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Welcome to Hackwriters November Issue: Follow James Campion on the USA or James Skinner on the Spanish Meltdown - lots to read and more coming in by the day:

From the Editor - November 13th:
Disaster comes in threes they say.  But what if it comes in sixes and sevens?
It’s been six weeks since I bought the money pit that is this house by the sea.
Superficially it looks great now.  I have scraped back eight layers of wallpaper, painted or replastered many walls, put new carpets down and laminated the ground floor.  Looks great.
Then we put a new gas boiler in for the central heating.

The first gusher ruined the hallway and was eventually fixed.
The second gusher ruined the dining room and was eventually fixed.
Now the pressure is dropping again and so far I have torn up the floors in the conservatory, the bathroom and kitchen but I cannot find the third leak.

This means all the new floors and carpets have to come up and all the old floors until we find this elusive leak and if it is like the last two it means we’ll find about half a meter of water, rotted joists and yet another nightmare. 

I am totally out of money and there’s no point in the insurance company putting anything back until we find the leak.

I have every sympathy with those who are still without power in New Jersey after Sandy or the many whose homes burned or were washed away.  If only a hurricane would sweep this house away … demolishing a house bit-by-bit to find a leak is crazy, but this is what we are effectively having to do.  Meanwhile winter is getting colder and I have a shivering 92 year old in the front room spinning curses from the dark ages on the gas company who are very casual about this and do not consider her feelings in this at all.

Then there is Everything Everywhere who are supposed to be supplying my broadband. Two months so far and nothing.  Can’t make the rooter work and never could a company be so indifferent or service so appalling. They keep sending a BT landline man who of course says there is nothing wrong with the landline. I know this as I called them on the landline! AVOID USING EE at all costs or you will very much regret it.  Using a dongle to do your work is far from satisfactory and they don’t even provide that.

It there any good to come out of this?  Hard to say until I have some floors to stand on I think.

I have finally begun to explore the neighbourhood – it seems Sea View Street is cool.  Found a friendly independent coffee shop Jose –the décor a bit ott and aimed at Sex and City gals, but the coffee is good, hell I even had a good meal in another coffee shop the other day, Miss Marple.  (I had beeswaxed a door and the fumes drove me out of the house).

When I open the curtains in the morning it's great to see the beach and the bird clouds that swarm at the waters edge.  Sadly the estuary has no power and there are no waves.  A shame, for I like to hear waves.  I have fond memories of a summer spent in Rockaway Beach living in a boarding house by the ocean.  In those days you could set your watch by the sound of Concord flying out overhead shaking every timber in the house as it skirted the rooftops on its way to London or Paris.  I was writing a book about an environmental /nuclear disaster at the time.

Much has happened in the last six weeks. Obama made history and now faces quite achallenge I think to steer America away from the fiscal cliff.  The BBC is in meltdown and has become so obsessed with itself I can’t bear to listen to the BBC news anymore.  Luckily there is Al Jazera at least – surely the most balanced news TV station in the world.

Meanwhile it’s too cold to type any longer and a duvet beckons.
Be well.  With luck my saga will end soon but I am not holding my breath.

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© Sam North - Editor November 2012 Author of Diamonds – The Rush of 72 (Print) The Great Californian Diamond Rush of 1872 - a grand western adventure that ruined the lives of almost everyone it touched. ipad (iTunes version)

The Repossession. View the Trailer here - a fast paced edgy romantic thriller 'The Repossession... will blow your mind and keep you guessing until the very end'. A Dream of Books (SJH) 'Smart, dark and graceful, this story is sure to send chills down your spine...one of the best, and most fascinating, debut novels I've ever read'. Evie-bookish.blogspot Out Now - The Hunting - the thrilling sequel - order yours from Amazon or Waterstones See Sam's previous guest editorial here: Hawksmoor

'The Repossession is a well-written absolute wonderful sci-fi mystery... that will never let you go.’
http://thoughtsandroses.blogspot.co.uk -

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