Author Archives: Literary_Titan
Emotional Vulnerability
Thank You for the Kiss follows a traveling entrepreneur who arrives in Cuba, carrying heartbreak and longing with her, seeking an escape and a new identity for herself. Why was this an important book for you to write?
“Thank You for the Kiss” was an important book for me to write because it allowed me to explore the fragile intersection between personal longing and cultural complexity. At its core, it’s a story about emotional vulnerability -how heartbreak can push us to seek escape, reinvention, and connection in unfamiliar places. But it’s also a cautionary tale about the seductive glamour of tourism and the ease with which we can misread the world when we’re emotionally altered.
I wanted to show how, in moments of pain or disorientation, we can lose ourselves,not just in the beauty of a place, but in the illusion that we understand it. The protagonist’s journey through Cuba is not just physical; it’s a descent into the blurred lines between empathy and projection, generosity and vanity. Gina’s desire to help, to connect, to feel something real, is sincere, but it’s also tangled with misunderstanding, privilege, and the unconscious assumptions we carry when we move through cultures not our own.
Writing this story was punishing in its honesty. It forced me to confront how easy it is to let consequences drift when we’re consumed by our own emotional needs. But it also offered compassion, or the flawed ways we try to heal, for the mistakes we make when we’re trying to do good, and for the quiet hope that even in misunderstanding, there can be growth.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest part of writing this story was admitting it to myself first. Revisiting those nine months meant confronting not just the events, but the emotional undercurrents that shaped them: the heartbreak, the impulsivity, the moments of vanity and misjudgment. Putting it into raw words,without softening the edges, was bruising. It exposed the flaws of the protagonist, who in many ways mirrored my own vulnerabilities.
But that candor was necessary. It allowed me to reflect with humility, to trace the journey from emotional disorientation to deeper self-awareness, and to offer readers something honest to connect with. I wanted the story to be more than just a personal reckoning,I hoped it would resonate with anyone who’s tried to help, who’s felt lost in unfamiliar terrain, and who’s learned, through discomfort, how to see with greater clarity and compassion.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Some of the most important themes I wanted to explore in Thank You for the Kiss were deeply personal, but also universally resonant:
EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY – I was drawn to the idea of what happens when we’re emotionally ddestabilise,how heartbreak can push us to seek new identities, new geographies, and new versions of ourselves. The protagonist’s journey is as much about internal transformation as it is about physical travel.
CROSS – CULTURALISM – A central theme was the fragility of cross-cultural encounters, especially when filtered through the lens of emotional vulnerability. I wanted to explore how easily good intentions can be misread, how privilege can distort perception, and how tourism can sometimes blur the line between connection and consumption.
GLAMOUR AND SEDUCTION – There’s a seductive quality to escape, especially in a place as visually and emotionally rich as Cuba. I wanted to show how easy it is to fall into the fantasy of a place, to romanticize it, and in doing so, lose sight of its realities and the people who live them every day.
VANITY, VULNERABILITY AND SELF-REFLECTION -This story demanded a raw honesty about the protagonist’s flaws and her desire to help, her longing to be seen, her missteps. It was important for me to write a character who is both well-meaning and deeply imperfect, because that’s where growth happens: in the tension between who we are and who we hope to be.
POWER/ A HARK BACK TO COLONIALISM AND THE NEED TO DO GOOD I also wanted to examine the complicated dynamics between those who have and those who do not. The protagonist’s attempts to help are sincere, but they’re also shaped by her own needs and assumptions. This theme was about interrogating the ethics of giving, and how easily we can project our own desires onto others under the guise of generosity.
I wanted the story to be not just about love or loss, but about the messy, beautiful, and often uncomfortable process of learning to see more clearly – both ourselves and the world around us.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope readers take away from Thank You for the Kiss, that vulnerability is not weakness ; it’s a doorway. The story invites readers to sit with discomfort, to witness the messy, imperfect ways we try to heal, connect, and understand both ourselves and others. It’s a reminder that emotional honesty, even when painful, can lead to clarity and compassion.
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When warrior Queen Gina arrives in Havana, she seeks to rebuild her shattered life after profound loss. But Cuba, with its vibrant chaos, becomes both a healer and a destroyer. Caught in deception, cultural misunderstandings, and the pull of forbidden love, Gina must decide: surrender to ruin, rise again as the formidable woman she was meant to be.
a raw and unforgettable memoir of grief, identity and transformation
Thank You For The Kiss, a memoir, invites readers to witness one woman’s extraordinary fight to reclaim her life and spirit.
A Female Perspective
Pain Games follows the member of a Female Engagement Team on her journey from enlistment through boot camp to deployment in Iraq, capturing the brutality, absurdity, and dark humor of military life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Kate Molsin, the main character, is a Military Police Officer who’s hand-selected to lead a Female Engagement Team (FET). The original idea for what became Adrenaline Rush actually started when I was in middle school. Back then, I was sketching out the blueprints for a story about service, sacrifice, and adrenaline—but I set it aside when I enlisted in the Air National Guard. The concept stayed in the back of my mind for years, though, simmering until I found the inspiration I needed to bring it to life.
That spark came after I transferred to active-duty Army three years later. I was stationed in South Korea as a Military Police Officer, and being in that environment—serving with so many incredible men and women who became like family—gave me clarity on what I wanted the story to become. That’s when Adrenaline Rush evolved from a single story into what’s now a full series.
During my time in service, I realized how few military stories are told from a female perspective. We go into combat alongside our brothers-in-arms, shoulder-to-shoulder as equals, but we process war, trauma, and resilience differently. That contrast stuck with me, and I wanted to explore it honestly. In many ways, this series is my version of a Tom Clancy or Jack Reacher story—told through a woman’s lens. Because the truth is, men aren’t the only ones who like to blow stuff up, tote guns, and fight for their team.
Ultimately, I hope Adrenaline Rush serves as both a platform and a conversation starter—to educate, entertain, and shed light on what all soldiers and veterans experience, especially women whose stories too often go untold.
Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?
Yes, absolutely. Kate Molsin is a blend of all the incredible women I’ve served with—myself included. She embodies our strength, humor, resilience, and the emotional depth that comes from serving in uniform. Many of the other characters are inspired by the remarkable men I’ve had the privilege to work alongside. Their personalities, quirks, and unspoken camaraderie helped shape the realism behind each scene. In many ways, these characters are tributes to the people who’ve stood beside me through chaos and calm—the brothers and sisters who became family through shared hardship and service.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Oh man, there are so many. The main themes I wanted to highlight in the lives of soldiers are honor, courage, commitment, and resilience.
Honor—for us, it means living by the core values instilled in you from day one of boot camp: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, integrity. It’s about making a vow to use those values as your moral compass, both in and out of uniform. We don’t always get it right—we’re human—but honor is a cornerstone of what it means to be a soldier.
Courage—it’s doing what’s right, whether you’re on the battlefield or navigating your personal life. It’s having the courage to walk into the darkness, sometimes alone, because you made a vow and you stand by it.
Commitment—as a soldier, you’re committed. Bottom line. To the mission, to your team, to your values. It’s that unbreakable drive to show up, even when everything in you wants to quit.
Resilience—the military will test you in every possible way: emotionally, psychologically, and physically. You have to take care of yourself so you can keep completing the mission. You have to learn to get back up after being knocked down, again and again. This life isn’t for the faint of heart—war doesn’t care about your feelings—but resilience is what separates those who endure from those who fade.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Katie and the direction of the second book?
Actually, the third book—Adrenaline Rush: Operation Homefront—will be coming out soon, and I’m really excited about it. Like the rest of the series, it’s packed with non-stop action, but it also dives deeper into the emotional and psychological battles soldiers face once they return home. It explores what it’s like to transition back into what we call the “civilian division,” or civ div—that uneasy process of trying to fit back into a world that feels both familiar and foreign.
This book highlights the reality that the fight doesn’t always end when the deployment does. Sometimes, the toughest battles are the ones you face after the war—when you’re trying to rebuild, reconnect, and rediscover who you are outside the uniform.
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When a terrorist organization threatens American lives in Iraq, the Black Devils are tasked with finding the leaders and eliminating the threat. Working alongside her love interest Alex and confronted with the loss of a team member to an IED, Kate embraces her iron-clad resilience. She’s given three days to capture three enemy combatants by the Ops Commander. Her singular thought: “When messing with the Black Devils, the cost of penance is high.”
The New World Order
In your memoir, Octagon Pillars and Domes, you take readers on a wild, emotional, and surprisingly personal ride through history, religion, politics, and memory. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In order to understand how we have arrived at this present state of affairs both nationally and globally, especially since the presidency of Barack Obama in 2009, who advanced a globalist agenda beginning with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (HR1) and at which time my research began, it was important to take a close look at events that have occurred since WWI, specifically, the rise of class-based Marxism and the establishment of the Federal Reserve Bank by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 under the advisement of his chief economic advisor and the leader of the Progressive and Zionist movements, Louis Brandeis.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Since the beginning of recorded history in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt in 3,500-4,000 B.C., the acceptance of creationism and related causal morality has served as the basis for law. However, due to perceived injustices experienced by Jews under creationist regimes including the Habsburgs and Romanovs during the 18th and 19th centuries, Karl Marx’s classist philosophy challenged these ideas, which gained acceptance by European intellectuals and academic circles at the Frankfurt School during the rise of German Industrialism. Of course, they already were immersed in Hegelian (deconstructionist) philosophy toward achieving absolute knowledge via rationalism. It is my belief in contrast to our founding principles rooted in Natural Law which formerly served as the rule of law, Marxism infected the United States at least by 1913, with the creation of the Federal Reserve, and certainly by the 1919 Paris Peace Conference (Treaty of Versailles), which established The League of Nations, a global peace-keeping force and precursor to the 1948 United Nations’ declaration of Human Rights as the revised rule of law. Since then, Progressive policies have established class protections for individuals and (immoral) behaviors that would have fallen well outside Federal law, according to our founding principles. I also wanted to clear up a common misunderstanding regarding the “separation of church and state,” which according to Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, was intended to protect the right to worship (God), rather than exclude Biblical morality from legislation, which is an argument that has been misappropriated by The Left.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
They are one and the same: researching historical events, with all their details and nuances, which have led us to this moment, in order to gain a clear picture of opposing forces and political occurrences over the last 100 years that have perpetuated Progressive ideology. I will say my research into Egyptology was especially rewarding, inherent to which are the ideas of divine birthright (Horus), salvation, and spiritual rebirth, and which likely served as the template for Christianity.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Marxist class-based protections were established in opposition to political systems perpetuated by Christianity’s old-world order, including the notion of the Divine Right of Kings, Natural Rights, and Democracy, which has far-reaching implications and conclusions. Finally, though it has been implemented under the auspices of humanitarianism, it is apparent globalism, assisted by technology, is an effort by international bankers and global oligarchs to harness formerly distant workers for the purposes of control and taxation. Indeed, the New World Order is upon us.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
Inspired By the Void
Rise of the Phantom follows two divine feline protectors who, while visiting the mortal world, discover a supernatural force wreaking havoc on the towns and causing mass destruction. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The idea first came from bedtime stories my dad used to tell me. I loved the idea of a world filled with magical creatures and guardians who protect it. As an avid reader, I also wanted to read books like the stories I had been told, but I couldn’t find any like them. Inspired by the void, I decided to create the world I wanted to visit. My mother was a huge part of helping me brainstorm this world and its depth over the last three years.
Rise of the Phantom features some very interesting characters who have their flaws but are still likable. How do you go about creating characters for your story?
I had general personality ideas for each character, but I quickly discovered that at some point, they begin to write their own story. They take on a life of their own, and as an author, you merely reflect how those characters react and go about their world more than creating it yourself. Some characters, such as Birch, suddenly come into the story and don’t leave like you thought they would.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Humor as armor, friendship, courage, and forgiveness were all really important to me. The story has serious moments, but I wanted to show that laughter and kindness can still exist even in dark times. The characters use humor and connection to get through pain, which I think makes them stronger and more human (even though most of them aren’t technically human). Tierra’s character really developed the humor as armor trope, and I feel it’s an aspect that isn’t always explored for its depth as much as it could be. I’ve found that there’s equal depth for characters who use this trope as an emotional safeguard as characters who are blatantly unhappy and miserable, or quiet and keep to themselves.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Yes, this is book one in a series of six books. Book 2, titled Guardians of Felina: The Lost Lair, is set to launch in December 2026, with each new book coming out every December. The Lost Lair goes deeper into the Guardians’ world and shows how the Phantom’s influence is spreading. Readers can expect bigger adventures, new characters, and more discoveries about the Guardians’ pasts—and how they’ll have to work together to face what’s coming next. And yes – readers are finally introduced to the Phantom.
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Before they can deliver their warning, the fire encircles the village, and glitching Beasts emerge, wreaking havoc. The Beasts vanish as mysteriously as they appeared, leaving behind injuries and a cryptic message: “You are now under the command of the Phantom.” Determined to act, Alada and Tierra set off to warn other villages, accompanied by Birch, an unassuming mortal unaware of their divine nature.
The journey takes them through the perilous Lost Labyrinth, where Birch becomes separated and must confront illusions and deceptive voices. With the help of an unlikely ally, and the bitter tree Gnarla, Birch learns the labyrinth’s secret: stop wishing and find strength within. Reunited with Alada and Tierra, they press on to Birch’s hometown, Stone Creek. There, Birch reveals the village’s tragic secret-its residents, including his family, are spirits in denial of their deaths. Despite the eerie setting, Birch reconnects with his father, rekindling lost bonds.
Next, the trio hurries to TierraTown, a village devoted entirely to celebrating Tierra. While Tierra revels in the attention, Alada uncovers a brewing rebellion among the villagers. Chaos erupts as traitors unleash a trap and glitching Beasts attack once more, setting the forest ablaze. Alada saves the town in her full goddess form, but the experience leaves Tierra shaken. Tierra resolves to stay and help rebuild, renaming the village to symbolize her newfound sense of responsibility.
Alada and Birch continue to the Pyrite Peaks, using Levi Lifts to traverse the mountainous terrain. In her domain’s technologically advanced Nya Network, Alada meets with the Nya council to discuss the growing threat of the Phantom. Tierra arrives to support the urgency of their warnings. After rallying the Nyas, the trio sets off again, this time toward Lotus Bay, home of Guardian Coral.
Passing over the Moto Desert, they encounter a group of fleeing Aras, Guardian Ember’s subjects, who reveal that he has abandoned them. Beasts now roam the desert unchecked. The Aras seek refuge in Coral’s domain while the trio head off to find Coral herself. Upon arrival at the bay, the trio finds it eerily deserted-until a mysterious voice calls out, “Don’t ask her, ask me!”
Birch stands out as a fervent advocate for justice, initially a mere citizen who refuses to accept divine complacency. His persistent moral outrage and readiness to act lend the story immediacy; readers will cheer as he challenges immortals to live up to their titles.
Alada’s journey is more contemplative-an immortal Guardian who realizes that omniscience is not the same as omnipresence. She grapples with the limits of her power and influence, growing humbler and more accessible as she dares to admit that she needs allies and cannot save everyone alone.
Tierra’s arc may be the most poignant: from a carefree lover of festivals to a guilt-stricken protector desperate to atone for past negligence, her transformation is a testament to how catastrophic events and honest self-reflection can stir even the most self-indulgent soul into greater purpose.
Finding Happiness
Ocean’s Creatures – Wellness Teachers follows a spirited boy whose bad day turns into a journey of discovery and lessons in mindfulness and emotional balance when his grandfather takes him for a walk by the sea. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As the mother of an anxious child, I was inspired to write this story to help children learn healthy ways to manage strong emotions and navigate life’s challenges.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
I wanted to teach wellness concepts while fostering an appreciation for animals and the natural world. I hope children can take away lessons in mindfulness and finding happiness in everyday life.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I really enjoyed writing the scene showing the cooperation between the clown and sea anemone because it beautifully illustrates how two very different creatures can rely on each other for survival and support.
Do you have more books planned for the Animal Teachers series? If so, where will they take young readers next?
I am considering a picture book about the valuable lessons we can learn from insects for the third installment of this series, tentatively titled Smallest Creatures – Wellness Teachers.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
A Journey of Discovery
On a Sundown Sea follows a woman with the gifts of being a medium and clairvoyant who meets the leader of the American Theosophical Society, who guides her on a spiritual path that could make her mystical dreams a reality. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I grew up in Point Loma, near Madame Katherine Tingley’s Lomaland. Though she’s been gone nearly a century, stories of her remarkable life—and the extraordinary happenings on that hilltop—still echo throughout the region. I’ve long been fascinated by the mysteries surrounding her. Was she truly a medium and clairvoyant? How did she transform barren land into a flourishing Theosophical community with gardens, a school, and an arts colony? And did she really believe her husband had been reincarnated as a turtle?
Determined to uncover the truth, I spent five years researching and writing this biographical historical novel. While no full biography of Tingley exists, I immersed myself in her speeches, personal writings, and countless archival materials—newspaper articles, letters, photographs, court testimonies, ship logs, and passports. The Theosophists were prolific writers and publishers; Lomaland even had its own press that produced pamphlets and magazines. My greatest challenge was reconciling the many conflicting dates and facts I encountered.
To follow her journey, I traveled to her birthplace in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and to New York City, where her story first unfolds. And to better understand her esoteric world, I attended mediumship readings and worked with a shaman.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
A novelist’s job is to place obstacles between the protagonist and their deepest desire—and Katherine’s childhood vision of building a white city had no shortage of them. Every compelling story thrives on conflict, and characters become truly memorable when they reveal their touchstones, quirks, humor, and emotions. I also believe love, in one form or another, should always be present—it adds depth, humanity, and hope to even the most challenging journeys.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
After a twenty-year career as a public-school educator, I found myself drawn to writing. I began attending a weekly drop-in group, where the facilitator gave prompts and set a timer to get us started. Writing in community helped me keep my pen moving, even on days when I wanted to stop. Initially, I thought I’d write children’s books or a memoir about my time in the classroom—but that wasn’t what unfolded at all.
Instead, characters began appearing on the page seemingly out of nowhere, and I just kept following them. I’m an intuitive writer, composing all my first drafts by hand in a journal. When I started, I never imagined I would create the Anne McFarland Series, let alone On a Sundown Sea: A Novel of Madame Tingley and the Origins of Lomaland. It’s been a journey of discovery, both of the stories themselves and of who I am as a writer.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I’d love to publish a collection of my nature poetry, as well as a personal development book inspired by my philosophy and blog, Crealivity. At the same time, I’m resisting the pull of a first chapter that has jumped onto the page for a fourth novel in the Anne McFarland Series. Over the past ten years, I’ve sent four novels and hundreds of poems out into the world, but right now my focus is on promoting On a Sundown Sea. I’ve many local events planned here in San Diego first, and then I’m taking the book on tour to other parts of the country.
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In 1888, Katherine Tingley, a medium and clairvoyant, continues to have a childhood vision of a white city on a sundown sea. While serving the poor at her Do-Good Mission on Manhattan’s East Side, she encounters William Q. Judge, a mesmerist and leader of the American Theosophical Society. He recognizes her potential, convinces her to become his student, and guides her on a spiritual path that could make her mystical dream become a reality.
After Judge’s passing, Katherine assumes leadership of the Society and embarks on a world crusade to spread brotherhood, learn from ancient cultures, and search for a Himalayan Mahatma. In 1900, she moves the Theosophical headquarters to San Diego. Here, she sets out to establish Lomaland—a sacred space of learning, artistry, and divine harmony, built on a barren peninsula yet brimming with hidden potential. As people from around the world converge to share in her vision, they form a community united in purpose to spread enlightenment. However, betrayals, lies, and libels accumulate until a monumental court case ultimately decides her future and the fate of the white city on a sundown sea.
A Chance For Redemption
Whispering Shadows follows a man with a terminal illness who keeps this information from his wife, only to die in a tragic accident and awaken in a world between life and death, with a need to find redemption. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Many years ago I was told of a man who had been diagnosed with Terminal Cancer, and that he would be fortunate to see the year out. Unfortunately, not the most uncommon of revelations, except that he not only refused any form of treatment but also decided in his ‘wisdom’ to withhold the diagnosis from his wife, at least until he felt the time was right! One Winter’s night a few months later he died in a high speed car crash, quite alone, with no other persons or vehicles involved. The effect on his partner was naturally immense, but equally, the discovery of his diagnosis, along with the projected time left to live, and something she could not forgive. Was it suicide or an accident? The fact that he could not bring himself to confide in the one person who should have been at the head of the list was something that has stay with me. Perhaps something he would have attempted to rectify should there be an afterlife, a chance for redemption.
Ethan’s journey in the afterlife takes readers on a complex journey of love and loss as he tries to find forgiveness. What do you think were some of the defining moments in Ethan’s development?
Ethan’s discovery that an afterlife exists, his wife believing he committed suicide, and subsequent determination to prove that it really was an unfortunate accident, along with an overpowering need to explain what took place on that snow-laden day and obtain her forgiveness for his deception. The rare permission granted to revisit earth and seek out the person now imbued with Gen’s life force and the people and places it would lead him to.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I think the paths that different people take throughout their lives, and the realisation that so much is destiny or at least outside of our control, the idiom ‘what will be will be’ comes to mind. Also the good that resides in everyone, the need to love and be loved, however deep it might be hidden. It never fails to amaze at how couples first meet, often by the slender of chances, only to spend a lifetime together accepting the other as their predetermined soulmate.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
The story of an RAF pilot in the Second World War who inadvertently saves the life of another, a German pilot, albeit seriously injured, and the bizarre happenings that follow their lives from that moment forward. Inspired by a true story, one that results in a friendship that survives the terrible events of the war and is rekindled by a chance magazine article followed by a phone call that would reunite both the men and their families in their later years. A book that will hopefully be completed early 2026.
What if death wasn’t the end of your story, but the beginning of a greater search – for truth, for forgiveness, and for the soul you lost?
Ethan Turing wakes to a world forever changed. A routine medical appointment delivers a devastating diagnosis: he has only months to live. Reeling from the news, Ethan keeps it from his beloved wife, Gen, intending to shield her from the pain. But fate intervenes when a tragic accident on a snow-covered London street leads to his untimely death.
Presumed a suicide, Ethan’s demise leaves Gen in anguish, unaware of his terminal illness. As she grapples with grief, she discovers she is carrying their child – a son she names after Ethan. Tragically, complications during childbirth claim her life, leaving their newborn orphaned.
Yet, Ethan’s journey doesn’t end with death. His soul is intercepted by enigmatic beings who recognize his potent life force. Offered a chance to transcend his fate, Ethan embarks on a quest to find Gen’s reincarnated soul. Granted the opportunity to return to Earth, he must identify her among six individuals scattered across the globe. Only by looking into their eyes can he discern her true identity and seek the forgiveness he so desperately craves.
Whispering Shadows is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the enduring bonds that transcend time and space. Paul Flintham weaves a tale that challenges the boundaries of life and death, asking: can love truly conquer all?
My Nightmare
The Other Side follows a young detective who is killed in the line of duty, and instead of ascending to Heaven chooses to reside in the Veil, where he has to destroy an ancient beast set on feeding on the living’s souls. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
First, I want to thank the entire team at Literary Titan for their hard work and dedication with helping independent authors. Thank you for everything you do. To answer your question we must travel back to my childhood. When I was eleven years old I began having a recurring nightmare where I had passed away and become a ghost. I would follow my family around the house trying to get their attention, but no matter how hard I tried, no one could see or hear me. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I would realize something was with me in this in between world. I couldn’t see what it was, I just knew it was wicked and it wanted my soul. This unseen entity would chase me through the house and I would always wake up, sweaty and with my heart pounding, right before it could get me. Like most nightmares of your youth it faded over time. But the impression it left on me never diminished. So when I decided to write my first novel, it was a no-brainer for me to write about my nightmare.
Mitch is an interesting character with his flaws, yet he remains likable and relatable. How do you go about creating characters for your story?
I really enjoy creating characters. It’s my favorite part of creating my stories. For years I was a warehouse manager, and part of my job duties was hiring new employees. I always enjoyed interviewing prospective team members. Every person is unique, and it was always interesting learning a little bit about that person’s background and why they wanted to work for the company and why they thought they would be a great team member. And that’s how I create my prospective characters. I have them sit down and do a full interview inside my head and write down their responses. Of course, it’s more personal and thorough than a mere job interview, but the same principles apply. I learn everything about my characters and have fun doing it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore love, the power of family, and the goodness in the human soul in the face of unimaginable horror. The Other Side is a horror novel, but that doesn’t mean we can’t highlight some of the positive aspects of the human condition. Mitch shows us all the power of love trumps the power of evil. He’ll do anything to protect his family and friends. And I believe it is important to highlight the positive aspects of humanity because most of what you see on the news and online highlight the worst parts of us. So yeah, The Other Side is a horror novel with gory depictions and an enigmatic, evil villain, but at its heart is love, family, and the power of good triumphing over evil.
Will this novel be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
When I wrote The Other Side I meant for it to be a standalone story. Since then, I’ve had hundreds of readers asking me the same question. So now, I have plans on making the adventures of Mitch and Sophia into a trilogy. But first, I have another novel in the editing phase of production and I’m putting the finishing touches on another manuscript. So stay tuned!
Author Links: GoodReads | Bookbaby
After being shot and killed in the line of duty, and passing up his chance to enter heaven so he can watch over his family, Mitch finds himself in The Veil, a dangerous plane of existence where unwanted souls and unspeakable evil dwell. Now an ancient beast that feeds on the souls God doesn’t want has its eyes set on Mitch, and it won’t stop until it possesses his soul.
What follows is a battle between good and evil with the fate of every soul in the living world hanging in the balance. Can Mitch destroy the ancient evil and protect his friends and family? Or will the beast from the pits of hell take Mitch’s soul and be unleashed upon the living world?
LITERARY TITAN 