Randall Krzak's Blog, page 4

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

 

 

Randall’s Ramblings, December 22, 2024

A belated Happy Winter Solstice to everyone. Yesterday marked the shortest day of the year and the astronomically beginning of winter.

This coming week marks Christmas and the start of Hannukah. Hope everyone enjoys the holiday season. We certainly will, as our son arrived on Christmas Eve for a few days.

The University of Michigan Wolverines loss another game this week, dropping their record to 8-3. They also dropped in the rankings fourteenth to twenty-four. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans won two games, improving their record to 10-2, and climbing one spot in the rankings to twentieth. Michigan’s next game is today, and Michigan State doesn’t play again until the 30th.

In the NFL, the Detroit Lions lost their second game of the season, dropping their record to 12-2. At the same time the Minnesota Vikings won another game, improving to 12-2. At this point they are tied in the NFC North, with three games each to play before the regular season comes to an end.  Detroit is still top of the division, due to an earlier win against Minnesota. They play each other again on the 5th of January. Detroit plays Chicago today. I hope they can repeat their earlier win against the Bears.

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” – E.B. White (1899-1965) American writer. 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 22nd, the fourth Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Jean Racine, French dramatist (Phèdre, Athalie); Johann J Dillenius [Dillen], German botanist (Historia Muscorum); Hermann Samuel Reimarus, German philosopher and writer; Johann Sebastian Welhaven, Norwegian poet; Justin M’Carthy, Irish politician and novelist (Miss Misanthrope); Mark Rutherford [Hale White], English writer; Erich Schaeder, German theologist (Theocentric Theology); František Xaver Šalda, Czechoslovakian literary critic; Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet (Richard Corey); Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Italian-French prose writer, novelist, poet, and dramatist (Futurism e Futurista); Mikha`il Na’imah, Lebanese playwright; Nikolay Semyonovich Tikhonov, Russian poet and writer; Kenneth Rexroth, American poet and translator & critical essayist (Birds in the Bush); Anthony Barber Doncaster, English bookseller; Calder Willingham, American novelist and scriptwriter; Lee Salk, Russian-American child psychologist and author; Charles de Lint, Canadian sci-fi author (Moonhear, Mulengro, Yarrow); Heather Donahue, American writer and actress; Chris Adler, American writer; and Brian A. Alexander, American screenwriter and director.

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Lee Salk . 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 slush pile to the long list for global thrillers. There’s plenty of competition as all members of the long list slug it out to make it onto the short list. Afterward, the competition will heat up as the semi-finals, finals, first in category winners, and category grand prize winners are still to come.

In a separate announcement, Frozen Conquest is now a finalist in the 2024 Global Book Awards for action-adventure. It’s joined by Ultimate Escalation. The gold, silver, and bronze medals winners will be announced on December 28th.

My Work In Progress

Editing of Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2  is well underway. Since my last blog post, three more more reviews have trickled in as most of my faithful readers have already provided their input, so the total is now  645.  As always, I’ve been working hard going through the reviews, and have picked out what I think will improve the story from 465 of them, leaving 180 more to check over.

Here’s another snippet:

Sear sipped on the tea provided by Qadir and studied the faces of Bashari and his brothers. They aren’t faking. Zahid didn’t run away like I thought. They are really concerned about who might have kidnapped him.

Bashari turned to Sear. “What should we do now?”

“We need to wait to see if my colleagues learned anything from Tarik that might help us pinpoint a location for Shatara. It’s possible the same people took Zahid, which would make things easier for us.” Sear pursed his lips. “Otherwise, we will have a daunting task in front of us. However, I won’t rest until we recover your children.”

A half-smile creased Bashari’s face. “Thank you, Sayyid Sear. Your words are a comfort to me. But I am realistic. I know it will not be easy to do this.”

“I have located other missing people in the past where it seemed impossible to do so. I plan to be successful this time, too.” I just hope Shatara and Zahid are still in Yemen and not squirreled away by human traffickers.

Qadir returned carrying a folded, sealed envelope. With shaking hands, he gave it to Bashari.

He broke the seal and reached inside. Bashari pulled out a photograph and collapsed back in his seat, letting the picture fall to the floor.

Sear picked it up and stared at a photo of Zahid with a bloody nose and a black eye. Next to Zahid’s head was an Al-Bayyinah newspaper from Aden with the current date. Is he in Sana’a or Aden? Sear shook his head as he handed the photo to Bashari’s brothers.

He turned to Bashari. “Contact Yasmin’s late husband’s brothers and notify them. They can begin scouring Aden.” He turned to Omar and Rahman. “Bring your sons here. We can’t wait any longer—we must commence our search of the city—as soon as possible.”

More next time.

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

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 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

Randall’s Rambling, December 15, 2024

I found out this week that the Michigan Wolverines (7-5) will play the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) on 31 December in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Needless to say, I’ll be recording and watching this one along with plenty of the other bowl games, especially those in the College Football Playoffs.

With the college football season over except for the upcoming bowl games, my attention at the collegiate level has switched to basketball. Michigan is currently 8-2 and ranked fourteenth in the nation, while the Michigan State Spartans have a matching record and are ranked twenty-first. They play again on the 17th, and Michigan’s next game is on the 18th.

Today will be big game for the Detroit Lions. They take their 12-1 record up against the Buffalo Bills (9-3) in Detroit. Throughout their franchise history, Detroit has never won thirteen games in a single season. Fingers crossed, they’ll rewrite the history books today!  I’ll also be watching the Minnesota Vikings take on the Chicago Bears Monday night as the Vikings are nipping at the Lions’ heels with a 11-2 record.

“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  www.aspiringwriteracademy.com/45-moti....

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on December 15th, the third Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Charles Cowden Clarke, English editor and Shakespearean critic; Henry Charles Carey, American economist (Principles of Poli Economy); Edmond Picard, French-Belgian lawyer and writer (La forge Roussel); Emilio Jacinto, Filipino poet and revolutionary; Ferdinand Hardekopf, German writer and journalist; Hans Carossa, German writer; Pieter Geyl, Dutch historian (History of the Dutch Tribe); Artturi Leinonen, Finnish journalist and writer (Kati); Maxwell Anderson, American dramatist (Winter Set, High Tor); Betty Smith, American novelist (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn); Nicholas P. Dallis, American psychiatrist and comic strip writer (Rex Morgan, M.D.); Muriel Rukeyser, American poet (The Book of the Dead); Isabel Crook (née Brown), Canadian-British anthropologist, author (Prosperity’s Predicament), and professor (Beijing Foreign Studies University. 1947-81); Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Pakistani Urdu linguist and writer; Ida Haendel, Polish-British-Canadian child prodigy violinist, teacher, and author (Woman with Violin); Edna O’Brien, Irish novelist and short story writer (The Country Grils; Girl with Green Eyes; Casualties of Peace); Elaine Barkin (née Radoff), American composer, educator, music writer and editor (Perspectives of New Music, 1964-85); (Thomas) “Tim” Conway, American Emmy Award-winning comic actor and screenwriter (McHale’s Navy; The Carol Burnett Show, 1975-78; The Apple Dumpling Gang); Donald Woods, South African journalist, anti-apartheid activist and author (Biko; Asking for Trouble); John Sladek, American sci-fi author (Tik-Tok, Bugs); Michael KIng, New Zealand historian and author (Penguin History of New Zealand); J. M. DeMatteis, American comic book writer; and Rohini, Indian actress, screenwriter and director (Stri).

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Thomas”Tim” Conway . 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 moving along nicely. Since my last blog post, three more more reviews have trickled in as most of my faithful readers have already provided their input, so the total is now  643.  As always, I’ve been working hard going through the reviews, and have picked out what I think will improve the story from 374 of them, leaving 269 more to check over.

Here’s another snippet:

Sear followed the others as Abdullah and Yasmin led the way through the house.

Each time they entered another room, Yasmin glanced around in apparent panic. “Zahid. Where are you?” She clutched Abdullah’s arm when there wasn’t a response.

As they reach the last room of the house, Sear pointed toward another door. “Where does that lead?”

Abdullah turned to see what Sear was referring to. “Outside. We installed that years ago to make it easier for Shatara and Zahid to enter the courtyard without disturbing us.”

“I understand.” Sear tried the handle.

The door opened.

Along one edge of the frame, a reddish-brown smudge cascaded down the wood.

Sear knelt and examined the frame, wiping his hand across the smudge. He stood and rubbed his fingers together before raising them to his nose. “Blood.”

“Oh!” Yasmin gasped.

Sear pushed the door wide and rushed down four steps into the courtyard. He glanced around and pointed to additional smudges leading away from the house. “Can’t be certain, but it appears someone took Zahid this way.”

Omar and Rahman rushed past Sear and around the corner, brandishing their weapons.

“Here!” one of them shouted.

Sear yanked out his pistol and hurried to join Abdullah’s brothers.

The main compound gate stood open.

In the sand outside the gate, tire tracks and footprints marked the passage of three people and a vehicle.

The three men raced into the street, looking both ways.

No vehicle in sight.

Omar ran to the right, toward the nearest cross street. His arms flailed as he came to a stop. He bent over, panting. Looking both ways, he shook his head and trudged back to Rahman and Sear. “No sign of anyone. What do we do now?”

Rahman clamped his hand on his brother’s shoulder. He glanced at Sear and frowned. “We must inform Abdullah and Yasmin. This is something I do not relish doing, but it must be done.”

Sear pursed his lips as he tucked his SIG Sauer away. “While you talk with them, I’ll return to the Rashid residence and wait to speak with my colleagues. They joined their PSO contact and a few of his colleagues to search some properties in the Bir-al-Azab area of Old Town where foreigners might be living outside the law.” He sighed. “It’s time to stop wasting time and amp up the search for Shatara and Zahid.”

More next time.

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

The cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  I’ll begin posting snippets of this story soon.

Here’s the first snippet:

Evelyn stared at the corpse without a hint of emotion. She nudged the body with her foot to ensure the person was dead and not faking. Satisfied, she scanned the area for additional intruders before holstering her SIG Sauer P226.

Snap!

She spun, yanking out her pistol as she sought the source of the noise.

“Whoa!” CC raised his hands. “I’m on your side, remember?”

Evelyn grinned. “You should know better than to sneak up on anyone, especially a woman living on the edge.” She chuckled. “And one who beats you every time in the kill house.”

“Aye.”

She returned her weapon to its holster as she limped forward.

“I see your leg hasn’t improved any.”

Evelyn shrugged. “Can’t do anything about it, but I can still keep up with you.”

“Aye.” CC chuckled. “C’mon, let’s find the others and clear the area. The admiral, Sir Alex, and Richard will be waiting for an update on the secure system.”

“Lead on, Sir Galahad.”

He bowed and pointed. “That way, my fair lady.”

Evelyn smothered a laugh as they worked their way through the dense foliage.

Snap! Snap!

Evelyn and CC turned, pulling their pistols as they did so.

They chuckled.

A mother coatimundi and two babies waddled out from under the thick foliage. They scurried past Evelyn and CC, heading underneath additional bushes.

CC gestured. “Where do you suppose—”

Crack! Pop! Crack!

Static burst from CC’s radio. He pulled it from his belt and keyed it. “This is Haggis. Come again?”

“Ha … this is …”

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 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

Randall’s Ramblings, December 8, 2024

Neither of my NCAA teams, the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans, had football games over the weekend. In fact, Michigan State is finished until the 2025 season begins. While Michigan eked out enough wins (7-5) to warrant a bowl game, the selections haven’t been announced yet.

I forgot the Detroit Lions were playing on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers. It was shown on Amazon Prime and then replayed the following day, where I was able to watch it. The game seesawed, making it unclear who would be victorious. The score was tied 31-31 with two seconds remaining, when Detroit kicked a thirty-five yard field goal to clench the victory and improve to 12-1. The win guaranteed a playoff spot, but with four games to go and Minnesota at 10-2 behind them, anything can happen, although I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Detroit to continue their winning ways.

“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.” – Ernest Hemingway. Compliments of https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/32-inspirational-hemingway-quotes-to-get-you-writing.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on December 8th, second Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Horace, Roman Republican poet (Odes); Jan Althuysen, Frisian vicar and poet (Frisianche rymlery); Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Norwegian author “Pa Guds Veje” and Nobel laureate 1903; Georges Feydeau, French playwright (La Dame de Chez Maxim’s); Padraic Colum, Irish novelist and poet (Collected Poems); Hervey Allen, American writer and poet (Anthony Adverse); James Thurber, American humorist, playwright, and cartoonist (Men, Women & Dogs; The Male Animal; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty); Kitty Muggeridge, British author and translator; Richard Llewellyn, Welsh novelist (How Green Was My Valley); Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and lyricist; Jura Soyfer, Austrian political journalist and cabaret writer; Delmore Schwartz, American poet, short story writer and critic (Shenandoah); Ernest Lehman, American screenwriter (North by Northwest); George Scheuer, Austrian writer and journalist; Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish author; Joachim Fest, German historian and journalist (Hitler biography, Speer: The Final Verdict); Ulric Neisser, America psychologist (Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns, Bell Curve task force head); Goffredo Parise, Italian writer (Il padrone); John Morressy, American sci-fi author (Starbra;t; Greymantle; Kingsbane); Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter (The Doors) and poet; John Banville, Irish novelist and journalist (2005 Booker Prize for “The Sea”); Kati-Claudia Fofonoff, Skolt Sámi poet and writer; Roscoe Nance, American sportswriter (USA Today; Mississippi’s first African American sportswriter at mainstream newspaper); Bill Bryson, American British author (Notes From a Small Island); and Ann Coulter, American author, political commentator, and attorney.

Any names familiar to you? There were five for me this week: James Thurber, Ernest Lehman, Jim Morrison, Bill Bryson, and Ann Coulter. 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  continues at a good pace. Since my last blog post, eight more more reviews have trickled in as most of my faithful readers have already provided their input, so the total is now  640. I’ve been working hard going through the reviews, and have picked out what I think will improve the story from 274 of them, leaving 366 more to check over.

Here’s another snippet:

Yusuf corkscrewed to a stop, facing back the way they came.  Black rubber patches marked where he drove. Yusuf put the vehicle in park, raised his feet, and kicked out the remnants of the shattered windshield. He turned to Wazir. “Do the same on your side while I check on Prince Sami.”

Wazir nodded and replicated Yusuf’s actions.

Before long, the windshield was gone—replaced by a slight breeze.

Yusuf climbed into the back beside the prince. He checked his wound—blood flow was diminishing. He reached into the cargo area and pulled out an emergency trauma kit, which they always carried in the event of hostilities.

He yanked out a bandage, removed the protective wrapper, and slapped it over the prince’s wound.

“Owe! Be careful, will you?”

“Sorry, Prince Sami. I want to ensure you’re okay.”

“I am, thanks to you and Wazir recommending I wear the bullet-resistant vest.” Prince Sami fingered two holes in the vest and located the bullets underneath. “Without this, you’d be taking my body to my brother.” He moved his shoulder and winced. “The area where the bullet  perforated near my shoulder blade hurts.”

Yusuf chuckled. “At least you are still counted among the living, Prince Sami. Praise be to Allah.”

“Yes.” The prince winced again as he shifted his body. “Now what?”

Yusuf glanced out the back window. No one coming—yet. He heard gunfire in the distance. He began to climb back into the driver’s seat. “We better get moving—someone is bound to discover what happened to us.” He grinned. “Wazir and I were lucky, or perhaps it was Allah’s intervention. Three bullets passed between us and only managed to hit you.”

“Where to now?”

“We will continue our journey to Sana’a.” He reached under the seat and pulled out three pairs of plastic goggles. He passed one to Wazir, tossed another to Prince Sami, and donned the third pair. “We learned long ago to bring these glasses with us. We will need them as the wind will whistle through the remains of the windshield, making it difficult to see without them.”

Wazir pointed behind them. “I fear a vehicle is coming. We better go.”

“Agreed.” Yusuf engaged the automatic transmission and sped down the road as fast as the conditions allowed. He fishtailed over the ruts and bumps but managed to keep heading north.

The vehicle behind slowed and soon turned around.

“We are in the clear, Yusuf.” Wazir gestured behind them.

“Yes, but what will we face in front of us? Will there be more Houthi bandits?” Yusuf shook his head.

As the road undulated through the mountains, Yusuf drove as fast as he dared, keeping one eye on the highway in front of them and the other on his rearview mirror.’

Wazir climbed in the back and reached into the cargo area. “Anyone for water?” He passed out bottles as he climbed back in front. He broke the seal on his and took a deep drink. “How much longer to Sana’a?”

“Less than an hour.” Yusuf pursed his lips. “We will be in Hezyaz within fifteen minutes. Prince Hussein’s residence is another twenty-one kilometers beyond.”

As they approached Hezyaz, the topography changed. There were more buildings butting against the road and additional traffic. In the distance, they spotted the Hezyaz power station, which provided some of Sana’s much-needed electricity.

Many of the two and three-story buildings were constructed of unpainted cement blocks, while others were whitewashed or painted in pastel shades. Cell towers dotted several of the taller buildings.

Other structures were damaged as a result of Saudi aircraft attacks on the capital.

As they approached 48th Street, Yusuf slowed.

Ahead of them, four vehicles blocked the intersection. Standing behind them were six armed men. Each wore once-white thobes and Western-style jackets. Stuck in their waistbands were the traditional Yemeni daggers. They held AK-47s.

One of the men motioned Yusuf to a stop.

Yusuf complied and turned to Wazir. “What do they want?”

“Perhaps more money or to find out if we support their cause. It is always the same.” Wazir shrugged.

The leader approached, his weapon aimed toward Yusuf. “Salam alaikum.”

Yusuf nodded. “Wa alaykum as-salam. How may we help you?”

“We are looking for traitors to the Houthi cause.” He stared first at Yusuf, then at Wazir.

“I think I recognize you.” The leader aimed his AK-47 at Yusuf’s head. “God is Greater, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.”

Both Yusuf and Wazir recited the Houthi slogan.”

The man frowned and aimed his weapon at Prince Sami. “Does he not support our cause?”

“Please, he is a visitor from outside Yemen. He does not know our ways.”

The man grunted as he continued to stare at Prince Sami.

After several tense moments, the leader motioned for them to continue. “Teach your friend our ways. We might not be so generous next time.”

Yusuf nodded and pulled through a gap that opened between the vehicles.

Wazir pointed ahead to the left. “There’s the Yemeni-Chinese Friendship Hospital. Should we take Prince Sami and have his wound looked at?”

“No.” Yusuf shook his head. “It is too close to the Houthi roadblock. Better to head straight to Prince Hussein’s and have someone treat him.

“Okay.” Wazir pulled out his cellphone and dialed Prince Hussein’s number.

Perhaps more next time.

As previously mentioned, mynext novel will be Vendetta, the sixth story in my Bedlam series. The first three chapters are now finished and posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. There were another fifteen reviews this week, bringing the total to forty-three.

The cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed.  I’ll begin posting snippets of this story soon.

Here’s the revised description in case you haven’t seen it:

The Bedlam organization proceeded with their plans to create a fourth operational team, based in Pretoria, South Africa. The existing team leaders, Craig Cameron, Col Trevor Franklin ®, and Lady Evelyn Evinrude are sent to assist the designated advisor with team member selections.

What should be a routine deployment is anything but as they’re targeted by unknown assailants. Who or what organization is after them, and why?

While assisting with the creation of the new team and searching for those trying to eliminate them, Craig, Trevor, and Evelyn are given a new operational mission.

The Council of Vengeance, controlled by an extremist militant group, seeks to overthrow the Nigerian government through a culture of urban violence, political corruption, and juridical impunity. Extortion, bribery, kidnapping, and murder are part of the group’s modus operandi as they surge forward toward their objectives.

How will the Bedlam teams fare in the face of adversity? Or will the militants’ efforts be rewarded?

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

Randall’s Ramblings, December 1, 2024

Happy December to one and all! For those who just celebrated American Thanksgiving Day, hope you and yours had an enjoyable holiday.

My favorite football teams had mixed results over the past week. The Detroit Lions did well, winning their game last Sunday, and raising their record to 10-1. On Thanksgiving Day, they played the Chicago Bears and squeaked through 23-20, to up their record to 11-1. They don’t play again until December 8th.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Wolverines took their 6-5 record to Ohio as they faced the 2nd ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. This is an annual clash and both teams take it seriously. Fortunately, the Wolverines prevailed, beating the 10-1 Buckeyes 13-10. Since they won at least six games in the regular season, they are eligible for post season bowl games.

Unfortunately, the Michigan State Spartans didn’t fare as well against Rutgers, losing 41-14 in a snowstorm in East Lansing Michigan. Since the Spartans didn’t win six games during the regular season as they ended up 5-7, they aren’t eligible for post season play.

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” – Ernest Hemingway. Compliments of https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/32-inspirational-hemingway-quotes-to-get-you-writing.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on December 1st, the first Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Anna Comnena, Byzantine princess and historian (Alexiad); Anna Louisa Karsch “Die Karschin”, German poet; Eggert Ólafsson, Icelandic explorer, writer (Reise igiennem Island – Travels In Iceland), and language conservationist; Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, Russian writer; Valery Bryusov, Russian poet; Pierre Kemp, Dutch poet (Fugitives & Constants); Rex Stout, American mystery writer (Nero Wolf novels); Ernst Toller, German playwright, President of Bavarian Soviet Republic (1919); Henry Williamson, English author (Tarka the Otter); Charles G. Finney, American fantasy author (Circus of Dr Lao); Jan Koplowitz, German writer; Harold Strachan, South African writer, anti-apartheid activist, and explosives expert; Joachim Hoffmann, German historian; John Crowley, American sci-fi author (Deep, Beasts, Novelty); Peter Kalikow, Queens real estate developer/publisher (NY Post); Daniel Pennac, French writer; Tahar Ben Jelloun, Moroccan writer (L’Enfant de Sable (The Sand Child)); Norbert Wójtowicz, Polish historian and theologian; and Brently Heilbron, American satirist.

Any names familiar to you? There was one for me this week: Rex Stout. 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. Since my last blog post, a few more reviews have trickled in as most of my faithful readers have already provided their input, so the total is now  632. I went through over 100 reviews and picked out what I think will improve the story.

Here’s another snippet:

A servant escorted Sear back into the Bashari residence into the same room where he previously met with Abdullah and Yasmin. He shook hands with Abdullah and acknowledged Yasmin’s smile with a slight bow.

Abdullah beckoned two men forward. “These are my brothers.” He pointed to the one on the left. “This is Omar, and the other is Rahman.”

The two men, both taller and broader than Abdullah, with graying hair and beards, stepped forward, hands outstretched.

Sear shook their hands, wincing as he pulled his hand back. “I’m pleased to meet you.

“Likewise, Sayyid Sear.” Omar’s deep voice resonated throughout the room.

“I agree with my brother.” Rahman spoke in a higher-pitched voice.

Abdullah waved both men back to their sofa. He sat next to Sear on another while Jasmin sat in her customary chair.

“So, we must begin our hunt for Shatara.” Sear pursed his lips. “Two of my long-time colleagues are meeting with a member of the PSO to learn anything the organization might have uncovered.”

The brothers glanced at each other but couldn’t hide their apparent look of alarm.

“Not to worry—these men used to work in the embassy’s security office and can be trusted. I will meet with their PSO contact later.”

Omar smiled. “If Abdullah trusts you, then who are Rahman and I to challenge his opinion? We shall do the same.”

“Shukran.  I shall do my best to uphold my promise to find and recover Shatara.” But I won’t die in the process—that’s for fanatics. Sear rubbed his thickening beard. “So with my two colleagues, myself, Abdullah, and you two, that makes our team six. A good start, but I wonder if it’ll be enough? I think we’ll have to scour Sana’s and perhaps Aden, as well as any other areas our efforts lead us to.”

The brothers exchanged glances again and nodded.

“I speak for both of us.” Omar pointed at Rahman and himself. “Between us, we have four adult sons. They want to participate for the honor of the family.”

Sear smiled. Great. How many more rookies will we attract? “Thank them for me.”

Yasmin raised a hand. “Please do not forget my late husband’s family. They want to help as well. He had four brothers, and they have some grown-up sons who want to help.”

Sear rubbed his thickening beard. “Where are they now?”

“Like my late husband, they are all fishermen, so they live in Aden.”

Sear nodded. “If we head to Aden, they will be a welcome addition.” The more, the merrier. How did I allow Vincent to talk me into this? “Okay, first things first. I assume since you live in or near Sana’a, you know your way around the city. What about weapons? Have any of you fired them in the past?”

Omar and Rahman laughed.

“We grew up with weapons in the family.” Rahman smirked. “However, of the three of us, I am the best shot.”

Sear studied their faces. “Have you ever fired at a human and killed them?”

“Well … no. But we must protect the family’s honor and do whatever it takes.”

“Understood.” Sear nodded. I hope these amateurs won’t be my downfall. I definitely need to have an in-depth discussion with Vincent before accepting any other jobs.

“Okay. Any particular areas around the city you think we should search first?”

Rahman scratched his nose. “Outside the city walls is where I suggest we begin. For years, there have been rumors about children taken from the streets and hidden there before they are smuggled into Aden and where they are turned over to human traffickers.”

“Oohhhh!”

A gasp came from Yasmin. She wiped at tears beginning to stream down her face. She clutched a hand to her chest. “I hope this has not happened to my beloved daughter.”

Abdullah gritted his teeth. “If we find whoever took Shatara, I swear before Almighty Allah they may meet him sooner than they expect.” He shook a fist in the air. “I promise I will kill them!”

One of the servants entered the room. “Excuse me, Sayyid Abdullah. I went to bring Zahid to the meeting as you had requested. I have searched every room and outside.” The man swallowed. “I cannot find him anywhere?”

“Not even in his favorite tree in the courtyard?”

“I checked there as well. It is as if he has disappeared.”

Abdullah and Yasmin raced out of the room, calling for Zahid.

No response.

Sear studied Omar and Rahman’s posture. They don’t seem concerned. Do they know something about the boy’s disappearance, or are they just good poker players?

Omar and Rahman finally stood. Both men pulled weapons from under their thobes.

Rahman raised his. “We better help search for Zahid. We cannot and will not allow another member of this family to fall into the clutches of villains.”

More next time, I think.

My next novel will be Vendetta, the sixth story in my Bedlam series. The first two chapters are finished and posted to the two subscription writing sites I use. To date, there have already been twenty-eight reviews.  The cover is a filler, as the final cover won’t be done until the entire first draft is completed. When I was going through the reviews of chapter two, I realized I needed to make a change to the location of the Council of Vengeance. Here is the revised description:

The Bedlam organization proceeded with their plans to create a fourth operational team, based in Pretoria, South Africa. The existing team leaders, Craig Cameron, Col Trevor Franklin ®, and Lady Evelyn Evinrude are sent to assist the designated advisor with team member selections.

What should be a routine deployment is anything but as they’re targeted by unknown assailants. Who or what organization is after them, and why?

While assisting with the creation of the new team and searching for those trying to eliminate them, Craig, Trevor, and Evelyn are given a new operational mission.

The Council of Vengeance, controlled by an extremist militant group, seeks to overthrow the Nigerian government through a culture of urban violence, political corruption, and juridical impunity. Extortion, bribery, kidnapping, and murder are part of the group’s modus operandi as they surge forward toward their objectives.

How will the Bedlam teams fare in the face of adversity? Or will the militants’ efforts be rewarded?

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