Blog Archives
Perceived Predictability
Inheriting Karma follows a man hiding in plain sight whose cover is blown, sending his life into chaos and forcing him to scramble to hold it all together with the least amount of casualties. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The question itself holds the key to my answer. I’m the type of guy who needs a challenge. Predictable outcomes send me packing from the story. I write how I feel, so having a man hiding in plain sight with a perceived predictability lets me shock the reader.
I thank you for your review; it truly nails my intention when writing stories. It’s no secret that my series is not for everyone. Characters who die in the first book are still big participants in follow-ups. For the reader, they are tasked with trying to follow the depth of karma each actor’s actions create.
What inspired your characters’ interactions and backstories?
Growing up, I didn’t have to go far for what I now call Safari Hunts. Challenging Karma was meant as a one-off, keep a last promise to my mom. So many family traits make up the characters. Mam’s boob magnet eyes, Francois’ inventing new dishes and making everyone try it, Ray’s never buying new clothes, and love of pickles.
Backstories are a blend of daydreaming, people-watching, and engagement. When my tenth draft of Challenging Karma shocked my mom into trying to talk me out of using its ending, I knew I had a formula that I couldn’t change.
By nature, I’m a puzzle solver; even playing cards, it has to be a strategic game or I get bored (any bridge players who can help educate)? Even now, I have to slow down because I write an interaction that leads to a fifth, sixth, or even seventh book storyline. For example, lawyer Charlene Reece was supposed to die in Surviving Karma then a daydream brought her story to a new level. Her Karma story really expands in Reciprocating Karma, coming out later this month.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
For me, the story takes the reader so many miles down a path only to reach a time when the puzzle hits a three-pronged crossroads. Again, your reviewer nailed it when he said he had to go back to adjust his thoughts. So far, the twists exist on these three paths: believe what you think you read, go back to change your thinking, or go forward with expected outcomes.
The twist, although meant to shock, is a kind of progression of events that fills a lot of our current news cycles. Serial Killers in #1. A wrongfully convicted prisoner seeks payback in #2. Criminal organizations use public events to further their goals in #3. And #4, where a vigilante will seek retribution for the deaths of loved ones.
The premise, “Walk in another’s shoes,” is how I try to develop the story. Hence, the need for a comedic slowdown, weird encounter, or stubborn quirk. I want unique characters that readers can relate to. Reciprocating Karma introduces Carlee. Her sports story is one such lighter moment. But even while writing it, I could picture my wife actually living that experience (before she married a sports nut, of course).
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
Beta readers for #4, Reciprocating Karma compare it to a movie that has caused many a conversation about whether it’s a Christmas movie or a thriller during the holiday season. It comes out in the next few weeks, so readers will have to pick a side. Yes, there’s a shock, but its subtitle causes a self-review of one’s own life.
The future in my Karma world has at least two more shocks to provide. In fact, both #5 and #6 are ripping through pages (I handwrite every first draft). But with Karma being such a wide open source of inspiration, seven will start filling dreams soon.
Author Links: Goodreads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Runs parallel to the soon to be released crossover book #4 ‘Reciprocating Karma!’
One oversight is all it took to turn hunters against him. Legal documents record his real name as Wilson O’Reilly instead of Forrest Clay, but his involvement with Ricky Topin going rogue brightens the already dual personality spotlight. Two criminal accomplices vie for attention over the one true love Wilson has ever experienced, a cop.
Once word spread of his link to Topin’s murderous rage, hiding in plain sight no longer became a possibility. Or just maybe? A boss to one, partner to another, and enemy to the third person, O’Reilly weaves his circumstances toward a solution. Although for him to walk the streets again, past friends may die, organizations receive new leadership, and cops become targets.
Although fluid, the first seed planted is to use his onetime lovers, position against her. A simple warning of an assassination attempt piques interest until the offspring of a former gangster ‘Inherits Karma’ from his father. One kill shot setting the stage for O’Reilly to regain the blessings of freedom.
Stuck in quicksand, law enforcement takes the case, international. Thrilling mind games culminate in a three-minute window, where survival becomes a scene of chaos.
Romantic Renderings
The Empathy of Rain is a lyrical collection of poems that uses rain, in all its moods and forms, as a mirror for human feeling. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
When I finished my first book, Turbulent Waves, which explores the human condition under conditions of emotional turbulence (think of the global pandemic and the change in American politics), I wanted to move away from turbulent conditions to one more in step with nature, so I picked the various forms of rain as a conduit for the empathy that surrounds us.
How did you decide on the themes that run throughout your poetry book?
This was actually the easy part; as I used all of the various types of rain as the overall themes, and once I had my content, I matched each poem to the specific form of rain, including “coronal rain,” which is rain that falls onto the photosphere of the sun.
Do you have a favorite poem in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
“Melancholy’s Ghost”
January’s angel touched me with an afternoon kiss
As she spied Melancholy’s ghosts dining on my mind
Like lost desert rain that never finds the ground here
She weeps as they huddle together waiting in the sky.
We met one day as a lover’s glance bid me farewell
You will learn to sleep with me as my dreams are yours
And as the days fall in love with years, I will never leave
Let me fill the rooms of your mind with my children.
Her eyes implored, why do you love everyone, darling?
Desert sand covered a blue sky as lips prayed to answer
Yet only the sun could taste my desolate reply to her
Like the rain, my words stolen away by her sweet breath.
Most of my poetry is essentially enigmatic, melancholic, and romantic renderings. If there’s a common denominator that courses through our minds, it’s our emotional dialogue regarding love: lost and found. This poem considers such musings as a ghost of our electricity, which never quite fades away.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
I began writing poetry six years ago when the global pandemic began. It would take me over an hour to write a poem that would work in a Twitter “tweet” back then. Prior to that, I had written software technical documentation for thirty-five years, so I was completely comfortable using language as a tool to express difficult conditions or situations. Since then, I have written 2500 poems, self-published my first book, published #2 & #3 via two publishing houses, and I am well into finishing #4. As I look back over the evolution of my poetry, I can easily see how my thoughts have matured and deepened regarding how to express the enigmatic melancholy that comes to mind when my muse, Calliope, shares a thought. I write listening to music via vinyl records, and it’s the vibe rather than the lyrics that creates the river for my poetic meanderings, and now the entire process takes half the time to complete compared to my initial poems.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Adventures, Fun, and Lots of Love
Fun Farm Adventures with Cadie the Rescue Dog follows a bouncy, lovable rescue pup as she explores barns, meets baby animals, tastes honey, and even gets a ride on a big green tractor. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration is of course, Cadie. She had a horrible life before she was rescued and we adopted her. I wanted her to live out her days with adventures, fun, and lots of love! My other inspirations are my great nephews, who I originally wrote the books for!
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted to share the importance of farms. I try to include learning facts for the kids (and sometimes the adults) who read my books! Also, that rescuing a dog can give you so much joy- especially while taking them on adventures with you!
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
Although I love all of the farm animals, I loved writing the scene with Cadie wanting to ride the green tractor! Also, I was very happy to incorporate my parents as characters in the book as they are my biggest supporters!
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 another book planned?
Yes!!! Book #1 in the series- Awesome Adventures with Cadie the Rescue Dog is already out. This book-Fun Farm Adventures with Cadie the Rescue Dog– is book #2 in the Adventures With Cadie Kids Book series. We hope to have book #3, Zany Zoo Adventures with Cadie the Rescue Dog, out later this year!!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Follow Cadie, a rescued pup from a high kill shelter in Texas, as she embarks on her next adventure at a farm. Meet different animals and learn all about farm life as Cadie explores alongside a farmer. She also will meet a veterinarian and the farmer’s wife!
With charming illustrations and lovable characters, “Fun Farm Adventures with Cadie the Rescue Dog” is the perfect read for families who love animals and adventure. Join Cadie on her journey to live happily ever after and order your copy today!
Finding Your People
Racing Towards Destiny follows a neurodivergent marketing professional who has her whole life implode in a single day, she quits her soul-sucking job, catches her boyfriend cheating, and impulsively buys a one-way ticket to Spain. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Half of the inspiration was having a bad boss for eight years. I wrote Racing Towards Destiny after six of those years when I’d had enough. A couple of friends and I would leave work on Fridays for lunch and fantasize about not coming back. Of course, we always returned after lunch, but sometimes we’d joke and say, “Is this the day we just keep going?” That’s where Anna’s move came from.
The second half of the inspiration was from following MotoGP. There were five sets of brothers racing in the various levels (Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP), and I wondered how it would be to be the one always in the shadow. That’s where Isaac’s character arc and his story came from.
The other background for the setup was based on a favorite children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Anna has the adult equivalent and moves to Spain.
A lot of time was spent crafting the character traits in this novel, especially for Anna. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
It was important to me that the characters felt real, or three-dimensional, which was why I spent so much time and energy working on them. Anna’s character traits have a lot in common with mine, especially her neurodivergence. While she is not entirely based on me (and our childhoods were very different), many aspects of her ASD are mine. The way she sees the world and how she interacts with it is much like how I do. It was important to me to portray someone on the spectrum who wasn’t emotionally flat but full of emotion and capable. Just sometimes overwhelmed.
While the racers were inspired by some of the real MotoGP racers, they are all fictional characters, so I invented things about them that could be true or seemed to fit with what I know of racing and the racing lifestyle.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Themes of finding your people and advocating for yourself were important. If we don’t put ourselves first sometimes, who else will? Anna was also learning to accept her own value. As the story progresses, she is more difficult to take advantage of and starts to believe she deserves to be treated well.
Acceptance was also an important theme. I also explored the idea of best friends and family.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
The second book is already written, and I’m just waiting to pitch it to my publisher (Black Rose Writing) this summer when they’re figuring out titles for 2027. Vince (Isaac’s older brother) and Catarina’s story takes place during the following racing season. Love on Track #2 is currently called Racing Hearts: A Sports Romance (Love On Track #2).
A second, related duology is in the works; this series will be called Love Off Track and will focus on secondary characters from Racing Hearts. Expect at least one of these in 2028.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Though her autism means Anna struggles to connect, she takes a job as an umbrella girl on the MotoGP motorcycle racing circuit to make ends meet. Traveling across Europe with the team, she is soon caught up in the exhilarating world of racing.
Isaac is a motorcycle racer who lives forever in his brother’s shadow. His older brother is the most famous motorcycle racer of all time-a twelve-time champion. When Anna joins Isaac’s team, he dares to imagine a life beyond racing-one filled with love and family. His newfound happiness improves his performance on the track, but his success causes friction. For the first time, Isaac becomes a contender for the championship and his brother’s rival.
Anna and Isaac must advocate for themselves, or their newfound happiness will skid off track.
Start your engines and grab your copy of Racing Towards Destiny-filled with heart-pounding race action and steamy romance.
Satire of the Human Condition
Pairs: This Dating Site Will Be the Death of You follows a detective in Tampa Fl who is investigating the bizarre death of a woman who invited seven peculiar men from a friendship-dating app called Pairs to the local aquarium, only to end up murdered. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Interestingly, my inspiration came from the nights my friend, who had put herself – and me – on Match so we could both find partners, texted me countless weird profile pictures of people on the site. She was infuriated, but I found it really funny. I was at a riverside Tiki bar one day trying to write an outline for my second novel when I decided to write something funny about all the pictures she sent me. That turned into Pairs (none based on actual people, but not so far off the mark either).
Each character in this story is unique and leaves readers with more questions than answers. What was your inspiration for the characters’ interactions and backstories?
Pairs is set up so that I can inspire reader involvement. The characters are purposefully vague in order to stimulate reader imagination. At the end of the book, people are encouraged to write their own ending (I have done 3), and send it to me. I may put theirs on my website (pending approval signature etc from the contributor). Pairs is also set up formulaically. Its theme is online dating. All future books have a different theme. Detective Ned is the recurring character, and he develops a backstory throughout the series, and has his own diary on CracktheCaseBooks.com.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I hate to say this, but I just write and edit. The ideas are almost too easy since it’s farce, folly, satire of the human condition… But I would also say they are about the same thing.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
- Mishaps is out already on Amazon. It is book #2.
- Books 3 (Wrecks) and 4 (Critters) should be out by the end of 2025, and 2 more are in the works for 2026.
- A longer, more serious mystery novel should also be out by the end of 2025. All info will be announced on social media and CracktheCaseBooks.com.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
A woman searching for love. A string of online suitors. A deadly end. When a young woman’s body is discovered, Detective Ned is drawn into the murky world of online dating. The suspects? Every man in her dating history on the app Pairs. Each profile photo hides a secret: the suave charmer with a shady past, the awkward loner with an unhealthy obsession, or the too-perfect match with everything to lose..
In this sharp and satirical mystery, you hold the power to uncover the truth. Will the killer be caught in the web of lies? Choose from three gripping endings and then perhaps create your own. Submit your take to tremorinthehills@gmail.com for a chance to be featured on crackthecasebooks.com. Love might be a game, but in Pairs, the stakes are deadly.
Fun-Loving, Intelligent Women
The Sole Sisters follows a retired defense attorney who teams up with a quirky group of women to investigate her husband’s murder. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
For the past 10 years, I have been co-leader of The Villages True Crime Book Club. Our community is sometimes called ‘A drinking community with a golfing problem’. We have over 100 members, 70% of whom are women. Our group of women resembles Noah’s Ark; we have one of everything. I took bits and pieces of the members and developed a group of fun-loving, intelligent women, all interested in solving cold cases. Thus began The Sole Sisters.
While living in Washington, D.C., the Beltway Sniper Murders took place. Eleven died as a result. A female FBI officer was shot and killed at a location I had just left. It was an easy step to have the defense attorney husband of The Sole Sisters leader shot by a mysterious sniper. Once the local law enforcement gave up the investigation, the Sole Sisters became the force driving the investigation. The crime taking place in a fictional upscale retirement community known as ‘The Hamlets’ allowed me to tie into many of the real and imagined goings-on of my own community, The Villages, FL. The Sole Sisters, who firmly believe they do not have to follow all those ‘silly rules’ imposed upon law enforcement, begin to identify small pieces of evidence that continue to grow in size.
Which character in the novel do you feel you relate to more and why?
With this being the first of a series. I had a special relationship with each character as they entered the story. A crazy psychiatrist who did his residency at a fertility clinic (who picked up walking around money by being a sperm donor), and his knockout gorgeous fiancée-attorney, provide many opportunities for me to relate to. Of course, Kate, the group leader, is a strong, dominant character. Her husband was shot, and they are going to identify the shooter, even after local law enforcement had given up all hope.
While I can relate to all of them, I suppose my favorite is Linda, who is introduced as the dark angel of death; she ends up being a guardian angel. Who cannot love a beautiful lingerie model/designer, who owns her own very successful business, and has a side job as a professional hitwoman?
How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing, or did it develop organically?
I’m a planner when it comes to writing; almost everything I do is thought about prior to it happening. Many of the true crime cases our book club was reading at the time involved DNA. That allowed using DNA as key evidence. This allowed me to explore how it could be used and misused. It allowed adversaries of a suspect to wrongfully accuse and prosecute that suspect. Then the surprise ending proves that DNA is not always unique.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The Sole Sisters celebrate their first case success and begin looking for another. The Sole Sisters Case #2, The Hydra begins with a local high school girl’s disappearance. Her kidnapping leads to a local sex trafficking ring. What began as a local case soon goes national and then international. As usual, the Sole Sisters’ rather unorthodox methods allow them to discover items overlooked by local, national, and international law enforcement. This book is currently available on Amazon.com.
Available on Amazon.com late summer 2025 is the third in a series, The Sole Sisters, Case #3: The Crape Myrtle Murders. When naked female and male bodies are discovered at the entrance of Pelican Country Club, law enforcement is stymied. There is no way they can be identified. Just when the community begins to calm down, another two bodies are found at the Bandstand across from City Hall. No fingerprint matches, no DNA matches, no Missing Persons Reports, it’s almost as if they never existed.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | LinkedIn | Reddit | Amazon
Can’t tell you much more without giving away clues, I know you will enjoy THE SOLE SISTERS..
An Incredible Collaboration
Ghosts: The People That Melt in the Rain #2 plunges Laura into the haunting town of Deluge, where emotional power unlocks eerie mysteries, and reality bends under the weight of the strange. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Years ago, I lived in New York and one summer as I pushed my toddler on the swing in our front yard, a fast-moving thunderstorm suddenly clouded the sky and began to spit rain down upon us. I quickly scooped up my daughter, and as I was rushing her inside the house a title flashed in my mind, The People That Melt in the Rain. It was a shocking moment of inspiration. That afternoon I sat playing with my daughter, staring out at the pouring rain and pondering a cursed town with residents that actually melted in the rain.
Obviously, I had to approach the story with a “stranger comes to town” plot and that is how I began book one, with Laura’s move to Deluge. This book Ghosts reveals more of the mysteries of the town and starts to present Mrs W. as a possible antagonist. I wanted to create a magic realism throughout all the books, and with the help of my husband, Mike Dubisch, we have definitely managed that in this series. He draws these comics and has had a great deal of input on the plot and characters as we go on through the story. I help with layouts and coloring the comics, so it’s become an incredible collaboration.
Laura’s tears play a pivotal role in this volume. What do they symbolize for you?
The term “crocodile tears” comes from the fact that when crocodiles eat, they cry. Why? Why do they shed so, so many tears? Why are these reptiles bawling when they consume their prey? No one knows why but it plagues me, as if they regret their need to hunt and kill.
Tears are more than water. They have hormones and chemicals and serve us quite well. They communicate emotions, clean our eyes from irritants, and help us process and understand our experiences. They are magic in a lot of ways.
In this story Laura’s tears are of loss (her own loss of her home and friends) and of empathy for Huya’s loss and imprisonment. These are powerful emotions and emotions have a profound effect on everything in our lives. This story is a classic “Chosen One” tale, so of course Laura’s tears pack an even more powerful punch.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
A sense of feeling stuck or trapped is woven throughout all the books in this series. What I really wanted to convey is a sense of learning to navigate an impossible situation, conquering challenges, and ultimately of Laura and many of the characters becoming very resilient.
Themes of friendship, courage, and mystery are at the very heart of this story.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book in this series is called Rain and it just came out in the last few weeks. It’s already been getting great reviews! The People That Melt in the Rain has an every 8 months publication schedule and Mike and I are currently working on the art for book six.
As an author/illustrator team, we also have a children’s book coming out for the next Christmas season called Crow’s Christmas Star, which is funny and sweet and I hope people will consider it for the child in their life this Christmas.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
Re-Imagining Contentment: Living Life from God’s Perspective
ReShone L. Moore’s Re-Imagining Contentment is a heartfelt roadmap to finding peace amid life’s hardships. Blending scriptural wisdom with her lived experience of chronic illness, Moore guides readers through a seven-step journey toward contentment, defined not by worldly measures but by spiritual alignment with God’s will. From the metaphor of the Potter in Jeremiah to her own battle with multiple sclerosis, Moore illustrates how surrender, trust, and reflection are vital tools for emotional and spiritual healing.
I found Moore’s writing both intimate and grounding. She doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of pain—physical, emotional, or spiritual. Her vulnerability in the “Prologue,” where she recounts her diagnosis and the day she experienced “foot drop,” is raw and powerful. But rather than wallow, she transforms this pain into purpose. In Chapter 1, “The Potter,” she reflects on how disobedience and striving without God led her to discontent, and how returning to the Creator reframed her view. The metaphor is simple yet effective: God, as the potter, molds us, mess and all. It’s a reminder that even in brokenness, we are in divine hands.
What struck me most was Moore’s pushback against the notion that contentment equals complacency. Her step-by-step breakdown, especially in chapters like “Step #1 – Reflect” and “Step #2 – Reject,” teaches that being content doesn’t mean giving up dreams—it means releasing the burden of control. She writes about surrender not as defeat, but as “a position of power and peace.” Her honesty when describing letting go of her beloved high heels—a small but symbolic act—was strangely emotional for me. I saw in that moment the thousands of compromises we all make with grief, and how dignity can survive change.
Chapter 7, Concluding with a Plan (Repeat When Needed), brings the journey full circle by reinforcing the idea that contentment isn’t a destination—it’s a continual process. Dr. Moore reminds readers that the seven steps outlined in the book are not one-time fixes but tools to be revisited as life unfolds. She encourages becoming a “lifelong learner,” emphasizing the importance of spiritual growth, reflection, and renewal. This chapter feels like a gentle nudge to stay the course, no matter how many times we stumble.
I’d recommend this book to anyone struggling with transition, loss, or burnout, particularly those whose faith is part of their healing journey. It’s not a self-help book in the traditional sense; it’s more like a long, healing letter from someone who’s been through it and found the light anyway. Moore writes with soul, spirit, and strength. Her journey through MS becomes a ministry of encouragement for the rest of us. This book helped me breathe deeper, think wider, and pray more honestly.
Pages: 132 | ASIN : B0DW4H8XL8
LITERARY TITAN 