Profound Emotional Bonds
The Third Twin follows an ER nurse who is pulled into a web of corruption and black-market adoptions when she sets out to find her missing twin sister. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for The Third Twin came from my lifelong fascination with human connection—how bonds are formed, broken, and sometimes manipulated. As DrHeatAndHeart, my work has always focused on the space where emotional intelligence meets high-pressure situations, and that lens deeply shaped this story.
Identical twins represent one of the most profound emotional bonds we know. Their connection is often intuitive, unspoken, and deeply rooted in identity. I wanted to explore what happens when that bond is violently severed—and how the absence of someone who is literally part of you can become both a wound and a driving force.
Choosing an ER nurse as the protagonist was intentional. Nurses are trained to read people quickly, to stay calm in chaos, and to lead with empathy even when the stakes are life and death. That made her the perfect heroine—not just for a thriller, but for a romance. As she searches for her missing sister, she’s also forced to confront her own emotional walls, learning that vulnerability can be just as powerful as strength.
The black-market adoption thread allowed me to explore a darker side of connection—how love, legacy, and longing can be exploited when systems become corrupt. But at its core, The Third Twin is still a love story. It’s about trust earned under fire, intimacy forged in danger, and the courage it takes to let someone see you when everything is on the line.
Ultimately, the story asks a question I return to again and again in my work: Can love survive the truth? And sometimes, more importantly, can it heal it?
Is there anything from your own life included in your characters’ traits and dialogue?
When we moved into our first neighborhood in Colorado, my next-door neighbor discovered she was pregnant, with triplets. I had the rare privilege of watching that journey unfold from pregnancy through infancy, witnessing not just the logistics of raising three babies at once, but something far more extraordinary: the invisible bond that connected the babies from the very beginning.
After the triplets were born, I helped often, which allowed me to see firsthand how deeply attuned they were to one another—even in the earliest days. Like all newborns, they fussed at times, and each was cared for individually—fed, changed, held, soothed. But when one baby became inconsolable, something remarkable happened. Simply placing one of the other babies beside them in the crib brought instant calm. No rocking. No singing. Just proximity. As if comfort lived in the shared presence of each other.
We watched their tiny hands reach out, searching, until they found one another. The moment they touched—fingers curling, palms resting—peace followed. It was clear they didn’t just recognize each other; they needed each other. This connection existed beyond sound or sight, rooted in something deeper than ordinary awareness.
As they grew, their communication became even more fascinating. Long before words, they spoke in their own language—soft babbles, rhythmic sounds, gestures, and expressions meant only for each other. Even as they learned to communicate with adults using words, they continued speaking in this private way among themselves, as though translating life into a language only they shared.
What struck me most was their awareness of one another, even when they weren’t in the same room. They seemed to sense when another needed comfort, attention, or closeness—crying, settling, or calming in patterns that defied coincidence. When reunited, their communication resumed effortlessly, as if no separation had occurred at all.
Watching these triplets changed the way I understood sibling bonds—especially those formed before birth. Their connection wasn’t learned; it was remembered. A quiet, powerful communication code that many twins and triplets experience, often dismissed as myth—but I saw it with my own eyes. It’s real. And once you witness it, you never forget it.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing a thriller?
The most challenging aspect of writing a thriller is maintaining relentless tension without sacrificing emotional authenticity. Suspense can’t exist on plot alone—readers may turn the pages for danger, but they stay for the people at the center of it.
For me, the real challenge is ensuring that every twist is earned on an emotional level. As DrHeatAndHeart, my work has always focused on how people think, feel, and communicate under pressure. In a thriller, characters are constantly operating in high-stakes environments, and if their reactions don’t feel psychologically true, the tension collapses. Fear, love, hesitation, and trust must unfold in ways that mirror real human behavior—even when the circumstances are extreme.
There’s also a delicate balance between control and surprise. A thriller requires precise pacing and careful structure, yet it must still feel unpredictable. The hardest moments to write are often the quiet ones—the pauses between danger—because that’s where readers sense what could be lost. Those moments allow space for romance, vulnerability, and connection, which ultimately raise the stakes far more than action alone ever could.
Ultimately, blending thriller and romance means understanding that danger sharpens desire, love intensifies risk, and when both are woven together, the emotional payoff becomes as powerful as the suspense itself.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Yes—readers can absolutely look forward to more work very soon. The Third Twin is part of The Casanova Family Legacy Series, an interconnected collection of romance thrillers that blend danger, devotion, and the enduring power of family.
Two new novels are already in development. The first is When Fire Meets the Snow, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Aspen, Colorado. This story traces the emotional evolution of two people who are both afraid to commit, yet slowly discover a bond strong enough to build a family rooted in trust and love. Readers will also be introduced to Luna, an affectionate, purpose-trained rescue puppy—carefully selected and certified for her intelligence, temperament, and ability to serve—whose journey into becoming a skilled mountain rescue dog mirrors the healing and resilience of the people around her.
The second upcoming novel is The Heiress’s Daughter, which introduces a new heroine while weaving in familiar faces from the Casanova world. She is a classically trained chef who studied in Paris, built her career in Seattle, and then lost everything during the collapse of the restaurant industry in the wake of COVID. Seeking a fresh start, she makes her way to the wide-open beauty of Colorado, where building a career within the Casanova family’s restaurant empire brings opportunity—but also exposes her to betrayal, hidden agendas, and unexpected danger. Her journey is one of reinvention, strength, and love tested under fire.
What excites me most about these stories is the balance—introducing new voices while deepening the emotional legacy of characters readers already know. My goal remains the same with every book: to create stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats, emotionally invested, and believing in love even when the stakes are high.
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My body guard. My mistake. My obsession.
And now I am pregnant with his twins.
Luca Stone Is a badass protector.
His mission: Protect the billionaire’s daughters
—including me.
Then danger tore through my family.
A kidnapping. Dangerous predators. Crimes we never knew.
His life changed. So did mine.
But touching him one stormy night changed everything for both of us.
Now the man I hated is the only one I can trust.
As the walls come tumbling down around us,
Can love rescue us and make life right again?
A Reflection on My Life
Looking for Trouble is a vivid, unfiltered look at police work, city life, and the long road a person walks to find purpose, starting with your childhood in Baltimore and continuing through your career in law enforcement. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was essential to write this book for several reasons. I wanted to leave a written account of my life for children and the rest of my family, so they could see what my life and upbringing were like and be inspired to accomplish their dreams when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I also wanted to provide a voice for crime victims so the world could see the impact of crime on their quality of life. I wanted to show the world the trials, tribulations, and triumphs that police officers experience while working in the line of duty. Lastly, I wanted to provide an ethical blueprint to guide police officers and managers facing enormous challenges.
How did you balance the need to be honest and authentic with the need to protect your privacy and that of others in your memoir?
One way I balanced this was by changing the names and physical descriptions of some characters. I provided a disclaimer at the beginning of the book to help accomplish that goal. Honesty and authenticity were fundamental to me. I wanted my readers to realize that police officers have feelings, emotions, and fears. However, despite those fears, we race toward trouble while other people run from it. I wrote the book in the first person so the reader could experience scenarios through my eyes and evaluate the critical choices that I had to make.
How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?
Writing a memoir gave me a reflection on my life. I was able to witness my own growth and identify good and destructive patterns of behavior that I was unconscious of. I learned that my upbringing shaped many of the decisions I made. That is something that I was previously unaware of. I learned many lessons about my life and resilience that I had never considered.
The book has made me a better and more analytical person. I have become more empathetic to the challenges of others.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope readers gain a greater appreciation for the enormous sacrifices police officers make to enhance the safety and quality of life for people in the community.
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During Maurice’s 20-year career, he memorialized his cinematic transformation from a rookie patrolman to a relentless, battle-hardened police veteran. While mastering the art of “Looking for Trouble, “Maurice soared through the ranks and was promoted to Lieutenant. The police veteran graphically describes his action-packed career. Maurice was forced to examine and reconcile his upbringing as he operated in the shadows immersing himself in a lifestyle that he spent his entire life trying to avoid. While battling drug dealers, murderers, and robbers, another battle emerged and expanded beyond the streets.
Some of his fiercest battles extended to the halls of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Narcotics Enforcement Division. Maurice believed his career was in free fall, but a crisis shook the community. Against the odds, Maurice emerged as the lead investigator of an FBI Safe Streets Homicide Task Force, creating the biggest challenge of his career. Maurice was confronted with the same drug dealer whom he clashed with while a patrol officer. The drug dealer ascended to become a Kingpin while Maurice became a detective. Maurice worked frantically to stop the killings, trying to nab the most dangerous and elusive Drug Kingpin in county history, suspected of 12 murders.
Why Was She Moaning?
The Moaning Lisa follows an older married pair of sleuths who land in the middle of a disturbing mystery inside the Gilded Gates assisted living community, where several residents have gone missing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Almost fifteen years ago we published the three Paco and Molly mysteries: Locks and Cream Cheese, Hot Grudge Sunday, and Boston Scream Pie. We had established their ages in their sixties, but now they would be in their eighties—not exactly vigorous protagonists in pursuit of a mystery. Coincidentally, elderly relatives of ours were kicking and screaming over the prospect of moving into a retirement facility. Their reluctance and fears sparked the idea for a setting where Paco and Molly might flourish. One day, just kidding around about the Mona Lisa, one of us happened to say “Moaning Lisa” and it clicked right away. Who was Lisa and why was she moaning? We dove into the plot.
I loved the characters of Paco and Molly; their personalities work well together. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
When we started writing together decades ago, we hadn’t even considered writing mysteries—until we visited Rosemary’s father, Dr. Saul K. Pollack, a prominent psychoanalyst in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That visit set us on a happy new course. Her father, a widower in his seventies, had a housekeeper/gourmet cook named Dorothy. She was sixty-three, with a beach ball figure, waddle walk, taffy-colored curls, and a good-natured, nosy-body personality. She had never gone past the tenth grade, but she was super-smart and keenly observant.
Dorothy also had a unique way of expressing herself. “I have to take my calcium so I don’t get osteoferocious.” During our visit, Rosemary’s father pulled out a piece of paper from his desk drawer and handed it to us: his secret list of Dorothy’s sayings. He thought we could submit it to Reader’s Digest. Back home in Severna Park, Maryland, we studied the list and decided, “Forget Reader’s Digest. Dorothy belongs to us.” We named her Molly. Her frequent witticisms were “malaprops,” but we named them Mollyprops. The concept of malaprops originated with the character Mrs. Malaprop in a 1775 comedy of manners, The Rivals, by Robert B. Sheridan.
When Locks and Cream Cheese, our first in the series, was initially conceived, we envisioned ourselves—our own alter egos—as protagonists Simon and Rachel. But Paco and Molly came across so powerfully in the writing that they soon edged us out.
Paco is modeled after a Barcelona, Spain, police inspector I met socially aboard a U.S. Naval ship docked in that city’s harbor. I was a field engineer for RCA at the time. The short, fit, and vibrant inspector was visiting the ship to practice his English. For an entire evening, the inspector told me one impressive anecdote after another. His bushy eyebrow movements were a “tell” of his current emotions. They moved together and individually, making the man memorable even to this day.
What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story, where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?
The hardest part of writing a mystery story is building and keeping track of the details. After razzle-dazzling readers with twists, turns, and the black art of red herrings—and perhaps a subplot—we need to leave a trail of clues that make sense. It’s a matter of maintaining the readers’ trust. We want them to come back and read our next mystery.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Paco and Molly and what the next mystery they will have to solve is?
Any new Paco and Molly mysteries will sit on the shelf for a time while we pursue our next adventures. Last year we published our first spy novel, Kent and Katcha: Espionage, Spycraft, Romance. It won five stars and an award. We are now working on the sequel, Kauai Spies and Bald-faced Lies. Our fifth short-story collection is also brewing. Who knows if and when our Paco and Molly muse will strike again. Meanwhile, our twenty-one published books are currently displayed at our website, www/magicile.com.
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Now in their eighties, Paco and Molly have moved into Gilded Gates, an assisted living community in Maryland. They expect their golden years to be blissful. They are dead wrong. Some residents are missing and no one knows what has happened to them.
One suspicious resident is a sleepwalker and claims to have heard mysterious moaning during his night walks, but for the life of him he can’t figure out where the anguished sounds are coming from.
“Inspector Paco” has retired as head of the Black Rain Corners police force. But many residents of Gilded Gates fear they might be next on the list of the missing. They beg Paco to investigate.
Naturally, Molly also pokes her keen nose and shrewd insights into the baffling disappearances.
The Many Layers of the Past
East to West Across Russia follows a man who chases a childhood dream to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway from Vladivostok all the way to Moscow, on a journey of self-discovery and introspection. What was the inspiration for the set-up of your story?
In the dedication at the beginning of the book I wrote
‘Dear N,
I dedicate the words written on these pages drenched in the cloak of my melancholy to you my great love. Has there ever been a light so illuminating, a smile so effervescent? We walked together hand in hand but now it is only I with my dreams of a love I once knew and the fate of that love never to burn in my heart again.
Always,
D
The entire narrative lives and dies and is fuelled by the character N. She is nameless and for many she is not even seen as a real life person. Some see her as a ghostly figure, a faint representation of an idealised love while others have seen her as a symbol of Old Rus, that grand and mythical era where all Soviet and Russian people long to return to. Perhaps she exists or perhaps she does not exist. In the end it really doesn’t matter but for the protagonist D, N is everything he ever wished for and dreamt of. He has no memory of life before she existed and the memory of her since she faded away from his heart continues to burn and ruptures the core of his being. D moves from east to west slowly across Russia but he also moves slowly from his past into his present and contemplating on a future without N who lingers long in his thoughts.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The theme of memory is crucial to the narrative of the story. It is a memoir of the protagonist as he traverses the longest train journey in the world but more importantly it is a memoir of the past and the many layers that exist not only within D but within the human mind. Every place the human being experiences becomes part of his collective memories. We can never go to any place and simply not exist and have an experience of that place. Wherever we go, there we are and a memory and timeline of such a place will always reside within us whether we can recall such a memory or not. I wanted to explore and show the theme of solitude through the nomadic wanderings of the protagonist D. We live in a world that is teeming with life but as a unique individual being in this world we can never understand what it feels like to be another human being. We can only ever feel and understand what it is to be oneself. I cannot be another human being and another human being cannot be me. We can only reside within oneself so in my narrative across the vast terrain that is both Siberia and Russia I tried to depict such solitude, such bleakness, such passion, such love, such philosophical thoughts within the individual traveller. D is an individual but when the reader gets to see and contemplate his inner thoughts we begin to understand that we too are like D. We have fears, we have anger, we have deep emotions, we have dreams and desires. We see our human frailties through D and especially so when he moves through the immeasurable raw beauty that is Siberia. The human becomes frail and finite when resting alongside such natural places of wonder. The theme of nationalism takes central stage in the long monologue scene set at Lake Baikal. The protagonist D calls out from his own brokenness across the sublime waters of Baikal and wonders is there anybody out there to listen to such a cry. In his monologue, D specifically points to the 20th century and the many examples of nationalism that aimed to divide and to destroy human beings. For D, nationalism is everything that is insular and divisive about our world. When we are nationalistic we only look inward and see a blind image of the world where we choose to fight for our own nations and in the process we challenge, deride and abuse other nations especially the much smaller ones. Nationalism becomes the great evil and occupier of human beings. We cannot become vessels for peace when the stain and blood of nationalism continues to be fuelled from within our own nations. At the core of all wars whether they be civil or world wars is a disturbed view of nationalism whose only aim it is to conquer, destroy and rule. What narrative anywhere can exist without the age old themes of life and death? They are the themes of our humanity. Life and death are inextricably linked for the protagonist D in his wanderings and tale across Russia. As D physically moves across the endless terrain of Russia the interior world becomes fused with the external and natural world of the environment. The melancholy of such thoughts within D become more pronounced as his mind wanders and lingers within his own brokenness. The 20th century of death and mayhem are used and depicted by D in his long monologue scene. Everything about that century brought human cruelty and barbarity into a new era of lust and a desire for death over life. For D, death became the great aggressor and nemesis against life and the human condition. Human illness becomes for D the natural consequence for the stain that was written into our soul from our birth. However, the philosophical and continuous choice that humans have allows us to choose whether we want our lives to be fuelled with a desire to destroy or by an energy to live and accept such a stain of corruption that is part of all of us but which we can decide not to act upon such dark impulses.
All of us human beings understands what it means and what it feels to be loved. We were all loved by somebody at one time but familial love is very different to romantic love. When we love another person in a romantic way we slowly move away from the ego that drives our energy and we channel all of our energies and desires into this other person. It becomes heroic and unselfish as we begin to love another person more than we love oneself. When that love cracks, breaks and fades into nothingness a great chasm exists for the one who has been rejected. The grief is paramount, real and it often manifests into a deep-seated melancholy just like how a physical illness attacks the human body. This is the reality for D, the hero of this tale across Russia. Who or what is D without N in his life? He was once loved by her but now she has gone and he does not have a roadmap to navigate a route back to life and love. He wanders from one place to the next and tries to live but N continues to occupy his heart. He does not know how to live and to love without her. The vast and unending plains of Russia are symbolic for the vast and unending love that D has and holds for N. I was trying to depict and expose more of the internal struggles of man. We never truly understand the magnificence and mystery of such an internal world. The reader whilst travelling on this journey across Russia will stand and sit next to D and begin to feel all of his emotions as they are released from his mind and heart. When they read and experience D’s tale they will also go along their own journey as their own memories become heightened and alive with nostalgia and feeling.
I find sometimes authors ask themselves questions and let their characters answer them. Do you think this is true for your characters?
As an author I often ask questions of myself and wonder how it feels to think in a certain way, how it feels like to undergo an illness, a grief, a torment, how it feels like to be truly loved and to love another unconditionally, how it feels like to be truly happy. In this tale across Russia it is primarily D who slowly answers such questions. Before D set out on his journey across Russia he was curious what it would feel like to stand next to the largest freshwater lake in the world at Lake Baikal. He had no idea what feelings and emotions would stir up in him on witnessing the mighty Taiga Forest range and the immense happiness that he would experience on simply riding the trains without any agenda or goal in mind other than to live and experience the pleasure of living in such a finite moment. There is a scene in the book where D meets a family on the train to Moscow. D is all alone and has lost his family and so the depiction of Christina and her family reveals to D the meaning and purity that exists within a family setting. Christina and her family become the manifestation of the ideal for D, something to admire, something to long for and a reminder of the once severing of his family. Christina reminds D that he can love again but D longs only for his N, the cradle of his spirit. There are two characters in the book who remind D of his father. He meets a policeman in Ulan-Ude and a security guard named Yuri in Yekaterinburg. It is Yuri’s wish to one day go to Irkutsk and to see Lake Baikal with his own eyes as it reminds him of his father. In these two characters D is reminded about when we are more similar in this world than how we are divisive. On his final train journey to Moscow D contemplates on the journey that has passed and has a connection with his future self who echoes his thoughts and his soul to truly live and enjoy such finite moments as such moments will one day cease for all of us. The future D becomes the present and the past D as the readers get to listen to such words travelling from the future into the present in the silence of the moving train as sleep awaits. The thoughts of D are from the future but echoing along his heart in the present as he tries to move on from the continuous pain that he carried within him since N departed his life.
What is the next book that you’re working on and when can your fans expect it out?
My second book will be very different to my first book as this first book focussed on the author in a very personal way and was a memoir from a specific point in time. This second book is going to be a collection of twenty Short Stories set in various European locations. They are fictional tales and a snapshot of life as it was lived by its characters. I have ten of these stories written already with another ten stories to write. I have chosen locations such as Paris, Copenhagen, Venice, Lake Bled, Chernobyl, Bergen, Stockholm, Berlin, Barcelona, Weimar and diverse topics such as memory loss, first love, childhood trauma, illness, loss of love, dreams, the natural and artificial environment, the epistolary form of memory and longing, the sanctity of life. I hope to have this second book completed by the end of 2026.
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Riddles of the Ancestors
Riddles of the Ancestors is a mythic fantasy novel rooted in Arthurian legend and spiritual fiction. The story follows Merlin and his sister Ganieda across timelines, from a magical Foretime to modern-day London, as they protect the secrets of the Round Table and work to activate an ancient star-coded template called Logres. Along the way, druids, goddesses, healers, and everyday people are drawn into a larger unfolding meant to heal the Earth and usher in a new age of balance.
This book felt less like racing through a plot and more like being invited into a long, winding conversation with myth itself. Sullivan’s writing moves gently, often lingering on gardens, sacred landscapes, and quiet moments of recognition between characters. I found myself slowing down as I read. The author seems less interested in suspense than in atmosphere and meaning. At times, the story reads like a modern-day fairy tale layered with Celtic lore, astrology, and goddess wisdom. If you enjoy mythic fantasy that feels devotional rather than dramatic, this book leans into that space.
What stood out most to me was Sullivan’s choice to center Ganieda and other feminine figures alongside Merlin. The emphasis on healing, collaboration, and remembrance gives the book a softer pulse than traditional Arthurian retellings. Some scenes feel almost ceremonial, like stepping into a candlelit room where symbols matter as much as actions. Occasionally, I wished for sharper tension or more restraint with exposition, especially when spiritual concepts were explained directly rather than shown. Still, there is sincerity here. The book believes deeply in what it is saying, and that conviction carries it forward.
Riddles of the Ancestors will resonate most with readers who enjoy mythic fantasy, spiritual fiction, and reimagined Arthurian legends infused with goddess traditions and New Age themes. It is for readers who like to wander, reflect, and sit with big ideas about time, memory, and the living Earth. If you enjoy stories that feel like modern myths meant to be felt as much as understood, this book is worth your time.
Pages: 375 | ASIN : B0FW9G2ZVN
They’re not wizards. They’re not powerful.
The Hedgewitch’s Charm follows a struggling hedgewitch and a haunted duke as they confront a deadly, possibly deliberate plague, discovering that compassion and failure can be as powerful and as dangerous as magic itself. What inspired you to center the story on failure and helplessness?
I felt that this was an interesting starting point for the story. The idea of fighting against something so small, and so unknowable as a sickness, it’s something that’s universal and also something that everyone can identify with. So many heroes in stories profess to have all the answers, and all the power. It’s this attitude of “I’m Superman, of course I can save the day.” What happens if our heroes are small? What happens if they don’t know what to do? What happens if they’re so very human? For me, that was an interesting place to start the story. Ipsinki has been there from the beginning of the series, and he has known failure. He’s just a man, and Gwendolyn, the hedgewitch is just a woman. They’re not wizards. They’re not powerful. They’re just people who want to do some good; and there’s real power in that.
Gwendolyn’s magic feels intimate and exhausting. How did you shape her relationship with magic and its limits?
I write her as kind of the anti-Kralc. He’s this wizard who acts as if he knows all the answers, and he’s almost cocky, in a way, with his power. She’s someone whose affinity with the earth, and with this desire to heal, grants her these gifts. Her power is of a much more humble nature, and so, like anyone confronting a large scale problem, she has her limits, and she is acutely aware of them. Whatever magic she has is limited in scope by her calling. She has a true sense of what’s right, and what is necessary. It’s from this place that her power comes from, and she accepts her limits.
Ipsinki carries both political responsibility and personal grief. How did you balance those two sides of his character?
For me, it’s these traits that make him a good leader. He recognizes what’s at stake on a far more intimate level than many of the other characters in the book. Here is a man who, through his years as a soldier, and through his mother who owns an inn, has cultivated a real relationship with the people on an individual level. This is something that is truly lacking with the royal family, with the rest of the nobility. It’s this quality that makes all of this so painful for him, but also makes him the perfect person to help tackle this problem. With the others in charge, it’s sad, but the lives being lost are just numbers on a page. It’s all so abstract. With Ipsinki, it’s not that at all. It’s “Oh my god, you mean Sarah died? I just spoke with her yesterday.” It’s his desire to know the people, and his relationships that drive him, and make him good at his job.
Disease and fear play a role in the story. Were there real-world anxieties or experiences that influenced how you portrayed the plague?
In a way, yes. I believe that all writers draw on their lives to some degree when they write. Funnily enough, I came up with this idea before the pandemic. It’s something that I came up with with my friend, An Tran, when we were working Bath Salts. The idea of a disease used as a weapon was something so scary to me. Add some magic to it, and we have The Hedgewitch’s Charm. There’s something so intrinsically tense that comes from a spreading disease. How does one fight against germs? It’s an invisible enemy that you can’t really confront. Writing it was interesting, as the disease almost became a character in itself.
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A strange illness is sweeping through the kingdom of Colonodona bringing death and pain wherever it hits. Gwendolyn, a young hedge witch has made the startling discovery that the illness is one that has been created out of magic. Leaving her home, she makes the trip to the capitol to see the King. There, she is teamed up with the Duke Ipsinki and sent out to find the wizard responsible. As this is happening, the disease strike the capitol infecting Ipsinki’s mother, Aud, and Sitnalta. It is now a race against the clock. Along the way, Gwendolyn realizes that Ipsinki is unlike any other man she has met, while the Duke sees that there is more to life than paperwork and duty. Regaining his love for adventure, he sees that he has more of a choice in front of him than he first realized.
The Romanov Legacy: Ahead of the Storm
The Romanov Legacy II: Ahead of the Storm by Fred G. Baker is a sweeping work of historical fiction that imagines the escape of two Romanov children in the final days of Imperial Russia. The story follows Alexei and Anastasia after their flight from captivity near Yekaterinburg, guided by loyalists of the White Army as civil war erupts around them. Baker blends real events with imagined rescue efforts, focusing on danger, secrecy, and survival during the collapse of the old order. The book moves through military action, quiet hiding, and emotional aftermath as the children face loss, fear, and an uncertain future.
I enjoyed the pacing and clarity of the writing. Baker writes in a clean, steady style that keeps things moving without confusion. I never felt lost in the geography or the politics. The scenes feel grounded and physical. Cold barns. Dark rivers. Mud, hunger, and fear. I felt the tension early. Some descriptions were a bit longer than needed, but I did not mind. They helped me settle into the world. The dialogue feels natural most of the time, and the emotional beats land with honesty. I felt real dread during the execution revelations and real relief during moments of safety.
I liked the ideas behind the story even more than the action. This book is clearly about loyalty, moral duty, and the cost of history on children who never chose their fate. I felt angry reading parts of it. I also felt grief. Baker does not soften the cruelty of the era, but he does offer a sense of human decency through characters like Tupolev and Anna. I appreciated that balance. The book does not feel preachy. It feels mournful and stubborn and hopeful all at once. I liked that the Romanovs are treated as people first and symbols second.
I found this book to be emotional and thoughtful. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction with emotional weight and alternative history angles. It is a good fit for anyone interested in the Russian Revolution, lost possibilities, or stories about protecting the vulnerable during chaos. When I think about this book next to other popular Romanov novels, it feels more grounded and more urgent. Books like I Was Anastasia or The Lost Roses spend more time on mystery, romance, and shifting timelines, while this one stays locked on danger and survival. It reminds me more of a wartime escape story than a court drama. The scope is narrower, but the tension is stronger. I felt closer to the characters here than I often do in historical epics, and that made the story hit harder for me.
Pages: 292 | ASIN : B0G1JDFZ7B
It Was So Different And Refined
Most Glorious follows a gifted young architect as he navigates shifting empires, secret intrigues, and looming wars to discover how quiet courage can reshape the world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The period described in the book is set during the era known as the Dark Ages. What inspired me to write it was that I found that period to be, in fact, very enriching in multiple ways. Building the largest building in the world, Hagia Sophia, was a great example of that, because it was so different and refined from all the large buildings constructed earlier. Another inspiration was that the writings and films about the fall of Rome in 476 made it seem that it was the end of the Roman Empire. The Roman capital was transferred to Constantinople in 330; it had a long and prosperous life until it fell in 1453, almost a 1000 years after the city of Rome fell.
How did you approach balancing historical accuracy with the emotional intimacy of John’s personal journey?
To me, any story needs to have credibility. Accordingly, ensuring the accuracy of historic events was a very important concern when working on the manuscript. Furthermore, John was a young man; he had to grow, learn, and take on more responsibility in changing times. He was technically well-trained not only to consider challenges in construction but also in the beauty of the project. Facing complex architectural issues, an unpredictable emperor, a jealous court, and secret spies, was more than enough for someone who just wanted to build a perfect building.
John’s personal journey was aided by university training, a strong relationship with his companion and mentor, the quiet and surprising love of some family members, and a great confidence in his own skills. Besides the various challenges, John understood that any mistake in the construction of the largest building would be the last error of his career.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As I planned this book, it became obvious that several interwoven themes needed to be explored. These include John’s personal journey, court intrigues, war and conquest, spying, and the construction of an architectural marvel. Without them, the story would not be complete.
The world feels authentic, from Miletos’ shoreline to the Persian court. Which location was the most challenging to bring to life?
Miletos was the most difficult to describe, as its geographical location changed over time. Miletos was a city that likely had several small ports; now, the few remaining ruins of that city are located a considerable distance from the shore. To gain a sense of how the city appeared many centuries ago, I relied on past writings and maps of the city ruins, although knowledge of the history of climate change and Mediterranean terrain was also very helpful.
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However, his journey is not limited to stone and mortar. As John navigates the court intrigues of Constantinople, he finds himself entangled in political power struggles, the chariot-racing factions of the Blues and Greens, and the empire’s ongoing conflict with the Persians. Alongside figures such as the historian Prokopius and the great general Belisarius, John experiences firsthand the ambitions, betrayals, and heroism that shape history.
Blending real historical events with a gripping narrative, Most Glorious brings to life the grandeur and peril of the Byzantine world, showcasing the resilience of those who built its most enduring legacies.
LITERARY TITAN 