A #Poem on a Social Evil.

An illustrative poem for your amusement. Pyramid Selling I who squat atop the all too ready fools who mass beneath my banner of false promises my lies my cheats deceits my tales of easy wealth made in a trice or quicker soon grow powerful and rich at their expense Please feel free to comment and …

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A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin: #BookReview.

304 pages Children’s/Science Fiction and Fantasy It may seem like an odd time of life to be reading children’s literature. In my defence, I bought this book ‘blind’ as one of a number I ordered after being gifted a book token for my 70th birthday. I’d heard of Ursula Le Guin, had her books recommended, …

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A Protest Poem.

Picture reproduced courtesy of Creative Commons Licence by kind permission of Donkeyhotey Are You Proud of Your Record to Date Mrs May? Are you proud of your record to date Mrs May Are you proud of the men in your club Do they fill every day with delight at their pranks Do they make every …

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A Brief Experiment

Procrastination is probably the writer’s greatest hidden enemy. Most of us unconsciously employ strategies designed to stop us putting pen to paper and getting on with the job. This is so even if we actively enjoy the process of writing. Something in us is almost self-destructive in its desire to stop us expressing ourselves in …

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The #Write #Word? Post 54

Word cloud designed via wordart.com When writing, do you find it hard to discover the ‘right’ word? I do, sometimes. In trying to improve my own work, perhaps I can help others. Today’s words: Unhinged/Sane, Uselessly, Until such time as, Uniform. Antonyms: words that express the opposite of other words can be hard to find, because …

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Capturing the Creative Craving

Children at the edge of the North Sea, Hornsea, East Yorkshire, England. This year I'm determined to concentrate on my creative needs. I write and I take photographs. I also love making pictures with pencil, pen, and paint, though those skills I've yet to hone. So, these Wednesday posts will display my efforts in this …

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Game Changers of the Apocalypse, by Mark Kirkbride: #BookReview.

Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic Horror 299 pages As far as I can recall, I’ve never read a book in the post-apocalypse genre before, so it’s probable there are recognisable conventions of which I’m unaware. That said, any book should generally be accessible to all readers if possible. This one took some getting into for me. Once I …

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The #Write #Word? Post 53

Word cloud via wordart.com Find it hard to discover the ‘right’ word when writing? So do I, sometimes. In working to improve my own writing, maybe I can help other writers. Today’s words: Taboo, Time period, Temper tantrum, Tory. Synonyms are alternative words that have the power to convey exactly what you’re trying to say. …

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2 Steps to Greater Exposure.

Share buttons In common with many writers, I support other authors. But some websites and blogs make this very difficult. Or, at least, do nothing to make it easy. We’re all busy people; time is our most precious resource. It’s sensible to make sharing your output as simple as possible. When Jo visits your site …

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Generation Mars: Video Trailer.

This brilliant trailer was produced by Ramon Marrett for Adiq, via my fabulous publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. Enjoy. BLOOD RED DUST: As Earth plunges into total climate chaos, will new bases on Mars rescue humanity from extinction when religious extremists threaten to destroy them? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1909163635/?tag=stuartaken-21 WAR OVER DUST: Who will win on Mars when violence …

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The #Write #Word? Post 52

Word cloud created via wordart.com Find it hard to discover the ‘right’ word when writing? So do I, sometimes. In working to improve my own writing, maybe I can help other writers. Today’s words: Shriek/Whisper, Spliced together, Stubborn as a mule, Science. Antonyms: words that express the opposite of other words can be hard to …

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Italy: Trip of a Lifetime. Final Part

Lake Maggiore on an uncharacteristic dull day, with a displaying cormorant in the foreground. This is the last of the posts recording our stay in Italy in September 2018. We had a great time, so we decided to share our experiences. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. …

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2018 is Done; Hello 2019

https://www.picfair.com/pics/05398192-vapour-trails Is it a good habit to review your past? Maybe looking back like this can help the observer see actions that might help in moving forward. Regardless, I love the New Year because, arbitrary as it is, it marks a point of renewal, a chance to start again. So, here are some facts about …

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The Darkness Abides, by L. Harcroft: #BookReview.

Fantasy serial It’s difficult to know whether this book is experimental or just badly written. The sentence structure sometimes seems borrowed from the 19th century and there are many errors that should have been spotted in editing. The opening is a strange mix of intriguing detail and oddly expressed action. We’re given no clues as …

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Where Did the Hills Go?, by Lali Gupta Chatterjee : #BookReview.

109 pages Science Fiction When science fiction is written by an established physicist the reader can expect the science at least to be plausible. That’s the case here, even though we’re in the world of quantum physics, which is an area full of speculation and dispute, and much misunderstood by so many. The story here …

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