Who’s The Boss

Hello there, and Thanks for the visit.

A leading question, who’s the boss and what I am referring to is not the man or woman that signs your pay check, or lets you slip off early from work for a long weekend, but that one body at home who is always ready to greet you the minute you walk in the door, or arrives at the gate… the one body that will wait patiently for you during the hours that you are away from home, and the one body who will love you unconditionally. No matter what.

The body that I am talking about is the household pet… the hound, the dog, the pooch… the one that curls up on your sofa while you are away and then thinks to themselves when you bark at him/her to move…”Geez you’ve been gone all day long, now suddenly it’s your sofa,” but they will give way, and allow you to sit… on their sofa.

There is a saying that goes something like this…”If you own a dog, you will never sleep alone.” Well ask me, I know… I share my bed with Pooch… he allows me to sleep in it at night, but the minute I get up in the morning for that stroll into the kitchen to make coffee, he quickly takes up his position alongside my loving wife, and settles in for the duration of the morning, head on pillow as if he owns it, and he is finally back in his rightful place. The excuse is, he’s just keeping the bed warm for me. I have to give him credit though, he will only jump up to claim his rightful place once he is aware that I have returned to the land of the living.

Think about it… just who is the boss in the house?  You or your pet.  Maybe your pet sees you as the pet and this is where the line becomes very blurred between who is and who is not. After all take my Pooch for example… at 3pm everyday without fail and regardless of weather, I will get barked at, and he will shout out orders at me until I drag myself away from writing, take myself outside where he will hand me my leash between his teeth, allow me to attach myself to him, and then he takes me for a walk.

I say walk, but I get dragged from one side to the other while his lordship inspects this and that, with no regard of where I would like to go… sometimes I get the feeling that he is showing off his “pet” while we are out there.

He also considers himself to be a bit of a ladies’ man as most of the ladies we come across while we are out on a drag fuss over him like mad.

Once the walk is over, I then have to feed this animal a biscuit or two… please note I get nothing out of this apart from the walk… ask yourself… who is the boss?

Over and above the bed and the walk, plus the sofa, Pooch gets fed by me, I brush him, wash him, pick up after him, give him tit bits, love him when his head is thrust onto my lap demanding a scratch behind the ears, operate as doorman when he wishes to go outside, answer his knock when he is finished, act as chauffeur to my four legged fur face when we go for a ride, pay attention to the road while he hangs out the window taking in the scenery, basically I cater to all of Pooch’s needs and demands.

Damn, I just answered my own question… who is the boss? Looks like Pooch is the boss in this household… just don’t tell him, he would be impossible to live with.

I have to admit, he is my number one supporter when it comes to writing, and has been ever since I sat down to write Blood Moon over Africa. I tell him we are going to work, and he takes up his position under the table before I even sit down, watch’s me with his big brown eyes, until I sit, then he settles down, happy and content… his pet is working.

Truth be told, I have no problem with Pooch being the boss, now all he has to do is find a job and I will just hang around all day.

One more thing, a dog is part of the family, and sees you as part of the pack. A dog will give you its heart so take care of them, and love them. Talk to them… you will be surprised how much they understand and the love you give them will be returned tenfold. A dog is the most loyal faithful friend you will ever have, as all he/she wants from you is love.

If you have not yet had a look at my books, the first three make up The Blood Trilogy, (1) Blood Moon over Africa, (2) Blood Spoor in the Dark, and (3) Blood Demon- Revenge, plus my latest release by Vanilla Heart Publishing, The Devil in Eden which is Book One in the Piet van Zyl Adventure Thrillers, you will be able to get all the links from www.vhpbooktours.com

Thank you for the visit, and if you enjoyed my bit about Who’s the Boss… leave a comment… until next time Totsiens.

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Hi Jack…No it’s Piet

Ja well, what can I say…you turn your back and suddenly you find yourself thrown into situations that you have no control over, and I tell you, that really gets me going. I mean just who does this oke, Paul Zunckel think he is that he just takes over my life, and takes me into all sorts  of adventures, damn some of them is enough to turn a blokes hair white, and I am sorry, but that is where I draw the line, and say, no more. After all I have to look my best in the business I am in; I have to fit the image of the Big White Hunter. Ja I will tell you a secret…the ladies love it.

Oh sorry man, here I go running off at the mouth, and not introducing myself, forgive me please but I am pissed at this bloody author. My name is Piet van Zyl, and yes I know, I have hi jacked his blog before to have my say, and I will do it again if necessary, after all, ”ń boer maak ń plan” when needed, and right now it is needed.

I mean, here I am minding my own business, fishing for Tiger Fish in the Kafue River, and suddenly I am out hunting a bloody Man-eater, can you imagine running into this in the dark?.Man I need my head read, only a hero would go out into the bush looking for a lion that has developed a taste for human prey, and let me tell you something, I am a ladies’ man, not a bloody hero, but then again I suppose I have my image to look after. Now don’t go and spoil everything and run off to Peggy with that bit of news, but it is good for business.

You know, there is a saying out there somewhere that goes like this,” If you can’t beat them, join them,” so I said to myself, “Self, this oke Paul Zunckel and Vanilla Heart Publishing are taking you for a wild ride.  I might as well not fight it, but join them…maybe then I will have a say in what happens in the future. But you never know, this bloody author has got a dark side, I’m telling you, and he scares me sometimes, after all I am just an ordinary guy.”

Having said that, and joined forces with these people, I hope that you are going to join me on these  Adventure Thrillers that I am going to be thrown into. I have no idea what is in store for me but if the past four books are anything to go by, there is a lot of trouble coming my way.

Check out these three books that make up The Blood Trilogy, man that was scary stuff. You can get the links to all three books at www.vhpbooktours.com  and if you survive them, then join me on the hunt for the man-eater in The Devil in Eden, I could use the company. Oh yes, the links are also available at Vanilla Heart Publishing.

Ja well, I have had my say, and from now on, I will just hold on tight, remember to breath and see where this author oke, Paul Zunckel takes me, but be warned, if I don’t like it, I am out of here.

The Devil in Eden

Allow me to introduce you to 

Man-Eater, the very title is enough to send a shiver of fear down the spine of anyone living in the vicinity of this animals activities, the face of pure evil is conjured up into the minds of those who are directly affected, and children are hurriedly brought indoors as the light fades, windows are closed, doors are barred and they sit huddled, waiting for daylight to return, for the man-eater hunts in the dark.

Much the same as if a serial killer is active in the area. Windows are closed, doors are locked and people sit inside their homes, fearful of any knock or noise that comes to their ears, waiting for  daylight to return.

Both man-eater and serial killer hunt and stalk their prey, both have developed a taste for the kill, and in most cases, both are loners’ and both need to be hunted down, and taken out of the equation by any means possible as they both pose a very real threat to the prey that they hunt…man…the easiest prey of all.

I now invite you to join Piet van Zyl on his latest Adventure as he hunts down a man-eater, named Devil by the locals. This is a story with many twists and turns, it will keep you turning the pages, but it will also make you get up and check that you have locked up for the night, and if you decide to sleep with the light on, who will know but you.

It takes a very special person to hunt a man-eater, someone who is prepared to put his or her life on the line to end the reign of terror with a bullet. After all it is times like this when the hunter can very easily become the hunted.

Have I got your attention?

The Devil in Eden is available in Print Edition as well as all e-book formats, so join the pride, and get yourself a copy. All the links are available at www.vhpbooktours.com

There is no need to rush.

Take care, and remember next time you stand at your window and look out into the dark…he could be watching you.

PRE-RELEASE REVIEW

A real African Thriller!

“I’d read Paul Zunckel’s Blood Moon Trilogy and was very happy to receive the ARC for The Devil in Eden from the publisher. The Devil in Eden adds to the incredible suspense and African cultural interests in those three books, with a ‘devilish’ plotline of African animals, the workings of cultural fears, and a fantastic setting of the varied sceneries of African life. Great job, Paul! I am looking forward to all the next in this series! ”

Frank Herndon

In The Jungle

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…Who is kidding who? In the jungle, the might jungle the lion hunts at night and soon to be released by Vanilla Heart Publishing is The Devil in Eden, Book 1 in the Piet van Zyl Adventure Thrillers. Allow me to introduce you to the awesome Introduction, and to the book that will soon be available in all e-book formats…so ask yourself…are you ready to have a look at Eden…but be warned…you just might not like it after dark.

Man-eater…the one statement that is capable of spreading fear like a wildfire through a community, and why…well a Man-eater is the animal version of a serial killer…an animal that has developed a taste for human flesh, an animal that has no fear of man, an animal that sees man as the perfect prey…why…because man is the easiest prey of all, and due to the encroachment of human settlements into their natural habitat, there is plenty to go around.

The only way to end a man-eaters reign of terror is to hunt him down.

I use the male term – for a male lion will take to hunting man a lot easier than the female. The lion is an opportunist, and the male always takes the easiest route.

Many man-eaters are wounded or old; some have been deprived of natural prey sources, and have simply developed a fondness for human flesh, and the easy hunt.

Most man-eaters are nameless, but in our story the locals are calling him, “Devil” much like the one that hunted near Kasawa, they called him “The Cunning One,” who was responsible for 43 deaths before he was shot.  Another one that was doing the rounds in Tanzania was called “Paper Lion,” because he seemed to drift from victim to victim, like a scrap of paper floating in the wind.

Early in 1909 there was one large male who was almost a celebrity called Chiengi Charlie, he teamed up with two other males and spread their eating habits over several villages, reportedly eating 90 people.  This particular man-eater was clever and eluded all manner of traps and hunters, until he was finally shot in a gun trap.

Most man-eaters will take their human prey as they find them, in the fields, at the river bank collecting water or the bolder ones will act in much the same way as the “Devil” does, and clawed through the sides of the mud hut, or enters the hut through the thatch roof.

There was one in Rufiji, Tanzania called Osama, named after Osama bin Laden because of his terrorist attacks, and the locals in the area put up a billboard for this man-eater depicting his bloody deeds.  He terrorized the area from 2002 to 2004 and was accused of killing more than 50 people.  He was shot by game scouts in April 2004 and found to have a large abscess on one of his molars, but plenty of man-eaters have perfect teeth.

Msoro Monty; hunted in the Luangwa River Valley during 1929 and was stalking his victims near the Msoro Mission which is how he got his name. This man-eater had a gift for smelling out traps and after killing a large number of people, he just disappeared. He could have been an old animal and simply died, but no trace of him was ever found.

There was another in the Luangwa River Valley in 1991, near where Monty hunted who took out 6 people, he was called The Lion of Mfuwe and was finally killed by a visiting hunter from the U.S.A. who waited in a blind for 20 nights for the Man-Eater to show up.  This lion was not small as he measured over 10 feet long and was totally mane-less.

The man-eaters of Tsavo, called Ghost and Darkness not only killed to feed, but killed for the pure pleasure it gave them, something like 140 people killed during that period, but the experts reckon, only about 35 people eaten, until they too were hunted down and shot. These two had no fear of man, as some attacks were recorded taking place in daylight, in full view of the labourers working on the railway lines.

Another record of man-eating by lions happened in Tanzania between 1932 and 1947, and this time it was not just one hunting humans, but a whole pride.  They called them the Man-Eaters of Njombe, and this pride did their killing in the afternoon, using the night hours to travel as far as 15 or 20 miles to an unsuspecting village, and it is believed that they used a relay system to drag bodies into the safety of the bush.  Before they were hunted down and shot, it is estimated that they were responsible for as many as 1500 kills.

We still have man-eaters today, and the Kruger National Park which borders Mozambique, have lion that feed on the people who cross the borders into South Africa. These animals sometimes patrol the roads at night waiting for the unsuspecting illegal immigrants to arrive. Most of these deaths go unreported, but rangers have found remains.

The man-eater will always be something that nightmares are made of, only it is not something that goes bump in the night, a figment of an imagination, but something that is very real. 

I would like to share a pre-release review with you related to The Devil in Eden.

PRE-RELEASE REVIEW

A real African Thriller!

“I’d read Paul Zunckel’s Blood Moon Trilogy and was very happy to receive the ARC for The Devil in Eden from the publisher. The Devil in Eden adds to the incredible suspense and African cultural interests in those three books, with a ‘devilish’ plotline of African animals, the workings of cultural fears, and a fantastic setting of the varied sceneries of African life. Great job, Paul! I am looking forward to all the next in this series! ”

Frank Herndon

Well you have been warned…there is a killer on the loose, and he hunts at night…are you ready for The Devil in Eden.

My Dark Side

Welcome to My Dark Side.

When I sat down to write my first novel, Blood Moon over Africa, I had no idea of the journey that I was about to embark on, and believe me, I honestly had no idea that I had a dark side, but my dark side took over completely, and instead of ending up with a short story from an idea I had carried around in my head for years, Blood Moon over Africa was born, and with it I found a whole bunch of people living in my head… I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to them all.

Veronica Strydom was intended to be my main character, but Piet van Zyl decided that “ń Boer maak ń plan,” and just took on a life of his own, taking the lead in Blood Spoor in the Dark, supported by Veronica, and then once again hogging the limelight in Blood Demon-Revenge, but very well supported by the whole cast of characters. Piet once again has the lead role in the soon to be released The Devil in Eden, with the introduction of a few new faces who you will meet at a later date.

David and Adele were brought in as support characters, but once again one of them took on a leading role in my novel, Whispers in the Wind, and this time the main focus ended up being on Adele, but be warned, Piet is not too far away.

Whispers in the Wind is only due for release by Vanilla Heart Publishing later on in the year, so keep your eyes peeled for it.

My novels have taken me to places I never thought that I would be privileged enough to visit, they have allowed me to realise how blessed I am to have been given the gift and to share my dark side with you. I promise you that I do not bite…but my books do, and please be careful if you have an addictive nature…they are addictive.

The best of all is that I never thought that I would ever write a short story, let alone a novel, and I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to all who have read my work, enjoyed it, told their friends and most importantly, left a review…you have all blown my socks off with your kind words, and it makes my journey really worthwhile.

I am just a normal everyday kind of guy, with dreams and aspirations like everyone else in the world, your guy next door, but writing allows me to be more than that. It takes me on an adventure, it takes me into the dark, and it takes me into another world, so if you would like to join me, all the links to my books can be found at www.vhpbooktours.com . You will find plenty for your taste at Vanilla Heart Publishing because that is where awesome authors hang out.

I was warned by the publisher of Vanilla Heart Publishing that I would have to hold on tight for the ride, and to remember to breath, well if you take your courage in your hands, and decide that you are going to take a walk under the Blood Moon over Africa, or follow the Blood Spoor in the Dark, then you had better hold on tight, for you will then be taken on a roller coaster ride, that will leave you breathless, with enough time for you to catch your breath and complete the circle by joining Blood Demon-Revenge

Take care out there, and as always stay safe…you never know what could be lurking in the shadows.

You can find me at the following links

…Website: https://PaulZunckelAuthor.wordpress.com

Twitter: @zuncks

Facebook: Paul’s Facebook Page

Blog: https://PaulZunckelAuthor.wordpress.com

I would love to hear from you. 

What is an Author?

Hello there, and once again Thank you for taking the time to visit and see what I have to say.

Authors, what is an author?

Someone who lives in a world of their own, and shares it with the reading public, someone who spends hour after hour allowing their imagination to take control of their world, someone who puts their hopes and their dreams in your hands…the hands of the reader, and someone who hopes you will enjoy the fruits of their labor, and come back again…but more importantly, you the reader will leave a review and spread the word.

When you buy a book from an author you’re buying more than a story.

A book review is so important to an author; after all you as the reader are rating the work that you have read. Some reviews are great and some, we would rather not talk about, but at the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their view and to their taste, so show support, and put your review out there, it means a lot to the author, and on the subject of reviews, I would like to take this opportunity to share a review that a reader left on Amazon UK regarding my debut novel, Blood Moon over Africa.

It made me feel very humble, but at the same time it made my day, and after you read it, you will understand why.  I wish I was able to thank B. R. Jones.

 4.0 out of 5 stars A modern H Ryder Haggard, encompassing mystery and murder … 17 Aug. 2015

By B. R. Jones

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

“A modern H Ryder Haggard, encompassing mystery and murder with dark African undertones. Definitely a page-turner, it’s tautly written and carefully plotted. I believe this the author’s first major novel so perhaps even more impressive. A little more in the way of character development would have earned it five stars, and I will devour the next releases with relish”

I feel very honored to be compared to Mr H. Ryder Haggard…I am in awesome company.

So if you feel you have missed the boat, do not fear, help is near. As close as www.vhpbooktours.com where you can get all the links to Blood Moon over Africa, Blood Spoor in the Dark and the final of The Blood Trilogy, Blood Demon-Revenge

Take care out there, stay safe, and thank you for the visit.

You never know what’s hiding in the shadows.

 

Darkest Africa

To write or not to write,  that is the question, and the same applies to my blog…what I need is inspiration and guess what, I got it from Darkest Africa, and I mean that literally, we experienced one of the longest blackout that we have had, and blackouts are no stranger in this part of the world, although our power supplier refers to it as controlled power outages…the truth be told, everything is falling apart and they just cannot meet the demand, due to lots of things, like mis-management, non-maintenance, etc…Anyway I am getting off the subject…we were in the dark for just over twenty five hours with no power and I realised just how dependant we are on electricity. Cooking was not a problem; making coffee was not a problem as we just made a fire and did what we needed to do, the problem with no power was that the mobile phones could not be charged, the laptop battery only held a charge for so long, the food in the freezer was at risk, plus for over twenty four hours we had no idea what was going on in the world.

Imagine an author in this day and age not having something like the Internet, unable to get his or her work to the publisher, unable to promote their work on the social networks, unable to stay in contact with the very people who matter, the reader, the publisher, editor…the list just goes on and on and now imagine how it was done before the Internet became such a big part of our lives.

I was hog-tied during the blackout, unable to do anything, except follow Piet’s advise and “Maak ń Plan,” which I did…I made a fire in the rain, got wet, but the family had hot coffee, plus a hot meal done over the coals, and we used candles that night. In fact it was awesome living in Darkest Africa, just the right atmosphere that I needed for inspiration, and so another Piet van Zyl tale started to unfold in the dark of the night, only problem was, my Laptop was not charged, but now we are up and running once again, thank you to our service provider finally getting things right.

If you have not yet read the three books that make up The Blood Trilogy, I would suggest you take a chance and try Book One, Blood Moon over Africa, see where it takes you. You can find it at www.vhpbooktours.com with all the e-book links that you need, then when you are hooked, move along to Book Two, Blood Spoor in the Dark, and finally complete the circle by climbing into Book Three, Blood Demon-Revenge.

Thank you for visiting, and I wish you a very pleasant day…Take care out there and remember, there is a lot more coming out of Darkest Africa…that is when the lights are on.