Riding with my wife and Susan over to Soldotna on Friday, I got an idea for a new story. I'm going to write a 250-350 page manuscript based on my last 5 months in 1972-73 Vietnam. The end of the war, how we dealt with it and what happened when we came home to a changed home-front. I'll use fictional characters, but I will also use actual events. No idea on title and it's listed now as last behind a long line of planned manuscripts.
I've also planned out my next 5th,6th and 7th books in the Arizona Ranger's western stories. But that will depend on how well "Arizona Rangers Series: Book 1- Blake's War" does on the market.
Blake's War has to do with the initial disbanding of the Arizona Rangers, due to Arizona politicians concerned with the expenses for the only state run law enforcement agency for Arizona. This begins in the days leading up to the Civil War, which has Blake and his fellow Rangers joining up with General Hook's Army of Texas to fight the North. I'll not say any more or it might spoil the reading.
At the same time I'll be beginning my planned 12-book entitled "Fire an Ice", with the first book to be entitled, "The Prophet Rises. If you all remember my earlier journals, this first book will involve the introduction of characters from the old novel, "A Coming Storm". I'm transforming the 3-book series into (12)150-175 page book. In this first book a man, who follows the ancient Indians religious traditions, rises up from Peru, to lead an uprising, from South America, Central America and Mexico, to attack the Southwest United States. In the 4th book, China enters the picture, which was the beginning of my prior book, "A Coming Storm".
Enough on my books for now. Oh, just a note to say I am almost finished with "Apache Snow- Book#3: The Sandbox War." I've enjoyed writing this one, but truly needed the help of my 5-sons in writing this story.
I'm going to jump to the news now- I hope I don't put any of you asleep, but please check out these sites and read the whole story.
Thailand "Nation News": Thailand has accepted 3 submarines from Mainland China. While 2 are paid for, the third was a gift to the Thai Navy. Currently, Thailand has signed numerous trade negotiations with China and (China may be looking to use Thailand's ports in the event trouble blows up with Japan or the US).
Global Times: China- The country's new two-child policy is making Chinese employers leery of hiring women. This is causing gender discrimination to rear its ugly head- again.
Global Times: Southwestern China- the Mainland is encouraging retired servicemen and servicewomen to rejoin the Army, if they can meet job requirements. Reenlistment bonus could pay out $580.00.
Global Times: Australia- Hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi refugees were "Black-marked" for settlement in Australia, refused entry on grounds of National Security.
Gatestone Institute News: Italy, story by Giulo Meptti- "Sunni Islam's' most prominent preacher, Yusuf Qaradawi, declared that the day will come when, like Constantinople, Rome will be Islamized."
Global Times: Russia- Russian telecom watchdog has blocked more than 23,000 web pages containing Islamic State ISIS, being deleted or blocked.
Global Times:Finland News- "Plan to build a major mosque in Helsinki, using 'foreign financing', has become a national issue, with local elections under two weeks away".
Global Times: ASEAN- Representatives of the ten-member group have met in Laos to share information and experiences on broadband internet in the region in support of "Strategic Regional Cooperation." ( You'll notice that anything involving ASEAN is printed as I find it. I tend to believe ASEAN, led by China, is the proverbial ten-member group mentioned in Revelations. I also used them in my book, "A Coming Storm".)
Global Times: North Korea- Slams Japan for launching "Spy" satellite - hinting Japan wants to invade Korea, as it did over 100-years ago.
Global Times: China- Is now on high alert for Japan's military move, as Japanese helicopter-carrier/destroyer "Kaga" has just recently gone into service. "Kaga" was the name of one of the aircraft carriers used in the outbreak of World War Two, in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was sunk during the war.
St. Petersburg/Russia News: US General Scaparrotti, NATO Supreme Commander, has accused Russia of helping Taliban in Afghanistan. Yet, Russia says it wants to train Kurdish soldiers in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. NATO Troops have been in Afghanistan since 9/11 2001 and some US General have reportedly said, "After 15-years of war, the Afghan conflict is stuck in a 'stalemate'. "
Manila Times: Taiwan- Constitutional court began hearing a landmark case the could make Taiwan the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage. A panel of 14-Grand Justices will hear a debate over a disputed law that critics say is unconstitutional because it prevents union of gay couples.
Washington Free Beacon: D.C.- Thousands of city jobs will be lost when a minimum wage hike of $15 an hour goes into effect. Reported by Jack Heretik.
Washington Free Beacon: D.C.- "Convicted terrorist who helped organize a Woman's Strike will leave US in plea deal." Story by Chandler Gill. Her name is Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian who was convicted of a terrorist attack in Israel, killing two people, had also helped plan "Day Without A Woman" Strike. She has agreed to leave US in a plea deal to avoid jail time. (Will that District Attorney should be feeling real proud of himself...jerk!)
Breaking News: Ireland- "70% of women in UN Camps in South Sudan have been raped!" Taken from a report written by United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The UNCHR reported incidents in 2016. During that year sexual gender or gender-based violence rose by 60% over 2015. South Sudan "Attack on Aid Workers", reported how one young woman, held for 16 months by rebels did not expect to become embroiled in South Sudan's conflict. She was.
Global Times: England- "Thousands march to House of Parliament to demand Britain stays in EU." Source of the story was Xinhua-China. Tens of thousands of people gathered, bringing Central London to a standstill.
Global Times: Pakistan - Country "... rejects US Human Rights Report as flawed." They rejected the US Department of Human Rights report for 2016, which "scathingly criticized" Pakistan over their Human Rights situations.
Global Times: India- "76 million people in India have no access to safe water." From a report by Water Aid.
Global Times: Myanmar (Burma) - Rejects UN Mission Human Rights Council to probe human rights abuse allegations.
Russian Herald: Belarus- Riot Police in the Belarusian capitol have raided the Office of a Human Rights group hours ahead of an unauthorized protest where over 700 activists defied a heavy riot police presence. After tolerating the protests, the riot police cracked down and over 400-protestors arrested. "Many are beaten." Among those arrested were (20)- journalists.
Spiegel Online News: Germany- "German police believe there are 602 Islamists living in the country who could be capable of perpetrating a terrorist attack."
BBC Com: Mars- Scientists, who believe Mars was once covered in water, say they have found an impact crater that sent out powerful tsunamis that swept across Mars 3 Billion years ago. (For people who have not even land on Mars, I tend to wonder how they come to 3 Billion Years. I mean what if it was only a million. We still look at the centuries here. But if the photo is authentic, it truly looks like a impact crater and certainly large enough to cause some serious harm. Maybe it killed all the Martian dinosaurs?)
Egypt Daily News: Alexandria- Police there conducted a raid on an educational center and arrested 13-people suspected of being Muslim Brotherhood and reported they were planning to restructure the Muslim Brotherhood's military wing. ( Real nice timing- someone talked.)
Guardian: Texas- Nearly 15% of female Undergraduates at the University of Texas, in Austen, report being raped from a survey of 7, 600 students in a 50,000 student campus. Survey was funded by the school. 87% of those rapes were reported to have occurred off-campus.
Guardian: Texas- 2 teenage sisters, 17 & 19 years of age, fleeing Guatemala, report being sexually assaulted by a US Customs and Border Protection Officer, inside the Texas Border after crossing over from Mexico on July 11th, 2016. Complaint filed by the ACLU. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General took over the investigation. Both girls released to join their mother in Fresno, California.
"No More Deaths", a ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, Arizona, working with volunteers of "La Coalicio n de Diere Humanos" handed in a 34-page report. It drew on a survey of 58 border crossers and 544 cases from "Missing Migrant Line-tens of thousands have gone missing," more are never located. Border Patrol has blamed it all on the people smugglers, who reportedly will abandon people at any sign of trouble.
I am sure you have noticed quite a few stories from Global Times. This is a Mainland China news source that gives me stories from all over the world, not just China and I try to ignore the propaganda tales. Both China and Russia run English news stories, same for Spain, Greece, France and Italy, along with Egypt, and South Korea, Manila, Thailand and Taipei. This really does make it easier as I had problems with English in high school. The Martian news stories are even tougher.