Author Archives: Literary_Titan
From Misfit to Mastery
Shamaness: The Silent Seer follows a young girl born mute but also psychic, who, despite a childhood filled with cruelty, grows into a powerful shamaness. What was the first image or moment that sparked this story for you?
I literally dreamed the story of Kreya, the psychic but mute girl whose destiny takes her on a journey from misfit to mastery. Start to finish, including the main characters and events! It’s the only time that’s happened to me, and it took years after that dream to craft the story.
The shamanic teachings unfold slowly, almost as if the reader is being trained alongside Kreya. Was that intentional?
Yes. In high school when my classmates were exploring psychedelics, I was hunkered down on the floor of the dusty stacks at the local library, reading about ancient cultures and healing traditions. I wanted to share those traditions and beliefs in a way that makes sense for today’s readers. As a corollary, I also teach yoga:).
Kreya’s grandmother’s “rainbow voice” is a striking image. How do symbols like that function in your storytelling?
As a clinician working with individuals of all ages and brain-based conditions, I came to appreciate the role of multisensory experience and understanding. I perceive people in five senses! For me, sounds can inspire colors, just as sights can inspire physiological responses smells inspire memories. Amma’s presence seemed to me like a rainbow, so her speech carries that aspect.
You frame the novel between Kreya’s childhood and her sixtieth summer. Why was it important to tell the story from both ends of her life?
I rewrote the story three times, experimenting with different beginnings/endings and timelines. My wonderful critique partner read the second one and told me to “shred this and start over.” It was the best advice! I realized that the reader needed to know from the beginning that Kreya would not be defeated, that her future was solid.
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The Sinister Nature of Power
The Bent Nail follows a man born into filth and neglect who becomes both a victim and an instrument of a shadowy organization bent on reshaping the world through brutality. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for The Bent Nail, or its predecessor, Nails, came from a sole source. The initial story structure stemmed from a challenge made by a close friend to see if I could develop multiple, separate plot lines and weave them together into a single, coherent, exciting story line. Challenge accepted.
What came from that challenge was the original Nails, a story that introduced the reader to three truly flawed individuals: Tau, Gideon, and Simon; three individuals who erroneously thought they were the uncontested wielders of power in their respective worlds. In effect, they thought they were the hammers of society; individuals who could pound on others and rule with impunity, only to discover their power was an illusion. They were merely nails just like anyone else.
The inspiration for the main character, Tau, is personal experience. I had the opportunity to work closely with an organization whose cause was helping the hopeless. That effort brought me elbow to elbow with people society had cast out into the streets because that was easier than looking for productive alternatives. These people were the products of an unforgiving world, chemical abuse, mental instability, or just bad luck. That was where Tau came from. Tau represents those in our society who are forgotten, lost, and disposed of, but he refuses to be dismissed. He resorts to violence because it’s the advantage he possesses. We fear him because he has nothing to lose. His character hits us hard, not just because he’s a repugnant and vicious individual, but also because he’s so damaged and we see his potential for good.
The story is motivated by what we experience contemporarily. We are bombarded by streams of questionable, repetitive soundbites intended to manipulate, separate, and control. What we end up with is a powerless people subjugated to the will of others. I wanted to portray the sinister nature of power and those individuals who use this to their advantage. Some readers consider The Bent Nail as a warning of the future, others, a reflection of today.
The violence in the book is raw and sometimes difficult to endure. What role does discomfort play in your storytelling?
I wrestled with this. You use the term raw, and it is. And that is very intentional. The violence was necessary to drive home the idea that the world we know is not the comfortable place we believe it to be. A veil of civility might cover up the violent, self-serving nature of man, but that rawness still exists. We see violence, greed, and the desire to control in almost all aspects of society when we look close enough. The Bent Nail challenges us to check ourselves so as not to be seduced by power and wealth.
For me, storytelling requires emotional engagement. Comfort rarely seems to fit with that concept. That’s not to say that my stories are all violent or even troubling. I would suspect many would suggest my Countenance of Man, a touching story of man rediscovering his father through the eyes of others, is emotionally wrenching, but hardly troublesome. The Bent Nail deals with power and corruption; it would be unfair to treat this kindly.
The book challenges the idea of freedom itself. Do you believe freedom is real, conditional, or illusory?
Superb question. Certainly, The Bent Nail would suggest that freedom is illusory, something we think we possess even when the evidence would suggest otherwise. Do I believe that? Not really. In our western society, freedom is absolutely real, not just an abstract concept; however, it is continuously under attack. The struggle is that freedom is not an immutable idea. We have become too comfortable with the notion that freedom never changes, something that once we have it, it will always be there. It’s not. The Bent Nail throws that reality in our face. It challenges us to continuously fight for it even when the consequences might be frightening. In this story, I hope the reader grasps that however frightening it might be to stand up for one’s rights, the alternative is far worse. If not, The Bent Nail becomes something more than a novel; it becomes prophecy.
To quote Benjamin Franklin, “Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
If The Bent Nail leaves readers unsettled long after they close it, what do you hope they do with that feeling?
I hope it leaves the reader unsettled. We live in an unsettled world filled with warring factions fighting for power. The Bent Nail surfaces that and it should bother us all. It illustrates how easy it is for those in authority to manipulate us, be it through engendering class envy, spoon feeding us with blatant misinformation, seducing us with the promise of power, or imposing their will through coercion. Our challenge is to understand who is behind the manipulation and to stand up to them.
The second point I want to leave with the reader is the need to be objective in assessing the world. Not everything is as it seems; adopting the beliefs of friends and neighbors merely because it seems easy and comfortable is dangerous. Of course, if one desires to be nothing but a nail, hammered into acquiescence, in a world similar to one I’ve invented, just keep capitulating to those who desire to control us through power.
Lastly, speaking of power, it is insanely seductive – for all of us. It can overwhelm the desire to do what we know to be right. People might look at these comments in light of what is going on in our society today and assume that The Bent Nail is either right wing or left wing. That’s a perspective thing and would be a tremendous mistake. Neither political side has a monopoly on being correct. Don’t let others tell you what to believe.
M.D. reintroduces the three flawed characters you hated in Nails: Simon, a journalist without a conscience; Gedeon, a murderer without a heart; and Tau, a man without hope. In this masterful sequel, their lives collide as they each struggle to avoid becoming nothing more than hammered nails underpinning a centuries-old, secretive family committed to world dominance. Through deceit, mass murder and economic control the Family seeks to establish a new and lasting world order under their direct and unquestioned authority. Corruption and the seductive nature of power provide the backdrop as Tau, Simon, and Gedeon wrestle with their personal demons as they seek to survive.
Although The Bent Nail is a story that will disturb and frighten even the boldest of readers, it is one that will pull you in and capture you from the first page, a story you won’t be able to put down… and one that you will remember forever.
Emotionally Open & Spiritually Attentive
Composed in Silk blends vivid portraits with short essays about stillness, grace, identity, and the long, slow work of becoming, taking readers on a reflective journey tracing the movement between silence and revelation. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Composed in Silk is the second book in a five-book series titled The Life’s Theater: Art and Essays from Behind the Curtain, and it is dedicated to my wife. Each portrait in the book is highly stylized and created in my own distinctive painting style, with one exception. The final portrait is rendered in a realistic style using classical technique.
The portraits are small seconds of my wife’s presence. They are heartbeats of her silence, quiet, stillness, grace, identity, and the long, slow work of becoming. Although the figures do not physically resemble her, each image carries her mood, her rhythm, and a frozen moment that is unmistakably hers. What mattered most to me was capturing not likeness, but essence, allowing stillness to speak as loudly as form.
Can you share a bit about your writing process and how you selected the artwork that accompanies each writing?
Throughout my creative life as an artist and painter, I have followed Leonardo da Vinci’s view of art, which I believe remains timeless and deeply relevant today. For him, art arises from careful observation guided by intellect. He believed that true art is not the result of skilled hands alone, but of a thoughtful mind capable of understanding the complexity of nature and translating that understanding into expression. Studying nature was essential, not to imitate it mechanically, but to reveal the intentions and insights of the artist’s mind.
My process begins long before a painting is completed. I observe, study, create thumbnails and rough sketches, and work toward developing a unique style. During this time, I also take notes, sometimes just a few sentences, sometimes a paragraph, capturing my observations and emotional responses. Over time, these notes become part of the painting itself. They live within the work for years, shaping its meaning and presence, until they eventually find their way into a two- or three-hundred-word essay that accompanies the artwork. In this way, image and language grow from the same moment of attention and reflection.
Do you think there is a particular mindset or environment that a reader should be in to fully appreciate your work?
Composed in Silk, and the entire series The Life’s Theater: Art and Essays from Behind the Curtain, are not meant for everyone. They are for readers who are emotionally open and spiritually attentive, who appreciate an image on canvas not only as a painting, but as an emotional moment worth entering. The work invites readers to explore both the artist’s inner state and the subject’s emotional presence at a particular moment in time.
I do not expect the book or the images to resonate with a large audience, and I accept that some readers may connect with certain pieces while others may not connect at all. The work was created for me, from my heart and my emotions, and Composed in Silk was dedicated to my wife.
What will the next book in that series be about, and when will it be published?
The next book in the series is The Life’s Theater, Book Four: The Places That Carried Us. It is dedicated to my brother and explores memory, places, and the landscapes that shape who we become. The tentative publication date is the first half of March 2026.
The full chronology of the series is as follows:
- The Life’s Theater, Book One: Echoes That Suffocate, dedicated to my parents. Published and available on Amazon.
- The Life’s Theater, Book Two: Composed in Silk, dedicated to my wife. Published and available on Amazon.
- The Life’s Theater, Book Three: The Quiet Architecture of Love, dedicated to my sons. Just published and available on Amazon.
- The Life’s Theater, Book Four: The Places That Carried Us, dedicated to my brother. Tentative publication date: first half of March 2026.
- The Life’s Theater, Book Five: Geometry of Memory and Light. Dedication to be decided. Tentative publication date: summer 2026.
- The Life’s Theater: Art and Essays from Behind the Curtain, the complete edition. Tentative publication date: late 2026 or sometime in 2027.
Together, the series forms a single, continuous meditation on memory, love, and the emotional spaces we inhabit over a lifetime.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
The figures within do not seek to be seen. They dwell in the strength of being known, in gestures that reveal the beauty of endurance and the courage of tenderness. Through them, love is not spectacle but continuity, an unfolding that survives without need for proof.
Blending visual art and lyrical prose, Composed in Silk invites the reader into a space where perception softens and truth breathes. It asks nothing but attention, offering instead a stillness that restores, and a grace that lingers long after the final page.
You Are Not Broken
The Split gives voice to women who have faced pain, loss, the dissolution of their marriages, and challenges of long-held beliefs. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book wanted to be written. Another collaborative book was not in my plans and yet, the idea came to me in a moment of frustration as I heard yet another person reference families of divorce as ‘broken’. I pushed it off and the idea wouldn’t let go, so I knew it needed to be shared. The women I know that have gone through divorce are not ‘broken’ and neither are their families. As we discuss in the book, something is arguable broken before divorce happens. Divorce is the and the answer to a problem where no other solution has worked. Letting women know that the end of a marriage or relationship is not the end of the story, simply the end of a chapter is extremely empowering. Having gone through divorce mostly alone, I know the power of having a group of women guide you in the process is priceless.
With so many authors involved in the making of The Split, I would imagine the collaboration process was complex. Can you share with us a little about the writing process?
Surprisingly, it was more difficult getting women to join the book than it was to have them write! So many women that were interested in writing self selected out before the process really began. To choose to share a story, especially one as raw as divorce, one has to be ready to share. You want to share what you’ve learned along the way and if you’re not quite there yet, the story simply won’t come. Being ready was the most challenging part. Once the women said they were in, the writing happened and the deadlines were (mostly) met without much fuss. The Split is now a beacon in the dark for those that need it.
Did you learn anything about yourself while putting this book together?
I learned the seeds of my divorce (and so many others) were planted long before marriage was even a consideration. From a young age, our families of origin and society share a particular message of happiness, without providing a lot of room for curiosity. I realized that when I began to become seriously curious about my life and the future I wanted, I found out the story I had been told I wanted isn’t what I actually wanted.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from The Split?
I hope the readers understand that the idea of divorce is not one they need to explore alone. It can be a tough journey and I hope this book provides a guiding light and the authors in it become a part of the readers’ support system. I hope they connect with the authors that resonate with them the most and continue their healing journey.
Did you hear? They’re getting divorced.
We have a broken family.
We’ve all heard these phrases whispered in hushed tones—words laced with judgment, pity, or shame. But what if they’re wrong?
The Split: Tales of Family Renewal and Female Resiliencechallenges the narrative that divorce equals failure. These powerful, deeply personal stories reveal that splitting isn’t the breaking point—it’s the breakthrough. In these pages, women share how they reclaimed their voices, rebuilt their lives, and redefined what family, love, and strength can look like after endings that became beginnings.
This anthology dismantles generations of stigma around divorce and womanhood, replacing it with a message of renewal, courage, and collective healing. These are not broken women. They are bold, audacious, and resilient—choosing themselves, their peace, and a new path forward. Splitting isn’t the end; it’s a rebirth.
Contributors: Brandee Melcher, Dr. Katherine Humphreys, Carol Britton, Lesley Goth, PsyD, Carolina Cifuentes, Sierra Melcher, Christen E. Bryce, MS RN, Allison Banegas, Dr. Erica Anne Love, Summer Jean, LaToya Burdiss, and Jen Kennedy, MPA
Understanding Grief and Giving Hope
Ghost Brother follows two brothers in the aftermath of a car crash that kills one and leaves the other to pick up the pieces of his life. What is it that draws you to write Young Adult fiction?
I love the YA genre. As a former high school English teacher and the mother of four sons, I have noticed that this age group doesn’t receive the same attention as young children. Reading is essential for all ages, but keeping readers interested and engaged during their teens is critical. I feel that more emphasis and attention need to be placed on junior high and high school students regarding their literary options. There needs to be encouragement from all of us for them to read books of their choice, where they can see themselves in the stories and read for enjoyment.
How were you able to capture the thoughts and feelings of Carlos, the twin who watches his brother move on without him?
When I lost my sister, it was so hard for me to understand and deal with the fact that she was gone. I would talk to my mom about messages I felt were from her. My mom was also feeling the same way. What I realized was that there were so many coincidences that made it clear that her spirit was still with us. I would talk to my mom about the story I had started working on about siblings. I found myself wanting more information and reading anything I could about losing someone. It brought me comfort. When my mom suddenly passed away, I felt I had to publish my book so that it would help others understand their grief of losing a loved one and give them hope that there is more beyond this life.
Can fans look forward to more books from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Reading and writing are my passions. I have many stories waiting to be shared with readers. I’m currently working on a manuscript that focuses on Selena, the girl that Cris falls in love with, in Ghost Brother. She is a strong, intelligent, and interesting female character. I wanted her to have a more active role, but didn’t want to take away from the brothers. I intend to tell her story from her perspective. She is gifted and can see and hear things others can’t. She was able to communicate with Carlos, the dead brother. Selena was misunderstood because she could do things others did not understand. She is now the main character in my new manuscript. I hope to complete her story later this year and will then start submitting in the hopes of getting it published
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Webite
Be Aware, Be Ready
To Slaughter a Camel follows a nurse practitioner whose loyalty is tested when she is suddenly pulled into the shadow world of US Intelligence. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ll try to give you the short version.
Erika, my protagonist, was featured in my first novel, Topeka ma’shuge, a dark coming of age story. She survived her journey to adulthood, the novel concludes open-ended, but by that time I think I was a little in love with her; she hung around in the back of my mind, always asking me, “What about the rest of my life?”
I’ve known many military personnel in my life, and a handful from the clandestine services. I was aware of the role of being a medical provider embedded with clandestine operators, and the risks they faced, lacking the necessary warrior training to deal with the casualties when a mission goes terribly wrong.
Erika is isolated and looking for a sense of family; her decision to join the CIA is impulsive after the death of her best friend, but she already has unwittingly qualified for the position. It was only natural at that point, as in may thrillers and mysteries, to plop her in a catastrophe she wasn’t prepared for.
What were some challenges you felt were important to defining your characters in this story?
Wellesley is a bit of a cliché, the paternal supervisor with best intentions for his staff. Or is he? He is a bit insular, with a past we suspect. Why is he single? Who is the young woman in the frame by his desk? He understands the real horrors that can occur in his trade, but he tries to protect his young recruit. Was this the best decision? He isn’t sure and asks himself this as she walks away. Adding depth, ambivalence, vices and virtues to a character make them far more credible, but it does require work to do so.
Defining Erika was far easier, her character developing in the first novel. I knew her like a sister. Even when a crisis appeared that I’d only just created, I already knew how she would react. Until she was raped. As a former ER doc I understood a little bit of this, but some extensive research into the psychology of being a survivor of such an event was required. And her ability to kill, instinctively, prudently, slowly grows as the story progresses. Pacing that progress was a challenge. Pacing her evolution from a transparent medical provider devoted to the truth, to understanding how essential lies and deception are to survival in the clandestine theatre, was also a challenge.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
“There are people in the world who will kill you for a pack of cigarettes,” Wellesley tells Erika; the warning intended for the reader as well. Don’t be paranoid, but be aware, be ready.
Perseverance in the face of adversity.
The value of patience, occasionally compassion, when one’s instincts tell you to act boldly.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
A love story set in the first few months after 9-11. Jack Welsley, GS-13 at Langley, is 42, recently divorced, depressed, facing alcoholism, when he falls in love with the 23 year-old daughter of his best friend. She is a medic, has finished a year of Linguistics, and is slated to deploy in Afghanistan as a first Lieutenant. I hope to have a rough draft by the end of 2026, but the research is going to be exhausting, to review every day in the first year of that war, and get all of the technicalities and logistics believably correct.
Erika will reappear in the next work after that, another espionage thriller.
Author Links: GoodReads
To Slaughter a Camel masterfully charts the journey of Erika Harder from a routine existence in Oregon to a perilous life filled with uncertainty and trepidation in Madrid. Bereaved and lonely, Erika finds solace in her work as a multi-lingual nurse practitioner. Her normalcy is shattered when her proficiency in Farsi piques the interest of the State Department’s Jack Wellesley, who persuades her to serve as a civilian contractor for the CIA.
Erika’s initial excitement at the prospect of a new chapter in her life quickly morphs into a nightmare when a mission in Madrid goes awry, resulting in the death of seven of her colleagues. The explosion at the CIA station leaves her stranded with Guneet Jodal, a hapless translator whose loyalties are suspect. Erika is caught in a maelstrom of danger, with no way out and no one to trust.
Hutson’s narrative is a riveting exploration of the human spirit’s ability to endure and overcome even the most devastating tragedies. Erika, the novel’s protagonist, is a compelling character. Despite her raw wounds, both emotional and physical, she demonstrates an impressive strength and resourcefulness that will inspire readers.
To Slaughter a Camel is a unique blend of suspense and emotional depth. Hutson skillfully intertwines Erika’s personal journey with the broader narrative of international intrigue, creating a story that is as thought-provoking as it is action-packed. With a plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats and a heroine whose resilience is nothing short of inspiring, this novel is a must-read for those seeking a thrilling, yet emotionally resonant tale.
A Search for Self-Understanding
Chika’s Mysterious Phone follows an 11-year-old girl whose curiosity about her new cell phone turns into a dreamlike journey. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
We humans (but especially adolescents) are naturally involved in a perpetual search for self-understanding. But, these days, young people must search for themselves within a technological-centric world that compels them to question what is possible. Chika’s Mysterious Phone was written to help adolescent readers explore the boundaries of that world.
The illustrations in your book are wonderful. Can you share with us a little about your collaboration with illustrator Alexey Kudravtsev?
I found Alexy on an online freelancer website. He is an engineering graduate in Belarus, with an interest in digital art. Our collaboration was fairly straightforward. I provided Alexey with notes and graphic stimulus materials for each illustration. That was key to the successful collaboration. It enabled Alexy to readily craft the images – with only a few minor revisions required.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Some readers of Chika‘s story might think that its theme is the same as the theme in Alice in Wonderland. The theme of Alice in Wonderland is ‘the inevitability of maturation‘. That is, it is about the inevitability of accepting who we grow to be as adults in the physical world. The possibility that both stories share the same theme is reinforced when Chika’s dad explicitly tells her that ‘… telling tall tales was merely an unworthy and a childish fad‘.
However, the theme of Chika‘s story is more profound and complex than ‘maturation from childhood to adulthood’. It also involves dimensions greater than our normal psychologies: It involves the notions of astral travel and miracles, and therefore its broader theme is ‘metaphysics’.
Such a metaphysical theme might be uncomfortable for some people with restrictive views about the upbringing of adolescents.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next publication will be the fifth edition of a non-fiction book: Build your own Computer: An Illustrated Guide. It should be published early in 2026.
However, my seminal book, the one that I have been working on for a quarter century, is about the English language. I hope Modern International English: a comprehensive guide for home, school or office will be finished near the end of 2026.
A Summer in Normandy Started It All
Falcon of the Faroe Islands follows the prophesied Son of the Dragon, as he earns his place as a noaidi and sets off on a destiny shaped by gods, ancestors, and a prophecy. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’m a former French teacher and language professor, and during my undergraduate program, I spent a summer in Normandy, where I became fascinated by the Viking influences in that region of France. When I recently decided to write a trilogy set in the White Chalk Cliffs of Normandy, I began doing lots of research into Norse mythology and the geography of Norway, where the Vikings came from before settling into France. I discovered the Lofoten Islands of Northern Norway and the Sámi people who lived there during the Viking age, so I decided to have my character Skjöld become a noaidi and spirit walker through water.
What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
My male protagonist, Haldor Falk–the Falcon of the Faroe Islands–is a Viking vitki with the ability to transform into a falcon and summon winged creatures at his command. I wanted to include spectacular battle scenes for him to use his this avian magic, bestowed upon him by the goddess Freyja. My female protagonist Úlvhild is a Viking völva, so I wanted her to use seiðr magic and foresee important events which would transpire in the story. And, since Haldor and Úlvhild are lovers, I made sure to include a strong romantic thread between them throughout the novel (and the entire Valiant Vikings trilogy).
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
I did extensive research into the history of France, Denmark, Norway, Frisia (a region in the modern-day Netherlands), and the Orkney and Faroe Islands. I also researched the Viking chieftains and kings during the 10th century, since I wanted actual historical events and characters such as Sweyn Forkbeard, Sigurd Hlodvirsson, Richard the Fearless, and King Lothaire of West Francia to interact with my fictional characters. I also did a tremendous amount of research into Norse mythology, the geography of northern Europe and Scandinavia, blending it all together into a Viking historical fantasy.
How do you feel now that this trilogy has ended? Is there anything about these characters that will stay with you?
I am immensely proud to have woven together an epic Viking fantasy blending real history, characters and places, Norse mythology, Celtic legends, and steamy romance. Yes, my characters have a very special place in my heart and always will. They are very real to me.
Author Links: Website | X | Facebook | Instagram
With his acolyte’s training now complete, Haldor intends to return to the Viking stronghold of Normandy. But when a vision reveals an imminent attack on a dwarf guarding a hidden treasure trove in a secret cave, Haldor and Skjöld gain Dwarven-forged weapons and an unexpected, invaluable ally.
Úlvhild, a völva of formidable seiðr magic and Haldor’s lover of nearly twenty winters, foresees that the Dökkálfar Dark Elves will strike to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy. When the Norns unveil the terrible price of her fate, Úlvhild must confront a crimson-eyed witch to save her beloved Falcon and ensure that the prophesied Son of the Dragon fulfills his destined path.
Falcon of the Faroe Islands is the sweeping, epic conclusion to the award-winning Valiant Vikings trilogy set in tenth century Normandy.
A sizzling blend of historical fiction, paranormal fantasy, Norse mythology, and steamy Viking romance!
LITERARY TITAN 