tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80673048310953008912024-03-13T15:03:12.379+00:00The Book Is The Life...Books, anthologies and chapbooks, for sale or for free, digital or paperback, everything you need to know about the works of author and journalist Mark CantrellAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-82439709580115290772012-08-04T18:06:00.001+01:002012-08-04T18:08:26.164+01:00A New Beginning With Mark Cantrell, Author<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO55-qo4itCTtTMdczU7Vp33LrdrmEqFotZMr9VdrmykYJMlwIaZNY0iyIg087g14AkWwX0TZi8zjIxY921nxBR0YZm1fJlomL42zEfIDDPkcPGHcSXHNlpr_fERKJWqwYIkwO6qIxWA/s1600/Site+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO55-qo4itCTtTMdczU7Vp33LrdrmEqFotZMr9VdrmykYJMlwIaZNY0iyIg087g14AkWwX0TZi8zjIxY921nxBR0YZm1fJlomL42zEfIDDPkcPGHcSXHNlpr_fERKJWqwYIkwO6qIxWA/s200/Site+Image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Mark doesn't scribe here any more </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.markcantrell.co.uk/">www.markcantrell.co.uk</a> </span><br />
<br />
ASTUTE observers will note this blog hasn't been updated in a while. There's a very good reason for that. There's a new blog in cyberspace, and you can find it over there on the new website, <a href="http://www.markcantrell.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mark Cantrell, Author</a>.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Word is it's pretty good. Well, that's where the smart words - and the hungry readers - are gathering now to partake of my latest writings.<br />
<br />
Over the last few months, I've been building and tweaking the site, ready for its formal debut, so that's you'll find all the latest news about my literary life, published words, and - of course - all my latest blog posts and articles.<br />
<br />
See you on the other site.<br />
<br />
And don't forget to make a note of the url: <a href="http://www.markcantrell.co.uk/">www.markcantrell.co.uk</a> <br />
<br />
<b>Mark Cantrell,<br />Manchester,<br />1 August 2012</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-27324620008259649002012-07-04T19:56:00.001+01:002012-07-04T19:56:41.150+01:00EXCLUSIVE OFFER<div class="webs-bin" id="webs-bin-4ff1f56d0cf21dde7075e3ad">
<div class="webs-bin-wrap">
<div class="webs-container webs-module-title w-title-default">
<h3 class="webs-title webs-title-align-left ">
<div class="w-text " style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTv411SiekZz622ucNHF2kVAOm54c251W4v4kDTfKyJunmPhrW5shq9J1ZgpaxcTd5VZNR4jRR4RTrM46w-MgpWy7ajXhiLyxwaxlXtGSmaq6jMnta5xdzXkm9CC-zy0bv-px9PorpHiI/s1600/cz-cover-small.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTv411SiekZz622ucNHF2kVAOm54c251W4v4kDTfKyJunmPhrW5shq9J1ZgpaxcTd5VZNR4jRR4RTrM46w-MgpWy7ajXhiLyxwaxlXtGSmaq6jMnta5xdzXkm9CC-zy0bv-px9PorpHiI/s200/cz-cover-small.jpg" width="122" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">STOP PRESS... Quids In With The Smashwords Summer Sale...</span></span></div>
</h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcA_4dVXl9raUabCYybbA-QIo62OnFPehzi-KBNrcKEGtpqNm6gib64Ddf48Y0_fWLKDbeXSJeu7pEe0v7nzfammPs9paPV6CTb7g5KIci5mok9MMxRqqBuzHnGXJqobBOnwbU2XtO6Hw/s1600/iscoversmall.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcA_4dVXl9raUabCYybbA-QIo62OnFPehzi-KBNrcKEGtpqNm6gib64Ddf48Y0_fWLKDbeXSJeu7pEe0v7nzfammPs9paPV6CTb7g5KIci5mok9MMxRqqBuzHnGXJqobBOnwbU2XtO6Hw/s200/iscoversmall.gif" width="122" /></a><span class=" wz-bold" style="font-size: large;">EXCLUSIVE</span><span style="font-size: large;"> to <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/WordZero" id="0BCEA757-5A04-485B-B809-940093553F55">Smashwords</a>: </span><br />
<br />
Throughout July you can get the novel <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" id="9CA5D04C-0600-4A88-BC84-36B856B846D3">CITIZEN ZERO</a> and the fiction anthology <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971" id="34A516EE-E0A8-49FD-99D0-A685207C6B95">ISOLATION SPACE</a>
half price in the Summer Sale using code SSW50.<br />
<br />
At a quid a shot
($1.58) that's less than a cup of coffee for some great literature.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the poetry anthology <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35645" id="6363C472-125C-417D-967A-1459CC68443E">DEUS EX INSOMNIA</a> is going FREE, just use code SSWIN -- offer ends 31 July 2012. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Formats cover the Kindle, Sony, Nook, Apple and other popular e-reading devices.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile you can find <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CitizenZER0" target="_blank">CITIZEN ZERO on Facebook</a> and read more at the author's new website: <a href="http://www.markcantrell.co.uk/citizen-zero" target="_blank">Mark Cantrell, Author</a>. <br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-19777620768257303442012-03-04T18:59:00.001+00:002012-03-04T18:59:19.775+00:00OFFER: Read An eBook Week (4-10 March)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ew5979A5BzTOPFtj6I4UrL4T-SMFPscaVbMEgX8YEUb4zsAaxrmeSTkO_pbi0l9VGIWgE5HQT0UUmenI-Mp1WNLOVDT3UbtLvgULcy4RBIglhU3FPQDTmq-mcAHh8xvUKlYfQa_9CbU/s1600/hubble12.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ew5979A5BzTOPFtj6I4UrL4T-SMFPscaVbMEgX8YEUb4zsAaxrmeSTkO_pbi0l9VGIWgE5HQT0UUmenI-Mp1WNLOVDT3UbtLvgULcy4RBIglhU3FPQDTmq-mcAHh8xvUKlYfQa_9CbU/s1600/hubble12.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Done deal for a
festival of digital literature <br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE deal is done and the books are on the table. All you
have to do is head on over to <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/WordZero" target="_blank">Smashwords </a>to partake of the half-price book deal
now running to celebrate Read An eBook Week (4-10 March 2012). <br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the rest of this week, my novel <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank">CITIZEN ZERO</a>, fiction
anthology <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971" target="_blank">ISOLATION SPACE</a>, and my poetry collection <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35645" target="_blank">DEUS EX INSOMNIA</a>, can be
bought for half the usual retail price using the coupon code REW50. <br />
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Visit <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/WordZero" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>, and then just enter the above code at the
checkout to purchase the works for $1.58 or 99p in UK money. After that,
download the format of your choice: the works are available for the Kindle,
Nook, Sony, Apple and other devices.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank">CITIZEN ZERO</a> is a hard-hitting dystopian thriller set in a near-future
Britain broken by social division and austerity. The novel is not for the
faint-hearted, especially as the UK appears to be living through the prequel…<br />
<br />
David Mills finds himself dragged into a political conspiracy that propels
the country to the brink of civil war. All he wanted was a job, now he has to
struggle to stay alive as he becomes a pawn in a deadly intrigue to topple a
dictatorial Prime Minister. Think Boys from the Blackstuff meets The Matrix,
throw in a dose of V for Vendetta, and witness the explosive climax to this age
of austerity.<br />
<br />
Find out more at the <a href="http://www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Citizen Zero</a> sub-site. Buy the book from <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971" target="_blank">ISOLATION SPACE</a> presents
an eclectic collection of 20 short stories, from horror to the macabre, through
science fiction and fantasy, to the mischievous and satirical. There’s aliens
and vampires, surreal streams of consciousness, twisted perceptions, dangerous
appetites, and an eye-watering end to the night.<br />
<br />
Find out more at <a href="http://mark-books.blogspot.com/search/label/ISOLATION%20SPACE" target="_blank">The Book Is The Life</a>. Buy the anthology at <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35645" target="_blank">DEUS EX INSOMNIA</a> is a collection of 80-odd poems, ranging from the macabre
to the mischievous, with plenty of thought prodded and provoked. To add to the
mix, the collection throws in a few creative non-fiction essays that explore
the mysterious brain-space where literature is born.<br />
<br />
Find out more about the collection at <a href="http://www.mark-books.blogspot.com/search/label/DEUS%20EX%20INSOMNIA" target="_blank">The Book Is The Life</a>. Buy the
collection from <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35645" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
<br />
Don’t forget, the above titles are available at half-price only from
Smashwords, using the coupon code REW50 at the checkout.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Find out more about <a href="http://ebookweek.com/index.html" target="_blank">Read An eBook Week</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MC</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-35567300277823299482011-12-21T19:07:00.000+00:002011-12-21T19:08:08.833+00:00Silas Sets Forth<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxoi2ZE0sIKTxDxd74_purdRmQflQjgdbeF1jj5qJvaHjVByHcoLdXN0DLTn0JEaedllkBSxT55sakKmMl-lcRytxrcJ5YanEq6epJY9U55oom-DQtK1taf7yAXd_-lUhuLS5Japwa80/s1600/logoblue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxoi2ZE0sIKTxDxd74_purdRmQflQjgdbeF1jj5qJvaHjVByHcoLdXN0DLTn0JEaedllkBSxT55sakKmMl-lcRytxrcJ5YanEq6epJY9U55oom-DQtK1taf7yAXd_-lUhuLS5Japwa80/s1600/logoblue.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Signed with an
Inspired Quill </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a man who makes a living out of words, it's quite
disconcerting to find myself suddenly speechless: still that's the effect a
book deal can have on an author. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, that's right – a book deal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am greatly pleased to say that my novel <i>Silas Morlock</i>
has been taken on by up-and-coming publisher <a href="http://www.inspired-quill.com/" target="_blank">Inspired Quill (IQ)</a> and is
scheduled for release towards the Autumn of 2012. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That's quite a wait, I hear you cry. Trust me – it'll be
worth it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Silas Morlock</i> is a dark urban fantasy with a strong
suffusion of horror: a story about redemption and the struggle between good and
evil.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All that stands against the smothering darkness are those
few besieged souls who push the most powerful drug known to Man. Persecuted and
few in number theirs is a perilous existence. If they fall, everything is lost.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is their story, the story of their last stand, and in
particular, of the young man from the streets who inherits the terrifying task
– to take the light of humanity's spirit into the heart of darkness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The stakes are the very highest – humanity's Soul.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So be prepared: light yourself a candle, be wary of the
shadows, and watch this space as <i>Silas Morlock</i> sets forth. The dark is
gathering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<i>"If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes
also into you."</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Friedrich Nietzsche</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Mark Cantrell,</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Stoke-on-Trent,</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>21 December 2011</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Copyright © December 2011. All Rights Reserved.</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Category: NEWS <b><u><br /></u></b></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-1206151897687987822011-12-03T17:33:00.001+00:002011-12-21T19:09:54.482+00:00Author Chats<div style="color: red; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f6u2KkSdd-I/Tjx2ReqsctI/AAAAAAAAAX0/KHZ75-cnA34/s1600/MC-010309-002.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f6u2KkSdd-I/Tjx2ReqsctI/AAAAAAAAAX0/KHZ75-cnA34/s200/MC-010309-002.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Interviewed on Indies Unlimited </span></div>
<br />
Author Mark Cantrell has been told his writing demonstrates a
certain dry humor, a cynical wit, and a tendency towards the darker view
of life.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
While he is at ease with all that, he also feels his work
embodies an underlying optimism, a qualified celebration of the human
spirit and its strengths, but a refusal to separate them out neatly into
good and bad. “Life is never that neat and I try to reflect that in my
fiction.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>To read the rest of this interview, check out <b><a href="http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2011/11/16/meet-the-author-mark-cantrell/" target="_blank">INDIES UNLIMITED </a></b>to read interview with Mark Cantrell, the author of </i>Citizen Zero<i>. And once you've finished that, you might care to stick around and discover a wealth of indie authoring talent...</i></span><br />
<h2 class="post" style="font-weight: normal;">
</h2>
<br />
<br />
Read the rest at<b> <a href="http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2011/11/16/meet-the-author-mark-cantrell/" target="_blank">Indies Unlimited</a></b>...<br />
<br />
Category: INTERVIEWS<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-86110941526829662252011-12-02T21:23:00.001+00:002011-12-03T21:39:04.169+00:00About Citizen Zero<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxYha9XZ8Zqx_V6fL00IKrpzxGcw-TdrL77Y7f9oVynvdoo3Ii3Vzsdw__yMxxJUUx-ykzwHVvJpwl5KCpktGcnhn4zADV6P4GI3XCt_M0j8OAYNJocM2w4ebphMppD2IMvWFpgpo5lo/s1600/p8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxYha9XZ8Zqx_V6fL00IKrpzxGcw-TdrL77Y7f9oVynvdoo3Ii3Vzsdw__yMxxJUUx-ykzwHVvJpwl5KCpktGcnhn4zADV6P4GI3XCt_M0j8OAYNJocM2w4ebphMppD2IMvWFpgpo5lo/s1600/p8.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>A dystopian glimpse at a future born in an age of austerity and political uncertainty, CITIZEN ZERO</i><i> is a gripping social satire that exposes our deepest fears and poses a
grave warning to any society that abandons the pursuit of social
justice... </i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">CITIZEN ZERO </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">The hard-hitting novel that presents a grim future of a Britain broken by austerity<i> </i></span></span></div>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>JobNet was supposed to usher
in a better life for unemployed David Mills; instead it plunges him into a
bitter struggle for survival when he is caught in the midst of a political
conspiracy that pushes Britain to the brink of civil war…</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">David lives on society’s
margins, forever on the verge of sinking into an excluded underclass known as
‘zeros’, until the JobNet scheme offers him the tantalising prospect of a
better life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Government programme
uses the latest artificial reality technology to create a paradise world where
the unemployed gain all the help they need. He’s heard the hype before, but
this time it actually begins to fulfil the promise: he finds love with
Christine, the prospect of a job beckons, and he dares to dream of a worthwhile
future beyond the dole.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Then a deadly virus strikes
the system and his sweetest dream instantly becomes a living nightmare. He is
forced to embark on a perilous journey to be re-united with the woman he loves,
in the hope they can escape together into reality – but things are little
better there...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">The conspiracy has ignited a
power struggle between two ruthless and powerful men. Once, they were comrades
plotting to shape Britain into the dictatorship it has become: now they are
foes whose animosity has plunged the country into violent mayhem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">The first, a renegade
security operative turned terrorist, plucked David from the dole to deliver the
virus; the second, a tyrannical Prime Minister ruthless in the preservation of
his rule, he wants David dead – and fast – before the virus he carries can
escape JobNet and overwhelm the wider network.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">If David is to stand any
chance of surviving, then he must take down both men, but the odds are
impossible – he’s just a ‘zero’, after all, and trapped in a broken reality. It
seems hopeless – until he stumbles across a dark secret hidden in the heart of
JobNet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s a cruel revelation that
will change everything…</span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i><span style="font-size: small;">Citizen Zero<i>
blends the stark social commentary of ‘The Boys From The Blackstuff’,
the millennial techno-chic of ‘The Matrix’, and the uncompromising
force of ‘V for Vendetta’ into one devastating portrayal of tomorrow’s
Britain…</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Citizen Zero is available from the following retail outlets:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Citizen-Zero/Mark-Cantrell/e/2940011172311" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000035159/Cantrell-Mark/Citizen-Zero/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBook Store</a> | <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank">Lulu</a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/CITIZEN-ZERO/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CITIZEN-ZERO-ebook/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon US</a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> | <a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/mark-cantrell/citizen-zero/_/R-400000000000000361914" target="_blank">Sony eBook Store</a> | <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/citizen-zero/id431516046?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple iTunes</a></span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-16721283835397864882011-08-26T12:53:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:39:33.440+00:00Fiction Extracted<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1cjeBgovyjnJUWmLPWJDma9YC7nUP17QdXsOSSw6lBYBkChQn5k5Lt9LVW1CNL1SQq4p_pMardyoLulu8osRpOeXXGT2ZLnh5fClHGBYkJU9rEMgH-Xbwst7VWe6hvjUPuwpwGMbWNc/s1600/Isolation+Space+Front+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1cjeBgovyjnJUWmLPWJDma9YC7nUP17QdXsOSSw6lBYBkChQn5k5Lt9LVW1CNL1SQq4p_pMardyoLulu8osRpOeXXGT2ZLnh5fClHGBYkJU9rEMgH-Xbwst7VWe6hvjUPuwpwGMbWNc/s320/Isolation+Space+Front+Cover.jpg" width="195" /></a>The situation can't possibly get any worse once you're languishing in Death Row, waiting to be burned for the crime of 'heresy', right? Wrong, as the subject of this short story from the anthology ISOLATION SPACE is set to find out <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Sinners In Streaming Video </span></span></b></div>
<br />
<b>"DON'T</b> worry," he says, wiping the incessant perspiration from his face. He stands by the door, framed in the pale light filtering in through the window high above my head. His beady eyes stare out of his pudgy face with a doll's sincerity. Almost it hides his embarrassment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Axel, they're going to burn me!"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"It won't come to that."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"No?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"It's just for show. That's all – a pure formality."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Exactly!</i>"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He looks away sharply and glances at the walls. I can see his disgust at the mildew. That's nothing, compared to the banging of the pipes in the middle of the night – the ones intended to keep the dungeon damp and unpleasant. I'd tell him that, but he looks troubled enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I'm sorry," he suddenly says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"What?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I'm sorry I pointed the finger. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They</i> didn't leave me any choice. You know –"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"It's all right, Axel. I know what they're like." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I may be a rich man, but it carries no weight with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">them</i>."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"No."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"But I do have some clout. I'll take care of things. I promise."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to confess, Axel is starting to annoy me, but I bite my tongue. Here I am facing death, and I don't want to make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">him</i> feel worse. I just ask, "What things?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet another furtive look at the walls. Is he worried about bugs – in this damp? He showed no such reticence before. "Trust me," he quietly says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>A extract of Sinners In Streaming Video from the anthology ISOLATION SPACE. The full anthology is available from the following outlets:</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isolation-space-anthology/id431529619?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple iStore</a> | <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Isolation-Space/Mark-Cantrell/e/2940011175763" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/breakthroughstore-20/detail/B004I1L05G" target="_blank">Breakthrough Bookstore</a> |</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000035971/Cantrell-Mark/Isolation-Space-Anthology/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBooks</a> | <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/isolation-space/4618647" target="_blank">Lulu </a>| <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971">Smashwords </a>| <a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/mark-cantrell/isolation-space-anthology/_/R-400000000000000365058" target="_blank">Sony eBooks </a></div>
<br />
<br />
CATEGORY: ISOLATION SPACEAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-46687985855571928452011-08-14T15:11:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:40:04.515+00:00Well Flash<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJ5vmkkBONPLerLofTdZZWZKGmn-PkvAbj9DyFmMc0R1HLU0wWfOTDHqGy7cndfH97ZbG6uC281v04JZAYegtkPthEJCWjVgsn5ZnZAayhY7QxxD_mhTHyj6myhs16CPNnnQro0xEVuM/s1600/Flash+Anthology.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJ5vmkkBONPLerLofTdZZWZKGmn-PkvAbj9DyFmMc0R1HLU0wWfOTDHqGy7cndfH97ZbG6uC281v04JZAYegtkPthEJCWjVgsn5ZnZAayhY7QxxD_mhTHyj6myhs16CPNnnQro0xEVuM/s200/Flash+Anthology.jpg" width="146" /></a>What happens when a mixed bunch of writers get together to share tips and generally natter on Facebook about life, the universe, and everything creative? Sooner or later, some bright spark throws down the challenge to write a complete story in 100 words or less. The result is a Flash of Inspiration <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div style="color: red; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Short, sweet, and totally inspired...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A Flash of Inspiration</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A collection of incredibly short stories</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Edited by Helmy Kusuma</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66603" target="_blank">Smashwords (Kindle, Sony, Nook and Apple devices)</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
IT started as a bit of fun but then it got serious as plenty more people gathered to join the fray. Soon, everyone was crowding round to hurl words across the screen – but not just any old words.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might call them <i>bonsai</i> – stories instead of trees – because the challenge was simple enough in itself: write a story in 100 words or less. This is so-called flash fiction and like any story, it has a narrative arc, a beginning middle and end, but to compress it all into so few words is easier said than done.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The writers of the Book Junkies group on Facebook took up the challenge with gusto until the screen was awash with diminutive but well-formed micro-stories. And I, for my humble sins, was one of them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In hindsight, it was inevitable that someone would suggest collecting these short shorts into an anthology, and so A Flash Of Inspiration was born.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The anthology contains the works of 20 authors who put two of their flash fiction pieces forward. Edited by group member Helmy Kusuma, it was duly published on Smashwords. The stories range from the sublime to the macabre, the amusing to the deadly serious. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why not give it a shot and gain a very short introduction to some skilled and highly engaging indie authors?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66603" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Find the anthology A Flash of Inspiration on Smashwords.</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
Category: CHAPBOOKAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-12149596831435713622011-06-02T20:55:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:38:31.552+00:00Review: Citizen Zero<div style="color: red; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Read the review on Inspired Quill </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-top: 10px;">
<i>“Ever since George Orwell penned <i>1984</i>, since Aldous Huxley gave us <i>Brave New World</i>, dystopian future sci-fi has been a staple in the English-speaking world. But how do you follow up such literary classics without resulting in a hashed up mishmash of the two? Surely it would take a feat of unparalleled genius to put something new on the plate.” <a href="http://www.inspired-quill.com/blog/reviews/mark-cantrell-citizen-zero/" target="_blank">READ THE REVIEW</a></i><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
As well as the PDF edition (reviewed), <a href="http://www.inspired-quill.com/blog/reviews/mark-cantrell-citizen-zero/" target="_blank">CITIZEN ZERO</a> is available for a host of eReaders from the following sources:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Citizen-Zero/Mark-Cantrell/e/2940011172311" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000035159/Cantrell-Mark/Citizen-Zero/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBook Store</a> | <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank">Lulu</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/CITIZEN-ZERO/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CITIZEN-ZERO-ebook/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon US</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> | <a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/mark-cantrell/citizen-zero/_/R-400000000000000361914" target="_blank">Sony eBook Store</a> | <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/citizen-zero/id431516046?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple iTunes</a></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Category: CITIZEN ZERO, REVIEWS </span> </span></div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-14104815175234581512011-05-31T13:26:00.000+01:002011-05-31T13:26:50.949+01:00Author Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9-RkDZGCkrlSSHqYmUmlbJ6h1VeW2r1bI61_pV-MLpUkWsEjKQ40hOtOTK9_6-iv0XLxlI85N8bsGFdaAURZBMJpH-D-tceyxgADE51wKekfGbVJUbOTW_JS0a0XO77yHMtM8RIlytL1/s1600/2009_03010096.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9-RkDZGCkrlSSHqYmUmlbJ6h1VeW2r1bI61_pV-MLpUkWsEjKQ40hOtOTK9_6-iv0XLxlI85N8bsGFdaAURZBMJpH-D-tceyxgADE51wKekfGbVJUbOTW_JS0a0XO77yHMtM8RIlytL1/s200/2009_03010096.JPG" width="198" /></a></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The man behind the mayhem</span></div><br />
CITIZEN Zero author Mark Cantrell has featured on the ‘Woulds & Shoulds’ Editing & Design website in its <b><a href="http://editinganddesign.com/archives/579">Self Publishing Success</a> </b>series of interviews with indie authors and publishers.<br />
<br />
Published earlier this month, Mark was interviewed about his hard-hitting science fiction thriller, but also his wider thoughts on life as a novelist. <br />
<br />
He talks about books, writing, the complexities of being an author in this day and age, and how the hard work really begins long after a novel is finished.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://editinganddesign.com/archives/579">Catch the interview here.</a></span></div><br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4718144981156345038"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0;" width="125" /></a> </div><br />
Category: INTERVIEWAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-50001470195092870342011-05-07T21:04:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:41:40.155+00:00On Literature Kindle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBn9YOkrOOqorwX-q1hBT19uFUBHmzW7nFRUARnUmaSOp06mVnE_eFSNFBlG1iYEXBHnfp5q4pv1sxdNnieD1Im0uq3xEuI1jdYHmKOXjeqkknvRtoItNNnagcytbpHGMz3tkFb1r2_Y/s1600/On+Literature+Cover+300411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBn9YOkrOOqorwX-q1hBT19uFUBHmzW7nFRUARnUmaSOp06mVnE_eFSNFBlG1iYEXBHnfp5q4pv1sxdNnieD1Im0uq3xEuI1jdYHmKOXjeqkknvRtoItNNnagcytbpHGMz3tkFb1r2_Y/s320/On+Literature+Cover+300411.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Literature is a collection of feature articles and essays dedicated to the world of the creative writer, culled from the writers previous works and published free for a range of popular ebook devices...</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Inspiration set free to kindle the mind...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">On Literature,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Selected Journalism of Mark Cantrell, Volume 1</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By Mark Cantrell</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
FREE chapbook</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56809" target="_blank">Available from Smashwords</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Formats: Kindle (.mobi), Sony Reader (.lrf), Open Industry Srandard (.epub), Palm devices (.pbd) and others</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
FIRST published as a stapled printed chapbook in 2004, Mark Cantrell has now re-issued his collection of essays and articles in digital format through the publisher and distributor <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56809" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Literature brings together a fascinating collection of work rooted in the creative writing scene of his native Bradford, as well as his musings on the wider realms of creative writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From poets waxing lyrical to poets getting down-right political, a startling ensemble of creative exploits is explored in this small publication. Released FREE under a Creative Commons license, it is available for the Kindle, Sony Reader, and other devices exclusively from Smashwords, while an earlier PDF release remains available on <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51175233/On-Literature-2009" target="_blank">Scribd</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, feel free to download On Literature and be inspired: there’s more to literary living than you might at first think.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56809" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> | <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51175233/On-Literature-2009" target="_blank">Scribd</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MC</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Category: CHAPBOOKS</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-21319275816718657432011-04-25T01:34:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:43:27.736+00:00Buy Deus Ex Insomnia<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Amazing poetry available to buy from the following retail outlets:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Deus-Ex-Insomnia/Mark-Cantrell/e/2940011181009" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000035645/Cantrell-Mark/Deus-Ex-Insomnia/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBooks</a> | <a href="http://kobobooks.com/ebook/Deus-Ex-Insomnia/book-RqoD17moTEWH02Mp8AqFqg/page1.html" target="_blank">Kobo Books</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/mark-cantrell/deus-ex-insomnia/_/R-400000000000000364924" target="_blank">Sony eBook Store</a> | <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/652684" target="_blank">Lulu </a>| <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35645" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00439GJKY" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00439GJKY" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/deus-ex-insomnia/id431514683?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple Store</a> </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-63400818566662423742011-04-25T01:26:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:45:08.193+00:00Buy Isolation Space<span style="font-size: large;">This thrilling collection of science fiction, fantasy, horror and thought-provoking satire is available in paperback and digital editions from the following retail outlets: </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Isolation-Space/Mark-Cantrell/e/2940011175763" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000035971/Cantrell-Mark/Isolation-Space-Anthology/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBooks </a>| <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback_book/isolation_space/5294150" target="_blank">Lulu </a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ongDVi" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> | <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isolation-space-anthology/id431529619?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a>| <a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/mark-cantrell/isolation-space-anthology/_/R-400000000000000365058" target="_blank">Sony eBooks</a> </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-12163331236325261602011-04-18T20:12:00.001+01:002011-12-03T21:48:25.640+00:00Buy Citizen Zero<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Citizen Zero, the hard-hitting science fiction thriller, is available from the following retail outlets:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Citizen-Zero/Mark-Cantrell/e/2940011172311" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000035159/Cantrell-Mark/Citizen-Zero/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBook Store</a> | <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank">Lulu</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/CITIZEN-ZERO/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CITIZEN-ZERO-ebook/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon US</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">| <a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/mark-cantrell/citizen-zero/_/R-400000000000000361914" target="_blank">Sony eBook Store</a></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-57344516774873382492011-03-29T21:30:00.000+01:002011-12-03T21:50:56.284+00:00Isolation Space Reviewed<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3j2lmyluGAU07eb6yyxvgS1pO4lxwE9iu8gnXbCuw3hzoLw2epygciuIfli4NzMHEaCE0kAFkoXzWMEafkb9sJtwnbCw4k_Lmx7SO2ha6hQ24qSzyMYlkjD90tHOGRQ8dgnBoCaJ64y8/s1600/Cover+Mock+Up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3j2lmyluGAU07eb6yyxvgS1pO4lxwE9iu8gnXbCuw3hzoLw2epygciuIfli4NzMHEaCE0kAFkoXzWMEafkb9sJtwnbCw4k_Lmx7SO2ha6hQ24qSzyMYlkjD90tHOGRQ8dgnBoCaJ64y8/s320/Cover+Mock+Up.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN-US">What Hungur has to say about Isolation Space </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Review by </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">Terrie Leigh Relf, editor, Hungur Magazine </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Mark Cantrell’s <i>Isolation Space: A Melange of Short Fiction, </i>is, as its title and content reveals, a medley of twenty short stories that will challenge, disturb, fascinate, provoke, sicken, and otherwise engross readers. They may even incite you to foment change! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If you love tales of horror and the supernatural, fantasy and the fantastic, speculative and science fiction, then this book belongs on your shelf. There are monsters of various persuasions. . .those that suck blood as well as those who consume a person’s soul. Since I could not possibly do justice to this mind-expanding tome in such a short space, here are a few of my favorites.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">First of all, there are flash pieces such as “Window Gazers”, which opens the collection with a disturbing shiver: an exhausted writer sitting at his desk who believes he’s being watched by creatures <i>outside </i>his window. Then there’s “Affordable Housing”, a cautionary tale where we meet two men who are about to lose their “estate”—to a demolition crew. Next time you are faced with taking a stand on fair housing, I suggest you rise to the occasion. Another one of my favorite flash pieces is “Brain Drain”; just imagine a violent sneeze, your brain landing in your pint. . .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In the oxymoronic longer short story category, my favorites include “Sinners In Streaming Video”, “Shopping For Katie”, and “An Englishman’s Home Is A. . .”. All three of these stories catapult this reader into an imagined, but chillingly possible future—and ironically, that future is NOW. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In “Sinners In Streaming Video”, Earth has been re-terraformed, and a new religion has emerged—or is it a return to olden days where the Fisher King was sacrificed for the weal of the land? This time, the sacrifice will be broadcast throughout the galaxy. . .but will there be a resurrection? If you are fascinated by the nuances of betrayal, you won’t be disappointed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In “Shopping For Katie”, another “cautionary” tale (and yes, there are quite a few of these), we visit a future where designer babies are a reality for childless couples—and if you sign up with <i>Wonder Child, </i>you’ll have your very own “client advisor” who doubles as an honorary uncle. This story gives new meaning to the cliché, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”—and with agonizing results.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Cantrell’s experience as a journalist, combined with his social conscience and political savvy, is quite evident in “An Englishman’s Home Is A. . .”. This tale is an all-too-real visit to a <i>1984-</i>esque “future” in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, where The Archipelago Project’s <i>Containment Facility </i>1.01 is nearing completion. Meet Tony Lubyanka, Chief Executive for Drezhinsky Square Housing Trust and his assorted colleagues as they wrestle with the proverbial “problem of the poor”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There are fourteen more tales in this fine collection, and this reader is looking forward to his next one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">February 2010</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The paperback edition, available from Lulu, was the subject of the above review, however the anthology has since been released in e-book format for the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader and other popular devices. Check out the following links to get hold of your copy:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amazon Kindle Store (UK)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amazon Kindle Store (US & Worldwide)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Smashwords (for Sony Reader and other devices)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback_book/isolation_space/5294150" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Buy The Paperback From Lulu</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="http://mark-books.blogspot.com/2010/02/golden-praise.html" target="_blank">Read a review from Writers' Muse</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Category: REVIEWS</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-29945085978393799102011-01-08T06:14:00.000+00:002011-12-03T21:55:10.401+00:00The Future Is Rising<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33AT-fqbbJcj-cHCaL8O4B7daEemKcQH1_kqKPr-P-XYd7umC1HlQpw8lEmQgL8KbuS6hqXpbIAKgcM9M7hULsJAWJZ4FBP3iRP92O93bbNNJDYlOHlfXf8JSzeSytOmjzHS5tYmWko/s1600/Cover+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33AT-fqbbJcj-cHCaL8O4B7daEemKcQH1_kqKPr-P-XYd7umC1HlQpw8lEmQgL8KbuS6hqXpbIAKgcM9M7hULsJAWJZ4FBP3iRP92O93bbNNJDYlOHlfXf8JSzeSytOmjzHS5tYmWko/s320/Cover+Image.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>A dystopian glimpse at a future born in an age of austerity and political uncertainty, </i>Citizen Zero<i> is a gripping social satire that exposes our deepest fears, posing a grave warning to any society that abandons the pursuit of social justice...</i></span></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">After austerity came prosperity and stability, but it was bought at a terrible price... <br />
<br />
In a surveillance society blind where it matters most, a deadly conspiracy is ready to strike...<br />
<br />
A dictatorial Prime Minister, confident of his grip on power, is about to discover the limits of his strength...<br />
<br />
A security operative turned terrorist is all set to bring down the man he once helped to steal power...<br />
<br />
Welcome to Britain, a nation bitterly divided between rich and poor, as it teeters on the edge of chaos...<br />
<br />
And David Mills is caught in the middle, torn from the woman he loves and thrown in to a terrible struggle to survive…<br />
<br />
He’s a ‘zero’, one of the destitute millions, a nobody, but he’s also the one man who might salvage some kind of freedom out of the ruins of the future...<br />
<br />
No wonder the Prime Minister wants him dead...</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">CITIZEN ZERO</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The hard-hitting new novel by Mark Cantrell presents a grim future of a Britain broken by austerity...</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Available in a range of popular ebook formats from the following sources:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (UK)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (US & Worldwide)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords (for Sony Reader and other devices)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Lulu (390 page A5 PDF)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Citizen Zero<i> blends the stark social commentary of ‘The Boys From The Blackstuff’, the millennial techno-chic of ‘The Matrix’, and the uncompromising force of ‘V for Vendetta’ into one devastating portrayal of tomorrow’s Britain…</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Amazon ASIN: B004HD65HS. More information about <i>Citizen Zero</i> is available from <a href="http://www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com</a> or Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CitizenZER0" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/CitizenZER0</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Category: CITIZEN ZERO </span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-86103316465594138862011-01-07T21:53:00.000+00:002011-12-03T21:57:37.815+00:00Digital Editions For 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinityoZKs7nHZ6MwJsBve1gHRiOWEnivbeKkNwGEv1UGYABRT7GPSVEP1K5JQ51Ez3stP4NcL-rBSg0YwgO7kLVXIlx3dJSR_5jmajAvSbWOmQ2JDjycy2jZeFCz8fGqarChLk4ooR05U/s1600/Cover+Mock+Up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinityoZKs7nHZ6MwJsBve1gHRiOWEnivbeKkNwGEv1UGYABRT7GPSVEP1K5JQ51Ez3stP4NcL-rBSg0YwgO7kLVXIlx3dJSR_5jmajAvSbWOmQ2JDjycy2jZeFCz8fGqarChLk4ooR05U/s320/Cover+Mock+Up.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shedding its paper chrysalis, amazing fiction spreads its digital wings </span></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Isolation Space anthology now available for the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and a host of e-reading devices</span></i><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Horror fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and thought-provoking examples of satirical writing don't just lurk between the covers any more -- they also lurk a few mouse-clicks away in the deeps of cyberspace.<br />
<br />
The anthology<b> Isolation Space</b> has been re-issued in a series of digital editions suitable for many of today's popular e-reading devices, such as the Amazon Kindle (ASIN: B004I1L05G) and the Sony Reader. For the paper purists, however, the paperback edition can still be purchased from the publisher, <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback_book/isolation_space/5294150" target="_blank">LULU</a>, while the digital editions can be found at the following sources:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (UK)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I1L05G" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (US & Worldwide)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35971" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords (for Sony Reader and other devices)</span></a></div>
<br />
Category:ISOLATION SPACEAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-68159835179881449622011-01-07T18:56:00.000+00:002011-12-03T21:59:54.427+00:00Poetry Gone Digital<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGwIm0ie-Twv01KeTZfZ0s0TDeN2TJqoX4ABuPKu8xZnY0HA50_dQC75NDbOsta2_5or_BIw9Ya5slIflg22wL6s6zblgr3n8XdR5rtXd2s9G33LMhl5gIoDE0RqTUpo5TbkWShFtQW4/s1600/deusex_small.jpg" /></div>
<i>Deus Ex Insomnia</i>, the collection of poetry and prose by Mark
Cantrell is now available as an ebook for the Amazon Kindle and a host
of other digital reading devices<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Poetry so good it'll wake the dead</span><br />
<br />
<br />
The collection, first published as a paperback edition by Lulu, presents 80 poems, as well as a small selection of prose essays exploring the creative memes of the authorial craft.<br />
<br />
Ranging from the dark and macabre, to the dryly humorous, through the outrageously silly to the provocative and thoughtful, <i>Deus Ex Insomnia</i> is a witty and engaging presentation of poetry and prose. <br />
<br />
Digital copies can be bought from Amazon's Kindle Store (ASIN: B00439GJKY) or from Smashwords. Between them, they cover a wide range of popular e-reading devices, such as the Kindle, the Sony Reader, Palm and other devices. Check out the following links to find out how to get hold of a copy suitable for your device:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00439GJKY" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (UK)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00439GJKY" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (US & Worldwide)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35645" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords (for Sony Reader & other devices)</span></a></div>
<br />
The paperback edition (ISBN: 978-1-84753-507-8) was first published in 2007 and is still available to buy from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1847535070/sr=1-%20%2031/qid=1181681929/ref=olp_product_details/202-8355741-3809459?%20%20ie=utf8&qid=1181681929&sr=1-31&seller=" target="_blank">AMAZON</a>, or from the publisher <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/652684" target="_blank">LULU</a>. See the historical posts below for more information.<br />
<div>
<script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a3bfc001671be76" type="text/javascript">
</script></div>
<br />
Category: POETRYAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-40695810994420919692011-01-06T19:29:00.000+00:002011-12-03T17:41:35.230+00:00Wot, No Kindle?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Free apps make a Kindle of a phone or PC </span></div>
<br />
You don't need a Kindle device to read a Kindle ebook, provided you install one of a range of applications that can be downloaded from Amazon free of charge. <br />
<br />
The online retailer has created a range of apps that will enable devices to read ebooks formatted for the Kindle. These include: Apple's iPhone, Windows PCs, Apple Macs, iPad, and Android OS phones. Its latest app release Kindle-enables the Windows Phone 7.<br />
<br />
Each version of the app is available to download from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_86611_23168961_pe_80/?docId=1000425503&ie=UTF8" target="_blank">AMAZON</a>.<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
Category: NEWSAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-82705477819187345222010-12-05T21:09:00.001+00:002011-12-04T00:15:24.783+00:00Free Downloads<div style="color: red; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Sensational poetry and thrilling fiction </span></div>
<br />
The following chapbooks and fiction samples are now available to download free from the file-sharing site, Mediafire. So, click on the titles below to download your copy of these free PDF ebooks<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-YcQJxJSTppAvbZCdXfsZFhjb1B6E1tdBE9IR6i7hD6rp_rp48RFC-mAJy0pXLQW7d0iLSYgmeWOkpJR7qshP4bYddmQjL0PZ29UriDKs8jLIeUjOiVd7oMgnl1ovUNOy-SMQhIy914/s1600/Chairman+Me+Cover+2010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-YcQJxJSTppAvbZCdXfsZFhjb1B6E1tdBE9IR6i7hD6rp_rp48RFC-mAJy0pXLQW7d0iLSYgmeWOkpJR7qshP4bYddmQjL0PZ29UriDKs8jLIeUjOiVd7oMgnl1ovUNOy-SMQhIy914/s200/Chairman+Me+Cover+2010.JPG" width="140" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?09fn27arc82f92r" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">In The Words Of Chairman Me</span></a> (poetry chapbook)<br />
By Mark Cantrell<br />
<br />
First published in 2004<br />
<br />
A somewhat tongue-in-cheek presentation of Mark’s poetry and prose writing, it nevertheless contained some serious material alongside works of a more frivolous and fun nature. This was the last of his efforts in chapbooks, before he moved on to pastures new – in work, living, and literary activities.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaiA-hv7XZ347ELscO9G6QKaLi3GTDUGXhAT4p_wVg4dcJrZ0Bn247FC0W7pz68tr6iJmloosjCBJ5rJzPg4DJQeC4wG36vkJf2APPgMOGVbqIqK6cbIJDPARqFvaeRC1nPhJRqmkA8o/s1600/Confessions+Cover+2010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaiA-hv7XZ347ELscO9G6QKaLi3GTDUGXhAT4p_wVg4dcJrZ0Bn247FC0W7pz68tr6iJmloosjCBJ5rJzPg4DJQeC4wG36vkJf2APPgMOGVbqIqK6cbIJDPARqFvaeRC1nPhJRqmkA8o/s200/Confessions+Cover+2010.JPG" width="141" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?sopt1now32gx38s" target="_blank">Confessions Of A Poetry Virgin</a> </span>(début poetry collection)<br />
By Mark Cantrell<br />
<br />
First published in 2001<br />
<br />
Relatively new to the poetry scene when it was first published, hence the title, Mark presented a small collection of his poetry to mark his début as a poet. This wasn’t only in the written form, but as a performance poet standing up to be counted at the microphone before an audience of his peers. Indeed, it was the influence of open mic poets that first inspired him to capture his poetic thoughts on paper and present them aloud. To this day, his poetic works remains influence by that and are written to be read aloud – if you dare.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxOy8zGwDHYPg6TMO3QAZGBRSO7rfIz7RVjxp0R5bevQFBASx4zRcDjlI5GnUyRwVREn9fCrr5_heCMtwZeTgXxZPo1A3M6b3gdl2E9zUYbw_M09RgSBM_vy5dPw_PkzCZElQPrdbt-c/s1600/On+Lit+Cover+2010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxOy8zGwDHYPg6TMO3QAZGBRSO7rfIz7RVjxp0R5bevQFBASx4zRcDjlI5GnUyRwVREn9fCrr5_heCMtwZeTgXxZPo1A3M6b3gdl2E9zUYbw_M09RgSBM_vy5dPw_PkzCZElQPrdbt-c/s200/On+Lit+Cover+2010.JPG" width="141" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?xlesdy978cwl2gg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">On Literature</span></a> (essays and articles about creative writing)<br />
By Mark Cantrell<br />
<br />
First published in 2004<br />
<br />
Borrowing the chapbook form for a small collection of his journalistic writing, Mark published <span style="font-style: italic;">On Literature</span> to take a look at the world of the creative writer. The features look at some quirky exploits in the wide-world of literature, as well as some of the exploits of his fellow scribes in Bradford and elsewhere during the early Noughties. Alongside these explorations of the real-world creative writing scene, he presents a number of essays taking a more creative and prosaic look at literary life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY3mnuFUrJBiRdTRGXqBYjlus4iAT_-cdNL1TD6wybfrwVuPW3tRulHBFSgBGhKcjFwgERtrf41gw8J0WfIczP8FfiUXiqFQGQkRUa3nfPwY9rFSaqL-GH-E6LuynU0pxTBoSR-wmDVg/s1600/Isolation+Space+Front+Cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY3mnuFUrJBiRdTRGXqBYjlus4iAT_-cdNL1TD6wybfrwVuPW3tRulHBFSgBGhKcjFwgERtrf41gw8J0WfIczP8FfiUXiqFQGQkRUa3nfPwY9rFSaqL-GH-E6LuynU0pxTBoSR-wmDVg/s200/Isolation+Space+Front+Cover.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?5wsg2s97ledmdzj"><span style="font-size: large;">One For The Road</span></a><br />
A short vampire story: extracted sample from the paperback anthology <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback_book/isolation_space/5294150" target="_blank">Isolation Space</a>, available from Lulu.<br />
<br />
By Mark Cantrell<br />
<br />
Sarah can run but she can't hide, not from herself, not from what she is, not from the man who picks her up on the side of the road. This is a journey neither one of them has bargained for, but by the time they reach the end of the road, they'll both understand the true extent of their lethal nature...<br />
<br />
<br />
These works and more are also available at <a href="http://www.scribd.com/WordZero/shelf" target="_blank">Scribd </a>where they are available to download FREE in PDF format.<br />
<br />
<br />
Category: DOWNLOADSAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-10402650095927550872010-10-27T20:16:00.001+01:002011-12-03T22:07:05.882+00:00Halloween Is Coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oC3j8YO7OGy56PO6kKb3KoLylAV4h4QEXWfMzwQ7fzYT3V5f7AeJx_h0s_ys958dH3Why_LGpgPCxj2iq3vj2Qwg9gwTtsK0GFrs0S9bmEElcSU11KOEM5h8z7ktpEGWj1iViah_dV8/s1600/cover_vampires2_435x562.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oC3j8YO7OGy56PO6kKb3KoLylAV4h4QEXWfMzwQ7fzYT3V5f7AeJx_h0s_ys958dH3Why_LGpgPCxj2iq3vj2Qwg9gwTtsK0GFrs0S9bmEElcSU11KOEM5h8z7ktpEGWj1iViah_dV8/s320/cover_vampires2_435x562.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">New anthology promises shivers and thrills this Halloween </span></div>
<br />
A vampire tale with an unexpected twist, <i>Baron Blood</i> by Mark Cantrell, finds itself keeping excellent company in the latest offering from ebook publisher <a href="http://www.notreebooks.com/" target="_blank">NoTreeBooks</a>.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
The ebook, which is available on Amazon's Kindle as well as a host of other popular formats and devices, pulls together 16 startling tales by 13 authors.<br />
<br />
Horror awaits to thrill and chill in <i>Vampires, Zombies and Ghosts, Oh My!</i> (And Other Creatures of the Night Stories), edited by Eve Paludan.<br />
<br />
Don't be disapointed -- dip inside and send a shiver down your spine.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/VAMPIRES-Zombies-Creatures-STORIES-Anthology/dp/B00492COIG/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&s=digital-text&qid=1288204902&sr=1-24" target="_blank">Amazon's Kindle Store</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Alternatively purchase the anthology in a range of popular ebook formats from <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/27972" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> </span></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
Category: ANTHOLOGYAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-9038133063663879702010-10-17T21:51:00.000+01:002011-12-03T22:10:41.835+00:00News From The Frontline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33AT-fqbbJcj-cHCaL8O4B7daEemKcQH1_kqKPr-P-XYd7umC1HlQpw8lEmQgL8KbuS6hqXpbIAKgcM9M7hULsJAWJZ4FBP3iRP92O93bbNNJDYlOHlfXf8JSzeSytOmjzHS5tYmWko/s1600/Cover+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33AT-fqbbJcj-cHCaL8O4B7daEemKcQH1_kqKPr-P-XYd7umC1HlQpw8lEmQgL8KbuS6hqXpbIAKgcM9M7hULsJAWJZ4FBP3iRP92O93bbNNJDYlOHlfXf8JSzeSytOmjzHS5tYmWko/s320/Cover+Image.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The British Prime Minister is about to ‘meet his maker’ </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Austerity sets the scene for a disturbing vision of the future</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">THE Coalition Government’s austerity programme of spending cuts and welfare reform is inadvertently setting the scene to a hard-hitting political thriller available in a range of popular ebook formats.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Citizen Zero</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, by author and journalist Mark Cantrell, is a dystopian social satire set in a Britain left broken by an era of economic collapse and political instability. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">On the surface, the country appears to have recovered to become once again a prosperous and stable consumer society. Behind the façade, however, it is a country bitterly divided between rich and poor. Blighted by severe deprivation, with an excluded underclass known as ‘zeros’ numbering millions, it’s a society balanced precariously on the edge of chaos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The social divide is policed, and order maintained, by the intrusive hi-tech security apparatus of a dictatorial regime: civil liberties and social justice have been abandoned for the sake of a perceived public safety, but this surveillance society proves blind where it matters most.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“The society depicted in the novel had its origins in a time very much like our own,” said author Mark Cantrell. “The banking crisis, the recession, the country’s massive budget deficit, and the Coalition’s policies intended to tackle the crisis, could all form a part of the initial circumstances that created the ‘back story’ to <i>Citizen Zero</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the run up to the novel, however, the situation worsened and as the nation’s social fabric unravelled under the pressures of economic hardship and mass unemployment, the country exploded into violent civil unrest. Add to this an unpopular Government crippled by corruption and division, and it proved a gift for an ambitious politician on the make.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alexander Carlisle, the fictional Prime Minister, exploited that era of crisis and unrest to seize power and established his hard-line regime. However, Carlisle is set to ‘meet his maker’ with the return of the man who helped him to seize power. Clute, a former security operative turned terrorist, knows the PM’s security apparatus from the inside out. After all, he helped to build it. Now he intends to break it so that he can ‘set the zeros free’ to tip the country back into chaos. Carlisle’s rule was born in civil disorder and by civil disorder is it intended to fall. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Carlisle is about to reap what he sowed,” Mark added. “He used the instability created by social inequality to forge his regime, and in the end that instability and social inequality is turned against him. From the outset, the novel is intended as a stark warning about the potential consequences for any society that abandons the pursuit of social justice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The story focuses on long-term unemployed David Mills, who becomes an unwilling pawn in Clute’s deadly conspiracy, but his struggle to survive has profound and far-reaching consequences for everyone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">He lives on society’s margins, forever on the verge of sinking into the ranks of the ‘zeros’ until he is forced to take part in the government JobNet initiative. This uses the latest artificial reality technology to give the unemployed all the help they need. David has heard it all before, but this time it actually lives up to the hype: he finds love, the prospect of a job beckons and he dares to dream of a worthwhile future beyond the dole.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately for him, Clute regards JobNet as the chink in Carlisle’s armour and it places David in the wrong place at the wrong time. When his up-link is infected with a deadly virus intended to infiltrate and destroy the PM’s surveillance state, David’s nightmare is only just beginning. However, it leads him to discover a dark secret hidden at the heart of JobNet that will transform him from a pawn to a player in this catastrophic power struggle. It’s a cruel revelation that will change everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Citizen Zero</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is published on Lulu as an A5 formatted PDF ebook (390 pages) as well as in a range of formats for many of today's popular e-reading formats from the following sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (UK)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle Store (US & Worldwide)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords (for Sony Reader and other devices)</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">From Lulu (390 page A5 PDF edition)</span></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A substantial but incomplete free sample of the ebook is also available to download from <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51560534/Citizen-Zero-Sample" target="_blank">SCRIBD</a>. Alternatively, the free PDF sample can be downloaded from the file-sharing site <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?321z5do7jz1jzqz" target="_blank">MEDIAFIRE</a>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Citizen Zero</span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> combines the stark social commentary of ‘The Boys From The Blackstuff’, the millennial anarcho-chic of ‘The Matrix’, and the uncompromising force of ‘V for Vendetta’ into one devastating portrayal of tomorrow’s Britain. It’s a grim climax to an ordeal that has its roots in our own age of austerity.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">More information about <i>Citizen Zero</i> is available from <a href="http://www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com</a> or Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CitizenZER0" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/CitizenZER0</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Category: CITIZEN ZERO </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-61677885558941383152010-07-25T19:10:00.000+01:002011-12-03T22:12:34.342+00:00Out on Lulu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFCgYVAcE3D9p0hoPAGGYgqni6yJqV0rVnCrpEqTgX3XYVQ-h03r8ndj4cYnLe_BxXQ9s7FShzFE68gOF6s7gs5DnaPOFYwPS2x8F9heZomXA35hPpDug9iV50_hLuaLNS9fenNeZl_Kj/s1600/Cover+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFCgYVAcE3D9p0hoPAGGYgqni6yJqV0rVnCrpEqTgX3XYVQ-h03r8ndj4cYnLe_BxXQ9s7FShzFE68gOF6s7gs5DnaPOFYwPS2x8F9heZomXA35hPpDug9iV50_hLuaLNS9fenNeZl_Kj/s320/Cover+Image.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
JobNet was supposed to usher in a better life for unemployed David
Mills; instead it plunges him into a bitter struggle for survival when
he is caught in the midst of a political conspiracy that pushes Britain
to the brink of civil war…<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The future is what you make it</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">CITIZEN ZERO</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A hard-hitting political thriller by Mark Cantrell, available now from <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank">Lulu</a></span><br />
<br />
<b>PDF | A5 | 390 pages </b><br />
<br />
<br />
David lived on society’s margins, forever on the verge of sinking into an excluded underclass known as ‘zeros’, until the JobNet scheme offered him the tantalising prospect of a better life.<br />
<br />
The Government programme uses the latest artificial reality technology to create a paradise world where the unemployed gain all the help they need. He’s heard the hype before, but this time it actually begins to fulfil the promise: he finds love with Christine, the prospect of a job beckons, and he dares to dream of a worthwhile future beyond the dole.<br />
<br />
Then a deadly virus strikes the system and his sweetest dream instantly becomes a living nightmare. He is forced to embark on a perilous journey to be re-united with the woman he loves, in the hope they can escape together into reality – but things are little better there...<br />
<br />
The conspiracy has ignited a power struggle between two ruthless and powerful men. Once, they were comrades plotting to shape Britain into the dictatorship it has become: now they are foes whose animosity has plunged the country into violent mayhem.<br />
<br />
The first, a renegade security operative turned terrorist, plucked David from the dole to deliver the virus; the second, a tyrannical Prime Minister ruthless in the preservation of his rule, he wants David dead – and fast – before the virus he carries can escape JobNet and overwhelm the wider network.<br />
<br />
If David is to stand any chance of surviving, then he must take down both men, but the odds are impossible – he’s just a ‘zero’, after all, and he's trapped inside a broken reality. It seems hopeless – until he stumbles across a dark secret hidden in the heart of JobNet. It’s a cruel revelation that will change everything…<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Scroll down to download a substantial sample of the novel, or buy the complete e-book from Lulu.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083</span></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-26078260340644591522010-07-25T19:03:00.000+01:002011-12-03T22:16:17.720+00:00Download A Free Sample<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">The future is what you make it... </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A substantial FREE sample of the hard-hitting novel Citizen Zero </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>A gunship rose sluggishly. Its engines whined with the struggle to overcome the burden of clinging bodies. Guns barked. Zeros fell, only to be replaced by more. Finally the gunship toppled over. Blades shattered as they struck the ground. The fuselage crumpled. The fuel tank ruptured.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i><br />
The explosion thumped into his chest like an invisible fist. The mechanical carcass burned with a stinging heat, even from that distance. He began to tremble. The zeros swarmed towards him. The last gunship took off and hovered to provide support.</i><br />
<i><br />
“They can’t do this,” he said in shock. “They’re zeros... they can’t do this to us...”</i><br />
<i><br />
Nobody paid any attention. Chief cradled the PM in his arms; his face screwed up with genuine anguish. The PM moaned, isolated from the world around him. </i><br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
<br />
A dystopian glimpse at a future born in an age of austerity and political uncertainty, CITIZEN ZERO is a gripping social satire that exposes our deepest fears, and presents a grave warning to any society that abandons the pursuit of social justice. The novel presents a grim future of a society broken by austerity. It blends the stark social commentary of ‘The Boys From The Blackstuff’, the millennial anarcho-chic of ‘The Matrix’, and the uncompromising force of ‘V for Vendetta’ into one devastating portrayal of tomorrow’s Britain…<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51560534/Citizen-Zero-Sample" style="display: block; font: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; margin: 12px auto 6px; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Citizen Zero Sample on Scribd">Citizen Zero Sample</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.705882352941177" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_92743" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/51560534/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-e7ael6paulrt23xfkad" width="100%"></iframe><br />
</center><br />
<br />
<br />
First published in PDF back in July 2010 with Lulu, CITIZEN ZERO is now available for the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and other popular e-reading devices from the following sources:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/CITIZEN-ZERO/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Store (UK)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CITIZEN-ZERO-ebook/dp/B004HD65HS" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Store (US & Worldwide)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35159" target="_blank">Smashwords (for Sony Reader and other devices)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/citizen-zero/9045083" target="_blank">Lulu (for the original A5 PDF edition)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For more information visit <a href="http://www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.zerocitizen.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lulu.com/tyke21"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Category: CITIZEN ZERO </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8067304831095300891.post-42526903145306175932010-07-25T18:55:00.000+01:002011-01-07T22:26:56.239+00:00CITIZEN ZERO: Sample Chapter<div style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33AT-fqbbJcj-cHCaL8O4B7daEemKcQH1_kqKPr-P-XYd7umC1HlQpw8lEmQgL8KbuS6hqXpbIAKgcM9M7hULsJAWJZ4FBP3iRP92O93bbNNJDYlOHlfXf8JSzeSytOmjzHS5tYmWko/s1600/Cover+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33AT-fqbbJcj-cHCaL8O4B7daEemKcQH1_kqKPr-P-XYd7umC1HlQpw8lEmQgL8KbuS6hqXpbIAKgcM9M7hULsJAWJZ4FBP3iRP92O93bbNNJDYlOHlfXf8JSzeSytOmjzHS5tYmWko/s320/Cover+Image.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">CHAPTER 1: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Beggars Can’t Be Choosers</span></div><br />
HE was being watched again. As soon as he arrived at the bus stop the camera turned to stare.<br />
<br />
Mills sighed despondently and tried not to think about it. Such thoughts only made him nervous. He wanted to go back to bed and shut out the world until he felt able to deal with it. Say in twenty years. But he couldn’t ignore the Summons; it wasn’t worth the hassle. He sighed again.<br />
<br />
The bus grumbled to a halt, thankfully blocking the eye’s mindless stare. He might have felt relieved but he knew they didn’t need to see him to track his movements. The doors slid open with a snake-hiss of hydraulics and he clambered aboard. It was an old vehicle, converted to auto-pilot because the company was too tight to invest in new ones. The driver’s seat remained empty. Human drivers were no more than an old man’s reminiscence.<br />
<br />
The other passengers glared impatiently while Mills fumbled for his card. At last he found it and swiped through the transaction. His account would be debited by the company until the system no longer registered his presence. The Agency, meanwhile, would take a small surcharge for the use of the facility.<br />
<br />
“Customers please be advised,” the on-board computer said, “the current boarder is a Class ‘D’ security risk. Please take care of all personal belongings. CCTV monitoring is in operation for your protection.”<br />
<br />
The passengers shifted in their seats. Some held tight onto handbags and briefcases and nobody looked directly at him. Except, that is, for the security guard who sat up straight and slowly folded his arms. <br />
<br />
The bus gathered speed and unbalanced Mills so that he slumped heavily into a vacant seat next to an old man in a black overcoat. The man stiffened and suddenly became very interested in the view through the window.<br />
<br />
“It’s disgraceful. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to travel with decent people.”<br />
<br />
For a surreptitious whisper, it carried. So did the collective murmur of agreement. Such jibes should have long ago lost their power to hurt. He turned around anyway and stared at the two old ladies with stakeholder badges pinned prominently to their lapels. Once he gained their full attention he treated them to a lazy grin. Both women looked away and he turned back to follow the old man’s gaze. As he did so his face slumped into its usual dour expression. A grim mask reflected from dirty glass; a way to hide the pain at the stigma he carried and the punishment he bore.<br />
<br />
The stigma chose that moment to beep. A reminder that he was going to be late for his Summons. He pulled it from his pocket and turned it over and over between his fingers. <br />
<br />
“Nexus 40,” the legend read. Beneath, printed on the scratched plastic: <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">UK Benefits & Welfare Plc</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">– A Ministry for Human Resources Company – </span><br />
<br />
<i style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;">working for you, so you can too</span></i></div><br />
It really was a hateful piece of plastic. Even now the chip signalled his location to the JobMart’s city computer. Depending on traffic down the net, some operator could be reading the data this very moment. Everywhere he went it left a digital scent for the authorities to follow, until it felt like another disapproving eye. He thrust the card angrily into his pocket; out of sight but not out of mind. <br />
<br />
He sighed, not quite in despair but almost, and thought of the Summons. Maybe things were about to change? He pulled out the Nexus again and pressed the display micro-switch. Text scrolled across the strip and he read it for the umpteenth time. Could they really be serious?<br />
<br />
“Artificial reality job-hunting? Hey, maybe I’ll get an artificial job!”<br />
<br />
The man next to him shifted in his seat and glanced sidelong as though he <br />
thought Mills were crazy. Sod you, Mills thought.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">+++ MILLS D + S + PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE SELECTED FOR NEW IMPROVED JOBNET SCHEME + INTENDED FOR RELENTLESSLY UNEMPLOYED + UTILISES LATEST IN ARTIFICIAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY TO HELP YOU BACK TO WORK + ATTEND 0915 HOURS TUESDAY 10 APRIL + ENDS +++</span><br />
<br />
Terse and to the point, like all their messages. We command. You obey. And these schemes became stranger with each passing year. How many have there been so far? Too many, but perhaps this one would be different. Perhaps this would result in that ever-elusive beast: a job.<br />
<br />
“There’s always hope,” he said to the suit. The man only smiled weakly and looked away. Mills allowed himself a cynical smile and signalled the auto-pilot for his stop.<br />
<br />
<br />
THE JobMart’s tinted windows seemed to frown at him. They were like the shades worn by the stereotypical spy: sinister, watchful and totally inscrutable. Yet the building itself seemed so shabby and dreary it gave him the urge to shiver. Even on a bright day like this the building appeared overcast.<br />
<br />
Desperate as he was to find meaningful work, he pitied those who worked inside. Each day of their lives they came face to face with the unemployed. The tentative nature of work was paraded before them in a reminder of their own tenuous grip on society.<br />
<br />
With a heavy heart he passed inside. People jostled him. A long counter separated the employed from the jobless. It made for a wall dividing two worlds, where the ragged queues of blank-faced people waited to sign their names for another infusion of grinding poverty. Behind the wall, more blank faced people processed the deserving poor. Workers on a human production line, they churned out ready-made rejects.<br />
<br />
He joined the queue and found himself surrounded by the dead-eyed faces of the hopeless and the broken. Minds that could no longer understand the concept of work, every trait they needed to find it had been sucked out of them, as though by a vampire. And now these zombies shuffled mindlessly in search of instruction. A shudder ran down his spine. Truly, this was the Realm of the Damned.<br />
<br />
<br />
SLOWLY the queue wormed its way up to the main desk. Mills idly looked around. Beyond the queues, the vacancy screens listed jobs in a multitude of languages. Invariably, they were low-paid and short-term dead-ends. Nearby, people in headphones sat at a bank of machines: the blind and the illiterate force-fed with ‘opportunities’ by soothing machine voices. On the far wall, in large print, a poster declared: BEGGARS CANNOT BE CHOOSERS.<br />
<br />
Bored-looking people occupied the rows of seats by the rear wall, watching the information videos endlessly playing from a bank of monitors suspended from the ceiling. On one, yet another expensively-dressed politician spitefully slandered the poor.<br />
<br />
It was all too much and he felt his mind wander.<br />
<br />
<br />
BACK through time to the steel works, where he had his first and only job. The blast furnaces glowed in the darkness like pockets of Hell. Twenty-four hours a day those furnaces produced high-quality steel to be shipped out all over the world.<br />
<br />
Life was hard, but he felt useful. And in those days he had friends. People thought him worth knowing. Pete, Jeff and Rob, his shift-mates. Where were they now? <br />
<br />
Pete was the joker of the bunch and a wizard with the controls. Mills knew he was every bit as competent, but somehow he felt overawed by that tiny control room. It seemed strange that he and his three friends should control so much industrial output.<br />
<br />
From the air-conditioned box they smelted and poured millions of tonnes of metal. Once thousands were required to do the job by hand, back in the traditional steel cities. They had been thrown aside by the automated systems he operated. And then he, too, was thrown away.<br />
<br />
In some distant office his job was deleted by some corporatchik, doubtless in connivance with some government functionary. They probably made a fat profit. And doubtless the odd killing too.<br />
<br />
<br />
“YES?” The woman at the reception desk looked tired. It was only ten o’clock in the morning but how many people had she processed already?<br />
<br />
He didn’t feel like talking much. What was there to say? So he produced the Nexus and handed it over. The woman slotted the card into her terminal and tapped a few keys. Then she went over to a filing cabinet and rooted through a drawer. No matter how computerised they became, he noted, they couldn’t bring themselves to ditch the paperwork.<br />
<br />
“Name?”<br />
<br />
He rolled his eyes. It was printed on the card in her hand. “Mills,” he said.<br />
<br />
“Initials?”<br />
<br />
“Dee. Ess.”<br />
<br />
At last she produced a folder stamped with his name and social security number. With a bored manner she dumped it on the desk and entered some details into the computer, then, without another word, she returned his card and disappeared into the hidden recesses of the building. Mills felt his mind wander once more.<br />
<br />
<br />
THREE years after it closed, he went back for a nostalgia trip with Rob and Pete. Somebody had beaten them to it. The foundries were still there, much to their surprise. Now they formed an attraction in an industrial theme park: “The Workshop of the World”.<br />
<br />
Some multi-national had bought the place. They presented the site as part of Britain’s industrial heritage, which in a way it was. It was still strange because it had only been in operation for five years before he started there. The real heritage was long gone, buried beneath the foundations of shopping malls and monuments to commerce. He didn’t even know where the steel industry was originally based. They never taught him that in history, only what a great and glorious country he had the good fortune to be born into – a haven for freedom and democracy where the cameras never blinked.<br />
<br />
In that theme park, his foundries glowed again. But they glowed with a cold light, the tinted glow of electric lamps, and the metal they poured was nothing more than back-lit paste.<br />
<br />
The workers were the best. Big, muscular men, with oiled and bronzed skin, toiled at the foundries manually. Funny that, because they were never designed for manual operation. Except in an emergency. But how many of the paying public would know that?<br />
<br />
The fall of the Industrialists’ Empire. The Workshop of the World – just a play-park for kids. The irony wasn’t lost on him. The world was a workshop – one where men, women and even children toiled all day for next to nothing. Yet here, in the country that coined the phrase, actors performed fake work for the paying crowd.<br />
<br />
<br />
“MR Mills?” A pleasant voice shattered the images of the past. “Would you like to come this way?”<br />
<br />
He turned around to find a woman smiling brightly. It came as something of a surprise to encounter such an amiable approach. The badge on her chest identified her as Jane. No surname. She indicated a door and walked towards it. Beyond it was just another office: a cheap desk, phone, assorted pens, and a filing cabinet in one corner. A fan gently stirred the air.<br />
<br />
All very ordinary, except for the sign on the door: “JobNet”.<br />
<br />
<b>Copyright (C) 2001/2010. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
Category: CITIZEN ZEROAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581058869206248938noreply@blogger.com0