Blog Archives
A Bird Trapped In A Cage
You Are a Bird explores what it is like to be a caged bird longing to be free. I think this original idea is intriguing. How did you come up with this idea and develop it into a story?
I came across the poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar when I was an English teacher several years ago. The poem was about a caged bird who longed to be free. My students and I were deeply touched by the elegant words Dunbar chose to express the agony of a being in captivity. The poet’s parents were born into slavery, so there was a powerful human metaphor inherent within the story of this forlorn bird. This story stayed with me over the years. I have referenced “Sympathy” in one of my other novels, Body, and also in a screenplay I wrote about an artist imprisoned by his addiction and obsessions. A second work I discovered that same year of teaching was Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney. This book was written in present tense, and even more surprisingly, in second person perspective. I had never read such an odd book before and found myself enjoying a unique connection to the story because of this personalized approach. Eventually, these two works came together in the inspiration to write a book that will create in the reader the experience of being a bird trapped in a cage, to share in its thoughts, its dreams, its plots to attain liberty — all as the story unfolds in second person point of view. You Are a Bird turned out to be a great joy to write, in part due to this unusual perspective of the story.
What were some themes that you felt were important to highlight in this story?
There was the surface theme that living beings, especially humans, fail to thrive without freedom, unable to live according to their design. But, below the surface, are themes involving our response to captivity, to frustration, to (paraphrasing Jimi Hendrix) know what we want but not know how to go about getting it, as well as the spiritual essence of true liberation. These themes seemed especially fitting as humanity experiences the aftermath of lockdowns and fear generated during the pandemic.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from You Are a Bird?
I hope readers take away satisfaction from the experience of the book, of relating to a caged bird, as we all experience being trapped in life at one time or another (or maybe we always experience this to some degree). I hope they leave the book continuing to ponder some of the symbolism of the book. It was fun to explore a small portion of the world through the eyes of a bird, because, though symbols abound, the protagonist does not understand them — I hope that the reader enjoys putting the meanings of these symbols together as the story unfolds — and surely, readers will find symbolic connections that I missed, one of the fun things about sharing a story with others. There is a warning implied in the book as well, one that relates again to the pandemic, which is that, though people are mostly free to leave their homes again, and though they may in fact leave their “cages,” many will find that they bring the trauma they experienced in their cage with them moving forward — and they will be wise to find a way to escape, not just from physical limitations but from mental and spiritual limitations as well. I would love if You Are a Bird could help readers in that way along their path.
What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I have two very different books in the works. The first is a non-fiction spiritual exploration of the controversial issues of our day, called, Singularity. The second is a comedy tentatively titled Wolfums. Singularity is written, though it is in need of a deep edit, so I’m hoping that will be released by Shimmer Tree Books within the next six months. Wolfums is in its early stages. My aim is to have it ready for early 2024 at the latest.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, “Sympathy,” Breezy Van Lit composed You Are a Bird as an allegorical exploration of your spirit’s desire to be free. This inspirational novella is written in 2nd person point of view and present tense to pull readers into the peculiar world of the protagonist bird—You.
“Refuse to be caged.” —Breezy Van Lit
Magical Understandings
Dimension Guardian: The Realm of Beasts – The Guardian Tournament follows five guardians from the five realms who are hand-picked to discover who is behind a plot to destroy their world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
There were a lot of inspirations for this series, the main one being that I wanted to explore magic in a more contemporary setting where it was common understanding that magic existed, but there were still modern conveniences like cars, firearms, and cell phones. When I thought about how modern conveniences allow us to explore other countries in our world, I wanted to expand the world of the book to include other realms, which allowed me to create difference creatures, magical understandings, societies, and stereotypes that I could explore. Having one main character from each realm also allowed me to explore how each of those cultures interact with one another on an individual level.
The characters in Dimension Guardian are remarkably complex. What is your process for creating such in-depth characters?
I love exploring character complexity through character interactions. Authentic characters that feel real and dynamic are always a goal in my stories, and I want the interactions of the characters to feel realistic. For these characters, I wanted each of them to fill a certain role within the team, so I built the characters backwards so that their pasts would justify their behaviors (even if they don’t go into depth about their past right away). I didn’t want my characters to be flat, or single layered, so I was sure to figure out their home lives, their upbringing, their relationship with their job, and how they view other people so that every interaction was as realistic as possible.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I think challenging preconceived notions about people and situations was one of the most important themes I wanted to explore. Each of the main characters is from a different realm and there are certain stereotypes and prejudices that I wanted to showcase. I also wanted to explore the themes of strong-silent male characters always being alone and needing to be slowly softened over the course of a story. Most of these characters have loved ones and families that they cherish, and I wanted that to be a dynamic explored in this type of adventure story.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?
The story continues by following the five Guardians through the tournament, but they finally meet their enemy face to face after he makes himself known in a very public way. From that moment on, they learn that there are forces far more powerful than they could have imagined lining up a destined fight that could destroy all five realms. The five Guardians must navigate the tournament, the politics, and the public fear as their mission becomes more complex and leads them into a battle where everything rests on their shoulders.
Books 2, 3, and 4 are currently available for purchase. The audiobook of Book 4 should be available in the next few months. And Books 5 and 6 will be available within the next 2 months.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
In a desperate attempt to investigate the corruption in Council and find the one who fractured the seal, Dalton is forced to participate in the Guardian Tournament, a spectacle that pits the highly-trained Guardians against one another in brutal battle for sport. Using the tournament as a distraction, the Elders of Council group the five strongest and most trust-worthy Guardians into one team to infiltrate and flush out criminals within the Guardian Branch. Working with his teammates Eclipse, Mitoki, Hanyi, and Keito, Dalton is tasked with a mission of unimaginable magnitude—and one that has far-reaching repercussions.
Dalton learns that this is not the first time the Guardian Tournament has been used as a distraction to the public. Forty years previous, a horrific massacre at the Guardian Tournament devastated the Dimension Protection Council. With the tournament in practice once again, there is expectation that the same criminal responsible for the deaths of thousands is behind the unrest threatening the five worlds…and Dalton knows he has become the bait to lure him out of the shadows.
Centuries-old secrets and hidden agendas bring the strongest Guardians to question their orders, their mission, and their own loyalty as they face an enemy more powerful than they could have ever believed.
Superpowers Can Be Fun
Like A Hero follows a masked crime fighter who finds reality isn’t like the comic books and he’s forced to straddle a moral and legal line. What were some sources that informed the development of this novel?
I grew up reading, and still read, comic books, but I’ve also learned the harsh realities of life for so many through my work with incarcerated children and as a public high school teacher, and I decided to incorporate that reality into my book. I do enjoy light-hearted “superhero” books, but I thought it was time for a story that explored the difficulties that being a masked crimefighter might entail since so much crime stems from human degradation and the circumstances of one’s upbringing. I’ve always believed that the spirit of the law is more often than not more important than the letter of the law, hence the moral vs legal dilemma faced by my main character.
What were some things you wanted to do differently from other superhero novels in your book?
I’ve always wondered if a real-life Batman could exist, but not someone who has unlimited wealth; just an average person with certain talents and abilities and the desire to improve his community. For this reason, I shied away from giving my main character any super powers, which makes my story different from all or almost all of the superhero novels out there. Having superpowers can be fun in and of themselves, but what my character gets to take home from his experiences is simply the knowledge that he saved a life or made someone’s life a bit better. But for every one of those successes, there are the times he could not make the difference he hoped. Thus, my novel has darker moments than most superhero books, but ultimately I think it leaves the reader with a sense of hope that we all can make a difference if we choose to.
What were some moral issues you felt were important to address in this book?
Invictus, my hero character, has numerous encounters with homeless people. I don’t believe that homeless people should be left on the street in a dysfunctional state because most of them need residential treatment centers before they need housing and jobs, but the fact that restaurants must throw out left over food (by law) rather than give it to people in need has always bothered me. I believe it’s immoral to waste anything that can be used by others. There’s also a moral component in shelters for runaway or homeless teens that turn someone away because of legal regulations. To me, the needs of the human being are more important than regulations set out by bureaucrats. Invictus also faces moral challenges with two of the kids he meets – Franky, the ten-year-old meth addict (whose mother is responsible for his addiction), and Joe, the African-American teen who had to leave home because his parents would not accept him as gay and was then forced to live on the streets. What’s to be done for these children? Social services might take them, but if the boys don’t want to go, should Invictus force them or trick them into the system? These and other moral gray areas are a large aspect of those people in society who are broken, and the answers are seldom simple. My hope is that readers will consider these and other issues in their own communities and perhaps might even come up with viable solutions of their own.
Do you have future plans to write more books with these characters?
I ended the book, not on a cliffhanger, but with doors wide open for further adventures. I love these characters and all of them changed or grew as a result of the first book, so I definitely want to move forward with these changed characters and their experiences as volunteer crime fighters. As I write this, I’m plotting out the second book, so hopefully, one day soon, readers can enjoy more of my characters and their adventures.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
But reality isn’t a comic book. Vincent finds poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, abuse, and cast-off children. Labeled a vigilante and criminal, the shy grad student with formidable martial arts talent and abysmal people skills soon doubts his ability to make an impact.
Forced to straddle an ambiguous line between moral and legal, he becomes disheartened and secretive, hiding the truth of what he’s doing from Dennis and driving a wedge between them. Feeling neglected, Dennis infiltrates a dangerous drug ring to show Vincent he can be just as heroic, not knowing that the woman in charge is weaving an insidious plot against Invictus as part of her citywide scheme of vengeance. In a race against time, Vincent must regain Dennis’s trust before the brother he loves is lost to him forever.
Life Is A Grand Adventure
The Kitchen and The Studio: Memoirs of Food and Art is a unique blend of memoir, cookbook, and artwork that all combine to tell the story of your marriage and life together. Why was this an important book to create?
John is an artist. I am a writer and an art historian. Our mutual love of good food and wine initially played a role in bringing us together and it has continued to be a mutual passion for more than sixty years! So, our collaboration on “The Kitchen and the Studio” is a true legacy of our life together throughout all the places we’ve been and the people we’ve known. It’s been a constant anchor for us through good times and bad and has sustained our love of life and of each other.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
In the first part of the book, I wrote about one of. our visits to John’s artist friends, Bill brown and Paul Wonner. I had just finished my sophomore year at U.C. and was pondering what direction to go. Should I stay a fine art major or move more toward art history? I had a long conversation with Bill and at the end he told me, “The most important thing is to live the artist’s life.” For a long time I tried to figure out what he meant. What did you have to do to “live the artist’s life?” I finally realized that he was telling me to “open my eyes and see what was there.” And to build my life one stroke at a time, as an artist would create a painting. Our LIFE was meant to be a work of art and we needed to approach it with care and delight and make it as beautiful and as significant as possible. That’s the message imbedded in our book. “Live the artist’s life” and make your LIFE a work of art. And always remember that an artist can take humble materials and transform them into something beautiful and unique. Just as you can with food.
If you had to pick one recipe for your readers to try from your book, what one would it be and why?
I think I’d choose John’s Crab Louie for two reasons. 1. It was the “beginning” of our mutual love affair with food (and with each other) and 2. Even if you’re not a meat-eater, you can enjoy this wonderful mix of fresh vegetables ad seafood. Or even leave the seafood out and enjoy it as a lovely salad. It’s pretty, it’s delicious and it’s healthy. Great combination!
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Life is a grand adventure. Accept. Learn. Experiment. Enjoy. You don’t need lots of money or expensive surroundings to create a beautiful and meaningful life. Find out what/who you love and let that be your guide. By following the path, you will co-create your destiny.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
“The Kitchen and the Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art” is a cookbook, an art book, a memoir, and a love story. Artist John A. O’Connor and Art Historian Mallory M. O’Connor met at the University of California, Davis, in 1962. They were married in January 1963. From the beginning, they shared a passion for good food and wine that has continued for over sixty years.
This book is both a memoir of their life together as artists and teachers and a collection of the special celebrations that they shared with a wide variety of guests over the years. The book includes more than one hundred recipes from their collection, each illustrated with John’s original paintings. Every occasion has a story to tell about a time and a place when friends and family came together to share their lives, their passions, and their daily bread.
In this unique love story of a creative couple who have always “lived the artist’s life,” John and Mallory O’Connor share their favorite special occasions and recipes along with the places and the people who made them memorable.
Socks Go Missing
The Adventures of Lefty and Righty: The Windy City follows a charming pair of socks on a fun adventure where they experience the sights, sounds, and food of Chicago. How did the idea for Lefty and Righty start and how did that develop into this story?
It kills me every time I do laundry and socks go missing. One evening, instead of blaming my kids for losing them, I said sarcastically “It’s their fault. They climbed out the window and went downtown.” Suddenly, the idea was born and the whole family brainstormed all the fun things they could be up to!
The book contains some fantastic comic art. What was the collaboration process like with illustrator Kenn Vidro?
It was a wonderful experience to collaborate with Kenn, who truly has a gift for capturing characters and places with bold color, excitement, and impeccable detail. Kenn is the father of a family friend, and when I saw his artwork all over their house and through social media, I knew he was the one to bring this story to life.
Chicago is a big place. How did you decide which landmarks and experiences to include in the book?
With our family being huge White Sox fans, I knew immediately that the book had to center around the team – and what a fun pun between the socks and Sox. For the other stops, I honed into the places our family loves to visit. There are some nods to our neighborhood in the book as well, with the L stop and the hot dog stand.
Do you have more adventures planned for Lefty and Righty in future books?
Yes! I’d love to see them travel to other cities, and maybe even get lost in the airport! Now that Kenn and I have given personalities to Lefty and Righty, there are so many fun things they could do!
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website
How Amazing Farming Is
The Little Regenerative Farmer and The Dairy Farm follows a little girl and a farmer who, together, share their love of animals, educate one another, and implement a regenerative agricultural practice. What were some sources that informed the development of this book?
We were inspired by Alexandre Family Farm. They are the first certified Regenerative Dairy farm in the US. The dairy industry is a very very hard area and even harder to develop change in. We were so inspired by their journey, we wanted to share just a tiny look into their world.
How can children in an urban environment support regenerative farming?
We hope our story will inspire parents to help connect their kids to whatever their local farm systems are. If that’s community gardens, trips to local farms, whatever is closest to them, we hope they can reach out and experience how amazing farming is. For those who do not have local farms, we are working with others to try to make farm experiences virtual so all children can experience it on some level.
What was a key life skill that was important for you to include in this children’s book?
There’s a few! The first one was to not just accept what others say is bad or good. Most issues in life are somewhere in between and we love showing how Lina showed the other kids at school that dairy wasn’t bad. It could be! but it also could be wonderful.
The second was to look for the good in people. Her unlikely friendship with the older farmer could have been immediately dismissed because of age or because he didnt farm the way she did. Being open to shared experiences with others, even unlikely candidates, we feel is so important.
What can readers expect in the next book in The Little Regenerative Farmer series?
We are very excited to be working with 3 other amazing farms to continue Lina’s stories. Each farm has barriers and challenges and we are excited to tell their stories through Lina. You can expect a garden focused story, goats, and maybe even an underwater adventure in Lina’s future!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
The story of one little girl’s move to the midwest where she meets an old farmer and they connect through their love of animals. This book is a perfect story of working with others and overcoming adversity to do what you love while helping improve the world.
A must have for those who love the planet and support the regenerative agriculture movement!
The Pistons That Crank The Universe
Stilled: The Story of Inklebrawt Winklehank follows four biologically engineered siblings who are tasked with saving humans from a hostile force. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The very ancient ruins of Puma Punku located in Bolivia. The root cause is my interest in history (mostly military), music, and my professional background in the physical and life sciences. The craftmanship of Puma Punku is remarkable and fantastically unique. Nowhere else on the planet can you find similar architecture. A true enigma for humankind’s history. After speaking with several structural engineers, metallurgists, and geologists, the building of Puma Punku would be a real feat to replicate (even in modern times) the precision architecture without machine tools and perhaps robotic template computer software with lasers as a prerequisite for design and building. I blended this location with my knowledge in nano regenerative medicine, biochemistry, computer science and physics and applied these to each of the characters attributes.
Also, I was diagnosed with Cluster Headaches years ago and that is where the idea for the Tsr’ Yyd came from. Anybody who has cluster headaches (acute or chronic) will recognize this immediately. It’s a terrible debilitating condition both physically and emotionally that hardly anyone knows about. So, I incorporated the likes of it within my book to deal with it for my own emotional needs.
Finally, I love a play on words and scattered clues within a story that all add up at the end. If you read Ink’s story closely and study the book cover, a lot will just pop out at you when you least expect it and then think, “How did I miss that!” or “That makes sense!”
Each of the siblings has unique abilities that cause them challenges. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Well, Ink and Maggie are basically a mix of me, so their development was easy to create and write. In fact, some of Ink’s and Maggie’s experiences in the present day happened to me, minus the SCI-FI stuff. Maggie’s garden for example, I built my own garden in my yard a few years before I even thought of writing Stilled and I built it exactly the way Maggie describes it in Stilled.
All the characters in the book have a meaningful role in Stilled. That is, all are needed to make the story work. The characters surprised me sometimes with their actions and intentions. That is the best part of creating your characters – not knowing what exactly they might do the day you write. I go with flow and what feels right and act the characters mannerisms and voices out. It’s not weird, it just needs to be done to really feel the character. The reader may fall in love with a character or just plain dislike them because of their actions or intentions within Stilled. That’s great! I wanted to make the characters and story seem a real possibility for the reader.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The pistons that crank the universe. The ever-influencing vibrational strings of music that touch our hearts and brain matter. Love. Time. Reincarnation. The inevitable mesh of human and machine and its payoffs and drawbacks for human evolution. Or has that already happened thousands of years ago and now only just repeating?
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently writing a book named Sounding Loud. It is set in a world culture of England in the late 1800’s on a planet like Earth. Some of the technology is more advanced yet also commensurate with the industrial revolution cultures that our Earth experienced. It mainly focuses on a man named Elliot who has several physical ailments that affect his five senses. He pals around with a lifelong friend Valentine and a newfound friend named King and is constantly pestered by Ms. Pressing and shadow entities. The story is ongoing, and I really don’t know what will exactly happen, but it is a mix of horror and SCI-FI and is extremely character driven like Stilled. It may or may not tie into Stilled. We will see; the ideas and flow are there to make that happen. It should be completed sometime in late 2024 or 2025 is my guess.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Maggie Henderson is a scientist working at MIT, creating leading-edge bio-nanotechnology while struggling to keep her own powers hidden, unaware of a growing threat close to home.
DavidWessel is an elite sniper stationed in the Afghanistan desert. When his latest target turns out to be far more dangerous than your average enemy, he is forced to choose who to believe to protect those closest to him.
And Nicola Helyn is a runaway mobster who only wants to forget his past, but when he meets a mysterious woman and finds himself hunted by a dangerous man, he is forced to reconcile all he thought he knew with the truth of who he is.
Connected by the threads of fate, the four must learn how to work together despite their differences. Because time is running out. The Shepherds, a group of rogue Huply who believe the Plythi’i should remain separate from humans, are moving. They nearly destroyed the Plythi’i in their first attack centuries ago, leaving the Earth and its civilizations in shambles, with nothing more than rubble to mark the technological advances of the past. This time they are determined not to fail.
And behind the scenes, whispers of the enigmatic Tsr’Yyd are growing. Shrouded in mystery and myth, no one knows who or what they are. But Ink, the Shepherds, and the Plythi’i know one thing: they are to be feared.
Spanning lifetimes and crossing galaxies, Stilled: The Story of Inklebrawt Winklehank is an intricate, fast-paced science fiction novel of a fight across millennia for the future of the evolution of the human race.
Issues That Come With Immortality
Scarlet Whispers follows an immortal young woman who happens to be a vampire and falls in love with a mortal human. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I really wanted to write a vampire romance with a strong female protagonist. Vampire romance novels were what pulled me into the YA genre, and I’ve always wanted to write one. Anne came to me so easily. She was the first part of the book that was immediately clear. I wanted to address the obvious issues that come with immortality. Wanting to start a family is a very natural thing that, in my universe, vampires are unable to do. Anne had always wanted a family, and she struggles with not being able to have children. I think that’s relatable. She’s a vampire, but she also struggles with a lot of the same things human women do. I work to make my characters interesting and unique. With Anne being a vampire rather than a human, it really changes up the genre.
Anne was turned into a vampire at a young age and has spent decades protecting her heart from heartbreak. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
So many women turn away from relationships after heartbreak. I find that after a loss, lots of people reject the idea of love. Anne still believes that other people can find happiness, but not herself. I know so many girls who have felt the way. Anne didn’t want to be hurt again. I know from experience that that’s a very challenging problem. Almost all women have the same issue at least once in their life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Immortality is my number one theme. I continue to be fascinated by it. Cultures around the world have been captured by the idea of creatures that live forever. There’s something desirable about it. Most people fear death, and vampires escape that. I felt it was important to explore the negative aspects of being an immortal, too. Anne being unhappy with her status as a vampire is a bit different from most females in YA Paranormal Romance novels. I wanted to show her side of the issue.
What is the next book in the series you are working on, and when will it be available?
Ruby Tears in the second book in the Trilogy, and is already available. You can purchase it on amazon, or through other online stores like Books-A-Million. It’s available in all formats.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Anne Emerson has spent the last many decades of her immortal life alone. All of that changes the day she meets a green-eyed, teenage boy from Georgia, James Hamilton. Though she realizes just how impractical love between a vampire and a human is, she can’t seem to deny her feelings. Anne begins to fall for James, while repeatedly rejecting a rich, age-old vampire, Albert Jefferson, who’s enchanted with her. She will have to discover the true value of mortality, and weigh its worth against the price of love.
LITERARY TITAN 