Mistress of Bees
When I picked up Mistress of Bees, I expected a playful romp through a world of magic and mischief, and that’s exactly what I got, but with a lot more teeth than I anticipated. The book follows Lady Maris Goselin, a foul-mouthed, bee-wielding, sharp-witted sorceress who narrates her own adventures with a mix of biting humor, lustful candor, and raw honesty. Through her eyes, we stumble into necromantic disasters, awkward entanglements with past lovers, dangerous pacts, and more than one horrifying monster fight. It’s a collection of linked tales, each brimming with irreverence, peril, and a constant tug-of-war between desire, regret, and survival.
What struck me first was the voice. She’s crude, hilarious, sometimes cruel, but always human in a way that feels oddly relatable. I found myself laughing one moment and wincing the next. Author Bernie Mojzes writes her like someone you might meet at a bar, the kind of person who overshares and insults you in the same breath, yet you can’t walk away because the stories are just that good. There’s a rhythm to the prose that pulls you along, rough and jagged at times, almost tender at others, and always with the sense that Maris is whispering in your ear, daring you to judge her.
For all its bawdy humor and sly jokes, there’s a heavy weight behind the stories. Maris is haunted. She’s angry, lonely, bitter, and still carrying scars from every betrayal and every battle. The way she faces down horrors, both monstrous and personal, feels raw and almost painful. I didn’t just read about her struggles, I felt them. And yet, the book never wallows. It snaps back with snark, with sex, with bees buzzing through the chaos. That mix of tragedy and comedy made it unpredictable and addictive.
By the time I finished, I knew this was the sort of book I’d want to recommend to readers who crave fantasy that doesn’t play nice. If you like your adventures messy, your heroes deeply flawed, and your magic tangled up with lust and rage, this is for you. Mistress of Bees is loud, brash, sometimes shocking, and often moving in ways you won’t expect. I’d recommend it to fans of dark fantasy, lovers of irreverent narrators, and anyone who wants a story that feels alive, buzzing, and just a little dangerous.
Pages: 416 | ASIN : B0FJGBBR4S
Glorious Hyperbole
The Capricious Nature of Being is a collection of short stories filled with intrigue and satire about the unpredictable turns life takes, and how ordinary people stumble, resist, adapt, or come undone. What was the inspiration for this collection of stories?
Life! Almost every story in the book is based on an experience of mine or one of a person I knew. “Dick & Jane” was inspired by Stephen King’s book On Writing, and Jane is a composite of a couple of women who blazed through my life. “Uber” came from research I was conducting for a business column, and “The Accident” practically wrote itself at a wedding I attended. I haven’t a clue where Dr. Margaret Mary McAllister came from, but I love her to death. “The Other Side of the Tracks” was kind of a goof I was playing around with that sprouted wings and took off like a big old 747, tequila and all. However, most of the time when I write, I haven’t a clue where I’m going until I get there.
You often place people and stories in familiar environments. Why is everyday life such an effective stage for inner upheaval?
Because that’s where it happens. I’m not a big fan of a lot of descriptive narrative or metaphorical muscle flexing. I like my characters to develop themselves through dialogue and behavior, and the drama of their situation to emerge from within. Familiar, low-keyed settings allow that drama to play out without a lot of superfluous distractions, and I believe it allows the reader to better identify and empathize with the emerging personalities.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The capricious nature of being! Like WTF, man! Life’s a bitch and then you die, and all that hard-edged confetti wherein we frame our experiences. Everybody, to one degree or another, has some kind of cross to bear, and how you perceive that challenge, how you deal with it, is the story of your life. There are no victims, only the vanquished and survivors, and it’s your choice.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
It’s titled How to Sell the Plague, a memoir I’ve been working on for about 15 years; the story of my life in all its overstated and glorious hyperbole. Only most of it’s true, and I hope interesting. It’s subtitled From Woodstock to Wingtips, and it’s ostensibly about me morphing from hippie to businessman, but the real theme is finding out who I am amidst a slew of confusion and misdirection. The narrative winds through my emotionally formative years with lots of side alleys and illusionary backdoors, like doing jumping jacks in a jock strap in front of a Broadway producer or smashing my guitar against a tree (a la Peter Townsind) on the top of a Sierra Nevada mountain to impress a pretty young blond (wink, wink). Like the driving issue in all my writing, it’s about perspective and choices, and some of the fun along the way.
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These engaging tales will make you laugh and cry…and leave you wanting more.
Organized Crime Stories
Lords of Sixty-Third Street follows a Chicago reporter who is investigating his friend’s brutal murder, leading him deep into mob deals, street gangs, and political corruption. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wanted to write a story that corresponded with all of the gang violence headlines in the Chicagoland area. It seems that every time we watch the news, there is gang-style violence, and innocent people are always getting killed. Also, I liked the ‘Bugsy Siegel’ story and wanted to mix that in with this storyline.
The story jumps between the investigation, mob crews, and gang life without feeling scattered. How did you manage that balance?
I wrote the storyline as though I were watching the movie…different scenes, different characters, different plot structures.
An intriguing aspect of your story is the contrast between the Outfit’s old rules and the chaos of younger street gangs. What interested you about that generational divide?
Like the current organized crime stories, there seems to always be conflict between the ‘old guard wise guys’ and the young, violent gang members who run the Chicago streets without any rules, morality, or scruples.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
Russo’s Revenge, coming out in March, is about a Chicago Cop who is wrongly accused of selling drugs and weapons on the Chicago streets, and looks to pursue redemption and clear his name. The next book, hopefully this summer, is When A Thief Comes To Rome, about a Chicago ex-convict who is hired by the Sicilian Mafia to steal a rare, valuable artifact from a Roman Catholic church in Trastevere, Rome.
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McKay becomes entangled with both the Outfit and the street gangs, even taking in a young member of the O-Block gang, DeMarco Stevens. McKay attempts to save this young teenager from the city’s cycle of violence. But there is betrayal and violence at every level. The Sixty-Third Street crew is already skimming cash from its investors before the casino opens its doors.
With mob boss Little Tony DiMatteo’s blessing, everyone is getting a piece of the action, even though some are not willing to pay for it, including Chicago’s corrupt mayor, Bradley Jefferson. Giannini is under pressure to ensure all the investors are playing by the rules while trying to cover up the embezzlement by his Sixty-Third Street crew.
As Giannini’s Windy City Casino is about to have its grand opening, the Outfit’s Bugsy Siegel is going to realize his magnificent dream. But with all of the city’s bloody violence and corruption, is everyone willing to pay the ultimate price?
Love and Laughter
NICK and CLANCY – A Tale of Nine Lives follows a gentle and wounded man recovering from severe heart trauma, who has a runaway dog turn up at his door, and gives him a new purpose in life. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
The character of Nick is inspired by the life and death of my younger brother, although I have fictionalized his personality and life course in ways he would never recognize! The character of Clancy was inspired by my good friend’s Sheltie collie, now deceased, who I swear was sentient. I wanted to give Clancy to Nick as a gift that I wish I could have given my brother.
I loved that Clancy is not just a sidekick in this story; she is just as active and engaging as Nick. Her character is funny, loyal, guilty, protective, and oddly wise. How did you decide what emotional range to give her?
Little spoiler warning: In the story, Clancy’s personality reflects her previous lifetime as a zany, devoted person. I’ve known several of those. So she was actually an easy character to imagine. Think of a zany, devoted person you’ve known – that’s Clancy.
Humor shows up amid fear and illness. How did you find the balance between laughter and emotions that overtake a person when facing an illness such as Nicks?
Life isn’t all one color, or even two (black and white). I wanted Nick’s story to be rich and full of love and laughter that often come hand-in-hand with loss and tragedy. We are multidimensional beings; if only we open our minds and hearts.
What do you hope readers feel when they close the book?
I hope they feel the love that permeated Nick and Clancy’s lives, and that it inspires them to reach out and share their own love with others, while we have the time and place. As Nick’s Aunt Nancy would say, “Micro-moments matter. Even the tiny ripples matter. Just ask the fish in the creek.’”
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The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Got Lost in Africa: Book 5 – The Lions
This children’s book was a fun ride. Casper wakes up under a tree surrounded by a whole crowd of head-bobbing guinea fowl, then spends the rest of the story stumbling into new friends and new dangers as she keeps trying to get home. She helps orphaned squirrels. She faints in front of a lion. She ends up teaming up with lions, a giant spider named Bertrand, an antlion general with the longest name on Earth, and an army of scorpions to outsmart some trophy hunters. The ending is this wild mix of chaos, teamwork, and justice that somehow still feels warm and funny.
I really enjoyed how the writing balances humor with heavier stuff. One moment, I was laughing because Casper freaked out at an eight-eyed spider. The next moment, I felt a weird swell of pride as all these animals worked together to protect each other. The dialogue has this bouncy, chatty rhythm, and the author leans into absurd moments in a way that feels natural. I also liked that Casper never fully stops being scared. She is tiny. She is lost. She knows it. And she still tries to help anyway. I found that pretty sweet.
What surprised me was how much heart there is behind the silliness. The lions aren’t just big dramatic characters. They care deeply about their families, and that gives the story a real emotional center. Casper’s fear of crocodiles made me laugh and also made me feel protective of her. And the idea of every creature working together to chase off people who hurt animals for fun hit me harder than I expected. It was satisfying. And the tone never turns mean. It stays focused on bravery, kindness, and standing up for each other.
The illustrations throughout the book are adorable. They’re done in these soft, warm colors that make the whole world feel gentle even when the scenes get wild. The characters are expressive in that big clear way kids instantly understand. Each picture adds a little spark to the story, almost like a pause that lets you feel what the characters are feeling before diving back into the chaos.
I would absolutely recommend this children’s chapter book to kids who love funny adventure stories, talking animals, or anything with a lot of heart. It’s great for anyone who enjoys a quick, charming read that mixes giggles with good messages about empathy and courage. This book provides young readers with a good time.
Pages: 80 | ISBN: 1923356216
Love, Loyalty, and Moral Choice
The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust follows a genetically engineered child and his teenage brother and protector, who struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic society that is in collapse. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Years ago, in a shopping mall, I watched a boy, perhaps seven years old, aggressively demanding something from his parents. When they refused, he lay down on the floor and began pounding it with his arms and legs. That image stayed with me and led me to wonder what the world would look like if children were born fully developed and, within forty days, began demanding from adults their jobs, homes, and everything earned over a lifetime. I noted the idea without knowing where it would lead.
My wife and I both grew up in households rooted in love and devotion to siblings, and we raised our two sons the same way. I have one brother, three years younger than me. Growing up in the former Soviet Union, the streets were tough, and we learned early to watch each other’s backs with loyalty and care. Now, in our seventh decade of life, that bond remains unchanged. I also witnessed the same devotion among my wife and her four siblings.
A few years ago, a tragedy struck our family when my wife’s oldest brother passed away in his mid-fifties. After his death, my thoughts returned to childhood, especially to memories of a young boy’s devotion to his baby brother during a serious illness. From there, imagination took over, and the emotional core of the story formed.
When I took early retirement, I finally had the time to do what I love most, telling stories on canvas, on paper, and through words.
That is why I dedicated this novel: For the ones we love, and for those in memory.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well-developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
All the characters are drawn from my family, so choosing a single favorite is difficult. Leo is inspired by my younger brother and by my brother-in-law, who passed away in his mid-fifties. Ethan reflects both my brother-in-law and myself. Clara is based on my wife’s older sister, as well as my wife. Mia is inspired by my niece.
Writing these characters felt less like invention and more like remembering. Each one carries a piece of someone I loved, which made them especially meaningful to bring to the page.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Many of my family members are doctors, including my wife, my older son, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and her two sons, as well as many close friends. Because of this, I have spent years surrounded by conversations about moral and ethical questions in our society.
Those discussions shaped the heart of this novel. The most important themes I wanted to explore were morality and ethics, along with love, devotion, and family loyalty. In a collapsing world, I wanted to ask what values remain, and how human responsibility toward one another survives when structures and systems fall away.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust?
I hope readers come away with a renewed sense of responsibility toward one another. In a world that often feels fractured and rushed, I wanted to remind readers that love, loyalty, and moral choice still matter, especially in times of collapse. If the book leaves them thinking about how we care for family, protect the vulnerable, and honor memory, then it has done its work.
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When Clara gives birth to Ava, a genetically altered child, the echoes of a failed experiment ripple across time.
Leo is one year old, trapped in a five-year-old’s body, carrying the mind of someone a century old. Fragile, brilliant, haunted, he bears the weight of humanity’s final gamble.
Beside him stands Ethan, his reluctant protector, and Mia, hardened by loss and fury. Together, they scavenge what’s left of a world that forgot how to breathe. But in the shadows, a presence waits. Ava, part girl, part code, all vengeance, hunts them from the fire they tried to escape
Time is unraveling. The infected dream in equations. And every breath could be their last.
The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust is a poetic, post-apocalyptic reckoning: part genetic horror, part elegy, part love letter to the children grown too fast.
For readers who believe memory is a weapon worth wielding.
Magical Adventures
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny follow a fearless six-year-old who, after her father goes missing in an avalanche, sets out on an adventure with her magical stuffed bunny to rescue her father. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When my daughter was a baby, a friend gave her a white bunny stuffie with a blue tummy that lights up and plays music when you press it. The bunny was her favorite stuffie. I used to imagine them going on magical adventures together.
I rock climb as a hobby, not seriously like the dad in the book. But I thought, what if a rock climbing dad got trapped in an avalanche and it was up to his baby daughter and her stuffie to rescue him? I had to write the story to find out.
Mari-chan has to turn into a baby to get through the secret passage so she can find her father. This is a unique setup for a valuable lesson in bravery and perseverance. What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
Six-year-olds tend to be very active. This is when a lot of kids start trying sports, like climbing, gymnastics, and swimming. Their confidence can become linked to that skill. But what if they can’t do gymnastics anymore? What if they lose the ability to do the thing they think makes them special? Would their confidence crumble? It’s important to realize that bravery isn’t just about physical ability. It’s a lesson that both the daughter and the dad have to learn.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
The most important thing for me was to write a story that my daughter would want to read because I think reading is very important, especially for young children. My daughter complained that a lot of books I tried to get her to read were boring, so I made up my own story with things she likes: cute animals, adventure, songs, and riddles. By the way, parents who read this to their kids need to sing the songs.
Education wasn’t my primary goal with Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny, but to tell an interesting story, I had to introduce words and concepts, like avalanche and ferry, which are new to many six-year-olds. Whenever my daughter asked what something meant, I would explain and then move on with the story. This approach helped integrate the educational aspects into the story naturally.
I think it worked. I would read Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny to my daughter from my phone at bedtime, and she sometimes got so into the story that she took my phone and read it herself. She said it was the bestest story ever.
What is the next story that you’re writing, and when will it be published?
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny was loosely based on Dante’s Inferno. I’m planning a sequel that will loosely follow Purgatorio (the next book in Dante’s The Divine Comedy), which I plan to publish before Christmas. I’d like to do a full trilogy, but I’ll see how it goes.
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On their journey, baby Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny must outwit hungry animals, alligator bridges, three-headed “beasts,” silly thieves, grumpy talking trees, a Bunny Kingdom gate test, and a wise owl tribunal. Along the way, Mari-chan discovers that even in a tiny body, her courage, creativity, and kindness are bigger than she ever imagined. But will her bravery and wits help rescue her dad, before it’s too late? It’s up to Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny to find out.
This heartwarming and imaginative allegory, reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno, shares that a difficult journey often has the best destination.
Gifts and Talents
Cutler’s Wonderful Creations follows a spoon, fork, and knife who are gifted to a young girl and struggle with understanding their purpose while waiting to be useful. I think this original idea is intriguing. How did you come up with this idea and develop it into a story?
I’ve actually been sharing this story with my kids for years lol! It was a simple way for me to get them to appreciate that they were intentionally designed with a special purpose and identity from God. I shared this story with a college friend a couple of years ago, and he suggested that I turn it into a children’s book. I never expected it to be so impactful, but it has been.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
First, it is my belief that we all have a God-given purpose that ultimately leads to our greatest source of joy and fulfillment. No one understands the purpose of the creation quite like the Creator. Just as Mr. Cutler was uniquely qualified to share the ultimate purpose of the utensils, our Heavenly Father is uniquely qualified to help us unravel our purpose as well, since he is our Creator. Secondly, none of us is “broken.” Finding out what you aren’t created for is almost as important as finding out what you were created for. Lastly is to celebrate the gifts and talents of others while recognizing the value that you have as well. Comparison is a very real struggle that many children (and adults) face in our society today. My hope is that they (as well as their parents) gain their identity from the one who designed it in the first place, to know that they are enough as they are.
What experience in your life has had the most significant impact on your writing?
It honestly stems from a desire to pass down my lessons learned to my kids and grandkids so that they can avoid some of my miscues from a poor self-identity. The earlier that they can realize and walk into their God-given identity, the sooner they will approach life with intention in all that they do. I know how frustrating it can be to feel as if you were meant for more while seemingly wandering about life searching for it. If I can help an adult or child recognize their value through connecting with their Creator sooner rather than later, then mission accomplished.
What story are you currently in the middle of writing?
I actually have two other books ready for publishing now lol! Both are children’s books. One is regarding service, and the other is about growth and the importance of good environments to grow in. All of my stories come from things that I experienced, so I have plenty of material!
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LITERARY TITAN 