Tag: Short Stories

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Randall’s Ramblings, March 19, 2017

Randall Krzak

A reddish glimmer lined the horizon, the beginning of a new day. A noise had disturbed me, not time to get up. What caused the disturbance? Someone running in the hallway, crashing into a door. More footsteps–fast approaching. A thud, followed by scampering.

I eased the bedroom door open. Something hit my legs. I looked down and who should I find? Lady Flora, playing with a blue plastic ring from the top of a milk container. She had my attention. Rushing by, Flora dashed to the door, wanting outside. Another day, time to play!

KODAK Digital Still Camera
Lady Flora Fluffbum

 

Who had a birthday this week? Go ahead, raise your hand. Here are a few people from the writing world with birthdays this past week:

Sarah Gertrude Millina, South African writer (The Dark River, God’s Stepchildren); Phillip Roth, American novelist and short-story writer (Portnoy’s Complaint); Stephane Mallarme, French symbolist poet; Wilfred Owen, World War I poet; John Updike, American poet and novelist; Daniel Conway Moncure, U.S. clergyman, author, abolitionist; Janet Flanner, writer (Letter from Paris); and George Seferis, Greek poet.

Hope you enjoyed your special day.

My Work in Progress

Once again, marketing and publicity of The Kurdish Connection continued during the past week. A district library contacted me, wanting to purchase ten copies of my debut novel for a monthly reading group. The group will receive the copies at the next session on Tuesday. Next month, I’ll join them for a question and answer session, followed by signing each book. Exciting time!

Writing continued on Dangerous Alliance, with chapters fifteen posted for review to the two subscription writing sites I use. The total number of reviews thus far is 229, or an average per chapter of fifteen. I’ve received plenty of positive feedback to help me improve my latest story.

Chapter sixteen is underway, but real-life requirements stopped me from completed two chapters this week.

A bit more from Dangerous Alliance:

Dawn broke, promising to be a pleasant day. No clouds lingered above. Oranges and reds gave way to a deep azure.

The B&B’s door swung open. Out stepped Bedlam Bravo, dressed in jeans, short-sleeved work shirts, and wearing steel-toed boots.

“Fergus, did you learn anything last night on your stroll with Nate?” Koning laughed and elbowed him.

“Oi, I learned it’s better to go without you.” A smirk appeared Fergus’ face. “We went somewhere with class. You wouldn’t have been allowed in.”

***

A shadow descended—the crane lowered a new container straight for Koning. “Pun! Help! My foot’s trapped!”

Pun dashed forward and jumped. The unit shuddered to a halt in its resting place.

A thick smear of red trickled beneath the container, oozing down the side. Luigi and several others rushed to the scene. Suspended between containers, two men clung to a rope—

Perhaps more next time.

Books I’m Reading

Last night, I finished reading When the Tree is Dry by Alice Hill. Set in Zimbabwe, we delve into the stories of three women during a tumultuous period in the country’s recent history–2008. Claire, an English woman, leaves her shattered life behind, seeking to find a new beginning as a journalist. Florence, a Zimbabwean trying to make a new life for herself in England, decides to return to her homeland. Sekai, married to a political activist.

Forget hanging pieces of chad from a ballot in an American election or unverified rumors of people voting twice. Depending on which political party you supported during the 2008 Zimbabwean election, your very life could hang in the balance. Alice creates a haunting look into the horrors people faced as they hoped to elect a new government, one that would perhaps make their lives better. Follow Claire, Florence, and Sekai as they recount the stories of kidnapping, torture, rape, and death. A work of fiction, based on reality, and definitely worth a read. I look forward to reading more of Alice’s upcoming work.

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. Here’s a couple to check out when you have a moment or two:

Logical Quotes – a compilation of quotes by various writers, authors, and philosophers. Forgive the advertising; it’s part of the site.

Keith Garrett Poetry – the title says it all. Enjoy Keith’s poetry.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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Reader’s Abode – For All Readers!

Randall Krzak

Have you taken a peek at Reader’s Abode? It’s a new site for read-a-holics.

Click here to access the site

ReadersAbode

Formed by a group of writers spread across four continents, our works span across multiple genres. Whether you like poetry, action, or fantasy, you’re bound to find something of interest.

Our bi-weekly blog posts will provide a wealth of information, how to obtain free books, read interviews with various authors, and even read some of our poetry and short stories.

So when you have a moment, why not stop by and say hi?  Reader’s Abode is for you!

Click here to access the site.

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Randall’s Rambling, March 12, 2017

Randall Krzak

Aah! First cup of the morning! I don’t want to offend tea drinkers, but I definitely prefer coffee. Hot, black, no sugar.  Perfect!

I almost missed the clocks going forward last night. Happened to check the calendar on the computer last night–there it was–Daylight Saving Time. I always think of the clock changing in March as a sign we getting toward the end of winter. Never mind forecasters are predicting four to eight inches of the white stuff beginning Monday afternoon. We can whine, complain, or gripe (choose your favorite) but not much we can do about it.

Did you celebrate a birthday over the past week? If so, you might have shared it with one of these people from the writing world. How many do you recognize? Hope you had a happy birthday and many more to follow.

Richard Hooker, English theologian (Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity); Adolph Simon Ochs, publisher of The New York Times;  Jack Kerouac, American novelist (On the Road; Edward Albee, American dramatist (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf); Patricia Hampl, poet and memoirist (A Romantic Education, Virgin Time); Douglas Adams, British writer, (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy); Friedrich Von Schlegel, German romantic poet and critic (Philosophy of History, History of Literature); Kathryn McLean (Forbes), author (Mama’s Bank Account); James Herriot, Scottish writer and country veterinarian (All Creatures Great and Small); Vita Sackville-West, writer; Keri Hulme, New Zealand novelist (The Bone People); Kenneth Grahame, Scottish author (The Wind in the Willows); John McPhee, writer (Oranges, A Sense of Where You Are); Rolf Jacobsen, Norwegian poet; Elizabeth Barret Browning, poet (Sonnets from the Portuguese); Ring Lardner, writer (You Know Me, Al); Richard Leo Simon, publisher; he was the partner of Max Schuster; and Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, Columbian-born novelist (One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera).

My Work in Progress

Marketing and publicity of The Kurdish Connection continued this week and will become part of my regular writing program. I now have a regular routine for getting the word out via social media.

Writing continued on Dangerous Alliance, with chapters thirteen and fourteen posted for review to the two subscription writing sites I use. Chapter fifteen is now underway. I hope to keep finished drafts for two chapters a week, aiming to complete the first draft by July. Will see. Life has a tendency to get in the way of writing.

A bit more from Dangerous Alliance:

Eyes closed, humming a Korean ballad, Soo never noticed a short, stocky man step in front of him.

“Psst.”

Soo opened his eyes and stared at the man. Darkness descended over Soo as an individual behind the bench shoved a black bag over his head. Despite his struggles, he couldn’t break free. Two quick punches to his head knocked him out.

When Kim returned with the food, he scanned the area for Soo. Not finding him, he dashed back and forth, looking in shop fronts and along the shaded paths.

No sign. The ambassador had disappeared.

Kim returned to the bench where he left Soo. He sat and pulled his feet back. He heard a clatter. He tipped his head to check under the bench—he had kicked a pair of crushed Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses.

Books I’m Reading

I competed  a novel by Carolyn Arnold over the past week. More in the next section about when my review will be posted. I’m also reading When the Tree is Dry by Alice Hill. I’ll have my thoughts on this excellent insight into the strife surrounding Zimbabwe next time.

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. I’m going to expand on one I briefly mentioned last week:

Reader’s Abode -As I mentioned, this is a new site started by a group of writers spread across four continents. I’m please to say I was asked to join them and readily accepted. Our members will be sharing their short stories and poetry with you, along with a bi-weekly blog. Our first post came out today, written by Alison McBain. She provides an interesting insight into speculative poetry. Don’t miss it!

On March 26th, I’ll post my review of Carolyn Arnold’s Tie That Binds, along with my interview with her. I’ll also provide a hint at the next post. Hope you’ll join us!

 

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, March 5, 2017

Randall Krzak

Yesterday morning, I glanced out the window–a few snow flurries. Okay, nothing unusual in this part of the world. The snow was coming from the east, across the lake. I pulled up my favorite weather site, just to see what was in store. Mainly cloudy, outbreaks of sunshine, but cold. 

The flurries didn’t last long and the sun paid us a visit. A couple of hours later, it was hard to see much outside as the wind-driven snow was pelting down–a whiteout! In no time at all, over an inch of the white stuff was on the ground, with no sign of the storm abating.

I prepared a shopping list, figuring I’d head to the nearest store where I could pick up groceries and the all-important cat food for our five feline family members. By this time, the white-out had slowed, it was more of a regular storm. Bundled up, I climbed into our vehicle and headed out. The county road crew had already passed by, so the highway wasn’t too bad. Six miles inland, and there was hardly any snow, so I needn’t have rushed.

Now for birthday celebrations over the past week. According to historynet.com, the following members of the writing community had birthdays:

Howard Pyle, writer and illustrator (The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood); Frank Norris, novelist (McTeague, The Octopus); Leslie Marmon Silko, writer (Ceremony); Alan Sillitoe, novelist (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner); James Merrill, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (Divine Comedies); Nicolas Freeling, crime writer; Theodor Seuss Geisel [Dr. Seuss], author of numerous children’s books including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham; John Irving, novelist (The World According to Garp); William Dean Howells, novelist; Ralph Waldo Ellison, African-American author (Invisible Man); Robert Lowell, Jr., poet; won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1947 for Lord Weary’s Castle;  Richard Wilbur, writer and translator; won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1957 and 1989; Howard Nemerov, writer; won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1978; Ben Hecht, writer; Stephen Spender, English poet and critic; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet; John Steinbeck, American novelist (The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men); James T. Farrell, author (Young Lonigan); Peter De Vries, writer, poetry editor (Poetry Magazine, The New Yorker); and Lawrence Durrell, novelist (The Alexandria Quartet).
Recognize any names? I found a few. If you had a birthday during the past week, I hope you had an enjoyable day.

My Work in Progress

Marketing and publicity of The Kurdish Connection continued this week and will become part of my regular writing program.  Good news to report, at least I think so. Two district libraries have set dates for book signings. As part of their National Library Week activities, I’ll do a book signings on April 11th, followed by another one the next day. Along with the book signing, they also want me to talk about my writing journey.

Writing continued on Dangerous Alliance, with chapters eleven and twelve posted for review to the two subscription writing sites I use. Chapter thirteen is now underway.

A bit more from Dangerous Alliance:

The door swung open, a shadow crept across the carpet. Kim slammed the door shut and jumped on the intruder. He shoved him to the floor and rolled him over.

Soo stared up at him.

“Ambassador, what were you thinking? Where did you go?” Kim jumped to his feet and pulled Soo up. “You know nothing about this place.”

“I-I woke early and went for a walk. No one saw me—at least I don’t think so.”

Kim sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Soo to do the same. He sighed, easing the adrenaline, which had built up in his system as he went into fight mode.

“Ambassador—Soo, you must understand. This is not Pyongyang or Beijing, where you travel with at least six bodyguards. I am your protection, and if you disappear without my knowledge, what might happen?”

He speaks to me like I’m a child. I am the ambassador to China, and he’s a lowly aide. Perhaps a spy for Sung.

Books I’m Reading

While I had planned to finish one novel this week and begin another, extra time in front of the computer cut into my reading time. Hope to have a review to share with you next week.

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. I have two to share today:

MDNeu – Join MD Neu on his writing journey. Check out his novels in progress, poetry, and his blog. Well worth the visit!

Reader’s Abode – This is a new site started by an international group of writers. Spread across four continents, they’ll share their short stories and poetry with you. There’s sure to be a genre of interest!

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, February 19, 2017

Randall Krzak

Yesterday we were greeted with brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures–59F/15C.  A year ago it was 28F/-2C.  Great weather for Michigan in February!  The forecasters are predicting about a week of nice weather, before colder temperatures and snow return. But then, it’s still winter!

Do you have someone in your life you were able to share the recent Valentine’s Day with? Hope so.  Do you know why it’s called Valentine’s Day? I didn’t until I checked it out. According to According to Historynet.com,  it’s actually St. Valentine’s Day, the feast day of two Christian martyrs named Valentine: one a priest and physician, the other the Bishop of Terni. Both are purported to have been beheaded on this day. The custom of sending handmade ‘valentines’ to one’s beloved became popular during the 17th century and was first commercialized in the United States in the 1840s.

If you had a birthday during the past week, you might have shared it with one of these writers: Kay Boyle, short story writer (“The White Horses of Vienna”); Carson McCullers, writer (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter); Amy Tan, novelist (The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife); Shalom Aleichem, Yiddish author; Wallace Stegner, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (Angle of Repose); Helen Gurley Brown, editor of Cosmopolitan magazine; Len Deighton, English spy writer (The Ipcress File); Toni Morrison, Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author (The Bluest Eye, Beloved); Audre Lord, poet; Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson, Australian poet and journalist; Chaim Potok, novelist (The Chosen, The Promise); Van Wyck Brooks, biographer, critic and literary historian; Richard Ford, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (The Sportswriter, Independence Day); Frederick Douglass, slave, and later, activist and author; Georges Simenon, novelist; and Harold “Hal” Moore Jr., US Army lieutenant general, author, his best-known book, co-authored with combat journalist Joe Galloway, is We Were Soldiers Once … And Young. A belated happy birthday and hope you enjoyed your special day.

Available Through Your Favorite Bookseller (or at least Amazon and Barnes&Noble!)
It’s been an exciting week since the launch of my debut novel, The Kurdish Connection. I can’t thank Gene and his staff at Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC enough for this fantastic opportunity.  A dozen people requested signed copies so far–greatly feeling to sign them!  Three libraries in the local area (within a fifty-mile radius) are setting up book signing events for me. A non-profit monthly newspaper, available from over 325 locations is reviewing my novel and will publish a book review.
Social media contacts are growing as the word spreads. Many thanks to those retweeting or sharing my links. More work is still needed but the momentum is growing!
Just in case you haven’t heard about my novel, here’s a bit for you:
untitled

KURDISH SCAVENGERS UNCOVER A CACHE OF NERVE GAS IN IRAQ AND OFFER THEM TO KURDISH FIGHTERS IN TURKEY. THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BEDLAM ALPHA TEAM MUST SECURE THE WEAPONS BEFORE THEY CAN BE USED.

“You must swear by Allah never to say a word of what I’m going to tell you. This is the most important secret. Ever!”

In their daily struggle for survival, Iraqi Kurdish scavengers uncover a cache of chemical weapons. They offer the weapons to Kurdish rebels in Turkey and Syria to assist in their quest to free an imprisoned leader and create a unified homeland. After receiving a tip from an unlikely source, the newly formed Special Operations Bedlam team is called to arms. Can the team recover the weapons before it’s too late?

My Work in Progress

Marketing/publicity hasn’t stopped me from moving forward with the sequel, Dangerous Alliance. Chapters seven and eight were recently posted on the two subscription writing sites I use. The next chapter, introducing a new character and scene, which will be important as the story unfolds, is currently underway.

All work on A Cartel’s Revenge and New World Revolution are on hold until the first draft of Dangerous Alliance is completed.  Beginning next week, I’ll resume posting glimpses into this story.

Books I’m Reading

I just finished a beta read of the first in a three-book series by Preston Holtry, the author of the outstanding Morgan Westphal Mystery series. I won’t say any more about it right now, but once Preston gives me the green light, I’ll post my review. I will say it’s a keeper!

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. I have one to share today:

Alice S. Hill – a write-a-holic from Zimbabwe. She’s the author of When The Tree is Dry. Check out her site!

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

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Randall’s Ramblings, January 29, 2017

Randall Krzak

Here we go, the last Sunday in January. It’s been a crazy month weather-wise, with temperatures all over the place, ranging from 12F/-11C to 47F/8C. According to the forecast, it appears we’re heading into a stretch with more seasonable temperatures. Right now it’s 23F/-5C. Not much snow, some flurries right now, but that’s okay. Less shoveling to do!

Did you have a birthday over the past week? If so, one of these individuals might have shared your special day: Jose Marti, Cuban poet and journalist, known as the’Apostle of the Cuban Revolution’; Thomas Paine, political essayist (The Rights of Man, The Age of Reason); Robert Burns, Scottish poet (Auld Lang Syne, Comin’ Thro’ the Rye); Virginia Woolf, English author (Mrs. Dalloway and Orlando); Pierre de Beaumarchais, French dramatist (The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro); Edith Wharton, and U.S. novelist (Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence). Happy birthday to all.

Coming in Early February

Moonshine Cove, Publishing, LLC, will release my first novel, The Kurdish Connection, in early February.  Watch for the announcement. Here’s what a reviewer had to say:

“A behind the scenes story, ripped from today’s headlines deepening the reader’s understanding of an ancient strife … filled with the sights and smells of the market place and secret meetings, the reader is admitted to the secret heart, the desperate longings of those that must fight and win, or see continued subjugation by their masters…”—Oliver F. Chase, author of Camelot Games, Levant Mirage, Blind Marsh, and Marsh Island.

My Work in Progress

I was unable to complete any new chapters in Dangerous Alliance this week as editing of The Kurdish Connection‘s Intermediate Proofs took center stage. My last read and review is ongoing as I type this, with any last minute changes to be sent to my publisher tomorrow morning.

Books I’m Reading

This past week I’ve been doing a beta read on a novel by Duncan Simpson, author of The History of Things to Come: A Supernatural Thriller (The Dark Horizon Trilogy Volume 1). Since it’s a beta read, I’ll only be sharing my comments with Duncan. Hope to have something new for you next time.

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. With the beginning of a new year, I’d also like to include some lighthearted sites I stumble across, whether comedic or with animals. Unfortunately, work on The Kurdish Connection prevented me from scanning new sites.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2017 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, December 11, 2016

Randall Krzak

Over the past few days, weather forecasters have been discussing the big freeze and snowfall likely to descend upon us.  True to their word, the weather certainly turned colder in our patch since Thursday, with daytime temperatures between 27-31F (-1 to -3C), but not much different from historical norms.

On Thursday, the forecast for the weekend indicated six to ten inches of snow. That, I can do without!  I don’t mind a dusting, which makes things look nice for this time of year, but if I can avoid clearing the quarter-mile driveway, I’m all for it.  Anyway, the current forecast is four to six inches by late this evening. As I gaze out the window, a light snow is currently falling.

Regardless of the weather, birthdays still come and go. Do you know anyone famous with a birthday this week?  Here’s what I found:  Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian novelist; Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer (The Gulag Archipelago); Grace Paley, short story writer; Tom McGuane, novelist and screenwriter (The Sporting Club, Bushwacked Piano); Emily Dickison, American poet of more than 1,000 poems, seven published in her lifetime; Melvil Dewey, American librarian who created the Dewey Decimal System; Nelly Sachs, Nobel Prize-winning poet; Mary Norton, English children’s author (Bedknobs and Broomsticks); Rumer Godden, English novelist (Black Narcissus); John Milton, British writer and poet (Paradise Lost); Joel Chandler Harris, writer, creator of the Uncle Remus tales; ean de Brunhoff, illustrator and author, creator of the Babar series of books; James Thurber, American writer, cartoonist and editor (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty); and Richard Llewellyn, author (How Green Was My Valley).

Happy birthday to everyone celebrating his or her special day.

Why I want to Write–What’s Led Me to This Stage in My Life

Research continued to dominate my time during the past week, at least when a knee injury allowed me to sit on any easy chair with my laptop propped on a knee.  Hasn’t been easy, but I’ve made some progress, which will be important for my first historical fiction novel, New World Revolution.

My Work in Progress

Needless to say, I didn’t spend a great deal of time writing this week. In fact, less than 500 words. But life goes on and I’m well on the way to recovery, acting sitting at our desktop computer this morning.

Here’s another snippet from A Cartel’s Revenge:

“Hello, Señor Alvarez. Where are Maria and Silvina?” Alonzo stepped from his car, offering his hand to the school’s principal. “I’m running late, but I’m here to take them home.”

“Buenos Días, Señor Moreno. What do you mean? Your friends collected them after school finished.”

“My friends? I sent no one here. Who were they?”

The gates to their compound open, Alonzo raced past the stunned guards as they saluted. He skidded to a stop in front of the hacienda as his mother and Ramon exited her car.

“Mama, something bad’s happened … Maria and Silvina ….” Alonzo struggled to breathe, tears forming in his eyes. “When—when I reached the school, they were gone.”

“Where are they? Where are my precious girls?” Olivia grabbed Alonzo. “We must find them. Now.” She slumped against her son, beating on his chest. “They might be dead or worse—taken for the sex trade. I want my babies. Now!”

More next time.

Books I’m Reading

Real life events didn’t permit as much for pleasure reading this week, so I’ll have to pass on a review of a book.  Hope to have one and perhaps two for you next time.

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. Here are a new one today that I think is worthy of checking out:

Ladies Who Lunch Reviews, etc – a crazy collection of everything, perhaps for a snowy day.

Writing Resources

Time didn’t provide an opportunity to delve into more writing resources. I did receive a book I ordered regarding the life of peasants in early Britain who move to America. After I’ve read a bit, I’ll post something about it.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2016 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, November 27, 2016

Randall Krzak

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving this on Thursday had an enjoyable time with friends and family. Even if this wasn’t one of your holidays, I hope every reader is having a great weekend. Our son, who lives in Washington, D.C., couldn’t make it for Thanksgiving, but we did have a whirlwind visit from him last weekend. His next visit–Christmas.

Birthdays come and go and it’s always nice to find out who shares your birthday. One of my favorite authors, Brad Thor, shares the same day with me, although I’m a bit older.

Here are some noteworthy birthdays during the past week: Charles M. Shultz, American cartoonist who created “Peanuts” starring Charlie Brown; Charles A. Beard, American historian (History of the United States); James Agee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author (A Death in the Family); Virgil Thompson, American composer (Four Saints in Three Acts, The Mother of Us All); Shelagh Delaney, playwright (A Taste of Honey); Gail Collins, journalist; first woman to serve as editorial page editor of The New York Times; Carlo Collodi, the creator of Pinocchio; Margaret Anderson, editor, founder of The Little Review; Dale Carnegie, author (How to Win Friends and Influence People); Garson Kanin, writer and director (Born Yesterday); William F. Buckley, Jr., journalist, founder of National Review; and, Spider Robinson, Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction author (Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon; Melancholy Elephants).

Happy birthday to all and may you have many more.

Why I want to Write–What’s Led Me to This Stage in My Life

As I continue to work on my regular writing projects, concentrating on my novels, I decided to branch out. Although I’m writing modern-day action thrillers, I’ve taken a step back in time. My newest project, tentatively called New World Revolution, will be a historical thriller, following the lives of an English family uprooted from their tenant farm due to massive crop failures. Where do they end up? America, just in time for the Boston Tea Party. 

This story will require extensive research. Not just for an accurate setting, but even the everyday words used at the time. I’ve already written a draft first chapter and fans of historical fiction have pointed out things that I’ve taken for granted. The first, the word okay, was introduced into writing until the 1830s, several decades after my story. The second was my reference to spitting image, which apparently originates from the 19th century.  This will be an interesting story to put together and I look forward to the challenge.

My Work in Progress

Of course, I can’t let my progress on my other novels diminish. Chapter six of Dangerous Alliance is nearing completion, as if chapter eight of A Cartel’s Revenge. Both should be posted this week to the two subscription writing sites I use.

In the short time the first chapter of New World Revolution has been posted (posted on Thursday), it’s received twelve reviews. Almost everyone seemed to think it has great potential, which is encouraging.  More to follow on this as my research continues.

Books I’m Reading

I recently read Twice Dead by Michael Kent. Part of the Lieutenant Beaudry series, it’s another great story, full of action, with a fast pace.  We find Lt. Robert Beaudry embroiled in a mix of murder, narcotics, and even on a hit list. Someone is killing gays in Montreal and Robert’s boss gives him the task to find the killer.

Once again Michael works his magic and Robert works with a narcotics detective named Nico to sort out the pieces to this puzzle. Every time you think you’ve uncovered the identity of the killer, a twist will reveal new information pointing elsewhere. An excellent read!

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. Today, though, I have links to two sites about pets. The photographs are fantastic and I thought worthy of sharing.

Flawless Animals – a great compilation of animals doing their thing.

The Cute Pet – more outstanding photos of pets.

Writing Resources

Time didn’t provide an opportunity to delve into more writing resources. However, someone recently suggested a book I’d like to share with you:

Getting The Words Right: 39 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Theodore A Reed Cheney.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2016 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, November 20, 2016

Randall Krzak

I’ve been off my writing for the past couple of weeks. I had planned to post this earlier today, but Mother Nature had another plan.  On Friday, we had 63F/72.2C–great weather for the 18th of November. Saturday was another story, with a high of 31F/-1C.

Rain turned into snow, just as the forecasters predicted. We only had about an inch, our first snowfall of the new season. However, at about 01:30, the power went out, and was finally restored about thirty minutes ago. Hope it stays on long enough to finish my typing and post.

There’s been a few more people associated with writing who had birthdays over the past few days, including: Selma Lagerdorf, Swedish novelist (The Story of Gosta Berling); Alistair Cooke, English journalist, television host; Thomas McGrath, poet and novelist; Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Prize-winning South African novelist; Don DeLillo, author (White Noise, Libra); Allen Tate, Southern novelist, poet and critic; Larry King, journalist and long-time talk show host; Sharon Olds, poet (The Dead and The Living, The Gold Cell); Dorthea Dix, pseudonym for Elizabeth Gilman, who wrote syndicated advice; Clarence Day, American writer (Life with Father); George Horatio Gallup, American journalist and statistician; Margaret Atwood, Canadian writer (The Edible Woman, The Handmaid’s Tale); and, lan Moore, writer best known for his ground-breaking work in comic books / graphic novels (Watchmen, V for Vendetta).

If you just celebrated your birthday, many congratulations and hope you have lots more!

Why I want to Write–What’s Led Me to This Stage in My Life

While personal commitments have kept me away from the keyboard, ideas keep creeping into my mind. Many have found their way into my notes for further resurrection when other works are finished.

My Work in Progress

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve completed chapter five of Dangerous Alliance and posted it for reviews on the two subscription writing sites I use. Overall, good comments thus far.  I also completed the first draft of chapter eight of A Cartel’s Revenge, and hope to finish editing and post over the next week.

I’ve also completed the initial requirements from my publisher at Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC, regarding my upcoming novel, The Kurdish Connection.  As we get closer to the release date, I’ll be posting some comments I’ve received about the story from several authors.

Books I’m Reading

I have continued my personal reading when time permitted. One of the recent novels I finished is called American For Sale by Chuck Van Soye.  This is the first novel of Chuck’s I’ve had the pleasure to read, and will be reading more of his work.

In this story, we meet Bret Lee, a university professor who happens to help U.S. intelligence agencies with various overseas issues. In American for Sale, what begins as a vacation to China, quickly ends in what could be dire straights when Bret is kidnapped during a layover before proceeding to Beijing. Could anything get worse? Yes, as he is sold to a number of middlemen before ending up in the clutches of ISIS.

Chuck has created a fast-paced story full of twists and turns. Just when it appears Bret might be rescued, a new player enters the mix and we take off again for another country. In the end Bret is a key cog in resolving the unrest in Syria. To find out exactly how he manages, this, you’ll have to purchase the book as I don’t want to spoil the ending. I’d definitely give this one four stars!

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. But this week I didn’t have the opportunity to check any sites out. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do so for next week.

Writing Resources

Each week draws me a step closer to the release of The Kurdish Connection, so a large part of my research time is now devoted to work on a promotion/publicity plan. Hopefully, I’ll have something to share with you next time.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another ramble.  Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing.  Until the next time, thank you for reading!

© Copyright 2016 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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Randall’s Ramblings, October 30, 2016

Randall Krzak

Happy Halloween to all who enjoy tricks or treats, young and old.

I’m afraid this will be a very short ramble this week as I’ve spent less than an hour on writing. 

On Thursday, our seven-year-old boxer, Tyson, began chemotherapy after several weeks of illness and multiple trips to the vet to determine what was wrong. I won’t bore you with all of the details, but the prognosis isn’t good–three to six months with the chemo, a matter of weeks if he doesn’t have the treatment.

Also on Thursday, our beloved FIV positive feline, Shadow, was euthanized. Since he joined us almost two years ago, we’ve made plenty of trips to our vet so he could receive the care he needed. Thursday marked the end of his fight; he was in severe pain and there was no other option but to let him go. 

Earlier this year while I was taking an online blogging course, I posted photographs of our entire four-legged family. If you want to take a peek Tyson, Shadow and all the others, here’s the link:  Shadow’s Family.

I hope to be back to my regular posts next Sunday. Regards to all.

© Copyright 2016 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved.