"As soon as the X-G Productions team read A Ghostly Shade of Pale we knew that it would make a great series. We predict that the books' unique combination of engrossing crime with issues of faith and religion will have huge appeal to two of the biggest current media fan bases. The books chronicle a series of stranger than fiction historical events that only Merle could write about with such authenticity, because he lived them. His writing is so cinematic that a movie or TV series leaps off the pages as you read the books."
- Jim Clemente, X-G Productions, Criminal Minds, Hollywood
"This book caught my attention and kept it throughout the 382 pages. Merle's ability to capture the reader's imagination and bring them into the scene is amazing. He paints the scene with his words as though he has letters just sitting on the tip of his brush and as they flow, he colors the scene by shaping and shading the picture. 'The Redeemed' is a heart-wrenching account of a tattered soul searching for comfort and rest. The naivety of mans' brutality is replaced by inescapable torment which finally gives rise to realization and comfort for the satisfied soul. If you are looking for an engrossing book that will challenge your sense of justice, dignity and morality this novel is a must."
- Joyce K. Walters, Blogger
"Stark, yet beautiful collision of the Divine with the desperate and dangerous."
- Richie Latham, Christian Talk That Rocks
"Paints pictures of cruelty and humanity, and plants a flag for faith in a barren land."
- Lynn W. Grubb, Federal Bureauof Prisons Counselor (Ret.)
"A great read...Today is not much different. Itis my faith in Jesus that keeps me in step each day. I hope you enjoy the tales in the book, but most of all, I pray that your walk with Christ is strengthened."
- Sheriff Jim H Johnson, Sheriff Lee County MS
"Tupelo author Merle Temple has captured his mojo. The characters come off the pages fully alive, flesh and bone...Using the backdrop of Tupelo and Lee County we travel back in time..."
- Jim Clark,publisher, Lee County Courier.
"A brilliant writer...masterful use of words allows the reader to "see" the terrain, villains, heroes and action..."
- Brenda Daher, Baldwyn News
"A roller coaster ride...a thought-provoking, nail biting, intriguing masterpiece that...stirs your soul."
- Tammie Tubbs,Christian Television Network
"A masterful storyteller...a master craftsman of words...The reader is swept back into time and will not want to return from...the Lee County of old..."
- Leigh Anne Newton, Chief Academic Officer, Lee County Schools
"Corruption fueled by moonshine, money, and malevolence...Merle Temple has created a following with his (books)."
- Errol Castens, Tupelo Daily Journal
"Welcome to the very Heart of Dixie...where we learn that every saint has a past ... every sinner a future."
- Pat Sabiston,The Write Place, Panama City
"This book will draw you in like the smell of fried chicken and pecan pie on a sultry afternoon."
Richie L., Christian Talk That Rocks
"Southern Gothic writing at its raw and uncompromising best. What a ride! What characters! What a story!"
- KB Schaller, Indian Life Newspaper
"Rock, roll, and remember...mischief, music,memories, and mourning. Old Tupelo lives again as Merle Temple revives old friends for one last sweet lap around the track."
- Elizabeth Hill,President of the Mississippi Elvis Fan Club.
"Bolt your doors. Don't make a sound. The monsters will follow you home and get inside your head."
- Jim Clemente, Criminal Minds
"Every sentence, every word is steeped in real world experience. The feelings are fact. The thrills are fact...the book you've been waiting to take on the airplane and the commute. In real life it is a miracle that Merle Temple has survived and is thriving. His characters reveal the source of that spirit and determination. The book is terrifying and inspiring."
- Walter Sterling, Sterling on Sunday, CBS Radio
"...a master weaver...amazing characters who lead you through their world. His ability to lace descriptive words and phrases through each page brings his book to life."
- Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine
"Takes the reader into each scene with him, with precise and riveting detail, forcing one to actually feel the danger..."
- Jann Marthaler, Associate Editor, southernreader.com
"Inspiring people who'll become important people one day, a gift given the public on account of the gift given to him."
- John B. Wells, Caravan to Midnight
"...a master storyteller, eloquently weaving actual events into fiction about the lives of a dedicated law enforcement officer and his associates as they fight crime in Mississippi in the 1970s. Great reading!"
- Beth Kirkland, former Intelligence Analyst, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
"Enough stories for 100 books! The epitome of a true professional!"
- Rick Ward, former MBN and NCIS agent
"A master at delivering spiritual messages within secular bindings."
- K.B. Schaller,Indian Life newspaper
"To say Merle Temple's story is unique is an understatement. His books exemplify the statement: truth is stranger than fiction!"
- Dana Todd-Banks, Mature Prenuers Talk-Australia
"In his latest book, Blood On The Ground: Living And Dying In Nod, Merle Temple takes the reader on a journey so realistic it frightens the soul while challenging the mind. The characters become real with the magic of Temple's ability to weave words into an understanding of depth, deception and determination. Another great book from a phenomenal writer."
- Brenda Daher, The Baldwyn News
"Merle Temple has done it again with Blood On The Ground--penned a suspenseful and complex novel with characters who jump off the page. We are taken for a scary ride inside the seedy nightclubs and dark alleys--places we normally wouldn't venture, locales operated by drug dealers and the Dixie Mafia. It's a journey full of betrayal in a time when the line between criminals and law enforcement was blurred. It's a journey full of plot twists and landmarks most any Southerner will recognize. It's a journey I enjoyed from the first page to the last and you will too."
- Jim Clark, Lee County Courier
"Merle Temple is spellbinding as he navigates his undercover encounters with characters one would never want to meet."
- Wang-Ying Glasgow, Memphis Public Libraries
"Hums with the pulsating rhythm of the New South..."
- Robert L. Long, Editor, De Soto Times.
"Leave the gun, take the cannoli, and buy this book!"
- John Martino, (Paulie in The Godfather)
"...the press is just beginning to jump on board to something that's about to get as hot as a drug deal gone bad with automatic weapons and kilos of cocaine...may be fiction but its writer is not. He's lived the life and survived it-with his faith intact."
- Mark Stowers, The Jackson, MS. Clarion-Ledger.
"The drug war is on...and we should all be afraid. The story blends action with a literary style that only grows in the Deep South. Romance and brutality merge...chillingly sinister...not for the faint of heart."
- Adele Elliott, Real Media Radio.
"Temple's first-hand knowledge of gun battles, drug deals gone bad, corrupt politicians and law enforcement officers, makes the scenes and pages come to life."
- The Oxford, MS. Eagle.
"Suspense-driven...a compelling read from cover to cover...memories have their way with him so those raw emotions are laid bare on page after page in order for his readers to feel what he felt."
- Southern Writer's Magazine.
"Gripping..."
- Mississippi Magazine.
"Terrific! Recommend it highly!"
- Paul Rogers, WBZM, Orlando.
"...brings his readers to a very personal place, allowing them to resonate with him as an author and with the characters in his novel...what an amazing story (he) has shared with his readers."
- The Daily Mississippian, Ole Miss.
"Ghostly is hard to put down..."
- Gwinett Daily Forum(Metro Atlanta)
"All the extreme emotions and human qualities are invoked: repentance, purity, revenge, honesty, malice, regret and redemption all cry out to us for attention...like that of the Greek warrior, it is a journey of wandering, omens, tragedies, friendships and, ultimately, a homecoming. The prose is brimful of anger, passion, love and regret. As allegorical as it is actual...the whole narrative across the... books is, for the most part, a factual account of the adult life of Merle Temple. He has used some fictional devices to make sure that the books read well... they are his life story..."
- Fully Booked, England
"Merle Temple is to writing what Rembrandt was to art. Merle creates written masterpieces."
- SouthernReader.com, Atlanta
"Should be sent around the world for all who want a second chance...to rise from the ashes, to breakout of self-imposed prisons, to begin again."
- Southern Writers Magazine, Memphis
"Merle Temple is a man who has seen it all, both demons and angels. He has seen the best of human nature with its love and compassion, and the worst of mankind’s depravity toward one another, with the sole intent of causing pain and destruction. It was the latter that entangled him, ending his law enforcement career, and quite nearly his life...Michael Parker’s narrative is truly Merle Temple’s story; Temple serves up his heart, his life, and his own failings on a platter to his readers. It’s an unflinchingly honest, unseemly glimpse behind the tattered veil of personal and government greed, corruption, betrayal, but ultimately, redemption."
- FaithLines.com (Atlanta)
"A master at delivering spiritual messages within secular bindings."
- K.B. Schaller, Indian Life newspaper
"God's power made perfect in weakness."
- J.J. Jasper, American Family Radio
"A phenomenal writer... leaves you speechless."
- Tammie Tubbs, CTN
"Merle Temple shadows some of his own harrowing history as a narcotics agent, a telecom security director, a state official and a man desperate for something that he cannot identify. He is plunged to a bottom from which there is no direction but up – and no way but the Cross."
- Tupelo Daily Journal
"Best series of books I have read except for the Bible."
- Amazon Reader Review
"A story of innocence, disillusionment, and faith; racial tension, criminality, the worst of people-and love, kindness, and the best of humanity... raw and poetic; unflinching and honest, a very good book with an amazing heart."
- Professor Rhonda Fabrizi, Ohio
"As a believer and follower of Jesus, Temple weaves his testimony throughout the fictional tale. It's hard to decipher just where Temple ends and Parker begins."
- Jackson Clarion Ledger
"Captures the South in the 1970s... evocative of some of the great Southern writers. A taste and feeling for where you are... a lot of layers in a fascinating book."
- Allison Hope Weiner, Media Mayhem?Crime Time, Beverly Hills
"The feelings are fact. The thrills are fact. It is a miracle that Merle Temple has survived and is thriving. His characters reveal the source of that spirit and determination... terrifying and inspiring."
- Walter Sterling, Sterling on Sunday, CBS Radio
"His books whisper Jesus louder than most shout Him."
- Pastor Danny Bell, Hernando, MS
"Writing is intense, lush and occasionally lurid, poetry in abundance... pure melodrama, in best sense of the word... delivered with such passion and conviction that flaws become irrelevant. will repay your perseverance."
- Crime Fiction Lovers, England.
"Spellbinding... "
- Wang-Ying Glasgow, Memphis Public Libraries
"Merle Temple is a terrific writer!"
- Frank Sontag, KKLA, Los Angeles
"A chilling bullet train of a story that opens with a truly creepy murder and has you by the throat the whole way, to the very last page. Few today can match him for lyrical description and virtuoso storytelling."
- Insight Radio, Chicago.
"Stark, yet beautiful collision of the Divine with the desperate and dangerous."
- Richie Latham, Christian Talk That Rocks
"The Author speaks through an author."
- Pat Dees Gilbert, English instructor (Retired)
"The sheer beauty of the words... Magic!"
- Arlene Uslander, Book Editor, Author, Mystery of Fate.
"Fell for his language as a fan of Southern fiction. Tone is part gothic, part mystery, part thriller and all stratagem. Very new twist on a time period he has background and authority to talk about. Opens with a murder and doesn't let go."
- Gila Green, Author, King of the Class. Israel
"To say Temple's story is unique is an understatement. His books exemplify the statement: truth is stranger than fiction!"
- Dana Todd-Banks, Mature Prenuers Talk-Australia
"In search of a fascinating gift for your favorite reading enthusiast? Look no further than an offering by a Mississippi native who lays battered emotions bare for all to see... draws readers into an emotional story without using profanity or sex as a crutch."
- Town and Gown Magazine
"Temple has the ability to bring his readers to a very personal place, allowing them to resonate with him as an author and with characters in his novel... what an amazing story... "
- The Daily Mississippian (Ole Miss).
"Terrific! Recommend highly!"
- Paul Rodgers, WBZM, Orlando
"Suspenseful crime fiction... a a riveting story!"
- Corinth Public Library
"A cautionary tale of how quickly all can be lost, but how threads of purpose can be found in blankets of crushing pain."
- Lemuria Books
"The magic of Temple's ability to weave words into an understanding of depth, deception and determination.,,a phenomenal writer."
- The Baldwyn News
"Reminiscent of Thomas Wolfe... gangsters and ghosts... reach out and grab you by the throat in broad daylight... an emerging author with a true gift for words."
- De Soto Times
"Temple writes fiction that reveals the mettle of heroes."
- Daily Corinthian
"Stark, yet beautiful collision of the Divine with the desperate and dangerous."
- Richie Latham, Christian Talk That Rocks
"A thrill ride! Holds you captive from the first page to the last!"
- Butterfly's Booknerdia Blog
"He captures the times as only an eyewitness could. The parallels of truth and fiction are intriguing."
- Dr. Chester Quarles, Ole Miss
"A first class read... exhibits a respect for the intelligence and imagination of his reader, rare among today's authors... this talented writer has escorted you through the maze of good and evil so that you are the richer for it."
- Thomas Coleman, Mississippi Appeals Court Judge (Retired).
"A clear and vivid history... (In) the retelling of struggles between good/bad, goodness/evil, and beauty/ugliness, (he) presents a respect not only for the characters in the book, but even for the reader, not experienced before in this type of literature... highly recommend."
- Jan Ballard, Yarn Spinners Book Club
"In 8th and 9th grade English, we read a Ghostly Shade of Pale in class. My students didn't want to stop each day. You feel like you know the characters personally... I knew it would hold my students attention! BRAVO!"
- Amy Parker Robinson, Winston Academy, Louisville, MS.
"A fast-paced, succinct thriller. Set in the halcyon days of the late 60's. Prose is fluid and engaging, a first novel to be proud of."
- Barbra-Lee Ricketts, author, Australia.
"God's power made perfect in weakness... the author bares his soul."
- J.J. Jasper, American Family Radio
"A master of the English language... on a scale of one to ten, Temple is a 10!"
- T.K. Moffett, U.S. Major General (Ret.)
"When I got my hands on this book, I had to read it right through. This is history that we all have to know."
- Father Ulf Sanned, Sweden
"Seamless descriptions let you experience every moment... He has the true skill of letting imagination and real life become one... hard to put down! May his true and authentic writing skills continue to inspire!"
- Denise Minnard Campoli, French/Spanish Instructor, Boston
"I use his books in my classes. Merle Temple's descriptive writing makes it so much easier for my students as he creates spectacular mental images."
- Jonelle Gillette, Speech Pathologist, Michigan
"To all European readers, I can recommend this pearl of literature - a revelation. I hope Europe will discover the talent of Mr. Merle Temple soon! I did!"
- Francoise de Walle, Belgium.
"X-G Productions predicts the unique combination of engrossing crime with issues of faith and religion will appeal to two of the biggest media fan bases. The books chronicle a series of stranger than fiction historical events that only Merle could write about with such authenticity, because he lived them. His writing is so cinematic that a movie or TV series leaps off the pages."
- Jim Clemente, X-G Productions, Criminal Minds, Hollywood
"All the extreme emotions and human qualities are invoked: repentance, purity, revenge, honesty, malice, regret and redemption all cry out to us for attention...like that of the Greek warrior, a journey of wandering, omens, tragedies, friendships and, ultimately, a homecoming. The prose is brimful of anger, passion, love and regret. As allegorical as it is actual...the whole narrative is, for the most part...his life story."
- Fully Booked, England
"To writing what Rembrandt was to art. Merle creates written masterpieces."
- SouthernReader.com, Atlanta
"Should be sent around the world for all who want a second chance...to rise from the ashes, to breakout of self-imposed prisons, to begin again."
- Southern Writers Magazine, Memphis
"A man who has seen it all, both demons and angels…the best of human nature and the worst of mankind's depravity toward one another, with the sole intent of causing pain and destruction. The latter entangled him, ending his career, and quite nearly his life. Temple serves up his heart, life, and failings on a platter. An unflinchingly honest, unseemly glimpse behind the tattered veil of personal and government greed, corruption, betrayal, but ultimately, redemption."
- FaithLines.com (Atlanta)
"A master at delivering spiritual messages within secular bindings."
- K.B. Schaller, Indian Life newspaper
"God's power made perfect in weakness."
- J.J. Jasper, American Family Radio
"A phenomenal writer... leaves you speechless."
- Tammie Tubbs, CTN
"Merle Temple shadows his own harrowing history... a man desperate for something that he cannot identify. He is plunged to a bottom from which there is no direction but up – and no way but the Cross."
- Tupelo Daily Journal
"Best series of books I have read except for the Bible."
- Amazon Reader Review
