What Lies Around Us , livre ebook

RedDoor Publishing - Crofts Andrew

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101 pages

English

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Why would one of Silicon Valley's most powerful billionaires offer a British ghostwriter a million dollars to write the autobiography of one of Hollywood's biggest stars? Only once he is living and working among the world's richest and most beautiful people does the ghost realize that there is way more than a publishing deal at stake. What Lies Around Us takes the reader into a world of myth-makers and power-brokers and reveals who is really running the world. Who is telling the stories and controlling the way we all think with a mixture of old media, social media and fake media?

Informations

Publié par	RedDoor Publishing
Date de parution	01 novembre 2019
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781913062248
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0540€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Reader Reviews of Secrets of The Italian Gardener
“This is not a long book, but it is a classic piece of well-written, thoughtful and worthwhile fiction. Despite the lightness of touch some very serious issues are touched upon, and dealt with in a satisfying way. This is the sort of book that people who read a lot of books are happy to recommend.”
“… it has really left a deep and thoughtful impact . Andrew Crofts’ story is a beautiful look at what it is like having to view the world changing around you, both personally and globally, and having no real way to affect the outcomes in it. The characters are complex , the imagery of scenes vivid and beautiful , and it allows us to explore the ideas of who, or what, is considered wrong and right. Will the choices of our past and present really represent how we are viewed in the future? Or can the carefully crafted words of a witness to a key moment in history change the outlook for the entire world? I feel my review may not accurately capture the jewel that this small story is , and I encourage anyone to read it and discover what the secrets are, both in the gardens and in your own life.”
“A philosophical yet unnerving look at power, tyranny and fear through the eyes of a ghostwriter and a worldly gardener who turns out to be anything but the man he appears.”
“ Delightfully unexpected , this novella is an excellent read.”
“Robert Harris meets Paulo Coelho in a thoughtful, intelligent story.”
“The story is quite fascinating and the thoughtful nature of the prose allows remarkable insight into the greed and corruption which lies at the heart of a fraudulent regime.”
“Coelho with cojones …”
“ Secrets of the Italian Gardener is an original, well-written story, and a thoroughly good read.”
“A fast-paced political thriller.”
“Packed with drama and political intrigue , the story draws you in from the first page.”
“Such a clever and disturbing book … terrible sense of unease … makes the reader question every underlying principle in their life … I finished feeling completely disturbed … shocked and not a little naïve … totally mesmerising. ”
– Lindasbookbag.com
“ WOW. Left me reeling by the end … a beautifully crafted and clever story full of depth and intrigue … pacy and becomes surprisingly sinister … I loved the tense, uneasy feeling … Andrew Crofts is a genius story teller … an incredibly thought provoking story … YOU NEED TO READ IT!!!”
– Ifindoubtread.wordpress.com
“Unexpected shocking events had me wide awake for hours after … the journey it took me on was one I won’t forget .”
– Lovebooksgroup.blog
“ Full of power and threat … Crofts’ magical storytelling ability.”
– Harrysbookclub.wordpress.com
“ Totally Absorbing … fascinating, interesting and compelling .”
– Shortbookandscribes.uk
“An absorbing, well crafted novella.”
– Basfordwrites.com
“ Very moving and thought provoking … I feel like I’ve just read a true story … you are left gripped … a very emotive story that tugs at your heart and your own belief in humanity .”
– Kraftireader
“ Deeply insightful , often disturbing … that would leave me uneasy and uncomfortable throughout … extremely clever and well-written … a dark sense of foreboding and shadow … which really left me edgy and alert at all times … the story bursts from the pages and really grips you … unique and well worth reading.”
– Booksofallkinds
Wow! … what a kick ass, heart pounding novella … Andrew really does pack a punch … twists, turns and tragedy and I was hanging on the edge of my seat .”
– hayley10reviews
“A very powerful novel, and one that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading—probably my favourite piece of literary fiction I’ve read this year . A powerful and thought provoking book.”
– Thebibliophilechronicles

WHAT LIES AROUND US
ANDREW
CROFTS

Published by RedDoor
www .reddoorpublishing .com
© 2019 Andrew Crofts
The right of Andrew Crofts to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
ISBN 978-1-910453-70-4
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the author
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Cover design: Clare Connie Shepherd
www .clareconnieshepherd .com
Typesetting: Westchester Publishing Services

This book is dedicated to Susan, who is the real Caroline and much, much more

“That’s our job. To tell a really good story about who we are”
– Barack Obama

1
It is possible that since this book’s publication you will have heard that I have died in “suspicious circumstances”. Obviously I hope that will not be the case, but I believe it is worth taking the risk in order to get this story out there. We are living in strange and unpredictable times and anything that sheds even the dimmest of lights into the dark corners where the people who run the world are now lurking, is worth trying.
The day the first email arrived, Caroline suggested I start a diary, although neither of us had the slightest idea how enormous the story would become. I certainly never imagined that the whole world would be reading it in this form. Nobody knew what was being plotted behind tightly sealed doors at that stage, apart of course from those who were doing the plotting. Even if someone had guessed and had put forward their theory to the public, they would have been dismissed as nothing more than a conspiracy-theorist. There have been so many conspiracy theories floating around in recent years that most of the time most of us give them no credibility at all, however entertaining or intriguing they might seem at first glance. After enjoying them for a few moments we dismiss them either as “propaganda” from vested interests, or “fake news” designed to turn us into “click bait”.
That is what makes being a ghostwriter so addictive; being given permission to gradually unpeel the layers of any story, like an artichoke, as you try to get to a truth, winning people’s confidence so they tell you things they didn’t mean to, following a trail which you hope will eventually make people want to keep reading. You gradually remove those hard outer layers that have become folded around that core of truth, that delicious heart (to stretch the artichoke metaphor).
Those layers of untruth and obfuscation form because everyone has an angle, everyone sees things differently, remembers things differently, or has something to hide from a judgemental media and public or from a political foe who might use information to their advantage. Even in this age of “transparency” there are always hidden things waiting to be revealed. If there weren’t there would be no market for the goods that are peddled by “whistleblowers” or by those old-fashioned creatures of the night, investigative journalists. Everyone wants to achieve different things with the telling of any story. In the end, once all those layers have been discarded, the soft, vulnerable meat of the heart is exposed and a truth emerges to delight those who will be feasting upon it. For those of us who normally choose to travel a na ï ve path through life, believing the best in people, ignoring the conspiracy mongers, these revelations nearly always come as a shock – but shocks can also sometimes be stimulating and refreshing things to receive.
All I knew was that I had been contacted personally by one of the mightiest beasts from the world of the business and technology superpowers. Roger Rex’s name was right up there with Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk; a modern-day witch doctor who was believed to not only be able to see into the future but to be able to shape it too; a magician for our times. And instead of a fire-breathing dragon, this sorcerer had his billions to give credibility to the rumours of his magical powers and stupendous brain.
“If that email is actually from him,” Caroline said as she neatly scraped food up Maddy’s chin and into her already bulging cheeks, wielding the pink plastic spoon like a cutthroat razor, “then you could be about to witness stuff which will become the history of the twenty-first century. You should record it all for posterity. Keep a diary of everything that happens. You never know – it could turn out to be Maddy’s inheritance.”
Maddy gave a squawk of excitement at the sound of her own name, snapping open her mouth for more food.
I was aware that the email could have been a hoax. I mean, what were the chances that one of the half dozen richest people on the planet had actually sat down and written a note directly to me? But there was no reason not to accept it at face value, at least until it proved to be something else. The message was simple: I am going to be in London next week and I would really like to discuss a possible project. Could we meet for lunch? I will be staying at the Four Seasons.
Even if it came to no more than a lunch with Roger Rex at the Four Seasons it would be an adventure worth having. I would love to , I emailed back, just let me know where and when you would like to meet.
“Do you like Chinese?” he asked as he clumsily enveloped my hand in his in the foyer of the hotel a few days later, pumping it energetically, holding on a few seconds longer than I expected as if to compensate for not making more than a flicker of eye contact. The walls around us were the colour of blood, as were the rims of his over-sized glasses. His outfit, right down to his backpack and trainers, was black.
“Absolutely.” I enthused.
“Great, I’ve booked a table up the road. Do you mind walking?”
Our destination proved to be China Tang, a dark, lush restaurant in the bowels of the Dorchester Hotel, no more than five minutes’ walk at a billionaire’s