A Shroud of Sorcery centers around a mystic and his companions, simultaneously navigating tribal politics and the emergence of a ritualistic killer. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I visited a hillfort in Shropshire called Bury Ditches about a year before I started writing. Whilst there, I imagined what it would be like at the pivotal point in ancient British history when these Iron age tribes with their pagan beliefs and mysticism came up against the technologically advanced but brutal Roman Empire as they took over Britain. Other sites, such as the great stone circles at Avebury, inspire me to think of what spiritual and magical beliefs led the builders and successive generations to build and use these monuments. What if they were not just meeting places or locations to celebrate the dead, but, instead, they were used by tribal mystics, mages, and seers? In this book, I wanted to use these ancient sites more dramatically to weave a fantastical, yet believable tale, and still within a real historical framework.
A Shroud of Sorcery continues to explore the tensions within the Cornovii. Big characters such as Toryn remain loud and full of bluster, and just when you think he and Alba are getting along, it can change in an instant. These interactions are forced into cooperation both by the ritualistic killings and the ongoing Roman threat. It was important to me that the characters should be believable, yet colourful enough for the reader to understand their loyalties, emotions, and personal circumstances to explain how they interact. Even lesser characters like Duro had to have a personality that, whilst unpleasant, fits within a culture of its time. In this book, I explore more of Favius’s background – what made him the cold killer he became with a look at his initial history of assassinations within the Organisation. He also represents the opposite of the likes of Toryn, who airs his views and emotions (and anger) openly, whilst Favius connives and plots in secret. Both are strong, both are very different.
A Shroud of Sorcery has several moments where the darkness of the sorcerer’s actions or the threat of the Roman legions are balanced by introducing moments of humanity, and sometimes these prevail, others they do not. This was an exploration of character, and I wanted to illustrate how light and dark, good and evil are not absolutes; there are positions in between these two polar opposites, such is real life. For example, the sorcerer occasionally makes a decision not to kill, but I want the reader to understand why that is, and hopefully that comes through in the book. Favius can be brutal, but he always acts from his own reasoning or logic, dispassionate though it is. Of all the characters, he is the most absolute for there is no compassion in a void.
The sorcerer was conceived to be a complex character, not just someone who kills with barbarity. The story weaves a tale around their origin, which explains where they came from, but deliberately sets up the reader to realize that environment is not always the explainer for evil actions. Yet, there are times when a sliver of compassion hovers intriguingly about their decision to let someone live, but would you rely on it – probably not!
How did you handle balancing the power and use of magic in the story?
I wanted the use of magic to be menacing and dark, but at the same time grounded and believable. The contrast between the sorcerer (dark) and Alba (light) exemplifies how, like our own modern technology, there is no good or bad magic or technology; rather, it comes down to the people who use it for good or ill. As such, magic in the story is a tool, used to project good or evil, but it is still a tool. Because I use it in this way, it becomes an aspect of the characters, who are the real power. In contrast, Favius, who (as far as we know) is not skilled in the dark arts, uses his power to steer the Roman Empire to the will of the Organisation. He does not need tools such as magic and instead uses assets like the sorcerer or his legionary commanders to achieve his aims.
The use of magic in this book is what delivers the main threat. Even Alba, when emotionally compromised, can use it for ill, and at one point we see that when he and Toryn have one of their disagreements. It is the threat of magic and its use for evil that first brings Toryn to Alba, for even a seasoned warrior such as Toryn knows his limitations when faced with such a force.
What do you think were some of the defining moments in Alba’s development?
As a character, Alba had to be first and foremost a man who believed in the old ways – someone who viewed his culture and history as something worth protecting in the face of a powerful conquering empire that regarded him and his kind as nothing more than barbarians and subhumans.
I have set him at a time when the Cornovii’s entire way of life is under threat, including their beliefs in their own gods. Set amongst this, he is one of the last remaining warrior mystics, capable of fighting with sword or bow as well as skilled in ways of magic.
In AShroud of Sorcery, Alba is also defined by loss. The love of his life is gone, lost to a sickness which would of course have been a constant threat two thousand years ago. Grief often leaves a hole, and for Alba, that is an exploitable weakness as we see the sorcerer take advantage of (and for other reasons!). Alba worries about his tribe becoming redundant and subsumed within the Roman empire, but there is also the doubt he has over his own skills becoming redundant. This is not merely because his is a declining art but also that his knowledge and his own skills in magic have become stale and stuck. In contrast, the sorcerer has knowledge that he does not have, and this plays out in his mind as a character flaw.
Alba’s balance is often Argyll, who, with friendship and humour, keeps him centred. I originally conceived Alba as more of a loner, potentially with just a horse or dog as a companion, but I wrote Argyll as someone who could provide a deeper interplay – someone who can hold his own in a fight, who backs up Alba in a fight, and who keeps him focused on his own abilities in the face of whatever threat faces them.
Can fans look forward to seeing Book 3 of the Alba Mysteries released soon? Where will it take readers?
Planning for Book 3 is underway, and I aim to start writing in October. I have outlined the overall plotline and visited some of the locations that will feature in it.
I have also started writing a side novel, focused on Favius and the Organisation he works for. Set in multiple locations, it explores his younger years when he was climbing the ranks of the Organisation and becoming one of their top assassins. I have not yet decided whether to release this before or after the third book – we will see!
“In all the legends the child is taken and trained in the magickal arts. Seldom do they return.” Attempting to subvert the native Cornovii to Imperial rule, the Romans are increasing their presence in one last effort to turn the barbarian to Roman rule. Legionary commanders want all-out war; an opportunity to defeat Cornovii resistance once and for all which will send a powerful message to other British tribes who resist.
The Organisation, the hidden overlords of Imperial rule, deploy a new asset to encourage the barbarian Cornovii tribe to turn to Rome for their protection. A series of brutal murders follow where victims bear witness to ritual magick and sorcery.
Cornovii warrior mage Alba must uncover an adversary who has deep knowledge of the dark arts, perhaps exceeding his own. Their identity is a mystery reaching into the most ancient myths of the craft. The killer uses illusion to subjugate their victims and soon Alba finds himself battling elemental entities, hexes and even traps laid in the dreamworld.
Chieftains, tribal elders, spies and assassins inhabitant the turbulent and often violent world of Roman Britain, where the old ways of magick and tribal allegiance slam into Empire and Imperial domination. Set in the mysterious landscape of ancient Britain amongst stone circles, hillforts and rock caves, A Shroud of Sorcery takes the reader on a journey into the mists of another time where magick, conflict and a secret organisation will determine the future of an entire tribe. A Shroud of Sorcery is the second book in the Alba Mysteries. Where history meets fantasy; where magick meets reality.
Blood on the Mountain centers on a young man navigating the expectations of his family and the pain of bullying while coming to terms with his own identity and sexuality. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write this book?
Having been raised in a religious family, unlike the main character’s experience in my book, I’ve faced my own share of bullies and name-calling. This led me to reach out to others who may be going through or have gone through a similar situation while growing up. Even though the story is fictional, I drew on research about other LGBTQ+ lives and their own battles. This was my inspiration for this.
What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?
I would say it was the picnic scene. This scene took me a while to write. The message that I wanted to deliver was one of love, strength, and hope. Love between the two characters in the scene, the emotion and the strength of one character, experiencing the horror that was happening in front of him, the strength to fight and call for help, and the support and hope of survival.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I enjoyed writing about Noah. I enjoyed writing about his challenges in his life, his survival, and finally seeing him embrace happiness with Joshua. The challenging character was Paul, his bully and tormentor. I spent hours researching the effects of someone abusing drugs and the consequences to his health.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am working on a story that will continue over three books. Here is a synopsis of the story:
For most of his thirty-six years, Adam Keller has lived life like a shadow—quiet, invisible, and careful not to take up too much space. A gentle, gay bookstore clerk in a city that doesn’t always love people like him, Adam has spent his life surviving: his father’s rejection, a school history laced with cruelty, and a society that punished softness in boys. He doesn’t fight back. He just endures. Until the day he almost dies.
One morning walk in the park turns savage when a group of homophobic men ambush Adam and beat him within inches of his life. Left broken and bleeding, something inside him—something long buried and ancient—wakes up.
Noah Bailey is suffocating in silence. Trapped in an oppressive home ruled by religious dogma, he’s learned to hide who he is—and what he truly wants. But everything changes when he meets Joshua Taylor, a kind, fearless stranger who sees him for who he really is. For the first time, Noah dares to dream of freedom, love… and a future that’s finally his own.
But happiness doesn’t last.
A shocking betrayal from the past resurfaces just as Joshua is left fighting for his life. As Noah clings to hope, the ghosts of his school years begin to stir—bringing threats, secrets, and a trail of lies that refuse to stay buried.
With every revelation, Noah’s world fractures.
And the deeper he digs for the truth, the more he realizes someone is watching. Someone who wants the past to stay hidden—and who will do anything to keep it that way.
Love. Betrayal. Justice.
In this gripping story of survival and self-discovery, Noah must face his darkest fears and risk everything for the one person who gave him hope. But when trust becomes a deadly gamble… Can he confront the truth before it destroys them both?
The Haunted Purse follows a teenage girl who stumbles upon an old denim purse in a thrift store that quickly reveals its supernatural abilities with things vanishing and reappearing, adding unplanned complications to her already messy life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Believe it or not, The Haunted Purse was inspired by a true incident. When my son was a high school junior mulling over college options, we visited an auto technology school three hours from home. After the tour, I couldn’t find my car keys. I searched my purse multiple times, but the keys were nowhere to be seen.
Our tour guide assembled a search team. A dozen students combed the campus for half an hour, but the keys never turned up. The tour guide offered to call a car dealership to see if they could provide a new set of keys. While he was on the phone, I checked my purse one last time…and found the keys. Oh, the mortification! I apologized profusely, and my son and I beat a hasty retreat out of there.
I couldn’t stop thinking about those keys as I drove home. How could I have missed them during my repeated searches? Was I really that dimwitted? Or could there be another explanation? My brain chewed on that question, and by the time I pulled into our driveway, it had come up with an answer: something supernatural was going on. Some mischievous other-worldly being had infiltrated my purse and hidden my keys. I wasn’t an idiot after all—just the victim of some supernatural pranking. Oh, how I wanted to believe that!
And then I thought, A haunted purse. What a great premise for a novel…
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?
An angsty teen still lives inside me, so I was able to channel that spirit while writing the novel. Like Libby, I grew up in a low-income household, so I know what it’s like to want things you can’t have. And Libby’s crush on a classmate is based loosely on my early experiences with crushes and heartbreak. But that’s about it. Most of the stuff in the story is totally made up.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore adolescent friendship in all its intensity, all its messiness. Feminine beauty was also a prominent theme: as Libby discovered, it can be both a blessing and a curse. And I threw in multiple references to Cinderella to reflect Libby’s transformation over the course of the story.
I find a problem in well-written stories, in that I always want there to be another book to keep the story going. Is there a second book planned?
No, this one has a very conclusive ending, so I feel no need to continue Libby’s story.
That old denim purse Libby Dawson bought at the thrift store is no ordinary teenage tote. It’s a bag of secrets, imbued with supernatural powers. Strange items keep turning up inside, clues to a decades-old mystery only Libby can solve.
Filled with apprehension and yet intrigued by the mounting pile of evidence, Libby digs for the truth. And eventually finds it. But the story of the purse is darker than she imagined—and its next horrific chapter is going to be all about her.
Class Action: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You follows a third-year law student who is unexpectedly drawn into a cheating scheme, where it threatens to derail her entire academic career while trying to balance her personal life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea that true character is exhibited when you take the high road even when there’s nobody watching. Behaving in an ethical manner and doing the right thing isn’t always convenient or expedient, but Lennon’s moral compass is unwavering. I love that about her.
What do you think were some of the defining moments in Lennon’s development?
When I first introduced 18-year-old Lennon Gallagher to readers in the 3rd book in the Miranda Quinn Legal Twist series: Miranda Fights, she was a lonely young woman with trust issues. She had been in and out of foster homes and it wasn’t until she met Attorney Miranda Quinn that she developed the confidence to pursue an education and live a life of purpose. Other defining moments were turning down an opportunity for an ‘easy A’, discovering the truth about her father and meeting restaurant mogul Nick Russo.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I like to present obstacles and challenges to my characters, i.e. plot twists, to show how they respond, grow and develop over the course of the story. For Lennon, character wins out over convenience every time.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
Great question! The sequel to CLASS ACTION: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You is CLASS REUNION: Keep Your Friends CLOSER. Watch for it 10/1/26. Here’s a hint; Lennon’s up for partner at a top law firm and is planning her wedding. Everything is going great… until it’s not!
R U in? Need $ now Third year law student Lennon Gallagher’s life turns from complicated to overwhelming when she receives a message meant for someone else. The text offers an advance copy of a final exam—a guaranteed “A”—but accepting it will violate the honors code she refuses to break. When Lennon declines, the collaborators behind the cheating scheme demand her silence or they will ensure she takes the fall if necessary. Fighting for her future while balancing an internship, exams, studying for the bar, a boyfriend who no longer seems to understand her, and a mother who needs help rebuilding her life after prison, Lennon tries to handle everything alone. But when she discovers the lead plaintiff in her firm’s class action lawsuit might be the father she’s never known, it’s the final straw. She needs help.
Dying to Live takes readers on an intimate and eye-opening journey, revealing how making peace with mortality can unlock a richer, more meaningful life. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For most of my life, death has been a silent companion, something that shaped my choices more than I realized. From losing my mother when I was young to the many moments since where mortality came close, I’ve learned that it isn’t something to fear as much as it is something to learn from. Writing this book was a way of bringing those lessons forward, not only for myself but for anyone who has ever felt the weight of impermanence and wondered how to live more fully because of it.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted to show that death is not just an end but also a mirror. It reflects back the stories we’ve been telling ourselves, the identities we cling to, and the fears we avoid. One idea that mattered to me was the practice of “dying to live,” which is about shedding old roles, patterns, and emotional baggage so that we can step into a freer, more authentic life. I also wanted to share that this work isn’t abstract philosophy. It is lived, messy, human. My stories are meant to open space for readers to look at their own lives with gentleness and courage.
How has writing Dying to Live impacted or changed your life?
The writing process forced me to sit with truths I might have preferred to leave buried. It slowed me down, made me listen more deeply to myself, and invited me to face the places I still resisted. In doing that, I found more ease, more gratitude in the everyday. By leaning into death I became more alive, more playful even. It reminded me that life is fragile, fleeting, and far too precious to postpone.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
That it is possible to turn toward death without being consumed by it. My hope is that readers will feel less alone in their fears and more connected to the beauty of simply being here. If even one person puts the book down and feels a little lighter, a little freer to live with love and presence, then it has done its job.
What if embracing death is the key to truly living? We spend our lives avoiding the thought of death-yet its presence shapes everything we do. In Dying to Live, Andy Chaleff takes readers on an intimate and eye-opening journey, revealing how making peace with mortality can unlock a richer, more meaningful life. Blending memoir, philosophy, and deeply personal reflections, Chaleff invites us to step beyond society’s distractions and face death with curiosity rather than fear. Through poignant stories and thought-provoking questions, he helps us see that dying isn’t the end of life’s meaning-it’s where we finally begin to understand it.
Santa’s Last Ride follows the Claus family after Santa throws out his back feeding the reindeer and decides it is time for his twelve-year-old son to take over; however, he does not want the job, but his sister does. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The story originated with James. Getting tired of Christmas songs on the hours long trip to Iowa for Christmas, he began to tell this story to his kids to pass the time. He has two children – an older son and younger daughter also aged two years apart. They were his greatest inspiration.
I loved the interactions between Christopher and Kristy; they were believable and entertaining, with heartwarming moments as well. What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
James and I are siblings. There were five more of us growing up. We are stuffed full of sibling interactions, mostly of a humorous nature. We grew up in a rambunctious and laughter filled environment.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Most important is the idea that everyone is valuable in their own way and not even a disability or a perceived disability changes that. In fact, I got involved in this book when James sent me an email of a very bare bones version of the story and asked me to put it in legible form. James has dyslexia, which was why he asked for my help. After much internet interact, we added to and filled out the story until it became ‘our’ book.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
We have had feedback from a number of fans asking what comes next. Some want to know when the movie is coming out. There are a number of issues we see that could be addressed in future. Considering their new positions in the Claus family how do Chris and Kristy, still quite young, handle the adults in the world they will have to interact with? From the North Pole how do you go to school, college, or date? With the planet warming up what will the family do about a shrinking North Pole? There’s no ground under the North Pole ice. What’s next for Mr. and Mrs. Claus?
With Christmas right around the corner, the North Pole is a bustling place. Then Santa throws his back out feeding the reindeer. He knows he must retire and, in keeping with family tradition, his 12-year-old son, Christopher, has to learn to fly the sleigh and assume the position as the new Santa.
While Santa’s mind is fixed on training Christopher, Mrs. Claus, daughter, Kristy, and Christopher are determined to find a way to tell Santa the obvious – which he seems to be stubbornly ignoring – that Christopher is unsuitable for the job. The family is keeping Christopher’s secret and it will only be sprung on Santa on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile Kristy, just ten years old, feels she is up to the task of taking Santa’s place.
Christmas Eve finds Santa and his trainee taking off for high flying adventures around the world, including natural disasters – angry dogs, cracking ice – and some disasters not so natural – smoking chimneys, frightening encounters with jets. When Santa discovers his family has tricked him, he nearly turns the sleigh around, to end the flight. Christopher and Kristy have to impress their father with their talents. Kristy especially has to believe in herself enough to convince Santa that, working together, they just might be able to save Christmas.
The Children of the Children follows a young man searching for answers and belonging, who found hope in an apocalyptic religious cult, one that his children would later try to escape. What was the initial idea behind this story, and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?
I got the idea for this story not long after the Cold War ended. Freedom seemed to be breaking out everywhere. What a difference a few decades have made. Authoritarianism is on the advance all over the world. So the novel became darker. Early in the story, Father Joseph says, “You give people a choice – freedom for themselves but also for their enemies, or subjugation for their enemies but also for themselves – and they’ll choose subjugation.” But it doesn’t have to be this way. I believe we choose our own destinies, both as an individual and as a society.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
My main research was as an observer of human behavior. I’ve watched as family and friends have joined religions and left religions, trying to understand the evolution of their views and my own. I also re-read parts of the Bible, familiar to me for years, with a more open mind, asking myself not how the words could be used to comfort or inspire, but to control. Telling people that the Bible is infallible is like putting a gun in their hands. Who knows what they’ll do with it. In fact, Father Joseph’s Letters to his followers were the easiest part of this novel to write, because there were so many verses that, read the right way (or perhaps I should say the wrong way), could be used to back up what he was saying.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main theme I tried to explore was the religious theme. Religion gets to the core of who we are as human beings, offering answers to where we come from, how to live our lives, and where we go after we die. But religion can be used against us. Abuse in extremist religion isn’t just possible, it’s practically inevitable. If a religious leader’s followers believe the Bible is infallible, then that leader can use nearly anything from the Bible to justify his actions.
A second theme in the novel is how national and even international events can shape decisions that people make about their personal lives, in ways they may not realize. Danny drops out of U.S. society at the height of the Vietnam War; years later, his son tries to escape a cult as East Europeans are escaping communism. The Children of the Children is set against a backdrop of world events. This was deliberate.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?
I think there’s a mistaken idea that people join cults because they’re “messed up,” or had a bad childhood, or are on drugs. By telling ourselves that, we insulate ourselves from the disturbing truth: Anyone can become susceptible to cults or to cult-like thinking. I showed where Danny, Deborah, and other characters were in their lives before they joined the Fishermen, and where they ended up at the end of the novel. Yes, I achieved what I wanted to.
Can children born into a cult escape the only world they’ve ever known?
Danny Calvert thinks part of American society is about to crash and burn. Capitalism, if he’s lucky. But when a college friend dies in jail, he joins an apocalyptic religious cult and begins printing the increasingly dark writings of its charismatic leader. Father Joseph says “unless you become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
But “become like children” means just that. Father Joseph moves his followers to Europe to avoid scrutiny, and controls them such that Danny isn’t allowed to marry Deborah, the woman he loves, but is forced to marry someone else. He has children by both women, and they’re as determined to escape the world they grew up in as Danny was to escape his own world years ago.
Set during the last years of the Cold War, and inspired by real events, The Children of the Children explores the price that people pay for following a leader who demands unquestioning belief, and the price their children pay to break free.
Waiting for Them to Come Back follows a boy growing up in a home filled with abuse and searching for love and comfort, only to be left yearning. Where did the idea for this story come from, and how did it develop over time?
I had thought about ‘what if.’ The question was ‘What if my siblings and I stopped talking to my mother?’ This is where the idea came to be, where I thought about that terrible thought over and over again. And imagined my mother looking out the window, waiting for her children to come home.
I knew I didn’t want a happy ending. I want to show that this is a reality for many people, for whatever reason. Life isn’t full of promises and happiness.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
I think our selfishness and our ability to hurt one another are both fascinating and terrifying. What makes us human is what makes us inhuman too, for example: stubbornness, where we often learn the lesson the hard way. Pain is often a good place to start a great fiction, too.
What themes were particularly important for you to explore in this book?
Pain is a good theme for this book. Physical pain and emotional pain are what Walter experienced throughout the book. And then It was his mother’s turn.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m working on this sci-fi (which is a departure from my first book, drama) called ‘Revenge In The Hospital.’ Hopefully, it will be available in August 2026.
Walter, the youngest child, spent years yearning for a glimmer of compassion and love from his mother. He hoped, wished, and prayed against all odds that there was some light inside her. But all he ever saw was a cold, disapproving woman who watched as her children grew further apart. Life was cruel to him, and so was she – the woman who raised him, yet abused him for years, until he could no longer bear the pain and cruelty she inflicted. Walter’s life was filled with disappointment, emptiness, and hopelessness. But after years of suffering, he was determined to break free. As he looked at Catherine one last time, her skin paler than usual, it felt like looking at a lost puppy. Only it wasn’t a puppy; it was his mother.
LITERARY TITAN 