Proof reader urgently required

Hi there,

as you may or may not know I lost a member of my family recently, my nephew and not only did I lose my friend, my nephew and a wonderful guy but he was my proof reader for the Col Sec series. He was my sounding board, my encouragement when I thought I was going wrong and he enjoyed Ronin almost as much as I did. His death has not only left a huge hole in my life but has left me with a question. Should I farm out the proof reading task to someone else or should I take on the task myself?

I think it would benefit both myself and the work if another set of eyes should check my work before I publish. So, hoping that whomever I pick lives up to the high standard my late nephew set, I ask for volunteers. If there is anyone out there willing to take on the task then please contact me either by leaving a comment on here or you can reach me at my email address which is jan.domagala@gmail.com.

See you soon,

Jan.

It’s a Hard Life.

Hi there,

on my home from work today I was listening to the radio and they played a song picked by a member of the audience in a category called ‘Freedom Track’, the idea being that someone picks a song that they thought epitomised how they felt upon finishing work for their day, hence ‘Freedom’

The track chosen was an oldie, but great track none the same, Lovely Day by Bill Withers.

As I listened to the track I suddenly realised that it summed up quite well how I feel at the moment.

The song says that when the day ahead of me seems impossible to face,

and just lately most days are like that, my life just lately seems to consist of one catastrophe swiftly followed by a calamity with disaster right behind it,

the song goes on to say that you know someone else who always seems to know the way.

I think most of us knows someone like that, that someone who seems to live the charmed life, is not troubled by financial worries, that everything they attempt turns out perfect, the perfect job, the perfect home, perfect kids, perfect everything and they continually run off at the mouth about their holidays, where they went at the weekend, how nice their home is now they’ve done this or that to it blah blah blah. Now I know there’s an awful lot in that past run on sentence. Something writers are supposed to shy away from but I did it deliberately to convey some of the angst and frustration I’ve been feeling of late.

Don’t feel sorry for me, that’s the last thing I need. My God my life is perfect if you compare it to some, especially those living in war-torn areas or those that are famine ridden.

The rest of the song, to get back on topic, says, “Then I look at you, and the world is alright with me. Then I look at you and I know it’s gonna be a lovely day”

My wonderful girlfriend; my family, my son, daughter, their partners and my grandkids all help me to get through this and be able to fight on through. With their help and love I can continue on this wonderful journey called life. To strive to better myself, to continue to grow as both a writer and person.

See you soon

Jan.

Writer’s block returns with a vengeance

Hi there,

it’s been a while since I last posted, partly because I’ve been busy with work commitments after the extra long Easter break and because while I’ve tried to concentrate on the third installment of the Col Sec series I’ve found that I’ve neglected my blog.

Perhaps neglected is the wrong word, it’s more like that I haven’t been able to think of anything to post on here and instead of posting absolute drivel I thought it best to wait until I had something worth saying before sitting down to type.

Now, you might say that what this is, constitutes drivel and I wouldn’t argue too much on that point either. I just thought that if anyone was interested on why there has been fewer comments from me here then you had the right to know why.

I’m finding the third installment of the Col Sec series to be my most challenging novel yet, both in its scope and the various character viewpoints that I have to constantly keep aware of. I’m excited by the story arc and how it all develops throughout the series and once people latch onto it I’m sure it’ll be among many ‘looked for’ series already out there.

Anyway back to work now, hope to see you soon with news of the release date for Omega, the second installment of the Col Sec series, until then, keep safe and keep reaching for the stars,

Jan.

Good news, bad news

Hi there,

why is it that whenever you get some good news it has to be tempered with a huge chunk of bad?

I had a lovely phone call last night off my nephew who has just purchased my first book and he was glowing with his praise for it. He even told me it was better than other first time novels he’d read, which really lifted my spirits. He’s asked if he could proof read my next which I agreed to whole heartedly. He’s incredibly talented and has an intelligence that just sparkles so any input he may give me will be invaluable.

That’s the good news,

this morning my partner drove off to work and a short while later phoned to say her car had broken down. Now as you can imagine, living in a rural area where everything is miles from home, a car is essential, so it was with trepidation we called the RAC. when they arrived it took the mechanic a short while to evaluate the problem. The engine had seized and it was totally useless so we were left with a couple tons of scrap and no means to get around. When he told us the diagnosis we were in total disbelief as there were no signs of oil leaking or of any warning lights and seeing as how the car had an MOT only a few months ago we just stood by the road side devastated.

I don’t know if it’s God‘s joke, or a test to see if we’re worthy or simply bad luck but why does any amount of good luck you receive have to be tempered with some bad luck?

It probably doesn’t happen to everyone like this, they could quite possibly sail through life only encountering good luck, if that’s the case then I’ll give them my address and they can come to collect their bad luck because I’m sure I’ve had someone else allotted amount.

That’s a little cynical I know but it’s hard to stay positive in the face of constant adversity and possibly the only thing that helps is something I touched on in earlier posts, knowing that there are people in the world who live their lives in horrendous conditions and thank God every day for a handful of grain or bowlful of clean water. Putting my troubles next to theirs makes mine seem like a drop in the ocean.

No doubt we’ll come through this latest set back with a smile on our faces, better prepared for the next time fate takes a swing at us.

See you soon,

Jan.