Into the Fire

Blaze by Dustin Stevens is Book 7 in the HAM Action Thrillers Series.

If you've never met "Ham," she's a killer, literally. Post-military career, her home-base is in the Mexican desert, but her heart-home is with Glenda, her sister and niece, and the rest of the girls at the secluded mountain home where Glenda – and Ham when needed – keeps them safe from the horrific lives they've previously lived and escaped to the place they now call home. 

A night of girlish fun is interrupted by two alerts. One on Glenda's phone which signals someone approaching their obscure gate and the other a call from "Mikey" who provides unique jobs for Ham. Glenda's alert proves to be an errant Amazon driver who has the wrong place, but Mikey's call is a vague security/protection job of which, uncharacteristically, he doesn't have a lot of information. Ham somewhat reluctantly agrees to do it and prepares to fly out.

Meeting the team of a young rock star ("Blaze") and her band of the same name, Ham is not impressed with the set-up which is: no one is telling Blaze that Ham is there for her protection because of a stark warning that includes a big knife with blood on it and a missing security guard outside Blaze's dressing room. When Ham and Mikey discuss it on a call, Mikey lets Ham know he'll get more info and that if she wants a pass on this one, he's good with it. She decides to stick with it but leaves the option open. 

Things get dangerous quickly and confusing until finally there's a serious confrontation with whoever is responsible for the dire warning, and one of the team is seriously injured while Ham takes care of two out of three. 

The strange lack of an obvious motive makes this case extremely frustrating for Ham until she manages to pry enough information from a rabid fan to lead her to a solution.

There are twists and turns with the gamut of information coming in unusual and seemingly disconnected chapters of characters' thoughts and actions until Ham has just enough to set out after the source of all the danger. 

As with all of the Ham novels, she is an accomplished assassin who knows virtually every possible way to inflict pain and death upon those who've done damage to innumerable victims. She has no qualms, but she has plenty of anger and vitriol to enable her to put down those who've been insatiable and without conscience in harming others. Suffice it to say her weapon of choice is a combat tomahawk although she's proficient in just about everything. 

This particular story gives Ham an angry tone through most of the book. Frustration with the band's team, the lack of information, the overall venue, she isn't satisfied until she's faced with all the facts and knows her enemies – when it's "do or die time", and she has no intention of being the one who ends up dead. 

The final scene is a perfect ending to an interesting story. 

Father, please bless Dustin in his continued writing endeavors and may he know how much you've blessed him. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

The Zombies with one of their hits featured on their 1968 album. They had some good ones. 

Father, may each one you've gifted know the source of their gift(s). In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

When you start out pursuing a career in novel writing, are your dreams big, huge, mammoth? Or paltry, defeated, and miserable? Do you think all that you've studied will allow you to compose the words and stories to send readers into making rave reviews or cause them to toss the book unfinished into a pile to take to one of the giveaway bins in a charitable facility? 

I would think people pursuing the challenge of writing fiction come in all variations ranging from physical stature and age to levels of education to social status to the gamut of dreamers or realistic hopefuls to etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. There's no telling what future storytellers might look like or be thinking. 

It's a strange vocation to anticipate. If you've always wanted to write, chances are you've taken a lot of voyages on the pages of creation and finally decided upon a genre or perhaps multi-genres where you want to invest your time and energy creating. You have close associates with whom you can dare to share your efforts encouraging them to tell you "the truth" about what you've written. Do make sure they're true readers. If they give you a favorable report and ask for more, at least you know you've piqued an interest in your work. Use it as encouragement, assuming you respect their opinions. 

The usual types of novice writers are either stars-in-their-eyes raging optimists or teary-eyed-never-will-make it pessimists or those who think they're realists in their expectations and will attribute their success on how hard they're willing to work. Well, my perspective is this: If you have somehow acquired strong connections in the publishing industry (traditional or otherwise), have successful authors willing to mention/recommend you and your work, and have a knack for marketing, you increase your chances for "success" enormously. And realize there are exceptions to every rule, every recommendation, suggestion, demand, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 

Most importantly: Keep writing. Until you are satisfied. 

Father, you give the talents and gifts. Contrary to what most people think, apart from you, we can do nothing. Thank you for every story you've given me. I know apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

     I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6:19-23 (NIV)

Thank you, author Karin Kaufman. So much. My one and only mystery. Race. 

Father, thank you for putting Karin in my life. Please bless her and keep her safe from all harm. And, Lord, give her the words she needs to write those stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

A very long time ago in Rome, Italy. Two young women experimenting with our cameras in our hotel room. The trip of a lifetime for me. 

Father, thank you for protecting me throughout those exciting months spent traveling. You've always gone before me even when I had yet to meet your Son. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

My Dear Friends, 

IF you would like to receive an email newsletter from me about me and my writing, my novels, novels in general, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, this is it. Your opportunity to respond by simply leaving a comment here, on Facebook, or on X. Message me or not. Your choice.

You will not be bombarded with emails. This is a once-a-month shot. You're not required to reply to it or anything else. Just let me know if you'd like to receive one. I guarantee it will not be lengthy or time consuming or make any demands of you. All I will need to send it to you is your email address and you can choose to give me that privately on X via Direct Message or on Facebook Message. That's it. Last call!  

Father, thank you for all of the wonderful people I've "met" through these social gathering places. It's been a truly wonderful experience to get to know people from all over our great country. For each one of them, I pray a blessing over their lives, that their relationship with you would grow stronger and more meaningful as they press on in this lifetime. Give them joy and help them to see the beauty you've left for us to experience. May each one feel your presence and comfort, grace, and mercy daily. Thank you for each one. In the Name above all names, the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Going way back to this beautiful lady and her captivating voice . . . Ella! 

Father, thank you for all the voices you've given your singers. May each one know from whom their gifts have come. Thank you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Musings indeed . . . 

I'm fairly sure the same people who thought/designed/made child-size height for toilets as regulation size (at least in Washington state) are the same people who designed the waste of space 6' widths for the new regulation-size sidewalks as well as making the sticky side of envelopes to leave the corners without adhesive thus making it easier for the whole flap to become unstuck or partially/fully opened before being delivered. Pretty sure they run in the same crowd. 

. . . 

     "We found that the brain works completely differently when you are using your hand to draw or write, as opposed to using the keyboard."  Audrey van der Meer, researcher.

I found this fascinating because when I really get stuck creatively, I resort to notebook and pen. If I'm that stumped, I'll print the last few pages of where I stopped writing. Then I start from that spot and handwrite until I'm ready to stop creating for a while. It does work for me.  

. . . 

Please, if you're uncomfortable driving at over 50 mph, do NOT drive on the freeways. PLEASE. And learn to merge WITH traffic. You don't have the right of way or the right to go any speed you want. 

Okay. That's enough of Monday musings. I'm done now. 

Father, things get crazy down here, but you know that. Help me to do and say the right things in spite of them. Thank you for your grace and mercy my entire life. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

  "Many women do noble things,

   but you surpass them all."

Proverbs 31:28-29 (NIV)