Paradox - The Angels Are Here Book 1 by Patti Roberts

Nine hundred years ago, under the complete cover of darkness, the Grigorian army rose silently from their underground lair and attacked the Bulguardian Royal Palace. The bloody and violent battle between the two most legendary houses raged on. All but destroying the majestic Royal City of Altair.

It was not the first war that Juliette had endured between good and evil. And it most certainly would not be her last.

Today, Grace’s strange but idealised world is suddenly turned upside by a visitor - The Angel of Death. And as Grace’s struggles to survive with her paralysing loss, she is also forced to endure the haunting visions and untimely deaths of others.

Steeped in palpable emotion, this is a story that will leave you with haunting visions.

Paradox – Progeny Of Innocence (#2 in the Paradox Series) Available November 2011



Bio:
Born in Brisbane Queensland Australia
Grew up in Darwin in the Northern Territory
Currently living in Cairns, Queensland, Australia

On any given day you can usually find me sitting at my desk in front of my laptop pounding away at the keys writing another chapter in the Paradox series.

That would be a run of the mill kinda day for me!

A packet of Cruskits and a water bottle is sitting on the desk beside me. There is also a mass of USB cables, bills to be paid, bills to be filed and a printer that is forever running out of ink. Sound familiar.

On most days I have to remind myself to eat and drink. I Should be thinner!!!

I am sure my housemates are very thankful that I still manage (usually at some ungodly hour) to bathe, brush my hair and clean my teeth.

I don't know about you. But I am usually mortified when visitors just pop around uninvited, only to find me sitting at my desk and still in my PJ's. I don't even want to broach the hair situation!

Did I remember to put last nights dishes away???

PS: So if you are thinking about popping a round for a coffee, that might be nice. But please give me a quick call first so I can brush my hair and smear a bit of colour across my lips.

What will readers like about your book?
I am hoping that readers will love the characters. Bond with them the way I have. Feel the characters emotions and live their story through the written word.

Why did you self publish?
I did research and discovered that there have been some remarkable success stories about authors that have taken the self publishing route. And hopefully, readers permitting….

What is your writing process?
I don’t go crazy and write a ton of chapters as quickly as I can. I like to really think about what I’m writing about as much as possible. I work on each chapter as a whole and try to get it just right. Then I go back and do a reread and a rewrite after I’ve written about 3 to 4 chapters.

Occasionally I jump ahead a few chapters to write a part of the story that I just can’t wait to write. Part 2 of the Paradox Series – Progeny Of Innocence - has been a lot like that for me. It is part of the story that I’ve been really looking forward to writing.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?
It took me two years to write the first part in the series, Paradox – The Angels Are Here.

What inspired you to write this particular story?
A broken heart. Instead of going out and buying a new pair of shoes, join a gym, go to the movies, all the things that they tell you to go out and do when you’ve had your heart broken. I went out and bought a new laptop computer instead and started writing. I’ve been at it ever since.

Excerpt:

Chapter 1 – The Fall

Empyrean – The Imperial City.

Altair, Aquila Constellation.

1080 AD

The sickly stench of death curled silently through majestic arched windows and coagulated, forming a thick grey cloud of wretchedness.

Burning torches hung randomly along high stone walls, illuminating the deserted Royal Palace. Stray swirls of smoke danced gracefully around elaborate marble columns that lined a black aisle. At the end of the aisle was an elevated dais that had formerly held four golden thrones.

Behind the one remaining throne hung a massive shield revealing a serpent entwined on a gem-encrusted dagger. A masterpiece extolled in bronze depicting the Grigorian Coat Of Arms.

A lone male figure, eclipsed by the overwhelming size of the chamber, glared at the deserted throne as he paced. He waited - something he did not like to do, for the imminent arrival of the others.

His impatience was evident in every knotted muscle on his chiselled face. Raised black veins pulsated on his muscular throat; hands formed clenched fists by his sides. His eyes were yellowy, like the colour of cat’s eyes, with a minuscule black speck for a pupil. They transcended pure evil.

The long dark cape that he wore swept the floor behind him, as he glided ghostlike, across the marble surface. He walked over to a tall arched window and stopped, folding his arms across his broad chest.

His white open necked shirt displayed a segment of a black inked serpent. It quivered across his chest, as though it were alive. The remainder of the serpent, hidden by clothing, encircled his torso before continuing its rippling passage down his arm. The fanged head revealed itself from beneath the ruffled shirt cuff on his left wrist. Crimson blood dripped off one of the razor-sharp fangs. Human blood.

He looked out into the dark night and watched as the city below continued to burn out of control. High on The Mountain Of Seven the illuminated dome, the centrepiece of the Pinnacle Sanctuary, was slowly starting to fade. Only flames from the fire cast light on the towering stone enclosure that safeguarded the crystal domed structure.

Soon the dome would be in complete darkness, he thought confidently, smiling to himself. He stood ridged and conceited in his indulgent arrogance. His body, the immortal body of a perfect 28 year old man, flexed with desire.

The Grigorians, following the expulsion of their elders from the City by the Royal Imperial Guardians, were forced to flee Empyrean. Now, after centuries spent underground, the Grigorians were bloodthirsty for revenge - and at any cost.

During the March equinox, under the dark cover of night, the Grigorians rose silently from the depths of their underworld lair, attacking the Royal Palace as it slept.

About time, Abaddon thought angrily to himself, as he turned swiftly toward the towering arched entrance.

Seconds later a female stood regally in the stone entry. “Abaddon..." The exquisite woman queried as she entered the great chamber, hands clasped at her waist.

His expression was unsettling as she advanced toward him cautiously. Her tight deep purple gown almost hidden by the long velvet black cape trailed behind. Her fair hair, adorned beautifully with gemstones, was entwined in a continuous braid crowning her head. Her eyes, a mirror image of his, catlike, were the mark of the Grigorian bloodline.

His slit eyes flashed to the entrance, as he sensed another’s imminent arrival. “Ah, little sister, how divine you look my child.” He turned in greeting as a girl, his younger sibling, no more than thirteen, entered the smoky room and ran toward him. He swung her up into his arms, as a groom would a new bride, and kissed her hard on the mouth. She did not resist, but welcomed it.

“Abaddon,” she chirped through smiling rose coloured lips, running her fingers through his dark shoulder length hair, “always an absolute pleasure of course…now, please put me down…AND…I am NOT a child!”

He laughed and released her to the marbled floor, running his hand down her flowing red hair. “You will always be a beautiful voracious child to me Theria…”


Links:

Blog: http://theangelsarehere.wordpress.com/

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