Blog Archives
Stories Should Provoke Questions
The Boy Who Loved Boxes is a whimsical tale that teaches readers that we can’t control everything in life no matter how hard we try. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important to write this book because one, it came fully formed and downloaded to me during a walk in the woods. I was thinking a lot about how we lose our childlike wonder as adults and, as adults, how we live in a constant illusion of control. I started working on the book, which started off very differently than it ended, as these things do. During the middle of it, the pandemic hit and the very thing I was writing about strangely paralleled my own reality. My anxiety, the illusion of control I had in my life, how things fell apart despite how ordered my life was oddly similar to The Man in the book. I conceived this as a picture book for adults to hopefully recapture the wonder of childhood.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
I was having coffee in Los Angeles many years ago with my friend, Denise Spatafora. She told me that I can design my life on my terms. And for some reason, at the moment in time, it really resonated. And I began to explore what that actually looked like. Intentionality, saying no to things and people that didn’t support my goals, eliminating toxic situations, being bolder and clearer in what I wanted, etc. It’s a lifelong process, but it’s been transformative.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
If they get the intent and spirit behind the book – and some do not, and that’s okay – I hope they realize that peace is not found in the things we own, build or obtain and that they ask themselves what the last box means to them. I know what it means to me personally, but I believe that stories should provoke questions instead of giving answers. So, my ultimate hope is that the story raises some meaningful questions and discussions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is a picture book (this one is actually for children) about two sylvan creatures and their fun-loving adventures. I am collaborating on it with my wife. It’s a story we actually wrote before we had children. We hope it’s the start of a series, but it will be about kindness and not judging others by their appearance. It will be available in the fall of 2022.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Written and illustrated against the backdrop of the global pandemic, this children’s book for adults is a modern-day allegory exploring the illusion of control and the pursuit of peace. Join our hero and discover that happiness is not always found in the places we expect.
The Boy Who Loved Boxes
The Boy Who Loved Boxes: A Children’s Book for Adults tells the story of a boy who stores everything he owns in nice organized boxes. As he grows, he learns to sort all the parts of his life into compartmentalized boxes like work, emotions, faith, money, and relationships. Then one day, all the boxes fall apart and he is unable to repair them or replace them. All of his things are a mess, broken, or lost. He doesn’t know what to do as his stuff sits in a pile. He is too overwhelmed to sort through or try to fix. Will he ever be able to find a box to hold everything he cherishes?
Author Michael Albanese has written a heartfelt picture book for adults. Choosing to use this format to get his message across adds weight to what he says. This modern-day allegory about trying to control your life and keep everything organized and running smoothly is a common mindset for adults these days. When the pandemic hit, all our boxes fell apart, school, work, relationships, everything around the world changed fast.
The simple verbiage combined with Tod Wilkerson’s artwork really brought the message home. Seeing The Man’s expressions as everything of his falls apart and sits in a pile reminds me of how I felt in those first few weeks that stretched into months. The hopelessness and the joy and acceptance that followed. All the emotions that people worldwide felt can be seen in the pages of this thought-provoking children’s book.
The Boy Who Loved Boxes: A Children’s Book for Adults explores the illusion of control and helps readers gain peace by finding it within themselves. This captivating and poignant book can be shared with children and adults. Adults will understand what The Man was going through, and children can learn that controlling every part of their life and separating it all out will only end with a mess.
Pages: 36 | ISBN : 1732898731
Tellus
Queen Natylia has a responsibility. Araenna deserves to be ruled properly and to be led to greatness. However, she has found something that could bring an end to everything. She however has a few people she could count on. With their support she will hunt down the scepters and bring them to an end before everything goes awry. Will she make it before the four titans find freedom? Can she finally forgive and love again? What will become of Araenna?
Tyffany Hackett has done a wonderful job with Tellus, the second installment of the Thanatos trilogy. In Imber she introduced the readers to all these wonderful characters and the kingdom. In the second installment you get to dive even deeper into Queen Natylia’s kingdom. The author does a commendable job of gripping the reader right from the beginning. The cliffhanger at the end is both frustrating and simply delectable.
I recommend reading the first installment of the trilogy for a better experience. The first one sets the tone and prepares you for the intensity and action that is in this second one. You should brace yourself for delightfully surprising twists and turns. It almost seems like this author is orchestrating ordered chaos in the chronology of events. I felt deeply committed to the success of Queen Natylia’s mission.
A study of the cover art alone will leave you feeling a need to explore further. The character sculpting in this book is top notch. There is a wonderful sense of love and warmth despite the crisis that threatens existence. Queen Natylia, while faced with obstacles, remains steadfast and brave. The author details all of this characters emotions and inner turmoil throughout the entire process. The same multi-dimensional character build applies to other characters like Jyn and the others. The author gives readers a chance to get to know the characters and understand their journeys both as individuals and as members of a group.
You will be deeply content with everything from the plot to the characters to the masterful writing. The only down side is that you will be giddy with anticipation awaiting the third installment in the trilogy. Tellus sets the bar for the third book very high.
Pages: 329 | ASIN: B07X6Q821T
Man with the Sand Dollar Face
Man with the Sand Dollar Face, by Sharon CassanoLochman, is a detective-crime thriller novel. The story is centered on Harriet Crumford, who at times also goes by Hattie or Henrietta. She is a 62-year-old woman working as a secretary for a private detective in Crescent City — New Orleans. Shortly into the book an incident takes place, and the action picks up quickly. The book seems to be a mix of feminist and hardboiled noir, and though it struggles in a few places, it reaches a sound level of quality for both.
Harriet Crumford does not seem like a heroic character, at least not in the classical sense of the hero’s story. She is 62-years-old in the story, but little is given about her other than her being a widow. In classic heroic tales, the central character often pushes away from the table — unwilling to take up the heroic cause — due to more pressing, mundane tasks. Eventually, the hero comes to his (frequently it is a ‘his’) senses and begins the hero’s journey. In some ways, this novel is a subversion of the traditional heroic arc — Harriet was the dutiful, longsuffering, strong, silent wife. This provides a strong contrast against her boss, Wallace Woodard, who is philandering to the point that Harriet cannot keep straight who the girlfriend is and who the wife is. Harriet is so given over to subservience, and to old values, that she does not even have a valid driver’s license. Up to the point of this story, she had forsaken the hero’s call for all her life, and once she takes it up, she looks back on her past with pain and sorrow. She then finds within herself, with some assistance, the necessary energy to pursue a mystery to its conclusion. In this way, the text provides those feminist elements through Harriet’s newfound internal strengths.
CassanoLochman attempts to make the novel feel like an old, hardboiled detective novel so much that it strains credulity. The writing, at expertly evokes hard rain, melancholy, brooding, existential pain and anguish typical of hardboiled noir, but then makes a sharp right turn into the “iced coffee with whipped cream and pink sprinkles.” In terms of other characteristics of hardboiled stories, this one fits many of them, but they do sometimes feel forced. In either case, fans of crime fiction will be hard pressed to put the book down.
Overall, the book is certainly a strong read, and contains plenty of action and is recommended. Harriet is an excellent character, not obviously heroic, but willing to take risks. Man with the Sand Dollar Face seems intended for adult audiences, but it is not beyond the reach of younger adults who have an interest in this sort of literature. The book does contain some sexual content (nothing too graphic), definite alcohol and drug use, and more than a little violence.
Pages: 212 | ASIN: B077Y4T192
Literary Titan Book Awards April 2018
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
![Faery Sight (Faerie Legacy Series Book 1) by [Bossano, Patricia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516tWLCIFML.jpg)
![Cradle Gift (Faerie Legacy Series Book 2) by [Bossano, Patricia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-WJKQbhoL.jpg)
![Nahia (Faerie Legacy Series Book 3) by [Bossano, Patricia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51neQAHMMaL.jpg)
![Sam's Theory by [Mendivel, Sarah]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ETyuyGkTL.jpg)
![Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by [Graffius, Scott M.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BP2RybPKL.jpg)
![How to Get Your Screen-Loving Kids to Read Books for Pleasure by [Newton, Kaye]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41c1p6QkKeL.jpg)
![Dare to Be the Change by [Metoyer, Annella]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51m1N%2Bm%2BaZL.jpg)
![The BreakAway Girl: Secrets of a Tantric Yogi by [Bodeman, Paulette ]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eNCqooaiL.jpg)
![Did I Say Never?: A Stepparentâs Emotional Journey with her Special Needs Son by [Nugent, Kim]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dubB2UikL.jpg)
Silver Award Winners
![The Three Lives of One by [Mooney, Lesley]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2B48SWOUkL.jpg)
![Beyond Sun and Shadows by [Mooney, Lesley J]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tnYjUK20L._SY346_.jpg)
![Nights Arose by [Roche, Andrea]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5103WI%2BqWjL.jpg)
![The Congress of Rough Writers: Flash Fiction Anthology Vol. 1 (Congress of the Rough Writers Flash Fiction Anthology) by [Mills, Charli, Amore, Anthony, Bell, Georgia, Black, Sacha, Colvin, Norah, Fanning, Pete, Ferry, C. Jai, Glaessner, Rebecca, Goodwin, Anne]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51QwPRDy5zL.jpg)
![Finding Balance and Forgiveness through Chakras and Art by [McCallum, Teresa]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5148R30SynL.jpg)
![Alterni (The Alt-World Chronicles Book 1) by [Somerville, Sunshine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uH8zTLkZL._SY346_.jpg)
![How We End Up by [Wells, Douglas]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lIbhLAtKL.jpg)
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information and see all award winners.
How We End Up
Douglas Wells’ new book, How We End Up, seeks to become even more intricate and complex then his debut book, The Secret of all Secrets. The reader follows three main characters as their lives come together, only to drift apart and come back together after 25 years. Jackson Levee is an ambitious college instructor when he manages to be in the right place at the right time and saves twin girls from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico. He goes on to write a poem about the event, which brings him acclaim and success. Hadley and Haley, the twins go on to become beautiful women. All three of them are then brought on their heels through various events and it is after two and half decades they meet again to suffer a devastating event together and discover who and what they are as human persons.
At this point, readers familiar with Wells’ more philosophically bent, literary stories and How We End Up is no exception. What has become more refined, is Wells style with incorporating all of these events into a cohesive story. His previous work seemed to have a lot going on, and while it still achieved a particular effect, it wasn’t as polished as this story. In some ways, he uses the layman’s philosophy to a decent effect, but it becomes even more pronounced as the themes of self-identity, purpose and life’s meaning takes center stage.
As much as this book is about Jackson, Haley, and Hadley, it is more about life and what happens to a person over the course of the years. Some readers may have mileage that may vary with this theme, but I believe it makes the novel resonate that much better. In fact, Wells’ inclusion of philosophy serves the novel all the better for serving this theme and given what he has written before he wants to focus on the human condition. We all ask the big questions and reflect on how our lives may have been formed otherwise, but with the intersection of these three lives, it brings this reality to the forefront.
All in all, Wells presents a literary novel that brings all the best sort of introspection and soul gazing that can be given in a reader’s experience. Fans of such fiction will be pleased with this, as are any who enjoy personal intimate stories that are full to the brim with drama. Students of philosophy will appreciate the small tributes and tid bits here and there as well.
Pages: 296 | ASIN: B079VCWS3S
A Chronicle of Rebirth
J.M. Fletcher Author Interview
A Chronicle of Rebirth: The Magus is a genre-crossing novel with elements of a romance, fantasy, and suspense as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
The Fantasy genre crossing with the romance genre was deliberate. I had always felt as though there could be more books with those two genres mixing. As for the suspense aspect, it was entirely organic. Originally, the project was started by me and then my husband and co-author James joined me. We had never thought of our writing as suspense, but we are happy that we achieved that with our story.
Nelina and the Magus are both interesting and well developed characters. What was your inspiration for their characters and their relationship?
The characters were developed slowly over the years. My Husband developed the character Ru’ark while playing Dungeons & Dragons and kept the character through his years of gaming. Nelina developed as a mix of several of the characters I have played over the years. Their relationship is in part a reflection of the relationship my Husband and I have together. We always love each other and have one another’s back. However, unfortunately neither of us have any magical smoke ability. One other correlation to Nelina and Ru’ark is how fast they fell in love. My husband and I met because I read his poetry online. After talking on the phone, he hopped on a Greyhound bus a few days later and travelled from Maine to Illinois to meet me. The moment he stepped off the bus, he swept me off my feet and kissed me before even saying hello. Well, last August 4th 2017 was our 11 year wedding anniversary, so 12 years in total we’ve been together.
What was the writing process like for the two of you working as a team? How do you toss around ideas and decide on what goes in the story?
Our story goes through a basic brainstorming process, which tends to involve Dunkin Donuts and coffee. At first, as we toss ideas back and forth sort of sketching out the outline for the book, then depending on what chapters call to one of us, that person will write the rough draft. From there we pass the it back and forth, adding things and removing parts until we are both happy with the finished product. The ideas that tend to stick are the ones that fit the story most. We have a simple credo that we write by- it’s all about the story. If either one of us feels that a part of the draft doesn’t serve the story as a whole, then it gets nixed.
This is book one in the series. Where does book two take readers and when will it be available?
In Book two, the readers will learn that Nelina’s promised powers at the end of book one are not quite what the Magus expected them to be. Also, they will be learning what is happening back in Danthamore with the Queen ruling her kingdom without the Magus exercising his influence. Plus, readers will find out what has become of Elian, Adar, and Claire. Malark and the Outlander will definitely be making an appearance in the second book as they journey out of the Waste. I’d love to be able to give a solid date to book two’s release, but I simply don’t have one to give other than in 2018. What I can say is that the book is worked on every single day, barring emergencies and natural disasters. So far, we are half way done with the 1st draft.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Follow the Snowflakes: A Christmas Novella
At 28, it’s bad to be single. After four years of relationship struggles, Cat is ready to try anything.
That’s when her friend tells her about her class’ Dear Santa letters. One little boy asked for a new mommy, and she suggests Cat meets the kid’s dad, just to see where things go. Cat figures it can’t hurt…until she meets a stranger in the midst of a car accident. The man is handsome with a sad look in his eyes. He still wears a wedding band and she’s not sure his heart’s available, even if he makes her heart race. But, maybe he’s a widower? Cat wonders if she should resign herself to being an old maid, or whether she could possibly be the answer to a little boy’s Christmas wish, unless there’s a third option – a future with the stranger.
LITERARY TITAN 