Dickimaw Books Blog 
Unsocial Media: a cybercrime short story 🔗
ZWNobyAiRG9uJ3QgYmUgbm9zZXkhXG4iOwo=.Unsocial Media is a cybercrime fiction short story (a little under 4,000 words) due out as an ebook on 12th May 2023. This is the first fiction title under the Dickimaw Books imprint to be set in contemporary times (and also the first story with an unnamed first person narrator). The short story I’ve Heard the Mermaid Sing is set in 1928, the novel The Private Enemy is set in the future, The Fourth Protectorate (still in hiatus) is set in an alternative past, and Muirgealia (pending) is set in a fantasy world. (The children’s stories are in a world of anthropomorphic animals.)
Greg has unwisely accepted a friend request from “Natalie”, a stranger who starts to stalk him after failing to hook him in a scam. The stalking moves from the digital world to real life when Natalie shares a photo of Greg with his neighbour Susie, in what looks like a compromising position. Unknown to any of them, Greg’s wife (the narrator) has a secret life of her own and is doggedly following Natalie’s trail.
The story is fiction but was inspired by various news articles in cybersecurity channels, anecdotes and posts, as well as behaviour and attitudes that I’ve encountered over the years in real life (names and other information have been changed and, no, the narrator isn’t me¹). Consider it a cautionary tale but, unlike The Foolish Hedgehog, this is a cautionary tale for adults. The cover image features what may look at first glance like a red elephant head with black areas around the eyes, but is, in fact, a red thumbs down emoji 👎 with a domino mask. Things aren’t always what they seem.
Unsocial Media will be available to purchase on SmashWords for US$0.99 as from 12th May 2023, the proceeds of which help to support the webhosting costs of this site. It should also become available from other ebook retailers, such as Apple and Kobo (but not Amazon), or through library platforms such as Overdrive. (Search for “Nicola L. C. Talbot” as the author name on your favourite ebook site or app) Thank you to everyone who has bought copies of my books since I started Dickimaw Books in 2012. Without your support, this site would’ve closed down.
A sample is available on SmashWords² consisting of 75% of the book, so you can read most of it for free. A shorter sample is also available on the book’s homepage on the Dickimaw Books site.
¹If you want a name, you can call her Cassandra.
²Edit 2024-10-31: it seems you now have to be logged in to view the sample and the percentage may have changed.
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The book launch for the anthology Tales for Our Times, written by Norfolk writing group Ex-Cathedra and published by Smokehouse Press, took place in the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library at noon on World Homeless Day (10th October 2024). All profits from the sale of this book will be used to help raise funds to support Norwich-based St Martins Housing Trust in their work to help the homeless into independent living. The book launch included a talk from Dr Jan Sheldon, SEO of St Martins, two readings by authors of the book, and a presentation to the library.
Tales for Our Times is an anthology of forty stories featuring loss and hope, dreams of love and belonging, biography and science fiction and adventure. Written by Norfolk-based writing group Ex-Cathedra and published by Smokehouse Press, the book will be launched on World Homeless Day 10th October 2024 midday at the Norwich and Norfolk Millennium Library. All profits from the sale of this book will be used to help raise funds to support Norwich-based St Martins Housing Trust in their work to help the homeless into independent living.
Convinced that his secretive wife, Annie, is cheating on him, Aide meets an attractive young goth at the pub who helps him pick the lock of Annie’s briefcase to search for incriminating evidence. 
Evelyn, a CCTV operator, sees too much information while she monitors a store’s self-service checkout tills in this cybercrime short story about identity theft.
The DRM-free ebook retailer SmashWords “Read an Ebook Week” Sale is on from 3rd–9th March 2024. My crime novel “The Private Enemy” and children’s illustrated story “The Foolish Hedgehog” both have a 50% discount and my crime fiction short story “I’ve Heard the Mermaid Sing” and cybercrime fiction short story “Unsocial Media” both have a 100% discount (i.e. free!) for the duration of the sale. Did you know that you can gift ebooks on SmashWords?The DRM-free ebook retailer SmashWords has their end of year sale from 15th December 2023 to 1st January 2024. My crime novel “The Private Enemy” and children’s illustrated story “The Foolish Hedgehog” both have a 50% discount and my crime fiction short story “I’ve Heard the Mermaid Sing” and cybercrime fiction short story “Unsocial Media” both have a 100% discount (i.e. free!) for the duration of the sale. Did you know that you can gift ebooks on SmashWords?Search Blog
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- A cybercrime short story about CCTV operator monitoring a store’s self-service tills who sees too much information.
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- A crime fiction short story (available as an ebook). See the story’s main page for further details.
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- A cybercrime fiction short story (available as an ebook). See the story’s main page for further details.
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