Blog Archives
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
F F F by Al X. Griz
Pixie by Nightdancer Slater
Ada, Old and New: A Brother-Sister Tale by Madeleine Van Hecke
A Child’s Guillotine by Daniel Klein
The Restoration of Man-A Journey to Healing, Identity and God-Anchored Masculinity by Eli Brackenbury
The STEWARD Blueprint: A Compass for a Purposeful Life by Andy Tseng
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Our Greatest Potential
The Orchard follows a resourceful orphaned girl whose unlikely bond with an elderly gnome transforms a neglected orchard into a haven of faith, love, second chances, and chosen family. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have always enjoyed reading coming-of-age stories, and the inspiration they provide as one navigates the passage of time, no matter if that is being a teenager, a harried thirty-year-old, or approaching seventy. Growing up in a rural area, I have spent hours working in the family orchard. Farm work teaches life lessons that carry with one for years. The gnome was based on a dear gentleman that I had an acquaintance with and his character was an inspiration.
Theodore begins as Elsie’s protector and teacher, but their relationship changes over time. What did you want their evolving bond to reveal about family?
The bond between Elsie and Theodore changes to illustrate that caring grows as we spend time with people. Family often doesn’t mean those with whom we share blood ties. Elsie and Theodore develop a mutual dependence, instead of a one-sided relationship where Theodore is the caregiver. He comes to realize his life is richer by sharing it with others. His own fears due to his being different from others held him back for most of his life. Our greatest potential is awakened not when we know we can’t fail, but when we know we are loved no matter what the outcome is.
Elsie is remarkably independent and practical from a young age. How did you balance her childhood vulnerability with her determination and growing sense of responsibility?
Adversity acts as a motivating factor in Elsie’s life. Her early years were unsettled, and when Theodore begins to show her that she has potential for a different life, she grabs it with resolve. As her own life begins to bloom, she is determined to help those around her find their potential. Elsie understands that education, in its many forms, holds the key to overcoming present circumstances.
The orchard’s restoration parallels Elsie’s personal growth and the household’s expansion. How did you develop this setting as a symbol of renewal and belonging?
In parts of the world, there are four very distinct seasons. In the spring, I look forward to new growth on trees and flowers; I watch it through the summer, tending to the needs of the vegetation; in fall comes the harvest and the glorious colors; many people think all is dormant in the winter, but there is maintenance to that plant. Our lives have seasons, both mini-seasons and expanses of years that parallel nature.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Meaningful Memories
The House With the Mango Tree follows a twelve-year-old as he adjusts to moving from the United States to the Dominican Republic, navigating change, new friendships, and the search for belonging. Where did the idea for this book come from?
My own experience living and serving as a missionary in the Dominican Republic gave me the foundation for this story. Moving to another country brings wonderful opportunities, but it also means leaving people and familiar things behind. Even when you believe God has led you somewhere, the adjustment can be difficult.
I wanted to explore that experience through a child’s eyes. Adults often decide on a move, while children have to find their place in a life they didn’t choose. Johnnie’s story leaves room for both the sadness of leaving and the possibility that a new place can become home.
How did you approach portraying his sadness about leaving behind friends, school, and familiar routines?
I wanted to take his feelings seriously. For a twelve-year-old, friends, school, and everyday routines make up so much of his world. Leaving those things is a real loss, even when the adults around him are excited about what comes next.
It was important to give Johnnie room to miss home without making him seem ungrateful. Children can enjoy a new friendship and still wish they could see an old friend. They can trust God and still feel lonely. I wanted his adjustment to feel gradual, because belonging usually grows through small experiences rather than one moment that suddenly makes everything better.
Why was it important to show ordinary neighborhood life rather than focus only on the differences Johnnie notices?
Some of my most meaningful memories of the Dominican Republic are of ordinary moments—teaching, sharing meals, having conversations, and spending time with people. Those experiences helped me build relationships and feel connected to the community.
I wanted that sense of everyday life in Johnnie’s story. His neighbors have their own families, responsibilities, friendships, and concerns. As he gets to know them, he begins to see beyond what feels unfamiliar. I hope young readers experience that with him and recognize feelings they understand: wanting a friend, wanting to be included, and wanting somewhere to belong.
What advice would you offer aspiring authors who want to explore cultural experiences and faith in children’s literature?
Begin by listening. Learn from people who live in the culture you’re writing about, and give them an opportunity to tell you what you’ve misunderstood or overlooked. Personal experience is valuable, but there is always more to learn.
Give the child’s emotional experience the same care. Let children ask questions, make mistakes, feel disappointed, and grow. Faith can come through naturally in how characters respond – offering kindness, asking forgiveness, praying when they’re unsure, or learning to trust God through change.
Above all, tell a story children want to read. Give them people to care about and a reason to turn the page.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
What if leaving everything familiar is the first step toward discovering where you truly belong?
Twelve-year-old Johnnie never asked to move to the Dominican Republic.
Back home, he had his school, his best friend, his basketball hoop—and a life that made sense. But when his parents move the family to a colorful new neighborhood for missionary work, Johnnie suddenly finds himself surrounded by unfamiliar sounds, unfamiliar words, and a culture he isn’t sure will ever feel like home.
Then he meets Mateo.
With a baseball glove, a quick sense of humor, and plenty of patience for Johnnie’s Spanish, Mateo gives the new kid something he desperately needs: a friend. And beneath the branches of a sprawling mango tree, through neighborhood adventures, unexpected power outages, glowing fireflies, and opportunities to serve others, Johnnie begins to see his new home differently.
Maybe belonging doesn’t happen all at once.
Maybe sometimes it begins with one friend, one act of kindness, and the courage to make room for something new.
The House with the Mango Tree is the heartwarming first book in the Johnnie in the Dominican Republic series—a faith-centered children’s story about friendship, courage, cultural discovery, service, and trusting God through life’s biggest changes.
Perfect for young independent readers, family read-alouds, Christian families, homeschoolers, classrooms, churches, and children’s reading groups.
A warm and hopeful story for every child who has ever left something familiar and wondered if a new place could ever feel like home.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
Vanished Twin by Lawrence Hoffman
POINT FIRST by Nannette Potter
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
Walking Away by Richard Michael O’Meara
Pulsar: The Time Traveler by Alexander Heed
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Seek Forgiveness and Keep Growing
The Journey follows Lawrence, a burdened cat whose perilous pilgrimage toward the Celestial City teaches him to trust grace, Scripture, and the companions who help him keep walking. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wanted to make the spiritual journey tangible for children. Lawrence can feel the weight of his burden, lose his footing, face an enemy, and discover that he needs help along the way. The pilgrimage structure, with its echoes of The Pilgrim’s Progress, let me turn questions about sin, fear, forgiveness, and faith into an adventure. I chose a cat because Lawrence could be curious and determined while also being frightened and vulnerable. I hope young readers see that they do not have to be fearless or have everything figured out to begin following God.
How did you decide which parts of Lawrence’s inner struggle to turn into places such as the swamp, fair, and dungeon?
I looked for struggles children might recognize, even if they would not yet have words for them. The swamp grows out of doubt: the more Lawrence questions the path and fears what lies ahead, the harder it becomes to move. Vanity Fair makes temptation appealing before its cruelty becomes clear. The dungeon gives shape to guilt and despair after Lawrence chooses what looks like an easier road. Making those struggles into places allowed readers to experience them with Lawrence and see how Scripture, God’s promises, and the help of a friend give him a way forward.
What does Lawrence’s response to Apollyon’s accusations reveal about the difference between remembering his failures and trusting the mercy he has found?
Apollyon points to something real: Lawrence did turn back after the swamp. Lawrence does not pretend otherwise. He even admits that Apollyon has left out other failures. But he refuses to let those failures settle the question of who he belongs to. His answer comes from the Book: the Prince he serves is merciful and ready to forgive. I wanted readers to see that remembering a mistake can lead us to seek forgiveness and keep growing; believing that a mistake puts us beyond mercy leaves us trapped in shame.
How did Faith’s death shape what you wanted Lawrence and young readers to understand about grief during a life of faith?
I wanted Lawrence’s grief to have room to be honest. He weeps, feels abandoned, and asks why the King allowed Faith to die. Those questions are part of his story; they do not mean he has stopped caring about God. Hope comes to him while he is still hurting, and he gradually finds the strength to walk again. Faith’s death is painful even though Lawrence later sees him at the Celestial City. I hope young readers understand that faith does not require them to hide their sorrow. They can bring their hardest questions to God and let others help carry them through it.
When Lawrence wakes to find a mysterious pack tied to his back, he begins a journey he never meant to take. Drawn from the spirit of Pilgrim’s Progress, this allegorical adventure follows a young cat through valleys, dungeons, and dangers that test his courage and faith. As he faces fear, deception, and the tempting promise of an easier road, Lawrence learns what every believer must: strength does not come from striving, but from the power of God within us.
Through trials that nearly undo him and friendships that lift him up, Lawrence discovers that hope is stronger than fear, and the King’s plan is good—even when the way is hard.
Perfect for readers in grades 4–6, families, and anyone who loves faith-filled stories. This story invites us to trust that even in our hardest moments, God is near, His promises are true, and His plan is good.
Plans: A Haterius Family Adventure
Plans by Pamela Percival is a Christian family adventure novel that blends domestic suspense, international travel fiction, and coming-of-age family drama. At its center is Aggie Haterius, a widowed cybersecurity professor raising three strong-willed daughters: twins Kae and Domi, and their younger sister, Claudia. A long-awaited summer trip begins just as Aggie’s professional success attracts dangerous attention. Percival tells the story through multiple viewpoints, giving readers access to Aggie’s protective instincts, the twins’ changing relationship, and Claudia’s struggle to find her own place within the family.
The suspense grows from two connected threats. Aggie’s work on the highly classified Mojave Project has made her valuable to governments and criminals, while a delusional colleague, Dr. Robert Sterling, has become increasingly violent. Once the family reaches Israel, the book develops into a cybersecurity thriller and international conspiracy story. Sterling’s attacks are immediate and personal, while the stolen software creates a broader danger. The combination gives the novel an unusual identity, mixing a stalker thriller with technological intrigue and a mother’s determination to protect her children.
Family life provides the book’s emotional center. Kae, Domi, and Claudia argue, tease, compete, and defend one another with convincing intensity. Their sightseeing, hotel stays, meals, and mishaps give the novel the texture of a detailed family travel adventure. Claudia’s desert excursion is especially important because it lets her become the informed, confident sister for once. Faith also plays a role, making this clean Christian suspense novel as interested in courage, loyalty, and providence as it is in danger. The measured, scene-by-scene storytelling allows readers to spend plenty of time with the Haterius family before the plot takes its largest turn.
That turn transforms Plans into speculative time travel fiction while setting up the larger Haterius Family Adventure series. A desert sandstorm, an assassin, an extraordinary lightning event, and a seemingly impossible disappearance bring the novel to a striking cliffhanger. The included preview of No Plans, Book Two, reveals that Aggie and the children have entered a world where ancient Aramaic is spoken and camels have replaced modern transportation. Readers who enjoy Christian family fiction, multi-POV adventure novels, cybersecurity suspense, and time travel series will find plenty to explore here. Plans is a story about a capable family whose careful preparations lead them into an adventure far beyond anything they imagined.
Pages: 291 | ASIN: B0GY4N5142
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
The Voice of Cuba by Amarilys Rassler
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
