Blog Archives
Learning Can Be Fun
Posted by Literary Titan

Alliteration Boosts Communication: The ABCs of Vocabulary teaches children interesting vocabulary words to improve their communication skills while entertaining them. What was the inspiration for writing this story?
My inspiration for writing this book was seeing and knowing that our students lack high level robust vocabulary. Studies show that children living in poverty only hear a total of 13 million words before the age of four. Compared to 45 million words compared to its counterpart. As an Educator this was unacceptable and I wanted to change this!
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Wheeler Lentz?
The collaboration process with Wheeler Lentz was smooth. He was easy to work with. I gave him my vision and he illustrated it. We made changes where we needed them. He also gave suggestions when needed. Wheeler was a constant professional.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The idea that learning can be fun. I wanted dynamic illustrations that went with each word that was shown on the page. I wanted students and educators to be able to create their own stories (Alliterations) with the illustration. This book has language standards, Science standards, and Math standards connected.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
This book is a trilogy. The next one that will be released is Acronyms Bolsters Communities: The ABCs of Communities. The last book is Affirmations Build Characters: The ABCs of Positivity.
I do have a joint venture book entitled Hey, Black Boy! Coming out this Spring!
Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
My goal is to boost our children’s vocabulary to improve their communication through words at an early age. Studies show that the earlier we boost a child’s vocabulary, the better they are with reading and comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge along with background knowledge provides our students with a better chance of understanding the text they read.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: Alliteration Boosts Communication The ABCs of Vocabulary, author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, childrens books, ebook, goodreads, indie author, kids books, kindle, kobo, literature, Mr. Larry Carey, nook, novel, picture books, read, reader, reading, story, writer, writing
Toward Love and Acceptance
Posted by Literary Titan

The Bones of the World shares the stories of three people and their suffering who want nothing more than to be accepted for who they are. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I didn’t begin the novel with the idea of a literary triptych. I began simply wanting to understand suffering. It was in exploring the breadth and depth of suffering, trying to peer into its most hidden corners, that I was taken with the concept of ancestral suffering, particularly in light of my own Jewish heritage, and wondered how it contributes to our experiences of suffering today, and how it contributes to who we are as individuals. Thus were Rachel, Sariah, and Jakob born.
What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
I don’t believe I write with a lesson (or moral) in mind. I write to create a space for possibilities…to enlarge the world in which I, personally, live, and I suppose in doing so I hope I am able to enlarge the world in which you and others live. And by enlarge, I mean to loosen our calcified ideas, to see possibilities where previously we saw only fetters, and to lean in all things toward love and acceptance.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Ah, you have discovered my weakness! I am too often wrapped up in themes (read “in my head”) rather than sinking into my heart, though I’m working on it. LOL! But, because you asked, here’s a list: The relationship between present and past; what we can learn in isolation vs. within community; the role of fear in our creation of otherness; the importance of being true to who we are; suffering–its thorns and its balm; the role of story in the world.
What is the next novel you are working on, and when will that be available?
I am working on two right now, though I know I’ll have to let one go at least for the time being. The “winner,” for the present, is the story of a mother, who invites her grown daughter, in an attempt to heal the frayed fabric of their relationship, to accompany her on a scientific expedition to an island off the coast of Finland, where they join others to unearth the mystery of the presence of polar bears. It would be available sooner if I could find someone to take care of the puppy I just adopted!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
The journey will take her back in history, to Sariah, a young woman whose status during the Inquisition is doubly-marred as a Jew and as a lesbian; and to Jakob, a teenage boy who spends the Holocaust hidden in a farmhouse where he plans his revenge in the only way he can. Back in the present, in the cemetery, the Jewish children murdered by the Righteous wait for their stories to be told.
Written with a trenchant humor, The Bones of the World asks who we become as a result of suffering. Like Jakob, desiring revenge? Like Sariah, seeking the salve of a community that accepts her? Or like Rachel, opening to the ancestral suffering that is her life’s clay, and her role in the swell of its story? A deeply spiritual book, The Bones of the World seeks to locate the place of suffering in a holy world and explores why we must tell these stories that are so often hard to hear.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, author interview, Betsy L. Ross, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, historical fiction, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, The Bones of the World, writer, writing
Created My Dream Family
Posted by Literary Titan

The Mother Gene follows a doctor near retirement who, while trying to secure her legacy for future generations, uncovers a hidden family secret. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
A few particular things come to mind. The first was that I’d developed a fascination with the DNA testing that has become so popular over the past several years. I’d read stories about people who had thought of themselves one way for their entire lives, ordered a DNA test, and suddenly realized they were not who they thought they were, bringing to mind the age-old nature/nurture question. I even ordered my own DNA profile and, unlike my character Miriam’s, it did not hold any surprises—an amalgam of mostly English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish heritage.
Another inspiration was a deep-dive into the culture of the beautiful state of Virginia. I’ve visited Virginia once or twice a year for the past twenty-plus years, since my wife is from there. We moved to Radford, Virginia, in the western part of the state, for a couple of years and I taught nursing at Radford University. I learned so much about the culture of the region when I was assigned as a clinical instructor for the community health course. I met faculty members in other departments who were experts in Appalachian history. I learned about the 1927 Buck versus Bell Supreme Court decision which allowed compulsory sterilization of the “unfit” in Virginia and I began researching the “science” of eugenics that was so popular in the early 20th century. I was also fascinated by the mountain midwives, who rode on horseback into the hollows to provide healthcare for women and children. Then there were the contemporary issues Appalachians still face: poverty, lack of access to healthcare, and the ever-present threat of opioids.
Out of this rich historical context, I was inspired to imagine women of three different generations navigating their own reproductive years. My own questions about motherhood and what it means to be a mother permeated the story of each of the three main characters as I began to imagine the what ifs inspired by Virginia’s complex culture.
Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?
Thank you! Where to start? First of all, the answer is a definite yes. My Mississippi grandmother and the passing of my mother provided inspiration for the strong women I write about. My own experience as a nurse, particularly in public health, has given me the privilege of an intimate understanding of people’s lives in the context of their cultures. Having lived two very different lives myself—one as a heterosexual, Southern Baptist, conservative, married mother and the second as a lesbian, liberal, non-Christian mother by donor insemination—provides a lot of life experience to draw from! I have created chosen family when my biological family was no longer an option. And then there’s the life-long process of struggling with self-doubt about myself and my mothering, making hard decisions to take care of myself and my children, a lot of therapy, and a renewed sense in my 60s of self-assurance, peace, forgiveness, and a desire to manifest love. I sort of created my dream family in The Mother Gene—a queer fairy tale, if you will.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Of course, what it means to be a mother. Mothering—as a verb, not a sanctified place in society. Choices, in particular women’s choices around mothering—including the choice not to have children—was a huge theme for me. Chosen family and the ways people make family are really important themes for me.
What is the next story that you’re writing and when will it be published?
I’m currently considering pulling out an already-written manuscript and re-writing it from a new perspective. It’s historical fiction in its current form, following the lives of 4 very different women and set during the explosion of women’s rights and choices in the very early twentieth century. I’m considering adding a contemporary timeline and pulling through the issues women face across the decades. Seems to be a pattern for me. And then there’s the possibility I’ll start something entirely new. So, I don’t have a date for publication set yet.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website
When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity promises her work legacy will continue, Miriam’s passion is renewed. But her carefully ordered world explodes when the fulfillment of her dream collides with her mother’s long-kept secrets. Secrets that undermine the very foundation of Miriam’s beliefs about who she is, her career, and especially, what it means to mother. Miriam is faced with an impossible choice.
In The Mother Gene, Lynne Bryant casts a contemporary story of mothers and daughters against the backdrop of a not-so-distant dark time in American history, when powerful forces sought to control who should have children. Three generations of women struggle with the intertwined choices of sex, love, pregnancy, and motherhood.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, lgbt, lgbtq, literature, Lynne Bryant, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, The Mother Gene, womens fiction, writer, writing
To Discover Myself
Posted by Literary Titan

Jayne and the Average North Dakotan follows a 32-year-old gay accountant who moves to Washington, DC, to come out and discover who he really is. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Randy’s story has some parallels to my own life. I was born in Bryan, Ohio, a very small town near the borders of Michigan and Indiana. In my later 20s, I moved to Washington, DC, ostensibly to discover myself. Randy did much the same thing, only with his mother’s encouragement. While there are many parallels between my life and the story’s premise, only one event happened to me, as described in the book.
The original short story was written just as the country experienced lockdowns due to COVID-19. I have some notable health conditions, so that period was particularly stressful. I decided to write positive stories, including likable characters, to keep me in a good frame of mind. It was important that every character had some positive attribute, even those who didn’t serve an outwardly affirming role in the story.
When I finished the short story, I couldn’t get the Jayne and Randy characters out of my head. I kept thinking of their lives before the High Heel Race. I also wondered what would happen if Jayne stayed with Randy as a mentor in his coming-out process. So, as my mind continued to explore these situations, I began to think I needed to write a book.
Most of the characters are amalgamations of people I’ve known. The longer I worked on the book, the more the characters became real to me. I quite often felt I was sitting in the room taking dictation from their conversations rather than writing them. It was an amazing experience.
The one scene that is based on my real life is Randy getting hit on by an older man at the bar. I was 27 or 28 when I went to JR’s (a Washington gay bar) for the first time. I was alone and hadn’t been there long when a man in his 50s or 60s became very friendly. I tried to leave, but he followed me to the bar down the street, and I went home early to get away. Randy handled it much better than I did!
Randy spent his life hiding who he was and now has entered a new world of acceptance. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Randy’s journey is familiar to nearly all gay men “of a certain age.” We spent our developing years with longings and attractions we heard were wrong, and we had no role models. So, we built various walls around ourselves, including religion, female friends, and studiousness, and tried to get by with as little conflict as possible. Many of us also moved to large cities to find our kind. The experience can be jarring, as it was for Randy. I thought it would be interesting to explore what would happen if a pushy drag queen fairy godmother came along to help through this difficult transition.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
This single biggest theme is self-discovery. Everyone can relate to learning about themselves regardless of the parallels to sexual orientation. The story of a man-child coming into his own in his early 30s felt like a little-explored area. Yes, it mirrored some of my own experiences, but I think it’s more common than is represented in film and literature.
I also believe very few things in life are black or white, mostly an infinite rainbow of gray shades. My desire to focus on the positive is meant to help people see the good in others. Our current society too often condemns people for a single trait or act when we should see them through a more holistic lens.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is based on the real estate agent Sarah Horowitz from Jayne. She’s renamed and moved to New York, but many attributes remain the same. It’s the story of two widowed best friends who are unexpectedly ensnarled in an international crime syndicate as they near their 70th birthdays. The working title is Who Disturbs My Peace This Lovely Evening. It should be finished later this year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Website
When Randy Larson, a 32-year-old gay accountant who’s never been outside North Dakota, moves to Washington, DC, he struggles to find his way. A six-foot, nine-inch, sensational Jayne Mansfield drag queen takes him under her colorful wing for lessons in shopping, first dates, hosting brunch, furnishing an apartment, and living in the gay community. Is Randy ready for life and love in the Nation’s Capital?
Chandler Myer’s debut novel, Jayne and the Average North Dakotan, is an unconventional coming-of-age and coming-out story filled with humor and humanity. Randy and Jayne, an odd couple with a unique relationship, will have you cheering the underdog and wishing for your own drag fairy godmother.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Chandler Myer, ebook, fiction, gay fiction, goodreads, humor, indie author, kindle, kobo, lgbt, lgbtq, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, writer, writing
How My Imagination Works
Posted by Literary Titan

In Once To Die, a homeless man, a burned-out priest, and a young wanderer must navigate a mind-bending supernatural world to find salvation and forgiveness. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I never quite know where the inspiration for a story comes from. I am the type of writer people refer to as a “gardener.” In other words, I don’t rely heavily on outlines or predetermined structure. I start with an idea for a story, but it grows organically and rarely ends up being what I envisioned. In this case, I set out to write a story about time travel. My vision was of a simple plot, a straightforward sci-fi story, with no spiritual overtones or themes. Once I got into the writing, the characters took over, and I ended up with a story that is completely void of time travel and is engorged with spiritual questions and conundrums woven and tangled through a plot that is quite complex. It is strange, how that happens.
There are several characters in the book who struggle with issues of faith and spirituality. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I don’t define or create my characters; I discover them. That is how my imagination works. The characters reveal themselves to me gradually as the story unfolds, and life experience feeds imagination. I once saw a young homeless man pushing a cart, heavily laden, but he had a cool air about him. He wore dark shades, and carried himself with a lot of respect and dignity, in spite of his obvious struggles. He would sometimes park his cart and sit beside a busy street in a lawn chair to eat lunch out of a bag. I found myself wondering who he was, what was his life like, and what was his back story. Over a period of six years, in my imagination, Perry introduced himself to me, told me his story, and I wrote it down.
As for the spiritual themes, someone once told me that after the age of twenty-five, all big questions are spiritual questions. I believe that is true. I think we all wonder about and search for the deeper meanings of life, and ask questions about why we are here, what is our purpose, and how do we fit into the vast context of the universe. Those questions to me, are the most interesting questions there are, so I spend a lot of time pondering them. I suppose that is how the spiritual themes find their way into my stories. Those are the questions I grapple with in my own life.
The book deals with some heavy topics, such as homelessness, drug addiction, and gang violence. What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
If a writer is honest at all, his or her own life struggles will show up in the stories. My mom is very religious, and my dad was more worldly. My mom took us to daily Mass, and my Dad arranged for us to play music in the local bars for his friends. I became an altar boy at age seven, and a bar band musician at age eight.
As a young child, I learned about the gritty, sometimes ugly truth of adult behavior, including substance abuse, domestic abuse, bare knuckle violence, adultery, and white-collar crime. I also learned there exists a very high and mysterious spirituality that transcends all of that. As early as I can remember, I experienced the world as a complex weave of darkness and light, ugliness, and beauty.
My teens were a mess, and I was lost for about a decade. I had more than one close brush with death myself, and seven of my friends did not survive their twenties. I lost friends to car crashes, suicides, and gun violence. Crimes like rape and murder touched people close to me, and substance abuse was all around me. I was a music major in college and a road musician for about two years after college. The combination of those experiences created in me a lot of internal tension and raised a lot of questions about the beauty and horror of life and death.
After much exploration and searching, I ended up back in the church of my youth at the age of twenty-two. Yet, because of my background, I continued to perform music for money throughout my thirties. After that, I worked on staff at my local parish for twelve years, and in that role, had a lot of experiences trying to help homeless people. I acquired a strong empathy for how difficult their lives can be.
When you read this series, you can recognize those real-life influences. As a child I recognized in life a complex struggle between darkness and light, and I suppose I still see life that way today. I find it fascinating to explore deep questions, and that always leads to an encounter with supernatural realities. The story I’m telling with this series is fictional, but the evil and holiness I am writing about are very much real.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Once To Die is the first book in a series titled The Other Side Of Dead. Books one, two, and three are set to roll out at one-month intervals beginning in March of 2023. Books four, five and six are at various stages of evolution. Currently book four is in that fascinating place where the story has taken on a life of its own, and I’m having a lot of fun with it. I think it may be the strongest of the books so far, and it is due to publish in June of 2023.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Perry is homeless, and desperate to get off the streets, after losing his best friend Bobby to gang violence. When Perry witnesses a drug deal, he finds his own life in peril.
Father John is exhausted. Burned out after fifteen years of ministry, he seeks a sign that he is on the right path. At the driest point of his spiritual life, a beautiful woman is tempting him. He knows he is a soul in danger. When a murder victim shows up begging for help, he fears all hell is breaking loose.
A young man wanders an existential maze between heaven and hell, good and evil. He darts between worlds involuntarily, terrifying a Catholic priest, a college professor, and a world-famous musician. Evil wants him, and time is running out.
Mind-bending events erupt to threaten the spiritual foundations of both the living and the dead. Life, sanity, and salvation hang in the balance. With the veil between here and there in tatters, the very fabric of the universe seems to be unraveling.
Buy Once To Die for a thrilling adventure of faith and supernatural forgiveness.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, christian fiction, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, Once to Die, read, reader, reading, story, suspense, T.S. Epperson, thriller, writer, writing
The Hero’s World Falls Apart
Posted by Literary Titan

Four Minutes to Zero follows a former SAS Sergeant whose wife is kidnapped by terrorists that want to create a New World Order, and he has to stop them. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I used a template for writing the story which was described by author Kurt Vonnegut as ‘Man in Hole.’ This means that the story begins with the protagonist on top of the world. Life could not be better, Then , in a matter of moments, his whole world falls apart. Things could not be worse. Everything he does to try and put things right makes his situation even worse. Then, when things are as bad as they could possibly be, he pulls a rabbit out the hat and manages to come out on top. One example of this type of plot structure is the Hitchcock film ‘North by North West’ in which the hero’s world falls apart in minutes and he is chased across the USA and wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit.
I felt that the action scenes were expertly crafted. I find that this is an area that can be overdone in novels. How did you approach this subject to make sure it flowed evenly?
I just wrote from the heart and imagined a movie in my head and then described what I saw, using all my senses. I also ensured that there were quieter, more reflective scenes in between the action as constant action can become tiring.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the technical and military details you included? Did anything in your research surprise you?
I used the method advocated by the late film and TV scriptwriter Brian Clemens (who wrote The Avengers, The New Avengers and The Professionals TV series). He always wrote an initial draft of his scripts using just the information that was in his head. Then when he had finished that he went through the script again ,checking certain points against reference books. Nowadays you can find almost every piece of information you want on the internet. However, some pieces of information were classified, such as the exact appearance of the operations room and radar screens etc in a Royal Navy Type 31 frigate. So I had to use my imagination. I was once shown round the operations room of a Royal Navy Type 42 Destroyer in 1983 so was able to extrapolate from this ,making the technology newer. One thing that did surprise me was how technologically advanced Iran is. They were supplied with American F-14 fighters in the 1970s and have managed to keep them airworthy by manufacturing their own spare parts, something which US Intelligence thought would be impossible. Iran also makes very effective drones and have supplied thousands of them to Russia for use in the current conflict in Ukraine.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
I am sure that Rick Fernscale will return because he seems to have a habit of attracting trouble. As to what he will be up to in his next adventure I cannot say but I am sure it will be entertaining.
Author Links: Amazon | Website
From the writer of the award-winning ‘24 Hours to Doomsday’ comes another action-packed thriller full of cliff-hangers, twists and turns and heart-in-the-mouth moments which puts the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. ‘Four Minutes to Zero’ is a book which you will be unable to put down until you reach the last page.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: action, adventure, author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Colin M Barron, ebook, fiction, FOUR MINUTES TO ZERO, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, suspense, thriller, writer, writing
More Than He Bargains For
Posted by Literary Titan

Route 666: Highway to Hell follows an aspiring author as his research takes him into battle with supernatural forces and an age-old war of good vs evil. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The initial inspiration for the book was the existence of a real Route 666 which is on the outskirts of Culpeper, Virginia. For the nearly 30 years I have lived in Northern Virginia, I have passed by this road several times, wondering why state authorities would ever have a Route 666 given the evil connotations of this number. Coming back from a weekend getaway with my wife, I passed by the road again and the idea of a man wanting to write a book and getting more than he bargains for was born.
Is there anything about Jack that came from yourself or your life experiences?
One of the writing rules I developed for myself when I started was “write about what you know.” Honestly, much of what has happened to Jack and his family is true and based on my own experiences. Writing this book was very much my way of wrestling with my owner “personal demons” and hopefully brings an authenticity to the story. Finally, there also was a real Jack Aitken. My Grandfather passed away when I was far too young to get to know him well. Naming the main character for him is my way of honoring his memory.
How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?
Writing the book from the beginning to the day it was first published took about eighteen months. The historical research in particular, helped to fulfill another of my writing rules which is to “blur the lines between fact and fiction.” I have had a number of readers who have commented that one of the things that made the story enjoyable for them was the realization that many of the historical references and places are true.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Sins of the Fathers is the next installment in the Highway to Hell series and was self-published last fall. It picks up where Route 666 ended and leads Jack and his family deeper into the dystopian nightmare that was set in motion in the first novel. I am currently working on the third installment in the series which is tentatively titled The Gathering Storm.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
It is human nature to dream and plan for an idyllic future. But random twists of fate have caused Jack Aitken’s dreams to be altered, postponed, or abandoned. He’s played by the rules all his life, but living years on the knife’s edge has drained him mentally and spiritually. Now, he has a plan to change the trajectory of his life.
Chasing his dream of becoming an author, Jack completely throws himself into researching Route 666, a road closed by the government due to an unusual number of deadly accidents. Ignoring the warning signs and the pleas of his wife, Amanda, Jack uses an ancient map provided by a suspicious museum curator to search for a previously unknown Native American burial mound.
Instead, he interrupts a satanic ritual and ignites a chain reaction of events that leave him in a life and death struggle with a malevolent being whose power rivals the devil himself.
Route 666 is a wild ride that will leave you breathless as Jack Aitken fights to save his family, his soul, and humanity itself from the essence of pure evil.
About the novel’s thrilling conclusion, editor Emily Marquart stated, “I loved the twists and turns, and I honestly had no idea how it would pan out!”
Get ready to travel Route 666, the Highway to Hell!
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, horror, indie author, J.D. Toepfer, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, occult, paranormal, read, reader, reading, Route 666: Highway to Hell Series - Book One, story, supernatural, writer, writing
One Of My Insomniac Moments
Posted by Literary Titan
Maestro Orpheus and the World Clock follows a young boy visiting his grandfather who ends up on an adventure with a mysterious man to fix time. What was the inspiration for the original and fascinating idea at the center of the book?
I owned and operated a small independent classical record shop in Guelph, Ontario, Canada for 17 years, and, for most of that time, Robert worked for (and with me) as my ‘right-hand’ man. We were constantly being asked for recordings that would introduce classical music to children. And, after Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, the cupboard is pretty bare. One night, while trying to fall asleep and in one of my insomniac moments, Haydn’s Clock Symphony was playing on my bedside radio. The idea of a little boy listening to the ticking of a clock – visiting his grandfather – and not happy about it, came to me. The next morning, in wild discussions with Robert that day and many more over the next year, the gem of that idea eventually became the story of Maestro Orpheus and Fred.
What was the collaboration process like to turn this fascinating story into an amazing audiobook version with all the musical accompaniments?
It was a 3 to 4-year process (at least), if memory serves me right. We wanted to produce a music recording on CD or cassette tape. This was in the late 1990’s – before iPhones and the computer technology of today. When we mapped out the entire process, we first had to write the script – although we collaborated on all of the ideas in the story, and which musical selections should go where, Robert, who is exceptionally talented, was the actual writer of the story. I took the lead as producer. That meant hiring an orchestra to record the 15 selections (all thematically linked to the storyline of dreams, night, and clocks). We had connections to a music producer who had connections to the English Chamber Orchestra and he also introduced the project to the narrator, R.H. Thomson, a well-known Canadian actor. The other actors were friends who were then Professors in the English and Drama Department of the local university. We hired a child actor to play Fred and then used the services of a sound recording company – for many, many hours and days to put it all together with sound effects – so, the actual production from start to finish was months, if not years, of work.
And, more importantly, we needed the funds to make all of this happen. This was the time before the age of ‘Go Fund Me’, so, we appealed to friends and family, formed a company and sold shares to our ‘investors’. And, unbelievably, as I look back on it now, it somehow all came together. The recording was well received and we sold several thousand copies of it when it first came out in 1997 (though never enough to be financially sustainable). It was also nominated for a prestigious Juno Award in the Children’s Music category (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy). Unfortunately, although marketing the recording locally was quite successful, marketing to a broader audience was challenging and too expensive for our already over-extended budget. This was before the time of social media and, before the world changed somewhat. Once the recording industry was disrupted by technology and the consumer was able to download music for free from the internet, the record business changed drastically. That, and other things in our lives that took precedence, Orpheus was put on the back burner for 20 years or so.
More recently, I have developed a personal love of audiobooks (my family calls it an addiction) and it occurred to me that the story with music of Maestro Orpheus (already broken into 15 chapters) was the perfect fit for the audiobook format. Last winter I connected with an audio production company that easily formatted the CD into an audiobook and it is now distributed to over 40 audiobook platforms around the world. There is an adapted e-book available on Amazon Kindle.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
As a former elementary school teacher, I easily saw the educational opportunities that the story afforded. We did 2 things: we created a live orchestra version (for Children’s Orchestra Concerts – another labour of love for which we developed a live version of the story (with 2 actors) and live orchestra. We were told that Symphony Orchestras were dying for this kind of children’s programming – actually, they were just dying, though we did manage to have it performed twice!
I also created a Classroom Teacher’s Guide (in collaboration with a highly qualified Music Resource Teacher at the local school board) – although it is a bit dated, it is now available as a free PDF download from our website (www.maestroorpheusproductions.com).
But, our main motivation has always been to just tell a good story. And, in that, we feel we succeeded quite well.
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?
We did start thinking and talking about a second story – of a little girl and her grandmother, but, that is still tbd. However, Robert has published a second children’s e-book (In Place of Wishes) available on Amazon Kindle. Unfortunately, there is not an audio version of that enchanting story.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Drawing on a broad range of classical music, by composers from Bach and Haydn to Chopin and Strauss, Maestro Orpheus and The World Clock explores the intimate relationship between time, memory and music, in a way that is intended to delight and fill with wonder.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Posted in Interviews
Tags: adventure, author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie author, Joanne Grodzinski, kindle, kobo, literature, Maestro Orpheus and The World Clock, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, writer, writing



