# FREE: Today & Tomorrow 9/12-13-The Jade Owl (Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy)



## Edward C. Patterson

*The Jade Owl*
*by Edward C. Patterson*
[size=12pt]*Kindleboard Profile for The Jade Owl*
*[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.* 
*580 pages

[size=12pt]Excitement raises its head when an out of work curator bumps into a San Francisco drifter in search of an elusive lost Chinese relic. Well, the curator starts a journey across three continents and 5 books. You won't want to miss put on this one. Readers have been enthusiastic, and if you need a good beach read - this is the one.


Book One of The Jade Owl Legacy
The Jade Owl
Part I: Stateside
Chapter One: Opportunities Lost
Chapter Two: The Powell Street Line
Chapter Three: Night Life
Chapter Four: Eden's Valley
Chapter Five: The Little Perch on the Hill
Chapter Six: Hunting
Chapter Seven: Os-da U-gu-ku
Chapter Eight: The Old Grandmother
Chapter Nine: Wewoka's Dream
Chapter Ten: A Plan and a Place
Chapter Eleven: Book, Box and Bird
Chapter Twelve: Out of the Bag
Chapter Thirteen: It's Always About the Money
Chapter Fourteen: Gather Rosebuds

Part II: Chinabound
Chapter One: Hong Kong
Chapter Two: The Policeman
Chapter Three: The Under Secretary
Chapter Four: The Road to Central
Chapter Five: The Song of Unending Sorrow
Chapter Six: Into the Free Zone
Chapter Seven: The Dragon Lady
Chapter Eight: Ch'en House
Chpater Nine: Lucky Day

Part III: The Bird Awakes
Chapter One: The Widow K'ao
Chapter Two: A Night at the Circus
Chapter Three: The Business of Business
Chapter Four: Temple and Garden
Chapter Five: Ch'en Hui-ni
Chapter Six: Bad Weather

Part IV: Mao Sheng's Bane
Chapter One: Ghosts in the Snow
Chapter Two: The Bell Echoer
Chapter Three: The Red Chamber
Chapter Four: The Ch'ang-an Rutter
Chapter Five: Vision Quest

Part V: The Cave of the Winds
Chapter One: Little Cricket
Chapter Two: The Xiao Homestead
Chapter Three: Xue Huai-ya
Chapter Four: Dalliance

Part VI: The First Warrant
Chapter One: Old Acquaintances
Chapter Two: The Path
Chapter Three: The Tomb
Chapter Four: The Tears of the Goddess

Epilog: Opportunities Found

Afterword​
This review is not on Amazon.com, but from Rainbow Reviews:

Sinologist Professor Rowden Gray receives the opportunity of his professional lifetime, a curator position at the fabled San Francisco East Asian Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture, which houses the collection of his late mentor, "Old China Hand" John Battle. Battle's great work had been discredited due to his insistence on the Jade Owl, a mysterious missing artifact commissioned by China's only Empress. When RG arrives, he immediately discovers the position has been rescinded, he encounters a strange young man who proves to be Battle's prodigal son, and learns the Jade Owl really exists. Plunging into a drama worthy of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler, the soon-boon companions and several others are off on a life-and-death chase through San Francisco and then on to Hong Kong as the portal into China.

The Jade Owl is a nonstop, don't miss page turner and only the first in a quintology, The Jade Owl Legacy series. Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery with its fully realized characters, gay and straight and bi, roller-coaster plotting, and paranormal fantasy elements. The Jade Owl is a true winner.

Reviewed by PermaFrost

Here's a few pull-quotes from reviewers of The Jade Owl

"The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable." - ellen george, Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer.

"Brilliantly written fantasy for people who don't read fantasy." - Libby Cone

"The story is rich, complex, exciting, and thankfully, not over when you finish it!" - Blue_Goddess

"Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery." PermaFrost from Rainbow Reviews

"I must admit that neither Mr. Patterson's characters nor style are like anything I've ever known before but they soon had me laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained." - Jeffry Hepple (Waco, Tx)

"In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China's cultural treasures." Todd Fonseca - TMBOA.com

"The Jade Owl is an extremely good read." - Aricia Gavrial on Aricia's Book Reviews (Australia)

"Edward C. Patterson's beautiful style of writing brought life to both his characters and his setting." - L.C. Evans

"The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It's full of myth and legend -fact and fantasy." - Wendy Potocki

"I sooo want to start the second novel in the series right now." - Susan in Va.

"I am richer for having read this story. " Don F. Nichols

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." Victor Banis

"Numerous times as I read the book I found myself stopping for a while and letting my mind absorb Mr. Patterson's work." - Ricky Sides

"A tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry." - Sharon Cathcart

"Poetic words and rhythm command the attention of all senses in this thrilling saga."- Catherine E. Johnson
===========================================================

I am pleased to invite everyone over to the Book Klub area for the start of a Read with the Author Book Klub for The Jade Owl starting today, July 7th and onward. Come one, come all.

Here's the link here on Kindleboards http://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,46.0.html

Kindle readers have been flocking to my Quintology The Jade Owl Legacy Series (Five Books). The first three have been published

Come in and enjoy. I will not fail you
Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

PS: Book 3 - The Dragon's Pool, is due out in May.

ECP


----------



## Guest

Ed - 

I will soon be!!!! 

Will be reading the Jade Owl this weekend and I really just can't wait!!!! I love big, juicy books and I peeked!!! Looks really, really good!!! 

Keep 'em comin'!!!!!


----------



## Aravis60

Sounds really interesting. I'll have to put it on my "books to read" list. Thanks!


----------



## dfwillia

Sounds like my kind of books...both now reside in my library. Too bad I have to work instead of read all day. So many books...so little time.
Thanks for the heads-up.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, Donna. I will not fail you.

ECP


----------



## LCEvans

I'm currently reading The Jade Owl, first in the series. Wonderful book. Ed Patterson brings China to life through his characters.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you LCEvans. I will not fail you.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Britt

Sounds interesting! It will go on my to-read list. Here are the links with KB credit:


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Britt. Please enjoy them and feedback is always appreciated. I will not fail you.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

BTW - although the 3rd Jade Owl book - The Dragon's Pool will not be coming out until May, the 1st book of the ancillary Series - The Academician - Southern Swallow, where the little green hoot bird's originas are detailed, is available now.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE7D96


----------



## Christina

Just purchased Book One, The Jade Owl, and am looking forward to an interesting and entertaining series, thank you!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Christina. I'm sure you'll enjoy it . . . and latch on to the whole series.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you all for the great response.

ECP


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Both The Jade Owl and The Third Peregrination have been Amazon discounted to $3.19.

Ed Patterson


----------



## michaelbalkind

Mr. Patterson's book continue to recieve the most amazing reviews. I can't wait to read them all!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Michael

ECP


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I am particularly proud of this review of The Jade Owl from down-under from Aricia Gavriel from her Review blog:

_*This Review is Not on Amazon.com*_

"Journey to China
Review by Aricia Gavriel, Australia

I was asked a while ago, will I review POD books ... and the answer to that is a resounding yes. I've said this several times before, and it's true: some of the best fiction being published today is coming out in POD form, where it's direct from the writer to the reader.

However, the first thing I need to do is make sure to qualify this statement! "Direct from writer to reader" does not mean the book hasn't been edited, proofread, labored over, illustrated, layout-designed and so on. The best POD books have had every bit as much work as a book issued from a traditional publishing house. Sometimes more.

I applaud when a really talented writer has the courage to go it alone, because it's going to mean work such as a non-writer can't imagine. (Mel Keegan states the case better than me in this post: POD Publishing: why do it? And why not?")

So I'm delighted to be reviewing The Jade Owl by Edward C. Patterson, which is available from Amazon. com as a paperback, and also in Kindle. It's also available from Smashwords in several formats. (I have the PDF for reading on my desktop because I haven't yet saved enough of my pennies to get an ebook gadeget. Soon. Very soon.)

The story falls into the same category as the "urban fantasy" novels of writers like Charles de Lint (Yarrow, Greenmantle and so on) and Jan Siegel (the Prospero's Children series). It takes place in the real world ... but one of the foundation stones of the book is, paranormal artifacts do exist, and the powers are real. (The same foundation stone is holding up everything from Indiana Jones to the Mummy movies. It's come to be a Hollywood staple.)

In this novel, the artifact is an ancient Chinese object, a six inch piece of Jade carved in the likeness of an owl -- and it's actually a key that opens a box known as the Joy of Finches. What's in the box? That would be telling! But everybody wants the key.

The first thing that impressed me about Jade Owl was how knowledgeable about Chinese antiquities the writer is, and about China itself. Shanghai and Beijing are described with the same amount of detail and enthusiasm as San Francisco -- and never having been to either China or the USA myself, I really appreciated the "local color." Many writers, when setting their plots in London, New York, what have you, seem to think that everyone's been there and knows intimately every secret of the city. Not true. So, the first level where Jade Owl succeeds is in "selling me" San Francisco, which is the setting for the first long segment of the book.

Then it's off to China, and in the second half of the novel the adventure really kicks in. The first half is more of an exploration of culture, personality, even history. There's not too much "action" in this part of the story, but I liked having the story built up properly from the ground up, so that all readers are on the same page when the knock-down-drag-out adventure begins.

The characters are, for the most part, excellently drawn, with only one or two of the lesser players falling back on "stock characterization." Edward C. Patterson's dialog is very believable, you can "hear" voices saying these lines. But it was the paranormal aspects of the story that hooked me ... I love this stuff anyway, and the Jade Owl does it well. I know a little bit about things Chinese, since I grew up with a huge crush on Bruce Lee and read/watched everything I could get my hands on over the space of about ten years! Jade Owl is a real treat.

It's a crying shame this book had to be self-published, and you have to ask yourself what the publishing world is coming to, when gifted writers everywhere are having to fly solo. Jade Owl is not just "competently" written -- it's only one thorough, ruthless edit away from being on a par with the top-notch writers who sell in the gajillions. (Trust me on this: I've been a pro "proofie" for decades and have seen the best and worst that professional writers can turn out ... and some long-time professional writers I could name churn out unpunctuated drivel that has to be bashed into shape by line-editors who get paid about $10 an hour!) There was a time, maybe 20 years ago, when a publisher would take in a manuscript from an inspired and gifted writer, and would assign an editor to do the final work, then the book would be jacketed and sent out there with posters and hype galore. (Doesn't happen now. A manuscript can be received that is absolutely gem-perfect, and it'll still get turned around and sent back unread ... sad to say, I've worked in the industry and seen what happens: it'd shock you).

But -- I digress! The Jade Owl is an extremely good read. It gets off to a slightly shaky start, but the style settles right down after a few pages and is very readable. You'll like the central characters of "Rowdy" Gray, Nick Battle and his partner, Simone. In fact, you ought to love Simone, who's a drag queen from the Castro, indomitable, very human, very "real." There's enough gay content to keep GLBTI readers reading -- and more than enough action of other kinds (sensual, paranormal, cultural, comedic) to keep straight readers reading.

It's also hellaciously good value for money, at $15.45 for the paperback, $3.19 in Kindle, and $3.99 from Smashwords ... and this is a major novel, over 200,000 words. And here is one of the great things about getting a book direct from the writer: because there's no publisher to accommodate, the price can afford to be much lower than you'd think.

Does the book have a downside? Well ... maybe, but it depends who you are, and what your "ear" is like! The writing style can be a little erratic at times, but many readers would also call this one of the book's charms. So there you are -- as with so many facets of so many books -- it's actually your call. I found the PDF ebook easy to read, but halfway through I longed for a "proper" ebook reader to get away from the PC -- not the author's fault! When I get myself an iLiad, or Bebook or something similar, I shall be reading Jade Owl a second time in the comfort of a hammock chair at the bottom of the garden.

I should also note that there are two more books following on from The Jade Owl , the first one of which is available now, the second, on its way. I still have to get to the second, so can't talk about it here.

Recommended on many levels. AG's rating: 4 out of five stars -- with a "gold star" added for incredibly good value for money."

Aricia Gavriel"
========================================================
I love the sound of the "gajillion copies." One can dream, can't one.

ECP
The Jade Owl http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J54AWO
The Third Peregrination http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q3M9QI


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Again, thank you for becoming one of my readers.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you all for the birthday wishes yesterday. Greatly appreciated.

Ed Patterson


----------



## pomlover2586

Never heard of this one......add another to the sample list!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Pomlover.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I have now discovered that both The Jade Owl and The Third Peregrination are available in Sony Reader format also at Smashwords.com - I think I'll convert my other books in case anyone needs it in that format also.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The third book of the Jade Owl Legacy, The Dragon's Pool, will be available in mid-May.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Did you know that there will be 5 books in the Jade Owl series, and four books in the Southen Swallow Series, the adjunct tale. In fac, The Academician - Souther Swallow - Book I is available now. I will be talking more about that book as time goes on. Of my 22 books (11 pulished on the Kindle), The Aacdemician took the longest to bring t life - 37 years, but more on that later.

Edward C. Patterson

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J54AWO]The Jade Owl http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J54AWO[/url]
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q3M9QI]The Third Peregrination http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q3M9QI[/url]
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE7D96]The Academician http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE7D96[/url]


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Happy Easter to al my friends and readers on Kindleboards.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

When The Jade Owl was in beta-test, a beta-reader from Belgium traveled to London to be an extra on the set of Elijah Wood's new film, The Oxford Murders. I am a huge Elijah Wood fan. This reader brought a broadside of The Jade Owl and during a break, met with Elijah, told him all about me and the book and asked him to sign the broadside. This was sent to me as a Christmas present and is one of my prized possessions. As he signed it, another extra member snapped a shot to authenticte the act. As such, I have an acknowledgement to Elijah in the Jade Owl's front materia thanking him for his good wishes l, as well as a list of the names of my beta-readers. Of course, one of the principle characters in the book is physically patterned on Elijah Wood, and it's not hard to guess which one. I am a webmaster to a site reviewing Elijah's films, a stalwart member of the A&E Forever Elijah Fansite and also maintain and patrol Elijah's 36 Wikipedia pages, keeping them vandal proof.

Here's a link to the broadside signed, and a picture of Elijah Wood signing it. The beta-reader is Mireille Reyns, from Belgium, one of MY biggest and loyal fans. (It's funny to have fans. he he lol)

http://www.dancaster.com/popgift.htm

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I just noticed that I have an extra star on my sign on. Moving up.

ECP


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A first for me. this evening my book The Jade Owl was mentioned (and plgged) on the Bobby Ozuna radio show "The Soul of Humanity," an up and coming interview show for Independant Artists with about 8,000 listenings (and growing). I think I did a little dance . . . a conga . . . okay a naked conga dance around my living room. Mr. Ozuna and I will be talking about have me and my humble self (Ha) on the radio in the near future. I'll keep you posted.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Congratulations, Ed!

(but TMI now I need liquor to get image out of mind)

'Betsy


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Betsy, and not too much liquor now. It is nice to hear someone boom over the radio the name of your book and recommed it to a few thousand listeners. What's also nice is that I've been approached to do his show later in the year, so we'll have a full Kindleboards even.

Ed P


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you to WPotocki (Kindleboards memeber) for a wonderful five star review on The Jade Owl over the weekend. It quite took my breath away.

Thanks
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I'm happy to announce that I will be interviewed as the guest author on Bobby Ozuna's internet Radio Show the Soul of Humanity THIS Wednesday night @ 7PM CST: 4/22/2009

The Jade Owl is the discussed novel, but I intend to be a Kindle advocate and will mention Kindleboards and the wonderful members here.

Please join the thousands of listeners at 
The Soul of Humanity, on the Artist First Radio Network:
http://artistfirst.com/bobbyozuna.htm 
and also visit Bobby's Ozuna's blog, where I will be featured for Q & A. 
http://inotauthor.blogspot.com

Thank you
Edward C. Patterson
http://www.dancaster.com


----------



## Guest

edwpat said:


> Thank you to WPotocki (Kindleboards memeber) for a wonderful five star review on The Jade Owl over the weekend. It quite took my breath away.
> 
> Thanks
> Edward C. Patterson


It was my pleasure!!! Very much enjoyed your novel!!!

Here's my review!

*Make That Five Snaps Up and a Circle Round the World, Honey!!! *

That's for you, Simone DeFleurry!! Who's Simone DeFleurry? Well, she's actually Simon Geldfarb, the S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-T 'significant other' of John Battle's son. Who's John Battle? John Battle was Rowden Gray's professor at Columbia University and someone that claimed to have held The Jade Owl in very own his hands. Who's Rowden Gray and what's The Jade Owl? Rowden Gray is the protagonist that's just had the position of working at the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture yanked out from underneath him and if you're asking these questions, it's clear you haven't read The Jade Owl. Now I have a question for you? Why not?!!

The Jade Owl is a wonderful read! It's full of myth and legend -fact and fantasy. It crosses between historical reference to fun-filled fiction and back again as easily as Simone picks out an ensemble! It's as big and expansive as the country the infamous owl originated - and just as enigmatic! Mr. Edward Patterson does a fabulous job of weaving and holding his story together with that most special of glues - imagination! The result is a pleasurable read. It's as easy as gliding down the Yangtze in a Dragon boat under the brilliance of a full moonl! You just don't want it to end and wish it could go on forever!!!

There's a whole host of interesting characters acting as some magical crazy glue catalysts. They drive each other - and the story -forward. Then there's The Jade Owl itself. Will it ever be found? Will it ever be reunited with its rightful owner? Who is its rightful owner? And is there a grander scheme behind it all? Most importantly, will the blasted bird ever stop hooting at the least opportune moments? All these questions are answered in their own time and we are there to witness history! &#8230; well, invented history! And isn't that the best kind? Especially when the outcome is safely in the expert hands of Edward C. Patterson!!!

A toast to Mr. Patterson, China, a drag queen that knows how to run in heels and hooty owls everywhere!!!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Wnedy:

Your review has left me breathless.

Ed Patterson


----------



## EsmeLuv

Hi Ed,

Wow...it's 'The Jade Owl'.  This was a great book.  I enjoyed the adventures of this great cast of characters.  I felt like I was one of the group, enjoying their conversations, touring china, and running from clue to clue.  Thanks for the fun!  Esme.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Ah, one of my fans chimes in on The jade Ow. Thank you EsmeLuv, and there's a 3rd installment coming in 2 weeks - The Dragon's Pool. I'll be announcing it on a separate thread there.

Edward C. Patterson
but you can call me Miss Chatty, as you often do


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

For those of you who missed my appearance on the Bobby Ozuna's Show - The Soul of Humanity last week, the archive is up and ready in .mp3. This is the show where I Plugged Kindleboards.com as well as discuss an author's life with the host. Here's the link:

http://66.49.193.35/ArtistFirst_Bobby_Ozuna_2009-04-22.mp3

I don't know whether it was computer or not, but the voices a pitched up a bit, and my deep butch voice (NOT) is a little bit like Alvin the Chipmunks, but it's the content that counts. The show is an hour long.

Edward C. Patterson

Feedback is appreciated.


----------



## EsmeLuv

Hi Ed, 

The Dragon's Pool coming out....soon!  Good to know!  

Thanks, 
Esme.


----------



## RJ Keller

Hi Ed!

I'm about halfway through the interview and wanted to say a couple of things.

1. I really dig the accent.
2. I LOVE this: "I write for one reader, I write for the joy of it."

More to come later, I'm sure.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you RJ. The accent is actually from BROOKLYN, the land of my birth, although I am a New Jersey resident and work in Allentown, PA, where most of my writing is undertaken. My approach to writing and reading I outline in my book Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditional Publisher? - but hold on, if you're thinking of buying it, because I am in the process of lowering the price and offering it here on Kindleboards for $ .99. Just waiting the usual pricie changing cycle with Amazon.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Carol Hanrahan

Nice to know about the price coming down. Might be one of my first purchases when my Kindle 2 finally arrives. 

Carol


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Carol. I lowered the Prince on "Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditional Publisher?" today for your information.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you all for strting this series. The Jade Owl series is my _opus magnum_.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## vwkitten

I just noticed that you made the previous post at 4:40am -- don't you ever sleep? *grins*

Trish


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Hoot! Hoot! Th owl stays up all night.  

Ed P


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks to readers here who have started the adventure of The Jade Owl, The Third Peregrination and The Dragon's Pool. There's quite a buzz going.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl began life as a serialized novel at anotherchapter.com

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Susan in VA

I'm about halfway through The Jade Owl, and I've been losing way too much sleep because I can't put this one down at night. Truly a good read. The characters seem very real, both the _simpatico_ ones and the irritating ones, and I can't wait to see what happens to them next.

Today I came to the part where the origin of the diary cover is explained... right at the end of my last chapter for the afternoon.... and I closed my Kindle cover, my mind still lost in the story, and jumped about a foot at the sight of my _red leather_ Oberon.... ah, the power of good storytelling!!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Gee. Susan, I never thought of that. An Eon ago, when the first book rolled out serially at anotherchapter.com, they illustrated that chapter with a red diary, and now that I think of it, it looked very Kindlish.

I very lad that you're enjoying the read. The fun is just beginning.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Time, once agan, to peek at The Jade Owl, who is beckoning all to dive into adventure. From San francisco to Be-jing, from geeky professors to fshionable drag queens, the Jade Owl takes wing and will steal your available waking hours. One reader in Belgium wrote to me and said: "It's a meat-burner." I replied: "A meat burner? Don't you mean a page turner?" She answered: "No. I was so intent on reading it while cooking dinner, I burned the meat." The Jade Owl - Burning the Meat on a Kindle near you.



Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Brenda Carroll

edwpat said:


> "A meat burner? Don't you mean a page turner?" She answered: "No. I was so intent on reading it while cooking dinner, I burned the meat." The Jade Owl - Burning the Meat on a Kindle near you.


Whew! (wipes brow) Did anyone ever tell you that you scare people, Edward?  Cute. Real cute.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

All the time

ECP


----------



## Susan in VA

Page-turner, meat-burner... yeah.... except for the times when I had to _stop_ reading late at night because I didn't know how "spooky" some scenes might get, and was afraid they'd give me dreams filled with hooty things!

Had someone described this novel using the word "paranormal" I wouldn't have read it -- not usually my cup of tea -- but I started it thinking I was getting into a nice archeological mystery, some historical fiction, a little modern San Francisco culture thrown in... and then before I knew it I was hooked!

Wonderful characters - they all seem so real, I can picture them and hear their voices in my mind. And after a nice long novel of suspense, cultural detail, and gentle humor, it completely caught me off guard when I read the last few chapters in public and found myself blinking back tears at


Spoiler



the part with Griffen.



I sooo want to start the second novel in the series right now. But it's past midnight, and I'm afraid I'd stay up WAY too late.... oh, maybe just one short chapter


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Susan. I am delighted that you enjoyed the meat burner, and I am even more delighted that you're continuing on to The Third Peregrination. I am even more delighted when I have a reader tell me that they are not into this "genre" and find themselves immersed. I pledge to all readers that I will not fail them. If a reader's journey is not complete, mine is a dead end.

Again, thank you for this review.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Susan in VA

Of course I ended up reading more than just one short chapter.... but since it was late at night, I had to stop at the first part where it got "creepy" (the basement visit). So, since it wasn't quite late _enough_, I started another book, and for the first time since I got my Kindle I've been reading two books on it concurrently. (Normal for DTB, but a first for me on Kindle.)

I see that you had the second volume much more thoroughly proofread too (or maybe more often / more recently), which lets me read faster without the little glitches jolting me out of the story.

I do foresee a problem though, in that I expect to be through the third book as well as the one in the companion series before you finish numbers four and five. Do hurry up.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I'll hurry Susan. Meanwhile enjoy the 1,956 pages that I've finished (whew) and the first (400 pages) of The Academician. You know I am thrilled that you're enjoying the series, especially when its not the usual genre that you read. I think Ive mentioned, I strive to transcend whatever genre I am in. Characters, charcters, characters. That's the thing.

Thanks again,
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Susan:

I'm glad that you got out of the "basement" scene oaky and are on your way through the second book.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*In discussion: A Read with the Author Book Klub for The Jade Owl. Interested?*

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## AppleHeart

Edward C. Patterson said:


> *In discussion: A Read with the Author Book Klub for The Jade Owl. Interested?*
> 
> Edward C. Patterson


Have book, will Book Klub.

When is this for, so I can dates jot in calendar? And, will I need all the books in this series? I only have the first one.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Appleheart:

Betsy is setting up stuff next Monday, so I anticipate posting a rading schedule next week. This is my first Read with the uthor Klub, so I'm still learning the logistics. I'm hoping that e can go through the 3 books that are available, but only The Jade Owl Book I is needed to begin with. 

Thanks
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## AppleHeart

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Appleheart:
> 
> Betsy is setting up stuff next Monday, so I anticipate posting a rading schedule next week. This is my first Read with the uthor Klub, so I'm still learning the logistics. I'm hoping that e can go through the 3 books that are available, but only The Jade Owl Book I is needed to begin with.
> 
> Thanks
> Edward C. Patterson


Ed,

I'm looking forward to this one (I came in late for Kreelan Warrior's 
"In Her Name" book klub) and will read along with you and the others.

ebc


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Looking forwrd to you joining in. I hope there's many participats. I'm working on questions now and deiding on how many chapters for the firt week. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I gave OnLineBookReview.com's Stacey Cochrane an author interview today. Come visit and comment. I discuss *The Jade Owl * Legacy series, Indie Publishing, the Kindle and the future of book distribution as I see it.

http://tinyurl.com/l8b9qm

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## LCEvans

I left a comment. For those who haven't read the interview, you might want to check it out. Ed knows a lot about indie publishing and mentions Kindle.


----------



## Tanner Artesz

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Looking forwrd to you joining in. I hope there's many participats. I'm working on questions now and deiding on how many chapters for the firt week.
> 
> Edward C. Patterson


Since I was able to find the ebook, I got it and will join in. I'm looking forward to it.

Tanner


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks Linda. Thanks Tanner.

Se everyone in the Klub. The mai t'ais are on me.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Second week begun with new Chapters up in the Bok Klub.

Edwrd C. Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Ed. . .I think I'm finished through chapter 7. . . .very interesting so far. . . .kind of wish I had more time to read this week, but do manage to get in a chapter or at least part of one each evening. . . .I expect I'll get caught up next week. . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Ann:

As long as you're enjoying it. I shortened the discussions chunks, if you noticed and have less questions. I think I have eight readers on board and hope more will join in. This has been a hectic week for me as I am proofing my next book and had a press release on it today. And I am turning to yet another work, scheduled for an October release.

Ed P


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

And now Ann, you're in the Hong Kong section. Great going.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Third week begun with new Chapters up in the Book Klub.

Edwrd C. Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Well, I just finished this book. . . . .I'd give it a solid 4 stars; maybe even 4+.  I definitely liked it and expect to continue on with Rowdy and the gang. . . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

WOW, Ann, I am happy that you enjoyed it. And since the majority of my readers like The Third Peregrination even better (more of a roller coaster ride, and some new characters that will knock your socks off. These books were beta tested  ), I know you will continue to gather ye rosebuds as ye may.

Thanks again,
Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

yeah. . .about the rosebuds. . . .I'm pretty sure a few of them still had thorns. . . .gotta be careful of rosebuds. . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Tell Rowden gray about them as he tries to keep them gathered . . . oy veh.

Ed


----------



## geoffthomas

I just finished the Jade Owl, Ed.


This is an incredible read.
I think it was full of suspense, humor, humanity, and was a travelogue.
I have not been to Mainland China. Just Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.  But I was spellbound.

And yes, I know there was a gay love theme. Well presented. "in good taste".  After all it is what it is.  I will certainly be recommending this work.
And Ed, how many of the characters are a piece of you?

Just sayin.....


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Geoffthomas:

Yes, those characters are like . . . horcruxes.   Or is it horcruces? And sometimes it IS murder to bring them to life.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Carol Hanrahan

Why oh why do I read these threads, then push that one little button?
I am reading another book right now, Ed.  So I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with the book klub, but I can sort of follow along behind.....
And I know where you live.... (on Kindleboards, that is!) , so if i have any questions...........

Love San Fran, and Geoff's comments and oh everything else!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Carol:

I view the Klub as bread crumbs and hope many people join in weeks from now if they want. Remember, I hav2 2 more books in the series also pubished, so once this Klub is done, I will be proposing to Betsy to open a second for The Third Peregrination. People can come along the trail whenever they want, and I will be available at any and all points.

Thanks again,
Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks to all the readers here for startng their Jade Owl adventures. Are you liking it? It's never too late to join the Jade Owl Read with the Readers Klub.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Started Tuesday Septmber 1,2009, the Jade Owl Legacy vy Edward C. Patterson continues, with a Read with the Author Book Klub of the second book in the series

Link to Book KLUB http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,13044.0.html

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## BethA

got a sample and now can't put this down-great job--how many books are there?


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

BethA: 

Eventually 5. But published and available are:

The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool

in that order. They meaty reads, with the last two over 668 and 705 pages respectively.

Thanks
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## BethA

thanks-I never thought I would get a book about china-just did not know anything about it at all-but I am really enjoying this, and reading it on the kindle. I hope to finish it today or tomorrow and then on to the next one in the series. I usually read mysteries, thrillers and books similar to to Da vinci code.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

BethA. I'm glad you're liking it and there is a bit of "DaVinci" monkey-puzzle about the book, mayhaps.



Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Beth. . .there was a read with the author club. . . .you should read through the commentary and discussion there. . . .Ed let us in on some of his thought processes and gave some background info too.. . .then join the Third Peregrination club in progress.  . . .


----------



## BethA

Ann in Arlington said:


> Beth. . .there was a read with the author club. . . .you should read through the commentary and discussion there. . . .Ed let us in on some of his thought processes and gave some background info too.. . .then join the Third Peregrination club in progress. . . .


thanks-just read through to where I am in the book. I guess I am not always so insightful when reading, after seeing some things I sort of passed over-


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I know what you mean.  . . turns out our Ed is deeeeeep. . . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

By the way, BethA - are you the BethA from Minneapolis? If so, I need to thank you for your Amazon review for No irish need Apply, way back in 2008 when it came out. If not, I thank you anyway for being one of my readers.

Ed Patterson
Deeeep Ed


----------



## BethA

no-I am from Pittsburgh. 

I am not sure I have read any of your other books, but will be reading them in the future


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Ah, lovely Pittsburgh. I used to do sales calls there. Well, will the real BethA please stand up and take credit for her review.    

Ed Patterson


----------



## mfstewart

Phew! I finally got it, Ed, via Smashswords...200K+ words? Amazing. Looking forward to reading it!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you. Yep, it's a big one (the two follow up books are even bigger), and I just got the email notification through Smashwords.

BTW, I also got a notification from Smashwords that all 13 of my books have been approved for lauching at Barnes & Noble and Fictionwise over the next few months.

This has beena rock n'roll day.

Thanks again,
Ed Patterson


----------



## mfstewart

Don't know how you do it? Do you outline? 

I haven't in the past but I also write graphic novels, so my latest I've written out as a graphic novel first, which amounts to a 90 page outline. Won't come close to a 200K novel though, more likely 90-110K.


----------



## BethA

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Thank you. Yep, it's a big one (the two follow up books are even bigger), and I just got the email notification through Smashwords.
> 
> BTW, I also got a notification from Smashwords that all 13 of my books have been approved for lauching at Barnes & Noble and Fictionwise over the next few months.
> 
> This has beena rock n'roll day.
> 
> Thanks again,
> Ed Patterson


congrats on your great day
So have you known how all the books would turn out from when you first wrote the jade owl? How do you keep it all organized in your head?


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

BethA

Actually Beth - No. That's why The Jade Owl went through 8 revisions. However, when I started the second book, I knew there would be a third. Book 4 & 5 are still in the works, and only came about when several beta-readers were shocked by the ending (I changed the ending of _The Dragon's Pool _ giving it a surprise twist and a segue for the next 2 books). However, I had to revise Books 2 and 3 to accommodate this. PLUS there's an ancillary series called _Southern Swallow_, which takes the Jade Owl legend from the point of view of the 12th Century Chinese scholar that you'll hear about in the second book - named Li K'ai-men (his nickname is Nan Ya or Southen Swallow). There are 4 books in that series, of which only 1 has been published (_The Academician_) and the other is my current daily work (_The Nan Tu_). My editor suspects that I will be creating back story after back story, but Southern Swallow is actually older than The Jade Owl. I started it 37 years and it is born from my doctoral dissertation which was being prepared while I was at Columbia University. (Never got the PhD., only an MA in Sinology), but I think Southern Swallow is far more interesting and a better contribution to Chinese cultural studies than the original dissertation, which had the unlikely (or rather likely name) _*The Restoration of the Southern Sung Dynasty: The Reign of the Emperor Kao-tsung (1127-116. * _ What a mouthful, but oh what fun. Needless to say, the dissertation doesn't have an owl in it anywhere. 

As far as keeping things in my head - it's a mystery. I am violently opposed to outlines (as any of the authors here on Kindleboards will tell you, since I preach to them incessantly). I will wake up, however, in the middle of the night and say outloud, "Hell (or a comparable epithet), the tomb can't have a shale wall. There is no shale in Shan-xi and in particular on Mount Li. Obsidian. I think obsidian is the ticket." Then it will fester until I check it out and make the change. I'm obsessed with little things like high Chinese thresholds and the order of words for polite expressions, and get this . . . the direction a door must be placed in a Chinese house in relationship to the street and whether that street is in Bei-jing (where the door has a partition fronting a _hu-tung _) or that door is in Shanghai, where it's most like to be a moon gate, round and trellised with . . . flowers - what kind? Oh botanical details are constantly rippling through my noggin. BUT, alas, no outlines, and all these facts must fall to the background, because stories are only good IMNSHO if they are driven by characters the reader comes to like, love or hate.

Anyway . . .

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I just got word that a review for the Jade Owl by a prominently established author is in the works. Will is be favorable? Hoot. Hoot. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Who? Who?  

I mean, what prominently established author? Or do you know?  Or are you not allowed to say?


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

To early to announce publicy, but I sent you a PM.  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Well, here it is folks - a big review. So far it's only on a review site, but soon to be on Amazon. It's from Victor Banis, author of some 120 books including the Deadly Nightshade sereis and Longhorns.

http://glfictionreviews.blogspot.com/

Enjoy, because I'm walking on a cloud.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## BethA

congratulations. I'm enjoying the second book, as much as I did the first
Beth


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I think he's pickier than me. . . .I didn't notice that much in the way of grammar oopses.  Just an occasional one, and nothing specific that stuck with me. . .

I was amused that there was an oops in his review which he 'corrected' in his comment.


----------



## BethA

I am anal about grammar and noticed some mistakes and a few typos when reading. I always notice that and wonder why the editors don't catch them, but I am unfortunately one of those correcting someone's grammar in my head when they are speaking to me, so I mught be considered obsessive about it.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks BethA and Ann. I don't mind sagely criticism from someone like Victor Banis (especially when I'm guilty as charged). It's the equivolent in the GLBT world of having Stephen Kings say - "I loved this book. Run out and get it, and BTW, the authors doesn't know how to spell beaswakz). This authors rarely reviews, so its a real honor that he would devote so much time to reading the book and then writing a short-story for a review.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*Victor Banis' review of The Jade Owl has been posted to Amazon.com and he gave it 5-stars.*

http://tinyurl.com/myx5d6

Forgive me for quoting the last paragraph:

"This is a remarkable accomplishment. I finished The Jade Owl with a happy smile and closed it with a sigh of great satisfaction. I recommend the book heartily. You may never read another adventure tale this good. Honest, possums." - Victor J. Banis - author of over 150 published novels.

I shall sleep well tonight, dear readers. Honest possums.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## BethA

I started the third book today and will be sorry to have it come to an end.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks Beth. You do know I have to write 2 more books as this is a five book series.

Also, there is a side series about the Jade Owl in the 12th Century called Southern Swallow, of which the first of 4 books has been published and the second should be out by November. That book is the The Academician http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE7D96. That book is the novlize life of Li K'ai-men (who you've already encountered in The Third Peregrination).

One of my readers suggestd that although I write on many themes and genres, I should spend the rest of my life writing new backstory novels for The Jade Owl.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## BethA

so how long do I have to wait for the other 2?
Should I have read the background stories first--too late now of course.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

2010 and 2011. The background stories dovetail and compliment each other and are stand alone and can be read at any time. And I'm not like other series writers, leaving you hanging. Each book has a satisfactory cadence. I promie not to be like Geroge Martin and never ever finisg=h the work, or even Uncle Stevie King, who left his readers in the Dark Tower series on a manaical train on a cliff hanger for 7 years.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Edward C. Patterson said:


> . . . . .or even Uncle Stevie King, who left his readers in the Dark Tower series on a manaical train on a cliff hanger for 7 years.
> 
> Ed Patterson


well. . . .but. . . .didn't he practically die in a car wreck? One must make allowances.

(Or maybe I have my time-line all wrong. . . I don't read much King (please don't hit me ) )


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Well, Ann - he actually got off the dime beore the car accident; however, that near death experience got him moving to the end and he almost didn't writ nything again after 2000. His first effort, Dreamcatcher, he wrote long-nad because he couldn;t manuever on the computer. He then completed and published the last three Dark Tower books in record time, and of course, he gave us his great contribution . . . On Writing.


Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I posted this on another thread, which asked for a fun fact about author's books, and I think it is appropriate (and fun) to re-post it here and in the Read with the Author Book Klub, also:

Although I have been writing fo fifty years, my first professional book, The Jade Owl, was started by accident. I had just lost my job of 38 years and I considered writing something for publication (which, up until that point, was a private endevor), and while thrashing around for a subject, I came across a call for a submission for serial novels on-line. While pondering ideas in my kitchen, I espied a small little blue (not green) glass owl, which was always in my grandmother's jardiniere on her front porch. It was my table and waiting for storage. It was accidentally in with the Christmas ornaments and was set aside as "being in the wrong place." Actually, as it turned out, it was in the "right place," and thus I began a novel about a professional, "out-of-work" and beginning an unlikely journey involving a small "green" owl figurine . . . and I submitted this to that online house, and they were interested and I continued, and they sent me a contract. By June 2002 it appeared (in a greatly altered form from today's polished novel) on line at anotherchapter.com in serial form, a chapter a week. By September, the on-line company bellied up and I was stuck with . . . a great treasure. A completed manuscript, a terrorist editor, many friends in the business and a hunger to complete my over 20 incomplete works and get them published. Now I have 13 of those works published (14 is in the works), and I have matured as an author and I am learning more every day. I have just gone over the 2,000 sales mark across all titles, and have garnered 121 4- and 5-star reviews. I know a vast number of authors and professionals and I am thankful to God, who is my agent, for every new reader who picks up one of my books. I have also learned that authoring has less to do with money, fame and glory. It has to do with something even more intangible - a love for words, the spark of creation and the mantle of self-worth. How many times can an aging Old queen leave his seed behind to continue the magic when the end of the path is reached. Yes, a little blue glass owl from my grandmother's jardiniere misplaced and coming into sight at a fortuitous time. How's that for a fun fact.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## BethA

I finished the Dragon's Pool the other day and wondered if any of this is based on actual legends, or if you came up with all of it.
Can't wait for the next one-in the mean time I am starting Ezekial's Code and then onto all the others on my Kindle.-Don't make me wait too long to find out what happens.
beth


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Beth A:

After Ezekiel Code (which I encourage you to read), try The Academician (more Jade Owl stuff in there). I am a novelist, therefore deal i fiction, but I am also a Sinologist and therefore adhere to Chinese cultural truths. The legends are "made up" but act as a foil to the real stuff. History is generally dry as dust - but when put in context, it can be vivid.

Glad you enjoyed The Dragon's Pool. 

Thanks
Ed Patterson


----------



## BethA

I did get the Academian, but decided to take a break from the Chinese stuff to read something else.

You have quite the imagination, and also a vocabulary that has made me use the dictionary on my kindle. Before your book I never even heard the word sinologist, and I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent with a decent vocabulary. So your books were a learning experience as well as very entertaining.
thanks


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl has been nominated for the Rainbow Awards.   First time any of my books have been nominated in any award program.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Congratulations, Ed!

Betsy


----------



## Aravis60

That's great! Congratulations!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks Betsy and Aravis60

Ed Patterson


----------



## BethA

congratulations on a well deserved recognition


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, BethA. I'm no sure wha my chances are winning, but to be nominated is an honor.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

Mr. Patterson,

Just finished reading your book. I'm impressed. I'd explain but you can always read my review on Amazon. Good job sir.

sincerely,
Ricky


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, Ricky for the great review. It showed up this morning at

http://tinyurl.com/yf2dshs

It's a nice way for any author to start the weeek.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

Thank you for the fascinating read that you produced.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Really appreciate it Ricky. Have you moved onto the second book, The Third Peregrination?

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

Not yet. I'm planning to read Archer's Elven book next and then move to that book. It takes me a while to read books nowadays. Seems there's never enough hours in a day to get everything done so my reading time is limited.

Ricky

But I have bought books 2 and 3.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you. I go from one extreme to the other. I love a long read - but I have short works like Bobby;s trace which gets to 100 pages, and then works like The Dragon's Pool that goes to 704 pages. My current work (The Nan Tu - I hope by Christmas - is a big one). I also love to get into a long epic read like George Martin or Charles Dickens (only when will martin even finish his epic?). I don;t know where I find the time, but time is our most important commodity. 

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

I found the time last night to begin _The Third Peregrination_. The introduction of the assistant Sydney is interesting.

Your reference to your current writing project reminds me that I really must begin work where I left off on book 6 of my series soon. Probably after I finish The Third Peregrination and the first book in Archer's Elven series. Once I begin work on a book it is total immersion for me until the first draft is complete. No TV, no reading for fun. Just work the day job and write, write, write. That helps me maintain the flow. Time enough for other pursuits once the first draft is complete. Then I need a break from writing for a day or two. It's a crazy way to go about writing I guess, but that's what works best for me.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Have I hooked yer?  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

LOL you're a bad man Mr. Patterson.   Yes I think the Jade Owl trilogy has me hooked in like a fish.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

You also know that The Academician is a Jade Owl tale too.      

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

Uh no. OMG I'll never finish book six. Yes I will. I must muster my self discipline. 

Oh btw I noted this section today:

_I trust you, Rowden,_ came Audrey's words, soft words to his mind. _I know there were reasons for you to love this other one; but there were also reasons to negate the vows; reasons that have not changed. If you say I have nothing to fear from her presence, I believe and trust you. Just remember my face every morning and that I carry our child._

Superbly said. I am genuinely impressed. Such a short paragraph that implies so very much. Sir, you have a way with words that occasionally borders on brilliance. Hats off to ya.

sincerely,
Ricky

edit: I understand that you have traveled to China. You know there are probably a lot of people who'd love to read about your experiences there. People with no concept of what that would have been like.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Rickey:

There are only three of the five books out on The Jade Owl so far. And The Southern Swallow will have four books. (Book Two - The Nan Tu is due out before Christmas)

Thank you for your comments on Audrey's quote - and I hope you are enjoying Rose Whitaker, one of my favorite characters based on my favorite actress, Katherine Hepburn.

Yes, Ricky, I've traveled in China and all my experiences there are baked into The Jade Owl. Most of the characters are based on people I met there. My school larnin' (I have a Masters in Sinology) is also lurking in the novel's pages and in the Southern Swallow. I am delighted that you are enjoying the series.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ricky Sides

Yes I do like the Rose character. And your description of Sydney was interesting. I swear I saw Steven King as I read your description.

I had assumed that you'd placed your China travel experiences in the book. But I was referring to a non fiction work. Having never traveled there I have no way to separate the genuine experiences from fiction and artistic license. Just think of the academic uses for a book of your travel experiences in China. Imagine Ed Patterson's China experiences being required reading for future generations of Sinology students.

Just a thought. I know that such an undertaking would be time consuming.

sincerely,
Ricky


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Maybe some day. I have written 22 novels and they are in various stages of production (13 published). So I have nine currently in the works taking me "to infinite and beyond." A China trvelogue might come in my old age. Wait . . . I'm 62 going on 63. I guess we're talking when I'm 85.  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I was in New Jersey over the weekend, went to dinner in Montclair and as we were walking along the road we passed an antique shop called "Little Cricket". I _totally_ thought of you.  Would have gone in to check it out if it had been open, and we weren't on the way to the theater. . . . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Ah, Ann, to have Little Cricket stay with one of my readers. The real Little Cricket (my guide in Gui-lin, who I tried to correspond with after I returned to the states), would have like that. But alas, he seems to have disappeared into the fabric of the People's Republic. Well, at least, my Little Cricket lives - and hopefully will outlive my puny efforts to inspire.

Ed Patterson

PS: I can still hear him as he led me and Mom through the bamboo grove. "Missus and sir," he said. "Watch out for the _slakes_." I watch out for the _slakes _ now forever . . . sorry. A bit choked up. Mom hated _slakes_. I can still her saying so; that and "More pots?"









Little Cricket, Me and Mom at the Cave of 1,000 Buddhas - Gui-lin 1986​


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I received a new 5-star review for The Jade Owl, and since it's not posted on Amazon, I will post it here:

Review by Sharon E, Cathcart 

"I became acquainted with Edward C. Patterson via Operation eBook Drop: he founded the project and I'm a participating author. It seemed a natural progression to likewise acquaint myself with his work.

"The Jade Owl" is a science fiction/fantasy novel that starts out with Sinologist Rowden Gray being denied a job originally offered to him at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. A passerby in the museum picks up the telegram Gray discards, and then leads Gray on a search for the artifact that obsessed Gray's late mentor (the eponymous owl).

Patterson's research into Chinese culture and traditions is first-rate (his MA in the field bears that out). Throw in a tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry, the ability to draw fascinating characters (I am no expert on LGBT literature, but I felt like I had met every one of his characters -- gay or straight -- out in the real world), and a fascinating mystery to be solved. Patterson's work is sure to find fans across many genres."

Thank you Sharon


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*I am happy to announce that my novel, The Jade Owl is a finalist for The 2009 Rainbow Awards and has gone into the Phase 3 Judging Circle.

The Jade Owl http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J54AWO

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Anju 

wonderful, marvelous, terrific

BUENA SUERTE


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Congratulations, Ed!!!









Betsy


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Gracias, Anju

and, Betsy, I saw your rainbow and I choked up. Thank you.

Ed P


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The opening of the Jade Owl, where professor Gray loses a job opportunity is based on my own lay-off experience in 2002 after 40 years with my employer. In fact, the inspiration was sparked by that invent and the tale grew in the telling.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Another 5-star review for The Jade Owl, this one at Smashwords.com and short enough to quote.

"The Jade Owl was one of the best novels I've read this year. A very interesting and fasinating story and the imagery is outstanding. The author is very talented and has excellent knowledge of the Chinese culture. A very well written book.

Mary Coe"

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214
Thanks Mary

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## dnagirl

Just downloaded!  I'm fascinated by Chinese culture.  Actually, I'm fascinated by most of the cultures in Asia.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you dnagirl. I hope you enjoy it. I shall not fail you.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's a snippet from my Flagship novel _*The Jade Owl*_. In this scene we are introducted to a new setting (Shang-hai) and a new, but important character, Mrs. K'ao, the China Travel Service (CTS) tour Guide - the Widow K'ao.

_Ni-men ch'u lai - they are coming._

Mrs. K'ao - the widow K'ao, stood on the corner of Nan-jing and Fu-ch'ien Streets in busy downtown Shang-hai. Traffic swept the thoroughfare. The People blotted out the pavement with their incessant bustle. The air was crisp, wintry with a slight nip - a nip that had Mrs. K'ao select her black leather jacket this morning when she poked about preparing for work. The sun, however, kissed the sky with a rosal glow that spoke the old adage _blood sky in morning, a wet world be warning_. However, Mrs. K'ao forsook her parasol having faith that this day would prove fine. New Year had past. The Lantern Festival approached. Her children would dress up as rabbits and parade along the Bund. She would watch the dragon boat races and cast votives on the Wamphoa's waves, wishing to the old fairy-tale gods for a better year than the year that had passed, a year that made her the widow K'ao.

On the crowded corner, Mrs. K'ao looked to the sky. She smiled. It was her nature to smile. There was never a good reason to breathe gloom on such a fine day. Her children had been washed and primed - readied for school. They sat on the porch of their ramshackle home awaiting the school monitor to pass by their narrow lane. They would scamper to the alley's edge and join the end of the line - boy and girl latched arm-length to shoulder for their short trek to the People's Normal School for Government Employees and Workers, for which Mrs. K'ao qualified, being a CTS Agent and a respected guide of the tenth order. She was happy that her children would read and write. She had also been as fortunate. Her father was a cultural minister from an old and respected family - a family whose name survived the admonishments of the little Red Book. The cruel scrutiny of the Cultural Revolution. Survived, yes, but not unscathed. Her brother in Bei-jing had suffered for his opinions, gone now to await them in some alcove in the heaven for recalcitrant thinkers. Still, the family was respected. Still, caution was never shunned.

Mrs. K'ao reached into her handbag. She touched a parcel in the recesses. It was a reassuring touch that provoked a brighter smile and another round of _Ni-men ch'u lai - they are coming_. She retrieved her compact, flipped it open and checked her appearance. In the mirror, she saw that her hair was perfect, her lips glossed scarlet and the rouge applied appropriately for a smart looking CTS Agent en route to meet her tour. This was Shang-hai, after all, the city of cities. It stood in deep contrast to hazy, bleak Kuang-chou. Shang-hai was European at heart, built along Western imperial lines. It spread its wings west of the sea, from the riverbank to vast verdant farmlands. It held the burning aspirations of twenty million souls. There was no dearth of souls in this city. No restriction on fashion. If you could afford to be fashionable, you flaunted it. One might say that Shang-hai was the liberal side of Mao's Red Book, like a teenager's respect for parents when in sight, but eager to flip a finger when these venerables turned their backs.

Make-up in order, Mrs. K'ao looked for the bus. She shaded her eyes now that the sun had inched its way over the domes and enterprising battlements of Nan-jing Street. Beside her was a line of less fashionable workers, hunkered along the curb like crows perched on a clothesline. They smoked battered homespun cigarettes hung from yellowed lips and rotting teeth. Behind her, women trotted out the bed linen, hanging it on lines strung between lampposts and traffic signals. The cinnamon aroma of the morning congee mixed with the stale nicotine stink of second hand smoke. All was in its place. Mrs. K'ao was content. She had a special tour today - a bit of business and a bit of pleasure, and she had arranged everything as ordered. She touched the packet in her purse again, and then smiled (as was her nature). The bus approached. It was a good day, because _Ni-men ch'u lai _ - they were coming.
==================
enjoy
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Some reader feedback at Amazon.com:

22 Customer Reviews 
5 star:    (17) 
4 star:    (3) 
3 star:    (1) 
2 star:    (1) 
1 star:    (0) 

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

For those of you who know me, you know that my flagship novel is the first book of The Jade Owl Legacy Series, called (duh) The Jade Owl. It's a books that will keep you occupied for some time. There are five book, of which the next 2 have been published. I wrote this book combining my educational disipline (I have an MA and a good part of a Ph. D. in Chinese History) and my need to go off on creative flights. It's one from the heart. Here's what one of nearly 2 dozen reviewers say:

"The book, the Chinese mythology, the friendships are all truly magical. You will be recommending Edward C. Patterson's books to anyone asking if you happen to know any good books to read - Patterson is a literary force to be reckoned with - much like his metaphysical forces - ethereal as the wind, yet as powerful." - Ellen Geroge, top 1000 Amazon reviewers.

I blush when I read such things, but if you want to read more reviews, pay the page a visit and download a sample. I think you might like the fast pacing.

22 Customer Reviews 
5 star: (17) 
4 star: (3) 
3 star: (1) 
2 star: (1) 
1 star: (0)

Hope to get feedback from all my readers, especially on The Jade Owl. Well, it's snowing here in Pennsylvania and I think I need to shovel the walk. lol.
=========================================
Edward C. Patterson
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BMI6X8


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Oh, on those cold winter days, you need an nice book to escape into. Might I invite you to read [[ASIN:B001J54AWO The Jade Owl]], a novel that I promise you will keep you engaged for many hours. One reader in Belgium called it a "meat-burner," because she forgot that she was cooking dinner while reading it and burned the meat.

Here's what Alica Gacrial, from her review site said:

"Jade Owl is a real treat, on a par with the top-notch writers who sell in the gajillions. The Jade Owl is an extremely good read."

Come give download a sample.

Thanks,
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's two new 5-star reviews post at Smashwords for [[ASIN:B001J54AWO The Jade Owl]]:

Review by: Genie D on Dec. 15, 2009 : 
This book may become a classic one day. And no amount of if and whens will spoil the effect that you write with passion and you have researched it well. I have always loved a good adventurous read, and even better when it has the paranormal thrown in.

Review by: Jeanne M. Haskin on Dec. 14, 2009 : 
Lovely prose and a very compelling style. Highly recommended.

Jeanne M. Haskin
===========================

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Merry Christmas from Rowden, Nick, Simone, Audrey and Griffen.

Edward C. Patterson

(PS: The old Grandmother says: Eat your Chirstmas pudding).


----------



## mlewis78

I just started reading The Jade Owl this morning on the train between New York and Long Branch.  I'm into it!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

mlewis:

Here's wishing you many hours of reading pleasure. Let me know. Thank you for this Chirstmas present.

Ed Patterson


----------



## mlewis78

I really like it so far, as I'd expected considering the positive comments on kindleboards.  I haven't read this thread yet.  I have a lot of catching up to do.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Have an enjoyable Holiday.  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Marti, you can go to the Book Club forum too and comment in the ongoing didscussion as you go through. . . . .Don't read the other comments until you've read the section though or there WILL be spoilers.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I hope to have another Book Klub for the third book in January.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl appears in Kindleboard Reader recommendated reads or 2010.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=17524.0

Thanks
Ed Patterson


----------



## geoffthomas

The Jade Owl was a terrific read for me in 2009.

I will go start the next book now that it is 2010.
No reason for waiting other than a lot of books in my TBR list.

Good stuff, Ed.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks Geofthomas. If you liked *The Jade Owl*, you'll LUV *The Third Peregrination*.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

An update - the third book of The Jade Owl - *The Dragon's Pool*, shall have a read with the author Klub starting on Monday, January 11, 2010.

Also, I have begun work on Book 4 - *The People's Treasure * for a late summer release.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Wow, it's been another week and another year for *The Jade Owl*. Hoot Hoot

BTW, if fantasy is not you met and potatoes, then The jade Owl's for you. Libby Cone, author of *War in the Margins*, said: "The Jade Owl is a Fantasy book for those of us who dislike Fantasy books."

Come for the story, the characters and because I am inviting you esecially into ohn Battle memorial Hall to view the relics.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl just got a really good review on Amazon. 

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Did I ever tell y'all the results of that Book award - The Rainbow Awards, where The Jade Owl was a finalist? Nope. Didn;t win, but got an honorable mention.  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Honorable mention is . . . . . .honorable!    Congrats!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Considering that there were hundreds of books selected in several categories, I was . . . honored. Thanks Ann

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Trivia: My first The Jade Owl reader (while it was in beta) lives in Belgium. She is a devoted fan, so much so, that knowing that I am a fan of actor Elijah Wood (I run a fan site), she traveled to England, signed up as an extra on the set of The Oxford Murders, where Elijah was the star and then sat with him during a break. She discussed The Jade Owl and its merits and asked him to autograh a Jade Owl broadsheet. I have that broadsheet framed in my most prized treasures. She also had a snapshot of her with Elijah signing it, to authenticate it. Now that's a reader. Here's my treasure:

http://www.dancaster.com/popgift.htm

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Today's Feature at The Indie Spotlight

Edward C. Patterson - "The Jade Owl"

http://www.theindiespotlight.com

Come up and read and leave a comment.

Edward C. Patterson
& Gregory B. Banks
Subscribe 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00359FJ86daily Kindle blog


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Happy Chinese New Year. . . . .the Year of the Tiger. . . . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, Ann:

*Gung-xi fa-tsai * ​
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Come read an adventure tale that just won't stop giving and giving and giving . . . 

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Do you like Bei-jing - try it in the snow.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Do you like Bei-jing - ty it in the snow.
> 
> Ed Patterson


Uh. . . . .you do realize that, at this point, there aren't many people in the northeast who really want to try anything in the snow?


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

It's funny, Ann, I've just been through the 3 Blizzards and I'm over it, but every now and then I remember my own experiences in that snowstorm in China: Here's are two snippets from _The Jade Owl _ (which I know you're a veteran TJO reader, but for the others who might want a snowy taste):

"Night spread her pall over Bei-jing. So did the snow, kissing her golden roofs in the invisible moon. Like a lover bedded by the full caress of soft down, the silent city held her warmth in cold's subtle windfall - an ice palace. To the native, she was now foreign in her wintry gown - twice so for the visitor, who expected only her golden reputation."

----------------------------
The convoy drove along a quiet road. Snow crunched beneath tires. In the headlights, Rowden saw the outline of trees. An occasional traffic sign. Soon, people - people riding bicycles flitting through the headlights - ghosts on the silver road. Faces grinned, appearing, disappearing, and fading in and then out - close and far. A spectral array dotted with flakes. They came close, waving their greetings. They gave a little hoot.

"Aye," came one.

"Oooh," came another.

It was a strange echo, more like a wake in their path than utterances. They glared into the windows. It was hard to say who watched whom in this silent city in the snow. 

-------------------------------------
I still remember that ghostly ride from the airport to our hotel, and of course I was with my Mom, who was about to have her lifelong dream fulfilled . . . walking on The Great Wall. Ah, such memories in the snow.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

You haven't become a fan of The Jade Owl Legacy series yet?  Well . . .  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's a few pull-quotes from reviewers of  The Jade Owl

"The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable." - ellen george, Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer.

"Brilliantly written fantasy for people who don't read fantasy." - Libby Cone

"The story is rich, complex, exciting, and thankfully, not over when you finish it!" - Blue_Goddess

"Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery." PermaFrost from Rainbow Reviews 

"I must admit that neither Mr. Patterson's characters nor style are like anything I've ever known before but they soon had me laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained." - Jeffry Hepple (Waco, Tx)

"In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China's cultural treasures." Todd Fonseca - TMBOA.com

"The Jade Owl is an extremely good read." - Aricia Gavrial on Aricia's Book Reviews (Australia)

"Edward C. Patterson's beautiful style of writing brought life to both his characters and his setting." - L.C. Evans

"The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It's full of myth and legend -fact and fantasy." - Wendy Potocki

"I sooo want to start the second novel in the series right now." - Susan in Va.

"I am richer for having read this story. " Don F. Nichols

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." Victor Banis

"Numerous times as I read the book I found myself stopping for a while and letting my mind absorb Mr. Patterson's work." - Ricky Sides

"A tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry." - Sharon Cathcart

"Poetic words and rhythm command the attention of all senses in this thrilling saga."- Catherine E. Johnson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

It's funny how things come about. Most books that I have written started with an idea and evolved from there. The Jade Owl started with a publishing offer from an on-line serial novel website, anotherchapter.com, asking for a pitch. It was like dropping a stone in my quiet, creative process. The pitch that I spun was so wild that those who heard it told me I was "nutz," but I took my educational background (Chinese History), my current life events (I was just then layed off from a lucrative job) and mixed them up with a high powered adventure yarn. I was more than shocked when the publisher graduated my pitch to a propossal and then to a request for "some chapters." The rest is behind me now and in the hands of hundreds of readers - a "yarn," as one reviewers has stated, that just keeps on going and giving. The book's a long one, and the series a "cathedral," and only 3 of the books have been completed, of five - the next one comes out in the fall of 2010, but The Jade Owl has proved to be the essence of my imagination. It has converted many readers into fans. So, all I can say is that if you want to spend a good deal of time turning pages, I can guarentee you'll miss American Idol or The Biggest Loser. One reader (in Belgium) complained that "The Jade Owl" is a meat burner, because she forgt about what she had on the stove while reading this little hoot bird story and burned the dinner. Well, so much for my pitch. Now it's up to you.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

This update I now include the Table of Contents for _The Jade Owl _ and will also update the PO:

*
Book One of The Jade Owl Legacy
The Jade Owl
Part I: Stateside
Chapter One: Opportunities Lost
Chapter Two: The Powell Street Line
Chapter Three: Night Life
Chapter Four: Eden's Valley
Chapter Five: The Little Perch on the Hill
Chapter Six: Hunting
Chapter Seven: Os-da U-gu-ku
Chapter Eight: The Old Grandmother
Chapter Nine: Wewoka's Dream
Chapter Ten: A Plan and a Place
Chapter Eleven: Book, Box and Bird
Chapter Twelve: Out of the Bag
Chapter Thirteen: It's Always About the Money
Chapter Fourteen: Gather Rosebuds

Part II: Chinabound
Chapter One: Hong Kong
Chapter Two: The Policeman
Chapter Three: The Under Secretary
Chapter Four: The Road to Central
Chapter Five: The Song of Unending Sorrow
Chapter Six: Into the Free Zone
Chapter Seven: The Dragon Lady
Chapter Eight: Ch'en House
Chpater Nine: Lucky Day

Part III: The Bird Awakes
Chapter One: The Widow K'ao
Chapter Two: A Night at the Circus
Chapter Three: The Business of Business
Chapter Four: Temple and Garden
Chapter Five: Ch'en Hui-ni
Chapter Six: Bad Weather

Part IV: Mao Sheng's Bane
Chapter One: Ghosts in the Snow
Chapter Two: The Bell Echoer
Chapter Three: The Red Chamber
Chapter Four: The Ch'ang-an Rutter
Chapter Five: Vision Quest

Part V: The Cave of the Winds
Chapter One: Little Cricket
Chapter Two: The Xiao Homestead
Chapter Three: Xue Huai-ya
Chapter Four: Dalliance

Part VI: The First Warrant
Chapter One: Old Acquaintances
Chapter Two: The Path
Chapter Three: The Tomb
Chapter Four: The Tears of the Goddess

Epilog: Opportunities Found

Afterword*​
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

So, this Professor loses his job and, while in a funk, gets his attention drawen to a place that lasts . . . over five books. C'mon and join the fun, the adventure and the wildest ride you could imagine.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Are you a Jade Owl Series Fan. Speak up here.

Ed Patterson


----------



## geoffthomas

Well Ed,
I really enjoyed the first book and hope to start the second soon.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Glad you're enjoying it. You've made my day. Workin' hard on the 4th Book.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Geoff, you ought to check out the Book Club for Jade Owl.  . . . .  and feel free to add to the conversation. . . . .


----------



## geoffthomas

I will go do that very thing.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Geoffthomas:

Feel free to post there. I've got all three klubs tracked - so any questions asked or observations made will be answered.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl has received its 24th review on Amazon last night - this oe a 5 star from Lila Pinord. Come take a look:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Jade-Owl-ebook/product-reviews/B001J54AWO/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R2IF7QN0NVQ8A3

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The fat kid posts.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Are you a Jade Owl fan yet?

Ed Patterson


----------



## JimC1946

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Are you a Jade Owl fan yet?


Yes, I'm about 10% into the book, and I'm thoroughly hooked. Ed, you know how to spin a tale!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks, Jim. I said it was a standalone book, but you do know it continues for four more books.   But then again, I'm full of it . . . spin, that is.

Ed Patterson


----------



## JimC1946

Ed, I'm 21% into The Jade Owl, and I'm completely hooked. How could I not love a book with sentences like "With Nick, the surprises flew llike pigeon crap from a gargoyle." and "The pungent stink of old socks and rotting fish and, what Rowden imagined as a thousand elephant farts, engulfed them."

I'm enjoying The Jade Owl very much.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks, Jim - I've been know to turn a phrase, and that particular smell, I've been known to turn that also.  Anyone need to remove paint from a wall.

I got a nice new rev iview over night for The Jade Owl on Snashwords

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214

Ed Patterson


----------



## JimC1946

Well, I'm about halfway through, and I haven't been this hooked to finish a book in a good while.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I love to hear that, Jim. I'll be standing at the finish line with the 2nd book in my hands.    (which most readers say is better).

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

This is my flagship book. Hop on board and enjoy the ride.

Ed Patterson


----------



## geoffthomas

Ed has enough published works that you really should read at least one of his - just because.
And if you are going to, I agree that this is the one to start with.
A really good work - you will not regret giving it a try.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, geoffthomas

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl is rocky along. Take it to the beach.

Ed Patterson


----------



## JimC1946

I'm a very slow reader, but I'm at 75% now, and I can't turn the pages (digitally speaking) fast enough.

I was really fascinated by the details of the snowstorm in Beijing. Snow is rarer in Beijing than it is here in Atlanta, but on one of my two trips to Beijing in the first week of December, 1998, it snowed pretty heavily one day. The Beijingers were as amazed as I was to see the snow falling.

I'm loving "The Jade Owl" and can't wait to see how it ends. It's a first rate adventure for sure.


----------



## Ricky Sides

I second Jim's enthusiasm for the tale. I loved it, and found book 2 to be even better.

Have a great day,
Ricky


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thankl you, Jim and Ricky. I hope all my readers enjoy the three books that are out, and will look forward to _The People's Treasure _ due out in September.

Thanks again,

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

When I look back at the beginning of writing this series and especially the first book, it seems so long ago. And then I need to remember that the readers who are embracing it now are seeing it for the first time. It makes my heart burst to know this and sets my mind both at peace and excitement. I'd love to sit on every reader's shoulder and experience The Jade Owl with them, just as I experienced it for the very first time.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I sleep well at night knowing that somewhere in the world, someone is reading *The Jade Owl * - I kid you not.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Each of the CTS guides in The Jade Owl are based on real CTS guides. Of course, since they become major characters in the series, I depart a bit from the originals at some point (as if my nature).  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A happy July 4th from the New China Hands.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Start your best summer read today - and read until Christmas  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Start here for a great adventure ride that will keep you going for some time. My Flagship novel.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Well the votes are in. Simone deFleurry is everyone's favorite drag queen.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

What do you get when the adventurers are an archeologist, a lady martial art's master, a one-eyed Cherokee artist, a gay drifter and a drag queen? 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

What do you get when the adventurers are an archeologist, a lady martial art's master, a one-eyed Cherokee artist, a gay drifter and a drag queen?

The Jade Owl
580 pages - $3.99 on the Kindle

Excitement raises its head when an out of work curator bumps into a San Francisco drifter in search of an elusive lost Chinese relic. Well, the curator starts a journey across three continents and 5 books. You won't want to miss out on this one. Readers have been enthusiastic, and if you need a good beach read - this is the one.

The first of five books, and a whirlwind adventure, [[ASIN:B001J54AWO The Jade Owl]] is guarenteed to keep you reading way past your alotted time. You'll be cursing the author for getting you hooked. Well reviewed and received by readers, come join the list of fans and pick up Book I.

Edward C. Patterson

*COMING SOON: Book IV - The People's Treasure*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*THE JADE OWL- E. C. Patterson*
580 pages $ 3.19

Excitement raises its head when an out of work curator bumps into a San Francisco drifter in search of an elusive lost Chinese relic. Well, the curator starts a journey across three continents and 5 books. You won't want to miss out on this one. Readers have been enthusiastic, and if you need a good beach read - this is the one.

Here's what the reviewers say about [[ASIN:B001J54AWO The Jade Owl]]

"The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable." - ellen george, Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer.

"Brilliantly written fantasy for people who don't read fantasy." - Libby Cone

"The story is rich, complex, exciting, and thankfully, not over when you finish it!" - Blue_Goddess

"Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery." PermaFrost from Rainbow Reviews

"I must admit that neither Mr. Patterson's characters nor style are like anything I've ever known before but they soon had me laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained." - Jeffry Hepple (Waco, Tx)

"In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China's cultural treasures." Todd Fonseca - TMBOA.com

"The Jade Owl is an extremely good read." - Aricia Gavrial on Aricia's Book Reviews (Australia)

"Edward C. Patterson's beautiful style of writing brought life to both his characters and his setting." - L.C. Evans

"The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It's full of myth and legend -fact and fantasy." - Wendy Potocki

"I sooo want to start the second novel in the series right now." - Susan in Va.

"I am richer for having read this story. " Don F. Nichols

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." Victor Banis

"Numerous times as I read the book I found myself stopping for a while and letting my mind absorb Mr. Patterson's work." - Ricky Sides

"A tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry." - Sharon Cathcart

"Poetic words and rhythm command the attention of all senses in this thrilling saga."- Catherine E. Johnson
===========================
also Book II - *The Third Peregrination*
Book III - *The Dragon's Pool*
and Coming soon (September 2010) Book IV - *The People's Treasure*
The Jade Owl Legacy Series is a Five Book Series


----------



## VickiT

Hi Ed,

The only book Alan read (and is still reading) while we were on holiday was The Jade Owl







. He kept telling me how "bl**dy brilliant" it was and was forever reading out snippets to me. I think you have a new fan. 

Cheers,
Vicki


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

VickiT said:


> Hi Ed,
> 
> The only book Alan read (and is still reading) while we were on holiday was The Jade Owl
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . He kept telling me how "bl**dy brilliant" it was and was forever reading out snippets to me. I think you have a new fan.
> 
> Cheers,
> Vicki


A big thank you to you and Alan. You made my day.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Haven't started it yet? Come on Down


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Guest

Its about time you posted on this one.  I have been searching for it for days!  I'll get it tonight after the ole paycheck clears the bank!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

M.R. Mathias said:


> Its about time you posted on this one. I have been searching for it for days! I'll get it tonight after the ole paycheck clears the bank!


  I update every 7 days, like clockwork. 

Thanks you, thank you for the purchase (in advance)

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Book I - The excitement starts here.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's an excerpt from the one of the later chapters:

The gentle play of music overtook the raindrops when the steady pour subsided. It was a brief interlude, but enough to let Audrey escape the confines of the Homestead and finger the strings of the p’i-pa — that remarkable instrument of strange lineage. Audrey padded along the wood planks over the muddy garden, her umbrella held as close as the p’i-pa. Despite the lack of moon or starlight, the evening outside was somehow brighter than the one inside. The boardwalk descended through a bamboo stand. She was careful to watch out for slakes. A brook gurgled over stones and branches on its way to the mother course. Audrey walked its banks, her feet just a footfall from bathing. Along this course, she found an outcrop — a flat rock that protruded over the quick waters. Here she sat and tuned the p’i-pa. Soon a song blossomed from her heart, an old, but sad tune her mother had taught her — one that she had often used to warm up before performing. It was not a long song. Still, she had only sung a half verse, when she stopped. She smiled.

“I know you are there,” she said. She did not turn. “I can feel you. I know you are listening to my lament.”

There was a stir in the bamboo shadows.

“Lament?” Rowden said. “If that is a lament, then sorrow is sweetness to my ear.”
Audrey put the p’i-pa in her lap, and then nodded. These were good words, traditional words, the words of courtship. This she knew. 

“It is the song of a maiden who sat in the moonlight. She wished to become a swallow, to fly away into the night sky. A great lord pursued her. The other ladies persecuted her. So she sang this lament to the moon.”

“There’s no moon tonight,” Rowden said. He climbed from his bamboo cover, sidling beside her. “Would she still wish to fly off into the darkness?”

“She would,” Audrey said. “You see, flying alone to an unseen companion is better than waiting on the shore for an imminent end.” She gazed into his eyes. “She was a simple soul, Rowden — beautiful, but simple. She trusted her heart and her closest friend. Her heart was true, but her friend betrayed her. So she longed to fly home to Gui-lin — the heart for all Xiao women.”

“Xiao Shu?”

Audrey’s lips quivered. A tear ran its course to her chin. Rowden wiped it. He kissed her cheek. 

“Your heart is betrayed,” he said. He sought lips, waiting to be pushed away — waiting for admonishment; but it did not come. The kiss increased and joined yet others in an embrace on this the moonless bank. 

Suddenly, Audrey broke the embrace. Her eyes darted in panic. 

“We are being watched,” she said. She inhaled. Lavender. “Do you smell it?”

Rowden sniffed. 

“I do.” He stood. “Nick? Nick, are you there?” Rowden gained the bamboo edge. He sniffed. He looked for footprints; broken branches; something more than aroma. “No one’s here.”

“It must be the music,” Audrey said. “The lament.”

“Nothing more?” he said.

Audrey gazed toward the river, diverting her eyes from Rowden’s. 

“Nothing more?” he whispered, coming close to her ear. 

“You were brave at the cave,” she said. “You stood by us. I was proud to be your friend; to be in your company.”

Rowden sighed. 

“Nothing more?” 

Audrey picked up the p’i-pa, resuming the lament. Rowden retreated to the bamboo shadows until the rain recommenced. 

Two figures huddled beneath an umbrella, padding along wooden plankway. Nothing more.


----------



## Guest

I finally purchased this one Ed and I am looking forward to delving into the whole Jade Owl phenomenon.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks. I hope you enjoy it. The new one (*The People's Treasure*) Book IV is in the last stages of its final proofing and should be launched within the week. We BIG book authors carry a heavy proofing burden.  I'm glad the writing and the reading of them is no such burden.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Guest

How many total books do you think there will be in the Jade Owl series?


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

5 books. Book 4 goes to Kindle processing as I type this.


----------



## JimC1946

Edward C. Patterson said:


> 5 books. Book 4 goes to Kindle processing as I type this.


It all starts with *The Jade Owl*. I gave it five stars in my review. It's a marvelous suspense thriller.

JimC


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, Jim C.  

Ed Patterson


----------



## Guest

I saw your pics in the Writers Cafe thread....    You look like and owl...lol  JK


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

That's because I'm a hoot!  

Ed P


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

In China they whisper again, because the bird and box have been joined and the relics flow together again.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's my latest broadside for the Legacy Series

If you haven't started your JADE OWL LEGACY adventure, strap on your seat belts and get ready for the wild ride:

BOOK I (598 pages) *THE JADE OWL* - Finalist for the 2009 RAINBOW AWARD
"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor J. Banis

In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

BOOK II (664 pages) *THE THIRD PEREGRINATION*
"this 600 plus page novel really amps up the action and fantasy elements" - Todd Fonseca

The world is on the brink, now that the relics flow together again. The new China Hands should have left the Jade Owl in the tomb, to fester silently for another age, but they didn't. Now there is a tapping in the basement and a flowering of new relics, all seeking to move Curator-General Rowden Gray and his crew into the field again to solve the mystery of The Seven Sisters. However, the world has changed since Rowden managed his first task. The new China Hands are sucked into the maelstrom of time, flowing together with the relics, now that the world is at the brink.

BOOK III (704 pages) *THE DRAGON'S POOL*
"The end of The Dragon's Pool is one of the most spectacular I have ever read." - ellen george

A shadow stalks the lanes and streets, from Gui-lin to San Francisco, from Florence to the Dragon's Pool. In its wake, Rowden Gray and his China Hands follow a course to right the wrongs of time. The relic is hidden, but stirs in the soul and archaic rituals long since forgotten, but never lost. Some books are closed. Others are open, giving up their secrets. In the darkness, ancient terror awaits. A barren field yields up its magic and . . . the comets return to earth. The stalwart characters of The Jade Owl and The Third Peregrination are back, and joined by new players and helper bees and . . . yes, villains. It is time for the Tien-xin Rite. It is time to close history's fissure. It is time to complete the prophesy that dwells beneath Her Majesty's hem. It is time to count the teeth that emerge from the Dragon's Pool.

BOOK IV (642 pages) *THE PEOPLE'S TREASURE*
Just Released!

Before the first Emperor conquered the Han peoples and the world came under the sway of Heaven, the villagers of Yu-shui-ch'ien paid homage to the creatures under Mount Li, pledging to keep the ch'i world alive and the feathered-kin's lineage intact. In return, they received a great gift - a treasure that promised them power beyond aspiration. Now the China Hands hear this prophesy from the three women. Now Rowden Gray must gather the relics to redeem the promise - to awake the sleeping and the dead. It is the time for the heroes to seal this pact before the Moon days devour the Earth.

The People's Treasure (Book IV of the Jade Owl Legacy) resuscitates the green hoot bird from its hiding place and sends it on a journey back to its source - a race across three continents. It sets Professor Gray and his China Hand adventurers on the brink - a showdown with their ultimate challenger. The most action-packed installment in the series, The People's Treasure is a full-spectrum tale of those infected by the jade relic. The ageless mysteries are finally revealed and Professor Gray's team must face a grave responsibility when the villagers stir and the feathered-kin awake.
========================================================
The Jade Owl Legacy Series is a five-book suite well received by both fantasy and history buffs alike. It begins with discovery in *The Jade Owl*, moves to the paranormal in *The Third Peregrination * and mysticism in *The Dragon's Pool*. *The People's Treasure * is high adventure that delivers fans to the brink of the cataclysm destined for the last installment, *In the Shadow of Her Hem*.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you haven't started your JADE OWL LEGACY adventure, strap on your seat belts and get ready for the wild ride:
The Jade Owl legacy Series
BOOK I (598 pages) _*THE JADE OWL * _ - _Finalist for the 2009 RAINBOW AWARD_
"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor J. Banis

In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*Kindleboard Profile for The Jade Owl*


----------



## VickiT

Hi Ed,

How's your dad?

Jade Owl update: Alan is just over halfway (it takes him a loooong time to read a book) and still loving it.

Cheers,
Vicki


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you for asking Vicki:

He's physically better, but mentally the stroke has taken its toll. He can;t speak, doesn;t know whre he is, doesn;t recognize us, needs restraints at times and is sedated when he get agitated. It's hard to watch. The doctors are still silent on their course of action or plan, so we are in limbo until they decide the best course.

Ed Patterson


----------



## VickiT

Oh, Ed, that's not good.  I hope the doctors don't stay silent for too long and are able to guide you through what is best for your dad.

Our thoughts are with you.

Vicki & Alan


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

VickiT said:


> Oh, Ed, that's not good.  I hope the doctors don't stay silent for too long and are able to guide you through what is best for your dad.
> 
> Our thoughts are with you.
> 
> Vicki & Alan


Thanks to both of you. And I'm glad Alan is enjoying The Jade Owl. Tell him, he's got another 4 books to go. 

Ed


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

When my family crisis has passed, I am thinking of doing a Reader with Author for the 4th Book - _*The People's Treausre*_.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## VickiT

Ed, we were so sorry to hear about the passing of your father. May he rest in peace.

_"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." ~From a headstone in Ireland_

Our sincere condolences.

Vicki & Alan


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Seconded, Vicki. . . .Ed, we're all thinking about you. . . .


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you Vicki, Ann and all:

Quite a whirlwind now. I hope to immerse myself in my world of my friends as soon as I can, I am overhelmed at the hundreds of condolences I have received. My Blackberry ran out of memory with them and I had to reboot just to read them all. I am deeply touched.

Thanks all.

Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl is in its perch and ready to take flight on Saturday when:

(drum roll)

*It is the Kindleboard Book of the Day*

*HOOT! HOOT!*

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Ann in Arlington

The Jade Owl is KindleBoards Book of the Day for November 20!


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you've never been to San Francisco, hop on the cable car to adventure.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's an excerpt from Part I Chapter 11 of The Jade Owl (Book, Box and Bird).

Thursday arrived, bright and clear, with a buttery sun and a gentle bay breeze. The house on Balboa Street, an extension of its mistress’s charm and comfort, embraced Rowden. It gave him solace. Recuperation. He would relax in the parlor, take his ease in the kitchen and sleep soundly in the four-poster bed, with its mauve silk coverlet on crimson-fringed pillows. Daisies and lilacs alternated along the green and white striped wallpaper. The air wafted baking and promises. Serene. Fragrant.

Rowden dressed for the task at hand.  He glanced out the second floor bedroom window into a sheltered garden behind the house. It was what his mother would call a postage stamp garden, nothing like the rich botanical gardens just two blocks away in Golden Gate Park, but dotted with marigolds and impatiens. It filled the eye with cheer. At its center stood Nick, as still as stone, as if studying the lawn for an essay on postage stamp gardens. He raised his arm in a graceful sweep, and then swerved his leg to the right in a deliberate circle.

T’ai-ch’i, Rowden thought. He’s pretty good at it. Rowden had seen Nick dance with frenzy at the Painted Lips Lounge and run with passion down the lanes of Chinatown, but in this routine, Nick drew sunshine that radiated the entire yard. Rowden smiled. He recalled his own t’ai-ch’i lessons. Rose had enrolled him, without permission, of course, but since when did his ex-wife ask permission. Still, he recalled enjoying the morning breezes on the lawn in Central Park with their gentle teacher, Mr. Kanitano; or was it Konatona? Rowden was never good at it, but it did relax him during exam period.

Let me see if I can remember how, Rowden thought. He tried to strike the same pose as Nick. It’s been a long time. He felt the force of the sun’s self-healing warmth in this ancient ritual. He watched Nick, who was excellent at it. Precise. Crisp. Rowden mused: If I were to have such a son, John, I wouldn’t have cast him aside so readily. What a treasure you set aside, old man. What a treasure.

Simone came into the garden. He had borrowed Aunt Millicent’s green pastel robe and fluffy pink slippers. He sat on the swing watching Nick finish the ritual. He sipped from a blue and white cup — tea, to Rowden’s mind. There may have been a bun tucked in a napkin. Nick finished. He bowed to the four corners of the earth, then once to the center — homage to the universe. Joining Simone on the swing, he enjoyed a morning cuddle.

What treasures you have set aside, old man, Rowden thought. “But now, John,” he voiced to the window shutters; to the lengthening shadows, “we get to see what you did not.” 

What a glorious day, thank God.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you want to take a trip through my imagination and stir your own at the same time, then pick up The Jade Owl and start the journey during the Christmas — a time of wonder befitting such escapes into flights of fancy.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A little China, a little San Francisco and a lot of advnture will overtake you in this character driven fantasy from my ind to your imagination.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Happy Holidays from Rowdy, Nick, Audrey, Griffen, Simone, the Old Grandmother and the whole China and San Francisco crew who have come to life to wish you this good cheer.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The world of adventure begins here.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Getting revved up for Book IV's Read with the Author Klub - *The People's Treasure*.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's the opening paragraph to _*The Jade Owl*_:

When Rowden Gray charged into the San Francisco Museum of East Asian Arts and Culture, he caused quite a stir. He had been pacing in the buttery sun of Golden Gate Park for at least twenty minutes, his feet scuffing the grayment. He clutched a battered telegram. Stopping, he gazed at the Museum's marble archway. He tried hard to restore his calm. Difficult. He was not calm. After the flight from New York, his jet lag advanced. His stomach growled like a fireball. His eyes strained from the grit of in-flight movies. He took one bracing lung-pulling breath and felt the strange warmth of the wintry air.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Now at $2.99 (a trial offer).  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Today's is the start of the Read with the Author Klub for Book IV: The People's Treasure.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,48512.0.html

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Besides the adventures of the sinologist Rowden Gray, The Jade Owl tells the tale of that grand chanteuse, Simone DeFluerry aka Simon Gelbfarb.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's an excerpt from The Jade Owl 

Night spread her pall over Bei-jing. So did the snow, kissing her golden roofs in the invisible moon. Like a lover bedded by the full caress of soft down, the silent city held her warmth in cold’s subtle windfall — an ice palace. To the native, she was now foreign in her wintry gown — twice so for the visitor, who expected only her golden reputation. 

Thomas Ch’en, a tall lad, clearly of northern Chinese stock, inherited the Ch’en family smile and affable manner. He had prepared for tour #784-G’s arrival as any competent CTS agent would. The plane, however, was hours late. So Thomas Ch’en paced the airport terminal, warming his hands with his breath. He was warmer in here than out by the awaiting limousines. He hoped the drivers had the good sense to lock down and go for a cup of tea and soggy noodles. He hadn’t given the order and he expected that they would be slow to act on their own. If they hadn’t, numb hands and frozen balls would be the price for a lack of good sense. 

Thomas worried. The tour might be a day late; perhaps two. He had only witnessed snow twice before in Bei-jing — once when he was two, and again, four years ago, if that counted as it was a minor coating, a few hours in duration. Bei-jing almost never had rain, so the absence of the frozen counterpart came as no surprise. Dust, the city had. Wind and cold, without a doubt. Snow? Rare occurrence. Snow reminded the People that their fortress city could soften to quilt down. 

Thomas thought of that time when he was two . . .

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I have the real Jade Owl under lock and key in my curio cabinet. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

My flagship book, because it was my first published book (at anotherchapter.com) and the one that garnered me professional tutelage.   They said I had the gift, I just needed the wrapping paper. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you'e never experienced Chinese New Year IN CHINA, come experience it here.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you like tales that keep you going and page turning day after day and for a long time (book after book), this one was designed for you.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

This work started as a commission for a serial novel, but transformed into some altogether different.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

What readers sat about The Jdae Owl:

"The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable." - ellen george, Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer.

"Brilliantly written fantasy for people who don't read fantasy." - Libby Cone

"The story is rich, complex, exciting, and thankfully, not over when you finish it!" - Blue_Goddess

"Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery." PermaFrost from Rainbow Reviews 

"I must admit that neither Mr. Patterson's characters nor style are like anything I've ever known before but they soon had me laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained." - Jeffry Hepple (Waco, Tx)

"In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China's cultural treasures." Todd Fonseca - TMBOA.com

"The Jade Owl is an extremely good read." - Aricia Gavrial on Aricia's Book Reviews (Australia)

"Edward C. Patterson's beautiful style of writing brought life to both his characters and his setting." - L.C. Evans

"The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It's full of myth and legend -fact and fantasy." - Wendy Potocki

"I sooo want to start the second novel in the series right now." - Susan in Va.

"I am richer for having read this story. " Don F. Nichols

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." Victor Banis

"Numerous times as I read the book I found myself stopping for a while and letting my mind absorb Mr. Patterson's work." - Ricky Sides

"A tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry." - Sharon Cathcart

"Poetic words and rhythm command the attention of all senses in this thrilling saga."- Catherine E. Johnson

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you haven;t join in the fun and the mystery yet, what re you waitin' for? Newly priced at $ 2.99, the Jade Owl Legacy series books are your sdummer breach reads.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you've expienced a ride on a San Francisco cable car, hop on board for a good time. _Clang Clang_.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Come read the flagship of my catalog.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Hop onto my Flagship book and I'll take you for a journey you shall never forget.

Edward C, Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Professor Rowden Gray finds himself unemployed and depressed in San Francisco. Then a young drifter captures his interest with tales of a long lost relic. Soon, Rowden is swept up in an adventure and mystery that suits his profession - an adventure that takes him to the four corners of China with a band of unlikely companions. The first book, in this five book series, my epic novel, _*The Jade Owl*_, is encrusted with fantasy, travel, and the sights and smells of China. You'll also meet some of the most memorable characters in my authoring cannonade. It will make you hanker for more; and guess what? There IS more. Lots more.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Life is a museum and we and all that we are and were are the relics — evidence upon this perishable soil that something more than grass and turnips grew.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

This is the beach reading bandwagon -  the Jade Owl Legacy Series.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Start your adventure today. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl is the fastest 500 plus page book you'll ever read.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Life is a museum and we are relics beneath the glass.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## geoffthomas

Hey Ed, 
Is there anyone who has NOT read this book?
If there is, they should quit resisting and one-click it now.
A great read.

Just sayin......


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Geoffthomas:

Thank you so much for that. Your comment has made my day. I feel less a relic nopw, but life is still a museum.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A journey of a thosand miles begins with a single HOOT!

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

All four books in this series are on sales for 1/2 price at the Smashwords summer sale:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Last week on 1/2 price sale at Smashwords.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's an excerpt:

The wind caught Rowden’s face, tousling his hair, trying to wrestle both newspaper and Diary into the canyon. He waved to Griffen. Griffen, more alert than someone triple sighted, signaled him not to cross. Stay put. Griffen tripped across the street, joining Rowden in the recesses.

“Stay here, Rowden Gray,” he said. His eyes fixed on Rowden’s. Rowden didn’t need convincing. Griffen’s stare pinned him like a butterfly. “We are being watched.”

“No (sugar). I have eyes too.” Rowden bit his tongue. It was probably best not to brag about one’s visual acuity to a one-eyed man, although somehow Rowden sensed that the remark, as unintentional as it was, went over Griffen’s head. Rowden rounded his comments off. “I saw Sam Ch’ang in the lobby.”

Griffen stepped onto the street. He scanned the Drake’s façade. Then, he returned to the recesses, standing silent for some time.

“Where’s Nick?” Rowden asked. “What’s the plan? Are we getting the (bisquit) out of here or are we waiting for the rest of the mob to show up and outfit me for cement shoes. I hear the bay’s chilly at this time of the year.”

“Too many questions, Rowden Gray. The bay is cold at all times, so you should not worry about the season of your death.” Rowden wasn’t sure whether Griffen was making his version of a joke or just trying to prepare him for the worst. “As for Sam Ch’ang, he is a jackal, a man who serves darkness and calls it light — a sentry to confront. But we shall confront him in the Tsa-la-gi way.” He smiled, if such a thing was possible for those granite lips. “Follow me.”

“Is this a time to play cowboys and Indians?”

“Just follow me and keep your powder dry.”

“Powder dry?” 

He followed Griffen into the sunlight, moving from the side entrance to the lobby entrance. Now, he really felt like a tenderfoot along some wilderness river with no one but Dan’l Boone to sniff out the droppings and old campfires to get from nowhere to somewhere fast. He followed Griffen as he marched — yes, marched with steady rhythm and a definite pace until he faced the revolving doors. Griffen took his stance there. He turned in clear sight of Sam Ch’ang. 

“He’ll see us,” Rowden muttered. 

“The Tsa-la-gi way. There is no other way for me.”

The revolving door shimmered. It quaked as it twisted about releasing its swaggering cargo — Sam, who laughed as he came through, that laugh funneling into a crescendo. He wore a long black leather coat; long enough to conceal a considerable armory. Although he appeared to be alone, Griffen would know better. There were others, because when Sam emerged, Rowden could see them reflected in the Drake’s façade. They were slight shimmers in glass panes, but their wraith-like appearance didn’t make them any less threatening. Rowden imagined Sam’s armory replicated in triplicate beneath trademarked black leather coats.

“So he has sent ***** Joe,” Sam said. He stood a few feet from Griffen like in an old western bar room confrontation. The revolving door could have been bat-wings. Rowden had difficulty staying still. He expected the door to turn again and fling out the doorman. Where was the doorman? Where was that flashy piece of Disney specimen in the Beefeaters’ costume with his hand out for a gratuity? The tip must have been quite impressive, Rowden thought. He clutched his paper treasures.

Griffen raised his arm. He pointed his index finger into Sam’s face. 

“Be gone.” 

Sam bellowed. “Be gone?” He would have doubled over if it weren’t for the bandoleer stash beneath his coat. “We have business here. You be gone!” 

“State your business,” Griffen proclaimed. “State it and be gone.”

Sam smiled, revealing his gold tooth. His head bobbed like some porcelain doll on the back of a Tijuana Taxi. Rowden nearly dropped the newspaper. He caught the Diary, whisking it behind his back. 

“Professor Gray,” Sam said. “That book belongs to my boss. It would be best to hand it over now.” He moved toward Rowden, but Griffen puffed his chest and blocked. “So it will be that way.” 

Sam laughed. He bowed, the armory beneath his coat rattled and revealed. 

“Your business is concluded,” Griffen snapped. “We are finished here.”

Griffen suddenly turned and continued his march. He strode down Powell Street toward Union Square. Rowden jogged behind, looking over his shoulder. 

“Do not look over your shoulder now, Rowden Gray. The time for that is past. Walk quickly. Eyes front.” Rowden tensed. He knew Sam Ch’ang marched behind them with his wrangle of wraiths gathering like a storm. He also knew that they wouldn’t shoot, at least not to kill. The guns, which made him dizzy (he hated them to that degree), were meant to intimidate. The game here was kidnapping and, if that failed, just to wing him as a warning. 

As they headed toward Union Square, Rowden felt the strange dichotomy of waiting for a glancing blow and being burrowed in the Tsa-la-gi way. The sight of tourists comforted him. Yes, there were many tourists this morning. Happy faces gathering at the Powell Street line, flocking to Union Square. Too many witnesses for any frontal attack. Griffen knew what he was doing, Rowden decided. He was moving them into the thickest part of the crowd, in the safety of Union Square. They wouldn’t dare shoot, Rowden thought. When he realized this, he felt relieved. Are we home free? He felt like turning about and shouting LET’S SEE THE COLOR OF YOUR BULLETS NOW, GIRLY-MEN. WE’RE DOING THIS THE TSA-LA-GI WAY. He resisted.

At the corner of Geary Street, the pedestrian and vehicular traffic was dense. Griffen stopped, waited and watched. His eyes scanned up and down the busy thoroughfare.

“Are they still behind us?” Rowden asked. He fought the temptation to turn around.

“Do not look, Rowden Gray. Just stand here and wait.”

“Wait?” What was the man talking about? Wait for what? To be shot in the back, the warning to nosey professors to mind their own business? Suddenly, Rowden heard the sound of brakes. A yellow streak rushed the curb, nearly knocking him backwards. Griffen caught him by the arm. A cab had made a pit stop. Its door flung open nearly catching Rowden’s nuts. 

“Rowdy,” came a voice from inside, a voice Rowden recognized. “Get in. Keep your head down.”

Rowden stooped to enter. Nick and Simone pulled him in — headfirst. The door slammed like a greedy yellow lizard that had snapped up its prey with its sticky tongue. Presto, the meal disappeared from the world’s view, secured in digestive enzymes. The lizard (that is, the cab) sprung back into traffic. Zoom. Up Geary Street hill. They left Griffen to conclude this business in the Tsa-la-gi way.

Edward C. Patterson
Author of The Jade Owl


----------



## geoffthomas

Hey Ed,
Anyone who has not yet read this great, first book in a great series needs to.

Just sayin.......


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, Geoffthomas.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Let your imagination run with mine and begin one wild and woolly adventure.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

In China they whisper again.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

It all starts here. My flagship work.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

In a slump? Grab the magic and pump it up. Read the Jade Owl today.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

For those readers who like stories that keep on giving.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl's Back Story series is The Southern swallow, beginning with the first book - The Aacdemician.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## VickiT

Hi Ed,

Just thought you'd like to know Alan is up to part 5, chapter 1. Did I mention he's a slow reader and only reads on holiday? 

I don't know how he picks up the story from year to year, but he does. Must be a good book!

Cheers
Vicki


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Vicki, I'm glad Alan is still enjoying The Jade Owl. Remind him that there are four more books and he's in Part V of Book I - the shortest of the set. (Well, Book V won't be out until next year, but he's given me plenty of time write it.  )

I always like to hear from my readers. I received an email the other day from a retiree in Virginia asking for the 5th Book, because he has zoomed through the first four and craved more. Of course, I directed him to the backstory series, Southerns Swallow (also 5 books). But it really touched me knowing that something I've created in the depths of my heart would be appreciated by a fellow human being. We often ask: why do we live? what is life's meaning? I believe that's the reason - to touch each other, sharing time and energy, because my energy would be for naught without my reader's investment in time.

Thanks again and thank Alan for me.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Still as exciting as ever.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

My aim in this work was to touch different notes to engage you into the wee hours of the morning. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

5 adventurers - a professor, a Chinese classical dancer, a one-eyed Cherokee landscape artist, a drifter and his drag queen sweet-heart - in search on an ancient evil on the road to China. Now that's a formula that can't miss.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Still raging across the Universe, the Jade Owl begins its tale with this book - and the five China Hands.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

An Ancient Evil Meets the Most Unlikely of Adventurers - a Professor, a drifter, a one-eyed Cherokee Indian, a Chinese Opera dancer and a drag queen.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

ON Sale for the First Time for $ .99 - The Jade Owl.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Still on sale. Get 'em while their hot. Also the last book in the series is underway, _*In the Shadow of Her Hem*_.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Still on Sale.


----------



## geoffthomas

And still a great book - especially at this price.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you, Geofthomas


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Like the Epic Saga, the tale contines

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The fifth and last book in the series, In the Shadow of Her Hem, will be out late Spring 2012, and if you thought the first four books moved fast - whoosh! Get set for a cataclysmic finale.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The first warrant only scratches the surface.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Start your New Year with a Jade Owl resolution.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Diane Capri

Sounds fascinating and obviously it's hitting a chord with readers. Thanks for the long post about the book.


----------



## VickiT

Guess what? Yep, Alan finally finished reading THE JADE OWL. He thoroughly enjoyed it. "Great read," he said. It's good thing you don't write at the speed Alan reads, though. 

Happy New Year, Ed. Wishing you all the best for 2012.

Cheers
Vicki


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

VickiT said:


> Guess what? Yep, Alan finally finished reading THE JADE OWL. He thoroughly enjoyed it. "Great read," he said. It's good thing you don't write at the speed Alan reads, though.
> 
> Happy New Year, Ed. Wishing you all the best for 2012.
> 
> Cheers
> Vicki


Glad he enjoyed it. So he's on to _*The Third Peregrination*_? BTW, the fifth Book will be out this Spring (_*In the Shadow of Her Hem*_).

Thanks
Ed Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Find out why they whisper in China when they speak of the Jade Owl.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl Legacy Series is my flagship series and is guarenteed to keep you engaged for hours non-stop.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The original Jade Owl series began on line at a publishing site called anotherchapter.com - Betsy Gallup, editot. The site was devoted to on-line serialized works that go one at epic length. Now that I see the end in sight (with _*In the Shadow of Her Hem * _ - Spring 2012, I'd like to think that I have achieved Betsy's vision). Of course, I just put up in my Works In Progress the kernel of another series called _*Nick Firestone - China Hand*_, which will take a grown up Nick Firestone (and his side kic, a young John Gray) through a series of Sinologial Detective Adventures. It will be my first foray into serial genre, trying to avoid the pitfalls of the formulaic factory-line writers and some authors, who make a living on zombies, vampies, Hard-boiled Dicks and bodice ripping.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl Legacy series is a character driven action/adventure, fantasy novel, seeped in history, time travel. scifi and the paranormal. How's that for a genre (NOT)?

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl Legacy series is an epic work pulsing both Western and Eastern philosophies:

The Jade Owl - Confucianism - Familty Ties'
The Third Peregrination - Buddhism - The Destroyer
The Dragon's Pool - Taoism - The Martial Arts
The People's Treasure - Naturalism - Resurrection
In the Shadow of Her Hem - Legalism - The Rule of Laws

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

FREE March 4-10 at Smashwords.

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/EdwardCPatterson

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you're into a substantial read, this epic (and it's 4 companions) might be your ticket to adventure.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The last book in the series, Book V - _*In the Shadow of Her Hem*_, is nearing completion. Prepare yourselves for quite a roller coaster rise to the conclusion.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The concluding book in this series, _*In the Shadow of Her Hem*_, will take you to the brink of cataclism and through a world of daydreams and Chinese mythology. Get ready for fun, adventure and hours of reading escape by picking up the first four books now.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Book V is coming. Start your journey now.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The last book (In the Shadow of Her Hem) is coming - eta June 1st.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*The epic nears its end.*

*Coming soon*

*Book V - In the Shadow of Her Hem*

[b[Edward C. Patterson[/b]


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I'm on the last chapters of _*In the Shadow of Her Hem * _ (Book V of _*The Jade Owl Legacy*_). To those inquiries I've received - Mid-June should be the release date.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The last and 5th book of the Jade Owl Legacy - _*In the Shadow of Her Hem * _ - has been completed and is currently in post-production in preparation for publication. It has proved to be exponentially more exciting than the rest of the series with enough action and adventure for ten books. Just wait and see (Mid-June).

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's what the readers say about The Jade Owl

"The Jade Owl, like Gary Val Tenuta's The Ezekiel Code, is riveting and unforgettable." - ellen george, Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer.

"Brilliantly written fantasy for people who don't read fantasy." - Libby Cone

"The story is rich, complex, exciting, and thankfully, not over when you finish it!" - Blue_Goddess

"Readers, run, do not walk to your nearest book outlet and grab this intriguing gay mystery." PermaFrost from Rainbow Reviews 

"I must admit that neither Mr. Patterson's characters nor style are like anything I've ever known before but they soon had me laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained." - Jeffry Hepple (Waco, Tx)

"In The Jade Owl, Edward C. Patterson does a masterful job at taking the reader deep into a journey of China's cultural treasures." Todd Fonseca - TMBOA.com

"The Jade Owl is an extremely good read." - Aricia Gavrial on Aricia's Book Reviews (Australia)

"Edward C. Patterson's beautiful style of writing brought life to both his characters and his setting." - L.C. Evans

"The Jade Owl is wonderful read! It's full of myth and legend -fact and fantasy." - Wendy Potocki

"I sooo want to start the second novel in the series right now." - Susan in Va.

"I am richer for having read this story. " Don F. Nichols

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." Victor Banis

"Numerous times as I read the book I found myself stopping for a while and letting my mind absorb Mr. Patterson's work." - Ricky Sides

"A tremendous gift for phrasing that makes his prose read like poetry." - Sharon Cathcart

"Poetic words and rhythm command the attention of all senses in this thrilling saga."- Catherine E. Johnson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

It's coming before the end of this month - In he hadow of Her Hem, when the day gets cut from day.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

In China they whisper again and thus the legacy draws to a close in the next few weeks with the 5th Book - _*In the Shadow of Her Hem*_, when the China Hands return to the scene of much anxiety through a world of mists and monsters.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Watch for the 5th and last book of The Jade Owl Legacy - _*In the Shadow of Her Hem * _ during the week of July 9th.








Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

And now the last book is published - In the Shadow of Her Hem

In the Shadow of Her Hem http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I9IS22

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here at last - the final book.

In the Shadow of Her Hem http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I9IS22

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Received my first review for _*In he Shadow of Her Hem*_: - Book V of The Jade Owl Legacy

*The Shadow of Her Hem - The Best of the Best*

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl Legacy is now complete in 5 volumes - an epic adventure to keep you turning pages (or pressing Kindle buttons) for many engaging hours.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A journey of 3,500 pages begins with The Jade and ends with In the Shadow of Her Hem.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

New review for Book V and for the entire Jade Owl Legacy series:

New Amazon Review HERE

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

When I finished the fifth book of the Jade Owl series, I needed to reinforce my bookshelf.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Start the full sweep of the Jade Owl Legacy today, with both series.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you to my many readers of the Jade Owl Legacy series. I'm ovrewhelmed at your response and spport. This bird is in full flight.

Edward C. Patterson
Readers Rock!


----------



## geoffthomas

Hey Ed, what are friends for if not to be supportive.
And it is easy when the reading is terrific.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thank you. You made my day.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Come follow me on a journey like no other.

Edward C. Patterson
The Storyteller


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Jade Owl Legacy is now complete in 5 volumes - an epic adventure to keep you turning pages (or pressing Kindle buttons) for many engaging hours.


Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

In China they whisper, and they whisper about the Jade Owl, because the book would put its author under house arrest if he lived there.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

I pinch myself when I hear from the many readers who have picked up my flagship series and take the time to tell me that they can't put it down.

Thanks
and
Readers Rock!!!

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Readers on The Jade Owl series:

“ Mr. Edward Patterson does a fabulous job of weaving and holding his story together with that most special of glues - imagination! ” 
NYWriter  |  10 reviewers made a similar statement 
“ Nick takes Dr. Gray to Chinatown - the ancient relic The Jade Owl still exists! ” 
ellen  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement 
“ This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find. ” 
Victor J. Banis  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Starting with a spark, The Jade Owl Legacy kindles into an adventure to keep you engaged through 5 books and neary 3,000 pages. 

Readers Rock
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Still my flagship series, the Jade Owl Legacy has been received with utmost favor from my fans.

Readers Rock!
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Spend your holidays with Professor Gray and the China Hands. Put a little Green (bird) in your Christmas.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## VickiT

Merry Christmas, Ed. Wishing you all the best for the festive season and beyond.

Cheers
Vicki


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks, Vicki. Wishing you holiday cheer.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Here's wishing you all a Happy Holiday and a healthy New Year from all us China Hands.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you like epic page-tuners with over 3,200 pages to turn, The Jade Owl Legacy saga's for you.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A rip, roaring adventure series, well-seasoned. Bring your own wine.  

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

If you enjoy character driven fantasy, then this series is for you - a tarn spun from my best skein of imagination.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The world of exploration and mystery blends with tale of human drama in the Jade Owl Legacy series.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

In China they whisper because The Jade Owl's legacy haunts them still.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Mystery after mystery unravels over this 5 book epic.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The entire series for Free at Smashwords for EBook Reading week ending Sunday March 10.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Let your imagination take flight with The Jade Owl.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship book, The Jade Owl is still soaring far and wide — the evil thing.    

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The lemental forces of this world have conspired to shift the veil between worlds and the instrument in question is a tiny green avain figurine possessed by . . . by what? Ah, there lies the tale.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The relic has been rediscovered — in China they whisper again.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A Drag Queen in China? What will thye think of next?

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Out of Work Professor has his Work Cut out for Him. The Jade Owl, a task unlike any other.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Epic Fantasy set in San Francisco and China

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Epic Fantasy - over 20 5-star Reviews

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Vessel which holds the keys to the End of Days

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

The Secret to Yin and Yang

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

A epic Chinese fantasy.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

from The Jade Owl - at the Train station in Hong Kong

Simone approached the Chinese man, who stepped back, Miss DeFleurry having swung the tea chest a bit too close to his crotch. 
“Are you all on this tour?” Simone inquired. The man winced. “Tour?” Simone repeated. “This tour — #784-G. Are you on it?” Simone pointed at the placard until the man gave signs of understanding. This was the place. “Glad to meet you.” Diva’s hand extended. “I’m Simone.” The man shook hands. Simone did the proper introductions (any good hostess would have been proud of him). “This is Rowden and Nick and Audrey and Griffen.” The Chinese family giggled, shaking hands and bowing each in turn, in precise order.
“Goddag,” the Chinese man said. “Heter Sven, och min fru heter Gertrude — och var son heter Gustave — Edvard.”
“Why, how quaint,” Simone said. He turned to the tall woman. “What the hell did he say?”
“Introductions,” the tall woman said. She had a heavy British brogue, something between Queen Elizabeth and Hyacinth Bucket. “It appears this Chinese family is from Sverige — Sweden.” She turned to the father. “Ja. Ja. Sverige varifran?”
“Well, I’ll be,” Rowden said. He turned to the gentleman. “Ni huai shuo chung-wen ma?” 
The Chinese gentleman shrugged. He apparently did not speak Chinese. 
“Little Anglish,” he said. “We are the Yi. I am Sven. My fru is Gertrude. My sons, Gustave — Edvard. My girl is Ypsilanti. Kallas Yippie. We call her Yippie.”
“Yippie Yi?” the tall English woman percolated. “Jennie, have you ever heard the such, my gawd.” The short woman rolled her eyes, whirligiging her head. “Well, in any event, I am Polly Finch and this is my traveling companion, Jennie Sparrow.”
Jennie stood and curtsied, and then returned to her seat of penance. 
Rowden was amused. He knew that many overseas Chinese brought their families home for New Year, but most knew the mother tongue. But from Sweden? He tried to imagine a Stockholm Chinatown, if there was such a place, with lutefiska wrapped in spring rolls sold in pagodas draped in pine wreathes. Rowden sensed anxiety from Sven Yi — the tour was not getting underway. Time was fleeting. Sven tapped his watch.
“True,” Rowden said. “Where’s our guide? We should be underway. Nick, check the papers. See if we’re here at the right time and day.”
“I’m sure it’s all correct,” Polly Finch said. She crowed over train whistles and porter shouts. She was as dramatic as Simone. Rowden had a flash that Polly Finch might also be a drag queen, but her chesty endowment told him otherwise. Although anything was possible in this day and age — both above and below the waist. 
“These tours never start on time,” Polly said. “Trust me. It’ll be worth it, seeing bloody China and all.”
Audrey snapped her head at this. Rowden anticipated an Audrey Xiao homily on the respect for cultural differences. He hoped she wouldn’t deliver one. To his relief, she just smiled at Rowden. He could even imagine that she winked. There may be time in the future when Polly Finch would need to be sermonized and harmonized and shot between the square of eyes, but not now. Let her babble, Rowden thought. It won’t bring their tour guide any faster. Can’t hurt. 
“Traveling the world,” Polly said. “There’s nothing like it.” She stretched her arms out as if to embrace the porters. “We’ve been jolly around the Horn and back again. From Zanzibar to Sydney, we’ve seen it all. So I said to Jennie, we haven’t seen bloody China. Oh, we’ve been close.” She turned to her companion. “Remember seeing the Chinese border over those mountains Jennie . . . what were those mountains called?”
“The Himalayas, dear,” Jennie said, managing her first word.
“Yes, that’s it. We were in bloody Nipaal. Lots of Buddhist things and the sort. Gawd awful yellow-orange bathrobes worn all over. Quite unfashionable. It was there, I said to our Sherpa, what’s over those mountains? and he said, bloody China!”
Rowden looked at Nick now. Were they really travelling with this a circus act? Nick giggled.
“You are certainly world wary dear,” Simone said, coming to the rescue. “It’s been my experience, however, that such travel tales should be cataloged and inflicted on ones friends after the fact. You know, the bloody slides of the bloody trip to Zamboozia.”
“Quite so,” Polly agreed. “But I must say, our friends tend to avoid such gatherings. Jennie and I prefer to shun the sinister world of town and country. We travel to engage our minds with the world’s wonders.” Polly’s swaggering war whoop simmered down. She came close to Simone’s ear as if it were a conch and she was about to blow assembly. 
“By the way, dear,” she whispered, “I could not help notice that you’re a man. Where does a man get such keen fashion tastes? I rather fancy your outfit, I do.”
Simone grinned. “You certainly know the quickest way to a queen’s heart, dear,” he said, grabbing Polly’s arm, probably in eternal friendship.

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

from The Jade Owl
Intirgue over Candlelight - Dinner with Professor Gray

The distinguished Professor Rowden Gray, completely devoid of stubble and cabbage smells, found the lady in the hotel restaurant. She waved him to a table. Famished, he ordered copious amounts of food — clams casino, lobster bisque, Cobb salad, Veal Oscar and cheesecake smothered in strawberries. Somehow, the raw steak idea had faded in light of the Drake’s excellent and varied cuisine. Connie ordered daintily, perhaps thinking in terms of the Museum’s budget. She would manage to tuck the bill in Rowden’s expense voucher. 
They sat in a warm golden-lit corner, the night shades swimming above their heads. Fresh carnations winked across the table. Connie stirred her third Martini (probably her fourth — perhaps fifth), while Rowden took care with his glass of Merlot. He knew that on his empty stomach just a little would spoil his course. Besides, the soup was served and likkered up fine and dandy.
“So, Connie,” he said. “I trust it’s business as usual at the Museum? Is J.J. packing them into Battle Hall?”
“We shouldn’t talk shop. The exhibits are a sore point. J.J. is also a sore point.” She didn’t go so far as to sound defensive, but Rowden knew that Connie was drawn to power. J.J. was the power (and in his own mind, the glory). So it wasn’t unexpected that Connie should voice at least avoidance to a subject that might put her on her worst behavior. “J.J. thinks you’re going to sue us.”
Rowden smiled. A probe. “He thinks that?” He leaned over the carnations. “J.J. can be as sure of that as I’m sure this bisque is sherried.” Connie groaned. Rowden knew better than to feed the probe with details. Instead, he shifted gears. He opted toward the personal. “But how are you doing? Last I heard you were writing a monograph on The Song of Unending Sorrow with your sister — what’s her name?”
“Joy,” she said. “We were. Still are, but she moved to Hong Kong three years ago. She married a British banker and lives high on the hog at Repulse Bay.”
“She’s still there? I’m surprised she didn’t leave with the take-over. He mustn’t be one of those filthy rich bankers.”
“He is. But he left. Joy decided to stay. She has this romance with Hong Kong. In fact, she sometimes helps us negotiate with the authorities for special exhibits. She was helpful with last year’s Shang-Chou Bronze exhibition.”
“Really? I saw some footage on that. Very impressive.” 
The veal arrived. Rowden dived in with scant ceremony. His ravenous attack raised Connie’s eyebrows.
“Wow,” she said. “It must have been some adventure. Don’t they feed adventurers now-a-days?”
Rowden stopped, a string of the Veal Oscar crabmeat twitching from his mouth. He wiped it away. 
“I’m sorry.” He folded his napkin. “It’s been a most curious time. In fact, Connie, I came back to the hotel hoping you’d be here.”
“Well RG, I thought it would be nice for us to get together. It’s been a long time. It will be a long time before we can do it again.” She winked. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. You were always so . . . so moody at times. You know — introspective.” She paused searching for the right word. “You think too much.” 
Where had he heard that before?
“Sorry,” he said. He stared into her eyes. She averted it. “I was just caught off guard, that’s all. You’re right, of course. I can be moody — even sullen. I was moody and sullen and worse a few days ago. But now I’m caught up in a wonderful opportunity.”
She brightened, and then raised her glass. “Really, RG. I’m glad for you. I didn’t realize you had your résumé out already.”
“No, it’s not like that.” He moved the carnations aside and focused mid-table. “It’s . . . well, how can I say it? Do you remember the young man I bumped into at the Museum?”
“Nick Battle. John’s son.”
Rowden leaned back. His head twitched. 
“You know him?” 
“Surprised?”
“Well, given my feelings for his father’s work, I thought maybe you would have introduced me.” Why would she omit such a thing, especially after the incident? “But never mind. I hooked up with him later.”
“Hooked up with him?” She gave him the fish-eye. “Was that wise, RG? Nick Battle’s a fixture at the Museum, sort of the gypsy punk rocker of Golden Gate Park. We all knew that the old man didn’t get on with him.” She lowered her voice. “He’s gay, you know?”
Rowden stared at her like an usher at a wake.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Nothing,” she said. She was perhaps annoyed that her revelation did not cause a tidal wave. Perhaps, she expected Rowden to implode as some homophobic bagpipe playing the All ******* go to Hell anthem. She sighed. “I just thought you ought to know. That’s all.”
“I know all about it. Who cares? The main thing is Nick Battle has continued his father’s work.” 
“He’s not even educated.” She folded her napkin a few of times. “How could he . . .”
“He’s educated all right. No degrees. No prison term in the pit academia. He has his father’s artifacts, relics not made available to our sinological breed.” He risked an argument here, a serious war of credentials — the only true crusade that professional academics are worthy of waging. He could see the frustration rising in her eyes. He cut it off with: “Nick Battle has found a way.”
“What has he found?” 
Rowden paused. He played the moment for the suspense it deserved. 
“He knows how to open the Joy of Finches.”
Connie giggled. She puffed like a balloon loosing air, a slow release making a little lady fart noise. It’s a good thing she had already eaten the olive. “Oh, that.” She threw the napkin aside. “That jewelry box is empty. It may have had something in it thirteen hundred years ago, but scientific investigation of old myths and Battle’s unsubstantiated articles have found it is . . .”
“Empty. Then, you would have no problem letting me try Nick Battle’s method to open the box and see for myself.”
“Access to the exhibit?” Rowden could see a deal was playing in her mind. He watched it blossom across her face. “You want me to ask J.J. to let you access the exhibit?”
“No. I don’t want J.J. to know anything about it. I was hoping you could find a way to get me access without him knowing.”
“I don’t see how.” She took a bracing breath. Rowden saw she was thinking of how already. She didn’t want this evening to end at the check and Veal Oscar. “If J.J. found out, I could lose my job. What if you damaged it? For all I know, young Battle’s method could be smashing it with a sledge hammer.”
“Nothing so mundane.” Now the moment came. Do we trust C. Wilson or not? Rowden looked at her fading eyes; her gin soaked fluttering lids and those lips that could work for good or ill depending on one’s point of view. Not, he thought. “I have promised to keep how a secret. However, I can assure you that the method is safe and harmless.”
Connie sipped the last vestige of her drink. She appeared more than a little giddy now. Dessert came. 
“What’s the matter?” Rowden asked. Connie’s head was drooping. “Are you okay?”
“It’s the cocktail,” she said. “The Martini and this conversation.” She raised the glass high perhaps hoping the waiter would sweep by and replace it with a fresh one. Rowden knew that if that occurred he’d be sleeping with a breathing corpse. 
“I can’t think of a way,” she slurred. “I don’t even know why I’m considering this. Oh, it’s so hot in here. I need some air.”
The cue. The big cue.
“Do you want to lie down? You could go up to . . .”
“Your room?” she said. She managed a smile. “Now, there’s a thought.” 
Rowden signed the check, leaving his cheesecake untouched. 

Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE for the entire month of July at Smashwords.com. 
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
Edward C. Patterson

(all five books in the series are also available on SW for FREE)
Use coupon SW100 upon check out and enjoy
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214*

Use the same coupon for all 19 of my books - also on FREE promotion for this Month
Edward C. Patterson​


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Still FREE for the entire month of July at Smashwords.com. 
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
Edward C. Patterson

(all five books in the series are also available on SW for FREE)
Use coupon SW100 upon check out and enjoy
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214

Use the same coupon for all 19 of my books - also on FREE promotion for this Month
Edward C. Patterson


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today & Tomorrow August 17th and 18th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

*​*

In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today & the Weekend September 20th, 21st and 22nd at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

19 5-star Reviews

*​*

In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow November 16th & 17th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

19 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow - December 14th and 15th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

19 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today ONLY - January 1st (Happy New Year) at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of the Jade Owl Legacy
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

20 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow - February 15th and 16th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

19 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*A Birthday Special**
FREE Today and Tomorrow - April 5th & 6th at Amazon
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

21 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## geoffthomas

Happy Birthday, Ed.


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

Thanks, Geoff

Ed


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Thursday May 1st at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

21 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*3 Days - FREE June 1st, 2nd & 3rd at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

21 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
500 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow July 5th & 6th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

21 5-star Reviews

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
500 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow Sep 18th & 19th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

21 5-star Reviews

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor Banis

"This book has it all: Romance, mystery, intrigue, and adventure." - E. Luv

"The Jade Owl is filled with thrills, mysticism, and adventure that captivated me from the beginning." - D. P. Kong

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow Nov 8th & 9th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

23 5-star Reviews

What readers say:

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor Banis

"This book has it all: Romance, mystery, intrigue, and adventure." - E. Luv

"The Jade Owl is filled with thrills, mysticism, and adventure that captivated me from the beginning." - D. P. Kong

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow Dec 6th & 7th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

23 5-star Reviews

What readers say:

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor Banis

"This book has it all: Romance, mystery, intrigue, and adventure." - E. Luv

"The Jade Owl is filled with thrills, mysticism, and adventure that captivated me from the beginning." - D. P. Kong

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow June 20th & 21st at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

23 5-star Reviews

What readers say:

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor Banis

"This book has it all: Romance, mystery, intrigue, and adventure." - E. Luv

"The Jade Owl is filled with thrills, mysticism, and adventure that captivated me from the beginning." - D. P. Kong

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem

Edward C. Patterson*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*With 15,679 Jade Owl Legacy readers enjoying the series, come help get that number to 16,000.*


----------



## Edward C. Patterson

*FREE Today and Tomorrow September 12th & 13th at Amazon**
The Jade Owl
Book I of V in the Jade Owl Legacy Series
by 
[size=20pt]Edward C. Patterson

My Flagship Novel

23 5-star Reviews

What readers say:

"This is a helluva good yarn, the sort of read we're all hoping for every time we pick up a book, and all too rarely find." - Victor Banis

"This book has it all: Romance, mystery, intrigue, and adventure." - E. Luv

"The Jade Owl is filled with thrills, mysticism, and adventure that captivated me from the beginning." - D. P. Kong

*​*

[size=12pt]In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again.

Professor Rowden Gray has come to San Francisco following a new opportunity at the East Asian Arts and Culture Museum, only to find that the opportunity has evaporated. Desperate, he means to end his career in a muddle of pity and Scotch, but then things happen. He latches on to a fascinating young man who is pursuing a lost relic that Professor Gray has in fact been seeking. Be careful for what you seek - you may just find it. Thus begins a journey that takes the professor and his companions on a spirited adventure across three-thousand miles of Chinese culture and mystery - a quest to fulfill a warrant long set out to ignite the world in myth and legend. The Jade Owl is the beginning of a series - a legacy that fulfills a terrible truth; and in China, they whisper again.
600 pages

The Jade Owl Legacy Series
==========================
The Jade Owl
The Third Peregrination
The Dragon's Pool
The People's Treasure
In the Shadow of Her Hem*


----------

