Randall Krzak's Blog, page 3

Randall’s Ramblings, May 11, 2025

Happy Mother’s Day to all who are mothers! Did you know there are a number of countries who celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May? Here’s just a few of them: Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Japan, and South Africa. Moms–hope everyone enjoys your special day.

We haven’t had any deer visitors recently, but we’re rewarded with a visit by at least six of them at dusk yesterday. On Friday, there was a large tom turkey strutting around the back yard. I took several photos, but from the distance they all came out a bit blurred. Hopefully, he’ll pay us another visit and I’ll be able to get better photos.

The Detroit Tigers played six games over the past week. They won five of them and lost last night. Their record is now 26-14, and they are on top of the American League’s Central Division with a two and a half game lead over Cleveland. Go Tigers!

“I get a lot of letters from people. They say, ‘I want to be a writer. What should I do?’ I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it.” – Ruth Rendell. 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 May 11th, the nineteenth Sunday of 2025 and the second one in May. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Jean Mairet, French dramatist famous for tragedies (Sophonisbe) and comedies; Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French soldier, author and composer (La Marseillaise); Johann Peter Hebel, German writer (Allemannische Gedichte); Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, American politician and publisher (1st African American governor – Governor of Louisiana (R) 1872-73); James, Bryce, Irish-British historian and politician (ambassador to the United States, 1907–13); James Gordon Bennett Jr., American publisher (thought to have inspired the phrase “Gordon Bennett”); Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish novelist (Episodios Nacionales); van Cankar, Slovene author, poet, novelist and playwright (Erotika, The Bailiff Yerney and His Rights); Fritz von Unruh, German expressionist playwright (Jurgen Wullenweber, Zero); Karl Barth, Swiss Protestant theologian (“The Epistle to the Romans”; “Barmen Declaration”; “Church Dogmatics”); Olaf Stapledon, British philosopher and sci-fi writer (Star Maker); (Jacobus) “J.C.” Bloem, Dutch poet (Sintels – Embers); Ariel Durant, Russian-born American writer (Story of Civilization); Anatole Litvak, Russian-born American film director, writer and producer (Mayerling, Anastasia, The Snake Pit); Joachim Prinz, German-American Zionist leader, author and Rabbi of Berlin (1926-37); Angus Paton, English civil engineer (wrote economic and infrastructure reports for Canada and Syria, hydroelectric dams); Bel Kaufman, American author (Up the Down Staircase); Harold Myers, British film journalist (Variety); Monica Dickens, British author and founder of the Samaritians in the US; Nayantara Sahgal (née Pandit), Indian author (Prison and Chocolate Cake); June Knox-Mawer (née Ellis), Welsh novelist (Sandstorm), and radio host (World of Islands); Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (A Special Day); Barbara Taylor Bradford, British novelist (A Woman of Substance, Cavendon Hall); Jayne Cortez, African-American poet and activist (I Am New York City); Arthur Kopit, American playwright (‘Wings’, ‘Nine’); Wayne Dyer, American psychologist and author (Your Erroneous Zones; Universe Within You); Jim Abrahams, American comedy screenwriter and director (Airplane!; Hot Shots; Top Secret; The Naked Gun; Caroline Cooney, American young adult author (The Face on the Milk Carton, Code Orange); Thomas Tessier, American horror author (The Nightwalker, Finishing Touches); Mbongeni Ngema, South African playwright, lyricist, composer, and theatre producer (Sarafina!); Suzan-Lori Parks, American playwright and writer (Topdog/Underdog Pulitzer Prize 2002); Jon Ronson, British journalist and author (So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, Frank); ohn Scalzi, American science fiction writer (Old Man’s War, Redshirts); Rob Malda, American internet writer and editor who co-founded Slashdot; Katori Hall, American playwright and actress (The Hot Wing King); and Jeremy Gable, English-American playwright (Carpenter George, Go Ahead).

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Barbara Taylor Bradford. 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

Things continue to progress with Harding’s Challenge: The Great Rebellion. Chapters twenty-four to twenty-six were posted this week  to the two online subscription sites I use. There were eleven new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to 108. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s the first snippet:

Latimer reined his horse in after he stopped by a hitching post in Richmond, Virginia, in May 1861. Jumping down, he threw the reins over the post, reached into his saddlebags, and retrieved an oilskin package.

He rushed up the steps onto the porch attached to the front of the two-story structure, the temporary capital and residence of Jefferson Davis, the newly elected president of the Confederate States of America.  He glanced at the ‘Stars and Bars’ hanging from the front of the building before he approached two armed sentries barring the entrance.

“Stand aside. I’m Barnabas Latimer and I have important business with President Davis.” He slapped a hand on his clothes to remove some of the dust.

The sentries shared a glance before moving to each side of the door.

One of them pushed it open. “Please, go ahead, Mister Latimer. The president is expecting you. Turn left and his office is the second door on the right.”

Latimer pushed between the men and turned left.

At the second door, another sentry stood. Alerted to Latimer’s arrival at the main door, he immediately opened the inner one.

Latimer strode into the office, stopping in front of President Davis’ desk. “Let me be one of the first to congratulate you on your formal election, Jefferson.”

Davis smiled. “Thank you, Barnabas.” He shrugged. “It was a foregone conclusion. Who else has the charisma to hold the Confederacy together?”

Both men laughed.

Davis stood and moved to a table near the window, beckoning Latimer to follow him.

A crude map lay in the center of the table, depicting the Confederacy.

Davis pointed to several locations. “We are small but growing every month. So far, eleven states have joined the Confederacy: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.”

Latimer pursed his lips. “Do you think any other states will join us?”

“I’m not sure.” Davis frowned. “The western counties of Virginia refused to commit, preferring to remain tied to the Union. Although they support slavery, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri are still on the outside. I figure they’ll receive enough pressure from the Union to support the Union, despite their loyalties. So, it might just be the eleven states taking on the Union boys.”

Davis sighed. “We’ll be in the battle of our lives. That upstart, slave-loving Abraham Lincoln stated he would try to keep the Union together without warfare but look what he did with Fort Sumter. Tried to trick us into believing his pack of lies. He wants to dictate to the Southern states and not allow us to abolish federal laws that interfere with our rights.” Davis chuckled. “Fate shined upon the Confederacy and the fort surrendered to us. We might not be so lucky next time. I suspect it will be a brutal war.”

“That’s why I requested an urgent meeting with you. I might have something that will turn the tide in our favor.”

Davis studied Latimer’s face. “Pray tell.”

“Machines.” He grinned.

‘Davis gave a puzzled look to Latimer. “Please explain yourself, sir.”

“It’s quite simple. You might recall, a few months ago I mentioned this very fact to you. We could use machines to spy on the Union. I believe I have perfected the process whereby my machines will turn the tide of any war in our favor.” No need to tell him who came up with the idea—it’s mine now.

Latimer opened the oilskin package, extracted a ten-inch by ten-inch photograph, and handed it to Davis. Although somewhat grainy, the identity of the two individuals was still recognizable.

“Why … that’s Varina standing next to me! What magic did you use to create this?”

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

Randall’s Ramblings, May 4, 2025

Mother Nature decided to give the forecasters a break. We were supposed to have multiple thunderstorms overnight-only had one brief storm. Supposed to be a rain-free day today, and I hope that bears out as we’ll be at a local farmer’s market.

The Detroit Pistons won gave five of their best-of-seven series with the New York Knicks, but lost game six, ending their season. Hopefully, Detroit will bounce back when the new season begins.

The Detroit Tigers played seven games over the past week, winning four of them. Their record is now 21-13, and they are still in first place in the American League Central Division, with a game and a half lead over Cleveland.

“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.” – Octavia E. Butler. 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 May 4th, the eighteenth Sunday of 2025 and the first lone in May. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Richard Graves, English writer; Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus, German encyclopedia publisher; Horace Mann, American educator, author, abolitionist and politician who pioneered public schools; William H. Prescott, American historian; Joseph Whitaker, British publisher (Whitaker’s Almanac); Mynona [Salomo Friedlaender], German-Jewish philospher and writer (The Creator); Ramiro de Maeztu, Spanish writer (Don Quixote & Celestine); Wilhelm Lehmann, German writer; J. W. F. Werumeus Buning, Dutch poet (Daily Bread); (Nicolaas) “Cola” Debrot, Dutch lawyer, doctor, author and politician (Governor of the Netherlands Antilles, 1962-70); Lincoln Kirstein, American writer and impresario; Jeroom Verten [Jozef Frans Vermetten], Flemish playwright; Emmanuel Roblès, Algerian-French novelist and playwright (Lesson Hauteurs); Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian author and urbanologist (The Death and Life of Great American Cities); Peter Blum, Afrikaan poet (Capricorn; Gerlind Reinshagen, German novelist, children’s book author, and playwright (Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth)); Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican writer and political activist,; Amos Oz, Israeli author (My Michael); Robin Cook, American physician and novelist; Monika van Paemel, Belgian writer (Accursed Fathers); Narasimhan Ram, Indian journalist (The Hindu); Graham Swift, British author (Waterland, Last Orders); and Ishita Bhaduri, Indian (Bengali) poet.

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

Things are moving forward with Harding’s Challenge: The Great Rebellion. The first twenty-three chapters are now posted to the two online subscription sites I use. There were eighteen new chapter reviews this week, bringing the total to ninety-eight. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s the first snippet:

In the spring of 1848, Johann Spreckler, a tall, thin man in his early thirties,  maintained a small workshop in the Jura mountain region of Switzerland. A watchmaker by trade, his true passion was trying to create completely mechanical animals and machinery. Using the tools and parts from his trade, he developed the inner workings of life-size mice that would move about his worktable with amazingly realistic movements.

In his delight, he shared his little toy mouse with his friend, Carl Ludden. His friend was astounded at the machine.

The shiny brass rodent moved about the desktop but, eventually ran off the edge and crashed to the floor.

“I must find a way to control the movement,” Johann said.

That was where his troubles began. For ten years he worked late into the night after his shop closed, trying to develop a mechanism to control his various machines. If he was to control the workings of his creations, he needed a power source other than winding the mechanism as you would a clock.

One night, Johann was overcome by fatigue and rested his head on his workbench. In a dream, he saw the materials needed to create not only a power source, but a signal that would give the machines the ability to move on their own naturally. When he awoke before dawn he set about forging the materials needed to create the power source.

It took another three years for the ‘accumulator’ to be perfected. To his amazement, the creatures took on near-perfect behaviors. They no longer ran off the edge of his bench, but would scurry about the floor avoiding chair legs, hopping onto the rugs. To Johann’s astonishment, the smaller versions would crawl up his sleeve and rest on his shoulder while he worked. Something magical, even mystical occurred in the accumulator’s wiring.

Johann didn’t understand what he had created but was thrilled at the results.

He thought his toys to be innocent fun. He prepared a dozen mice, a small palm-sized bird that would fly about the room, and a miniature man who would sweep the floor with a small straw broom. He planned to offer his wondrous toys for Christmas.

In his shop, he allowed two of the mice to scurry over the counter.

The bird sat on the shelf chirping and flapping its wings. Without any command, it would take flight, circle the room, and come back to the shelf.

When a customer reacted, Johann would proudly tell them the creatures were for sale and quote the price. To his utter and complete disappointment, no one was interested, and in a lot of cases, the customers were terrified of his creatures and fled the store.

The snow was drifting and piled against the front of Johann’s watch shop the morning the mayor, the town elder priest and a rich landowner came into the shop.

From their scowls, Johann knew it wasn’t a cordial visit. He welcomed them. “Good morning, gentlemen.”

It was at that moment the bird lifted from the shelf and looped around the shop.

The priest made the sign of the cross.

The landowner turned to the mayor. He whispered, “See, what did I tell you?”

“Where did you get that creature?”

Johann smiled broadly. “I made him.”

“How can a man create something that is alive?” the priest asked.

‘It does imitate a bird, but I would not say it was alive. After all, it doesn’t eat, drink, or breathe.”

“Satan is the ultimate imitator,” the priest replied. “He has his way of imitating all things that are true and pure in God’s creation.”

“How did you learn to make these creatures?” the mayor asked.

Johann didn’t fully reflect on the way his answer would sound.  “It came to me in a dream.”

The priest turned to the major. He spoke in a soft voice. “De profundis clamavi ad te. (Evil calls for help from evil).”

“Do you renounce Satan and all his work and ways?” The landowner acted as if he was performing an exorcism.

“I think you misunderstand my work gentlemen. I am a watchmaker. The toys are but machines. Is a clock or watch a thing of the devil?” Johann tried to hide his fear of where the conversation was going.

The priest could barely contain his anger. “All day long they distort my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.”

“I am not evil. I am a simple watchmaker and inventor. Why do you see me as doing something against God? He doesn’t enter into this work. I have made innocent toys.”

The landowner slapped his hat against his palm. “To lead children astray. To remove God’s creation with imitations.”

“This will not do,” the mayor said. “I cannot let this distraction from the Church go on in my city. I order this shop closed. I will send the chief magistrate to lock and secure it.”

“You can’t!” Johann protested.

“I can and I have,” the mayor snapped.

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

Randall’s Ramblings, April 27, 2025

It’s been another wet week, with mainly light rain, although there were a couple of thunderstorms. I still managed to get some painting done on our shed, which hadn’t seen a lick of paint in years as the wood was weather beaten. Now it looks pristine.

Over the past week, the Detroit Tigers played six games, winning four and losing two and raised their record to 17-10, the best in the American League. They’re currently in first place in the Central Division, with a game and a half league over second place Cleveland.

The Detroit Pistons played two more games in their best-of-seven against the New York Knicks, splitting the games. The Knicks are 2-1 up against the Pistons, with game four scheduled for later today.

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. ” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. 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 April 27th, the seventeenth Sunday of 2025 and the fourth and final one in April. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Mary Wollstonecraft, English writer and feminist (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman), mother of Mary Shelley; Alfred Julius Becher, Austrian journalist and composer; Herbert Spencer, British philosopher (Social Statics) and sociologist; Gerben Colmjon, Frisian linguist and publisher; Jules Lemaître, French critic and dramatist; ohan Skjoldborg, Danish writer (Dynaes-Digte); André Baillon, Belgian-French author (Un homme si simple); Hubert Harrison, West Indian-American writer and freedom fighter; Walter Lantz, American cartoonist (Woody Woodpecker’s creator); Frank Belknap Long, American writer (Rim of the Unknown); Cecil Day-Lewis, Irish poet (British Poet Laureate 1968-72) and detective writer (Nicholas Blake); Julian Stryjkowski, Polish journalist and writer known for his radical leftist leanings; Yórgos Theotokás, Greek novelist (Leonís); Muriel C. Bradbrook, English writer (That Infidel Place); Georges Dargaud, French publisher (Astérix, Tintin); Franz Weyergans, Belgian writer and translator (Les Gens Heureux); Albert Soboult, French historian; John Alfred Scali, American journalist and diplomat; Edwin Morgan, Scottish poet (At Eighty); Martin Gray, Polish-born American writer, holocaust survivor; John Burningham, English author and illustrator of children’s books (Mr Grumpy’s Outing; August Wilson, American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (Fences; The Piano Lesson); and Russell T. Davies, Welsh TV writer and executive producer (Doctor Who, Queer as Folk).

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 put work on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series, on hold to concentrate on Harding’s Challenge: The Great Rebellion.

This is the first novel in a three-volume series that I’m collaborating with Michael Maxwell, the author of over thirty novels. It combines action, romance, and sci-fi in an alternate reality of the American Civil War. All being well, the first novel will be released in the fall and compete in the 2025 Chanticleer Internal Book Awards in their Laramie Awards for Americana, Western, Pioneer & Civil War, North American Historical Fiction.

I’ve posted the first twenty chapters to the most active of the two online subscription writing sites I use. The posts are coming faster than my readers normally critique, but so far the story has received  eighty chapter reviews. As always, plenty of feedback to improve the story.

Here’s a bit more about the story.

Chapter one begins with Johann, a Swiss watchmaker. His hobby is creating completely mechanical animals and machinery. The chapter closed with my moving to North Carolina, where he sets up his watchmaking shop. He is visited by Barnabas Latimer, who spots Johann’s mechanical animals and is intrigued, as he envisions a use for them in the pending American Civil War.

Chapters two through six are a whirlwind run through the war, showing how Latimer uses his cunning to create additional animals and machinery to aid the South. We meet Union Captain Finn Harding (hence the title, Harding’s Challenge) in chapter four. In chapter six, the war comes to and end with a twist.

The remainder of the story centers around Latimer (who turns out to be an evil man), Finn Harding, and Latimer’s daughter Evie. Finn and Evie meet in chapter seven and it turns out they have something in common: hatred for Latimer. As story unfolds, they plot Latimer’s demise, become romantically linked. I had planned to post the first snippet today, but it’s delayed until next week.

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

Randall’s Ramblings, April 20, 2025

Our son flew in Friday morning for a short visit. While he had to return to Washington, D.C. on Easter Sunday, it was still great to spend a couple of days with him.

The Detroit Tigers are clinging to a slim lead in the American League’s Central Division, with a record of 13-8. Meanwhile, The Detroit Pistons lost the first game in a seven-game series to the New York Knicks. The Pistons won an incredible 30 games more than in the previous year, ending the regular season with a 44-38 record.

“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” – Ray Bradbury. 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 April 20th, the sixteenth Sunday of 2025 and the third one in April. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

William Bartram, American naturalist and writer (1st naturalist to document tropical forests of Florida in “Bartram’s Travels”); Aloysius Bertrand, French poet (Gaspard de la Nuit – Gaspard of the Night), and playwright; Dinah Craik, English writer (John Halifax, Gentleman); Hermann Bang, Danish writer; Robert Lynd, Irish writer and critic (Pleasures of Ignorance); Hermann Ungar, Moravian writer; Martinus Nijhoff, Dutch poet and linguist; Soewarsih Djojopoespito, Indonesian writer (Toe the Line); Richard Hillary, Australian Spitfire pilot and author (The Last Enemy); Paul Van Buren, American theologist (Theological Explorations); Peter S. Beagle, American novelist and screenwriter (The Last Unicorn); Jan Cremer, Dutch writer (I, John Cremer); Pilar Miró, Spanish screenwriter and director (Wether; Beltenebros); Joni Evans, American publisher (Simon & Schuster, Random House); Ian Watson, British sci-fi author (Book of Being, Whores of Babylon); Andrew Tobias, American journalist and author (The Best Little Boy in the World); Sebastian Faulks, British novelist (The Girl at the Lion d’Or); Wim Drees, Dutch philosopher, editor (Zygon – Journal of Religion & Science) and professor (Leiden University); and Pete Correale, American comedian, writer, and broadcaster.

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

I found out this week that Frozen Conquest, the fifth novel in my Bedlam series, was one of the winners in the 2024 Chanticleer International Book Awards in their Global Thrillers category. This marks the seventh consecutive year that one of my novels was awarded first place.

Frozen Conquest also received a five-star editorial review from Chanticleer Reviews. Here’s the link if you’re interested in reading the review.

My Work In Progress

I’ve put work on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series, on hold to concentrate on Harding’s Challenge: The Great Rebellion.

This is the first novel in a three-volume series that I’m collaborating with Michael Maxwell, the author of over thirty novels. It combines action, romance, and sci-fi in an alternate reality of the American Civil War. All being well, the first novel will be released in the fall and compete in the 2025 Chanticleer Internal Book Awards in their Laramie Awards for Americana, Western, Pioneer & Civil War, North American Historical Fiction.

I’ll post the first snippet next week.

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

Randall’s Ramblings, April 13, 225

It’s been another topsy-turvey week with the weather. There’s been several thunderstorms and even a bit of hail, mixed with plenty of sunshine but cooler temperatures. At least the grass as turned green and most of the trees are now covered with leaves.

The Detroit Tigers have continued to surge in the Central Division of the American League. They are still in first place, with a 9-5 record. Go Tigers!

The Detroit Pistons are hanging onto the final position for the post season in the Eastern Conference, with a 44-37 record. They play their final regular season game today.

“When all else fails, write what your heart tells you. You can’t depend on your eyes, when your imagination is out of focus.” Mark Twain. 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 April 13th, the fifteen Sunday of 2025 and the second one for April. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy, French writer; Thomas Percy, English literary and bishop of Dromore; Alphonse Wauters, Belgian historian and archivist (Brussels); Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist and Father of Confederation; Juan Montalvo, Ecuadorian author (Siete Tratados); Enrique José Varona, Cuban author; Richard T. Ely, American economist and author (Hard Times); Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian writer; Demjan Bednyi, Russian writer and satirist; Georg Lukács, Hungarian philosopher and literary critic; Nellallitea “Nella” Larsen [Nellie Walker], African-American Harlem Renaissance novelist (Quicksand, Passing); Samuel Beckett, Irish novelist and playwright (Waiting for Godot, Nobel 1969); Eudora Welty, American novelist (Optimist’s Daughter-Pulitzer 1973); Bert Peleman, Flemish writer; Stephan Hermlin, German writer; Edna Lewis ‘the Mother of Soul Food’, American chef and author (elevated Southern cooking); Phyllis Fraser [Helen Brown Nichols], American actress, journalist, and co-founder of Beginner Books; A. L. [Audrey] Barker, English writer; Maxwell Henley Harris, Australian poet and publisher (Gift of Blood); John Braine, English novelist (Life at the Top); Maurice Ronet, French film actor, director, and writer (Frantic, Sphinx, Circle of Love); Beverley Cross, English playwright and screenwriter (Strip the Willow; Half a Sixpence); Barney Simon, South African theatre director and writer; Lanford Wilson, American playwright (Hot L Baltimore); Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and playwright (Nobel Prize in Literature 1995); Ataol Behramoğlu, Turkish poet and writer; Rae Armantrout, American poet (“Versed” – Pulitzer Prize for Poetry 2010); Amy Robinson, American writer and actress (Mean Streets); and Christopher Hitchens, English author and columnist (Vanity Fair, New Statesman).

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: Thomas Percy and Samuel Beckett. 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 completed chapter eighteen of Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series this week and posted it to the two online subscription writing sites I use. There were another eleven reviews this week, bringing the total to 246. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

At the same time as Mongo and Obasi’s meeting took place at the Euphoria Lounge Bar, two other members of the Council of Vengeance met at the Freedom Park in Lagos.

Kelechi Bello, leader of the Renegade Kings, and Chinaka Zabu, the leader of the Crimson Fangs, sat at a table in the deserted picnic area.

Each man brought one armed guard with them.

Kelechi studied Chinaka’s face. “Since you wanted to meet, I assume you feel the same about Mongo’s Council of Vengeance as I do.”

“Yes.” Chinaka nodded. “It sounds like a good idea. However, what if this is a ploy by Mongo to expand his operations by preying on us? I propose we go along with what he wants, but we must be vigilant and watch for anything that might be our undoing.”

“You speak wise words for someone new to our way of life.” Kelechi tilted his head. “I agree with your sentiments. But what should we do if we catch Mongo or his Black Shadow trying to distract us and take over?”

Chinaka laughed. “I can think of only one solution—death.”

“So be it.”

***

Enroute to Jake’s Bar

Benin City

Mongo and Akin returned to the vehicle and climbed inside.

The driver glanced in his rearview mirror.

Mongo uttered two words, “Jake’s Bar.”

The driver nodded and drove off. Forty minutes later, he parked near Jake’s Bar.

Mongo and Akin left the vehicle and walked to a side gate in the wall behind the bar. After Akin pulled a set of keys from a pocket, he unlocked the gate, they entered. He pushed the gate closed and relocked it before leading Mongo to the small building at the back of the property.

Once again, Akin pulled the keyring from his pocket, and unlocked the door, allowing Mongo to enter.

Akin pulled out his pistol and flicked on the light.

Their captive still lay on the flea-infested straw mattress.

Mongo studied the woman. Something’s not right. He stepped forward and kicked her arm.

No movement.

Mongo kicked harder.

The woman’s head lolled to the side. Her eyes stared at—nothing.

Mongo gasped. “She’s dead! What happened?”

Akin knelt and examined the body. He shook his head. “You are correct—this one is no more.”

Mongo pursed his lips. “Find a good place to hide her body. No—wait. Dump her body in a prominent place where the authorities will find it. Her death will be a warning to others.”

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

 

Randall’s Ramblings, March 6, 2025

We had plenty of rain and thunderstorms at the beginning of the week, but more thunderstorms are forecast for today, along with hail. The past couple of days the temperatures rose into the upper 80s, making it feel quite steamy.

Michigan State lost to Auburn 70-64 in the NCAA Elite Eight, ending their season. Perhaps next year they’ll go all the way!

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons have been splitting games, with their record now 43/35. They’re still on track to make it to the post season, and are currently in the sixth and final position for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. There are only a few games left in the regular season, so they’ll still be in the playoffs.

After losing the first three games of the MLB season, Detroit has bounced back and are currently 4-4. Despite a .500 record, they are in first place in the American League Central Division, with Kansas City, Cleveland, and Minnesota all a game behind with 3-5 records. Chicago is in the bottom of the division with a 2-6 record.  Detroit and Chicago play again today.

“The secret of it all is to write… without waiting for a fit time or place.” – Walt Whitman. 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 April 6th, the fourteen Sunday of 2025 and the first one for April. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Johann Kuhnau, Bohemian composer (Biblical Sonatas), kapellmeister, novelist, and lawyer; Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French playwright and poet (Sacred Odes & Songs); James Mill, Scottish philosopher and historian (History of British India); John Pierpont, American poet (Airs of Palestine), Unitarian minister, abolitionist and reformer; Aaron Bernstein, German Jewish writer (Young Germany; Alexander Herzen, Russian writer; Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, Norwegian poet and journalist (Travel Memories from Norway 1860); Johann Scheler, Belgian librarian and man of letters; Joseph Medill, Canadian newspaper editor, owner and politician (co-owned Chicago Tribune, Mayor of Chicago 1871-73); Karl Binding, German jurist whose writings were used to justify the Holocaust; Joseph Lincoln Steffens, American muckraker and investigative journalist (Shame of the Cities); Erich Mühsam, German author and political anarchist; Daniel Andersson, Swedish poet and writer (Svarta Ballader); Willis Hall, British screenwriter and dramatist (Torn Curtain; Billy; Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure); ohn Pepper Clark, Nigerian poet (A Decade of Tongues; Mandela), playwright (Song of a Goat), and magazine editor (The Horn), often published as J.P. Clarkl Homero Aridjis, Mexican poet and novelist (Mirándola dormir, The Child Poet); Hans W Geissendorfer, German director, writer and producer (Lindenstrasse, Soliloquy, In the World You Are Afraid); Jack Canfora, American playwright; and Ilan Hall, Israeli-American chef, producer and writer (Food to Get You Laid, Knife Fight and Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational).

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 completed chapter seventeen of Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series this week. It’s now been posted to the two online subscription writing sites I use. There were another six reviews this week, bringing the total to 235. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

After Mongo and Akin departed, Obasi turned to the others. “Black Shadow is one of the largest groups in Nigeria. Some call us criminals, but like Robin Hood, we take from the rich and give to the poor—ourselves.”

Everyone laughed.

“As you probably surmised, Mongo is the leader of Black Shadow, and I am his deputy. We engage in drug dealing, smuggling, kidnapping, and extortion across the country and are a prime target for Nigerian law enforcement and intelligence organizations.”

“Cool!” Musa blushed.

Obasi glanced at Musa. “You’re right. It is cool—and also dangerous. We met not long ago with the leaders of the four groups we are in competition with and have formed an alliance called the Council of Vengeance. Your roles at UNIBEN will be to push our influence with the student body and faculty and find like-minded individuals who think like we do. We want to create chaos between those targeting us and have them chasing their own tails.”

“Count me in.” Ibrahim pursed his lips. “I know just the person to target—my father. He’s a member of the National Intelligence Agency and tries to get me to spy on other students.”

Obasi nodded. “Yes, he and others like him will make excellent targets. While we’re concentrating on UNIBEN, where Black Shadow started back in the seventies, the other members of the Council of Vengeance will be doing the same in different cities.” He drained his chapman. “Together, we shall create mass mayhem as we continue to flourish.”

***

Freedom Park

Lagos

At the same time as Mongo and Obasi’s meeting took place at the Euphoria Lounge Bar, two other members of the Council of Vengeance met at the Freedom Park in Lagos.

Kelechi Bello, leader of the Renegade Kings, and Chinaka Zabu, the leader of the Crimson Fangs, sat at a table in the deserted picnic area.

Each man brought one armed guard with them.

Kelechi studied Chinaka’s face. “Since you wanted to meet, I assume you feel the same about Mongo’s Council of Vengeance as I do.”

“Yes.” Chinaka nodded. “It sounds like a good idea. However, what if this is a ploy by Mongo to expand his operations by preying on us? I propose we go along with what he wants, but we must be vigilant and watch for anything that might be our undoing.”

“You speak wise words for someone new to our way of life.” Kelechi tilted his head. “I agree with your sentiments. But what should we do if we catch Mongo or his Black Shadow trying to distract us and take over?”

Chinaka laughed. “I can think of only one solution—death.”

“So be it.”

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

Randall’s Ramblings, March 30, 2025

We’re seeing temperatures mainly in the upper 60’s and mid 70’s as we move into Spring. It’s been mainly sunny for the past week, although we had plenty of clouds throughout yesterday. Today, we’re supposed to have a couple of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before we zoom into the lower 80’s at the end of the coming week.

The NCAA’s March Madness continued this week with the University of Michigan losing their Sweet Sixteen game to Auburn 78-65, so that finishes their 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, Michigan State scooted past Ole Miss 73-70 to move into the Elite Eight where they’ll play Auburn later today. The winner will move into the Final Four.

The Detroit Pistons are now 42-32. Right now, they’re still in the top six in the conference and will continue into the playoffs if they can win several of their remaining games.

The Detroit Tigers opened their MLB regular season on March 27th against the LA Dodgers. I was able to watch two of the three games. Unfortunately, Detroit lost all three. What a bummer!

Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” – Ray Bradbury. 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 30th, the thirteen Sunday of 2025 and the fifth and final one for March. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/). 

Jethro Tull, English agricultural writer; John Hawkins, English writer (A General History of the Science and Practice of Music; Life of Samuel Johnson); Anna Sewell, English author (Black Beauty); John Fiske [Edmund Fisk Green], American historian and philosopher; Paul Verlaine, French lyric poet (Sagesse; Clair de lune; Hombres); Franz Oppenheimer, German sociologist and economist (The State); Sean O’Casey, Irish playwright (Juno and the Paycock); Melanie Klein, Austrian-British author and child psychoanalyst (object relations theory); Erwin Panofsky, German-American Jewish art historian and iconologist (Early Netherlandish Painting); Jean Giono, French writer (World Chant); Heinz Risse, German writer; Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, Bengali writer (Satyanweshi, Tungabhadrar Tirey); Ernst Gombrich, Austrian-English art historian (The Story of Art); Herbert Asmodi, German writer and actor; Milton Acorn, Canadian poet; Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish eccentric businessman (founder of IKEA) and author (The Testament of a Furniture Dealer); om Sharpe, English historian and author (Riotous Assembly, Want); Graeme Edge, British rock drummer, and poet (Moody Blues – “The Dream”; “Morning Glory”); Gerrit Komrij, Dutch poet/essayist (Happy Schizo); Ryszard Kotla, Polish travel writer and activist, tour guide, journalist, academic teacher, engineer; and Piers Morgan, English newspaper editor and TV personality (Daily Mirror, CNN).

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: Anna Sewell andPiers Morgan. 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 had hoped to complete chapter seventeen of Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series this week, but ran out of time. There were another thee reviews this week, bringing the total to 229. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

That same evening, Mongo left his house and strode toward the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupé parked in the driveway. He nodded at the armed guard who held the back door open and ducked as he entered.

The guard handed Mongo a sealed envelope. “This came by messenger.”

“E se, Akin.”  Mongo thanked his bodyguard in the Yoruba language.

Akin showed a toothless grin, the result of a beating at the hands of the authorities, before closing the door and hopping into the front passenger seat.

Mongo studied the handwriting on the envelope. Don’t recognize the writing. Wonder who it’s from?  He pulled an obsidian letter opener from a map pocket on his door and slit the envelope. He replaced the letter opener and pulled out a sheet of paper.

Beware! Things might not be as they seem. Eyes are watching over you. Take all precautions if you want to live.

The handwritten note was unsigned.

“Hmm.” Mongo stuffed the note back in the envelope and shoved it next to the letter opener.

“Where to, sir?” The driver glanced in the rearview mirror.

“Huh?” Mongo glanced at his watch. Still early, but some of the students should already be there. “Oh, take me to Euphoria.”

“Very good, sir.” The driver started the vehicle and pulled out of Mongo’s driveway. He turned left and weaved his way down the hill. They continued through the city, bright with neon signs and billboards. Thirty minutes later, the driver stopped in front of the Euphoria Lounge Bar.

Akin hurried out of the front seat and assisted Mongo out of the back.

“Akin, check inside and see if Obasi has arrived. If he has, signal to me.” Mongo glanced around before strolling toward the entrance.

Moments later, Akin stuck his head out the entrance door and waved.

Mongo climbed the single step and entered the bar.

“Obasi is at a table in the rear.” Akin pointed. “There are four others with him.

“They’ll be students who wanted to meet with me away from the university. Take up your normal position and keep an eye on them—just in case.”

“As you command, sir.” Akin led Mongo to the table before moving to the bar, where he sat on a stool facing the room.

Obasi and the others stood while Mongo took the final empty seat. “We are a small group tonight, Mongo. However, there are others who want to meet you—perhaps next week.”

Mongo nodded to a waitress who set a glass in front of him.

“Sir, would you like anything else?”

“No. Thank you.”

The waitress smiled at him as she departed.

“Mongo, you know my sister, Yoruba.” Obasi gestured to the woman sitting next to him. “Let me introduce the others. From her right, going around the table, are Musa, Ibrahim, and Ovie. You might recognize them as they”

The three men grinned as they each half-raised a hand as Obasi called out their names.

“Welcome, everyone. I apologize for cancelling the W National Park excursion, but something unexpected came up.” Mongo sipped on the drink the waitress had brought him. “I expected more interest based on comments made in my classes.” He shook his head. “Oh, well. Can’t be helped—anything could have arisen for the others as it did for me. In any event, I had planned to pick four people to function as field agents to increase our organization’s membership.

Yoruba raised a hand. “Will you do the excursion on another day?”

“Yes, of course. I had planned to have everyone swear an oath of secrecy and go through an initiation. We’ll skip the initiation for now, but to continue to hear more about us, you will need to swear an oath.” Mongo glanced at the four students, who appeared eager to proceed.

“If you’re ready, repeat after me. I, state your name, do swear upon pain of torture or even death to abide by the rules governing the organization to which I pledge my allegiance. I will never divulge what I know to any outsiders.”

The students looked at each other.

“Mongo, why such a serious oath?” Musa shook his head. “This seems like a skit from a movie, not a real-life vow.”

“If you cannot take the oath, you’re welcome to leave—now.” Mongo glared at Musa. “This is a dangerous business, and we do not take anything for granted.”

“No-no.” Musa raised his hands as if to ward off an attack. “I was just voicing my opinion.”

Mongo smiled. “Opinions are always welcome as long as the person providing them obeys the rules.”

“Understood, Mongo.” Musa lowered his head. “I am sorry if I offended you.”

Mongo glanced at Obasi. “No worries. If you’re ready, let’s do the oath.”

Everyone stood and repeated the words spoken by Mongo.

When they finished, Mongo and Obasi clapped.

The waitress returned with a tray of drinks. After setting one in front of each person, she departed.

“Welcome to the Black Shadow.” Obasi grinned as he raised a glass of chapman. “To the enrichment of those seeking to gain forbidden knowledge.”

Everyone reached for their glasses, raised them, and took a drink.

“Ugh. What is this?” Ovie grimaced.

Mongo chuckled. “Chapman. I didn’t want to use alcohol for toasting such an important event. As Obasi said, ‘Welcome to the Black Shadow.’”

“When will we learn more?” Yoruba took a swig of her drink.

Mongo glanced at his watch as he stood. “It’s getting late for me as I have another important engagement this evening. Obasi will fill you in.”

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

 

Randall’s Ramblings, March 23, 2025

We’re now officially in Spring. The trees continue to bud, while the daffodils are now past their best, and lawns are turning green. Not a good time for those with seasonal allergies!

The NCAA’s March Madness kicked off this week, with sixty-four team vying to move forward. My two teams are both in the South bracket and have started out with wins. Michigan (5) beat UC San Diego (12) 68-65 in round one, while Michigan State (2) slammed Bryant (15) 81-62.

Michigan continued in round two with another win, this time over Texas A&M (4) 91-79. Michigan State plays New Mexico (10) in round two this evening.

Michigan is now in the Sweet Sixteen, were they’ll face Auburn (1). All being well, Michigan State will move into the Sweet Sixteen as well.

The Detroit Pistons are now 39-32, with five regular season games remaining. Right now, they’re still in the top eight in the conference and will continue into the playoffs.

The Detroit Tigers played six Spring training games this week, splitting 3-3. They are now 12-12, but still in second place in their division. They’ll begin the regular season on March 27th against the LA Dodgers.

 “When all else fails, write what your heart tells you. You can’t depend on your eyes, when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain. 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 23rd, the twelth Sunday of 2025 and the fourth and final one for March. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Jeronimo de Bosch Kemper, Dutch sociologist and historian (Statistic yearbook); Alekey Pisemski, Russian novelist and playwright (A Bitter Lot); Eduard Schlagintweit, German writer; Uchimura Kanzō, Japanese religious writer and pacifist (How I Became a Christian); Roger Martin du Gard, French novelist (Les Thibault, 1937 Nobel Prize for Literature); Frank Sargeson [Norris Frank Davey], New Zealand short story writer and playwright; Akira Kurosawa, Japanese director and screenwriter who was posthumously named “Asian of the Century” in the “Arts, Literature, and Culture” category (Rashomon, Drunken Angel, Seven Samurai, Ran); Francis Berry, British poet and academic (Shakespearean scholar); Jimmy Edwards, British comedy writer and actor (Take It From Here, Whack-O!); Barry Cryer, British comic, writer (The Kenny Everett Show; Ross Abbot; The Two Ronnies), and actor (All You Need Is Cash); Alan Bleasdale, English author, playwright and scriptwriter (Are You Lonesome Tonight); Kim Stanley Robinson, American sci-fi author (Mars Trilogy); Gary Whitehead, American poet; Mitch Cullin, American novelist (A Slight Trick of the Mind); Judith Godrèche, French actress (The Man in the Iron Mask; L’Auberge espagnole), and novelist (Point de côté); Randall Park, American comedian, writer, and actor (Fresh Off the Boat); and Jayson Blair, American journalist and author.

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 completed chapter sixteen 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 226. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

Evelyn glanced around the otherwise empty office. “Ahem. We’d like to make some flight reservations, please.”

Dolores eased her glasses over her eyes as she continue to blow bubbles. “Where to and when, hon?” She spoke with a New York accent.

“Well, my dear. If you could pull yourself away from your bubble blowing, we’d like to book three tickets from here to Johannesburg.”

Dolores frowned as she spit her gum into a wastepaper basket. “Don’t get uppity with me, hon, or I’ll find flights that take the longest to arrive.” She smirked. “Come back in a day or two, and I might have something for you.”

“Ahem. Our trip is rather urgent.” Trevor introduced himself. “I am Colonel Trevor Franklin, Retired. Lady Evelyn and I are on our way to meet with South African officials who requested the meeting.”

“Spaz. And I suppose Miss Smart Mouth here is the queen of England.”

“Not quite, hon. But I am a cousin of the king.”

“So? Unless the ambassador tells me to kiss your butt, you’ll wait like everyone else.”

“Perhaps we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” Evelyn glanced at Trevor as if to keep him quiet. “It’s imperative that we depart as soon as possible.”

Dolores popped a new piece of gum in her mouth and chewed. “Well, hon. Since you sorta apologized for your rude behavior, I’ll see what I can do.” She pulled her keyboard closer as she squinted at the screen. “You said Joburg, right?”

Evelyn bit back a retort, electing to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. “Yes, but I suspect it will be listed as Johannesburg.”

Dolores began blowing bubbles as she used two fingers to peck at her keyboard. “No direct flights.” She continued to type, tilting her head. “It looks like you won’t be able to depart for at least a week. All the economy seats out of Tocumen are booked.”

“That won’t work.” Evelyn sighed. “What about business class or first class?”

Dolores used a long fingernail painted bright red to pop a bubble. “Hon, no one, and I mean no one, gets a business class ticket without the ambassador’s prior authorization.” She laughed. “I’ve been here ten years, and I’ve never booked a first class ticket—not even for the ambassador.”

“Well, our boss authorized us to travel ASAP, even if it meant the higher-priced tickets.”

“What your boss says has no merit in this office, hon. You might as well get used to the idea you’re not going anywhere right away.”

Evelyn sighed as she pulled her Hyperion encrypted cellphone from a back pocket. Thumbing through her contact list, she selected the number she wanted and dialed, turning on the speaker phone.

Moments later, a high-pitched female voice answered. “Gosh, Lady Evelyn. It’s so great to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

“Hello, Georgia.” Evelyn chuckled. “How soon can you get CC, Trevor, and me to Joburg?”

“CC called earlier and told me to expect to hear from you, so I dug right in. I have you booked first class, which Admiral Blakely authorized, for tomorrow morning, departing at 09:30 for Washington Dulles. After a brief layover, you’ll fly to London. Here’s where it gets tricky—you’ll have a twelve-hour delay before your flight to Johannesburg.”

“Not a problem, Georgia. We can spend the day with Sir Alex. What’s the overall flight time, including layovers?”

“Let’s see.” The clatter of Georgia’s fingers on her keyboard echoed through the speaker. “Tomorrow’s Tuesday. You’ll reach South Africa on Thursday morning. The total number of hours for your trip is—holy smokes! It’ll take thirty-nine hours. I’ll arrange for transportation from Joburg to the embassy in Pretoria. CC said you’ll be meeting with Hendrik Webster, the director general of the State Security Agency, so I’ll request the embassy set up an appointment with him.”

“Many thanks, Georgia. You’re a gem.”

“Just doing my job, Lady Evelyn. Although I do wish I was going with you. I’ve always wanted to visit Kruger National Park and the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. By the way, each ticket costs just over fourteen thousand five hundred dollars.”

Evelyn laughed. “Both locations are on my bucket list. Perhaps one day we can visit them together. Glad we’re not paying for the flights, although I could use my AMEX Black Card.”

“That would be a trip of a lifetime—save your card to cover our personal flights.” George chuckled.  “I just sent the flight info to your phones.”

Pings came from Evelyn and Trevor’s phones.

“Just came in, Georgia. Many thanks.” Evelyn glanced at Trevor, who gave her a thumbs up.

“Anything else I can do for you today, Lady Evelyn?”

“No, that’s all. Thanks again for your help. Talk with you soon.” Evelyn broke the connection, put the phone back in her pocket, and faced Dolores. “You could learn a lesson or two from Georgia on how to deal with customers.”

Dolores popped more bubbles but didn’t reply.

Evelyn turned and walked out of the office, followed by Trevor.

As they walked along the corridor, Trevor chuckled. “I expected some resistance from the travel office as they always think they’re a law onto themselves. Good job in dealing with her.”

“Typical plebian. Let’s find CC and Rufus. As Robin Williams once said, “How about you and me blow this Popsicle stand?”

They both laughed as they entered the almost-empty canteen.

CC and Rufus sat at a table in the corner, nursing coffee cups. They stood as Evelyn and Trevor approached.

“I see you got things sorted.” CC tapped his shirt pocket from where his phone protruded. “The canteen is about to close. Why don’t we head to the hotel, get checked in, and find a place for dinner?”

Evelyn nodded. “You know how to talk a girl off her feet. Lead the way, my shining knight.”

Rufus stuck a finger in his throat as if he was going to puke.

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

Randall’s Ramblings, March 16, 2025

It’s been a dry and warm week, at least until early this morning when we were hit with a couple of thunderstorms. Tornadoes are in the forecast for the east of South Carolina. Meanwhile, during the week I did get a fair bit of yard work done, but will have to wait for things to dry out before doing any more.

Michigan and Michigan State played last Sunday. State won the game, 79-62 and upped their record to 26-5 while Michigan dropped to 22-9.  This was Michigan State’s 11th regular season championship under coach Tom Izzo, and they inched up to 7th in the Top Twenty-Five, while Michigan tumbled to 22nd.

Both teams played on the 14th in the Big Ten Conference Championship. State was the number one seed and played Oregon (8) while Michigan (3) played Purdue (6). State won their game and played Wisconsin (5), losing 77-74. Michigan beat Purdue 86-68 and went on to beat Maryland (2) 81-80.  Michigan will play Wisconsin on Sunday for the Big Ten Conference Championship.

The Detroit Pistons won one game this week, while dropping two. They’re are now 37-31, but still in contention for the Eastern Conference playoffs, as long as they return to winning ways.

I watched my first Detroit Tigers spring training game this week. They won 5-1. As of yesterday, they are  in 2nd place in the AL Central Division with a 9-9 record plus one tie.

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” – George Bernard Shaw. 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 16th, the eleventh Sunday of 2025 and the third one for March. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/). 

Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, Dutch historian and writer; Gerbrant Bredero, Dutch poet and playwright (Klucht van de Koe); Michael Franck, German composer, poet, and baker; Madame de La Fayette [Marie-Madeleine Pioche de la Vergne], French novelist (La Princesse de Clèves -1st historical novel in French); Bengt Lidner, Swedish poet (Medea, Yttersa Domen); Anna Atkins, English botanist, photographer and the 1st person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images; Peter Ernst von Lasaulx, German philosopher and writer; Ernest Feydeau, French author, friend of Flaubert (Fanny); Sully Prudhomme, French poet and the 1st winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1901; F. A. Forbes, Scottish author; Ethel Anderson, Australian poet; César Vallejo, Peruvian-French poet and novelist (Los Heraldos Negros; Trilce; Russia in 1931); Francisco Ayala, Spanish writer; Samael Aun Weor, Colombian writer; Sid Fleischman, American author, and screenplay writer (The Whipping Boy; Blood Alley: The Abracadabra Kid); Geoffrey Freeman Allen, English railway writer; Harding Lemay, American writer (head writer for soap “Another World”; Don Richard Carpenter, American writer (Hard Rain Falling); Don Richard Carpenter, American writer (Hard Rain Falling); Kate Worley, American comic book writer (Omaha the Cat Dancer); and Lauren Graham, American actress and author (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood).

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

Since I concentrated on outdoor work this week, I didn’t finish chapter sixteen of Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series. I’ll get it finished this coming week and post it to the two  online subscription writing sites I use. There were another eight reviews this week, bringing the total to 220. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

Five hours later, the three-vehicle convoy reached Panama City. Bob weaved through the crowded streets to the American embassy on Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue, Clayton. Rufus and Trevor followed.

“Sir, wake up. We’re here.” Bob blew the horn to notify the Panamanian guards of their arrival.

After Bob showed diplomatic ID to the guards, they opened the gate, and the three vehicles entered. Bob continued to the motor pool area, where the Suburban and the Toyota Land Cruisers were handed over to the maintenance team. He told the maintenance chief about Jim’s body.

Bob led CC and the others up the hill to the six-story chancery. Once again he showed his ID, this time to a Marine standing inside a bullet-resistant booth.

The Marine asked for CC, Evelyn, Rufus, and Trevor’s ID. Upon viewing Trevor’s, the Marine came to attention and saluted.

Trevor smiled as he returned the salute.

The Marine pointed to a table to the left of his booth. “Please sign in. Once you’ve done so, Bob can take you inside. Admiral Blakely and the ambassador will join you soon.”

Fifteen minutes later, Bob escorted them into a conference room adjacent to the ambassador’s office. Everyone grabbed a seat at the rectangle table for twelve as a steward brought in a trolley laden with tea, coffee, water, juice, and pastries.

After they had something to eat and drink, they relaxed until the door leading to the ambassador’s office opened.

In strode the ambassador, followed by Admiral Blakely.

Everyone jumped to their feet.

The ambassador laughed as he took his seat at the head of the table with the admiral seated next to him. “Welcome back from your excursion into the Darien. I’m Charles Sanderson, the ambassador to Panama, at least as long as the president allows me to be here. But you can call me Chuck.”

Everyone smiled at the ambassador, who resembled the fictional character used in the KFC commercials—white hair, a white goatee, black-rimmed glasses, and dressed in a white suit with a red bowtie.

“Aye, Ambassador. Thank you for the loan of the vehicles.” CC grinned. “I’m afraid we added a few dents and scrapes to them.”

“Don’t worry about it. Can’t be helped when you go into the jungle.” The ambassador turned to Admiral Blakely. “Richard, it’s your show, so please take over.”

The admiral nodded. “I’ll expect a full report by the end of the day. In the meantime, I want to inform you about your next assignment.” He glanced around the room, stopping when he reached Trevor. “At a request from Ambassador Sanderson, we will be sending Bedlam Bravo sans Trevor, back to Yaviza to keep an eye on the Embera-Wounaan.”

“I was asked by the Panamanian president if we could assist in supporting their indigenous tribes in the Darien given the recent increase in crime originating in the area.” Chuck stroked his goatee. “Since I concur with the president’s request, I tried to hoodwink Richard in providing support.”

“I spoke with Sir Alex and Harrison yesterday evening, and both agreed to the use of Bedlam Bravo for this mission.”

Trevor raised a hand. “Sir, if I’m not going with my team, who will lead them?”

“Good question. Sir Alex, Harrison, and I had a lengthy discussion about this. We’d like Rufus to take over as Bravo team lead on a temporary basis. August will assume command of the quick reaction force until Rufus returns.”

“Aye, Admiral.” CC gestured toward Evelyn and Trevor. “What do you have planned for us?”

“I spoke with the president of South Africa while you were running around the jungle. At last, he’s agreed to have Bedlam Delta positioned in the country. You’ll be meeting with the State Security Agency. The director general of the SSA will become the overseer for Bedlam Delta.” The admiral frowned as he glanced at Trevor again. “He’s driving a hard bargain as he wants a South African in charge of the team. You know what that means.”

“Understood, Admiral. We only have one experienced South African in our existing teams—Gerhard Badenhorst. I’m confident Gerhard is up to the task.”

The admiral nodded. “He’ll remain with Bedlam Bravo pending our finding a suitable replacement for him. In the meantime, our existing Bedlam team leaders will head to South Africa to establish the groundwork for setting up our newest team. I’ll speak with Gerhard and explain his promotion. Keep him posted as much as you can.”

“Aye, Admiral. Anything else?”

“As a matter of fact, there is, CC. We still need to discuss your transition to my deputy and your replacement as Alfa’s team lead.” The admiral shook his head. “We might need to go on a snatch-and-grab with the military and intelligence communities for volunteers.”

“Och aye, Admiral. Things have a way of working out.”

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

 

Randall’s Ramblings, March 9, 2025

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