the stairs to the basement, followed by Badr and Usamah.

Ka-boom! Ka-boom!

Windows shattered as vehicle alarms sounded outside. The earth seemed to shift as Saudi jets dropped their lethal cargo.

Dabir cringed and coughed as dust filled the reinforced rooms. Are we to be doomed to die here?

I’ll post the final snippet next week and begin concentrating on Vendetta.

While going through the reviews of Mission: Yemen, I’m also working on Vendetta, the sixth Vendetta Draft Cover story in my Bedlam series. The first seven chapters are now finished and posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another thirteen reviews this week, bringing the total to ninety-eight.

The cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  I’ll post another snippet of this story after I finish posting snippets for Mission: Yemen.

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 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved Continue reading “Randall’s Ramblings, January 5, 2025” →

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Randall’s Ramblings, December 29, 2024

Randall Krzak

This morning we were awakened by an emergency signal from the cell phone, warning that our area was under a tornado warning. It’s over now, lasting thirty-five minutes, but there are still wind gusts and heavy rain forecast for the next hour or so.

Happy New Year to all as we approach the beginning of 2025! May everyone have a healthy and prosperous new year!

The University of Michigan Wolverines didn’t play this week, but they dropped out of the top twenty-five rankings. They play again this evening.  The Michigan State Spartans also didn’t play, but their 10-2 record was sufficient for this to climb another two spots in the rankings to eighteenth. They play again tomorrow night.

The Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears last Sunday, raising their record to 13-2, the first time in franchise history that they’ve won thirteen games in a single season. I’m hoping they’ll continue their winning ways tomorrow night when they play San Francisco.

“The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt. Compliments of https://www.aspiringwriteracademy.com/45-motivational-quotes-for-aspiring-writers.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on December 29nd, the fifth and final Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Francisco de Moncada, 3rd Marquis of Aitona, Spanish diplomat, soldier, and writer; Sir Archibald Alison, 1st Baronet, Scottish historian (History of Europe); Albert Pike, US attorney, soldier, writer, and freemason (Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army); Adam Badeau, American author, Union Army officer, and diplomat; Elisabeth of Wied [pseudonym Carmen Sylva], Queen consort of Romania and poet; om Weir, Scottish climber, author and broadcaster (The Scots Magazine, Weir’s Way); Charles L. Harness, American sci-fi author (Paradox Men, Wolfhead); Robert Ruark, American writer (Something of Value); Dobrica Cosic, Serbian writer and President 1992-93); William Gaddis, American novelist; Forough Farrokhzad, Iranian pre-eminent poet and film director; Brigitte Kronauer, German author (The Scheik of Aachen); Paul Rudnick, American screenwriter and playwright; and Danny R. McBride, American actor, writer, and producer.

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 Published Work

The results of the 2024 Global Thriller Awards were announced yesterday. Frozen Conquest was the sole finalist (fourth place) for the action-adventure category, while Ultimate Escalation won the bronze medal for the suspense-political category. Needless to say, I’m thrilled!
Awards

 

 

 

 

 

My Work In Progress

Mission- YemenEditing of Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2  is moving along nicely. I only expect two or three more reviews, but with this being Christmas week, the total remained at 645.   As always, I’ve been working hard going through the reviews, and have picked out what I think will improve the story from 505 of them, leaving 140 more to check over. I didn’t get through as many as I had planned, but our son was here this week, so writing and editing took a back seat.

Here’s another snippet:

Sear glanced at the tray of snacks Qadir carried and waved him away. He sipped on his qishr as he studied the faces of the others.

Abdullah sat next to Yasmin and held her hand, his face unreadable.

From time to time, Yasmin sniffled as she wiped tears away with a hand-embroidered cotton cloth.

Omar and Rahman sat on a sofa opposite Abdullah and Yasmin. Their faces were a total mask, not betraying any emotions.

In response to a ping, Rahman picked up his phone from the table next to the sofa. He showed it to Omar, who nodded.

“That was a text message from one of my sons.” A smile glimmered across Rahman’s face. “Our sons will be here soon.”

Sear cleared his throat as he looked at his watch. “Excellent. It’s still early, so once they arrive, we can begin our hunt for Shatara.” He looked at Abdullah and Yasmin. “We’ll do everything we can to bring her home—and Zahid, too.”

Abdullah half-raised a hand and gave a brief smile to Sear’s words.

A chime sounded throughout the house.

Moments later, Qadir returned to the living room, accompanied by four young men.

The first two approached Sear. A young man with a scraggly beard, wearing a stained thobe and worn sandals, pointed to himself. “I understand you’re going to search for my cousins, and we want to help. I am Majid. Omar is our father.” He pointed to his double, dressed like he was.” This is my twin brother, Naji. We know the city as we’re both taxi drivers.”

Naji smiled. “Yes. Our taxis are old but reliable Peugeot 504 four-door saloons.”

Sear shook hands with both men. “Welcome to the party. We’ll need your knowledge of the city, so shukran for joining us.”

Naji and Majid stepped aside, finding seats on another sofa.

Two tall men with bulging muscles stepped forward, one slightly taller than the other. The taller man spoke first. “I am Timin, and this is my younger brother, Usman. Our father is Rahman. We also want to help and we both drive Toyota Tundra pickups. Our work as vendors in one of the markets allows us to meet people from all over the city. We will begin asking questions.”

Usman turned to Abdullah. “Uncle, do you have photographs of Shatara and Zahid we can show to customers? Perhaps someone might have spotted them.”

Abdullah nodded. “Yes.” He turned to Yasmin. “Bring some pictures they can use.”

She stood and left the room without a word.

“We now have plenty of people to begin canvassing the city.” Sear pursed his lips. “I suggest we break into three teams. Omar, you and your sons will be team one. Rahman, you, Timin, and Usman will be the second team. Qasim and Malik will join me, and we’ll be team three.”

Abdullah glanced at his brothers. “What about me?”

“Stay by the phone.” Sear crossed his arms. “The kidnappers might call, and even if they don’t, Yasmin needs your support. If we find something noteworthy, I’ll come and get you.”

Abdullah frowned. “I suppose you are correct, Sear. However, I would rather be searching for my daughter and son.”

“I understand.” Sear uncrossed his arms. “I promise if we find out anything at all, I’ll call you.” Just hope we don’t find any bodies.

“Okay, but I still think I should be with you.”

“No, it’s better for you to give Yasmin the support she requires.”

At that moment, Yasmin returned, holding a large envelope. “Here are all the photographs I could find of Shatara and Zahid. “She handed it to Sear. “Please bring back my children.”

He took the envelope and peered inside before nodding. “I promise we shall leave no stone unturned to find them.” Sear turned toward the others. “Let’s go.”

The penultimate snippet will be posted next week.

While going through the reviews of Mission: Yemen, I’m also working on Vendetta, the sixth Vendetta Draft Cover story in my Bedlam series. The first six chapters are now finished and posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another fourteen reviews this week, bringing the total to eighty-five.

The cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  I’ll post another snippet of this story after I finish posting snippets for Mission: Yemen.

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 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved