Blog Archives
The Wonder of Archaeological Digs
Finders follows a group of university students on an archaeological dig in Cornwall who uncover an ornate, gem-encrusted Celtic relic filled with ancient mystery. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve often felt there’s something magical hiding just out of reach in the British landscape. I like walking to hillforts, standing stones, burial mounds, and the like. And I’m interested in reading about archaeological discoveries, watching videos about digs, and listening to history podcasts. All that came together in the opening of Finders.
Capturing the personalities of college students while keeping the story focused and moving forward can be a challenging task. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I especially enjoyed writing as Ozzie, mostly because of his wry sense of humour about the world and himself. I got stuck some way through the first draft when my bare, vague plot plan didn’t work, but Ozzie kept making me want to discover what happened next.
It was hard to express the main antagonist’s narcissistic megalomania and at the same-time make him seem like a real person rather than a moustache-twirling, melodramatic villain.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The fascination of exploration and discovery, particularly the discovery of what lies beyond the material realm; and, tied in with that, shifts in awareness. At least I think those are themes. To be honest, I never thought about the book’s themes until my developmental editor asked me what the central theme was . . .
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
Mercie, Ozzie and Petroc journey through what Petroc calls “a more subtle level” of existence, where the relationship between mind and matter is different, as is the relationship between one mind and another. After confronting two of their enemies there, the three return to the dig. Now seeing the “normal” world in a new light, they confront the third of their enemies in a way they did not anticipate.
Author Links: Website | Instagram | Substack
Authenticity and Spirituality
Grand Illusion follows a gifted Balinese fabric artist who meets a wealthy heir from the Emirates, who introduces her to a world of opulence and power, far from her roots and heritage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The setup began at the ending of Moroccan Sunset. Zayn Al Farooq was introduced as the youngest of Elena’s older brothers. We saw that he was into the privileges his family’s wealth provided. Yet he was fascinated by Mara’s ethereal beauty and creative talent.
When I began Mara’s book, I felt like I knew her character by now and could envision her unease in falling into Zayn’s lifestyle. Her cultural beginning was always about authenticity and spirituality. The cultural and religious barriers soon followed, making Zayn and Mara’s romantic connection next to impossible.
The entrance of Wayan, with a similar background, brought home the importance of her roots.
It seemed like you took your time in building the characters and the story to great emotional effect. How did you manage the pacing of the story while keeping readers engaged?
To allow Grand Illusion to be read as a standalone, I had to walk a balance between readers who knew the characters intimately and those who were first being introduced. That required just enough backstory for new readers to catch up.
Basically, I had to focus on speeding up the less important moments between the characters, yet slowing down the primary moments. A good example is with Annie and Mara on the sailing yacht. Throughout the series, readers learned how much Annie loved that moment when the sail is hoisted. I have written it multiple times, so it was easy for me to speed through it. However, in this case, my editor, who had not read the other books, told me to write it like it was the first time, but now seeing it through Mara’s eyes. It completely changed the scene.
Now that you have finished your Annie’s Journey series, have you discovered anything about yourself while researching and writing these women’s stories?
I have a wide circle of friends, many of whom have faced serious stumbling blocks in their lives. The same applies to me. Personally, I believe in the ‘angels among us’ theory. In my writing, there is always someone who comes along to impart wisdom or insight. It can come from typical sources like a relative or close friend. But sometimes it is from a stranger, like the little old woman in the Bali market who cryptically told Annie, “The time to be happy is now.” Or it could be a stone like the one Annie gave to Sarah before her first art exhibition, or the blue diamond ring that Ramone gave Annie.
I finish each of these books with a sense of hope and anticipation about the future. Hopefully, readers experience that as well.
What is the next book you are working on, and when can fans expect it to be released?
Grand Illusion is being referred to as the 5th and final book in the Annie’s Journey series. Currently, I am taking 2 months as an author-in-residence in Blueridge, GA, to find inspiration for a new series. Although there is much to draw from here, I have to admit there are two characters from the series who keep whispering in my ear that their story hasn’t been told. Would it be so horrible if there were a sixth book???
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Website | Pinterest | Amazon
The 5th and final book in the ANNIE’S JOURNEY series, Grand Illusion: Lesson of a Balinese Lotus, finds young Balinese fabric designer, Mara, at the pinnacle of the fashion world! Her success is bolstered by the charming and enigmatic Zayn, an Arab financier whose influence opens doors to a world of opulence and power. Yet, behind the glittering façade, Mara’s identity is lost in a labyrinth of illusions.
One fateful night, Mara meets Wayan, a fellow Balinese soul and costume designer to the legendary opera diva, Antonella Rossi. Both Wayan and Antonella are entangled in their own webs of deception, struggling to maintain authenticity amidst the pressures of fame and fortune.
As Mara and Wayan’s paths intertwine, the echoes of their homeland call them back to Bali, where the roots of their heritage await to ground them once more. But even if the wisdom and symbolism of their ancestors offer clarity, can they find the courage to redefine their paths?
The Beauty of Life
A Sea Tail follows a retired dentist who is shown a dead fish with scales and skin, leading him to embark on an adventure to determine if mermaids exist. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I started working on A Sea Tail on a week-long vacation to Topsail Island, North Carolina. I had recently finished my first book, Shall Die by the Sword, and had gotten bogged down in the sequel. So, I was in a space where I was not writing anything major at the time. Being the father of two daughters, however, I was always trying to write books that appealed to them. And nothing appeals to a preteen girl like a mermaid. Furthermore, since I was a child, I have always been interested in fantasy and folklore. The final stimulus was a small sequence in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies that had a side story about a mermaid. That got me writing. And as for Venice, it is the most beautiful city in the world, and what a place to merge water, fantasy, and story.
What was your inspiration for Dr. Manque’s character, and how did you craft his outlook on life?
For the lead character I wanted someone with some quirks, and in contrast to my first book, I wanted to write the main character as a little older. Also, I wanted to paint him as someone who could be stone deaf to the beauty of Venice.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
That’s a good question. There are a lot of things I could talk about: how our modern age can be so sterile for one, and how we have distanced ourselves from our past for another, but maybe the theme I was most interested in was beauty, and by that I don’t mean physical beauty, although the mermaid is portrayed as staggeringly beautiful, what I was exploring was the beauty of life, and becoming aware of how a beautiful life is one connected to others. And how discovering that someone needs us is just about the most beautiful thing in the world.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
Thank you for asking. My next book is The Ordinary Adventures of Somerset Soames von Hesse. This is a coming-of-age novel about a young boy growing up in a missionary family in Egypt, Lebanon, and the coming back to the states in the 60’s. The story centers around the fourth child, Somerset, and his quirks, and his fascinations. It also deals with the tension because he likes the Beatles and fiction, and both of those are highly discouraged in his faith group. The book will be out in paperback within the next couple of weeks.
Beyond that, I will be working on Volume 2 of my epic fantasy series.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
Audible version coming soon!
Cascadia’s Call
Neha Hewitt’s Cascadia’s Call is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about Ari, a fourteen-year-old girl uprooted from Boston after her father’s death and sent to live with relatives in Portland while her mother pursues a demanding journalism career. The novel moves through Ari’s grief, her rocky adjustment to a new city, and her clashes with cultural expectations, all while weaving in mysterious symbols tied to her family’s heritage, most notably a necklace that seems to carry an uncanny power. It is both a portrait of adolescence and a meditation on family, loss, and belonging.
I found myself drawn into Ari’s raw anger and aching loneliness. Hewitt captures the turbulence of being a teenager so vividly that I often felt like I was back in my own messy adolescence, stumbling through identity and yearning for control. The writing is crisp and accessible, yet it carries real weight, especially in the quieter scenes where Ari longs for her father or struggles with the heavy silences between herself and her mother. At times, the dialogue made me laugh in recognition, and at other times it brought a lump to my throat.
I’ll admit there were moments when Ari’s stubbornness grated on me, and I caught myself wanting to shake her into patience. But that’s part of why the story works. She feels like a real teenager, with sharp edges and contradictions that make her alive on the page. I also admired the way Hewitt didn’t shy away from difficult conversations about culture, tradition, and feminism. Those scenes felt risky, sometimes messy, but honest. The supernatural hints with the birds and the necklace added just enough mystery to keep me guessing without overwhelming the emotional heart of the story.
This book would be a strong recommendation for teens navigating change, parents trying to understand their children, and anyone who appreciates stories that blend culture, grief, and a dash of the mystical. Cascadia’s Call is the kind of novel that keeps you thinking, not because it resolves everything neatly, but because it captures how uncertain and yet hopeful growing up can be.
Pages: 242 | ASIN : B0FJF5VC19
The Presence of Magic
The Heart Scarab examines the fates of warriors, mystics, and serpents who are navigating a landscape that has been altered by mining, politics, and tribal magic. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
THE HEART SCARAB is Book 2 of the second series, so there are many strands of plotlines. The writer assumes that a reader who made it this far into the story is invested in the characters and ready to see them triumph.
Mostly, my stories are about the women, but this setup offers two men to carry the plot. Rufus el Arrivi has been present in all the previous books. Now, as a grown man with children, he decides to run for the office of khalif in open elections in a duchy where refugees called Rundi are allowed citizenship.
Meanwhile, Stuben works with Rufus as police in Urbyd and witnesses some difficult moments for the refugees. He breaks with Rufus and goes on an adventure with Obye, who is laboring to recover some Rundi who are abused at a stone quarry.
My inspiration comes from a love of the characters and my own questions about how their lives shape – sometimes as much of a surprise to me as to you.
Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?
Kore is 14 now and has inherited the treasure of Rularim. She attends a wedding in Utica, traveling with Rufus and her half-brother Karisma. Always willful, she gets into plenty of trouble.
Bybiis, the beastmaster, has worked through some of her problems with finding a place among the tribes, following her own destiny for working with sea serpents. She has met Aresur, who has some skills with magic and takes the banner for countering Ulaya, who wants Bybiis dead. I had fun with Aresur and her sideways attitudes about how to handle a difficult boss. She manages to
undercut Ulaya at every turn.
How did you balance magic and its use throughout the story to keep it believable?
Ah, magic…Hedge magic belongs to Aresur – charms and hexes – and Bybiis has many tattooed skin wards. The serpent pouches are based on a real occurrence in our world where sharks make pouches out of seaweed fronds as an incubator for living newborns. Bybiis has harvested a clutch of serpent pouches made the same way. When a holder stares into the hole drilled through the brain of the dead serpent fetus, she may connect with the holder of a similar pouch. I like it! Mostly, though, I wanted the presence of magic in their everyday lives, and several characters don’t believe in its power over them.
Can you give us a peek into the next book in this series? Where will it take readers?
THE IRON SNAKE is about resistance to a larger country tangent to the duchies and sending assassins to take or kill the children in order to weaken leaders. We follow Rufus again and Stuben, who grows into his leadership roles. Kore becomes a young woman – vulnerable to abduction, in fact – who becomes an opponent to Ulaya (and more) and her scheming ways. I keep setting obstacles in the paths of primary characters and fashioning a plot where they must work together to get ahead.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Meanwhile, Stuben el Cylahi has taken a position as police in the duchy capital of Urbyd where he butts heads with his boss Rufus el Arrivi. Stuben realizes that he also must strike out on his own and joins a group of Rundi who are on mission to recover some quarry slaves. His witness of coming events makes him wish that he had remained nearby Rufus. Can Stuben regain his tribal status?
Family Dynamics
Toriko Tales: Toriko vs. The Crowned Paw follows a brilliant and eccentric catgirl engineer as she tests her groundbreaking AI-powered battle armor, who ends up in an emotional and ethical conflict when the AI goes rogue. There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
The main characters—Toriko, Spark, Maro, Ujaku, Minea, Mini-T, Allia, and Ichini—originate from my main D’mok Revival series. They’ve long been among my favorites, so I was thrilled to dedicate an entire book (and side-series) to them. Even though I’ve “known” them for years, each revealed personal depths I hadn’t expected. As a mostly dedicated “pantser” in my writing approach, authenticity and consistency are the two most important factors for me. Beyond the usual character interviews I conduct to understand them, I also wrote numerous short pieces exploring their homeworlds, histories, families, and formative events—so I could portray how each character’s actions and choices would naturally unfold.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I’ve been evolving my writing from simply telling an entertaining story to sharing a perspective and sparking conversations. My background—both in formal education and a career focused on crafting technologies and driving innovation—has taken me to the edges of AI research. I’ve seen firsthand how our culture is responding to it, and I have both possibilities and warnings I want to share.
In Toriko Tales, those ideas found the perfect home. The characters, the moment in time within the D’mok literary universe, and the events unfolding in our real world all came together to make this the right story at the right time.
Beyond technology, there are many all-too-human themes: deep roots in family dynamics, sibling rivalry, and hidden secrets coming to light. These elements ground the high-tech story and offer readers something relatable amidst the adventure.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
This book is part of a much larger story arc within the D’mok Revival literary universe. It really showcases who Toriko and her family are, and helps shape the impact they’ll have in the future. Originally, I didn’t think there would be more—but this isn’t the first time an initial impression turned out to be wrong.
Based on how the story ends (no spoilers!), there are so many threads that could continue Toriko Tales—alongside the ongoing D’mok Revival series. I’m all about giving readers what they want, so I can’t wait to hear which topics and issues they’d love to see explored in a future Toriko Tales adventure.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Toriko Tales | Amazon
Mental Health Matters
Ancestor: The Hooded Hero #1 follows a firefighter-paramedic who gets what he thinks is a routine 911 call, only to discover that it quickly escalates into a chaotic, bloody night. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Any time Cody is on duty, if he responds to a 9-1-1 call, it is a call I’ve managed as a firefighter. Of course, they are modified for patient privacy laws. The call I used for the inciting incident was a call I responded to, and the most difficult call for me to handle psychologically in all my 21 years in the service. Cody has similar reactions to me (the echo of the father’s screams causing the taste of blood in his mouth, the callousness toward criminals, the smells of the scene, the woman’s face, etc).
I had to respond to that scene, pronounce the woman dead while her father watched, and assist the coroner’s office with the investigation. Then, when we cleared the scene, we were the only available ambulance to go to the prison and evaluate the prisoner who killed her. I could tell you how compassionate I was toward the prisoner, but you can just read the book.
This is daily life for a first responder, or a nurse, or a soldier. I wanted to highlight the things we have to see and do to keep you safe, and the impact it has on our lives and our own health. It’s important to spotlight these things, because often we take for granted that the police or firefighters just exist to serve us, but they’re people too. And they’re twisted significantly by what they see every day.
I found Cody to be an intriguing and well-developed character. What inspired you to create him and his backstory?
Cody is the quintessential fireman. He’s derived from a variety of responders, including myself, my long-time ambulance partner, and other coworkers. His own mental health and the calls he responds to reflect my own career and my own downward spiral when I had reached my darkest moment. But I’m not a special case by any means. I just wish I was built like him, haha. I wanted him to have a major presence, like gravity, whenever he entered a room. So I made him large like Jack Reacher but with the type of reputation that makes everyone notice him when he enters an area.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
First and foremost, I wanted to explore the world of mental health. It’s not normalized enough, despite our 21st-century efforts. This whole series will be an exploration of mental health through the lens of a superhero and a first responder. Sadie, Cody’s love interest, is there to ground people because she’s the ‘civilian’ but still very much entwined in the mental health struggle. Sadie is also supposed to be the calm to Cody’s chaos. She is intelligent, dedicated, goes to therapy, takes her medications, and strives toward self-improvement like no other. She’s the example of what we can all be if we manage our mental health well, and obviously the example of no matter how well we’re doing, nobody’s perfect. Cody is the opposite. He’s the example of what we could become by burying our feelings under alcohol and pressure.
Mental health aside, I’d been looking for a way to tell my “war stories” from the fire department, and I had been excited to come up with a superhero idea for a long time. This gave me the chance to do both. Hopefully people enjoy the ‘peek behind the curtain’ at first responders’ lives.
What will your next novel be about, and what will the whole series encompass?
The Hooded Hero series will explore the ups and downs of managing one’s mental health. Readers will find both allies and enemies who struggle with some mental health issue, and it’s my hope that they can relate to all of them. The next few books in the series get dark. So if you thought Ancestor was dark, buckle up.
I’ve collaborated with a horror author, Carl Bluesy, to create novellae with a more fantasy/horror theme which will fit chronologically in the series timeline and will follow Cody through supernatural challenges, which unlock new superpowers and teach him new lessons about life and what it means to be a hero.
Book 2, titled Burnout, and the first of the novellae, titled Inferno Mirage, are coming Q4 2025. Follow me on social media @authormattoz or join my newsletter to keep up with the latest news.
Author Website
Cody, a US Army veteran who now works as a firefighter, is one bad 911 call from a complete mental breakdown. Then life feeds him two bad calls, back to back.
He begins to hallucinate and hear voices. But they don’t just speak to him-they grant him abilities beyond his wildest imagination. And they have their own agenda.
Meanwhile, sinister forces wreak havoc on the city, tearing apart its infrastructure bit by bit. Will this firefighter-turned-superhero quell the burning city’s flames, or will he be the gust that spreads them?
Ancestor is a dark urban fantasy thriller which explores the daily lives of first responders and mental health topics through the lens of a superhero’s trials.
Inside you will find:Justice and vengeance dealt with a bloody, heavy hand.
Revenge. Beautiful, satisfying revenge.
An unforgettably unique romance subplot.
Insight into the daily lives of first responders, written by a first responder.
Seriously flawed, regular people. Because to be flawed is to be normal.
Jump straight into the depths of Jade City. Buy it now.
A Sea Tail
Marvin Brauer’s A Sea Tail is a curious blend of mystery, folklore, and personal transformation, set against the backdrop of Venice. The novel follows Dr. Ulysses Manque, a quasi-retired dentist who drifts into the city almost by accident and finds himself tangled in a story that begins with a strange fishtail in a canal and stretches into whispers of mermaids, secret investigations, and an undercurrent of myth that refuses to stay submerged. What begins as a chance discovery soon grows into a meditation on belief, longing, and the strange ways the extraordinary can seep into ordinary lives.
I loved the setting. Venice felt alive, not just in its architecture and canals but in the way small habits, daily walks, and quiet encounters stitched together the fabric of the story. The pacing at times wandered, and that worked for this book. Sometimes I was completely drawn in by the odd charm of Dr. Manque, his pigeons, his suits, and his obsessive rituals. Other times, I found myself wishing the narrative would push harder, dig faster into the mystery instead of lingering so long on side details. Still, that slow build did give the novel a thick and intriguing atmosphere.
The ideas at play here really stuck with me. I didn’t expect to be caught up in questions about myth and belief, about what happens when someone lets the fantastic leak into their daily routines. The mermaid, whether real or imagined, becomes a mirror for the protagonist’s loneliness and yearning, and I found that strangely moving. There were moments when the writing leaned into symbolism. I sometimes wanted less explanation, but even so, I couldn’t help but admire the ambition of weaving folklore into a modern story of self-discovery.
I felt a kind of bittersweet satisfaction. The book is not for readers looking for a fast-paced thriller or a tightly plotted mystery. It is more for those who enjoy atmosphere, who like to sit with odd characters and let their inner lives unravel slowly. If you’re drawn to Venice, or if you’ve ever wanted to believe that a city can hide its own secret myths beneath its stones and waters, this novel is worth your time. I’d recommend it to readers who like literary mysteries with a touch of magic.
Pages: 252 | ASIN : B0CTD13985
LITERARY TITAN 