A Rock & A Hard Place.

Hi There Everyone,

Glad you took the time out to join me…Thank you.

Right, where am I right now it feels as if I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have just finished my latest Piet van Zyl Adventure, but the covers are not yet ready to come off so we will say no more about that just yet.

There is still a heck of a lot of work to do, edit, proof read, edit, proof read, re-write before it is even ready to be sent on to my awesome publishers, Vanilla Heart Publishing…and then it is that wait until you get the thumbs up or down from them…now that really make me feel like a cat on a hot tin roof…the waiting.

The reason why I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place is that I have been told to re-charge the batteries before I sit down and attack the key board again…but I’m chomping at the bit like a race horse wanting to get going.

So many ideas just running around in my head…so many books to write, so little time.

My latest release from Vanilla Heart Publishing has been “Into the Darkness” and here is a small taste for you to sample.

***

The unconscious man slides down the steep embankment, his head striking a rock on his way to the bottom, opening up a cut above his right eye, until he finally comes to rest at the bottom, the brush covering his limp form, the only sign of life is the steady rise and fall of his chest.

“Sleep well van Zyl…that is if you ever regain consciousness you prick…I spit on you, and wish you well in the afterlife.”

The sound of the departing truck fades, and the songs of the people of the bush echo through the night. The moon climbs to its zenith in the night sky and a chill settles on the ground…movement in the gully…a Mozambican Spitting Cobra, 1.2m in length moves towards the still form of the man, and slowly slips under his body, seeking the warmth that the man offers from the chill of the night.

The man groans as consciousness slowly returns, and pain lances through his head, his body shifts slightly causing his sleeping companion to move under him. The snake is warm and sluggish and feels no threat from its choice of bed partner, as it pulls its 1.2m coils tighter under the man, drawing the heat from the body above it.

Piet slowly opens his eyes, darkness all around, not knowing where he is and having no memory of how he got there, he lies in the darkness trying to bring up memories. Something deep inside him is telling him not to move for there is danger nearby; he feels the body of the snake under him, and something he is not use to clutches at his heart, the cold fingers of fear, and in the chill of the night, Piet van Zyl starts to sweat.

***

Not a great situation to find yourself in…will Piet get out of this one? The only way to find out is to read the book because I am sworn to secrecy.

For those of you out there that would like to read my books in Afrikaans…they are there waiting for you and my “Sound of Thunder” is available in Italian, so go ahead and give one a try. I must warn you that I have received various complaints regarding the books from readers, and I just love it…feedback like this is AWESOME.

• “I have to tell you that I got so caught up in your Blood Demon that the time just slipped past and I ended up missing my favorite TV program.”
• I thought a great cup of coffee along with a good read would be the ideal way to spend the afternoon. My coffee got cold, I forgot all about it. Thank you.”
• “Into the Darkness really captivated me…in fact I forgot to eat.”

There you have it, Thank you for joining me and remember to take care, you never know what is watching from the shadows.

Sleep Tight.

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Mothers Worldwide.

Hi All,

Today is a very special day…I suppose because it is felt that one day a year be put aside and called Mothers Day. Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not against Mothers Day in any way at all, in fact I am all for it…but why have one day for Mothers…every day of the year should be a special day for Mothers all over the world.

Mothers are the ones that nurture the family, guide and offer support. Mothers are the ones that stay up at night when a loved one is sick…in short Mothers are the glue that holds a family together.

Mothers are the most precious thing to have in your life…they love you unconditionally and give up everything for you, so Mothers should be respected, loved and cherished because when your Mom is no longer in your life, she will leave an empty void that cannot be filled…after all she is your Mom.

If you have kicked your Mom to the curb, for whatever reason dig deep inside yourself and realize that if it were not for your Mother, your future could have been very different. You do not know what your Mother went through for you, you do not know of the sacrifices she made, you have no idea how brave she was when she had to stand up for you and you have no idea what she gave up for you…so get a life…love your Mom and let her know it.

It pains to me say this but there are people out there whose lives are just too busy to care about poor old Mom, stuck away somewhere in a so called retirement home and forgotten about. I mean come on people, how much time does it take out of your busy day to pick up the phone and call her, find out how she is doing, does she need anything, but most of all, just tell her you are thinking about her and that you love her…man that really put a dent into your precious time, but think about it…that call meant the world to your Mom.

What about those who have their elderly Mom’s at home with them…don’t forget them like something on the mantelpiece…make sure that they are always a part of the family, engage them in conversation…talk to them and most importantly, let you Mom know that you love her.

Like I said, Mothers Day should be every day of the year…after all if you did not have a Mother, you would not be reading this…so put aside five minutes, make that call, or if you are able…visit her. Let her know that you think about her. Don’t wait until Mom has passed on to shed any tears…make the most of your Mother while she is still with you…she will appreciate it more than your crocodile tears when she is no more.

To the entire worldwide Mom’s out there…I salute you. You are the backbone of the family, the guiding force and you stand up for what is right, Mom’s Taxi…Soccer Mom’s…Shoulder to cry on Mom’s…Homework Mom’s…Chief bottle washer and cook Mom’s…Doctor Mom’s…The list just goes on and on…you are wonderful, amazing and just plain awesome.

To my Mom…Mom I love you and Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you have every done for me.

God Bless All.

Empty Nest

Hi Everyone,

I trust that this blog will find you all well and in high spirits.

One thing that I have learnt as I have grown older (and wiser I hope) is that the world is made up of Hello’s and Goodbye’s. Just take your children for instance…they spend plus minus eighteen to twenty years being a very big part of your life, and then you blink your eyes and it is empty nest syndrome.

My son Shane left the nest very early. He completed his schooling here in South Africa in 2007, and no sooner had the ink dried on his final report, then he was spreading his wings on the way to The Land Down Under, where I must say the young man has done very well for himself, and is now the proud owner of Australian Citizenship, and not only that, he got himself a scholarship to study at one of the University’s as well…so well done Shane,  we are very proud of what you have achieved, and of the young man you have developed into.

My Daughter Keli on the other hand decided to stick it out in South Africa, and for the life of me I can’t understand way. At first it was…”But Dad, all my friends are here.” Which as far as I am concerned is a piss poor excuse…anyway the young lady attended University and ended up with a Charted Accountant Degree, and now works for one of the top company’s in the country. Once again we are very proud of what she has achieved.

She recently returned from an adventure of a lifetime…her company sent her to live and work in the U.S.A. for three months and then she was able to spend one month doing the tourist thing before coming back home. I just hope that being out of the country has opened her eyes and one of these days she too will be winging her way off to a far better place.

Now you are going to ask…Why am I still stuck here in South Africa?

The answer is really very simple and it boils down to funds…there is nothing to keep me here, and I do not like to get into politics in any way at all, but I truly believe that we are in a mud slide and it is just gathering momentum and very soon this wonderful country of ours is going to be flushed down the toilet…Why?…Just look at the circus in government…it is all about self enrichment and bugger the country and the people.

Anyway, that is my view, and if I were lucky enough to win the lotto, or even better still…hit the New York Best Sellers List…I would be out of here so fast, they would call me Flash.

Right, do I have a captivated audience…great…Just too wet your appetite, here is a short extract from my latest novel, once again published by the AWESOME Vanilla Heart Publishing. The title of the novel is “Into the Darkness” and if you have enjoyed a journey with Piet van Zyl and Co. in any of the previous books, then this one will put you on the edge of your chair…that is a promise.

Extract from Into the Darkness

The sun burns down on the man’s back as he stumbles through the thick African bush, his mind a haze as he struggles to find his identity, he has no idea who he is, what his name is, or where he is from or where he is.

The vicious thorns from the Coral tree cut deep into his flesh as he forces his way through the thicket, the sound of running water spurring him on as his throat cries out for the life giving liquid, and in desperation he throws his body down the steep embankment towards salvation, plunging his head deep into the dark water, drinking deeply, unaware of the surface of the river being broken as one of the giant reptiles that call the Zambezi home slowly start to stalk the drinking man.

Too much water at once, the man falls away from the river, gagging as his stomach rejects the liquid, and in a rush, it is expelled from his burning body. He sits back, away from the water’s edge, his heart hammering like a freight train moving up a steep incline, taking in lungfuls of air, gasping, looking around…his eyes wide, fearful as he is unable to understand what is happening to him.

He looks back at the river and his eyes fall upon the giant reptile that waits just below the surface of the water, and with a cry of terror the man push’s back, away from the edge, all thoughts of quenching the burning thirst inside him forgotten as he scrambles up the river bank away from the danger. He is unable to name the danger, but somehow he recognized what it represented to him.

With the river and the setting sun behind him the man turns towards the distant mountains and starts moving slowly through the bush that steadily closes behind him, hiding him from view, moving forward but not knowing where he is going, Piet van Zyl moves into the darkness, the darkness of the falling night, and the darkness of the mind, his memory erased by a vicious blow to the head.

I hope that did what it was intended to do. “Into the Darkness” is available in all e-book formats and all the links to the latest Adventure Thriller can be found at www.vhpbooktours.com

Thank you for the visit and take care.

You never know what is watching from the shadows.