The International Writers Magazine Editorial February 2024

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Welcome to this edition of Hackwriters. 25 years on-line, 7,976 + articles - reviews - stories - travel - share any feature you like and pass them on. February 2024 - Previous Editorial here

Editorial: Caring As ever Trump dominates the world news winning South Carolina primary. Even Navalny's horrible death was all about Trump it seems. The rest of the news seems to be about how close we are to WW3. Very, I suspect, but you already know that. What was it Einstein said - WW3 will be fought with sticks and stones. How's your bomb shelter coming along? Actually there is a WW2 bombshelter under my garden, sealed up long ago. I am not exhuming it. Tin hats and tin roofs won't save us from nukes or drones this time around. Recently I have been caring for a very sick family member. There are downsides to looking after a sick person, their moods especially. You may have experienced this yourself. One half of you is pleased that they have survived a catastrophic illness, the other half is biting a tongue as sick people tend to be grumpy, disconsolate, depressed at their impending mortality and very critical of your care, the food you have lovingly made, or indeed your very own presence. This is known as the recovery phase. I am finally home – although feeling guilty for wanting to. The patient hasn’t fully recovered their confidence to walk far although seems to be able to cook now.  I am very cognizant of the fact that she is the exact same age as President Biden, so I can easily project all her frailty onto him. The uncertainty over walking, the momentary panic when you can’t recall a specific word you know you know or misremember a time or place or name.  It’s a perfectly natural part of the ageing process.  But would I want my relative to run the free world?  Er no. That goes for 78-year-old Trump as well. Congress needs to introduce a maximum age limit to go alongside the minimum age you can run for president. 70 seems reasonable but 65 would be better.  And whilst they are at it, introduce a total prohibition on anyone with more than a million in the bank. American Billionaires all seem to be infected with the Ayn Rand syndrome and conceive anyone who isn’t rich are ‘losers’. So why waste money of Obamacare or Medicare, or indeed why allow health and safety in the workplace or prevent child labor from operating machinery or working down mines. All things the Republican states have done their best to eliminate in the last three years. And now in Alabama frozen embryos are children it seems. Theocratic insanity. Though cheaper to feed than the real thing. Which brings me back to caring.  My sainted relative is extremely lucky to be alive. Her life saved by excellent teams of nurses and doctors at the ‘Pru” who pumped her full of fluids as she lost all her body minerals during what might have been a viral attack alongside her heart attack.  It was a scary moment on the flight home from Miami knowing one is over the Atlantic Ocean and there is no possibility of landing anywhere but the UK. The Virgin Atlantic crew were brilliant and understanding.  She was incredibly lucky to survive. For all the faults in the UK right now in an emergency people really do care and do their jobs without complaint. There is hope for us yet I feel. Although Lev Raphael might disagree see her Zombie article posted today. Meanwhile James Campion feels we need a little education. How Congress & Politics Should Work On a last note, I am my latest novel ‘The Restoration of Ami’ will be published February 29th.  see below - better yet pre-order it.

© Sam Hawksmoor Feb 26th 2024
Editor and author of We Feel your Pain & The Book of Ashes
*Sales of these books help keep Hackwriters going - hell gift one for someone you don't like. I'm not picky...

The Restoration of Ami: Remy has one last obsession – to complete the restoration of his ’57 Studebaker Golden Hawk.  He’s planned a road trip to Montreal to find a part he desperately needs. It’s a long way from Florida; his Chevy truck is almost as old as he is. There are doubts he’ll be able to make the drive, doubts about his bladder, his heart, but he’s determined to go. At the very first urgent stop in the pouring rain, a dog appears from nowhere and jumps into his truck, quickly followed by a drenched teen. Scared, the girl, Ami, urgently needs a ride. She has escaped from a nearby religious cult and is desperate to find the mother who abandoned her to the cult when she was just five years old. One old man, a troubled teenage girl who knows nothing about the outside world and Stan the dog are on a road trip into MAGA America. With each mile they travel Montreal seems to get further away. ‘It’s a terrific story with engaging, interesting characters. What a wonderful dog!’ Walli Leff – New York

A Road Trip adventure by Sam Hawkmoor - Pre-Order now E-Books Drops: Feb 29th 2024

The Book of Ashes • Sam Hawksmoor ISBN: 979-8-837434-952 ASIN: B0B85HFK86 Hammer & Tong - print and kindle 'an immensely satisfying story' - Walli Leff on Goodreads. 'a fun read with unique elements ... exemplary in its voice and style' 'Judge, 10th Annual Writer's Digest E-Book Awards An extract from the Book of Ashes		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 & Kindle Book One in the Delaney & Asha series		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. That night 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'. * Screenplay a quarter-finalist in the Creative Screenwriting competition 2023

'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, 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' betrayal, revenge, relationships and the laws of gravity. 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 Read Part Two: The Hunting of Genie Magee - the fight for the right to exist

*December 9th: Sara Troy interviews Sam Hawksmoor on Self Discovery Wisdom

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