Yet further revision of the front cover for Pepe

 If you're viewing this on your computer screen, take a glance to the right and scroll just a little bit down the column. You'll see the newest version of the cover of Pepe. 

Here's a thumbnail sized version. On the web view, or on my website or on the Amazon kindle page, You'll see it full size. 

After looking at what I had, I decided it needed some more sprucing up. I needed it to shout, Cyberpunk, and Street Kid a little bit more loudly. 

I hope this does the trick...

Christian vs Nationalism

It saddens me very much to see Christianity associated with nationalism, both in US and here in UK. 

I realise it's been in the traditional Christian DNA since the time of Emporer Constantine, but according to Jesus, it was never supposed to be that way. 

Here's my take on how Jesus dealt with it. It's a quote from a couple of my books and a Quora response I did recently:

 

The following quote from Jesus himself goes a long way to drawing the line between politics and Christian religious belief: Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God (Mark 12:17).

Not all Christians will agree with the following interpretation, but I believe it needs to be heard...

This wasn’t just a convenient reply to the question he had just been asked - regarding paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus gave us a profound truth: there is a fundamental difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Caesar – or any human government. We see that difference in Jesus’ reply to Pontius Pilate: My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would be fighting… (John18:36)

Depending on how it came to power, a human government is answerable to its own hierarchy, or to those who put them in power, be it the people who voted them in, or their representatives (MPs, senators and congressmen), or oligarchs, or their military, or the monarchy, or popular revolution. Whether they are tough on things like immigration or border controls, or are very lax, depends on the concerns or interests of those within the hierarchy, or on the constituents that voted them into office. Murder and theft are generally outlawed, but what other activities are criminalised would likewise depend on the conditions of rule. They may allow slavery or abolish it – or child labour, or domestic abuse. They may restrict religious freedom or freedom of expression if those go against their interests.

It’s nice when the State takes care of the poor, provides education, social services, and covers medical costs from public funds, but that hasn’t always been the case, and the time for that could cease.

All the above is what human government does – what belongs to Caesar - and the servants of Jesus aren’t called to fight to change it.

As for what belongs to God… the Kingdom of God has its own rules that may or may not be compatible with human government. Their interests may overlap like a Venn diagram. The Parameters of that overlap are Romans 13:1-5 on one side, and Acts 5:29 on the other; between where it says we must obey those in authority, and the other that says we must obey God rather than man.

Where the mandate of the Kingdom of God has come into conflict with human government, believers have faced incarceration and even death for their allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Christians were thrown to the lions in Rome, and even today, believing in Messiah carries a harsh sentence in some radical states. Under regimes like ISIS and even in Saudi Arabia, believers are beheaded. In times that slavery was sanctioned, groups like the Quakers and other conscientious believers assisted slaves who were escaping from their masters, following Deut 23:16 and 17 (which forbids returning escaped slaves to their masters even where slavery is allowed). Some believers in Europe risked their lives to save Jewish people from being taken away by the Nazis. Sadly, others understood only one of the above parameters and thought their duty to the state meant handing the Jews over. So, our role as citizens of the Kingdom of God may come into conflict with the expectations of any of the kingdoms of this world.

Nowhere does the New Testament criticise secular governments for doing what they do. Forcing human government to bow to the Kingdom of God, has never been our mandate. Of course, where the system allows it, such as in a democracy, we can vote and even run for office. Paul even pleaded his rights as a Roman citizen on occasion. Citizens of the Kingdom of God may interact with world politics – just don’t let our involvement blind people to the message of the Kingdom of God, as has happened in the West. Always leave scope for “friendship evangelism”.

Also, we can be thankful for good things that have been accomplished by the kingdoms of this world, such as the ending of legal slave trade, abolition of slavery, the defeat of Naziism, and various civil rights acts, guaranteeing various freedoms, and even social services – just as Paul and others were thankful for Pax Romana. All the while, keep in mind that the kingdoms of this world will not be part of the Kingdom of our God until the time stated in Revelation 11:15, when that proclamation is made.

In the meantime, the pendulum could very well swing in the other direction. If that happens, again, take joy, as that would be a trial to make us stronger

 ... end quote.

The fact is, making the world safe for our kind wasn't the mandate Jesus gave us, rather, to spread the Kingdom of God, which is distinct from any of the kingdoms of this world. 

 

Death of a public figure

When a person with a highly controversial career or reputation dies, whether by assassination, commando raid, bombing, or by natural circumstances, old age, etc, we tend to hear of all sorts of reactions. When Margaret Thatcher passed on, while many mourned, some held parties to celebrate. When Osama bin Laden was killed, Facebook resounded with comments like, "Ding doing the witch is dead..." 

Now, it's for Charlie Kirk that the bell tolls. From where I sit, I'm hearing and reading the usual spectrum of responses. 

If, God forbid, the current US president were to be assassinated, I'm sure there would be a national day of mourning, but for some, a day of celebration (when I say "God forbid," I do mean, "God forbid," but that in no way indicates where I stand politically). We tend to forget that such a death doesn't only end a political career, but a life as well. And behind each public face, there is a life.

I remember watching old Hong Kong police films that featured shoot-outs between police and mobsters where both police and gang members were dropping like flies. It happens in some western films as well. They were exciting scenes, to be sure, but they made me wonder, what's the average life expectancy of a Hong Kong policeman? - or of an average gangster? Are people really so dedicated to their work if there's such a high risk of it all coming to an end? - Never seeing their kids grow up; never again spending time with their spouse; never taking walks in the countryside; drawing pictures... etc etc...?

Life is a gift from God, and I believe we don't take it seriously enough. 

The rabbis say, when someone dies, a world comes to an end. The "world", in this case, is the entire network of relationships, people loved and hated, people whose lives are enriched or otherwise affected, bosses, colleagues, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, pals down at the pub, next door neighbours, people whose view of their daily landscape includes that person's figure - it's gone from all of those, leaving a hole in each landscape.

In my novels, when a character dies, I always try to express all of that feeling. In fact, in one of the scenes, a rabbi makes the above quote.

Of course we know death isn't the end. As believers in Messiah, we believe in an afterlife. We often say one has gone to "a better place." But if we look closer to our theology, we'll note that those who have gone on are, for the time being, incomplete. They are souls separated from their bodies waiting for the resurrection of the dead, when they will once again be reunited with their resurrected body. We tend to forget that. 

Apart from what we profess, we have no idea what it's actually like. Peter Pan said that death must be the greatest adventure. Maybe so, but we don't know what it looks like. 

 

That's as it should be, as our business right now is this life.

This life is the gift from God, ours to make whatever we will of it. It's the only chance we have to improve this world - our world that includes everyone that has anything to do with us, which includes parts of other people's worlds like a Venn diagram - God's gift to each of us, and our gift to those others.

That is why untimely death is so ugly, and why murder is so evil. 

 

While some, right now, are saying, "I'm sorry he's gone, his arguments resonated with me," others are saying, "I'm glad he's dead, I hated his politics." 

 

What about the cardigan his aunt was knitting for his next birthday*? What of the hopes of ever taking his two young kids to Disneyland when they're older**?

If anyone feels inclined to sing, "Ding doing, the witch is dead," please add the line, "The witch will never again smell the flowers or see a rainbow." 

 

 

 

* supposing she was. I don't even know if he had any aunts. 

** I did a google search to see if he had kids

New Cover

 Sorry I've been a way so long. Been working on this...

 

 

 Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk 

 

 seagull flown inland

sitting on a chimney pot

laughing at the world

saw it while returning from our walk... got inside and wrote the haiku and drew the picture

Another flash fiction

 

Thoughts on Intelligent Life Outside the Tadpole Galaxy

It is my opinion that life will never be found on any part of the universe but our planet.

The position of our planet in our solar system, and the properties of our unique galaxy are what make life possible only here. Most galaxies are composed of a spiral of stars centred around a black hole at the centre, so massive that it would be impossible for any planet within such a galaxy to sustain life. In fact, our own galaxy also has one at its centre, but ours is the only one that has a tail that is twice the length as the diameter of the main galaxy. The position of our solar system two thirds of the way to the end, make it the ideal location for supporting life.

There have been studies as to the feasibility of life further out in the tail than our solar system, but to go into that would make for a lengthy discussion indeed. But based on those studies, as no other galaxy in the universe has been seen to have a tail like ours, it is safe to assume that no galaxy but ours can support life.

Even if life were to be found anywhere but on our planet, it’s impossible that it could develop high intelligence, as our species has. No signals of any intelligent source have been detected from our immediate sector, which for the reasons stated above, have been shown to be the only location in the universe capable of supporting life.

Our own species has the uniquely ideal physiology to develop into a higher intelligence. Our six upper limbs, each having a hand with three digits, is what gave our early ancestors the natural inclination to develop the ternary number system which we have, in modern times, found to be ideally suited to computer programming. Just suppose, for example, the furry endo-skeletal species inhabiting the great continent in the South had begun to develop the need for numbers? What sort of number system could they have possibly developed based on their four limbs each having five digits? A five based or ten based system would be cumbersome indeed, and would certainly impede any technological development. Also their manual dexterity would not have enabled them to develop technologically, or to build anything that would become the basis of civilisation. The brain would certainly not be able to coordinate that many fingers on each hand. That’s not even going into the suitability of their type of body structure, that of soft fleshy tissue supported by an internal skeletal system, which would never allow them to work with anything but soft fruit and the pliable branches that they build their nests with. Just trying to hold one of our simplest tools would puncture the soft skin on their fingers.

Those are but a few of the arguments that confirm the undeniable fact: we are alone in the universe.

Photo attribution: By KuriousGeorge - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70029204

New cover for Rat Queen

 Since I also do my own cover design, and given the nature of self publishing, I sometimes change a cover on a whim, just to see if the new idea might sell. Here's a new one for The Rat Queen. You'll see the previous cover along with the others in the series. This new one will fit in the series....

 

 

One I did a few years ago
#digitalArt

Flash Fiction: The Deniers

Note: Flash fiction is a very short story of 1000 (maximum 1250) words or less. Here's one of my more recent ones...

 

The Deniers

The banner headlines scroll along the bottom of the screen on the display model in the TV shop. The two boys pause to read:
Santa Claus’s violation of restricted air space continues to be a major concern, according to military sources…
Slump in the economy blamed on Santa's Elves sourcing parts for their toys from places like China and Indonesia “... places that don't even celebrate Christmas!” said one industry spokesman
Child in Yorkshire traumatised when the snowman he built started dancing…
‘Poor kid,’ says Paul. ‘That's why I never make snowmen, especially close to Christmas.’
‘Why is there always so much hoopla about Santa every Christmas?’
‘Donno. I don't think there even is a Santa Claus.’
‘What about all that violating the no-fly zone and all that?’ asks Johnny.
‘Probably just a really fancy UFO or something.’
‘Yeah, you're probably right.’

Johnny has only known Paul since the beginning of the school year, but they're already best friends. Tonight, he's sleeping over at Johnny's house, and they're in the corner, building things with Johnny's legos while all the grown-ups are watching a game show on TV.
Several of Johnny's other relations are over on a visit, as one of the contestants on the game show is Cindy, Johnny's young looking aunt with the long beautiful blond hair. And now it appears that Aunt Cindy is the lucky winner! She is granted three wishes. All the adults are glued to the screen, but Johnny and Paul go on with their playing, only giving mild attention to what's happening.
The game show hostess, a half size human in a glittering white dress, holding a wand, hovering in mid air with the aid of her dragonfly wings, says, “Name your three wishes, and they'll be granted.”
Aunt Cindy says, ‘Let me see, how about a Lamborghini?’
The hostess says, ‘Granted!’, waves her wand, and a Lamborghini materialises on the set.
The adults in the room gasp, saying things like, ‘Ooo!’ ‘I hope she takes us on a ride!’ etc.
‘Dream on!’ says Aunt Margaret, an elderly relative, as she walks into the room. ‘That leach will never do a good turn for anyone!’
‘That’s for sure,’ said Johnny, only loud enough for Paul to hear, ‘but neither will Aunt Margaret.’
The game show hostess goes on, ‘What's your second wish?’
‘A cryptocurrency account containing a billion Bubblecoins!’
The fairy presenter waves her wand, and Aunt Cindy's phone dings a message. She looks at her phone and squeals with delight, jumping up and down.
‘Hah!’ scoffs Aunt Margaret. ‘Now, all I have to do is go onto that show and wish the bottom drops out of the Bubblecoin market, and that car deteriorates into a pile of rust - and, lemme see, third wish: all her hair falls out!’
‘And your third wish?’
A naughty look appears on Aunt Cindy's face. ‘I wish my worst enemy would drop dead!’
The fairy replies, ‘Oooh! What a dark naughty wish!’ She waves her wand.
Immediately, Aunt Margaret clutches her chest and collapses. Uncle Pete runs to her to try to help her. Aunt Jane, a nurse, also helps.
On the screen, Aunt Cindy's phone dings again. She looks at it and cries, ‘Oh no! My Bubblecoins are worthless!’
‘Of course they’d be,’ says Paul. ‘A billion of them suddenly added would make the rest of them almost nothing.’
Then there's a noise behind her. She whirls around to find that the Lamborghini has crumbled into a pile of rust.
‘Probably made of cardboard to begin with, ’ says Paul. ‘I mean, where's a fairy gonna get a Lamborghini to start with?’
‘Oh dear!’ says the fairy. ‘That poor soul must have been watching, and made a wish or two herself!’
‘But - but…’ She's distracted as her hair begins falling out.”
Aunt Jane can't find any vital signs.
’Don't you know?’ the fairy goes on, ‘Whenever you make a death wish, the last wishes of the victim also come to pass.’
Now, nobody's paying attention to the TV, as they're all gathered around Aunt Margaret, saying things like, ‘That Cindy’s done it now!’ ‘She’s gone too far this time!’
The two boys are on their feet, but they can't get any closer, as the grownups are crowded around her.
On the TV screen, a bald Aunt Cindy is in hysterics, and is being carried off the set.
‘Hah! Serves her right!’ says Uncle Albert.
‘She'll never be welcome in this house again!’ says Johnny's mum.
Aunt Margaret wasn't that type of person in his life that Johnny was likely to miss very badly, but still - wishing her dead?
Johnny asks Paul, ‘Do you really think it was Aunt Cindy's wish that killed Aunt Margaret?’
‘Naa. I'm sure there's a natural explanation.’

At recess, the kids are lounging on the climbing frame, discussing the history lesson.
‘I don't believe all that, what Ms Maier said about King Gilbert,’ says Sally. ‘Was he really a frog before Queen Mabel kissed him?’
‘If I were him,’ said Paul, ‘I'd go look for that witch and call her a smelly whore or something, so she'd turn me back into a frog again.’
The kids all laugh
‘Yeah,’ responds Jennifer. ‘He never looks very happy, does he!’
‘I'm sure frogs are a lot happier,’ says Hank.
‘If he was a frog,’ says Johnny. ‘I mean, do you really believe all that?’
‘Not really.’
‘No.’
‘Hoi! You lot of little twits!’ It was one of the big kids. ‘You don't believe the king transformed from a frog? You probably don't even believe in Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, I bet. You a bunch of babies or what?’
They're all quiet.
‘Well, I've grown outta that, so I have. Why, when I get bigger, I'm gonna go fight a dragon, and win me a princess, so I will! I don't know about you soppy lot.’
He walks away as the kids make faces.
Hank says, ‘They always get like that when they get bigger.’
‘Gosh! I Hope I don't,’ says Jennifer.
Johnny and Paul are finally by themselves.
Johnny tells Paul, ‘If we could wish for things and they come to pass, do you know what I'd wish for?’
‘What?’
‘I'd wish I'd stop growing, so I don't become like that.’
‘I tried that already.’
‘How?’
‘I was out with my mummy shopping,’ Paul began, ‘and I see a coin. I pick it up, and mum sees it and gets all excited, and says, “That's a magic coin! Go right now and throw it into that well over there - the wishing well - and make a wish!” I really don’t want to. I’d rather spend it on gummy bears. But she makes me do it, and she tells me, “Don't tell anyone your wish.” So I make a wish that I’ll never grow up, so I never have to believe all this stuff.’
‘Now you done gone and told me!’
‘I don't mind. Wishes like that don't work anyway, and besides, that was twenty years ago.’

New Covers for my Rat Queen series

 

After a bit of tweaking, I decided to redo the covers of my Rat Queen series. If you click on the above, you might still see the old coves on the website, but if you then clicked to download/purchase them, you'll get the new covers.

If you go there right now, you might get a free download, provided you click on the ePub link for Books2Read. Their summer sale is on for a limited time.

This is one I did after hearing the news of the stampede at the Kabul airport after the Taliban takeover