The International Writers Magazine JULY Editorial 2016

TRAVEL

COMMENT

LIFESTYLES

REVIEWS

FICTION

Welcome to this edition of Hackwriters. Read us and our amazing archives too. 17 years on-line, 7333 articles - reviews - stories - travel - share any feature you like and pass them on using the links.

Editorial:

Beware of events they say. Turmoil in Turkey with 50,000 people purged from all professions. It can only end in tears and Turkey being a major political headache for years to come. Suspicions abound that the Coup was staged ...

Indiscriminate slaughter in Nice, knifings and axemen on trains, cop killers in the USA and Trump on his way to victory. This really is a woeful year and only half way through the Year of the Monkey when things get turned upside down. Can it get worse? Yep.

After Brexit - Turmoil

Be careful what you wish for.  Never more true than now. 17 million English voted to leave Europe and plunged the world stock markets into turmoil, tipped the Pound into a rubbish tip and blighted the future of all the generations to come.  It was not a great advert for democracy. Mob rule yes – although that leaves 16 million who voted to remain adrift and in despair. And Scotland would like to leave the UK. Families are split either side of the argument and the Leavers are only now wondering what the hell they voted for experiencing 'regrexit'. Politics have been turned upside down with the UK Prime Minister resigning and the Leader of the Oppositions facing a rebellion. Now we have Mrs May running the country as of the 13th July. Not Boris thank god - the great 'Bring Back Controller' who has gone into hiding. We are committed to Brexit and may God help us.

On a personal level I was gutted because I’d set my heart on living in France.  Seems impossible now as the pound drops towards parity with the Euro.  UK pensions will buy nothing abroad and those who live abroad must either take citizenship in Europe or face impossible costs to qualify for medical care or punitive taxes and visas to live there.  700,000 British homeowners in Spain must be very anxious and if they all sell (unlikely) they will crash the Spanish property market. Two millions British live and work in Europe and a bigger number of Europeans (3 Million) do the same in Britain, but all face years of anguish now as to their rights and futures.

As I mentioned last month, in a divorce no one wins except the lawyers. Europe in shape of Junker will play hardball and they won't care about making it easy for European manufacturers to export, as of course they are polticians with a totally different agenda. The UK is about to realise what being alone in a globalised world will be like and all the promises made by Leave politicians will crumble to dust. Just imagine the task of rewriting all our laws for starters. Lawyers will be in clover for decades to come.

As I drove down to Newbury during the referendum vote passing polling stations in the wide expanse of Lincolnshire, all I could see were old white people briskly walking, or steering electric chairs towards them with a smug smile on their faces.  No thought for future generations, just their own selfish bigoted, racist thoughts to keep them warm.  For all those young voters who didn’t get out of bed or went to Glastonbury – you can only change things by turning up to vote.  Don’t complain we left Europe if you failed to show up.

The last time I felt this bad was when at film school in the seventies when Labour was in power, strikes everywhere and inflation at 25%.  This is the direction we shall head back to now.  Jobs will start to disappear, then gather momentum as manufacturers decamp to Europe to escape terrifs as the deadline for leaving Europe approaches. The middle-classes will emigrate (if they can sell their houses) and weirdly a few years from now, the migrants everyone claims to hate will be British citizens wandering our deserted streets wondering what the hell they stayed for. 
Right now we feel 'OK' it's summer. But once negotiations by David Davis begin and Article 50 is triggered we will wake up with a very delayed hangover and full of regret.
There are no bright sunlit uplands in our future.
*And for the response to the Spanish elections see here
Sam North: Editor

*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.
The spy/romance Repercussions of Tomas D set in the Blitz has a small following now. Spread the word.

New in 2016: J&K 4Ever - A touching young love story in a post-apocalypse Sixty years after the end of everything the city of Bluette survives, controlled by a malignant sect.  It’s a place where men rule, girls receive no education and are matched at 16 to the highest bidder.  Everything ‘modern’ is considered evil and prohibited.  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 and matched to the recently widowed Master of the Sewers, who has paid well for his virgin bride. Kruge, the carpenter’s apprentice, 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.

*New - J&K 4Ever Sam Hawksmoor

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 2nd Edition of 'ANOTHER PLACE TO DIE: ENDTIME CHRONICLES By Sam Hawksmoor and Sam North (2015 version) 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 Williams - 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 *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 The Heaviness published by Hammer and Tong 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.

Share |

• Back to Index

© Hackwriters.com 1999 - 2016 - Our 17th year
We are Carbon Neutral

FICTION . TRAVEL . LIFESTYLES - REVIEWS