Patti Roberts and Guests : ancient world

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

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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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Review and Interview with - Krystal Larson - Live To Read Blog Spot

Paradox – The Angels Are Here is for readers that enjoy reading Fantasy/paranormal/EMO books.
The story is narrated by Juliette, a soul who died 900 years ago and is now living on in a little girl named Grace here on earth - who is unaware of Juliette’s existence. However, Grace is not the only body that Juliette has lived through over the centuries, and from time to time, Grace is forced to relive some of Juliette’s past lives and deaths through disturbing visions.

Together, these two souls are on a mission, but only Juliette is aware of what that mission is. There are others too, some are here to help them succeed; some are here to make sure they don’t. But who is good and who is evil?

Are Grace’s Guardian Angels from heaven or hell???

This book delivers two aspects to the story – one focusing on Angels in their own dimension in Altair, and the other focusing on the events down here on Earth, and especially those events pertinent to a young girl named Grace, who is clearly important to the Angels.

Grace’s story is very moving – a young girl whose world is changing, especially when her father, whom she idolizes, dies in an accident. The grief Grace feels is very tangible – it’s written about so realistically. Readers will really feel for Grace as she comes to term with her father’s death.
The main Angels characters, although they are only touched on in book 1, are interesting and slightly disturbing – an aspect most really enjoyed.

This story is packed with a host of individual characters. And the questions you are left asking about some of these characters will have you wanting to pick up book 2 which is due out in November.

Here are some of the questions readers have asked about the book -

Q. When did you first start writing, Paradox? And did the idea for the book just come to you?
A: I started in 2009 so it took me roughly 2 years to put the first book (Novella) together.
I was inspired to write the series by what I didn’t know. By the questions we as humans have asked ourselves since the beginning of time. Where did we come from, what happens after death? Is there a heaven? Do our souls live on?

Q. Was there any research involved in writing the book especially when the times were in the very early centuries?
A. I think I have done just as much research for the series of Paradox books as I have done writing the story. Although a lot of that will not actually be evident until further along in the series. I love writing Grace’s flashbacks of Juliette’s past lives. I love going back in time and delving into historical events that have shaped our world. And hopefully bring some of them back to life throughout this story via the characters.

Q. Were any of your characters based off of someone you know or the names of the characters?
A: The characters in the Paradox Series are not based on anyone I know personally. Some of their traits and experiences are, however, influenced by people I have met. Mostly on an unintentional level. It isn’t until I reread some of my characters lines that I have sometimes thought – Oh, that reminds me of ….

Q. Was it at all difficult to write about such loss and heartache through out the book?
A: Surprisingly, no. I was going through an emotional stage of my life at the time and if anything it allowed me to really “feel” Grace’s loss and put it into words. I really believe that I would never have been able to achieve that if I wasn’t in that “place” in my life and if I hadn’t gone through something like that myself. I focused very much on the death of my own mother a few years ago; Mum was very much looking over my shoulder as I wrote it.

Q. As you were writing Paradox did you ever have writers block or did you already somewhat know what the story-line would be before you put the words on paper?
A: I have never had writers block. I have so many stories to tell that if anything sometimes I wonder where to start and where to leave off and cut to another scene. Some people have said that Paradox – The Angels Are Here jumps around during the telling of the story. And maybe it does. That is how the story unfolded to me while I wrote it and how Juliette tells it – as she remembers it.
When people are sitting around telling stories, I think that is how it happens. Suddenly you remember something from the past, because of something someone else has said, and regardless to where the story is at; you jump in and add it because you know that further on into the story, it is going to be important. It is very much Juliette’s story now. I just have the pleasure in writing it.

Q. What age groups do you recommend for the readers of Paradox?
A: I say 14 and up. Some would say that some of the subject matters are for an older audience but I disagree. It wasn’t that long a go in history that a 14 year old girl was old enough to wed and expected to bear children. In some cultures today they are very much considered adults. History has also shown us that in order to keep bloodlines “pure” it was nothing if not expected for brother and sister to produce an heir. Thankfully, the society that most of us live in today does not applaud or encourage this way of life.

Q. Who designed the cover and did you have any say in what you wanted it to look like?
A: Being an indie author I was very much solely responsible for the look of the cover. I searched numerous sites until I found the artwork by the very talented Hazel Brown. Then I added the heart, feather and text.

Q. Do you have any future plans for Grace and her family & friends with another book?
A: The Paradox saga is a series of books. The first book – The Angels Are Here – was an introductory into the series and is a Novella. The second in the series – Progeny Of Innocence - is a novel and is due out in November. The third – Bound By Blood – is due out in 2012 with more to follow the following year.

Q. What was the most difficult part writing the book? Do you have anything you wish you could go back and change?
A: The only thing hard about writing in general is time. If I could lock myself up and concentrate on only writing that would be great. But my friends would think I had gone completely mad and would probably try and have me committed.

Q. Did anyone inspire you to write Paradox "The Angels Are Here"?
A: Yes and no. I had just recently gone through a break-up and was terribly “lost”. I see now that the break-up was an incredible gift. It handed me the opportunity to focus on other things which I would otherwise had never done. And those other things turned out to be writing. The break-up, unbeknown to me at the time, turned out to be my cloud with a silver lining. Writing has been such wonderful therapy; I have never looked back and I have never been happier.

Q: Do you write full-time now? If so, what did you do before you started writing?
A: I don't write full time yet but would very much like to. That is my wish. I have to sell a lot more books though before that happens :)
Q: Where did you come up with the idea for the Paradox series?
A: I was inspired by what I didn't know. By the questions we as humans have asked ourselves since the beginning of time. Where did we come from, is there more after death? Is there a heaven? Do our soul's live on?