Blog Archives
Lasting Impacts
Buckaloo follows a couple opening a dog training academy and preparing for their wedding, who are navigating past traumas, the complexities of relationships, and the chaos of planning two major life events at the same time. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When people find each other and choose to marry, they come with baggage from past relationships. Sometimes one partner is an open book, and the other holds close to their secrets. The story explores what happens when trust builds enough to share every truth. It’s about a couple with a relationship that can withstand whatever comes their way. That kind of maturity takes work but pays dividends. Offering two major life events, each with challenges, allows the reader to embrace the couple and cheer for their successes.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
Early on, the reader learns that Bill is a “still waters run deep” kind of guy. His concern, respect, and acceptance of others have clearly been a long learning curve. Once inside his cadre, he’d give you anything. It took a long time to let Harley inside. Harley’s charisma brings people together. As an introvert, she has longed for a village to call on. In the novel, she realizes that her friends and family village was her doing. She shows love and acceptance to everyone in her ever-growing circle, watching as each one embraces their talent. Harley aches when things don’t go the way her friends or family might want. Central to Harley’s circle are dog lovers, with many dog owners in her crew. Harley wants others to have the close, respectful relationship she has with Gemma. The reader learns that her maturity has grown from several challenges, and we find she can still struggle over life’s triggers.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Weaved throughout the novel are four key themes. The first of these is that mid-life relationships are essential. The people in these relationships can help your life flourish, even if they haven’t been lifelong friends. Another theme conveyed in the work focuses on the human-canine relationship and how deep those relationships can become, with love, respect, and training. Another theme is how momentous life events can happen in planned and unplanned ways, and what matters is how you react. The other theme is how we humans form communities or villages, and especially how those have lasting impacts on our lives in large and small ways.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Another novel with many of these characters and several new ones is planned. There will be continued focus on Bill and Harley, and their dogs Gemma, Blackjack, and their newest, Coda. Now that a few friends have become neighbors, there will be more focus on them, as well as the dog training academy. Additionally, Harley and Gemma are sure to find themselves assisting on a trail adventure.
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Throughout Harley and Gemma’s adventures, they have made friends in states as far east as Washington, D.C. and as far west as Oregon. Those friends and more have assisted Harley and her fiancé, Bill Harris, with their engagement and in their home designing and ranch developing endeavors. Those same friends gather once more to assist Harley and Bill with the academy opening. Since the friends have travelled far once again, Harley and Bill have agreed to have the academy opening one weekend with the wedding taking place the following weekend.
Before the events can happen, Harley and Gemma are called away for another dangerous adventure where Harley’s and Gemma’s skills are required. Before and between the life-changing events, friends and family arrive with their dogs, their own imperfect relationships, and their areas of expertise to help Harley and Bill. The story of Buckaloo revolves around excellent food, enjoyable conversation, especially those taking place at the fire pit, and dreams that might come true, though likely in unexpected ways.
Hurricane, twelve dogs, a training academy, glamping tents, and a black-clad stranger intertwine in this story of middle-aged friendships.
The Power of Imagination
Luella’s Library follows a young book-lover who invites her tech-obsessed best friend to her home library, where they wind up on an unexpected journey when a book opens a magical portal to enchanted worlds. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Getting lost in a book gives kids the opportunity to connect with characters, go on wild adventures, and make choices and opinions based on the plot. So, I decided to write Luella’s Library to show kids the magic of reading a book. Children will be able to follow Luella and Lino on the many adventures their book takes them on. Lino is inspired by one of my own cousins who loves to spend time playing games on his iPad, and Luella has traits of my sister, who has a library of books in her bedroom. Together, Luella and Lino travel through many enchanted lands, all of which have been inspired by my favorite Barbie and Disney movies growing up. As a child, I fell in love with the magical settings in Barbie and Disney; they were places that I wished to visit, which is why I chose to make the settings of my story have a similar vibe. I want kids to be able to feel like they’ve been sucked into these vibrant worlds along with my main characters. My goal is to show children in a fun, interactive, and relatable way that picking up a book can be more of an exciting experience than picking up an iPad.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
In the past few years, I’ve seen a major shift in how young kids spend their free time. Rather than using their imaginations to play games, read a book, or enjoy the outdoors, I’ve noticed that their playtime is heavily spent on their iPads and phones. It’s become less reading and more tapping. If this trend continues, kids won’t know the experience of getting lost in a book anymore and expanding their imagination. Will kids even be creative if they’re always told what to believe through their iPads and never form opinions of their own? This question inspired me to write Luella’s Library. I believe kids should learn at a young age the power of imagination and creativity in this digital world we live in today.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
My favorite scene to write was the scene where Luella, Lino, and their newfound leprechaun friend ride Pegasuses into the sky in a land filled with fairies, mermaids, and mystical forests. My favorite movies growing up were always the ones that included fairies or mermaids, so I felt like I was tapping back into my childhood dreams of living in a land with magical creatures.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
As of right now, I haven’t decided if I will make this into a series. Yet, I loved writing it and bringing the world of Luella’s Library to life, so there is definitely a possibility!
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Luella loves to read books, but her best friend, Lino, doesn’t.
What Lino soon discovers is that the books in Luella’s library are magical! When one of her books transports them to an enchanted land, they have to face unexpected obstacles and help new friends.
Will Luella and Lino complete their journeys along the way? Will they be able to help their new friend find his way back home? Or will Lino choose his phone over the adventures Luella’s library has in store?
Ellie Ment and the Material Matter
Ellie Ment and the Material Matter, by Bertie Stephens, is a quirky and fast-paced middle-grade adventure that blends science, humor, and environmental themes with a heavy dose of curiosity and chaos. It follows the story of Ellie, an 11-year-old self-proclaimed scientist living in the endlessly rainy town of Hapsie. After witnessing her brand-new school go up in strange purple flames, Ellie is drawn into a mystery that includes jam jar experiments, mysterious adults, glowing embers, suspicious teachers, a secret science club, and a new girl who seems just a little too perfect. Armed with a fierce love of science and a head full of questions, Ellie digs deeper into what’s really going on, and ends up discovering more about the world (and herself) than she bargained for.
The writing is seriously fun. Bertie Stephens has a wild energy in his prose that feels like Roald Dahl with a scientific twist. There’s a real rhythm to the way he plays with narration, slipping in clever asides and running gags that make you grin without feeling overdone. The world-building in Hapsie is rich in detail, from a pothole nicknamed “Stego-hole” to an art teacher who inexplicably wipes down students’ faces with talcum powder. It’s packed with oddball characters and moments that are both funny and surprisingly touching. I loved how the book never talks down to the reader; it trusts kids to understand big ideas, and that trust feels earned. The science woven into the story isn’t just accurate, it’s exciting. Ellie’s obsession with the periodic table, her experiments with rainwater, and her balloon hypothesis all made me want to pull out a notebook and start investigating things myself.
Ellie is a joy. She is relatable, sharp, stubborn, and delightfully flawed, but Kami, her main “rival,” didn’t feel quite as developed early on. I found myself wanting to understand her a bit more beneath the confident, polished surface. Some of that depth does come through later. I loved the fast pace and witty writing. While a few moments felt a little rushed or slightly tangled, there were still plot twists that surprised me in the best way. This is a story that’s bursting with creativity, warmth, and just the right amount of scientific mayhem.
Ellie Ment and the Material Matter is one of those rare stories that feels smart and silly in equal measure. It’s great for curious kids who love science, adventure, or just getting into a little trouble in the name of learning. Teachers and parents will appreciate its environmental message and the way it champions creative thinking without preaching. It reminded me how important it is to question the world around us and to never accept “that’s just the way it is” as an answer. If I had this book when I was eleven, I would’ve read it twice.
Pages: 284 | ASIN : B0F6T1ZMFX
Friendship and Responsibility
The Tralls of Maruchus follows a spirited young trall who befriends a water sprite and promises not to reveal their existence, yet after a devastating fire, she is forced to break that promise. What was the inspiration for the set up of your story?
There were two important issues I wanted this story to cover.
Firstly, I wanted to show my young readers that even if someone is very different from them, they can become friends. I firmly believe that, as Australia and indeed the whole world become more multicultural, this is an important concept for children to understand.
Secondly, children quickly learn that promises must be kept, and this can sometimes cause them worry and concern, and even lead to dire consequences. I wanted to demonstrate through this story that there are good promises and bad promises. Promises that make you feel happy and excited are good promises and can be kept, but promises that make you feel unhappy, sad, or worried are bad promises and they can be broken, and should be shared with others.
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
When I was teaching, I would read a chapter of a book to my class each morning, and the stories, although wonderful and exciting, were always about the lifestyle of children living in other countries. By the time I retired, I had three grandchildren, and I wanted to leave them a legacy that would remind them of our family and the close bonds we shared, so I decided to write a portal fantasy, and set it in Queensland so it would showcase an Australian lifestyle.
I included many of the good times we’d shared as a family and the valuable lessons we’d learned along the way. I also included some childhood memories of happy times spent with my own grandparents.
Then, just after the first book was released, my mother and my husband passed away, so I included many of the maxims they loved to pass on. Sadly, a lot of today’s children don’t live near their grandparents, and consequently, they miss out on these nuggets of wisdom.
As more grandchildren arrived, more books were added, and gradually, The Trall Series developed into a stylised biography of our extended family. The tralldoms, for instance, were influenced by the happy carefree existence we had when we lived on Badu Island in the Torres Strait, and the personalities and traits of the various characters are an amalgamation of several family members. There are always a few chuckles when someone is recognized or an event is recalled.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Each book in the series covers issues that I feel strongly about; namely empathy, inclusiveness, fairness, and responsibility.
In The Tralls of Maruchus, I focused on friendship and responsibility. I hope this story encourages young readers to realise that true friendship should be based on shared beliefs, shared interests, a strong commitment to understanding each other, standing by each other in times of need, and embracing differences as well as similarities.
I’m also very committed to preserving the environment and its native flora and fauna. Each book in The Trall Series is based on a different environmental problem that the characters work together to overcome. I truly believe that if we can introduce young people to the beauty of their local environment early enough, they will develop into adults who will take positive steps to care for it.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take the readers?
The series now consists of five books: The Tralls of Nindarry, The Tralls of Mundi, The Tralls of Maruchus, The Tralls of Colum, and The Tralls of Nosa. As previously stated, each story includes an environmental issue (mining, misuse of water, fracking, plastic waste, and local fauna and flora being displaced by introduced species).
They also deal with many of the issues that have an impact on children as they develop their own character and personality.
My hope is that The Trall Series will have a positive effect on young readers and encourage them to make choices that will help them to promote the best facets of themselves. I also hope it will encourage them to become more aware of the environmental problems our world is facing, and that the brave, resourceful young characters that feature throughout the series will motivate them to take an active role in protecting their own environment.
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Eventually, Ellie takes her new friend to her tralldom to meet her kinships and Maya promises the fief that she will never tell anyone about the Tralldom of the Rivers or the water sprites who inhabit it but when their home is destroyed by fire and the lives of the water sprites are put at risk, Maya soon realises that she is unable to help them by herself and that promise becomes a burden too great for her to bear.
Eventually, Maya is forced to break her promise and the story she shares leads to a chain of events that will change the lives of the sprites forever.
Will Ellie, who considers a promise to be a sacred oath be able to forgive Maya or could her betrayal lead to the end of their friendship?
The Tralls of Maruchus is the third book in The Trall Series, a collection of exciting portal fantasies set in Australia. The books may be read as stand-alone books but reading them in sequence opens up the wonderful world of the tralldoms and their inhabitants and uncovers some long-held secrets.
The series has been written for competent readers aged between 9 years and 13 years.
Messenger of the Reaper
After reading Messenger of the Reaper by Jimmy and Angelyn Straley, I can say it’s one heck of a ride. The story follows a hitman, James Crum, who isn’t just your average contract killer. He’s a smooth-talking, knife-wielding professional who struck a deal with Death himself. He delivers more than just murder. He delivers souls to the Reaper. The book opens with a murder so visceral you can almost hear the bones snap. From there, it unfolds into a gritty, violent, often darkly humorous account of life as a hired killer, one with a troubled past and a growing list of enemies. As James gets tangled deeper into politics, betrayal, and morality, we’re pulled along with him across state lines, across memories, and closer to a reaper who is slowly starting to take an interest in the man who’s fed him for decades.
Now, about the writing. It’s raw, sometimes rough around the edges, and unapologetically blunt. That’s not a knock. It’s actually kind of refreshing. There’s no flowery language or polished, over-edited prose here. It feels like a conversation with a grizzled old man at a bar who’s seen more than his fair share and isn’t afraid to say exactly what’s on his mind. There were a few moments where the grammar or punctuation might’ve tripped up a more literary-minded reader, but I found the voice consistent and surprisingly compelling. The emotional scenes, particularly those involving James’s ex-wife and kids, hit harder because of the contrast with all the blood and bullets. There’s something uniquely sad about a killer who regrets what he had to give up just to survive.
What stuck with me the most were the moments of introspection. Like when James stares into the mirror and doesn’t quite recognize the man he sees, or when he wonders if he’s already dead and just doesn’t know it yet. Those moments lift the book above just another hitman story. It’s not just about violence or revenge. It’s about a man at the end of his rope, trying to find purpose in a life built on silence and shadows. The authors managed to make a character like James, who should by all rights be a villain, someone I found myself rooting for. Not because he’s good, but because he’s honest. And honestly, I kind of loved that.
If you like crime stories with a supernatural twist, or gritty thrillers that don’t sugarcoat anything, this book might be for you. Fans of noir, or even Quentin Tarantino-style storytelling, would probably have a blast. It’s not for the faint of heart. There’s blood, swearing, and moral ambiguity by the truckload. But if you’re okay with that, and you want something with both edge and emotion, Messenger of the Reaper is worth your time. It’s fast-paced, grimy, and strangely thoughtful.
Pages: 191 | ASIN : B09LTJCFVM
Finders
Robert J. Collins’ Finders kicks off a sprawling story rooted in ancient mystery and young discovery. The novel follows a group of university students on an archaeological dig in Cornwall, where what starts as a search for pottery shards and Roman tiles quickly transforms into something much more extraordinary. At the center is Ozzie, a dry-witted archaeology student who stumbles into a buried enigma, an ornate stone with gem-encrusted carvings and hints of long-lost rituals. As the dig deepens, tensions rise among the team, strange local figures emerge, and what lies beneath the surface, both literal and emotional, begins to shift their reality.
Reading Finders felt like being caught between a campus comedy and a mythic awakening. I absolutely loved the banter between the students. It’s quick, playful, and often funny. Ozzie is a wonderfully grounded narrator, the kind who doesn’t take himself too seriously but still brings a lot of heart to his observations. Collins has a real ear for dialogue. It’s chaotic, clever, and completely believable. But what surprised me most was how seamlessly that humor folded into something deeper. The archaeological details are rich but not overwhelming, and the slow burn of supernatural or symbolic significance unfolding in the knotwork stone was addictive. I didn’t expect a book about digging to keep me turning pages this fast.
The writing isn’t afraid to take its time. Collins lingers in conversations and small moments, and sometimes that gives it a slower pace than I wanted. But by the end, I appreciated the buildup. The characters felt real, not in a polished, archetypal way, but in the clumsy, lovable, kind-of-annoying way real people do. I was drawn to Mercie and her mystical side, to Carl’s playful chaos, and even to the mysterious Petroc, who might be charming or dangerous or both. The book flirts with fantasy, but it keeps one muddy boot firmly planted in the real world. That mix makes it special. It reminded me of Susan Cooper or early Neil Gaiman, only with more beer and sunburns.
Finders is for readers who like their magic grounded and their characters messy. If you enjoy smart young adult fiction with ancient puzzles, witty dialogue, and the tension of something just-about-to-happen, this book is worth your time. It’s not flashy. It’s not fast. But it leaves you curious, unsettled, and thrilled. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.
Pages: 260 | ASIN : B0FBXCM5BW
Being Relatable to Teens
The Tale of the Orphan Magician follows a gifted but emotionally scarred orphan, caught in the swirl of political chaos and ancient conflict across the magical continent of Amaratzim. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In all of my Kingdom Quest series books, I’ve sought to address the societal, emotional, sexual, and theological struggles young adolescents face today. According to the CDC, 42% of adolescents report persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness—a 50% increase since 2011. Additionally, 46% of teens aged 13–17 say social media makes them feel worse about their body image.
In The Tale of the Unlikely Prince, I explored themes of identity, the longing for approval, and the pain of failure. In The Storyteller’s Tale, we confronted identity confusion, abusive parenting, depression, and the challenge of forgiveness. The Garden Tale turned its focus to addiction—particularly the insidious effects of social media addiction. Each of these stories wrapped weighty, core-level emotional struggles in the trappings of fantasy—quests, dragons, the clash between good and evil—all grounded in hope.
I’ve long admired the fantasy philosophies of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. They wrote their stories to offer hope to a generation of teens scarred by the trauma of World War II. Their tales drew clear distinctions between good and evil and hinted at a hidden, benevolent force guiding events toward a just and redemptive end. Consolation was key: in their worlds, good ultimately triumphed over evil. They believed such stories, absorbed into the hearts of young readers, could nurture hope, security, and joy.
I agree deeply. And I am troubled by how many modern fantasies seem to do the opposite—amplifying anxiety, loneliness, and insecurity rather than offering relief from them.
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?
I tried to make my characters very relatable to today’s teens. Teens can smell a fake. The characters in my book should be dealing with the very same issues today’s teens are. That makes it easier for teens to enter the sandals of my characters and walk with them as they find resolution, hope and consolation.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
All of us, and in particular teens, are subconsciously jonesing for that relationship, that embrace, that look, that hug and kiss that communicates to them that they are adored as they are. This is our core ‘search for father’ that we mention in the book. Per child psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, “Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.” Adults too. Theologically, I believe that is the ultimate message of Christianity, which believes that there is a God who innately loves the unlovable, the unloved, and the unlovely, and that’s all of us on any given day, if we were just a little bit honest. Whether one believes that or not, it seems obvious that all of us are longing for such a relationship.
Here’s how I like to describe it to young teens. When you enter a room, there is part of you that longs for people to notice your presence and then stand and applaud you—not because of what you have done, but just because you are who you are and you deserve such an honor. On the other hand, there is another part of you that would be scared to death such a thing might happen.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
The Tale of the Orphan Magician is the fourth book in my Kingdom Quest Series. The next installment is Shadowbound. Reggie, the main character of The Tale of the Orphan Magician is caught up in a seven-part Job-like trial to test his faithfulness to the Great King—at least that is what is happening on the surface. Is he faithful to the King because of the King’s ongoing favor? Or is his faithfulness made of higher stuff. For readers, what do we do when all hell unjustly breaks loose in our lives? How do we process things when all is falling apart and there seems to be nothing we can do about it? Teens who have suffered great loss in their lives will be greatly encouraged.
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Book Four in the Kingdom Quest Series
An explosive mix of heart-pounding adventure, enchanting fantasy, unforgettable characters, and powerful life lessons, this book is a must-read for young teens and tweens.
War looms over the continent of Amaratzim, and no one knows who or what is pulling the strings. Is it the shadowy terrorist group known as the BLA? Or perhaps the newly united Dwarven kingdom of Gridaria, hungry for power, glory, and riches? Some whisper that the roots of the conflict go back centuries, to a bitter rift between two brothers—founders of the continent itself. Others point their fingers at the enigmatic King of Garden City, whose true motives are as shrouded in mystery as his identity.
In a world teetering on the edge of chaos, one unlikely orphaned street teen holds the spark of hope. But what can a single boy—alone, and underestimated—possibly do?
He may not be who you think he is. And neither is the King.
A thrilling tale of magic, mystery, and unexpected heroes.
“Chronicles of Narnia meets Jack Ryan!”
The Last Dungeon Crawler
The Last Dungeon Crawler by Mike Simpson is a fast-paced and pulpy adventure that blends modern archaeology with high-stakes treasure hunting, political intrigue, and just a hint of the fantastical. The story follows Dr. Frank Barbarossa, a seasoned explorer with a mysterious past, as he embarks on a perilous underwater journey to uncover the Mantle of King Tobanya, an artifact steeped in myth and danger. What begins as a daring dive beneath an ancient pyramid quickly spirals into a race against time, filled with deadly traps, collapsing tunnels, and secrets that reach far beyond archaeology. Alongside his loyal but unsuspecting companions, Frank navigates both physical hazards and the moral minefields of ownership, truth, and exploitation in the world of antiquities. The narrative switches between Frank’s perspective and that of Sarya Barzani, an ambitious young journalist determined to expose him, adding a layer of cat-and-mouse tension to the tale.
What I enjoyed most about Simpson’s writing is its sense of momentum. The opening chapters throw you headfirst into the action, and the book rarely lets up from there. Scenes are tightly choreographed, with just enough detail to make the environments feel rich without bogging down the pace. The action sequences, particularly the tense underwater dive and the puzzle-solving in the ancient vault, are visual and clever, clearly inspired by the spirit of classic adventure serials. I also appreciated how Frank isn’t portrayed as a flawless hero; his quick thinking and skill are matched by a willingness to lie, manipulate, and withhold truths when it suits his goals. It makes him a more layered, if morally slippery, protagonist.
The dialogue often makes the characters’ thoughts and motivations crystal clear, ensuring readers never lose track of what’s at stake. And the novel’s blend of grounded techno-thriller elements with touches of fantasy and ancient magic gives it a unique flavor, appealing to fans of both realism and the supernatural. I personally enjoyed those supernatural glimmers and would have liked to see the book lean into them more boldly. The interplay between Frank’s secrets and Sarya’s investigation is a smart structural choice; it keeps the tension alive even in the quieter chapters and builds toward an inevitable clash between them.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I was fully invested in both the treasure hunt and the personal stakes. The Last Dungeon Crawler is the kind of book that rewards readers who enjoy brisk pacing, cinematic set pieces, and protagonists who thrive in the moral gray. If you’re into stories like Indiana Jones, National Treasure, or the Tomb Raider series, this novel will scratch that itch while adding its own modern twists.
Pages: 230 | ASIN: B0F8VQ7Y24
LITERARY TITAN 