Jonathan Posner's Blog, page 9

Now available to buy!

The Sovereign’s Secret, part 3 of The Witchfinder’s Well Trilogy, is now available to buy. It’s in three fomats – paperback, eBook and even Hardback!. Order your copy now!

Lady Mary faces her most dangerous adventure yet!

For more info on the book, see the information page here.

All hail to Lord Cod Almighty

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the expression ‘Oh My God!’ which asked the question – which of the thousands of gods does this actually refer to? In the article I also made the point that as atheists often use the expression, the reality is that it has become meaningless.

But is it actually the case? As a committed non-believer myself (not ‘atheist’ by the way – why should I have to define myself by my lack of belief in other peoples’ made-up concepts? I am just as much an a-mermaidist or a-unicornist) – as a committed non-believer, I feel deeply uncomfortable using that expression. If I find myself starting to say the words ‘Oh my…’ I stop.  Maybe I am overthinking this (it wouldn’t be the first time), but using a phrase that claims ownership of a god does not sit well with me. So I usually change it to ‘Oh my goodness!’ This has the benefit of conforming to my non-belief, but does also create the assumption that I have the ‘goodness’ referenced. And being British, my natural self-depreciation means this does not work too well for me either.

So I want to make a proposal – we should continue to use this phrase, but those of us who favour reason over faith should make one small change. Let’s turn the ‘G’ into a ‘C’ – and solve all these problems in one simple stroke. [more]

Countdown to Publication Day!

It’s nearly here. Order your copy now!

For more info on the book, see the information page here.

https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TSS-video-Aug-22.mp4

Coubtdown to Publication Day!

It’s nearly here. Order your copy now!

For more info on the book, see the information page here.

https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TSS-video-Aug-22.mp4

You have to respect my rights

A few weeks ago I published a 5 Minute Break article on the subject of phone zombies – those people who insist on walking along crowded streets with their noses so deeply buried in their phones that they are apparently oblivious to where they are going. My point was that as they are not looking, then it becomes necessary for the more responsible citizens who are walking towards them to get out of their way, or shout to alert them (see the full article here).

This week I would like to expand on this, and use these Phone Zombies to illustrate a wider point – that as a society, I believe we are becoming increasingly self-centred. Indeed, it seems to me that we’re going well beyond mere self-centredness and have arrived at an altogether more insidious place. A place called ‘self-entitlement.’ A place where anyone who wants to act in a selfish way can do so, despite the negative impact their behaviour might have on others. Indeed, any resulting unpleasantness is the other person’s fault for trying to thwart their self-expression.

Take these phone zombies as an example…  [More]

The birth of the Christ

The old man rapped on the table and called for silence.

As the room fell quiet, the gathered men all looked at him expectantly; each one waiting to find out why he had been called to this secret meeting in a back-street tavern.

The old man stood up.

‘My friends,’ he growled, ‘we face a grave problem. The power of Rome is crushing us. They demand taxes from us – taxes that we can ill-afford to pay; they take our menfolk for slaves and work them to the ground; they use our women for their casual pleasure. We have managed all these years, but it is no longer tolerable. The people are getting restless and I hear talk of rebellion growing stronger every day.’

He paused a moment, glaring round the room.

‘Right now,’ he continued, ‘we are weak and divided, and rebellion would be a disaster. The Romans would destroy us and we would lose more, much more, than we could possibly gain.’ He shook his head. ‘No, what we need first is something that brings us together, unites us and makes us stronger. Then we can co-ordinate a rebellion that will work; a rebellion that has the strength of purpose and the momentum to overthrow the hated Romans…’ his voice rose to a shout, ‘so we can take back Judea for ourselves and for our people!’ He glared around the room again. ‘And I, Saul of Tarsus, I will be proud once again to hold up my head and call myself a citizen of Judea and not a slave of Rome!’

There was a roar of approval from the crowd in front of him. He took a sip of wine from his cup, then raised his hand to call for quiet.

‘I am open to suggestions,’ he continued, letting his voice drop back once again to a soft growl, ‘as to how we can unite Judea around a common cause.’

He sat down, letting the question hang in the air. The men in the tavern looked nervously around at each other. [more]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

eBook Giveaway!

 

There are 50 FREE downloads of The Witchfinder’s Well to be won on Goodreads.

The draw runs till 5th August, so you’ve just over a week to register for your chance to win!

To enter, go to the Goodreads page here.

Good luck!

 

Books available in Crediton

I am delighed to announce that my books The Witchfinder’s Well and The Alchemist’s Arms have been listed for retail by The Bookery in Crediton.

Crediton is a lovely place (lots of great cafes and healthy restaurants) – so if you’re in the area, pop in to the Bookery. It’s a fantastic community-owned bookshop with a great selection of books!

 

Feeling hot hot hot!

It has been a hot weekend here in Exeter, UK, and getting hotter today and tomorrow. Although not as sweltering as other parts of the UK, with temperatures expected to break the 40 degree barrier in some parts of the country, it’s still more than we’re used to.

I am fortunate that my flat stays cool in the heat, which is why I am taking the oppotrtunity to stay in for the next two days, and concentrate on my writing. I did get out yesterday to enjoy some live jazz on the Exeter Quay (see pic), but staying in today and tomorrow seems a sensible option!

First task is to finish up-loading my books to platforms that make them available to physical bookstores, so they can be ordered into any store on request. I’ll update when this is complete.

I am also planning out the next exciting Mary Fox adventure, after introducing her character in The Broken Sword. To be called The Tudor Prince, it will feature Mary being asked to impersonate a young prince, in return for an enticing sum of money. That’s not why she takes on the challenge, of course; she’s much more motivated by the thought of adventure and danger! I’ll update on the progress of this book over the next few months. In the meantime, if you’ve not read The Broken Sword, click the pic to download, or read the opening chapter here.

 

 

 

 

AN UNHOLY F-BOMB

AN UNHOLY F-BOMBOr how we learned to love the effing Word

WARNING: This article makes very liberal use of the f-word. If you are someone that finds this offensive, I suggest you stop reading now. If, however, you are offended by any views of religion that contradict your own, then I invite you to read on, but at your own risk.

It seems to me that nothing better describes the move in modern free-thinking western societies from religion to secularism, than the substitution of the f-word for ‘god’ in the phrase ‘for god’s sake!’

Now I know what you’re thinking. “For fuck’s sake, Jonathan!” you say, “how can you build an argument for secularisation around one little phrase? There must be hundreds of other indicators, such as falling church attendance and fewer people claiming to have a religion or believe in god. Or even the marginalisation of the clergy in national debates. And yes, you are quite right, those indicators do suggest that religion is on the run in most, if not quite all, western societies (the ‘Land of the Free?’ Fuck, give me strength).

But hear me out on this. [more]