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Randall’s Ramblings, April 16, 2023

Orthodox Easter Day, which is calculated using the phases of the moon and the equinox, is a sacred season and the most significant celebration of the Eastern Christian churches or orthodox churches — and is celebrated today. Orthodox Easter Day is an annual holiday commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also known and celebrated as Greek Easter. (compliments of https://nationaltoday.com/orthodox-easter-day/)

Weather-wise, it’s been another mixed week, with some rain on most days. We were still able to get some work done in the back flower beds. We also managed to get the grass cut for the first time this season. Still plenty more to do before thing are ready.

“Anyone and everyone taking a writing class knows that the secret of good writing is to cut it back, pare it down, winnow, chop, hack, prune, and trim, remove every superfluous word, compress, compress, compress…” – Nick Hornby (Compliments of https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/55-motivational-writing-quotes.)

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on 16 April, the third Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/):

John Luyken, Dutch poet and etcher (Duytse Lyre); Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and statesman; William Chambers, Scottish author and publisher (Basis of Communication & Coding); Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist and politician; Octave Crémazie, French Canadian poet; Anatole France [Jacques Anatole Thibault], French writer (Thaïs, Wickerwork Woman, Nobel 1921); Herbert Baxter Adams, American historian (American Historical Association); John Millington Synge, Irish dramatist and poet (Riders to the Sea); Robert Dean Frisbie, American writer of travel literature (Life on Puka Puka); John Bagot Glubb, British commandant and writer (A soldier with the Arabs); Polly Adler, Russian bordello proprieter and author (House is not a Home); Herman Uyttersprot, Flemish literature historian; Gerard McLarnon, British-Irish actor and writer (The Wrestler’s Honeymoon); Peter Ustinov, British actor, author, journalist, comedian and broadcaster (Death on Nile, Logan’s Run, Billy Budd); Christopher Samuel Youd, British sci-fi author (Tripods Trilogy); Kingsley Amis, English novelist (Lucky Jim, James Bond Dossier); Barbara Tizard, British educator and author; Geoffrey Owen, British editor (Financial Times); Sarah Kirsch, German poet; Ewald Vanvugt, Dutch author (Kiss of Delight, Seed of Love); Margot Adler, American journalist; Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian writer and photographer; J. Neil Schulman, American writer (Alongside Night); and Mark Baker, Welsh author and historian.

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me: Peter Ustinov. 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

Slide1I recently completed chapters twenty-nine and thirty of Frozen Conquest and posted them to the two online subscription writing sites I use.

In the past week, twenty-four reviews have been added, bringing the total to 552.  As always, there are plenty of good suggestions to improve my story and I’m greatly appreciative of the support.

Here’s another snippet:

Liam knocked on the door and slid his key into the lock.

“Just a minute.” Winston inched the door open. “Where have you been? You left an hour ago.”

“On the deck where the scientists stay. One of them said there were still plenty of empty rooms, and he took me to one. It’s much bigger than ours down here.”

“Figures. We’re on the deck for the crew. What do we have to do to move?”

Liam grinned as he fished a key from his pocket. “Not a thing—we’re all set.”

“Fantastic. Let’s move our stuff.”

Liam’s grin grew wider. “There’s more news. The SPA team is moving onto the same deck.”

“Excellent.”

“Only thing is, the word’s out about the attack on the SPA woman. Rooms are being rearranged so there are men in cabins on either side of the women to provide some protection.”

“Hmm.” Winston pursed his lips. “We’ll need to identify each of the SPA’s rooms and try to plant some more bugs. Otherwise, we won’t obtain the info Sawyer wants.”

Liam tossed his bag on a bed and began packing. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

“Take your time. You know I’ll be ready as soon as I can. I don’t just grab stuff from a drawer and cram it into my case.”

Twenty minutes later, Liam led Winston into their new cabin. He swept his arms through the air to encompass the area. “Ta-da! See, I told you it’s bigger.”

Winston nodded. “Yeah, it’ll do. Let’s unpack and go introduce ourselves to our new neighbors.”

After settling in, Liam left the cabin, followed by Winston. He stopped at the first door and knocked.

No answer.

Liam knocked a second time with the same result. He pulled his lock picks from a pocket and knelt by the door. As he attempted to force the lock, he turned at the sound of footsteps.

“Hey! What are you doing at my door?” A short, squat man with the bulging arms of a body build approached them.

“Oh, sorry. We just moved from the deck below, and I thought this was our cabin.”

The man shook his head. “Nope—It’s mine. Say, aren’t you in the room next door?”

Liam looked around. “Oops. Wrong cabin, We’re next to you.”

The man stared at them as if trying to memorize their facial features.

“Hey, man.” Winston puffed out his chest. “Why not take pictures?”

“Do yourself a favor and check the cabin layout map at the end of the corridor. If I find you trying to enter my cabin or anyone else’s, there’ll be hell to pay.”

“Whatever.” Winston walked away.

“Liam followed but not before turning back to the man. He the yanked a folding knife from his front pocket and clicked it open. “If there’s any hell to pay—you’ll be the one doing it.”

More next time.

Promotions

The Kurdish Connection, Dangerous Alliance, Colombian Betrayal, and Revenge are participating in Revenge promotion, running until the end of May for Action & Adventure, Romance, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy / Urban Fantasy. There are currently sixty-six novels participating. Why not check it out? You might find your next new author.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/revengetales/idh13vx4rm

This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.

© Copyright 2023 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Randall’s Ramblings, April 9, 2023

Happy Easter to all who recognize today as a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. (compliments of Wikipedia)

Weather-wise, it’s been a mixed week, although mainly dry with lots of sunshine. We were able to get more done in the front flower beds and made a start in the back. Still plenty more to do before thing are ready.

“There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.” – Terry Pratchett Compliments of https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/55-motivational-writing-quotes.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on Easter Saturday, 8 April, compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/:

Phineas Fletcher, English poet; Johann Christian Gunther, German poet; Thaddäus Weigl, German-Austrian composer, publisher, and conductor; Dionysios Solomos, Greek poet of the Greek national anthem; Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author, public speaker and wife of George Armstrong Custer; Margaret Ayer Barnes, American playwright and writer (Years of Grace); ohn R. Hicks, British economist (Value and Capital), (Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Science 1972); Hans Scherfig, Danish artist and communist writer (Idealists, Stolen Spring); Helen Joseph, South African anti-apartheid activist and writer (Side by Side); John Fante, Italian-American author and screenwriter (Wait Until Spring, Bandini, Ask the Dust, Full of Life); Emil Mihai Cioran, Romanian born writer and aphorist; Glendon Swarthout, American novelist (Where The Boys Are; The Shootist); Frédéric Back, German-born Canadian short film director and screenwriter; Seymour Hersh, award-winning investigative reporter (NY Times); Eduard Visser, Dutch writer (Fyffes are now called Chiquita); James Herbert, English horror writer (The Rats); Christoph Hein, German writer and translator; Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist (The Poisonwood Bible); Jim Piddock, English actor, writer and producer (Best in Show); Craig Mazin, American scriptwriter and film director (Chernobyl, The Last of Us); and Nnedi Okorafor, Nigerian American writer (Binti books).

Any names familiar to you? There were two four me: Elizabeth Bacon Custer  and James Herbert. 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

Slide1I recently completed chapter twenty-eight of Frozen Conquest and posted it to the two online subscription writing sites I use.

Since my last update, fifteen reviews have been added, bringing the total to 528.  As always, plenty of good suggestions to improve my story and I’m greatly appreciative of the support.

Here’s another snippet:

 Carina stood at the stern of the ship, gazing out to sea. Nothing but darkness. She tugged her coat tighter around her to ward off the penetrating cold. She pulled her lined woolly hat down to cover the tops of her ears. I’m glad Rufus suggested this headgear.

She turned and worked her way along the aft side of the ship before returning inside. Joining her other team members, she scooted into an empty seat next to Bertelot. “Could I make my weekly satellite call now? Before we departed, my favorite cousin was hoping to land a new job, and I want to find out if he was successful.”

Bertelot sipped his Coke. “Okay. What job was he going for?”

“I’m not sure.” She tapped the side of her nose. “Something spooky, I think. He’s a former SEAL.”

Bertelot pulled the satellite phone from his backpack and handed it to her. “No more than fifteen minutes, or you’ll pay the extra.”

“C’mon, Bertelot.” Carina batted her eyes at him. “I’ll be as quick as possible.” She stood and headed toward the exit. “I’ll be right back.”

He laughed. “Sure you will.”

After zipping up her parks, which she had loosened when she joined the others, she donned her hat again and stepped back on deck.

Following the procedures Bertelot taught the team for using the phone, Carina located the appropriate satellite and punched a series of numbers. She smiled when the phone began ringing.

A male voice answered. “Hello?”

“Hi, Rufus. Carina here. How are you doing?”

 “Hey, Cuz. Glad to hear from you. Where are you calling from? Are you on your way to Antarctica?”

“Yes, and your recommendation about the woolly hat is already paying dividends.” Carina chuckled. “Too bad you couldn’t come with me, you being a SEAL and all.”

“Hardy har har! This SEAL doesn’t want to play with the seals you’ll meet. But, I suppose you’ll find it quite an adventure.”

“If you change your mind, I’ll talk with Bertelot, our team leader. So did you get the job you were after?”

“Yes. An admiral made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The pay isn’t as good, but the potential growth is much better than being a contractor.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

“I can’t reveal much, Carina, but I’m now working on an American base in Germany.”

“Are you I charge?”

“Of the base—no. Of my unit? Yes. The only other thing I can mention is we’re a quick reaction team, so we can get sent anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice.”

“Even to Antarctica if I run into trouble?”

Rufus laughed. “as long as my boss gives me the word to go ahead.”

“I’m onboard the research vessel RV Aquavit, and we’re in the Southern Ocean. I better give you the Scandinavian Protection Agency’s number.”

“Already have it. When you called, I recognized you were using a satellite phone—impressive. Your number is in my phone’s log.”

“It’s not my phone, Rufus. It belongs to the SPA, and our team leader allows each of us one call a week, but only for fifteen minutes due to the cost. The one we’re using costs two dollars a minute.”

“Ouch. Pricey. I feel honored you chose to call me.”

Carina chuckled. “You’re my only living relative, so who else would I call? I don’t have a boyfriend—at least right now.” She sighed. “I better go for now. Take care, Rufus. Speak to you next week.”

“Sure thing, Cuz. Watch out for those seals—and the penguins.”

More next time.

Promotions

The Kurdish Connection, Dangerous Alliance, Colombian Betrayal, and Revenge are participating in Revenge promotion, running through the end of April for Action & Adventure, Romance, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy / Urban Fantasy. There are currently sixty-seven novels participating. Why not check it out? You might find your next new author.

This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.

© Copyright 2023 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

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Reaper Bookiversary

How do you fight a monster?

Halloween night, 1992. Promised the allowance he’s always dreamed of, Gregory has to babysit his little sister Imogen and hand out candy.

That was before the basement door opened on its own. Before the strange door appeared in the basement. Before Imogen was taken from him by that terrifying monster.

Now, Gregory has to scramble to put the pieces together before it’s too late. Where did the door come from? What was that creature? Can he save his sister, or is she already gone forever?

If you haven’t read Jonathan Pongratz’s work, you’re missing out. Check out Reaper–available across the Amazon network. Jonathan  is a writer and author of captivating horror, urban fantasy, and paranormal stories. When he’s not writing, he’s busy being a bookworm, video game junkie, and karaoke vocalist. A former resident of Dallas, he currently resides in Kansas City with his halloween cat Ajax. By day he works magic in finance, by night he creates dark and mesmerizing worlds.