The International Writers Magazine Editorial November 2023

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Welcome to this edition of Hackwriters. 24 years on-line, 7,966 + articles - reviews - stories - travel - share any feature you like and pass them on. November 2023 - Previous Editorial here

Meanwhile James Campion has a winning suggestion for the GOP in the USA. Can a compromise be reached?
Fancy a solo trip to India? Henry K has gone to Australia, Dr Asmar asks what is the future for Gaza?

May the Truce continue and all the hostages be returned alive.

Editorial: War? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Yes there are two terrible wars going on right now – did you forget Russia’s war against Ukraine already? In your rush to donate to Palestine don't forget Kyiv. If for lack of will or attention we allow Ukraine to lose - where do you think Putin will look next? As the lottery says 'It could be you'!

War is horrible and in the end no one wins – it just leaves corpses, ruins and maimed individuals behind. Ordinary people become heroes then are forgotten, especially if they lose their limbs, which is the fate of thousands of defenders in Ukraine. Winter is coming and with Putin supporting Republicans in the USA refusing to allow any more help for them they must be worried.

In the Israel vs. Hamas conflict ordinary Palestinians suffer and die in their thousands because their cynical political leaders park their weapons under schools and hospitals in their 300 miles of well protected tunnels. This is to maximise civilian casualties to create PR opportunities for Hamas. This is pure evil and cowardice.  We watch children die daily for nothing. There will be decades of trauma for those who survive.

Nevertheless, Israel could have taken the high road and not responded militarily and gained useful worldwide sympathy for their situation, but of course, they are on a hiding to nothing with whichever choice they made.  Anti-Semitism is never far from the surface but Netanyahu didn’t have to pander to the far right in his government just to keep himself out of jail. The internal political distractions played into Iran and Hamas' hands. The surprise attack worked. No one was reading the signs or listening to the warnings. Now Gaza lies in ruins. I don't see any Arab neighbours rushing in to help them. Who will take in two million Palestinians?  The consequences of this war will be felt for generations.

Will there ever be a two state solution?  It recedes with every bomb or rocket on both sides.  I’d like to think this will be all over soon but what will be left of Gaza, where will the surviving Palestinians live?  How will they live?  Has no one thought about this? How will the medical system, water supplies and pipe infrastructure be put back together? You still see the bombed out cities in Syria and all the Syrian refugees living elsewhere that are still too afraid to return and lack the resources to rebuild if they did. Stop this carnage now.

© Sam Hawksmoor November 28th 2023
Editor and author of We Feel your Pain & The Book of Ashes *Sales of these books help keep Hackwriters going

The Book of Ashes • New from 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		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, 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' 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

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