AUTHORSdB - here's a great site

Take a look - pretty much self explanatory. In their own words, "as of May 17 2013 we have over 2150 registered members and growing daily". Home page is here: -

http://www.authorsdb.com/

and my own listing is here: -

http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/3426-david-cooper

Infernal Coalition: UKIP - what fatal flaw?

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Alex broke off from reading the evening newspaper and passed it over to Susie, holding it open at the seventh page. 

“Looks like competition.”

The article was headed ‘Former Tory Councillor to contest East Worcs for UKIP’. Alex and Susie both knew of the individual concerned, Fred Donnington, who had briefly been one of their own local councillors shortly after they had moved into the constituency, before he retired. Donnington had served in the RAF before setting up a small engineering business, specialising in agricultural machinery, and after many years’ dedicated service as a councillor he was now devoting his remaining energies to the British Legion. And now, evidently, to the United Kingdom Independence Party.

“I wonder why UKIP picked him?”

“This might explain it.” Alex retrieved the paper and read an extract from the article beneath Donnington’s prominent photograph. “‘I cannot tolerate the thought of such a distinguished figure as Sir Walter Hough being succeeded by a man like his heir apparent….. It should be significant to everyone in East Worcestershire, in marked contrast, that unlike this man I openly repudiated my former political allegiance a number of months ago, and that my candidacy will provide a clear opportunity to protest against the In Europe But Not Run By Europe mantra that so foolishly sums up the modernised Conservative Party of the present day.’”

He put the paper down. “UKIP obviously wanted an ex-Tory. They’ve got one. That’s pretty strong stuff, what he’s said there, but it still doesn’t get over the fatal flaw.”

“What’s that?” Susie asked……

 

Well, who knows what that fatal flaw was, in the eyes of two fictional conservatives* thinking about the forthcoming General Election three years ago in 2010, at a time when the mainstream party most identified with traditional British values was riding high in the polls against a Prime Minister who displayed the charisma of a speak your weight machine and the economic acumen of a bull in a china shop, many weeks before the phrase “I agree with Nick” entered the English language.

But if a week is a long time in politics, what to make of three years, during which time barely a dent has been made in the size of the state; fuel and energy bills have rocketed; and the UK finds itself impotent in the face of foreign courts prohibiting the deportation of undesirable aliens? To say nothing of how the destructive might of the EU has escalated – just ask a PIGSIC nation trapped in Euroland – when the PM kicks the can down the road by reluctantly offering a referendum at some point in the next Parliament?

Maybe those fictional conservatives* contemplating this week’s elections would by now have concluded that there was no fatal flaw in what UKIP were standing for after all…..

*Deliberate avoidance of the capital C. From the back cover of Infernal Coalition: “Nor was Alex Harris’ wife Susie any more disposed to a quiet life after her new found political ambitions were treacherously derailed. Shaking off her own disappointment, she calmly struck back at the party machine that had once seemed so eager to welcome her…..”

Rush - Clockwork Angels and a Literary Trilogy

Well, that might be pushing the description of the three books in question too far. But it was still part of a worthwhile holiday reading experience from the not too distant past, mainly inspired by the aim of digging more deeply into the background story behind Clockwork Angels, the best Rush album in many years.

First up, Dead Barchetta (aka Rock Deadly), a mystery thriller by Kathryn Lively, starring a guitar teacher and tribute band guitarist called Lerxst Johnson who has the misfortune narrowly to escape being murdered – the misfortune of course being his attempted murder and not his escape – only to discover the body of his would be killer in his music studio the next day. It triggers off his ever more complicated chase for reasons and explanations, with a wholly unpredictable conclusion. Would this have been any less enjoyable a beach read if Rush had not been the recipient of Lerxst’s tribute? Not at all.

Onto the Clockwork Angels novel, where Kevin J.Anderson collaborates with Neil Peart to put a considerable amount of flesh on the bones of the album track links and of course the lyrics. Let’s say straight away that it helped make an already first class album truly outstanding. Let’s also not forget to add that “steampunk”, a word that might sound notably jarring in any sense associated with Rush, is evidently a brand of science fiction featuring steam powered machinery – introduced early on here in the form of the steamliners from “Caravan” that ferry passengers and much needed commodities to the land of Crown City, far from the mundane orchards of Barrel Arbor where undermanager Owen Hardy dreams of adventure, never knowing he is about to find it.

What about this mysterious Watchmaker, then? Evidently an all powerful dictator reaching out to oversee the whole of Albion from his headquarters in Crown City, but an apparently benevolent one, who proves to his subjects that he “loves them all to death” by bestowing Stability (with a capital S), tranquillity, a reliable way of life where even the rainstorms happen on time, an apparently prosperous economy founded on alchemy (sounds like debauching the currency with a real long term crash inevitable, but that’s another story), and of course the regular Clockwork Angels shows in Chronos Square. And who, in parallel, cracks down ruthlessly on dissent via the all powerful Regulators.

Any real world comparison? Brunei, maybe, a nation of vast wealth where the population will in all probability lack nothing, but where dissent against the Sultan’s rule will meet with zero tolerance? Possibly. It’s perhaps not surprising that Crown City proves not to Owen Hardy’s liking, even if the manner of his leaving was not voluntary, and that he goes on to seek adventure of a more rewarding nature. No spoilers, save to confirm the majestic closure of the album with “The Garden” is cleverly echoed.

So what about the third book in the trilogy? Stepping back to the seventies, we find that two Rush songs – to be exact, “Anthem” from Fly By Night and the entire first side of 2112 – owe their inspiration to Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the story of another man on a mission.

But this is no tale of an Owen Hardy, bored of contentment and finding that he can’t stop thinking big. This is the horrific diary of a street sweeper called Equality 7-2521, trapped in a bleak, oppressive nightmare world of the future where its wretched inhabitants are allocated lifelong mundane jobs upon reaching adulthood regardless of their intellect, where every waking moment of their lives is strictly controlled for the sake of the supposed common good, and where the greatest source of power and light is the candle, electricity being long forgotten. Not forgetting the fact that a powerful elite lords it over the brainwashed masses. Echoes of Cambodia under Pol Pot. Or modern day North Korea. Or the kind of nation that the most extreme climate change zealots would have us inhabit once the entire world has been decarbonised.

So Equality 7-2521 goes on an illicit voyage of discovery, first winning the affection of farm worker Liberty 5-3000 and vowing to save her from the compulsion of the Palace of Mating. Then he rediscovers a mysterious force, in a long neglected underground chamber where brick surrounds metal rails, that can make a wire glow in a glass box – only to face no option other than headlong flight when the World Council of Scholars denounce his invention as a curse. But his greatest discovery, having fled his oppressors for once and for all, is a word…

Any Rush fan will enjoy all of these. And they all stand up in their own right. Five stars for each of them.

Infernal Coalition - on Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301537

I have made Infernal Coalition available via Smashwords. The link is above and will soon be on the side too.

My motivation for going beyond Kindle and Lulu was down to one factor above all, namely how impressed I have been with the iPad since recently receiving one as an unexpected gift. While it is clear in my mind that the iPad will never replace the desktop or laptop PC, and will probably not challenge the Kindle in VHS v Betamax fashion - let's face it, if you drop your Kindle on the beach, you just brush the sand off the cover and carry on - its versatility is a real eye opener. And I haven't even had to mention Angry Birds yet...

Next stop, the Smashwords Premium Catalogue and the obstacle course that this may involve. And in due course, similar treatment for Hatred Ridicule & Contempt.

Greek Tragedy and a trip to the Court of Appeal

No, not the tragedy of a once proud and mighty nation being suffocated with ignominy as a result of its ongoing membership of the Eurozone. I’m thinking of the ancient works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and the three common stages of most (if not all) of their works. Let’s use the Sophoclean masterpiece Oedipus Tyrannus to illustrate them.

Hubris: unwittingly, Oedipus kills his father King Laius of Thebes and marries his mother Jocasta, fulfilling an ancient prophecy in the process. Years later, with Thebes stricken by plague, which the Delphic oracle attributes to the stigma of King Laius’ murderer having never been caught, he embarks on an investigation.

Nemesis: Oedipus is confronted by the inescapable truth, having questioned an eyewitness to the murder, a shepherd who once gave away an unwanted child of Laius and Jocasta rather than leaving it to die of exposure on a mountainside, the child then being raised by King Polybus of Corinth and Queen Merope as if it was their own.

Catharsis: Oedipus blinds himself and goes into exile.

We could sum these stages up as a wrongful act of brazen arrogance, retribution for that act, and transformation through cleaning or purging. In Greek tragedy, the last of these could apply to the audience as much as the main character.

Back to the present day and the Court of Appeal, for a winning decision on 5th March in a case involving allegations of wrongful post-termination solicitation of customers, and breach of directors’ fiduciary duties. Sparing chapter and verse on the parties for now, but with a promise to put up a link to the judgment once it’s published, the case may have been a modern day Greek tragedy. The hubris of soliciting the customers and breaching the duties. The nemesis of the appeal judgment, following on from the initial nemesis of the trial judgment, defied via the appeal. Leaving the catharsis, the precise nature of which is perhaps best left unaddressed for the moment.

Hubris, Nemesis and Catharsis. Now, there’s a possible book title. Let’s get to work.

Guest Interview: Emma Gray, author of "Party Games" (as E.J. Greenway)

Today I am pleased to be featuring an interview with Emma Gray, the author of the political suspense thriller “Party Games” as E.J. Greenway. Emma is kindly returning the favour for me.

What first inspired you to write novels?

I was 11, and watching the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, when I first realised I was interested in what was going on in politics. I always loved writing from a young age, and when I realised I could combine writing with my other new love – politics – I was in heaven! I thought the whole drama surrounding an outgoing Prime Minister of Mrs Thatcher’s stature was fascinating, and so I wrote my first ‘novel’ in 1990 called ‘The Plan to Assassinate the Prime Minister’. After that, I wrote a number of political stories (all involving real-life politicians, inspired by publications such as Private Eye) until I began my first ‘serious’ novel, Party Games, ten years ago now! The rest, as they say, is history.

Which novelist most inspires you?

I would have to say Michael Dobbs. He is a marvellous man, with a big passion for politics and writing about it.

 

Why choose politics as a subject?

As I said above, it’s my life-long passion, as well as my degree, as well as my job, and they say ‘write what you know’, so I did!

 

What led to the Conservative angle?

I am a natural Tory and have learnt a lot about the Conservative Party over the years!

 

Tell me more about Party Games.

It is a tale of skulduggery, passion and back-stabbing in the heart of Westminster, but also a tale about friendship and human flaws and failings. I always say that it could be based anywhere where there is hierarchy and rivalry i.e. in any company, school, council etc. I don’t wish to use the politics itself to sell any kind of political message, it is simply there as a vehicle for the characters and the story (hence me not going into policy detail about Cornish devolution, for example, which would obviously be dull as dishwater and make the story fragmented). Although it is in a political setting, I hope that the reader could sympathise and empathise with some of the characters – although not all!

 

Any more books on the horizon?

Yes – two, in fact. Party Games is first in a trilogy, so I’m currently on book 2, Power Play, which I hope to release later this year.

Most rewarding aspect of independent writing and e-publishing?

Being able to be my own boss and time everything to my own deadlines, not someone else’s.

 

And most frustrating?

Not being able to get my book out to a wider audience, as would be possible with a traditional publisher. E-books, although brilliant, do have their limitations!

 

As an independent author, how useful do you find social media?

It’s not just useful, but essential. Twitter has been my biggest source of publicity, and I’m grateful to all those who re-tweet and tweet on my behalf (including @DavidCooperBks !).

 

What would you most like to achieve from writing?

A book deal, through a traditional publisher. I think any independent author who pretends otherwise is kidding themselves!

Emma’s blogsite is http://emmajgray.blogspot.co.uk/ and she can be found on Twitter as @emsie1979.

“Party Games” is in the Kindle bookstore at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Party-Games-ebook/dp/B00986Z9UI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1358894755&sr=1-1 From my own 5 star review: -

“Anyone following the current political scene will be well familiar with the tales of treachery, double dealing and backbiting that are all too often reported about the Westminster playground, and it often leaves us wishing we could look even further behind the scenes. This tale of the tribulations of opposition leader Rodney Richmond takes a further step into that murky world - and it's all too credible. Rather than spoil the surprise beyond the author's own preview, I'll just say that if you like political suspense (from Dobbs to Archer), you'll love this one - all the more so for the promised sequels as this is just the first part of an intended trilogy.”

Infernal Coalition: Amazement - and Retaliation

Tuesday 9 February 2010

When Alex pulled into his drive after his late return from London, he was puzzled to see that another car had just arrived ahead of him. It was clearly not Susie’s, and she had in any event mentioned ‘a quiet night in, working on a new project’ when he had called her from the railway station car park less than an hour earlier. He came to a halt behind the other car as the driver extinguished its headlights and opened the door. 

“Hello, Alex, I wondered if I’d find you in. Hope it’s not too late?”

To his further surprise, he realised it was Karen Rutherford. Although they had always been good friends and colleagues on political business in East Worcestershire, she had never visited him at home before.

“No, not at all.” By now Susie had opened the front door. “Come on in. You know Susie, don’t you?”

After Holly had enthusiastically introduced herself to Karen before retreating to her basket, and Alex had sorted out a round of drinks, they all sat down. It was evident that Karen was very much on edge.

“I thought I’d come and see you if I could, as soon as I’d got away from that pathetic charade of a meeting.” Alex realised that she was referring to the latest gathering of the constituency executive committee earlier that evening. “I’ve done something that I’m really ashamed of, and you’re probably one of the only people I can share it with.”

“Hang on a minute, though. You must know I’ve resigned.”

“You can say that again. It was one of the very first things that came up tonight. Not a word of thanks from Nicholson for your past service, just some underhand comment about leaving them in the lurch when there’s so much to do. Then he asks me if I’d step into your shoes and become Deputy Chairman Political.”

“That would be right up your street, wouldn’t it?” Susie chipped in.

“Maybe, but I said I wasn’t interested. It’s all part of the rest of it.”

Alex and Susie waited for Karen to continue. She took a deep breath and composed herself.

“Do you remember the question and answer session at the members’ meeting when we chose Martin Darby? Remember how everyone thought how good he was on all ten of the questions, when the others didn’t come across as anywhere near as skilful as him at thinking on their feet?”

The session was well familiar to Alex, if only for the manner in which it had effectively sealed the fate of one of the other candidates, Olwen Williams.

“Yes, I do. What about it?”

“He was primed. Those questions and answers were supposed to be unseen and unrehearsed, but he had full chapter and verse.”

“Primed?” Alex quickly thought back once more to the members’ meeting. It was plausible – but how? “Full chapter and verse? How do you know?”

It was obvious from the look of dismay on Karen’s face that she had a dark confession to make.

“Because it was me. I did the priming. I fed Darby every single question. That’s what I’m really ashamed of, now that this other business has come out.”

The further revelation left Alex and Susie completely lost for words. Karen continued, her composure evidently fully regained after she had unburdened herself of her secret. 

“You know I’ve been trying to get on the candidates’ list myself? I applied once about three years ago. I was turned down and told to get myself some more political experience before trying again. That’s when I first met that horrible man Marcus Haines.”

Alex nodded for Karen to continue.

“He recognised me when he came up for that first meeting, the one when they said they wouldn’t be putting you up to fill the last place.” Karen looked towards Susie and caught her full attention. “Right at the end, when we were all queuing to leave, he took me aside and asked me to go into the clerk’s room and explain to the candidates that they’d all be going through to the last round, and that I should wait there for him.”

“Yes, of course, he was standing on the door collecting in CVs.” Alex remembered the argument he had had with Nicholson before leaving, and did not add that Haines had not wholly discharged his duties.

“When he and Nicholson came in and found us all, he asked me to step outside for a quick chat, and asked me who I thought I liked the most. I said Darby and Kendall. He thanked me for that. Went on to tell me he could be in a position to give me a leg up for next time around, and we exchanged phone numbers. I nearly thought he was going to proposition me.”

“Interesting, but how does this involve Darby and the members’ questions?”

“Well, on the Wednesday night before the final selection meeting, he rang me. He said he’d like me to give Martin Darby a call to run through some possible questions for the meeting. I could just about work out what was going on. I asked him whether it was a good idea to be doing something like that, and he said that surely I’d appreciate it if I was in someone’s final shortlist. There was something sinister about the way he put it – almost as if I could kiss goodbye to any chances of my own to get on the candidates’ list if I didn’t play along.”

“I don’t believe it. Are you sure?” Alex was astounded to hear of yet another twist to the process that had led to the selection of East Worcestershire’s candidate.

“I wish I wasn’t. But I am. I was told to read out all ten questions, make notes on how he answered them, and report back to Haines on how Darby answered. That’s exactly what I did. It was really pathetic of me.”

“Well, isn’t that just great. He makes sure that his fingerprints aren’t anywhere to be seen, so it’s deniable, and your prospects of getting on the approved list are down the drain if you don’t play ball. Welcome to the political class – have a nice day.”

As Alex reached for his pint glass, Susie realised there was something else just as important, if not more so.

“So who fed the questions to Haines?”

Karen was the first to answer.

“Oh God. It could only have been Nicholson. He must have been in on it.” She seemed about to burst into tears as Susie put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

“Right, that does it.” Still holding Karen, Susie turned to Alex.....

* * * * *

So what happened next? What exactly did Susie's retaliation involve? There's only one way to find out. The links to the Amazon and Lulu pages to order a copy of Infernal Coalition are on the right. And if you're in need of a double fix of legal suspense, why not order a copy of Hatred Ridicule & Contempt too?