The Fang has sharpened!

Just a quick announcement to make.

As of today, my new book, SWIFTLY SHARPENS THE FANG, is live!

And for a limited time, it’ll be just 99c/99p. Click here to snag yours!

Some monsters are born… Others are created.

Find out how in this gripping psychological thriller penned by the author of the acclaimed SUBNORMAL trilogy.

Following the death of his father at the hands of terrorists, 22 year-old Joe suffers from depression. Using drink to kill the pain, he abuses himself and alienates his loved ones. His life in post-Brexit Britain is a chaos of binges and fights, while his dreams are haunted by repressed childhood memories.

When the black sheep of the family, Uncle Steve, takes Joe under his wing, the young man enters an ugly world of vice and fascism. Although gang membership means glory, fame and money, it comes at a cost to his soul.

Battling against his own conscience, Joe makes as many foes as friends. And soon, there is no escape from his uncle’s organisation and their racist violence.

Unlike Steve, Joe wasn’t born a monster. But his fangs are getting sharper every day.

“This story of a dystopian, post-Brexit Great Britain is an eye-opener and one that all right thinking people should read” – Amazon review
“I highly recommend to all fans of this genre and anyone who loves an intense, thought-provoking tale. Definitely 5*s!” – Amazon review
“This was one of the most intense books I have read in some time” – Amazon review
“SWIFTLY SHARPENS THE FANG is certainly controversial, hard hitting, and likely to cause a stir” – Amazon review
“There are adult themes and situations in this novel that wouldn’t be appropriate for children, but I think everyone from juniors and seniors in high school and older should read this story. I think we could all do with the reminders that it offers” – Amazon review
“Narrative is raw, disturbing and pulls no punches” – Amazon review
“A gangster novel for the Brexit era” – Amazon review
“Excellent writing, this is a gripping story” – Amazon review
“A cross between FIGHT CLUB and A TIME TO KILL” – Amazon review
“Kenyon’s writing style is excellent, the pace a fast pitched race” – Amazon review
“Swiftly Sharpens the Fang is a wake-up call, and it’s also an excellent psychological read” – Amazon review

Head here to read more of the reviews!

Referen-doomed

Greetings, everyone!

Readers in the UK should be more au fait with this topic, but I imagine those in the US will have seen some coverage of the momentous events over here. Just over two weeks ago, following months of draining bickering by both camps, 51.9% of British voters chose to leave the European Union, a decision whose ramifications are yet to be known. The long and short of it is thus: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will, at some point over the next few years, abandon its political ties with the EU.

 

For those of you abroad who haven’t been subjected to the tit-for-tattery by the dishonourable gentlemen involved, I’ll try to summarise the whole sorry affair as succinctly as possible. The Remainers claimed that Britain is stronger in the EU, forecasting economical armageddon were we to vote out and lose untariffed access to the single market. Those in favour of a British exit (“Brexit”) insisted that our sovereignty was compromised by our membership, and that the free movement of people central to the ethos of the EU meant we were going to be further swamped by hordes of migrants. Neither team covered themselves in glory, with scaremongering, wild hypotheses, dirty tricks and unlikely promises aplenty.

                

Firstly, I’ll explain my own reasons for my choice to pencil my cross in the “Remain” box. They weren’t particularly influenced by the likes of Cameron, Gove, Johnson, Osborne, Farage or the Bank of England, to be honest:

1) I fear the disintegration of the UK. Scotland and Northern Ireland were markedly pro-Remain, and there is an understandable resentment on either side of the Irish Sea. Many Scottish people and their Northern Irish cousins feel that they’re being strongarmed out of the EU by pro-Brexit England and Wales. Though they may be placated by plans for further devolution of powers from Westminster to Holyrood and Stormont, there is a strong possibility – especially in Scotland – that they will hold referenda of their own and vote to become independent of the UK. I predict that Scotland will be a country in its own right by 2020.

2) The current Conservative government is, in my opinion, heartless and unconcerned with the “little people” it governs. Unfettered by the EU, it will ride roughshod over the rights of its electorate. The Labour and Liberal Democrat (remember them?) parties are too weak to provide meaningful opposition, leaving us at the mercy of the Tories for at least the next ten years. Whoever is chosen to succeed David Cameron, the Conservatives will do what they always do: protect their rich, privileged pals whilst shafting the most vulnerable.

3) A vote to leave legitimatises the racism which, unfortunately, still pervades sections of our society. Now, before anyone shoots me down, I’m not saying that all Brexiteers voted because they don’t like foreigners. Or even most. I’m sure the vast majority will have made their choice for noble reasons, and there were compelling arguments put forward by the Eurosceptics. But already we’ve seen an increase in hate crimes. The moronic and bigoted have been emboldened by the referendum result and have directed their pathetic ire against EU migrants already resident in Britain – whose right to stay in Britain should hopefully be enshrined by law – and even against people from outwith the EU. The likes of Britain First, whose name blackened a previous blog of mine, are pedalling their usual bile. Hopefully, this alarming trend towards extremism will taper off, but as we’ve seen in America, these sentiments are growing in popularity and volume.

So what next? The pound sterling and the stock exchange took a bit of a battering in the aftermath of the announcement, but things seemed to have settled down a little. Now the news is dominated by infighting within the main two parties, and talk of the quasi-mythical Article 50. It seems it will be a while before we see any real consequences of the omnishambles to which we’ve condemned ourselves. At least one of the more fantastical selling points has already been dispelled, though: the National Health Service will not get the purported £350,000,000 saved weekly by Brexit. Also, we may not have the border control that was so central to Leave campaign’s argument. And if anyone seriously believed that Turkey joining the EU – thereby leaving Britain open to millions of Turkish and even Syrian immigrants – was an imminent danger, they should probably stick to voting for their favourite X Factor wannabe. Greece and Cyprus would have to go the same way as Atlantis for them not to veto such a move.

On a personal level, I was deeply disappointed by the outcome. I’ve never despaired so much of my fellow Brits, though I feel many of them have been manipulated. Nevertheless, the nation has spoken; I don’t subscribe to the idea of a second referendum. And at least I know which book to write next. I was toying with four different ideas; now I am decided. As a writer of dystopian fiction, I’m going to take full advantage of Brexit and paint a miserable Britain, blighted by intolerance and fascism. No doubt my apocalyptic vision will be derided as radically-pessimistic; however, remember this: I’ve been right before.

Though my speculative Subnormal trilogy was a huge exaggeration of our woes, it was, if I do say so myself, alarmingly prophetic. When I wrote book 1 I told the story of disabled people being marginalised by a cruel tyrant. Since publication the treatment of those on disability benefits has worsened and will probably continue to deteriorate. Okay, my son hasn’t been sent to a concentration camp like Paul Kelly, but I’m sure you’ll allow me a little artistic licence. Book 2, which featured a fanatical cult of terrorists repeatedly attacking innocents to achieve their aims, was released last summer. Months later the worst orchestrated terror attacks in the western world since 9/11 were perpetrated in France and Belgium by a sect of lunatics. And in the final part of the trilogy, Scotland breaks away from England for the first time in three centuries amidst civil war. Unhappily, it appears I may be proved right again (minus the civil war).

Anyway, that’s enough doom and gloom and “I told you so” from me. If you want to check out my Subnormal series, the first novel is always only 99c/99p. From tomorrow, 11th July, until Sunday 17th July, part 2 (Supernormal) will be on Kindle Countdown, meaning that it’ll be discounted to 99c/99p for seven days. The following week, book 3 (Postnormal) will also be on Kindle Countdown, so it’ll cost just 99c/99p.

Thanks for dropping by, and please leave a comment!

Postnormal – shameless plug

Hello everyone!

Again, I must apologise for my recent lack of bloggage. We’ve had illness in the family and an ongoing fight with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services – who aren’t actually that bothered about Child and Adolescent Mental Health, but that’s a post for another day) with which to contend, and I’ve been using my remaining spare time to write since my last effort. Even so, I’ve neglected my blog and will endeavour to rectify this over the coming months.

I’d love to say that I’m going to mark my return with a scintillating, witty piece full of insight. If that does prove to be the case, it will be by accident because today, I’m here to do one thing, and one thing only: I’m going to promote my new book, POSTNORMAL.
It’s not really the done thing to admit that your intentions are purely selfish. But what’s the point in trying to deceive? Being an independent author isn’t easy, after all. Unless you’re already successful (and even if you are), you’ve got to do a lot of shouting to get people to listen and buy the books you’ve worked so hard to produce. I’ve always felt a little reluctant to brag about my SUBNORMAL series. Perhaps it’s my British reserve, or maybe it’s my natural disinclination to self-applause, but I’ve not been as vocal as I should’ve been. Would it have made a difference if I’d bombarded my followers with regular promo? I don’t know.

Anyway, I’m digressing. Tomorrow, the third and final part of my SUBNORMAL series, Postnormal, will be available to buy. For a short time, it’ll be just 99p/99c. To mark the occasion, I’m giving away the original, Subnormal, for FREE, and I’m dropping the price of part 2, Supernormal, to 99p/99c. So all three books for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. I can’t, like Starbucks, Costa et al, promise to plant any trees or divert South American youths from cocaine gangs to coffee farming, but I can offer several hours of immersive, suspenseful, dystopian reading.

Postnormal is, in my opinion, my best novel so far. Not that I’m saying my books are great, or anything… Actually, ignore that last sentence – I’m being modest again. <salesman mode>They are good. Check out the reviews if you don’t believe me. If you’re still unsure, have a look at these free samples. If dystopian fiction isn’t your thing, fair enough, but I’m confident that you’ll enjoy them. And if you disagree, let me know where I’m going wrong.</salesman mode>

Looking back through this post, I’m assailed by doubts. Have I gone too far in my transformation from self-deprecating, anxiety-riddled introvert to shameless self-promoter? Am I coming across as arrogant? Are people still reading at this stage? Are they bored of me and my verbal diarrhoea?

Therefore, I’ll stop here, and I’ll end with more honesty. Why do I want my books to succeed? I hope to raise awareness of the treatment of disabled people in Britain and offer a warning regarding the growing popularity of right-wing politics. However, my main reasons are selfish. I want a bigger house and car. I’m fed up of telling people they can’t claim for their roof to be repaired on their home insurance because the wind speed wasn’t over 48mph. Moreover, I want to stay at home and help my beleaguered wife look after my son.

If my pitiful sob story hasn’t put you off, head here between 20th & 24th May and snag the SUBNORMAL trilogy for a pittance.

        

Thanks for reading!

 

 

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Rivers of Blood

And now for something completely different. After the self-indulgent navel-gazing of my first blog, and the trivial nonsense of my second, I’m going to talk about a serious subject: racism and immigration.

It’s more than forty-eight years since Enoch Powell gave his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech in the Houses of Parliament. Referring to Virgil’s Aeneid, the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West spoke in apocalyptic terms about the supposed dangers of mass immigration. Despite the politician’s dismissal and the condemnation he received from his peers, the public mood at the time was not entirely at odds with the opinions he espoused. During the same decade, on the other side of the Atlantic, huge swathes of normal American people railed against the Civil Rights movement. Many still believed that African-Americans should be second-class citizens, with some willing to use lethal force to defend their point of view.

It is perhaps heartening that we look back on these times with distaste; it seems that both nations have come a long way with regards to attitudes towards racial equality, opportunity and integration.

However, it seems that racism is becoming an issue again. In the UK, right-wing Euro-sceptic party UKIP are becoming more popular all the time. Of course, I accept that many UKIP supporters back Nigel Farage for the right reasons: they believe that his mission to separate from the European Union would benefit the country if it were realised. But not all are so well-meaning. If it weren’t for the much-derided first past the post electoral system, this band of reactionaries would have a firm foothold in the House of Commons. Which is worrying, because a significant proportion of UKIP voters are racist – to a degree, at least – and would probably vote for less-moderate right-wingers if they had the media platform UKIP have. Farage’s party hides overtly-xenophobic opinions such as “Africans are bringing HIV to Britain” behind less unsavoury theories like “Britain is being weakened by EU membership.” Their general message is this: we need to stop immigration and keep foreigners out, for they are the problem with Broken Britain. It saddens me that just seventy years after the end of World War Two, when fascism and bigotry were roundly defeated, UKIP got six million votes. They are exploiting the disenchantment caused by poverty and loss of national identity, just as the Nationalist Socialist party did in 1920s Germany.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage

And don’t even get me started on the likes of Britain First. This social-media savvy collection of ne’er-do-wells are becoming notorious for their Islamophobic views and protests. Judging by their poorly-attended demonstration in Luton, it appears most of their followers are internet warriors, happy to hit share or like but unwilling to put down their mobile/tablet/laptop and take to the street. But the popularity of such hate-peddlers is concerning nonetheless.

Islamophobes Britain First

Perhaps the most damning indictment of national attitudes to race is the behaviour of our own government. I’m no fan of the current administration for a number of other reasons, but they can be saved for another day. Sticking with immigration, it has become so divisive that until recently, David Cameron was willing to let countless refugees drown rather than risk an anti-migration backlash. Though the rivers of Britain may not be foaming with blood, there is far too much being shed in the Mediterranean. Don’t be fooled by the selfless people who say “I’d have a refugee in my house” – there are still many who want to stop the refugees from landing on British soil, whatever the cost. Hence Theresa May’s draconian speech at the Tory Party Conference last week.

In the USA, racial tensions are on the rise, with actual blood being spilt. The Charleston church shooting, the riots in Ferguson and elsewhere and the supposed rise of the KKK suggest that, once again, racism is becoming an issue worth killing or dying for. Opportunistic rabble-rousers are using the situation to foment trouble, and Obama’s term in office, which began with such optimism, seems to have only worsened the divide. The fact that uber-bigot Donald Trump is even being considered as a candidate is indicative of the sad state of affairs in the Land of the Free.

Looking around the world, racism, sectarianism and bigotry are more of a problem than ever before. In the parched deserts of the Middle East, blood stains the sands with every passing minute as IS conduct their murderous campaign of oppression and expansion. The far-right is on the rise in Europe, as minorities are blamed for austerity and other social ills.

IS militants

The common denominator is the use of scapegoats. Too many Britons see Eastern Europeans, Africans and Asians as the reason for their troubles when they should be blaming the bankers and the politicians for the recession. Similarly, plenty of Americans cite illegal immigration as the cause of economic hardship rather than the recession. Politically-driven scapegoating, discrimination and bigotry are central themes in my SUBNORMAL series. The victims in my books are disabled people, not ethnic minorities, but the message is the same: the wrong people are being blamed for our problems, and people are being hurt as a result. Communities are divided and human beings are wary of their fellows for no good reason.

Apologies if my piece has been markedly Anglo/American-centric. Perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of the rise in racial tensions in our two countries is the fact that our two countries owe a great deal to immigration and racial integration. Britain, a tiny island nation, has punched above its weight for centuries thanks in part to its multi-cultural make-up. The US has risen to prominence in just over two centuries. It’s no coincidence that America is also a melting-pot of different races.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and opinions!

Imponderables

Hello all, thanks for clicking through.

Some of you may know that I write science fiction. Sci-fi-lite, one might label it, because there are no futuristic settings, spaceships or alien worlds in my books, though that’s not to say there won’t be in the years to come. Instead, my novels are based in the present day – or within the next ten years, at least – but they take place in hypothetical situations, ones that (hopefully) aren’t accurate. The term “speculative fiction” is probably more appropriate, to be honest.

As an author of such it’s my job to ask questions. Propose theories. Provoke debate. In the SUBNORMAL series, I talk about some pretty serious stuff: corrupt governments; fascist cults; bigoted dictators, but sometimes, my questions and subjects are a little less heavy. The following topics – some of them borrowed from my lead protagonist Paul – are trivia; nevertheless, I will try to find the answers. Perhaps you can help me.

WASPS

The drunken hooligans of the animal kingdom. They become more aggressive towards the end of summer/autumn; I used to think this was because they were annoyed about winter coming, but the truth is more interesting. As September and October draw in, the wasp’s diet consists mainly of rotting fruit. The fermenting fruit intoxicates the little nuisances, making them more aggressive. Anyway that’s not my point; this is:

What is the point of wasps?

Google/Wikipedia will probably tell me they’re vital parts of the foodchain, but I can’t imagine any function they have which we couldn’t happily live without. I imagine Earth’s other lifeforms don’t really like them, either. They are horrible, vindictive little bastards who will sting you just because they can.

CONCLUSION: Mother Nature’s way of reminding us that she can hurt us at any time for no good reason

FLIES

Continuing the insectoid theme, but a little less subjective. You see a fly, try to swat it (NOTE TO SELF – perhaps wasps sting us to take revenge for all the flies we kill…) and it flees upwards, landing on the ceiling.

At which point did the fly turn so that its feet would attach it to the ceiling?

If it turned just as it was about to upside-down-land, surely the continued buzzing of its wings would drag it back away. And if it stopped flapping just as it was about to attach, wouldn’t it just fall to the floor?

CONCLUSION: Magic

DOGS

Animals again, but this time a little more palatable. Personally, I like dogs. I’m not one of these dog-nuts who invests more emotion in their pooch than their family members, but the canine is one of my favourite creatures. We have a  2 year-old golden Labrador – see above – and she’s the fastest non-race dog (ie greyhound, whippet) on my estate. A fact she proves on a daily basis, as she delights in playing nip/chase with her contemporaries. However, adorable as they might be, our furry friends aren’t perfect.

Why are dogs so contrary?

Dolly loves going for a run. She bounds about when I pull on my shoes, enthusiasm personified. Yet she knows that to go out, she has to wear a lead/leash. It’s non-negotiable. Does she welcome the lead, knowing that its attachment enables her freedom (I only walk her on it for a couple of minutes until we get to the field, then she can roam untethered)? No, she squirms and fusses, thereby delaying our progress. Most animals are simple; they do what they need to do to make themselves happy/fed/mated. Not the dog.

CONCLUSION: Dogs are man’s best friend. Perhaps they have learnt some of our nonsensical ways as a result

COFFEE

Specifically, the takeaway type you get on the high-street. Is there a higher profit-margin item in the world? How do they get away with selling a couple of pence worth of beans, sugar and milk for close to £4? And why do people buy it, daily, spending a significant portion of their wages when they could make some at home and bring it in a flask?

CONCLUSION: The human race is doomed

THE RAIN/TIME CONTINUUM

I’m going to finish with the hardest of the lot. You’re driving. Rain starts to fall; you switch on your windscreen wipers. Pretty mundane stuff, I agree. However, ask yourself this:

Have you just driven into an area where it was already raining? Or, has it just started raining where you are? 

I have tormented myself with this dilemma for the last ten years (since I started driving, in fact), and I have come to the following shaky conclusion:

It could be either

Hardly ground-breaking, I know, but it’s the best I can do. Is there a way of finding out? Probably. As soon as the rain starts to fall, I could pull over, turn around, and head back the way I’ve come, hence discovering whether it is raining in my previous location. Yet there’s a snag. It might be raining there, too. Then I’ll be presented with the same question: has it just started raining during my absence, or had it already started raining there, as well? Walkie-talkies and a willing assistant might help, but my wife is a no-nonsense woman, and I am time-poor as it is.

CONCLUSION: It could be either (sorry – I’ll get round to testing it one day)

These answers may all be wrong. Feel free to put me right, and post your own imponderables.