It Started With a YouTube Comment
Wonderment Within Weirdness follows Matthew after he dies and wakes in a bureaucratic and politically fractured Heaven, where divine authority, rebellion, and multiverse conflict collide in a bold sci-fi fantasy adventure. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Short answer: a YouTube comment. lol. Long answer, it was a YouTube comment on a video I had seen on some atheist YouTube channel I had watched back in college in 2017. Dont remember which channel, or what the video was called, but I think it was about Lucifer’s depiction in the Bible and other media, and how Lucifer’s depictions has a lot of misconceptions, and in the comments of that video was a comment, not sure how it went exactly, but it hypothetically asked the question “what if Lucifer was good and God was bad?” and that inspired me to write my book. And before finding this comment, I had tried to write other books, but I barely got anywhere with those ideas and scrapped them. but the idea i got from the youtube comment really sparked something in me. i felt i was onto something. a what-if role reversal story. But I didn’t want it to just be straight up saying definitively that God is bad and Lucifer is good. because that is up to people’s interpretations of who they consider good or bad. So, what I did, I decided to come up with a multiverse story, to explore different versions of figures, so that the versions that we know can exist, separately, out there, somewhere, while my book explores different versions of figures, beyond the ones that we know.
Matthew begins the story by dying and waking into something far stranger than expected. What did you want his first encounter with the afterlife to reveal about him?
Those things were not what they seemed to be.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
My biggest themes were friendship and found family, and standing up for what is right, even when it is something folks may not appreciate or even know about.
What do you hope readers take away from the book’s anger, chaos, and big questions about judgment, exclusion, and power?
That sometimes it takes one person to make a difference. One action, one choice, one decision, sometimes that can be the spark for change.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Curiosity First
So You Want To Be A Video Game Designer is an engaging introduction to video game design that combines creativity, real-world insight, and practical guidance for young aspiring creators. What inspired you to write a career-focused book specifically for kids interested in video game design?
It started with my son. He was captivated by gaming from about the age of one (and that is no exaggeration), and as a parent, I had to make a choice. I could spend the next decade telling him to put down the controller, or I could pay attention to what was actually happening when he played. And what was happening was thinking. He was pattern-matching, problem-solving, building, breaking, rebuilding. So instead of fighting his passion, I tried to help him see what was underneath it. He is twelve now, deeply immersed in coding and technology, and at this point, I’m pretty sure he has taught me more about the industry than I have taught him. So You Want To Be A Video Game Designer came from that experience. There are millions of kids out there who love games the way he does, and I wanted them to see that the thing they already love can lead somewhere real.
The book emphasizes that game design is real work, not just playing games. Why was that important to highlight?
Because the assumption that gaming is just play is exactly what stops kids — and the adults around them — from taking the interest seriously. Game design is engineering. It is storytelling. It is psychology, art, and project management all at once. When a kid finishes a level and thinks “that was fun,” they are not seeing the thousands of decisions someone made to produce that feeling. The book seeks to open that up. Once you see how much real work goes into making something feel effortless, you also see why it might be worth dedicating a career to. And I think kids deserve to be told the truth about the work behind the things they love. They can handle it. In my experience, they are usually relieved to hear that the field they are drawn to has substance.
The book does a great job of showing collaboration. Why was it important to highlight roles beyond “the designer”?
Because no game gets made by one person. Even small indie games involve programmers, artists, sound designers, writers, testers, and people whose entire job is making sure the game runs without crashing. If a kid only sees “the designer” as the path forward, they might miss the role that actually fits them. Maybe they love drawing. Maybe they are obsessed with how music makes people feel. Maybe they like finding things that are broken and figuring out why. There is a place in the industry for all of those kids. I wanted the book to show that the door is wider than it looks from the outside.
You include practical ways kids can start learning now. What first step would you most recommend to a curious reader?
Start playing differently. The same game you have played a hundred times will teach you something new if you start asking why. Why does the music shift right at that moment? Why does the jump feel right? Why do you keep coming back even when the game beats you? That is a designer’s eye, and you can develop it without writing a single line of code. From there, the technical tools — Scratch, GameMaker, Unity, learning to code — become much easier because you have already been thinking like someone who builds games. Curiosity first. Tools second.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
So You Want To Be A Video Game Designer is an illustrated nonfiction guide for kids ages 10 to 14 who are curious about one of the most exciting creative careers in science and technology. It goes far beyond surface-level inspiration to show young readers what game designers actually do every day — the real process of turning a rough concept sketch into a living, breathing game that players cannot put down.
You will learn how game design works from the inside: how designers prototype mechanics and test them until they break, how writers build interactive stories that respond to the player’s choices, and how artists, engineers, and sound designers collaborate to create worlds that feel impossibly real. You will discover the science and psychology behind why certain games hook you and others do not — and why understanding that difference is the foundation of great design.
This book does not skip the hard parts. It covers the history of video games and the visionary designers who invented the creative language the entire industry now speaks. It explains what development teams look like, what every role on a team actually contributes, and what it takes to push a project from first draft to finished product. It is honest about what the work demands, because kids who are serious about this future career deserve a real answer, not a simplified one.
You will also find practical guidance on what young people can start doing right now — from sketching game ideas and learning basic coding concepts to studying the games they already play with a designer’s eye. Whether your passion leans toward art, storytelling, programming, or the science of how players think, there is a path into game design that fits the way your mind works.
For the kid who builds worlds in notebooks and debates game mechanics with friends. For the young reader who senses that video games are something more than entertainment — that they are an art form, a science, and an engineering challenge all at once.
The next great game is waiting for someone to imagine it. That someone might be you.
Ages 10 to 14. Nonfiction. Careers and Professions. Illustrated.
Infidelities, Absurdities, and Tribulations
The Uber 1% follows the absurd lives of the wealthy and status-obsessed as you turn country-club gossip, social punishment, affairs, and vanity into a sharp satirical portrait of privilege without self-awareness. What first drew you to the “Uber Rich” as a subject for satire?
Basically my up-close association with and observations of the Uber and Filthy Rich. For years, I laughed at, made note of, and in some cases endured their vagaries, vanities, infidelities, absurdities, and tribulations which seemed the “stuff” ripe for satire.
Centerport feels like a recurring stage for these stories. What does that setting represent to you?
Uber life on the Connecticut shoreline.
How do you balance exaggeration with emotional truth when writing characters this vain, privileged, or ridiculous?
I’m not sure that I do or that I really make a conscious effort to distinguish the two.
Were any characters especially fun or especially difficult to write?
Frankly, they were all fun. Maybe because I knew them so well, in many cases, they just wrote themselves.
Fatherhood Matters!
Anthony Owens’s Fatherhood Matters! is a heartfelt guide to the role fathers play in family life, especially in the emotional, social, and identity development of children. The book opens from a personal place, with Owens explaining that his own upbringing by a single mother shaped his desire to write about why fathers need to be present and active. He frames fatherhood as more than biology, writing that it’s “the role of a provider, protector, mentor, and friend.”
The book works best as a practical encouragement piece. Owens moves through the evolution of fatherhood, the benefits of a father’s presence, the challenges fathers face, and the impact fathers can have during adolescence. His main idea stays steady throughout: children need guidance, stability, emotional safety, communication, and love, and fathers are uniquely positioned to offer those things when they’re engaged and consistent.
One of the strongest parts of the book is its attention to different fatherhood situations. Owens doesn’t limit the discussion to the traditional two-parent home. He writes about single fathers, co-parenting, divorce, separation, death, incarceration, cultural differences, and same-gender parenting. That gives the book a wide scope and makes it feel like it’s trying to speak to real families in real circumstances, rather than only presenting one version of family life.
The tone is earnest, motivational, and sometimes almost devotional in the way it talks about parenting. Owens often uses images of fathers as anchors, compasses, shade trees, and guides, which gives the book a warm and encouraging feel. The closing message captures the spirit of the whole book: “Fatherhood is not about being perfect; it’s about being present.” That line fits the book’s central purpose, because Owens isn’t arguing for flawless fathers. He’s calling for fathers who show up, listen, support, guide, and keep learning.
Fatherhood Matters! is a sincere, accessible book about the value of active fatherhood. It’s part personal reflection, part parenting guide, and part call to action. The book is most compelling when it connects big themes like identity, discipline, education, and emotional health to everyday father-child moments. It’s a book for fathers, father figures, parents, and anyone interested in how steady love and presence can shape a child’s future.
Pages: 188 | ASIN : B0DFXB1B6Y
Alli the Alligator: A Children’s Book About Kindness, Bullying, Courage, and Celebrating Differences
Readers are introduced to Alli the Alligator, a friendly, fun-loving alligator who wants nothing more than to make new friends and enjoy life. She loves playing games in the river with her brother and cousins. One day, Alli notices children nearby jump-roping, swimming, and laughing together. They look different from her, yet she dreams of joining them, playing alongside them, and even going to school as they do. Her parents agree to send her to Swamp Elementary, but Alli quickly discovers that the other students are not as welcoming as she had hoped.
Alli the Alligator is a charming, heartfelt story with a meaningful message for young readers. It gently teaches the value of kindness, inclusion, and celebrating differences. Alli’s zest for life is delightful, and her eagerness to try new things makes her easy to love. Many people feel uncertain around what is unfamiliar, but Alli reminds readers that stepping beyond our comfort zones can lead to wonderful discoveries.
Alli’s courage and bright spirit make her an especially memorable character. It is difficult to watch her face rejection from the other children at first. Still, she never gives up. She also never responds with unkindness. Her selflessness, bravery, and empathy help the students at her school see that Alli is not so different from them after all. She simply wants what every child wants: friendship, play, and a place to belong.
The illustrations are beautiful and bring warmth, color, and emotion to the story. Each page strengthens the message and helps Alli’s journey come alive. This book would be a wonderful addition to classrooms, libraries, and homes. It gives young readers an engaging way to understand inclusion, practice empathy, and recognize that everyone has something special to offer.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 1665310693
Vivid, Relatable, and Memorable
God’s Salvation Manifesto is a forceful work of Reformed theology that confronts the reader with humanity’s spiritual crisis and proclaims the gospel as the only sufficient answer, urging repentance through modern imagery and uncompromising conviction. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book has undergone many transformations over the years. Repentance was always present in its core, but initially, I treated it as a means to reach my main point: exploring and challenging Reformed doctrine, which is something I enjoy. However, as I shared drafts with others, the theme of repentance kept resurfacing and became impossible to ignore. I also recognized that the field of Reformed doctrine is already filled with numerous excellent books, so I sought to create something distinct—a work that weaves together the centrality of repentance and the unique perspective of Reformed theology. Repentance is not just an aspect of the gospel; it is at its very heart. By focusing on this, I was able to present the gospel through the lens of Reformed doctrine, all while emphasizing the necessity of repentance.
It was important for me to write this book because, in many American evangelical churches today, repentance is often treated as optional, which could not be further from the truth. Without genuine repentance, there is no real faith. One cannot sincerely ask for Christ’s salvation while continuing to cling to sin, as if following Jesus is less appealing than holding onto old ways. This attitude reveals a deeper allegiance to darkness—the very thing Christ came to rescue us from. By emphasizing repentance, I hope to correct this misunderstanding and call readers back to the true meaning of faith and transformation. That is why this book needed to be written.
What led you to draw from films like The Matrix and Apollo 13 to communicate theological ideas?
Over the course of about a year and a half, I noticed that three different books I was reading used illustrations from The Matrix. This piqued my curiosity, so my wife and I decided to watch the movie ourselves. We were astonished at how often the film echoed deep biblical truths—so much so that we kept glancing at each other in disbelief throughout. While The Matrix is not a Christian movie, its script and imagery are saturated with themes that align closely with the gospel. This unexpected resonance is what truly captivated us.
I share the perspective of thinkers like Cornelius Van Til and Francis Schaeffer, who believed that authentic art—when it honestly seeks to tell the truth—inevitably reflects a Christian worldview. The artist does not need to set out with the intention of echoing Scripture; if the story is told with integrity, biblical themes will emerge, unless the goal is to glorify sin. In the case of The Matrix, these parallels were so unmistakable that you didn’t need to search for them—they were right there, plain to see.
Similarly, I found inspiration in Apollo 13. As I discuss in the book, the film serves as a metaphor for humanity in desperate need of rescue. The astronauts’ peril mirrors our own spiritual predicament, and Houston’s role—providing guidance and support—symbolizes the saving help God offers to those who call out in faith. Drawing from these films allowed me to communicate theological truths in ways that are vivid, relatable, and memorable.
Why was it important for this book to move from diagnosis to direct summons?
Answer: Moving from diagnosis to direct summons was crucial because the gospel is not merely an observation of humanity’s brokenness but a call to action. The Bible does not simply describe our spiritual condition—it compels us to respond. In the same way, this book goes beyond identifying the problem; it urgently invites the reader to repentance and transformation. The gospel message is inherently active: it diagnoses our need and then summons us to the only sufficient answer—turning to God in faith and repentance. Clarity and urgency are needed if lives are to be truly changed.
What kinds of resistance do you expect from readers encountering this message, and how do you respond to readers who struggle with the book’s emphasis on human incapacity?
This is a question I encounter frequently, given my Reformed perspective. It’s understandable that readers may resist the book’s emphasis on human incapacity, especially when it challenges the deeply held belief in unfettered free will. Let me clarify: Reformed theology does not deny that people make real choices every day—what to eat, what to wear, how to spend their time. What it does challenge is the notion that human will operates in total freedom, without limitation. We all recognize there are boundaries to our choices—no one can will themselves to be taller or to have a new set of natural talents overnight.
But the heart of the debate is whether a person can truly choose God on their own. The Scriptures and experience both suggest that while the offer of salvation is genuinely extended to all, people naturally pursue what they love most. The problem is that, apart from divine intervention, our affections are bent toward sin. Just as a hungry lion will always choose meat over hay, no matter how available the hay may be— because that is what lions do. It is in their nature. So too, the human heart, left to itself, will not choose God, because it is not in its nature. This is not about intelligence, morality, or effort; it is about the orientation of our desires. Only when God changes the heart do we find ourselves truly willing and able to respond to Him. I address this not to discourage, but to highlight the miracle and necessity of grace. I welcome honest questions and struggles with this message, because wrestling with it can be the beginning of deeper understanding and, ultimately, hope.
Recipe for Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery)
Marla A. White’s Recipe for Murder, a Pine Cove Mystery, follows ex-LAPD officer turned B&B owner Mel O’Rourke as she is pulled into a suspicious death far from home. In New Orleans, Jackson Thibodeaux discovers his friend Kaya Woods dead at a culinary school; moments later, someone knocks him unconscious, and when he wakes, the crime scene has been scrubbed clean. Back in Pine Cove, Mel must sort through Jackson’s claim of staged suicide while juggling a struggling inn, a snarled romantic triangle, a nosy but formidable family, and a mystery with more heat than any cooking-school rivalry.
I liked the book most when it let Pine Cove be gloriously, inconveniently alive. The mystery has sharp elbows, but the town is the real seasoning: Grandma O’s filthy one-liners, Poppy’s theatrical Britishness, Gregg’s prickly lawman energy, Jackson’s wounded charm, and Mel’s exhausted competence all crowd the page in a way that feels deliberately noisy. White understands that a cozy mystery doesn’t need to be soft; it can have bite, vinegar, and a little smoke under the sweetness.
Mel makes a satisfying narrator because she isn’t merely “spunky,” that exhausted label often slapped on women with sarcasm and a gun. She’s brave, but not tidy about it; funny, but often as a defense mechanism; capable, but still porous to fear, jealousy, and old damage. The romantic tension occasionally threatens to steal the wheel from the murder plot, yet I found that messiness part of the book’s appeal. The story is at its best when danger, desire, plumbing disasters, and small-town gossip all arrive at once, like a dinner party where every guest brought a weaponized casserole.
The target audience is readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, small-town fiction, romantic suspense, and humorous mysteries with an ensemble cast and a heroine who can trade insults while chasing clues. Fans of Joanne Fluke’s food-centered mysteries may recognize the genre pantry, though White’s tone is sassier, more kinetic, and closer at times to Janet Evanovich’s chaos-with-a-body-count verve. Recipe for Murder is a lively whodunit that proves comfort reading can still be thrilling.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0GTRJ24MV
Judas, Otherwise
Judas, Otherwise by Steven Marks is a thoughtful historical novel built around one unsettling question: what if Judas had truly been free to choose, and what if he chose differently? The author frames the book as “a spirit of imagination, not irreverence,” and that feels like the right doorway into it. This is a faith-adjacent reimagining that treats its sacred material with seriousness, but it’s also very much a character study about pressure, fear, love, and the cost of trying to control what can’t be controlled.
The strongest part of the book is how patiently it builds Judas before he becomes “Judas.” We meet him as a boy in Kerioth, shaped by Roman violence, family loyalty, his father Shimon’s hard-won restraint, and his cousin Ezran’s sharper, more dangerous certainty. The early chapters give the story its moral vocabulary. Judas isn’t drawn as a simple villain or a misunderstood saint. He’s a serious, wounded, perceptive man who keeps trying to make sense of suffering, and that makes his later choices feel painfully human.
Marks is especially good at writing moral tension as conversation. Shimon, Ezran, Matthew, Peter, Jesus, and Judas all speak from distinct places, and the best scenes don’t feel like debates so much as people pressing on each other’s hidden bruises. One line from Judas, “I believe men become what they practice,” works almost like a hinge for the whole novel. The book keeps returning to that idea, asking what happens when fear, caution, anger, responsibility, and love become habits before a person realizes they’ve hardened into character.
The novel’s Jesus is gentle, and the disciples are allowed to be earthy, funny, tired, and confused. That helps the middle of the book breathe. The scenes around the purse, the crowds, Bethany, Jerusalem, and the growing danger around Passover give the story a lived-in texture. The political pressure is also handled well. Rome, the Temple authorities, zealotry, poverty, and public unrest all become part of the trap Judas walks into, but the book keeps the focus on his inward logic rather than turning the plot into a history lecture.
Judas, Otherwise is a tragedy about misdirected love. Judas doesn’t fall because he feels nothing. He falls because he feels too much and decides feeling must become management. The final chapters are heavy, intimate, and sorrowful, especially in the way they show aftermath as ordinary life continuing after catastrophe. It’s a moving, reflective novel, best read by someone who wants a slow, character-driven reimagining that sits with consequence.
Pages: 392 | ASIN: B0GTBN4HMH
