The International Writers Magazine Editorial Oct/Nov 2025

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COMMENT

LIFESTYLES

REVIEWS

FICTION

Welcome to this edition of Hackwriters. 26 years on-line, 8,089 + articles - reviews - stories - travel -
share any feature you like and pass them on.- Previous Editorial here

Welcome: In One Era and out the other ... The Endgame has arrived

US shutdown. How long will it last and how much pain will it cause? In the fourth week now with no end in sight. I'm going away for two weeks - odds are the shutdown will be still be in place when I get back.
Meanwhile France has a government again but no ability to pass a budget. Le Pen is getting closer to power.
Trump might have gained 'peace in Gaza' but at what cost and who will police it, let alone get started on shifting all that rubble into the sea? Israel might be surprised when Gaza doubles in size!

Is there a more relevant movie out there than 'One Battle After Another' right now. Loosely based on a 1990 novel by Thomas Pynchon 'Vineland' it arrives on our screens fresh out of the revolutionary box. rockets and all. Standout performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn and Chase Infiniti.
Next up 'Knives Out 3' I guess. Hope better than the last one.

*A word about travel insurance. You might not know that the EU now requires proof of insurance to visit Europe from the UK or America. I just got my renewal quote this week. It went up from £649 to £1300 - that's almost a 100% price hike. And no, I haven't made a claim - ever!. (A year policy from Insure&Go) And no. I'm not paying it, but the penalties for getting a year older are vicious and totally uneccessary. So don't book anything until you find that elusive insurance deal. Isn't there are marketing opportunity for a company to offer loyalty prices rather than drive customers away?

**Hackwriters News: As you may have noticed we have been limping along for the last two years – a relic of the early digital age.  Not enough contributors to make it dynamic and fresh, not enough readers to care and when our American correspondent James Campion pulled out this summer, we lost the heart of the magazine. James is a full time music journalist now and writer.

So, October is our last issue. My old Mac is dying, (as if it knows what coming) so it is time to say to farewell. 26 years is an eon in the digital age and by rights we should have given up the ghost a long time ago. We never monetised it or carried ads for anything but our own publications and I guess with hindsight that was a huge mistake. But we have remained pure to the end. (Or should that be poor?)

I knew a long time ago by not allowing ‘comments’ it would be a problem, but it also allowed our writers the freedom to write without the fear of trolls attacking them.  But all this started in Falmouth in 1999 and its hard to remember what a struggle it was back then with dial-up modems and bandwidth issues.  Student writers have moved on to various careers and some are even contemplating retirement already. But like a dinosaur moving slowly to find somewhere to die in peace – we’re going out quietly just before our full 26th year is up. Of course it will remain archived until some point in 2026.

So, thanks to our readers and writers. I have learned a lot from you all over the years and it has been a pleasure to host your journeys. Thank you too to the kind messages and sadness that we are giving up the ghost.

All the very best of luck to surviving AI and the troubled years ahead.

© Sam North - October 23rd 2025

Reader Comment: Oct 2nd 2025
Like many others writers, I'm sure, I was saddened that Hackwriters will be no more.  And, like many other writers, I'm grateful that it gave me a chance over many years to share my stories with its readers.  I'm especially grateful that in recent years a number of my old stories were shown and I could see what I'd done in my youngern years.  Did I write that?  So, thanks again to Sam North and his Hackwriters for a great run.  The best of everything for you, Sam, in the future.  One last cheers.
Martin Green

*Sam Hawksmoor's new mystery novel set in Spain is out now on Kindle and print. The Days After She Went Dancing Flamenco Can Be Murder! 'an intriquing, atmospheric novel (tinged with sadness)' Amazon review 1st Chapter here Backstory to the writing of the new novel here Catch up with Sara Troy's interview with Sam Hawksmoor here. Oct 1st 2025

*Sales of Sam North's and Sam Hawksmoor's books help keep Hackwriters archived.
Sam Hawksmoor's Books below

Whatever Happened to Genie Magee?

Whatever Happened to Genie Magee? • Sam Hawksmoor - Published 2025 ASIN ‏: B0DZTLNJHW ISBN-13: 978-1-7385181-1-1 USA Amazon link In a world where rich people want to live forever - a girl who never seems to age would be a tempting target. Her DNA would be very valuable indeed... Genie wakes up with a head injury from serious car wreck. She has no memory of the crash, or who she is. As she begins to recover her identity, she accidentally discovers a graphic novel is serializing her life, in horrific detail.  Her therapist is deeply skeptical this could be true and worries for her sanity. But all she can think of is, why is this happening to her? And how can she stop them? No 4: In The Repossession of Genie Magee series ...

The Restoration of Ami: ASIN: B0CVQMH78C - Kindle ISBN: 978-1-7385181-0-4 - Print UK Pub: Hammer & Tong/KDP 2.29.24 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. 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 there when she was just five years old. One old man, a troubled teenage girl and Stan the dog are on a road trip into MAGA America. With each mile they travel Montreal seems to get further away. 'Fabulous, can't-put-down story with quirky, original characters, a loveable dog and a great adventure'. ***** Roxy West on Goodreads.

A MAGA Road Trip by Sam Hawkmoor

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? 2024: Honorable Mention in the Purple Dragonfly Awards (Sci Fi) 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 Screencraft competition 2024

'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 only 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 * Also published as Rüya by Marti Yayincilik - The Turkish publishers of TOZ & Golge Part 2: The Hunting of Genie Magee - fight for the right to exist

Sara Troy interviews Sam Hawksmoor on Self Discovery Wisdom

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