Michael A Ventrella

There are creatures lurking in our world. Obscure creatures long relegated to myth and legend. They have been sighted by a lucky-or unlucky-few, some have even been photographed, but their existence remains unproven and unrecognized by the scientific community.These creatures, long thought gone, have somehow survived; creatures from our nightmares haunting the dark places. They swim in our lakes and bays, they soar the night skies, they hunt in the woods. Some are from our past, some from other worlds, and others have always been with us-watching us, fearing us, hunting us.These are the cryptids, and Systema Paradoxa tells their tales.***The internet, a cornucopia of informational videos, alternative news sources, and real-time footage of fantastic encounters too outrageous to believe. Or are they? Three friends for the video channel Skeptic Soup to debunk sensational claims, but when a first-hand account involving a missing boy takes them to the wilds of Canada, what they find may-or may not-align with their personal beliefs.Will they survive their foray into the field? Or worse, will they have to eat their words?

Norman Mark was a politician with skeletons in his closet. Literally.Disgraced journalist Steven Edwards considers the "Batties"-the loonies who believe that vampires are real and Norman Mark is one-just another crazy tin-foil-hat extremist group. Then someone shoots at Mark, changes into a bat, and flies away before Steve's eyes, leaving him as the prime suspect. With the help of the Batties, Steve goes underground. The only way he can establish his innocence is by proving vampires exist-not an easy task while on the run from both the FBI and the bloodsuckers.

Billboard magazine named The Beatles the greatest performing musical act of all time, and their albums continue to chart to this day. This is no surprise to the author, who combed through nearly 60 years of the magazine, week by week, to compile a list of every song and album that charted. The end result is an intriguing look at the band's influence, including their solo efforts. The author assigns points to the positions of songs and albums on the charts in order to create a list ranging from the least successful to the most successful. Each entry includes a picture of the album cover or single sleeve, along with an analysis of the song or album. Also provided are introductory chapters about the Beatles and an explanation of how the Billboard charts have been tabulated and changed over the years.

In 1897, Beverly Haddad is well aware that her sex and race will keep her from investigating the deadly and mysterious lightning strikes that have plagued New York. She seeks help from Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, and soon the two find themselves hunted by a vast conspiracy known as Gideon's Trumpet, which has access to amazing new scientific devices never before seen. With the help of Mark Twain and others, they launch an attack, aided by Teddy's new massive lightning gun, which he lovingly calls BIG STICK."Full steam ahead With Big Stick, Michael Ventrella gives us a wild and thoroughly entertaining steampunk adventure featuring an improbably cast of historical figures, plenty of action, and lots of fun Highly recommended " - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Silence and V-Wars"Memorable characters, snappy dialogue and plenty of action and adventure. Big Stick has it all. One of the best books I've read in a long while " - Gail Z. Martin, author of Vengeance: A Novel of Darkhurst"Full of the best kind of steampunk adventure with one of the biggest personalities in American history. A great fun ride " - Philippa Ballantine, co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series"Big Stick doesn't have everything. It has more than everything A dynamic PoC secret agent Teddy Roosevelt Steampunk inventions Real dirty politics in a fantastic might-have-been world Rayguns Airships Assassinations Teddy Roosevelt with a raygun And a cover by Phil Foglio What the heck are you doing looking at this stupid blurb? Buy this book and read it " - Ryk Spoor, author of Grand Central Arena and Princess Holy Aura

One barbarian tribe has a prophecy saying the legendary hero Bishortu will unite the three warring tribes. Another has a prophecy that directly contradicts this, and they want Bishortu dead. And a third, which may or may not be comprised of werewolves, refuses to let anyone know what their prophecy says. Meanwhile, the Duke on whose land the barbarians live wants them all gone.In the middle of all of this is squire Terin Ostler, who has been mistakenly identified as the great Bishortu. Under the Duke's orders to get rid of the barbarians, he heads to their lands without the slightest idea of what to do.Along the way, he has to avoid assassins, werewolves, lovesick barbarian princesses, and confused goblins, while attempting to figure out the meaning of the magical and mysterious Wretched Axes.Nobody said being a hero would be easy.---"Here Michael A. Ventrella takes up the mantle of Christopher Stasheff. Terin's exploits are as entertaining as those of Rod Gallowglass, and fans of The Warlock in Spite of Himself will hugely enjoy The Axes of Evil." -Gregory Frost, author of Shadowbridge and Lord Tophet"The Axes of Evil is a taut nail-biter of a thriller. Edgy, funny and dark." -Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of V-Wars and Rot & Ruin"Humor, danger and a twisted tangle of unlikely prophecies make for a page-turning adventure." -Gail Z. Martin, author of The Chronicles of the Necromancer series

The continuation of Terin Ostler and the Arch Enemies Everyone thinks Terin is the "chosen one" who will defeat the gryphons at the Arch, but he has no idea what it is he is supposed to do. And just when it looks like things are getting really bad... they get worse.

In this sequel to Long Title: Looking for the Good Times; Examining the Monkees' Songs, One By One, authors Michael A. Ventrella and Mark Arnold look at the careers the Monkees had outside of the show and the band: From Micky's early appearances as "Circus Boy" through Peter's financial and legal problems to become a respected performer with his band Shoe Suede Blues, to Davy's frustration with record labels and his many solo albums for his fans, to Michael's evolution from country rock founder to the creator of MTV and video technology ahead of many others. They look at the various reunion concerts, the movies and plays, and the ups and downs of their varied careers, all with insight and humor. "Some people are so ignorant as to imagine that the Monkees are not a 'real' band. That's crazy That's like saying that lemon meringue pie is not 'real' food. They're both an inspired synthesis of disparate wholesome, delicious, natural ingredients combined, orchestrated and executed with expert skill and sublime results. What this book makes irrefutably clear is that all four Monkees were consummate professionals - talented musicians and skilled performers, all - producing strong, creative, original, yet inexplicably unheralded, music recordings and video content before, during and after their frenzied 'Monkees' moment. Never underestimate a 'pop star'. There's always more to them than you could ever imagine. This book proves it. I will always love lemon meringue pie. And I will always love the Monkees." - Dean Friedman ("Ariel," "Lucky Stars," "McDonald's Girl")

Immigrants have no rights America is founded on Christianity Unlimited guns are my birthright These are just a handful of arguments being shouted by vocal conservatives even though the Constitution of the United States--the very laws of our nation--says something quite different.If liberals are going to counter these erroneous, angry, ill-informed positions with facts, they need to learn for themselves what the Constitution says. To remedy this knowledge gap, criminal defense attorney and unabashed liberal Michael A. Ventrella teaches the basics with a large amount of humor and snark, all illustrated with more than 40 cartoons by 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial artist Darrin Bell, creator of the syndicated comic strip Candorville. Attorney Michael A. Ventrella has taught Constitutional Law at a number of institutions of higher learning, so clearly he's just one of those liberal elites.Artist Darrin Bell's hard-hitting editorial cartoons can be found in major newspapers and all over the internet, where people share them without giving him credit.

Immigrants have no rights America is founded on Christianity Unlimited guns are my birthright These are just a handful of arguments being shouted by vocal conservatives even though the Constitution of the United States--the very laws of our nation--says something quite different.If liberals are going to counter these erroneous, angry, ill-informed positions with facts, they need to learn for themselves what the Constitution says. To remedy this knowledge gap, criminal defense attorney and unabashed liberal Michael A. Ventrella teaches the basics with a large amount of humor and snark, all illustrated with more than 40 cartoons by 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial artist Darrin Bell, creator of the syndicated comic strip Candorville. Attorney Michael A. Ventrella has taught Constitutional Law at a number of institutions of higher learning, so clearly he's just one of those liberal elites.Artist Darrin Bell's hard-hitting editorial cartoons can be found in major newspapers and all over the internet, where people share them without giving him credit.

"Here we come. Walking down the street. We get the funniest looks from everyone we meet. Hey, hey, we're The Monkees "The idea of creating a tv series about a wacky rock group similar to The Beatles had been unsuccessfully kicked around Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures since 1962, but by 1965, The Beatles were on their second tour, and their Help album, single, and tour created a popularity wave called Beatlemania. The enormous success of their A Hard Day's Night album and single convinced Screen Gems to green light the tv series idea, and The Monkees were born.A fake band seemed odd in the real world still reeling from race riots, John F. Kennedy's assassination, and the Vietnam War, but delightful Davy Jones, peppy Peter Tork, madcap Micky Dolenz, and comparatively serious Michael Nesmith were too busy singing to bring anybody down. Fake became steak by late 1966, and with help from super musicians Tommy Boyce, Bobby Bart, Neil Diamond, Chip Douglas, Carole King, John Stewart, and others, the series skyrocketed to hit status along with #1 music albums and hit singles, such as "The Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone," and "I'm a Believer."Authors Michael A. Ventrella and Mark Arnold now analyze all The Monkee's songs and albums produced over 50 years. Discover the band's detailed history, a listing of all live performances and TV appearances, and a listing of all of their singles and albums that made the Billboard charts.Come and watch them sing and play. Discover the secrets of their recordings: which of The Monkees played what instruments on each song, when it was recorded, how well that song did on the charts, whether there were any interesting cover versions of the song done, and when it first appeared on a record.Profusely illustrated with album covers, single covers, live performance pictures, and trivia pictures. Index.About author Mark Arnold: a well-known historian of pop culture, he is also author of The Best of the Harveyville Fun Times ; Created and Produced by Total TeleVision productions; Mark Arnold Picks on The Beatles; Frozen in Ice: The Story of Walt Disney Productions; Think Pink: The Story of DePatie-Freleng; Pocket Full of Dennis the Menace About author Michael A. Ventrella: a musician, who was tremendously inspired by The Monkees, has published or edited Arch Enemies; The Axes of Evil; Bloodsuckers: A Vampire Runs for President; and the Tales of Fortannis series.

"Here we come. Walking down the street. We get the funniest looks from everyone we meet. Hey, hey, we're The Monkees "The idea of creating a tv series about a wacky rock group similar to The Beatles had been unsuccessfully kicked around Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures since 1962, but by 1965, The Beatles were on their second tour, and their Help album, single, and tour created a popularity wave called Beatlemania. The enormous success of their A Hard Day's Night album and single convinced Screen Gems to green light the tv series idea, and The Monkees were born.A fake band seemed odd in the real world still reeling from race riots, John F. Kennedy's assassination, and the Vietnam War, but delightful Davy Jones, peppy Peter Tork, madcap Micky Dolenz, and comparatively serious Michael Nesmith were too busy singing to bring anybody down. Fake became steak by late 1966, and with help from super musicians Tommy Boyce, Bobby Bart, Neil Diamond, Chip Douglas, Carole King, John Stewart, and others, the series skyrocketed to hit status along with #1 music albums and hit singles, such as "The Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone," and "I'm a Believer."Authors Michael A. Ventrella and Mark Arnold now analyze all The Monkee's songs and albums produced over 50 years. Discover the band's detailed history, a listing of all live performances and TV appearances, and a listing of all of their singles and albums that made the Billboard charts.Come and watch them sing and play. Discover the secrets of their recordings: which of The Monkees played what instruments on each song, when it was recorded, how well that song did on the charts, whether there were any interesting cover versions of the song done, and when it first appeared on a record.Profusely illustrated with album covers, single covers, live performance pictures, and trivia pictures. Index.About author Mark Arnold: a well-known historian of pop culture, he is also author of The Best of the Harveyville Fun Times ; Created and Produced by Total TeleVision productions; Mark Arnold Picks on The Beatles; Frozen in Ice: The Story of Walt Disney Productions; Think Pink: The Story of DePatie-Freleng; Pocket Full of Dennis the Menace About author Michael A. Ventrella: a musician, who was tremendously inspired by The Monkees, has published or edited Arch Enemies; The Axes of Evil; Bloodsuckers: A Vampire Runs for President; and the Tales of Fortannis series.

Thirteen authors, including Gail Z. Martin, David Gerrold, and Jonathan Maberry, come together to pen short stories innovating Sherlock Holmes, adapting and revolutionizing the iconic character. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most iconic and lasting figures in literature. His feats of detection are legendary, and he continues to capture audiences today in stories, movies, and on TV. In this new anthology, Baker Street Irregulars, authors present the celebrated detective in more than a dozen wildly entertaining new ways. In Ryk Spoor’s thrilling "The Adventures of a Reluctant Detective,” Sherlock is a re-creation in a holodeck. In Hildy Silverman’s mesmerizing "A Scandal in the Bloodline,” Sherlock is a vampire. Heidi McLaughlin sends Sherlock back to college, while Beth Patterson, in the charming "Code Cracker,” turns him into a parrot. The settings range from Russia in the near-future to a reality show, from a dystopian world to an orchestra. Without losing the very qualities that make Sherlock so illustrious a character, these authors spin new webs of mystery around their own singular riff on one of fiction’s truly singular characters. Stories In This Volume: "’Locked!" by Mike Strauss "Identity (An Adventure of Shirley Holmes and Jack Watson)" by Keith R. A. DeCandido "The Scent of Truth" by Jody Lynn Nye "The Adventure of the Reluctant Detective" by Ryk Spoor "A Scandal in the Bloodline" by Hildy Silverman "The Fabulous Marble" by David Gerrold "The Scarlet Study" by Jim Avelli "Delta Phi" by Heidi McLaughlin "Beethoven’s Baton" by Austin Farmer "The Adventure of the Melted Saint" by Gail Z. Martin "Automatic Sherlock" by Martin Rose "The Hammer of God" by Jonathan Maberry "Code Cracker" by Beth W. Patterson