The Asset Within: A Romantic Spy Thriller
The Asset Within drops us straight into danger and never lets up. The story follows Andy, a CIA case officer whose routine debrief spirals into a life-altering nightmare after an Iranian defector hands her intelligence that could shift global power. The opening chapters move fast and hard, packed with fear, chaos, and heart, and they lay the foundation for a novel that blends espionage, romance, and trauma recovery into one intense ride. The plot moves between Andy and Cameron, the special operations officer who once broke her heart, and the book builds both the thriller and the love story with equal weight. It is a spy novel that centers emotion as much as action, giving it a very human core.
I enjoyed how raw the writing felt. The scenes hit with real force, especially the early sequence in the apartment that left Andy stabbed, injected with a mysterious substance, and scrambling to save a terrified family. I could almost feel her panic and her stubborn grit as she tried to keep moving. The prose has a conversational pulse, like someone telling you a story while their adrenaline is still high, and I found that surprisingly effective. It pulled me right into her head, even when her thoughts were messy or jagged. Some moments felt rough around the edges, but that added to the charm. The emotional stakes felt real because the writing never tried to polish them too much.
Cameron’s chapters gave me a different kind of tension. His anger, regret, and determination mixed together in a way that made me want to shake him one moment and root for him the next. His memories of Andy, along with the guilt buried under all that swagger, made him feel layered. The book treats their history with sensitivity, showing how unresolved pain can sit right under the skin and flare the second two people share the same room again. I also liked how the author wove themes of Black patriotism, marginalization, and institutional bias straight into the spycraft. It made the story feel grounded. The romance did not float above the plot. It grew from the pressure, the fear, and the simple fact that these two people were shaped by the same kind of hurt.
By the time I turned the final pages, I felt like I had been through something with these characters. The book mixes high-stakes action with heart, keeping the tension sharp while never forgetting the people at the center of the chaos. I would recommend The Asset Within to readers who love spy thrillers but want them with real emotional depth. It is perfect for fans of character-driven thrillers, readers who appreciate stories about Black excellence in spaces that try to erase it, and anyone who wants a book that hits hard but still leaves you rooting for love.
Pages: 296 | ASIN : B0FLVQQNKK
Litter Lady Leads: in a Litter-Filled Land
Litter Lady Leads, written by Martha Goldner, is a sweet and simple story about an older woman who cannot stop tidying the world around her. Page after page, she strolls through beaches, parks, trains, ballparks, grocery stores, even windstorms, always scooping up trash with her pointy-tipped cane. Kids adore her. She feeds them cookies, picks up after everyone, donates useful things to people in need, and somehow keeps going even when she is tired. By the end, the kids learn to help her clean, and the whole picture book wraps up with a cheerful idea that we can all make the world a brighter place.
I found the whole book very charming. The writing is short and punchy, which fits a children’s book, but it still gave me little bursts of feeling. I kept smiling because Litter Lady is drawn with this stern face that kind of hides how soft-hearted she is. The pictures on the pages add a funny mood, too. They are colorful, a bit messy, and that rough style works because the story is about mess itself. It made me feel like the book was hand-colored with real love.
I also caught myself thinking about the book’s message more than I expected. It is simple. It is repetitive. Yet it got to me because I know people like her–people who clean up without asking for thanks and who make small corners of the world better just because they care. When the kids finally asked if they could help, I felt a tiny lump in my throat. Her not having cookies for them at the bus stop made me worry about her as if she were my own neighbor. This book surprised me with how much heart it carries in so few words.
I would recommend Litter Lady Leads in a Litter-filled Land to young kids, early readers, teachers, and anyone who wants a gentle story about kindness and caring for your community. It is simple in the best way. It is warm and sweet and gives a little nudge to be helpful. If you like picture books that mix humor with a feel-good lesson, this one will certainly make you smile.
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0CZ6SRBTZ
Bound in Flames
Bound in Flames follows Cleo, a young woman trapped in a brutal life until her long-buried magic erupts in a moment of fear and fury. Her escape pushes her into a violent world shaped by prejudice, power, and ancient conflict, and her path soon crosses with Dex, an orc chieftain who is far more dangerous and far more compelling than she expects. The book blends dark fantasy with intimate character work, vivid trauma, and a slow-burning bond that blossoms amid cruelty, captivity, and war.
I was pulled into Cleo’s pain in a way I didn’t expect. The writing hits hard. The author doesn’t flinch from the ugly parts of Cleo’s life, and that honesty hooked me right away. The scenes of abuse are raw. What kept me going was the spark beneath it all. Cleo’s voice has this stubborn edge that refuses to die, and I found myself rooting for her even in the worst moments. The worldbuilding unfolds through emotion rather than long explanations, and I liked that. It felt natural. It felt lived in. And the moment her magic breaks free felt huge.
The introduction of Dex adds a shift in tone that I didn’t know I needed until it arrived. The banter between them carries a bite. It feels risky and strangely warm at the same time. Dex has this mix of humor, menace, and quiet conviction that drew me in fast. Their chemistry doesn’t rush. It simmers. The writing leans into that slow build, balancing danger with curiosity in a way that made me grin even as the situation around them stayed grim. I liked how the story lets them challenge each other. There is a sense of two people learning their power in a world that wants them crushed. Some moments made me laugh. Some made my chest tighten. The blend felt messy and human and honestly pretty addictive.
I walked away thinking about the bigger ideas running under the story. Power that comes at a cost. Survival in a world built to break you. The strange tenderness that can bloom between two people who have every reason to mistrust each other. The writing doesn’t hide its darkness. It leans right into it. But it also offers hope in these sharp, glowing little shards. I felt that more strongly than I expected. It made the whole experience land with a weight that surprised me.
If you enjoy dark romantic fantasy with emotional depth, brutal stakes, and complicated characters who fight for themselves even when the world tells them not to, this book will hit the spot. Readers who like morally gray heroes, slow-burning tension, trauma-to-power arcs, and a world that feels rich with conflict will get the most out of it. It is intense, bold, and highly recommended.
Pages: 366 | ASIN : B0F16V46X6
Elf Stone of the Neyna
Elf Stone of the Neyna is a character-driven fantasy adventure that follows Yanda Selkeden, a surgeon from the planet Alland who is wrenched away from her life and her young daughter when a mysterious psychic call drags her onto a ship and into captivity. The novel moves from claustrophobic imprisonment on a barren moon to the toxic, war-scarred world of Terlond, where Yanda and a diverse group of other abducted women, each with unusual abilities, must survive the schemes of the mind-controlling mage Kridenit. As Yanda forms bonds, grows her own powers, and eventually encounters the ancient Elves whose fractured Great Stone summoned her, the story blends science fiction settings with classic fantasy motifs, creating a hybrid genre that feels both familiar and new.
Reading this in Yanda’s corner of the universe pulled me in quicker than I expected. The writing has a clean, direct style that makes even the stranger pieces of worldbuilding, mind-speak, stasis flights, toxic moons with domed prisons, easy to settle into. I found myself warming to the rhythm of scenes where the women talk in their cells late at night, learning to trust each other despite trauma and fear. Those chapters felt grounded and human. At the same time, the book isn’t shy about darkness. Kridenit’s manipulation and violation of Yanda is handled with a starkness that made me pause. It’s uncomfortable because it’s meant to be. The author doesn’t sensationalize it, but she doesn’t soften it either, and that honesty shapes the emotional arc of the whole story.
What surprised me most was how the story shifts tone once the Elves enter more fully. When Zamani reveals the true nature of the Stone and Yanda’s connection to it, the narrative opens up. The fantasy elements step forward, the ancient magic, the living forests, the sense of destiny pulling at her life. Those scenes have a gentler color to them, almost like stepping from a metal corridor into filtered green light. I liked that the book didn’t rush to resolve Yanda’s sense of guilt over leaving her daughter or the unease she feels about how her powers are growing. The author gives her space to make mistakes, to wonder, to push back. It makes her feel real in a story full of mind magic and star travel.
I walked away feeling like I’d been given a part of a much larger journey. The book’s blend of science fiction and fantasy, its hybrid genre, will appeal to readers who like character-centered stories with both technology and ancient magic intertwined. If you like your fantasy worlds with a hint of sci-fi grit and emotional stakes that don’t let up, Elf Stone of the Neyna is worth your time.
Pages: 308 | ASIN : B0C1629PRX
Because of His Heart
Because of His Heart tells a twisting story of strained love, private wounds, and the strange ways people hide from themselves. The book moves between Charles Portland, a journalist who stumbles through heartbreak and confusion, and Erica Seames, a doctor whose inner world spills into journals, therapy sessions, and dream-like reflections. Their marriage trembles under jealousy, grief, illness, and the pull of outside influences. Around them swirl detectives, therapists, academics, and a host of observers who add tension and mystery. What begins as a domestic rift grows into a psychological maze that pushes everyone toward breaking points and revelations. The story feels intimate and huge at the same time, like a whisper that somehow shakes the walls.
I felt pulled in by the writing right away. The style is rich, sometimes thick with emotion, sometimes floating in quiet sadness. I caught myself slowing down just to feel the rhythm of a paragraph. At other times, I sped ahead because the tension swelled and I needed to know what someone would say or remember or confess. The voices of the characters shift often, and that creates a strange, almost musical pattern. I enjoyed that. It felt risky and bold. When the book turns inward, especially through Erica’s journal passages, I felt a kind of ache, something tender and unsettling. The language is lush, sometimes a little wild, but it fits the turbulence inside her.
The book probes marriage. It pokes at the pride and fear that sit quietly between two people who love each other but stop speaking honestly. It also wanders into questions about identity, longing, projection, and the blurry line between truth and imagination. Some sections confused me in a way that felt intentional, almost like the author wanted me to experience the disorientation the characters felt. At times, I wished for clearer edges, yet the fog added to the emotional weight. I admired how the book balanced real-world problems with almost mythic undertones. Charles and Erica felt fragile but also alive, and their pain carried a beauty.
I would recommend Because of His Heart to readers who enjoy psychological fiction that digs deep into relationships and the hidden storms beneath daily life. It is perfect for someone who likes character-driven stories that wander through memory, longing, and emotional tension. If you want a straightforward plot, this may feel heavy. If you love getting lost in voices, feelings, and messy human truths, this will be a fantastic book for you.
Pages: 555 | ASIN : B0FS5BF8GD
Careers By the People: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals
Careers By the People is a wide-reaching look at what real work feels like for real people. Mike Wysocki gathers 101 interviews that span everything from CEOs to beekeepers to teachers, and he lets each person speak plainly about what their days look like, what they enjoy, and what grinds them down. The book moves through these stories with an easy rhythm. It shows how career paths twist and turn. It also explains how personality, luck, stubbornness, and honest self-reflection shape a life more than any job posting ever could.
I liked how direct the voices were, since many career books wrap advice in buzzwords. This one does not bother with that. The interviews feel like short but candid coffee chats. I caught myself underlining certain lines because they hit close to home. The mix of pride, regret, humor, and grit reminded me how messy most careers really are, and that made the entire book comforting. I also appreciated how Wysocki frames the stories with his own reflections. He speaks openly about his missteps. His tone feels friendly, almost like a mentor who refuses to sugarcoat anything.
At times, the honesty stings. Some stories feel heavy, and a few made me anxious in the best way because they pushed me to think harder about my own choices. When several similar roles appeared in a row, the forward momentum slowed. Still, that repetition also proved the point that every job contains highs and lows. I found myself enjoying the unpredictable flow of opinions. Some workers adore their field. Others are blunt about their frustration. I liked that mix. It made the book feel alive.
I would gladly recommend Careers By the People to high school and college students, early career professionals, and anyone who feels stuck or restless at work. The book works well as a guide, but it also works as a reality check. It gives readers permission to explore, to question their assumptions, and to admit when something does not fit. If you want straight talk, human stories, and a push to think about what you actually want from forty years of work, this book will serve you well.
Pages: 570 | ASIN : B0BPX59FT5
A Personal Challenge
The Manglers of Carraig centers around a boy fighting to protect his mother and sister and a jeweler known for her grim designs, both living in a world split by wealth and riddled with monsters. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
Believe it or not, the idea came from Brandon Sanderson’s writing course. I was in a bit of a literary slump, so I decided to check out the free creative writing course Brandon Sanderson posted on YouTube. In one of the classes, he asks students to come up with a setting or plot for a horror story. One of the students suggested “economic,” which stumped Sanderson. However, as an economics teacher, I took it as a personal challenge. Not long after, the idea hit me: what if a nation’s currency was not only a medium of exchange but also something people needed to keep the monsters away at night? I immediately took that concept and layered it over Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not—and voilà, my masterpiece was born.
What intrigues you most about the horror genre?
Definitely the characters. All genres need compelling characters, of course, but there is something about horror that requires very human and flawed people. I think this is why Stephen King is so successful. His plots are powerful, but it’s his characters that keep people invested for hundreds and hundreds of pages. To be honest, I would consider The Manglers of Carraig more dark fantasy than horror, but I knew I needed compelling characters if I was going to get readers invested in the setting.
What was your favorite scene in this story?
The scene with the Finger Baron. The chapters set in the Hen House, in general, are some of my best writing. I remember when I finished those chapters, I felt tremendous pride in how they turned out. Normally, I’m nervous after finishing a chapter because I worry the writing wasn’t as clear as it felt while it poured from my fingertips. But I had so much fun writing those chapters that they required almost no revisions in later drafts. The interaction with the Finger Baron was especially fun, and I actually laughed out loud at the madness I had created—or, more accurately, the madness the characters created for themselves, as sometimes happens when they take over the narrative. Hopefully, readers will find the same horror, humor, and suspense that I felt while writing the scene.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I have quite a few books waiting to be discovered on Amazon, but for now, I’m working on a seafaring fantasy with pirate orcs and sea monsters. It’s in the early stages, but I’m happy with where it’s headed and hope to be finished by the end of 2026.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
LITERARY TITAN 