Ella Medler talks, Patti Roberts and the Paradox Series.

You know that feeling you get when you pick up a book and you’re sucked right in? The tunnel-vision, the-world-no-longer-exists-and-nothing-else-matters one? That’s how I felt when I first read The Angels Are Here, book one in the Paradox Series.

I’d downloaded First 5 Chapters, a book which showcases the works of six new authors – the first five chapters from each novel, as the title suggests. I chose three of the samples, and The Angels Are Here was first on my list.

As soon as I read the beginning, I wanted the whole thing.

And as soon as I read book one, I wanted to know when the second in the series would be released.

I was so impressed with the quality of the writing and the author’s distinctive, storytelling voice, that I needed to post a review. Patti sent a message back, thanking me for taking the time to read and write a review. She said she loved the way I described my reading experience and suggested I should consider a writing career. Ha-ha. I thought she had a great sense of humor.

From there, a friendship blossomed. I love connecting with my fans, so to have discovered another author happy to discuss in detail her future plans and expectations of the series she was writing was a wonderful feeling. The more I asked, the more it became obvious exactly how invested Patti was in her creations.

Soon, I realized I was, too. Feeling a little selfish, I encouraged Patti to write more than the second and maybe third book. I wanted more. I needed to keep getting my fix. Something inside me clicked with her style of writing – the smoothness, the elegance maybe – and I craved more.

I found myself watching Patti like a hawk, so I can grab the next bit of her writing right away. She didn’t disappoint. And between books? I kept going back to the one place where I found peace: http://theangelsarehere.wordpress.com

A visit to the Paradox site is absolutely essential. I recommend it. If you truly are a fan of the Paradox world, as I am certain you will become, you will want to know more about the people inhabiting this fantasy realm, their ways of life, their hopes, beliefs and expectations, and of the background intrigue which set the Paradox match on fire.

You can start with this book or go right back to the beginning. For me, it works whichever way, and I’ll admit to reading the books more than once, for sheer pleasure. Whatever you choose, be ready to be enchanted. Happy Reading!

ARC Review by: Ella Medler on Dec. 13, 2013 :      
The Paradox saga continues with an impressive twist in the tale. Dark forces are at play and there’s no respite for the guardians and protectors. Grace takes a few more steps towards learning about her legacy, but her impetuousness lands her in the path of danger yet again.

I have been watching out for new releases in this series and I can honestly say this is the best episode so far. Absolutely love the world in which the action takes place, the richness and diversity of characters, the beautiful descriptions and the depth of emotion. Not for the first time, I found myself moved to tears reading scenes written by this amazing author.

I can see how easy it would be to transfer these books into a YA serial for television, and I’m not ashamed to say I would watch it, too, though I’m far out of the age range. Marvel’s Superheroes comes to mind, only on a much wider background, and with a breadth of characters far easier to stage-manage and adjust. The possibilities are endless – so much potential for entertainment! And with a classic battle between good and evil – some overt, some discreet or merely hinted at – this is a winning format that simply can’t go wrong.

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Ella Medler, Author and Editor.
Editing Service - HERE

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J.M. Herriott releases 2nd book - The Immigrant

The Immigrant

When Jose is fifteen he watches the cartel leader massacre his family, then they slash his throat and left him for dead. 

The leader continued searching for him and two years after Jose escapes across the U.S. border, where he starts his own American family. 

Years later, he is deported and once more encounters the cartel. 
He achieves freedom from the cartel again with the help of ghosts from his past. 

After his rescue, he returns legally to the U.S. and another unexpected source became critical in assisting to fight the first U.S. based Mexican cartel. 

He ascertains that the cartel has infiltrated deep and wide. 
He no longer knows who he can trust, but he realizes he must discover who runs the cartel and why the cartel leader has pursued him for most of his life.
Jose understood from his experiences that he and his family will never be safe until the cartel leader was behind bars or dead.

A white supremacist agitator and his followers decide to violently remedy an old imaginary wrong. 
This action sets events into motion. 
Jose discovers the identity of the leader of the first Mexican cartel based in the U.S., and learns why the cartel has tried to kill him for over thirteen years.



Amazon - HERE

Nightmares of Reality

Many journalists secretly aspire to write a non-fiction Best Seller and Peter Bryant too dreamed of writing the next, “In Cold Blood”. He investigates the mysterious murders of William and Cindy Wise in the town of his Alma Mater. He quickly discovers the tragic consequences for multi-generational child abuse, substance abuse, dysfunctional families and untreated mental illness. Soon, ghosts from his past return and he is shocked to find he has intimate ties to the victims. 

The outlook for a quick and straightforward wrap-up, are dashed when he unearths bizarre and powerful influences, which result in far reaching ways to include suicide, and still influencing two communities. Further complications arise after Peter unexpectedly falls in love with a key witness. Not only does this impede his research but he must confront his own personal relationship demons. He feels trapped by the case beyond completion of his book. Nagging questions remain long after it becomes a Best Seller. For months afterward, he continues reviewing his tapes and stacks of notes. At last, he begins understanding why the case has remained open for over a year. Still, he believes the answer exists, if he could just find it. Then as he is about to finally concede defeat he receives a letter.

Amazon - HERE

JM Herriott

J.M. Herriott (1955-Present) was born in Michigan City, IN. After retiring from the United States Air Force he was a Private Practice Mental Health Counselor and Education researcher. In 2000 he returned to the classroom and taught High School Mathematics, Science, and Psychology until 2004 when he retired. He has developed and delivered several educational and self-help seminars and workshops. His doctoral research demonstrated Accelerated Learning & Teaching methods he developed, reduced GED preparation time from over 100 classroom hours to less than 36 classroom hours. His fiction works include: "Nightmares of Reality", and "The Immigrant" scheduled for release Summer 2013. He and his wife make their home in NE Arkansas, they have three daughters, three grandsons, a granddaughter, and one great-grandson.

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Tabitha Ormiston-Smith talks, Patti Roberts, Paradox and the Witchwood Estate series.

The first time I met Patti, she was propping up the bar at the Writers’ Club. Well, actually we were both propping up our keyboards several thousand miles apart, but hey, an author’s got to have some licence, right?

We actually met on Facebook. We hit it off straight away when I assumed for some reason that Patti was American, and told her off for calling Australians ‘Aussies’. Patti showed her true class by refusing to take offence, and a long, rewarding friendship began.

Shortly after I got to know Patti, I lost my beautiful Deerhound, Beau. While I was grieving, spending much of every day in tears, writing morbid poetry and generally being a pain in the backside to everyone, Patti asked me if I would look at a couple of chapters of her current work. I was amazed at how much doing this helped me; I found the tight focus of editing made the grief and pain recede into the distant background for as long as I was doing it. I must have done ok, because after a few weeks Patti asked me if I would be interested in doing it for money. Practically before I could say ‘yes’, there were referral clients contacting me, and my editing business took off.

Since that time we’ve worked together quite a bit. I do editing for Patti and she does truly amazing cover art for my books. I have come to admire her so much, for her talent, her kindness, her generosity, her no-bullshit attitude, and her ability to deal with tossers without losing her temper.

I’ve watched with delight as Patti branched out into the hugely entertaining Witchwood Estate series. I get so excited whenever she tells me she’s starting a new episode! Really it’s like being a kid on Christmas morning.

As a writer, I am always in awe of Patti’s ability to describe a scene and bring it alive. Her gift for physical description is immense, and the Paradox series is richly visual, alive with light and colour. This is shown most strongly in her creation of different peoples in the Paradox world. In particular, the beautiful, delicate Bakhna Rakhna people and the mysterious, powerful Atnangker people (inspired by our own First People) give a wonderful depth to the books.

My other favourite thing about Patti’s writing is her tremendous gift for bringing the evil characters to life. Many writers make the mistake of taking their villains too seriously, and I think that is what makes Patti’s gift really special in this area is the way she always injects a little spice of humour. One of my very favourite villain scenes anywhere is in ‘Going Home’ (Witchwood Estate II), where the evil witch summons a host of cockroaches to nibble the calluses off her feet. In the instant work, coffee shot out of my nose when Pandora compared a nightclub full of teenagers to a sushi train. (You owe me a new keyboard, Patti!) If she ever decides to write in the horror genre, Richard Laymon must look to his laurels.

Readers of the Paradox series are certain to enjoy this new instalment, not least because the shock ending makes it very clear that there is more coming. I, for one, can’t wait.


Paradox - Equilibrium. ARC Review by: Tabitha Ormiston-Smith on Dec. 07, 2013 :      
I enjoyed this book very much. It's fast-paced and full of action. 

One of the things I particularly enjoy about this author's work is its the visual quality; Roberts is brilliant at descriptive writing, you can see the colours, smell the smells. This series is well designed with a rich background. A less meticulous writer could have written the story without bothering to create in detail the beautiful, civilised Bakhna Rakhna people, the mysterious Atnangkers, and so on - but every corner is filled with exquisite detail in Roberts' work.
The other thing I really love about Roberts is her villians. She has a wonderfully light touch with them. You see the depths of evil, but you see it with a smile - there's always a leavening fillip of humour to offset the dark. 

The only criticism I have of this fourth book is that it stops rather than ending - in my opinion a novel ought to stand alone as a completely self-contained thing. However, readers of today's series will be well accustomed to the series as serial, so I doubt if this will be a problem for most readers.

Tabitha Ormiston-Smiths facebook editing page - HERE

Advanced reading copies (ARC) are available on request from the author pattiroberts7@gmail.com

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Witchwood Estate Book Trailer

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Goodreads - - HERE

The Snow Crystals - a Christmas story

"They glittered and sparkled in the soft white light of the full moon. They came slowly at first, then built up momentum. Like confetti tossed over a bride and groom at a wedding, the most perfect snow crystals fluttered and danced on the gentle breeze and descended on and around him.


Aidan didn't dare move, lest he'd step on any of the diamanté-like creations. Instinctively, he knew that something magical had happened tonight."

The lives of best friends and cousins, Aidan and Donald, are largely successful in all but love. A Christmas shopping trip turns awry when a disturbed stalker latches onto them. Will they be able to escape her clutches and find real love, or will a woman with murder on her mind kill them both?

Snow Crystals is a sweet Christmas romance which takes the reader along on the trail of a mystery set in one of the most picturesque landscapes in Britain: the Cotswolds. Written in a no-nonsense voice, with beautiful descriptions, an addictive cast of characters and a light thriller touch, this book would be a perfect trip down memory lane or for those who love stories set in England. (Ella Medler - Author) 

SMASHWORDS - HERE

PRINT VERSION - HERE

Goodreads - HERE

Blog: www.thewestcountryishome.wordpress.com/

Email: kendra.hale.author@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/

kendra.hale.author 

https://www.facebook.com/kendra.hale.100

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The Draglen Brothers - DRAKEN (BK 1)

Cess Lamil is determined to get her college degree with honors and start her career. Her plans change quickly, when the new neighbors moves in down the street. Draken, the controlling and obnoxious neighbor, is all she can think about. 

Despite her initial dislike, Cess feels strangely drawn to the mysterious, handsome Draken, but she soon learns that Draken has dark secrets. 

Draken Draglen is in town to get the family business in order. He lives by one rule: only sleep with women of his own kind. When Cess walks down the street to introduce herself, Draken fears he is going to break his rule. He is determined to stay away from her, fearing his dark secret may be revealed, but his need for Cess is too strong. Draken makes a decision that could change not only his life, but that of his family as well.

About the Author:

Solease lives in a quiet area. She is a wife, and mother to a daughter. Solease loves to spend time with her family. She's been called the social butterfly by many friends. She's a huge movie buff, and loves to read books. She writes poetry on a daily basis, as a way to release stress. Solease is the author of "Secrets of the Ghosts - The Sleeper", "Secrets of the Ghosts - AWAKENS", and "The Draglen Brothers Series - DRAKEN"

Contact Information

Website	http://www.soleasembarner.com Facebook - here

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Wake Me Up BY Michelle Horst. The Tainted Ink Series

Emma flees to America in the hopes of experiencing life for the first time. With encouragement from her friend, she manages to gather enough guts to go to a pub, in search of a bloke to help rid her of her virginity. She’s been ready to lose it since the dark ages, even if she has to put a flag over his face and do it for her Queen and Country. 

Aiden gets his world rocked by Emma. When Emma proposes a one night stand to him, his protective instinct kicks in. He is undercover as a student, and the last thing he wants is to see her face on his ‘missing’ screen. Their relationship starts backwards, and just as Aiden thinks the dust is settling, the universe conspires to keep them apart. Emma has to go home and face her demon. Will Aiden cross an Ocean for Emma? 

(Book 1 is Aiden and Emma's story - you will be able to read about Chloe and Wyatt in Book 2 and how Zac finally finds happiness again in Book 3)

BOOK REVIEW

GET IT! 

This is one of the most heartwrenching and eye-opening novel's I've ever read. The life of Emma isn't a very happy one. So she escapes to the US, in the hopes to start living for real. That's were she meets Aiden, her knight in shining amour. I immediately fell in love with both characters, especially the switching of POVs made it easy to feel for both of them right from the beginning. Emma's fate really got to me right from the beginning because being abused by your own family is something not many people write about. Thankfully, there's Aiden, a really amazing character, with whom you can't help but fall in love with.

Michelle Horst did an amazing job in portraying a really sensitive topic and wrapping it up in a beautiful love story.

Five stars for an amazing author, excellent writing, two perfectly developped characters, a great story and an even greater lovestory. Read it! AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle Horst is thirty seven years old and is from the land of milk and honey.
She's been in love with reading from an early age. She has a passion for other cultures, but she has an ultimate soft spot for nature and animals.
She first tried her hand at writing in early 2009 and as the first words started to form into a book, she knew she was hooked. Dreams spilled onto pages, and that was the beginning of a wonderful journey.
One filled with joy.
One filled with passion and heart stopping moments.
But most of all, it's filled with such pride and peace as a story comes to life, and characters fill your life, living in the very walls of your mind, living in the minds of your readers. There is nothing as satisfying as that.

Book 2 out soon.

Contact Information

Screen Name	@michelleahorst (Twitter)
Website	http://michellehorstauthor.wordpress.com/
Email	horst.michelle@yahoo.com
Facebook	http://facebook.com/MichelleAnnHorst

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Terror at the Beach

Someone is terrorizing the people on the beach. Sarah James lives in a condo on the beach and owns a boutique close by. Her boyfriend, Robert Kola, is the sheriff of Monroe Beach. He is worried about Sarah and wants her to move in with him so he can protect her. She refuses. Things are happening to her that she can’t explain. She receives merchandise for her shop that she doesn't remember ordering. Someone who smokes has put mileage on her car. Then she finds bloody clothes in the back of her closet and believes that someone is trying to frame her for murder.

About the Author: Peggy Holloway.
Facebook page - HERE

Biography

I have had three careers before turning to writing. I taught Mathematics in high school and community college, worked as a geophysicist in a major oil company exploring for oil and gas and worked as a counselor/psychotherapist with adults, groups, families, couples and teens. I have a BS in geology, an MCS in mathematics and an MA in Psychology. I taught Algebra II to William Faulkner's granddaughter.

My past writing experiences were writing plays for the neighborhood kid to put on when I was around 12-14 years old, writing technical reports as a geophysicist, writing research papers while working on my masters in psychology, and writing letters to judges, with recommendations, while counseling juvenile justice adolescents. 

Besides writing mysteries, I like to read (anything I can get my hands on), paint landscapes in oil and in enamel on glass. I enjoy swimming and walking on the beach.

You can tell a lot about my psyche by reading my self-help book entitled THE ANSWERS ARE WITHIN. I have had many struggles in life and I like to incorporate my experiences into my writing.

A fantasy I have is to wear a Versache evening gown and dance the tango with Al Pacino.

I am a night person and can't stand morning people who wake me up early. I like relating to one or two people rather than being in a crowd. Most of my friends are for life.

Available from online stores in ebook and print

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Fred Lichtenberg Kills Again

Deadly Heat at The Cottages: Sex, Murder, and Mayhem

Fred Lichtenberg’s third murder mystery is unlike his other two. First, the plot is driven by humor—lots of humor. And then there is the backdrop: The Cottages, a fictitious fifty-five and over fun-loving community, West of West Palm Beach, Florida’s Turnpike, and civilization. And yes, murder takes place west of civilization!

Join the read and see why S.L. Menear, author of thriller "Deadstick Dawn," calls Deadly Heat at The Cottages—An hilarious story with zany characters residing at The Cottages. What a fun place to live!

Ingredients:

Murder, humor, sex, Florida, Medicare fraud, hacking, pill mills, Ponzi scheme and more—

Tell Me More:

The Cottages offers every conceivable excitement but murder. That changes soon after Ralph Albano, thirty-five, and fresh out of prison for illegally videotaping the fifteenth anniversary of The Lion King, snatches a Jeep belonging to Marty Singer, a despicable and philandering scoundrel. Ralph doesn’t realize Singer’s eighty-year-old mother-in-law is asleep in the back seat until she begins snoring. But he can’t turn back—

Please visit Fred’s website at fredlichtenberg.com to sample the opening chapters.

Available in e-book and softcover formats.

About the author:

Fred Lichtenberg is a native New Yorker who lives with his wife in Jupiter, Florida. He has one son.Formerly with the IRS, Fred's passion for writing drove him to change hats and become a full-time. 

Fred's third novel, Deadly Heat at The Cottages: Sex, Murder and Mayhem, a mix of zany characters and crazy situations in a fun place called The Cottages, was released in early October 2013.  

Fred is currently working on Murder 1040: The Final Audit, due out in early 2014. (Think IRS!)

Fred is a member of Mystery Writers of America and the International Thriller Writers.

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Michael from Twitters Fantasy Ebook Guide reviews “World War Z” – An AWESOME zombie flick.

World War Z (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

U.S. theatrical release poster.
Directed by	Marc Forster
Produced by	Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Ian Bryce
Screenplay by	Matthew Michael Carnahan Drew Goddard Damon Lindelof
Story by	Matthew Michael Carnahan J. Michael Straczynski
Based on	World War Z  by Max Brooks
Starring	Brad Pitt Mireille Enos James Badge Dale Matthew Fox
Music by	Marco Beltrami
Cinematography	Ben Seresin
Editing by	Roger Barton Matt Chesse
Studio	Skydance Productions Hemisphere Media Capital GK Films Plan B Entertainment
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	June 2, 2013 (2013-06-02) (London, premiere) June 21, 2013 (2013-06-21) (United States)
Running time	116 minutes[1]
Country	United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$190 million[2][3]
Box office	$536,835,676[4]

PLOT

Former UN employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and their two daughters, Rachel and Constance, sit in heavy Philadelphiatraffic when the city is attacked by hordes of zombies. As the chaos spreads, the Lanes escape the city in a stolen RV and arrive at Newark, New Jersey. After stocking up on asthma medicine for Rachel at a chaotic supermarket pharmacy, they take refuge in an apartment unit, home to another couple with a young boy named Tommy. Deputy Secretary-General Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena)—an old friend of Gerry’s—calls and tells the family that he is sending a helicopter to rescue them.

The helicopter extracts the Lanes and Tommy (who followed them after he escaped his infected parents) from the building to a fleet of U.S. Navy vessels off the coast of New York City, where scientists and military personnel analyze the scope of the worldwide outbreaks. A virologist, Dr. Andrew Fassbach (Elyes Gabel), argues that the plague is a virus, whose origin must be found in order for a vaccine to be developed. Because of his expertise as a former UN investigator, Gerry is tasked with helping Fassbach find the outbreak’s source. After being given the ultimatum of either assisting the investigation or having him and his family removed from the vessel, Gerry reluctantly agrees to help and is sent to Camp Humphreys, a military base in South Korea.

Moments after arriving at the base, Gerry’s team is attacked by zombies. An armed Fassbach panics and accidentally shoots himself dead. After being rescued by the base’s surviving personnel led by Captain Speke (James Badge Dale), Gerry learns that the zombies are attracted to noise and the only way to stop them is to shoot them in their heads. A former CIA operative (David Morse) is a surviving prisoner at the base, tells Gerry to go to Jerusalem, where the Israeli Mossad have established a safe zone just before the outbreak was officially acknowledged, implying Israel might have had prior knowledge of what was to come. As Gerry and his team bike stealthily to the plane, Karin calls him through his satellite phone, activating a loud ringtone that attracts the zombies. The zombies attack and kill several of the soldiers, including Captain Speke, who commits suicide to prevent himself from turning, while they cover Gerry and his pilot during the escape.

In Jerusalem, Gerry meets Director of Mossad Jurgen Warmbrunn (Ludi Boeken), who explains that the Mossad had months earlier intercepted communications from an army general in India, who stated that Indian troops were fighting the “rakshasa,” or “dead spirits.” With this knowledge, the city quarantined itself. Jurgen then takes Gerry to the gates of the walls that were built by the Israelis after quarantining the city. The Israelis are allowing any survivors in to seek refuge inside the city. However, after hearing the loud singing and celebrations of the refugees within, the thousands of zombies outside begin forming massive piles like army ants, running and climbing over one another in an attempt to climb over the wall. Eventually, the zombies succeed in breaching the wall, and panic erupts everywhere as the infection spreads, with the military soon being overwhelmed. Jurgen orders Gerry’s escorts to accompany him to his airplane. During their escape, Gerry notices that an old man and an emaciated boy were ignored by the zombies. While fighting the horde, Gerry’s escort, an Israeli soldier who identifies herself only as “Segen” (Daniella Kertesz), is bitten by a zombie. Gerry quickly amputates her hand to stop the spread of the infection. Gerry and Segen are eventually forced to escape Israel on an airliner when Gerry’s pilot panics and flies away as the city population was left for dead.

Our Thoughts:

Plain and simple this is a bad ass zombie flick. It has blockbuster elements and over the top effects, and outside of a few places where the acting could have actually been acted, it was awesome. 4 stars and highly recommended for fans of zombies, and action adventure movies in general. – MR

View the original post HERE by Michael R Mathias 

Patti's thoughts: I'm with you Michael, only I give it 10 out of 10 stars. I loved it, and have watched in 4 times already - and I look forward to watching it again - I'm also reading the ebook. And I'm not even a Zombie fan!  PS: I assume your rating was 4 out of 5 stars?