The International Writers Magazine Editorial 2018

TRAVEL

COMMENT

LIFESTYLES

REVIEWS

FICTION

Welcome to this 2018 edition of Hackwriters. Read us and our amazing archives too. 19 years on-line, 7476 articles - reviews - stories - travel - share any feature you like and pass them on using the links.

Editorial: January

As you might notice we are only updating some regular contributors at present as officially we are in archive mode. I am making plans to visit Cape Town and Knysna this February - get some writing done. Planning to adapt 'Girl with Cat (Blue)' for TV. Seems like a worthwhile project to work on when at the beach. Better than trying to work out where to live next at least. Thanks to all this populism politics, it is much harder to just go where you want to go. I preferred better times before Trump and Brexit when we could dream of living by the sea without nationalism poisoning the waters. Anyway, a month by the ocean can't be bad to regain some perspective on life.
**
Thanks for the emails. Sorry we are going. But here we are at the end of the road. 19 years on from where we first started in Falmouth University College with the Professional Writing Programme (We started out as Bloc in January 1999 but the technicians at the College wiped the hard drive of our first year's work, a week after we won the Guardian Student Website of the Year). So we were quickly reborn as Hackwriters in Jan 2000 and safely held on a server they couldn't wipe. Almost 19 years of maintaining a monthly magazine for nothing is quite a task, but a combination of things has led to us putting it out to archive for the time being. But a need to renew, explore other things before one can't. It's disappointing for our regular writers, James Campion (who has many other outlets these days), James Skinner who kept us up to speed in Spain all these years, Martin Green who gives a foretaste of what life being retired is really like, and fiction writers such as Abigail George and many others who regularly commit to a fresh new piece of writing every month. I shall miss their work but I am sure they will find other places to go. We shall keep recirculating are archived material fo the time being...

The changes in our lives since 1999 are enormous. We don't realise it as we live our lives day to day, but a whole new set of jobs and careers have evolved and at the same time thanks to social media tolerance of others seems to have evaporated. It's entirely my fault we didn't exploit social meda when it emerged - I find it bewildering that people are so embracing of the idea of having hundreds and thousands of digital friends you will never meet - but then again - how many of our readers did I ever meet? Always happy to get an email about how much they may have enjoyed an article or two, but that's the extent of it. Should have got into podcasts and TED talks and you name it - but hey ho - no matter now. I'm with the dinosaurs now.

I want to thank all our readers for showing interest and coming back to us. The site will remain up to explore for the time being - a living fossil, testament to disappearing history. It's shareable yet ephemeral. After packing up the office I was surrounded by hundreds of boxes of books and documents and I'm wondering if they will ever be emptied again. I can't even think about where I want to live - not until we know whether we have a hard or soft Brexit at least.

Meanwhile – do me a favour – read the latest Sam Hawksmoor novel Girl with Cat (Blue) - it’s available as Kindle or Print on Amazon and I promise it’s fun and exciting with many twists and turns. Who wouldn't like a book where the villains turn out to be the French ... Order now

All the best for a less scary 2018 - and a great year of the Dog!
My New Year wish is for Twitter to malfunction in the White House...
© Sam North Jan 5th 2018
The Sam North Novels - still available to order on Lulu or Amazon

Be one of the first to read: Girl with Cat (Blue)
'London doesn't exist; has never existed and those who say it does are liars... '

*As ever Hackwriters is supported by sales of our books - so do buy, print or kindle, we aren't picky.
**And thanks for those who do. The Heaviness, Another Place to Die: Endtime Chronicles are recommended.
also read The Repercussions of Tomas D

J&K 4Ever - Love and Devotion in the Wastelands Sixty years after the end of everything the city of Bluette survives, controlled by a malignant sect.  A place where men rule, girls receive no education and are matched at 16 to the highest bidder.  No one is ever permitted to leave the city and outside is a murderous wasteland of despair. Orphans Kruge and Jeyna have been devoted to each other through all the years of terror in this harsh regime and sworn never to be parted.  But the beautiful Jeyna has been betrayed by the Warden. Kruge has been swiftly banished to the Scraps, under the control of the Keeper. Jeyna is heartbroken; she will not accept her fate and escapes to find Kruge.  She is pursued by ruthless Enforcers on horseback, whose task it is to bring runaways back, dead or alive. 'A genuine romance in a bleak but plausible and terrifying setting'.

J&K 4Ever

MARIKKA- exclusively on Amazon Print and kindle 2 Based on a tragic real life event, Marikka flees from an arson attack on her home to the sea, where she meets Starfish boy – a runaway working for Jackson, a scarred man hiding a sinister secret from the world. Meanwhile her real father searches for her with the aide of Anya, ‘the girl who can read objects’. More about the writing of this book ‘Long after my tears dried, my heart stayed with Marikka, Starfish Boy and the strange girl who reads objects.’ CT You will smile, you will gasp with shock, and you will struggle to read the words through your tears. Gemma Williams - Amazon.co.uk 2015

The all new edition of 'ANOTHER PLACE TO DIE: ENDTIME CHRONICLES By Sam Hawksmoor and Sam North Could you live in a world where antibiotics no longer work? Print & Kindle Q&A interview with the authors here A city gripped by fear as a lethal virus approaches from the East. No one knows how many are dying. People are petrified of being thrown into quarantine. Best friends Kira and Liz once parted are scared they will never see each other again. Teen lovers, Chris and Rachel, prepare to escape to the islands. Do you stay and hide, or do you flee? Review from the First Edition: 'Beautiful, plausible, and sickeningly addictive, Another Place to Die will terrify you, thrill you, and make you petrified of anyone who comes near you...' Roxy West - Amazon.co.uk

Spy/Romance thriller set during the Blitz in WW2 - Kindle download All proceeds go to keeping Hackwriters going The Repercussions of Tomas D A Hero? Or Englands Greatest Traitor? USA Paperback here 'Disturbing and very poignant YA love story that presents a chilling alternate future for an England that lost the war.' Marcel d'Agneau 'A brilliant imagining of living in the Blitz, well researched.' Amazon UK 'This is Man in the High Castle for teens and scarily plausible with alternative facts ' *download the Kindle version or buy the paperback from Hammer & Tong

'The Heaviness' for any reader who likes to think about such things as betrayal, revenge, relationships and the laws of gravity. An original Genie Magee story Genie & Renée have just 36 hours to save Rian or he dies 'Without a doubt, one of the best YA Sci Fi series out there.' Evie Seo Bookish Kindle & print Thanks to readers who have been buying this title this year. If you enjoyed it, please post a remark on Amazon or Goodreads. It all helps. * Now published as Rüya by Marti Yayincilik - The Turkish publishers of TOZ & Golge

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