Blog Archives
Claw & Ember
Claw & Ember follows Nyra, a young rider bound to her saber tooth, Sathra. The story moves through a world shaped by political pressure, old loyalties, and a city that feels like it is swallowing itself. Nyra trains, fights, and stumbles her way through shifting alliances while a strange heat thrumming under her skin hints that something inside her does not fit the rules everyone else seems to follow. The book mixes sharp fights, thick atmosphere, and tight emotional beats as Nyra tries to find her footing in a place that demands more from her than she expected.
Reading it pulled me in more than I thought it would. The writing hits with this raw, lived-in energy. The fights snap. Even the animals feel alive. I liked how the book lets small moments breathe, like a glance from someone who matters a bit too much or a sound in the fog that turns the whole mood. I got wrapped up in Nyra’s rough edges and her stubbornness. The world feels big and hungry, and the writing makes that weight real in a way that hit me in the gut.
I also found myself hooked on the relationships. They twist in these honest ways. Quiet jealousy slipping into the training yard. Old history tucked under a single line of dialogue. That stuff landed harder for me than some of the politics. Sometimes the pacing rushed when I wanted it to walk. Other times it lingered in a way that made the tension coil nicely. But the emotional beats always felt solid. I kept turning pages just to see how Nyra handled the next mess she got dragged into or the next truth she tried to swallow.
By the time I reached the end, I felt that warm spark of wanting the next book right away. I’d recommend Claw & Ember to readers who like gritty fantasy with strong character focus and a world that feels close enough to touch. If you want sharp claws, slow-burn tension, big cats that actually feel like big cats, and a heroine who keeps getting up even when the world leans on her hard, this one will be a great fit.
Pages: 379 | ASIN: B0FVRZ5LF3
Courageous Attitudes
The Tralls of Nosa follows a young girl who brings a strange and beautiful plant home as a gift for her mother, only to discover it is destructive, spreading and destroying everything its roots touch. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I live in rural Australia, and I am constantly battling outbreaks of lantana. It was introduced to Australia as an ornamental plant, but as is often the case with introduced species, it ran amok.
Lantana is a beautiful plant, but unfortunately, it’s an invasive weed that spreads easily, destroys native plants, is destructive for biodiversity, and is difficult to control. It’s also toxic for livestock, and it increases the intensity of our ever-present bushfires.
In The Tralls of Nosa, I wanted to draw attention to the problems that are caused for native flora and fauna when foreign species are introduced.
The characters in this novel were intriguing and well-developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
Mia was modelled on my youngest granddaughter, who demonstrates compassion, trust, reliability, and integrity, and I wanted to use those positive traits to create a character that would appeal to my young readers.
Asha, Shea, Cooper, Vail. and Addie were modelled on young friends who constantly impress me with their feisty, faithful, determined, and courageous attitudes.
What was the most challenging part of writing The Trall Series, and what was the most rewarding?
The Tralls of Nosa is the final book in The Trall Series, and I had to work hard to make sure it was fresh and impactful and not a rehash of the messages or events in previous books.
The most enjoyable part of writing this book was finally solving the underlying mysteries that were threaded throughout the series.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from your series?
My aim was for The Trall Series to engender an interest in the natural environment and to make my readers more aware of the many problems it faces.
I hope that the strong, determined young characters in the series will demonstrate that you don’t have to wear a cape and do amazing stunts to be an environmental hero. Everyone can help to preserve their native flora and fauna by making small, impactful improvements in their activities.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
After destroying the village, the insidious plant forced its way into the forests and everglades, where it quickly killed all the native flora and forced the fauna to leave in a desperate search for food. As a result, the kinships of Nosa were faced with the prospect of starvation for the first time in their long history.
Now, some mysterious incomers have arrived and when it appears that they’ve cast a spell over Asha, the fief’s granddaughter leaving her in a lifeless trance, the kinships are convinced they’re the dreaded Chameleons who tried to force them out of their tralldom centuries ago.
Did they also send the plant to wreak havoc on Nosa and bring its tralls to their knees so they could finally achieve their plan to take over the tralldom?
Could these shattering events herald the end of life as she knows it or can Mia and her friends defeat the plant and the Chameleons, and save Asha?
The Tralls of Nosa is the fifth and final book in the Trall Series; an action-packed collection of portal fantasies set in the Australian bush.
It is suitable for competent readers from nine to thirteen years of age.
Messenger of the Reaper: Part 2
Messenger of the Reaper: Book 2 jumps right into the chaos of Paul Greer’s strange and dangerous life. The story follows him as he takes on brutal jobs, uncovers dark secrets, and wrestles with the eerie presence of James Crum, the Reaper himself. The book blends revenge, the supernatural, and gritty crime drama. It moves fast, takes sharp turns, and never really lets up. There is a constant sense that something worse is coming, and Paul is the only one who can stand in its way, even if it costs him everything.
I felt pulled along by the sheer wildness of it. The writing is straightforward, sometimes blunt, and it gives the whole thing a raw, rough edge. I liked that feeling. It matched Paul’s world. Dangerous. Dirty. Lonely. The ideas about fate and the weight of violence hit harder than I expected. Every time Paul slipped into that cold other self, I found myself tensing up. The book made me uneasy in a way that felt intentional. It wanted me to sit in the dark with him. And I did.
Sometimes the story moved so fast that I had to catch my breath. But honestly, that frantic pacing also made it feel real. Life doesn’t wait, especially not in Paul’s line of work. The supernatural pieces were some of my favorites. Grim and strange, and presented in this matter-of-fact voice that made them weirdly believable. The mix of everyday grit and mystical danger gave the book a flavor that stuck with me after I put it down.
I walked away feeling like I had ridden shotgun through someone’s personal hell, watching him claw his way from one threat to another with nothing but stubborn will keeping him upright. If you like high-tension stories with revenge, supernatural twists, and a main character who is always one step from losing himself completely, this book is a solid pick. It’s gritty. It’s strange. And it’s definitely a book worth picking up.
Pages: 138
Let the Story Lead Itself
The Best Worst Christmas Ever follows a father and his three children trapped by a blizzard on Christmas Eve, who, after the power goes out, spend the evening on a magical adventure through their shared imagination. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
After writing five adult mysteries, I wanted to challenge myself with something completely different and decided to cross over to a fantasy. I started brainstorming ideas not long before Christmas, so it was an easy decision to choose a holiday setting. I thought it would be fun to see the story from different points of view as it progressed, and what better way to do that than to have it told by children of different ages with different ideas of what the story should be. The power outage was the only way I could think of to force bickering children to sit still and listen to each other talk. It also created more of a cozy atmosphere in the home.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
I have three daughters, all grown now, that I used to read to every night at bedtime. Much of their interactions with each other and reactions to the stories, including their likes and dislikes, found their way into the voices of the children in this story.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
I had my first novel all planned out, but by the third chapter, it had taken itself in a totally different direction, and I never used most of what I’d plotted in advance, so I’ve learned to just let the story lead itself as I write. Virtually all of the events in this book were the result of ideas that only entered my mind while writing the chapter before it. It’s surprising how different parts end up fitting together even without following an outline.
What is the next novel that you are working on, and when will that be available?
I wrapped up my five-mystery series in a way that would make it unfair to the characters to bring them back and put them in harm’s way again. Now, though, I’ve had several requests to write a prequel, including one from my editor. It’s an intriguing idea that I may pursue this winter, but at this point, it’s only a concept that will require a lot of gray hair to bring to reality, so the release of an actual book is hard to imagine at this stage.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Hope
Terra Tamers: Alpha follows a teenager living in a city adrift at sea whose brother is kidnapped by a flock of Holo birds, and he will do whatever it takes to rescue him. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of my story was the idea of two brothers surviving a post-apocalyptic world. At first I was thinking kind of a science fantasy direction and leaned more into possible future technology instead.
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?
I’d say the tone of the book, the themes of pursuing hope in a decaying world are the parts of me that bleed through the pages. That and my love of video games.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most important theme to me in Terra Tamers: Alpha was hope. Without it, there’s no point in continuing to live. I see the death of hope as the greatest poison affecting our modern world. People feel so powerless, and the world is so obviously broken, that now we struggle to even address the obvious issues we see in our communities because people feel hopeless, like nothing they do matters. So why bother? More fun themes were what the future of artificial intelligence could look like, how video games might interact with reality, and friendship.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
The story will follow Matt and Oakley into exile as they chase the evil AI Gaia. Expect new friends and foes, more creatures and game mechanics, and a greater exploration of a post-apocalyptic American landscape!
Author Links: Newletter | Website | GoodReads | Bookbub | X | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Pateron
– YA appropriate story (think 12 and older). Does have mild violence.
– First Person POV from male MC
– World Building (Post-apocalyptic), game design
– Monster taming and battles
– Short chapters, fast pace. Note the eBook is closer to 300 pages.
– Light LitRPG elements (I am working on a TTRPG system for Terra Tamers). Takes time to show up.
– No cursing unless you count H-E- double hockey sticks.
– Grayscale creature illustrations in the back!
I think fans of Digimon, Code Lyoko, Monster Tamer Academy, Maximum Ride, .hack//SIGN and similar stories which blend gaming, science fiction and compelling characters will enjoy Terra Tamers: Alpha!
Those Alien Skies
Those Alien Skies is a sharp and imaginative collection of three novellas that dive into the vast unknown of space and the strange corners of the human mind. Each story, The Hunt for Elias Weber, Few and Far Between, and Battle Lines, is a window into a galaxy thick with mystery, alien worlds, and the stubborn will of people trying to find meaning in chaos. The tales follow the aftermath of Graham’s Milijun series, exploring how humans and aliens intertwine, clash, and sometimes find common ground across unimaginable distances. It’s part science fiction, part reflection on what drives us to explore, to fight, and to survive.
I enjoyed this book more than I expected. The writing is crisp and easy to fall into. There’s no heavy technobabble or confusing jargon, just vivid storytelling that pulls you along. Graham’s imagination is wild, but he keeps his worlds grounded in emotions like grief, loyalty, guilt, and curiosity. Elias Weber, one of the central figures, feels real in his flaws and his desperation. His moral decay is slow and chilling, and I found myself both frustrated by him and oddly sympathetic. Graham balances those shades of humanity so well. Sometimes the pacing dips a little, and a few scenes run long, but the payoff always comes. There’s a rhythm to his storytelling that feels cinematic, yet somehow deeply personal.
What really got me, though, was the heart behind the words. This isn’t just about aliens and spaceships. It’s about what happens when belief and doubt collide. It’s about the need for redemption in a universe that doesn’t seem to care. I felt that in every page. Some parts made me stop and think about the way we treat truth, how easily we bend it to suit ourselves. There’s a subtle sadness that lingers underneath all the adventure, like a quiet hum of loss and hope mixed together. And when Graham lets his characters breathe, when he slows things down and lets them wrestle with their fears, that’s when his writing shines the most.
I’d recommend Those Alien Skies to readers who love thoughtful science fiction but don’t want to get buried in technical detail. It’s perfect for anyone who likes their space stories with a touch of philosophy and a pulse of real emotion. If you’ve read the Milijun trilogy, this feels like coming home; if you haven’t, it stands well enough on its own. It’s a book that makes you think and feel at the same time, and that’s a rare thing these days.
Pages: 347 | ASIN: B0FRG7VK6P
Little Creatures
Twelve-year-old Zowie Saintclair arrives in Greenwood, Arkansas with deep uncertainty. Houston had shaped her world, and this quiet town shares almost nothing with the life she left behind. Her doubts fade quickly, though, when an unexpected mystery draws her in. Strange, miniature beings begin appearing in her backyard. The sightings unsettle her, and she questions her own reason. The oddities escalate when she realizes her bedroom walls may shelter hidden life, creatures that seem impossibly magical. A science-loving girl suddenly stands before a truth she never imagined: not everything fits inside the boundaries of logic.
Little Creatures, written by Shana Congrove, speaks directly to young adult readers. The story carries more depth and length than very young children might prefer, yet older elementary and middle-grade audiences will likely find themselves engrossed. Its spirit recalls Lynne Reid Banks’s beloved classic The Indian in the Cupboard, with a similar sense of wonder and discovery.
The delicate, fairy-like beings Zowie encounters begin as timid observers. Over time, they recognize something familiar in her and gradually step into the light. Their world comes with a mythology of its own, layered, imaginative, and fully realized, yet never so dense that it burdens younger readers. The history behind these creatures gives them warmth and dimension, making them surprisingly relatable despite their magical nature.
From the opening chapters, fantasy and practicality collide. Zowie’s devotion to science shapes her thinking, yet her youth allows her an openness that adults often lose. Congrove suggests that maturity can narrow the imagination, leaving grown-ups tethered to a rigid sense of reality. Zowie lives outside that constraint, and it’s precisely this flexibility that invites the creatures closer.
Her willingness to accept what she sees makes her an appealing guide through the story. Curious, intelligent, and deeply empathetic, she anchors the novel with a strong emotional center. The magical company she keeps adds charm and excitement, but Zowie herself remains the heart of the narrative. Following her journey turns Little Creatures into a rewarding and memorable read.
Pages: 144 | ASIN : B0FTZ9HLNL
The Kingdom Thief
The Kingdom Thief kicks off in a fantasy world. Princess Sitnalta is happy with her adopted parents, King Gerald and Queen Aud. She has a blossoming friendship, maybe more, with Prince Navor. But then a thief named Wilhelm gets his hands on a magical wish-granting coin. He rewrites reality itself. Suddenly, Wilhelm is king, Sitnalta’s parents are traitors in a dungeon, and she’s a fugitive. The catch is, Sitnalta is the only one who remembers the “real” world. She has to figure out how to fix a history that nobody else knows is broken.
I found this central idea really compelling. It’s a fantastic hook. The “gaslighting-by-magic” concept, where the hero’s entire reality is upended, creates immediate, high-stakes tension. I was completely on board. The writing itself gets the job done. It is clear, and it is direct. It moves the plot forward at a really fast clip. Sometimes, I will admit, it moved almost too fast. I felt the story leaped from one major plot point to the next. It was a whirlwind of a ball, a boat trip, and a new reality all in just a few chapters.
When Sitnalta discovers her world is a lie, I was devastated for her. The connection between Navor and Najort (the troll he is a reincarnation of) was a genuine surprise. I thought that was a brilliant twist. It added a new layer of tragedy and sacrifice to the story. I just wish I’d had more time to explore what that felt like for both him and Sitnalta. Their romance, which I was rooting for, was a really bright spot in the story, and it made total sense that their connection would grow so strong given the magical problems they had to solve together.
I really enjoyed the book’s finale. This book is a lot of fun. It is packed with creative ideas, big twists, and a classic good-versus-evil fight. I would absolutely recommend this for a younger YA reader, or really, for anyone looking for a quick, imaginative fantasy adventure. It’s the kind of book you can read in a weekend and just have a good time with.
Pages: 227 | ASIN: B0G1VTB3C3
LITERARY TITAN 