Randall Krzak's Blog, page 4

Randall’s Ramblings, March 2, 2025

Wildlife continue to visit on a regular basis. In addition to an abundance of various birds and at least eight squirrels, wild turkeys are prevalent. We haven’t seen as many deer recently, but there were four on Thursday and five on Fridays. As it gets warmer, we expect to see our larger visitors decline.

As college basketball heats up with conference championships on the horizon, followed by March Madness, which begins on March 18th, Michigan State (ranked eighth in the Top Twenty-Five) and Michigan (ranked fifteenth) site atop the Big Ten standings with 14-3 conference records (23-5 and 22-6, overall, respectively). 

Both teams have three conference games remaining. Assuming each team wins the first two, this will set up an exciting rematch on March 9th, when Michigan travels to Michigan State for the finale. Meanwhile, Michigan State plays Wisconsin later today, while Michigan takes on Illinois.

Over the past week, the Detroit Pistons won three games while dropping another. There record is now 34-27.  They have twenty-one games remaining on their 2024/25 schedule and are currently 6th in the Eastern Conference.

We’re now getting some warmer temperatures, with highs getting into the lower 70s.  However, the forecast for the following week shows temperatures primarily in the lower-mid 60s. Most days will be dry, but there is a slight chance of rain a couple of days and even a thunderstorm.

“Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.”
– Oprah Winfrey. Compliments of https://copyblogger.com/inspirational-quotes-for-writers/.

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

Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and scholar (founder of the Bodleian Library); George Sandys, English colonist and poet; Camille Desmoulins, French journalist, pamphleteer and revolutionary leader (his oratory led to storming of the Bastille); Evgeny Baratynsky, Russian poet; Janos Arany, Hungarian epic poet (Toldi, Death of King Buda); Multatuli [Eduard Douwes Dekker], Dutch writer (Max Havelaar); Henry Beebee Carrington, American lawyer, professor, prolific author, and Brigadier General (Union Army); Carl Schurz, German-American journalist and Major General (Union Army); Herman Schaepman ‘the Doctor’, Dutch poet, Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and politician; Sholem Aleichem [Solomon Rabinowitz], Yiddish author and playwright (Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye the Dairyman); John Jay Chapman, American poet, and writer (Learning & Other Essays); Dr, Seuss, American children’s author (The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham); Godfried Bomans, Dutch humorist and writer and TV personality (Pieter Bas); David Goodis, American crime fiction writer; Tom Wolfe, American journalist and author (The Right Stuff); John Cornell, Australian screenwriter (Paul Hogan Show; Crocodile Dundee), and director (Crocodile Dundee II); John Irving, American short-story writer (The World According to Garp; The Cider House Rules); Peter Straub, American award-winning fantasy and horror author; Mark Evanier, American writer; Michael Salinger, American poet known for his Poetry Slam performances; Morioka Hiroyuki, Japanese science fiction writer; and Glenn Rubenstein, American writer and journalist.

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: Dr. Seuss and John Irving. 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 fourteen 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 eighteen reviews this week, bringing the total to 206. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

Here’s another snippet:

An hour later, Andres woke with a start. After glancing around and not spotting anyone, he donned his hat, rolled up the blanket, and mounted Shadow.  Soon he was back at the stables, turning Shadow’s reins over to the servant who brought out the horse earlier. “Gracias. Give him a good rub down and a portion of oats.”

“De nada, Jefe. I shall look after Shadow.” The servant took the reins and led Shadow away.

In a better mood, Andres returned to the hacienda. He walked along the veranda and entered through French doors into his office.

A servant appeared, holding a cup of coffee. “Did you enjoy your ride, Jefe? I thought you might like a drink to refresh you.”

“Gracias. Yes, the ride was worthwhile. I should do it more often. Has my guest arrived yet?”

“Sí, Jefe. He is meeting with Señor Juan at the moment. Shall I send them to you?”

“Sí, gracias.”

After the servant departed, he glanced around the room.  It was once the refuge of the previous owner. Its Brazilian cherrywood floor contrasted with the two walls lined with floor-to-ceiling oak bookcases. One day I should start reading the books.

A stack of hardwood in a stone fireplace waited to be ignited when the evening weather turned cool. The outer wall boasted glazed windows, with two sets of French doors opening onto the veranda. A massive portrait of his father seated on a brown quarter horse took center stage on the wall behind the desk. If only Padre could see me now.

His reminiscing was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Enter.”

Juan Guzman, Andres’ primary accountant, opened the door and stepped aside to let a short, stocky man with bowed legs enter.

They took easy chairs in front of Andres’ Italian-made oak desk.

“Jefe, this is Obasi Bankole, the deputy leader of Nigeria’s Black Shadow.”

Andres stood and shook hands with Obasi before the three men sat.

“I understand Black Shadow is looking to purchase cocaine from us.” Andres rubbed his upper lip, which was clean-shaven as was Obasi’s.

“Yes. I am authorized to arrange an agreement between our organizations.” Obasi smiled. “Of course, you must realize Africa is an impoverished continent compared to the Americas, so our purse strings are not as deep.”

Andres laughed. “I assume Juan gave you our initial price, which might be negotiable if terms can be reached.”

“Yes.” Obasi nodded as he lifted the briefcase he brought with him and extracted a document. He glanced at it before handing it to Andres. “As you can see, our leader, Mongo Abara, has proposed fifteen thousand dollars a kilo, if you can provide at least five hundred kilos to start.”

Andres turned to Juan. “What do you think? I know we can handle five hundred kilos without any difficulty. What about the price?”

“Jefe, I believe the best price we can do is eighteen thousand a kilo.”

Andres glanced at Obasi. “Will this work for you?”

Obasi shook his head. “I suggest sixteen thousand.”

“Hmm.” Andres stared at the ceiling. “Make it seventeen thousand and we have a deal. How would you like the cocaine delivered?”

“If I agree to seventeen thousand, we would like the merchandise delivered to one of our ships outside the Nigerian maritime border, which extends two hundred nautical miles from the coast.”

“Agreed. We would use a Panamanian-registered freighter for delivery. The initial funds must be sent to a bank of our choosing. Juan will help you with this. Future shipments can be paid to the ship’s captain for transferal to us.”

Obasi nodded. “Your terms are acceptable. Thank you.” He stood and reached out a hand.

Andres lumbered to his feet and shook the outstretched hand. “It will be our pleasure to do business with you.” He pushed a bell on the telephone console.

A servant appeared.

“Show Mr. Bankole to his vehicle por favor.” Andres turned to Obasi. “Do you require anything before your departure?”

“No.” Obasi glanced at his watch. “If I return to the airport now and depart, I shall be back in Nigeria this evening. Until we meet again.”

The servant escorted Obasi from the office.

 Andres turned to his accountant. “Keep a close eye on the progress with our new partner, Juan. If you find anything untoward, it might be necessary to contact someone in Miami to send a message. They’ll know just what is needed.”

Sí, Jefe.” Juan grinned. “My cousin’s friends are always looking to expand their influence. They will show these Black Shadow people not to mess with the CDG.” He drew an imaginary knife across his throat. “Otherwise, they shall become bait for the sharks.”

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 Rambling, February 23, 2025

The wild turkeys put in appearances almost every day during the past week. Most times, it was just a group of 15-20 females, but on a couple of occasions, they were accompanied by a tom.  While the females pecked at the ground, the gobbler remained in the background as if keeping watch over the group. They usually departed en masse about twenty minutes after arriving.

This week we received a list of our next participation in the local farmer’s market. We have eight confirmed dates (all Sundays) between the beginning of May and the end of August. In addition, we’re wait listed for the other Sundays. Some time during this period, we should also receive word about our inclusion for September through the end of the year.

On Wednesday and Thursday morning, we had a few snow flurries–no real accumulation except a bit in sheltered areas. However, the temperature was sufficient so even this accumulation didn’t hang around long. It was funny hearing people in the stores talk about the flurries as if a major storm was going to hit us. It didn’t.

Turning to college basketball, Michigan won last Sunday and moved up to 12th in the Top Twenty.  Michigan State also won on Tuesday, but slid to 14th. On Friday, the two teams played each other in Ann Arbor. Michigan State won, 75-62, raising their record to 22-5, while Michigan dropped to 21-6.

The Detroit pistons won their first game after the All-Star break. This was their 5th consecutive win, and they are now 30-26. They play again tonight.

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King. Compliments of https://copyblogger.com/inspirational-quotes-for-writers/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on February 23rd, the eight Sunday of 2025 and the fourth and final one for February. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Samuel Pepys, English navy administrator and Member of Parliament famous for his Diary of the English Restoration period; Wilhelmus Schortinghuis, Dutch theologist (Profound Christianity); Richard Price, Welsh philosopher; John Walter II, English newspaper owner (who made The Times into an important newspaper, 1812-47); Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk, Dutch philologist (Tobasch’ Grammar); W.E.B. Du Bois, American civil rights activist, writer (Souls of Black Folk) and co-founder of the NAACP; B. Traven, German novelist (“The Death Ship”; “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”) who is cloaked in mystery and whose identity, real name and birthplace is disputed; Erich Kästner, German writer; Mien van ‘t Sant, Dutch author (Mieke serial); William L. Shirer, American journalist and historian (Rise & Fall of 3rd Reich); Walter Allen, English writer and literary critic; Heinrich Schirmbeck, German author and activist (Das Spiegellabyrinth); David Wright, South African-British poet (Deafness: A Personal Account; Gery Florizoone, Flemish poet; Gerry Davis, British screenwriter (Dr Who); Jef Geeraerts, Flemish writer (Black Venus) and crime novelist; Donna J. Stone, American poet (Wielder of Words); Bernard Cornwell, English historical novelist; John Sandford, American novelist; and Doug Moench, American comic book writer known for his work on Batman and “Master of Kung Fu”.

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: Bernard Cornwell and John Sandford. 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 thirteen 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 seven reviews this week, bringing the total to 188. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

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

“Mis amigos, later today, I shall meet with a representative from a Nigerian group interested in purchasing more of our product as they try to increase their influence in Africa. I’ve been in discussion with them for several weeks, and yesterday, we reached an agreement.”

“Well done, Jefe.” Carlos grinned. “what will be our profit?”

“That is something we will settle during today’s negotiation. While we only receive about one thousand eight hundred dollars a kilo in Colombia, I hope to get at least half of what we earn in Estados Unidos, or about eighteen thousand a kilo.”

Diego rubbed his jaw. “B-But, J-Jefe, why the l-lower p-price?”

“Call this an introductory price.” Andres laughed. “When they realize the quality of our product, they will be willing to pay more, perhaps as much as twenty-nine thousand dollars a kilo.”

Carlos whistled. “Dios mío, Jefe!” We shall be richer than ever.”

“Sí and we shall give the church her due to worship God.” Andres clapped his hands.

A servant hovering in the background brought him fresh coffee.

After sipping on the hot brew, Andres glanced at his watch. “Felipe should be arriving soon from Yazivi to give us an update about the men he sent to deal with the outsiders.”

“J-Jefe, you m-mentioned last t-time that I w-would become the deputy j-jefe for Carlos and Felipe. W-When will I s-start?” As normal, Diesgo struggled with his words, caused by a stutter he developed in childhood.

“Do not worry, mi amigo.” Andres smiled. “After you discuss your duties with Carlos and Felipe, I shall pick a start state that is convenient to everyone.”

Diego nodded. “G-Gracias, J-Jefe.”

The door opened, and Felipe stormed in. He walked past the buffet and joined Andres and the others. “Sorry, Jefe. It took longer for me to return than I expected.”

“What happened?” Andres turned and waved a hand at the servant.

The servant brought a pot of coffee and an extra cup. After refilling Andres, Carlos, and Diego’s cups, he poured one for Felipe before returning to his station near the buffet.

Felipe took a sip of the steaming brew. “When I arrived at Yaviza, I expected to find our men were victorious.” He shook his head. “Much to my amazement, three of them were dead and the other three had suffered minor injuries. Arturo, the man I put in charge of the team, suffered the most serious injury, with a puncture near his heart. I brought him back with me, and he’s been taken to the hospital for treatment.” Felipe shrugged. “If he does not survive, there are other men who want to go.”

Andres crossed his arms as he grimaced. “So, who are these interlopers who dared to enter our territory?”

“I do not know, Jefe. But, they must be seasoned warriors.”

“Find out. This is an outrage, and their interference cannot be accepted.” Andres slammed a fist on the table, causing cups to spill. “I have an important meeting today. If details of this indignity were to get out, it might disrupt our expansión plans and make me a laughing stock among the other cartels.”

“Sí, Jefe.” Felipe started to rise.

“Sit.” Andres glared at Felipe. “I will tell you when to go. You must be famished. Eat first and return to Yaviza. Find out who dared to challenge us and get rid of them. If you must take additional men with you, do so.”

“Sí, Jefe. With your permission, I will arrange for more men to return with me. Afterward, I shall eat.”

Andres remained silent as he waved a hand in dismissal.

After Felipe departed, Andres glanced at Carlos and Diego. “Seems we have more work to do. I cannot believe Norteamericano federales are behind this. Must be someone else—perhaps their CIA?” Andres shook his head. “In any event, we must show we are powerful and not someone to be trifled with.” He jumped to his feet. “I’m going for a ride and will return in a couple of hours, in time for my meeting. You are dismissed. Adios.” He left the dining room, slamming the door behind him.

Carlos and Diego climbed out of their seats and echoed Andres’s farewell.  They looked at each other and shrugged.

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, February 16, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any names familiar to you? There weren’t any for me this week. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Work In Progress

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

“What?” Bob’s jaw dropped.

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

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

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

Craack! Craack! Craack!

Single shots woke the jungle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

With an automatic reflex, CC first a single shot.

The shadow screamed and dropped from sight.

More screams erupted as tracer fire lit up the jungle.

More next time.

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

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

Randall’s Ramblings, February 9,2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any names familiar to you? There weren’t any for me this week. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Work In Progress

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

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

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

Trevor followed suit. “Ready, CC?”

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

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

Everyone laughed.

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

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

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

Craack! Craack!

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

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

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

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

Trevor studied the surrounding jungle before following.

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

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

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

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

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

Trevor nodded and left the OP in silence.

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

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

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

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

“I suppose you’re right.”

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

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

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

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

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

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

Randall’s Ramblings, February 2, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: James Joyce and James Dickey. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Work In Progress

Work continues at a good pace on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series. I posted chapter eleven this week to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another thirteen reviews this week, bringing the total to 154. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Sí, Jefe.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Andres nodded. “What happened next?”

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

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

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

Everyone laughed.

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

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

More next time.

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

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

Randall’s Ramblings, January 26, 2025

This week the variety of wildlife visiting us increased. For the first time, we saw two hairy woodpeckers (I think), an Eastern bluebird, and twenty-one wild turkeys. While the turkeys have visited before, we haven’t had this number.  While we’ve heard the woodpeckers before, this was the first time they were close enough to the house to see them. We continue to have regular visits from eight deer, along with squirrels, crows, pigeons, sparrows, cardinals, and blue jays. It’s always interesting to check out our visitors.

I continue to follow the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans’ basketball teams. Both team played twice during the past week. Michigan one their first game in overtime, but lost the second one. They are now 14-5, and currently listed as 21st in the Top Twenty-Five, but with the loss will likely lose their position. Michigan State won both of their games, improving their record to 17-2. They are now ranked eighth in the Top Twenty-Five.

With the Detroit Lions faltering at the end of the season, I’ve started following the Detroit Pistons.  The Pistons had an abysmal record last year (2023-24), finishing 14-68. They are already 23-22 this year.

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” – Mario Andretti. Compliments of https://www.aspiringwriteracademy.com/45-motivational-quotes-for-aspiring-writers.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on January 26th, the fourth Sunday of 2025 and the last one for January. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Florent Chrestien, French writer; Claude Adrien Helvétius, French controversial philosopher (On the Mind); Achim von Arnim [Ludwig Joachim von Arnim], German Romantic poet and writer (Des Knaben Wunderhorn); Rufus King, American newspaper editor, politician and Brigadier General (Union Army); Mary Mapes Dodge, American children’s author (St. Nicholas Magazine), editor and writer (Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates); Samuel Hopkins Adams [Warner Fabian], American journalist and muckraker (Average Jones); Edward Sapir, American linguist and anthropologist (North American Indian languages); Charles Scribner III, American book publisher; lya Ehrenburg, Russian Soviet war correspondent, writer (The Fall of Paris; The Thaw; People, Years, Life), editor, and poet; Menno ter Braak, Dutch writer (Carnaval of the Citizens); Romney Brent, Mexican-American actor and writer (Dinner at the Ritz); Kaye Webb, English writer and publisher (Puffin Club); Philip José Farmer, American sci-fi writer (Riverworld); John Logan Gorlay, British journalist and editor; Michael Bentine, English author and comedian (Reluctant Jester, The Goons); Claude Ryan, Quebec newspaper editor; Farman Fatehpuri [Syed Dildar Ali], Urdu scholar, linguist, critic and author; José María Valverde, Spanish philosopher, poet and translator (La espera, Historia de la literatura universal); Roger Landry, Canadian businessman and newspaper publisher (La Presse); Angela Davis, African American activist, author and professor; Christopher Hampton, Portuguese playwright (Oviri, Hotel du Lac); Jonathan Carroll, American author; and Shannon Hale, American 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

Work continues on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series. I posted chapter ten this week to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another thirteen reviews this week, bringing the total to 141. As always, plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

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

Andres López, the local leader of the Gaitanistas in Necoclí, paced the veranda of Hacienda Los Urabeños. It was named in honor of a former name for the Gaitanistas. As one of the nephews of the group’s leaders, he held his role with passion and power—both dangerous in his quest to one day become the primary boss.

He flicked the butt of his Cuban cigar over the railing as he continued to pace, running his hands through his long, black hair. He turned as he sensed someone opening a door from inside the hacienda.

One of Andres’ servants held the door open. “Excuse me, Jefe. Breakfast is ready por favor.”

Andres nodded and entered, walking along the inner hallway to the dining room. As he approached, the aroma of the buffet breakfast set his stomach rumbling.

Two of his underlings stood as he took his seat at the head of the table.

Andres motioned for them to sit. “Buenos días, Carlos and Diego.”

The men returned the salutation. “Good morning, Jefe.”

Andres gestured to an empty seat. “Where is Felipe? I thought he would be joining us.”

“Sí, Jefe.” Carlos Ramírez frowned. “We received a message he hadn’t returned from El Tapon del Darien yet. It seems there is a problem near the plant.”

“What sort of problem?”

“It is unclear, Jefe.” Diego Sánchez shrugged. “One of the Embera-Wounaan assisting us reported an issue, but we have not learned the details.”

Andres sighed as he rubbed the jagged scar on his left cheek, the result of a mishap in his youth. “If the Darien weren’t such an excellent place to hide some of our drug-smuggling operations, I would propose we vacate the area. However, we are making a fortune from this business and by charging an entry and transiting tax on the migrants who want to cross into Panama.”

A servant filled a plate from the buffet with beans, rice, and eggs and set it in front of Andres.

A second servant brought Andres a glass of mango juice and a cup of Café San Alberto.

As he drank from the glass, this signaled to the others they could help themselves at the buffet. They stood and filled their plates before rejoining Andres.

Only the sound of the men eating and drinking filled the room as conversation ceased.

Once he finished his breakfast, Andres pushed away his plate and reached for the coffee. After sipping to check the temperature, he smiled and leaned back in his chair, holding the cup.

Even though they hadn’t finished eating, Carlos and Diego followed standard protocol when in Andres’s presence and stopped eating.

The two servants, who had remained in the background, refilled coffee cups and glasses They cleared away the dirty dishes and left the dining room.

Andres cleared his throat. “We must decide soon on where we will push forward with my plan to increase our drug supply distribution center toward the eastern edge of the Darien Gap. I still think La Palma would be the logical choice, given it has a decent-sized population, so we would be able to hire additional men if needed.”

“Sí, Jefe.” Carlos glanced at Diego as if seeking reassurance. “There is an airport outside the town. If memory serves me, it’s called Miraflores Airport. Your advice is always well-intended. However, I propose Yaviza as the better location. Your father established our initial center outside the city to take advantage of access to the Chucunaque River when the population was larger than La Palma. Today, the towns are about the same size. Beyond Yavizi to the east, the roads are paved, making it easier to transport our product into Panama City. La Palma does not have such access. There is also an airstrip near Yaviza.”

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

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

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

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

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, January 19, 2025

I looked outside yesterday morning, expecting to see a few deer finishing off the corn . There weren’t any deer, but we did have other visitors. If I counted correctly, and I think I did, there were sixteen wild turkeys finishing off the corn and the squirrels’ food. It was great to see the turkeys as it was only the second or third time we’ve seen them since moving in last May.

The Detroit Lions played the Washington Commanders last night in the NFC Divisional playoffs. Detroit’s season ended with a 45-31 loss, while next Washington will play the winner of tonight’s LA Rams-Philidelphia Eagles game for the NFC Championship. It was disappointing to see the Lions stumble so close to the finish line, but now they’ll have to watch the rest of the season from the bench.

Last Sunday, Michigan and Michigan State won their basketball games, raising their records to 13-3 and 14-2, respectively Michigan is now ranked 20th in the Top Twenty-Five, while Michigan moved up to 12th.

They both played again during the week, with Michigan State improving to 15-2.  Michigan lost a heart-breaker at the buzzer in overtime when the score was tied 81-81. A Minnesota player sank a three-pointer to clinch the win. Michigan is now 13-4 and will likely drop out of the Top Twenty-Five. Both Michigan and Michigan State have games today.

“When you get in a tight place and everything goes against you till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the time and the place the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe. Compliments of https://www.aspiringwriteracademy.com/45-motivational-quotes-for-aspiring-writers.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on January 19th, the third Sunday of 2025. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

 

Noel Alexandre, French controversial theologian and historian; Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, French writer (Paul et Virginie); Isaiah Thomas, American journalist, editor and historian (Massachusetts Spy; Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, Swedish romantic poet (Blommorna (The Flowers), Lycksalighetens Ö (The Island of Bliss)) and historian (Svenska Siare och Skalder); Auguste Comte, French philosopher and father of sociology (A General View of Positivism); Edgar Allan Poe, American writer, poet and critic (The Pit and the Pendulum) considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre (Murders in the Rue Morgue); Carlos Guido y Spano, Argentine poet (Mexico, canto epico); Eugene Brieux, French playwright (Blanchette, Lesson Avaries); Gustav Meyrink, Austrian writer (The Golem); Hans Erich Blaich [Dr. Owlglass], German writer (Simplicissimus); Fráňa Šrámek, Czech poet, novelist, playwright, and anarchist; Boris Savinkov, Russian writer; Alexander Woollcott, American critic and short story writer (The Man Who Came to Dinner); Heinrich Schmidt-Barrien, German author (Moorkeerl); Phyllis Flowerdew, English school reading text author (Wide Range Reader series that sold over 7 million copies); Roh Ogura, Japanese composer and writer; John H. Johnson, African-American publisher (Negro Digest, Ebony, Jet); Patricia Highsmith [Plangman], American novel writer (Strangers On A Train; The Talented Mr. Ripley; The Price of Salt); Jean Francois Revel, French philosopher and author (Ni Marx ni Jesus); Nina Bawden, English author (“Afternoon of a Good Woman”, “Carrie’s War”); Libera Carlier, Flemish WWII resistance fighter, sailor, and author (Action Station Go!); Soumitra Chatterjee, Indian actor, playwright and poet (Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy); Julian Barnes, English writer (Before She Met Me, The Sense of an Ending); and Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-American author.

 

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week:Edgar Allan Poe. 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 is now a finalist in the 2024 Chanticleer International Book Awards from the long list for global thrillers. There’s still plenty of competition, with fourteen other finalists in addition to Frozen Conquest, including David Wickenden, who has been a finalist in the past. Click on finalist to see the list.

First in category winners and category grand prize winners will be announced on April 5th.  Good luck to all the finalists as we wait for the end results.

 

 

My Work In Progress

Work continues on Vendetta, the sixth novel in my Bedlam series. I posted chapter nine this week to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another eight reviews this week, bringing the total to 128. Plenty of suggestions to improve my writing.

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

Five men sat around a pentagonal wooden table in the back room of Jake’s Bar. Faint music drifted in from the bustling main area, packed with patrons and prostitutes. Despite diverse backgrounds, the men shared a unified purpose: gaining control over drug dealing, smuggling, kidnapping, and extortion across the country.

This was their first meeting as the Council of Vengeance. Their faces were in shadow as the only light came from a flickering oil lamp centered on the table. Wisps of smoke curled upward from the lantern. A pitcher of Nigerian Legend stout sat near the lamp, with full glasses in front of each man. 

A waiter placed small dishes of chin chin or fried dough, akara or bean cakes, and fried plantain chips within easy reach. A separate dish held coconut candy, while a large platter had Nigerian suya. The spicy aroma of the beef shish kebabs wafted through the air.

The men remained silent until the waiter departed. They cast uneasy glances at the others as they were regular and deadly competitors—in a cut-throat business. To avoid drawing attention, they wore  Western-style jeans, multi-colored t-shirts, and a mixture of Nike and Adidas sneakers, as did many of the bar’s patrons.

Ten armed men leaned against the walls of the room, bulges in their clothing suggesting hidden weapons.

Mongo Abara, a heavy-set man with gray around his temples who served as the presumptive leader of the council, brought the meeting to order. He began speaking in Yoruba before switching to English. “E kaabo. My heart is joyful with the sight of my colleagues and competitors.”

Everyone nodded as they echoed Mongo’s welcome.

“After several weeks of negotiation, we are at last together to discuss how we will put an end to the violence we receive from the Nigerian authorities.” Mongo grinned. “Of course, we will continue to use whatever means necessary to achieve our collection objectives, including extortion, bribery, kidnapping, and murder.”

Everyone chuckled before sipping their beer.

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, January 12, 2025

Snow flurries started at about 11:30am on Friday. They became heavier and started to cover the ground in sheltered areas. By 11:45, a local grocery store sent out a text saying they were closing at 12:00 because of the snow.

This was the first snow we’ve seen since moving to South Carolina last May. By 1:30 pm, the unprotected areas were turning white, with 1-3 inches of snow predicted by 11:pm. We ended up with about an inch, but later in the evening the snow turned to rain, covering everything with a coat of ice. Even though it was melting (at least in our area) by lunchtime on Saturday, many local churches either restricted services for today or cancelled them entirely.  No more snow is forecast for the foreseeable future.

The Detroit Lions roared past the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 last Sunday, upping their record to a franchise best 15-2. They ended up top of the NFC North, grabbed the top seed for the NFC and gained a bye for next week when the playoffs begin with wild cards. They’ll also keep home field advantage. They’re still waiting to hear who their opponent will be on January 18th or 19th, depending upon the outcome of this weekend’s wildcard games.

Michigan State moved up two places in the men’s basketball Top Twenty-Five, and are now in 16th position. Meanwhile, Michigan moved back into the Top Twenty-Five and are currently number twenty-four. Both teams played games this week and won. Michigan State is now 13-2, while Michigan is 12-3. They both play again today.

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

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on January 12th, the second Sunday of 2025. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Charles Perrault, French author and fairy tale writer (Tales of Mother Goose); Jacob Michael Reinhold Lenz, Baltic German poet and dramatist (The Soldiers); Erik Gustaf Geijer, Swedish historian and poet (Natthimmelen); Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician and Jewish writer; Louise Sophie Blussé, Dutch author; Jan Theodoor Beelen, Dutch-Belgian bible scholar; Francois Coppee, French poet; Marika Stiernstedt, Swedish author (Ulla Bella); Jack London, American writer and socialist (Call of the Wild); Ferenc Molnar, Hungarian American playwright (A Pal Utrai Fiuk) and novelist (The Paul Street Boys); Jakob Jud, Swiss linguist and etymologist; Alfred Rosenberg, German Nazi official who wrote Nazi idealogue “The Myth of the Twentieth Century”; Charles Moeller, Belgian theologist (Humanism et saintete); Martin Agronsky, American journalist (1952 Peabody, 1961 DuPont-Columbia); Paul Jarrico, American writer; Yao Wenyuan, Chinese literary critic and politician (member of the Gang of Four); Alain Teister, Dutch writer; Helmut Eisendle, Austrian writer; Jacques Hamelink, Dutch writer and poet (Cold Unrest); William Nicholson, English writer; Haruki Murakami, Japanese writer (Norwegian Wood); Charles Faulkner, American motivational speaker and author; Walter Mosley, American novelist; Rockne S. O’Bannon, American screenwriter; Lasana M. Sekou, Caribbean poet and author (The Salt Reaper); Joe Quesada, American comic book writer; François Girard, French Canadian film director and screenwriter; Heather Mills, English model, activist and writer (Out on a Limb); David Mitchell, English novelist (Cloud Atlas; and Issa Rae, American actress, writer and producer (Insecure).

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Heather Mills. 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 has moved from the 2024 Chanticleer International Book Awards from the long list for global thrillers and is now on the short list. There’s plenty of competition as all members of the short list slug it out to make it onto the semifinalist list. Afterward, the competition will heat up as the finals, first in category winners, and category grand prize winners are still to come. Fingers cross that Frozen Conquest continues to move forward in the competition!

My Work In Progress

Editing of Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2 continues at a good pace.  As always, I’ve been working hard going through the 648 reviews, and have finished picking out what I think will improve the story from all of them.

Here’s the final snippet:

Yusuf dragged Uzza through the corridor, up the steps, and along another hallway to Prince Hussein’s office. He knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

Upon hearing Prince Hussein’s command, he shoved Uzza against the door and opened it.

She fell into the room.

Yusuf grabbed her arm and dragged her to a chair in front of Prince Hussein’s desk.

Prince Sami stood behind his brother. He bent over and whispered in Hussein’s ear.

Hussein nodded as he crossed his arms. “I gave you as a gift to my brother, who wants to make you his first wife. As is normal in our customs, I shall provide a  to you on Sami’s behalf. You shall receive one thousand gold coins and ten acres of our family’s land in Saudi Arabia. In addition, Sami will arrange for a new house to be built where you both shall live. You will also receive several heirlooms from the al Mishari family—these will be decided later. ” Hussein pursed his lips. “Of course, if we knew your family of origin, you might have received more. However, since you are from the streets, that is all I am prepared to offer. Do you accept?”

“B-But, Prince Hussein, he raped me!”

Hussein turned to his brother. “Is what she said true?”

“I guess.” Sami shrugged. “But she was a temptress and deserved to be punished.”

“Not by you, as she is in my household.” Hussein glowered at his brother. “You are not to touch her again in any manner until the katb al-kitab. During your ceremony, as the acting sheikh of the al Mishari family, I will lay out the terms of the marriage, and you both shall sign the contract.”

Sami opened his mouth to speak.

“Do not say a word. This is my decision, and you will abide by it. Do you understand?”

“Yes, brother. I shall do as you say.”

Hussein turned to Uzza. “You will remain with Shatara for the time being and continue to look after her. Do not attempt to escape, or you will be punished.”

Uzza wiped tears from her eyes. “Yes, Prince Hussein.”

He turned to Yusuf. “Take her back to Shatara.”

“Yes, my prince.”

Hussein waved a hand in dismissal. After Yusuf and Uzza departed, Hussein gestured to a chain in front of his desk. “Sit.”

Sami frowned as he sat. Rubbing his shoulder, he grimaced. “I hit her, but it was a reflex reaction after she dug her fingers into my wound. It started bleeding again, and I had to put a new bandage on it. She also kicked me in the groin and I almost vomited.”

“I understand the reflex action, but why did you rape her? We found you plenty of willing partners.”

Sami shrugged. “Yes, you did find others, but none appealed to me as much as Uzza.”

“Be as it may, keep your mind on business, not pleasure. I need you to oversee something for me.”

“What is it?”

Hussein pulled a letter from a desk drawer and slid it across to Sami. “I received this warning this morning:”

My dear Prince Hussein,

Beware. I understand the National Security Bureau is getting closer to you. In addition, there is another element involved—searching for two children of Abdullah Bashari. If you know anything about the children, I recommend you distance yourself.

Remember, my friends and I shall do our best to forestall efforts by the  NSB and this other group, but you must work quicker to advance Saudi interests. Otherwise, we might not be able to continue our support.

A friend.

No more information will be posted about Mission: Yemen until it heads out to beta readers, most likely in March.

While going through the reviews of Mission: Yemen, I’m also working on Vendetta, the sixth story in my Bedlam series. The first eight chapters are now finished and posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another twenty-two reviews this week, bringing the total to 120.

As previously mentioned the cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  I’ll post another snippet of this story 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, January 5, 2025

Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any names familiar to you? There weren’t any for me this week . Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Work In Progress

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

Here’s the penultimate snippet:

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

No answer.

“Dabir. Where are you?”

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

“Bring us more qishr.”

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

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

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

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

Usamah nodded. “Shukran.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Good. So what is the latest?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ka-boom! Ka-boom!

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

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

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

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

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

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

© Copyright 2025 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

 

 

Randall’s Ramblings, December 29, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any names familiar to you? There weren’t any for me this week . Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Published Work

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

 

 

 

 

 

My Work In Progress

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

Here’s another snippet:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A chime sounded throughout the house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She stood and left the room without a word.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The penultimate snippet will be posted next week.

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

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

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

© Copyright 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved