Author Archives: Literary_Titan
Exploring Fear
Fear Struck follows a crime writer who, while writing his latest murder mystery, has his door broken down by police and is arrested for a murder that looks like one of the scenes in his book. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As a writer, I often feel like a conduit for someone else’s ideas, with words flowing so quickly that I sometimes wonder where they are coming from. This experience sparked a question for me: what if a writer suddenly became the instrument for someone else’s story in a very real and dangerous way? This personal connection to the story became the seed for Fear-Struck and its psychological thriller setup.
The truth is, many of my novels begin with a simple “what if.” Whispering Lessons is a good example. I asked myself, what if someone had secretly followed Jesse James and his gang, watched them bury their stolen treasure, and then dug it up after they rode away? Could that be why so many of those legendary treasures have never been found? Those two words, “what if,” open the door to endless possibilities, and they are often the starting point for my strongest storylines.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
There are so many layers to the human condition that writers need to pay attention to, because those layers are what make fiction feel real. In Fear-Struck, I delved deep into the debilitating impact fear can have on a person. It doesn’t just consume the main character. The suspect gets overwhelmed by it, too. Even the people in the prison around him react out of fear.
Fear is universal. It shapes decisions, drives behavior, and sometimes clouds judgment. Our minds are incredibly powerful, and our thoughts can either protect us or harm us. In this story, fear becomes almost a character in its own right, influencing everyone in its path. That kind of emotional truth, rooted in what people really experience, is what makes fiction resonate.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
For Fear-Struck, I actually did know the storyline before I began writing. That is unusual for me, as I am not usually a plotter, but in this case, I could clearly see the characters and the journey ahead of them. I knew the ending, and I knew how I wanted to move from the moment of the arrest all the way to the final reveal.
What mattered most to me was exploring fear, not just telling a crime story. I wanted to look at how fear shapes people from the inside out. The reviews have been incredible, and many readers mention how closely they connect with the characters and their reactions. I think that connection exists because fear is something we all face in one way or another. It is a profound human experience, and that truth comes through in the story.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am currently writing Book Two in the series. It starts as Kutter is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of what happened in Book One, where he was arrested for a murder that resembled a scene in his own book. These lingering effects push him into a situation unlike anything he has ever faced before. This new challenge forces him to grow in unexpected ways.
In this next installment, Kutter, the main character from Fear-Struck, finds himself sitting across from an unapologetic and prideful serial killer. His personal revulsion toward this man directly clashes with his responsibility to uncover the names of the victims. That internal battle is something many of us understand, because we all face moments where our emotions collide with what we know we must do.
I am thrilled to share that I am aiming to have the next book ready for readers in early 2026. I cannot wait to continue Kutter’s journey and share the next chapter with you all.
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Detective Tweed believes Kutter’s pages hold the truth. Kutter swears he’s innocent. Yet with each revelation, a darker reality emerges—one bound to him by blood.
Relentless and chilling, Fear Struck will keep you guessing until the final, shocking twist.
Suspension of Disbelief
Auberon Manor follows a rich paranormal skeptic who is drawn into the mystery of Auberon Manor, an estate with a long, dark reputation, where he discovers something more frightening than a ghost. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Many people will tell you they do not subscribe to the notion that ghosts or other supernatural entities are real. If you were to drop one of these non-believers into an old, isolated, creepy house, I’m willing to wager they’d feel some level of anxiety. Introduce a few odd, not easily explained noises, and even the fiercest skeptic might be tested. What interested me the most in writing this book was the characters’ reaction to discovering a supernatural entity. That’s hardly an everyday occurrence, and I’m sure it would test most people to their limit. I created a group of characters and threw them into that frightening scenario to see what they would do. I admit, I would have fled on day one. Thankfully, my characters are far braver than I would have been. Suspension of disbelief.
Your novel features some very interesting characters with flaws, but who are still likable. How do you go about creating characters for your story?
My preference is for strong, capable characters. The kind of people you can count on when the going gets tough, who run towards a problem instead of away from it. Having said that, not every person is skilled, capable of courage when called upon, nor are they dependable when you’re forced to rely on them. I’m fascinated by human behaviour in all of its forms. Too often, a protagonist has to go out of his or her way to navigate around another person’s shortcomings to reach a goal. That’s life. That’s real. No story proceeds in a flawless straight line. Humans are sometimes bumps in the road that need to be navigated. I want the reader to share that frustration.
What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
This genre has no limits. If you can imagine it, you can put it on the page and not be criticized for breaking the rules of physics or angering a reader for forcing them to suspend their disbelief. They want to suspend their belief for a story like this. The author and the readers are all on the same page.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
In addition to writing in this genre, I also write action-adventure, legal thrillers, and tech thrillers. My next book is titled ‘Legacy of a Silent Man.’ This is an action book. Work is underway, and the publication is expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Author Website
For the curious and adventurous, the stories read on the website inspire them to make the journey to Pennsylvania and see the manor for themselves. Over time, the stories about the house grow darker with reports of visitors suffering injuries. When an amateur group of investigators conducts a scientific examination of the house, disaster strikes. Members of the investigative team suffer broken arms, a broken rib, and a near-fatal concussion. This compels the owner to prohibit any further visits.
When the story of the Auberon haunting reaches a bored and wealthy young man named Dane Ledger, he’s encouraged by a friend to take a ghost-hunting road trip. To Dane, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, it presents an opportunity to debunk the ridiculous notion that this house, or any house, is haunted. He and his friend arrive at the manor to discover recently erected fencing and a guard who refuses them entry. All of this security makes Dane and his friend even more curious about the house. They approach the homeowner for permission to inspect the property, but are firmly denied. After money is exchanged and Dane agrees to assemble a team of professional paranormal investigators to inspect, identify, and exterminate the entity from the manor, permission is finally granted.
With the team assembled, they enter Auberon Manor and discover its frightening occupant. Terrified by what they’ve discovered, and too frightened to go back into the house, they struggle to find a way forward. Letting the entity remain in the home is not an acceptable option, as it would imperil every future visitor. They don’t know what they’re battling, but it’s not a ghost. It’s something much worse.
Grow, Evolve, and Blossom
Garden Quartz and Paper Flowers is a collection of stories and poems centered around a girl navigating the trauma of abuse and the healing process. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important for me to write, Garden Quartz and Paper Flowers as a way to finally close a chapter of my own life. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember: poetry, music, and short stories but I lost all my original works in a very traumatic incident. That use to haunt me, endlessly.
I don’t know of many stories that tell the tale of resilience, that transcends through time with authentic but healthy coping mechanisms. In this story, the main character Calla recognizes that self-work was required to set her free. For you never have to be your childhood or adulthood circumstances. Those moments will shape you but you should not allow them to break you.
My fondness for precious gemstones and flowers with inspirational meaning were the metaphorical tools necessary to breathe life into this piece. Stones are shaped by their environment. Flowers can weather the storm. Both survive under tough pressure.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this collection?
My biggest challenge was simply starting. For years, I dwelled on it subconsciously, should I pick up my pen again and recreate what was destroyed. Eventually, I got to a place where I said this is going to be therapeutic for you and it’s time to get it done. My second challenge was struggling with remembering much of what I originally wrote, but once I started to complete the individual pieces one by one, I was able to weave them together into one fluid story. You can delay the inevitable but it’s still has to get done, even when it’s overdue. I also needed to live a little bit longer, to complete this work of art in full circle.
Have you received any feedback from readers that surprised or moved you?
I’ve received a lot of positive feedback on this piece of art. I’m honestly VERY surprised. I didn’t think it would move so many people to connect with it so deeply, especially since it’s a fiction. I know Art imitates life, and I know that some of the things I wrote could align as a lived experience rather than a collection of different occurrences. I just didn’t know it would resonate with some many people.
“Not for the faint of heart,” was the common themed remark. Which to me, shows I planted a seed and I hope it grows. Uncomfort as it relates to knowledge, has always been a sign that I’m headed in the proper direction. I remind myself every day, learn something new, try something different and feel something real.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from Garden Quartz and Paper Flowers?
I want readers to know that it’s okay to feel every emotion in the moment—but it’s not okay to live in the negative ones. We have to find the strength to rise, overcome pain, and to keep pushing forward. It’s not easy, but NOTHING in life is simple. After the all hard work, aches and pains, I promise greatness is waiting on the other side, ready to greet you.
You’re not your past. You’re not even your present. And you’re not even alone. Continue to actively grow, evolve, and blossom into who you’re meant to be. It’s time to do your due diligence. It’s time to rediscover your resilience. It’s time to heal. Let’s do this!
Pain has Transformed me. . .
Step into this immersive garden of ruin and bloom— a memoir told in fragments of memory, poetry, and survival.
This is the story of a girl named Calla, rooted in silence, shaped by shadow, and determined to rise.
Because not all wounds bleed. Not all truths are spoken.
And you never have to become what tried to break you.
Re-Crafting the Relationship
Beneficial Economics examines history, political theory, and constitutional design to equip readers with the critical information they need to combat the growing ideological divide in America and rebuild a stable and moral society. Why was this an important book to publish at this time?
We provide red state citizens with the constitutional framework of 4 essential functions of the national government:
1. The protective state, which protects citizen liberty and freedoms from coercion and exploitation.
2. The productive state, which creates the fair rules for citizen freedom to produce and obtain the future value of their production.
3. The entrepreneurial state, which decentralizes economic activity to the most local regional metro level to allow citizens maximum ability to innovate.
4. The sovereign state, which protects the sovereignty of citizens and the nation from outside threats from other nations and from inside threats from anti-national forces.
At this time in the nation’s history, the government has strayed from its initial purpose, and is untethered to Madison’s constitution.
The government has failed the citizens, and the citizens have a natural right to abolish this government and start over, with the principles of 1776, which is what the book’s four functions are designed to create.
In your book, you sketch a new political architecture —a “Democratic Republic of American States” — built on state sovereignty, fair economic rules, and resistance to “predatory state capitalism.” Can you give a high-level explanation of what this would look like?
The new architecture of the national government offers two forms of decentralization, intended to overcome the flaws of centralization in Madison’s constitution.
First, the new constitution aims at geographic political decentralization, intended to return authority and government power to citizens at the most local levels of government.
We cite Jefferson’s phrase,
“That which governs the best, governs the least, and closest to the people.”
The book proposes re-crafting the relationship between states and the national government by limiting the national government powers to those “expressly delegated” to the national government, by the states, in the constitution.
Second, the book describes the economic relationship between decentralized entrepreneurial innovation, in metro regions, to the freedom and liberty of citizens to obtain the future prosperity that they are imagining for themselves.
This economic future would look very much like what Adam Smith described for British society in his 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations.
This future economy, in the Democratic Republic of American States, would look like free citizens making free financial and economic decisions which leads society to beneficial outcomes for all citizens.
After reading your book, what steps can the average citizen take to start making meaningful change in their own communities?
In the current two-party, first-past-the post political system, red state citizens do not have a political party or political movement that aims to champion their liberty and financial interests.
The book is designed to promote a red state citizen consciousness of their own class interests, which depends on the creation of a coherent ideology of freedom.
As the political polarization intensifies, and as the Democrat Marxist seek to impose a communist solution, red state citizens will use their state legislatures to implement citizen-led study commissions to recommend changes to the state-national relationship.
Those citizen study commissions become the launching pad for a new constitution.
What is one thing that people point out after reading your book that surprises you?
I am surprised at how alien the notion of citizen liberty and economic freedom has become for red state citizens.
Part of the intent of the book is to use the notion of quantitative physics to explain to red state citizens that nothing bad will happen if citizens are free to make their own decisions.
We extend the notion of Adam Smith to describe that something good will emerge in society when citizens have the greatest ability to obtain the future that their brains are imagining, for themselves, and their families.
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At this point in American history, middle and working class citizens in red states are confronted with two paths.
Red state citizens could do nothing, and accept the path of blue state Democrat Marxism, that increases the power of the central government over the lives of citizens.
That path leads to a global police state of citizen surveillance and a social credit system controlled by central banks, private corporations, and tech companies.
Alternatively, citizens in red states could restore the original 1776 principles of liberty that animated the first American Revolution, by implementing a decentralized political system, based upon a metro-decentralized entrepreneurial capitalist economic system.
We wrote about the irreconcilable cultural and moral differences between citizens in red and blues states, leading up to a political civil dissolution, at this point in history. (Laurie Thomas Vass, A Civil Dissolution: The Best Solution to America’s Irreconcilable Ideological Conflict, 2023).
In this book, we extend our analysis, that after a political civil dissolution, what comes next for citizens in the red states is creating a new, better constitution.
Our book explores how red state citizens might craft a more fair constitution that puts political power back in the hands of ordinary people, at the state and local levels of government.
We combine a political dissolution with a constitutional dissolution that aims at creating fair economic rules.
Political geographical dissolution – the cultural/geographic separation along red/blue state lines that is inevitable.
Constitutional dissolution – the fundamental redesign of economic rules and institutional structures, moving away from Madison’s system that enabled the original ruling class aristocracy, that eventually turned into a global predatory state capitalism.
Living In The Moment Method
Bart Bantam The Flying Rooster follows a small bantam rooster who has big dreams of flying, offering young readers important lessons about believing in themselves. Where did the idea for this story come from?
The inspiration for this book actually began 25+ years ago. You see, I am a father of two sons, and when I needed to wake them up for primary school, I coerced them to get up and get ready by using a chicken’s voice. The irritation of my chicken voice worked supremely well! In 2014, I bought an iPad and started doodling. It came to me with a sketch of a bantam rooster and a vague outline of a story. A barnyard chicken is not very large; however, a smaller Bantam, with an even smaller voice, sparked my imagination. Wouldn’t it be surprising if this small rooster did what others were incapable or unwilling to do? As a former therapist, I witnessed the struggles of children in families. I saw Bart as a friend to anyone needing a friend, and a voice to convey a message to further help others in a meaningful way.
What was your favorite scene in this story?
This is an easy answer for me. I gravitate to the final page of the book where Billy, a former bully, has reformed into an appreciative young rooster whose life has changed forever. Billy can’t contain his gratitude, and he lifts the bantam roosters in his wings as the teacher and classmates cheer them on.
The artwork in your book is wonderful. Can you share with us a little about your illustration process?
I am both a writer and an illustrator of my books. Both tasks are challenging to say the least. I am currently using an art program called Procreate. This app allows scenes to be stacked like pages in a book. The tools I use while drawing allow my story to develop. I build the storyline as I draw. Let’s back up a bit. I had the idea for the chicken, then the idea for a Bantam rooster. Finally, alliteration kicked in and Bart Bantam became the main character’s name. As I began drawing young Bart, it helped me see his unique personality. I felt my way through the book page by page, and as I drew, I developed the narrative and the story’s conflicts and resolutions. I believe they call this technique “Pantser.” “Flying by the seat of your pants.” Or as I have laughingly renamed it, “Living in the moment method.” There is an honesty and freshness to this technique in my humble opinion, though editing has become an important collaborative tool.
Can we look forward to more books for young readers soon? What are you currently working on?
Yes indeed! So far, The Tales of Bart Bantam series has a total of four books. Also, there is a supplemental coloring book encouraging young children to express themselves in coloring their favorite characters of Bart and his friends. I also have an adorable non-fiction children’s story about carving a rabbit out of a dead tree stump. As you can probably guess by now, I’m just getting started with this new-found love of writing and illustrating books. Thank you again for your attentiveness. Kindly yours, Papa Fred.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
★★★★★ “… Brimming with charm, gentle humor, and an uplifting message, (this book) offers inspiration without ever feeling heavy-handed. …Young readers will find a hero in Bart’s boundless enthusiasm.” – Literary Titan
Get ready for an adventure like no other! Join Bart Bantam, a young rooster with big dreams, as he navigates life on the farm with his mother, Mama Betty. But things take an unexpected turn when Bart finds himself in a showdown with the school bully, a rooster much larger than him. With the help of a new friend named Buddy, they set out to do what no other chicken has done before, “Fly!” But when danger strikes, Bart and Buddy must use their newfound skills to save the day. Will they succeed? Find out in the thrilling tale of Bart Bantam The Flying Rooster!
This story highlights:
achieving goals
perseverance and resilience in doing hard things
handling peer pressure around a bully
showing kindness and compassion to others
the power of friendship
Bart’s journey will warm your hear and inspire readers of all ages. From beautifully hand drawn illustrations with vivid color and detail to a tender story from the author’s heart about friendship and forgiveness, Bart’s kindness leads the way!
This book is a true labor of love. It is a created by a dedicated author who uses his own story and illustrations from his own hand (No AI) to help children in a meaningful way. Large 8.5×11 pages bring the characters to life and engages the reader whole heartedly. Premium color and glossy pages make these illustrations dynamic to grab one’s imagination. This short story is perfect for shared reading with little ones or as independent reading for primary school readers ages 7 and up.
If you enjoyed books like Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, you’ll love Bart Bantam The Flying Rooster. So don’t wait, grab your copy now and lose yourself in the wonders of Bart’s World.
Be Willing To Try
Love is Golden follows a golden doodle who works as a therapy dog and teaches his friends what therapy dogs and service dogs do. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration came from my sister’s dogs. She was taking Ted to therapy dog training classes, while his little sister Rosie had to stay home. This made me think about the big brother, little sister dynamic. I thought it would be fun and a little different to tell the story from the dogs’ perspective. At the time, I was also teaching at a high school where therapy dogs would visit, and I saw firsthand how much joy and comfort they brought to students. That experience inspired me to write a cute story that also shares an important message about never giving up.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
Overall, I wanted this book to focus on empathy, compassion, and resilience. I hope kids come away knowing that they can do anything if they’re willing to try. Sometimes one thing doesn’t work out, and that’s okay, you just try something else. I’m hoping the book will encourage kids to think about the many ways they can be helpful and to recognize the unique talents that make them who they are.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Nomrota Saha?
I found Nomrota on Fiverr.com. She lives in India and is an aspiring art student. The process was amazing! I shared my manuscript, she would share the line drawings, the flat versions and then the final versions of each page. It was a really nice collaboration, in which she was able to take my words and make them come to life through the images.
Will this novel be the start of a series or are you working on a different story?
I started with “We Love Nacho” and then “Nacho Loves Salsa” and then I wrote this book. It wasn’t meant to be a series but the characters carry throughout. This book mainly features the dogs, with an appearance of my nephews, but Nacho is seen throughout all of the books. I have a few more ideas in mind. I’d love to make this book bilingual, as I went back and did with my first two books, and I’m currently working on the companion, “Love is Golden Coloring and Activity Book”. What comes after that, we shall see!
Author Website
Respecting Water
The Tralls of Mundi follows a group of tralls headed to the Coming Together celebration who, along the way, discover a dark and dangerous adventure that threatens the tralls’ future. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Illegal damming of water sources is becoming an issue in Australia, especially in areas that have a lot of agriculture and limited water resources.
There are many reasons for this, some quite understandable, and in a vast country like Australia the situation is hard to monitor.
Unfortunately, however, Illegal dams can have a negatively impact on the environment and ecosystems.
They can lead to habitat destruction, degrade water quality, negatively impact aquatic life and cause health risks for humans through contaminated water.
I wanted to make my young readers aware of these issues and hopefully encourage them to be respectful water users in the future.
Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?
Each book in The Tall Series is dedicated to two of my grandchildren. The two represented in “The Tralls of Mundi” are often complimented on their leadership, persistence, courage and resourcefulness so I was keen to highlight these traits in the main characters, Jete and Jak.
What was the inspiration for the culture of your characters? Is it modeled after any particular society?
There are two memories that are very special to me. The first was when I lived with my grandparents in Tasmania. We spent a lot of time traipsing through the bush and marvelling at the beautiful flora and fauna during the daytime and then at night, we’d read and re-enact the classics. Those memories are very dear to me and I tried to share them with my family and my readers through this series.
The second very precious memory is of the time we spent living on Badu Island in the Torres Strait.
The laid-back, happy, communal life-style of the islanders and the friendly way they included us in their lives had a strong impact on us and Badu and the friends we made there still mean the world to us.
My hope is that by threading that happy, peaceful ambience through my stories , I could impart the same feeling to others.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Tralls of Mundi?
I hope “The Tralls of Mundi” engenders a deep respect in my readers for the environment and a desire to protect it. I also hope they learn the importance of all water resources and treat them with consideration and care.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
When the terrified tralls discover that the village of Mundi and all its inhabitants have disappeared they are convinced the Chameleons have returned, and when they find that the mighty River Maire is now only a dried-up mudflat, those fears are strengthened.
Jete and Jak are determined to save their friends but what they find when they enter the Sacred Caves of Mundi leaves them so confused and horrified, they are no longer sure they can save the tralls of Mundi or even their own kinships.
The Tralls of Mundi is the second book in The Trall Series; a collection of environmentally based portal fantasies set in the Australian bush. It is recommended for readers 9 years to 13 years.
Hope
Terra Tamers: Alpha follows a teenager living in a city adrift at sea whose brother is kidnapped by a flock of Holo birds, and he will do whatever it takes to rescue him. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of my story was the idea of two brothers surviving a post-apocalyptic world. At first I was thinking kind of a science fantasy direction and leaned more into possible future technology instead.
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
I’d say the tone of the book, the themes of pursuing hope in a decaying world are the parts of me that bleed through the pages. That and my love of video games.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most important theme to me in Terra Tamers: Alpha was hope. Without it, there’s no point in continuing to live. I see the death of hope as the greatest poison affecting our modern world. People feel so powerless, and the world is so obviously broken, that now we struggle to even address the obvious issues we see in our communities because people feel hopeless, like nothing they do matters. So why bother? More fun themes were what the future of artificial intelligence could look like, how video games might interact with reality, and friendship.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
The story will follow Matt and Oakley into exile as they chase the evil AI Gaia. Expect new friends and foes, more creatures and game mechanics, and a greater exploration of a post-apocalyptic American landscape!
Author Links: Newletter | Website | GoodReads | Bookbub | X | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Pateron
– YA appropriate story (think 12 and older). Does have mild violence.
– First Person POV from male MC
– World Building (Post-apocalyptic), game design
– Monster taming and battles
– Short chapters, fast pace. Note the eBook is closer to 300 pages.
– Light LitRPG elements (I am working on a TTRPG system for Terra Tamers). Takes time to show up.
– No cursing unless you count H-E- double hockey sticks.
– Grayscale creature illustrations in the back!
I think fans of Digimon, Code Lyoko, Monster Tamer Academy, Maximum Ride, .hack//SIGN and similar stories which blend gaming, science fiction and compelling characters will enjoy Terra Tamers: Alpha!
LITERARY TITAN 