A Second Chance
A Second Chance follows Mikaila, a teen in 2003 who juggles school, a fragile home, and a growing Christian faith, along with her best friend Chara and an older boy named Asa. Mikaila lives with her grandparents while her mother cycles through untreated mental illness, and Chara recovers from a horrific SUV crash that injures her and leaves her dad in the hospital. As Chara heals, Mikaila begins to have vivid dreams that seem to show the future and even Chara’s funeral, so she believes God has given her a limited window to help her friend turn toward Him. Asa first appears as a nerdy chess champ online, then starts a secret, sexualized chat relationship with Chara and later betrays her by leaking doctored conversations to the whole school, triggering brutal shame and gossip. Through all of this, Mikaila deals with a violent crisis at home when her mother holds a knife to her sister, a deepening faith, and a controlling boyfriend who does not share that direction.
I connected most with the writing when it stayed close to concrete, everyday detail. The short, dated chapters feel like diary entries and move between points of view, so the story hops from bus rides and Golden Girls reruns to hospital rooms and church services without losing the thread. I liked the way early 2000s touches sit in the background. Moments like the knife scene in Kait’s room feel incredibly sharp and cinematic. The prose leaned on repeating certain emotions and openly providing the moral takeaways in dialogue, especially in some of the more spiritual conversations and the sermon at Mikaila’s funeral. It works for the intended readership, and it still registered for me as an honest teen voice.
Asa’s arc stood out to me because it starts with such believable, flirty banter on IM and webcam, then slides into sexual comments, secrecy, and “our little secret” language that made my skin crawl. When the mass email of doctored chats goes out, and Chara gets humiliated and catcalled at school, I felt sick for her, and I appreciated how the book shows not only the initial thrill of attention but also the long fallout and the gaslighting that follows when Asa denies his role. Pairing that plot with the resource list on grooming at the back makes the story feel like both a narrative and a warning label. On the spiritual side, the book leans fully into God speaking through dreams, salvation language, and an explicit view of heaven, yet it is grounded in messy reality, including mental illness, divorce, and flawed Christians. I found that mix surprisingly tender. The focus on a God who sees, and on a faith that has to survive trauma, felt sincere. By the time I reached the last stretch, I was more emotional than I expected. The way things are handled keeps the focus on grief and on the ongoing story of the living, which I liked, and the funeral scene where Chara raises her hand to recommit her faith felt earned after everything she had endured.
I would recommend A Second Chance to older teens and adults who are open to Christian themes and who can handle heavy content around grooming, mental illness, and domestic violence. It feels especially suited to readers in youth groups, Christian schools, or families who want a story that can open up hard conversations about online boundaries, consent, and what healthy love looks like, with a strong emphasis on faith and hope. For the right reader, this book offers a heartfelt, sometimes painful, but ultimately hopeful look at how one girl’s love and faith echo far beyond her short life.
Pages: 345 | ASIN: B0GDG6WZF9
The Song of War
The Song of War brings the Dybbuk Scrolls Trilogy to a breathless finale. The story opens with Asmodeus rallying his monstrous army and stepping out of the shadows to wage open war. Carrie, Mikhail, Lindsay, Rebecca, Emilia, and Ferne are pulled straight into danger as the conflict breaks across their worlds like a storm tide. Weddings, dreams of the Angel of Death, burning theatres, massed armies at the palace gates, and the chaos of a full-scale magical invasion all collide in a story that moves fast and hits hard. The book pushes every character to their breaking point, and it never stops reminding you that the cost of this war will be steep.
Reading this one felt different from the first two. I felt that there was a heaviness hanging over everything, and it’s hard not to feel that weight with Carrie. Her fear, her guilt, her frantic hope that she can keep the people she loves alive made me tense in a way I didn’t expect. The writing leans into emotion without getting flowery. Scenes swing from warm and funny to terrifying in a heartbeat. The wedding was especially emotional for me. It was sweet and soft and full of love. Then the dread crept in. Then the drums started. Then the world fell apart. I felt that shift in my gut.
The battles are messy and personal and frightening. Characters panic, stumble, run, freeze, and sometimes find a burst of courage they didn’t know they had. The story doesn’t pretend everyone suddenly becomes a warrior. It shows fear for what it is. It also shows love and loyalty in a raw way. Emilia’s struggle to reconcile her lineage with her future, Mikhail’s desperation to save his father, Lindsay’s reckless bravery, and Carrie’s mix of fear, anger, and determination gave the whole book a steady emotional heartbeat.
By the time I reached the end, I felt wrung out but satisfied. This book doesn’t hold back. It gives the trilogy a strong, emotional finish that feels earned. If you like fantasy stories where magic mixes with real-world problems, or if you enjoy character-driven adventures filled with danger, heartbreak, and stubborn hope, this is a series worth picking up. The Song of War is especially fitting for readers who love finales that swing big and don’t shy away from loss or triumph.
Pages: 217 | ASIN : B0FR2RBDDS
Holly & Heartbeats
Holly & Heartbeats is a warm, wintry contemporary romance that follows Jess, an overworked small-town doctor who impulsively books a Christmas stay at the Holly House Inn, and Graham, the flannel-wrapped single dad who runs it with more grit than charm. The story unfolds with all the cozy beats you’d expect from a holiday romance: quiet mornings, glitter-filled crafts, a looming snowstorm, and a slow, steady pull between two people who aren’t looking for love but clearly need it. It’s sweet, comforting, and full of heart.
Reading it, I felt like I was slipping into a soft blanket after a long day. The writing is simple in the best way, not plain, just clean, and it gives the moments room to unfold. Jess’s loneliness is handled with such gentle honesty that I was rooting for her long before she even reached the inn. And Graham…well, he’s the kind of gruff that’s really just tenderness wrapped in fatigue. The author’s choice to show so much through small gestures, especially Graham’s quiet care for his daughters, made the romance feel grounded. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is forced. Even the big emotional shifts arrive softly, the way snowfall does when you’re not paying attention.
What I enjoyed most was how the story let joy sit right beside grief. The twins’ openness about their mom, the way Graham tries to hold the whole world on his shoulders, Jess learning how to let herself want something again, all felt natural and surprisingly moving. Some scenes are silly and glitter-covered. Others are introspective in a way that catches you off guard. I loved that the book didn’t punish its characters for their history. Instead, it gives them space to grow, to forgive themselves, and to choose something new. The inn itself almost becomes a character, glowing and warm in every chapter.
By the end, I felt that lovely romance-novel ache, the one that says these two people found each other at exactly the right time. The epilogue seals it with a sweetness that doesn’t feel cheap, just earned. I’d recommend Holly & Heartbeats to anyone who loves contemporary romance but wants something gentler, more atmospheric, more about healing than hijinks. If you enjoy found family, snowstorms that nudge hearts together, or stories where love grows in the quiet moments, this one will land beautifully for you.
Pages: 217 | ASIN : B0FW9Y1HZM
THE SECRET BUTTONS
The Secret Buttons by Ellen Shapiro presents a measured yet deeply affecting portrayal of wartime displacement, seen through the perspective of two young Jewish sisters. Anni and Rosie are forced to leave their home in Austria and travel alone to England as the threat of war rapidly closes in. Cut off from their parents and surrounded by instability, the girls must adapt to an unfamiliar world where fear and suspicion shape everyday existence. Shapiro captures the quiet anxiety of exile while sustaining a current of resilience and hope.
Shapiro is particularly effective in depicting the sisters’ daily efforts to adjust. A new language. Wartime shortages. Teasing and mistrust from others. These challenges unfold alongside the children’s attempts to maintain a sense of normalcy. The burden placed on Anni becomes increasingly clear. Her maturity is tested in moments of real danger, including a tense scene in which she must question a Nazi soldier and depend entirely on her instincts. As Anni and Rosie help support their household and reconnect with Jewish traditions such as Passover and Shabbat, those rituals gain heightened meaning in exile. Memories of life before the war appear throughout the narrative, offering contrast and emotional depth. Their gradual fading reflects adaptation rather than loss, suggesting survival without forgetting.
Caterina Baldi’s illustrations further enrich the novel. Opening each chapter and woven throughout the text, the artwork adds warmth and visual texture. Period details emerge through subtle choices in clothing, food, and setting. These images reinforce the emotional atmosphere while underscoring the care and research behind the story.
Inspired by a memory from the author’s mother, The Secret Buttons succeeds as both historical fiction and a broader reflection on courage, identity, and displacement. By placing young girls at the center of the story and allowing them to confront fear with intelligence and creativity, Shapiro delivers a moving and empowering narrative. The result is a meaningful, hopeful read that affirms young readers’ capacity to face even the most daunting circumstances.
Pages: 210 | ASIN : B0F5ZCPHXH
The Song of Vengeance
The Song of Vengeance picks up right where the first Dybbuk Scrolls adventure left off and wastes no time throwing Carrie back into danger. The book follows her struggle with loneliness at university, the eerie disappearance of her two closest friends, and the creeping feeling that something magical and malicious is once again closing in. When the dybbuks return with a new plan for revenge, Carrie is pushed back into Hadariah and into another fight she never asked for. The story blends modern life and fantasy in a way that feels quick and tense, and the mystery of what happened to her friends drives the plot with a steady pull.
I was rooting for Carrie in a very personal way. Her stress, her self-doubt, her frustration when no one believes her, all of it hit with surprising force. The writing is clean, direct, and often emotional in a quiet way. There were moments when I felt that knot of worry she carries, especially when the people around her begin forgetting Lindsay and Rebecca as if they never existed. That idea is simple, but it’s creepy, and the book leans into it with confidence. The dialogue feels natural, and the scenes that shift from the normal world into the magical one have a dreamy snap to them that I really enjoyed.
I also liked how the book digs into friendship. The bond between Carrie and her friends is the heart of the story, and even when the plot slows down, that emotional thread pulls everything forward. I do think some moments move a little quickly, especially when new characters show up or when the story jumps between worlds, but the emotional beats are strong enough that I didn’t mind much. The fantasy elements feel familiar, yet the author gives them a warm, human frame. Carrie is not a hero because she’s chosen, she’s a hero because she’s stubborn and loyal and scared, but moving anyway. That made the story feel real to me, even when magic was swirling everywhere.
If you’re a fan of series like Percy Jackson, The Mortal Instruments, or The School for Good and Evil, The Song of Vengeance will feel like a fresh but familiar ride. It blends ordinary life with creeping magic in a way that scratches the same itch as those stories, and it leans hard into friendship and courage just like they do. The world of Hadariah has its own rhythm, its own rules, and its own emotional pull, and readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy with real heart will settle into it easily. If you like your adventures tense but personal and your heroes a little messy and human, this is a great next read.
Pages: 271 | ASIN : B0FR2QTN4C
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!
The Legends of Astorynia: War of Wars Ending & The Legends of Astorynia: Prequel Collection
The Legends of Astorynia: War of Wars Ending is a classic-feeling epic fantasy about a young elf hunter named Keagle who gets pulled out of his quiet life in Edengrove and dropped into the middle of a world-ending war. One minute he is worrying about making it home through the Weary Wood, the next there are Vurkyn, reptile brutes from Shadowrock, blowing holes in palace walls during Glauriana’s Ball while dragons, wizards, and elite elven archers scramble to hold the line. Along the way we meet Princess Teyallia, gruff knight Brombol Steinerman, the half-gruflyn Puglifago, the chaotic gnome Bink, Keagle’s falcon companion Syra, and the thousand–year old wizard Mannus, who all end up woven into one huge last stand to end all wars and lock the lingering darkness away for good.
I had a lot of fun with the tone of this book. The narrator talks to the reader, tosses in little asides and repeats phrases such as “quite a moment and a half” in a way that gives the whole thing a cozy, bedtime-story vibe even when monsters are ripping through a ballroom. I liked the earnestness of it. The worldbuilding is described in simple, vivid strokes that stuck in my head. Keldorian elves in shining cities. Half-dog half-elf gruflyn folk. Scaled Vurkyn with spines and shells. Big named places like Shadowrock, Middle Woods, Lake Keldora, Uglorn Caverns. It all has this cheerful, almost childlike imagination to it that made me smile.
The writing is charming and very readable. It leans a bit on repetition and longer, winding sentences, and sometimes spells things out. The dialogue feels theatrical. Mannus’s big speeches are full of rhyme and rhythm, which is cool and has a classic fantasy vibe. I cared about the moments, especially the huge battle build-up and Mannus’ final act with the spellbook.
The ideas under all the adventure hit me in a different way. This is a story about loyalty and chosen family, about people who come from very different races and corners of the world deciding that Astorynia is worth fighting for. Keagle stepping up after Dellik falls, Teyallia promising to stay by his side until the end of forever, Pug and Bink swearing to watch each other’s backs, Mannus honoring old vows and then literally pulling evil out of the world at the cost of his own presence, that stuff landed with me. I liked that the book is not trying to be grim or edgy. It is very sincere about hope, bravery, and duty. Sometimes that sincerity veers into cheesiness, but in a way that feels wholesome.
I would recommend War of Wars Ending to readers who enjoy old school epic fantasy with a straightforward good vs evil vibe, and to younger teens or families who want a big, imaginative world full of elves, dragons, wizards, and big speeches about courage. If you like conversational narration, clear morals, and a story that feels like a long campfire tale with plenty of action and heart, this will hit the spot. For me, it felt like stepping into a warm, earnest fantasy daydream, and I think that has its own kind of magic.
Pages: 200 | ASIN : B0G52BS1WR
LITERARY TITAN 