The International Writers Magazine Editorial September 2022

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Welcome to this September 2022 edition of Hackwriters. 23 years on-line, 7890+ articles - reviews - stories - travel - share any feature you like and pass them on.

September 23rd 2022

Editorial: Where do we go from here?

The UK is going for broke today- lowering taxes - running up huge debts - let's hope they know what they are doing.

Putin is making yet more nuclear threats. We should all be worried but not give up our resolve to support Ukraine.
Good to see Ukraine making headway in the fightback against Russia. This quote from President Zelensky says it all:
"Do you think you can intimidate, break us, force us to make concessions? Read my lips. No gas or no you? No you. No lights or no you? No you. Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst - for us these are less frightening and less deadly than your friendship and brotherhood."

Queen Elizabeth was finally laid to rest in a private ceremony in Windsor Castle as King Charles 111 begins his reign. The Queen had a long life and touched the hearts of millions across the globe - few of us can ever say that about ourselves. The funeral had many of the world leaders in attendance. It was a huge event with all the world's media covering it.

*A slight hiccup in my own life. Had a heart attack whilst walking in Beckenham Palace woods. Had two angiogram procedures in Kings College Hospital and although both procedures hurt like hell, I now have three stents and am due another in a months time at the back of my heart - which I'm dreading. I'm very lucky that in emergencies the NHS works well with highly professional staff at all levels - who smile and reassure at every stage. Kings does all the cardiac work for five hospitals and you can hear helicopters flying in yet more heart victims even when on the operating table. (Six arrived on the same day all requiring urgent attention.)

I'm ok-ish. Perhaps saved by my vegan diet and never having smoked. Other were not so lucky. But arghh - the list of pills I have to take now and the coughing they induce .... But thank you to NHS - yet again for keeping me alive.

October will be the month reality kicks in for England and we have a new Prime Minister Liz Truss. One does not envy her given all the problems we face this winter. Her intention is to freeze energy costs for home owners at £2500 a year (which will cost taxpayers £150 billion over two years). This is necessary but defeating Putin in Ukraine would be the best way of solving this. Putin is manipulating the energy market and continues with his merciless war against Ukraine now offering fake referendums in the occupied regions to raise the risks.  To add to the general misery here, we have environmentalists trying to block oil terminals and prevent the British public from filling up or driving their cars.

So, in response to the energy costs and inflation currently running at 9.9% we have huge numbers of workers such as railway drivers, posties, some garbage workers, port workers on strike, soon to be joined by teachers, lecturers, even barristers, and most likely all civil servants (although that would be hard to tell).  In the UK trains run sporadically with timetables a work of fiction. So far supermarket shelves are still full but for how long and what if shelf-stackers go on strike or delivery people? Heaven help us if we also have a flu epidemic or a Covid variant returns to haunt us but Omicron boosters are now available, as are flu shots. Form an orderly queue please.

Are we in a revolution?  Is this what it is?  If so, what is the end goal? Are we for warm homes or against?  People WFH but everyone knows ‘service’ has gone out the window.  Some of the population want a return to cheap energy and ‘nationalise the energy producers’, others want people to freeze to death in their homes and make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the planet.

If you’re thinking of booking a restaurant to eat a Christmas meal this winter, best check they can afford to turn the oven on, let alone pay the staff.  Check you have enough fuel to get there and back.  Expect this candle cooked meal to be twice as expensive as last year. *Yet right now restaurants are still full and la dolce vita continues.

Then there’s the other revolution building in America.  Democracy is at risk stemming from Donald Trump’s endless lies.  His democracy denying candidates are well placed to win Senate and Congress seats – then close the door on democracy after them. They are all hiding their views on abortion suddenly as James Campion writes. (*And Happy Birthday to James) But perhaps it is best to remember that if you dispense with democracy – the result is tyranny.  Be careful what you wish for.

We don’t know what is going to happen this winter, but Putin is hoping for riots and he's putting his people in place in Europe that will allow him to take Ukraine unopposed.  The election result in Italy after the 25th will be a test for how effective Putin’s pressure is on the Italian electorate and whether support for Ukraine survives.  But then, why stop there?  He can take back half of Europe and meet no resistance at the German border if he promises to deliver gas. I’m sure Oban will be at the side of the road waving flags as he marches into Hungary. 

Perhaps we will stoically remain calm and get through winter united. But you just might want to lay in some emergency supplies, buy lots of blankets and triple lock your doors. Be a Prepper!

*My new mystery novel The Book of Ashes is now published. Download now.
'an immensely satisfying story' - Walli Leff on Goodreads.

© Sam Hawksmoor - Editor - September 2022

The Book of Ashes • New from Sam Hawksmoor ISBN: 979-8-837434-952 ASIN: B0B85HFK86 Hammer & Tong August 2022 - print and kindle 'an immensely satisfying story' - Walli Leff on Goodreads. I miss you so much... even when you’re right here		The Book of Ashes - Some secrets are meant to be kept forever The Case: Delaney and Asha run their own investigation company now. Hired to find a writer who stiffed a client of $10,000 - things go bad pretty fast. "This was supposed to be a simple track and trace job. Find the writer, bank the money. Now it's a horror show."

'We Feel Your Pain' by Sam Hawksmoor ISBN-13: 979-8699087693 Published by Hammer & Tong Print or Kindle from Amazon		We Feel Your Pain – So you don’t have to. The Case: Delaney (42) and Asha (22) run the Office of Berg City Oversight. Their role is to expose the scams, keep the city safe from unscrupulous people.  When something looks too good to be true – it’s a scam, right?  But what if the scam works?  What kind of scam is that?

MISSION LONGSHOT: how far will you go to save one life? Gerry is convinced aliens are going to attack on Millennium Eve - Y2K night. Everyone else is preparing for the end of civilisation. When it happens only Gerry notices aliens land. He and his spacenut pals Jolene and Kali race to be the first to greet them... 'Climate change, lost alien civilisations, adventures in deep space. Great fun with endearing characters'. Kitty Thomas

The Sam North Novels - still available to order Amazon or Lulu

*Keeping Hackwriters archived is supported by sales of our books - so do buy, print or kindle, we aren't picky.
Magenta - A chilling story of kidnapping, burning and strangeness set in the wilds of Lincolnshire

** The Heaviness, & The Repercussions of Tomas D - 'best time travel WW2 story in a long while'

The new edition of 'ANOTHER PLACE TO DIE: ENDTIME CHRONICLES By Sam Hawksmoor & Sam North There's no safe place to hide from a lethal pandemic Print & Kindle - Q&A interview with the authors here A city gripped by fear. 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. a taster here The Last Ferry Review from the First Edition: 'Beautiful, plausible, and sickeningly addictive, Another Place to Die: Endtime will terrify you, thrill you, and make you petrified of anyone who comes near you...' Roxy West - Amazon.co.uk

Girl with Cat (Blue) - Shortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award 'a funny, bloody, colorful narrative that never fails to surprise the reader. Girl with Cat (Blue) provides great entertainment'.

'This book was amazing! I was hooked from the first few pages and couldn't put the book down.' Judge, 26th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. - Honorable Mention

J&K 4Ever - A post-apocalypse love story 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.   '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

Spy/Romance thriller set during the Blitz in WW2 - Kindle download 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 ' *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. * Also published as Rüya by Marti Yayincilik - The Turkish publishers of TOZ & Golge

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