Blog Archives
Saved My Life More Than Once
The Witch’s Family follows a compassionate Witch who takes in problematic animals that in turn help her when she needs it. What was the inspiration for your story?
My own pets definitely inspired the characters. The problems the pets have in the book are real life problems that I’ve dealt with rescuing animals of all species. Most people wouldn’t believe the problems I’ve seen rescued animals have. On occasion I’ve taken on too many or too much, so I wanted to write that into a relatable character.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Penny Nicoles?
The collaboration process was actually so much easier than I was expecting – probably because I didn’t have a specific idea about how my illustrations should look. I went into the project with a pretty open mind. I was looking at sourcing art from artists in other countries, when my grandmother brought me a book an acquaintance had published. Penny was the illustrator. I checked out her art, and I was instantly hooked. She took a ton of creative license, but I loved all of it. She is a wonderful human and a fabulous artist, so I highly recommend that everyone checks out her work. I really lucked out in finding her.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The first important aspect of the story is that these animals have problems, but are full of love. The big Black Dog in the book is based off my dog in real life, who recently passed away. She was a loud neurotic creature, but more dedicated to my family than anything. She quite literally saved my life more than once. Rescued pets may not be perfect, but they are all deserving of a caring home.
The second important aspect is that families come in more than one configuration. It doesn’t have to be the standard nuclear family with a white picket fence. Families don’t have to be blood related. The witch obviously has relatives, but the animals are the family she’s chosen, as well as her friends.
The third and most important aspect is the topic of mental health. I wanted to portray burnout and depression as a child would see it. It’s not a red-eyed monster in the closet; sometimes it’s working yourself too hard in order to avoid the icky feelings, and sometimes it’s staying in bed. I wanted to portray it as serious, but in a gentle way. In the story, the Witch’s family rallies around to support her through her illness, which is what we need to do in real life.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I actually have five more stories ready to go to an editor, so I’m hoping to be in production on the next one by the end of 2023. It would be ideal if I could publish a book every year, but we’ll see what the future holds. The next book will definitely continue with the character of the Witch, but will have a different message. I like to think my stories have lessons that will impact readers, even in the tiniest way. I’m undecided which story will be next, but I think it will be even better!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | FriesenPress | Chapters Indigo | Barnes & Noble
ragged. She takes care of everyone but herself, until she gets completely burnt out and falls into a depression. Now it’s the pets’ turn to take care of her.
A gentle and accessible
introduction to mental health, this story illustrates the importance of returning care to those that have cared for us.
The Witch’s Family is a children’s picture book that will delight children aged eight and under. It may be of particular interest to pagan parents looking for positive witch role models for their
children.
Journey Through Grief
A Hamburger Christmas follows two charismatic detectives who are investigating a series of burglaries happening around Christmas time. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This novella is a prequel to my detective series. Since it’s a Christmas story, I wanted it to have a heart-warming and touching message behind it. I thought it would be perfect to tell the story of one of the detective’s journey through grief. As he experiences his first Christmas without a loved one, his friendship with his partner will help him through it. They have a close relationship and this story allowed me to reveal more about their tight bond.
While Christmas is a special time for most it’s also a hard time for others, and this novella shows how the people you love can be your lifeline.
Some of the characters experience a change of heart during the story. What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
Two other characters in the story are struggling teenage brothers who are being manipulated by an unscrupulous gangster who is using them for his own gain. The brothers’ relationship closely mirrors the relationship between the detectives because the teenagers are also struggling with grief. I wanted to explore the bonds between them from both sides of the law.
When the detectives come to terms with their situation with the teenage burglars, they have to decide how far they’re willing to go to capture the boys and at what point does compassion affect their decision when there’s a chance to help them?
When someone breaks the law and threatens your life, do they deserve a second chance?
How did you decide on the title of this novella?
There’s a story from one of the detectives about a lousy Christmas from his past. His father lets him down, and trying to cheer her son up, his mom makes hamburgers, and they call it their Hamburger Christmas. What happens during that Christmas and the gifts they exchange play a role in the unfolding of the novella and it makes for a perfect title.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in the next book and when the novel will be available?
This prequal novella leads into the Detectives Daniels and Remalla series. This is a six-book series that starts with Haunted River. I like throwing a little supernatural into my books, so they are all mystery-thrillers with a dash of the unexpected. The detectives face a ghost or two and a murderer in Haunted River and will confront an evil, charismatic cult leader whose fascination with living forever and the paranormal will kick off a five-book storyline that will threaten Daniels’ and Remalla’s friendship and lives.
There is also a four-book series called The Family or Foe Saga with Detectives Daniels and Remalla. This precedes the detective series and can also be read after A Hamburger Christmas. It focuses on three unique siblings with strange backgrounds whose connections lead them to work with Daniels and Remalla. They’ll discover the truth about a revenge-seeking killer with dangerous abilities who plans to destroy them all.
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Coping with the loss of a loved one, Detective Aaron Remalla faces a difficult Christmas. Despite his partner Detective Gordon Daniels’ attempts to cajole him into spending Christmas together, Remalla makes other plans. But when the holiday turns deadly and Remalla finds himself at the mercy of thieves, he and his adversaries will learn that sometimes the magic of Christmas means relying on those you love, whether they’re alive…or not.
Sometimes, no matter how hard life may seem, the greatest losses can offer the greatest blessings.
If you enjoy an engaging mystery thriller, a close partnership between two bantering detectives, a sprinkle of supernatural suspense and a heartwarming story that might prompt a tear or two, then discover Detectives Daniels and Remalla in this prequel novella and enjoy their Hamburger Christmas.
Other Books in the Detectives Daniels and Remalla Series
Haunted River
Of Breath and Blood
Of Body and Bone
Of Mind and Madness
Of Power and Pain
Of Love and Loss
The Family or Foe Saga with Detectives Daniels and Remalla
First Cut
Second Slice
Third Blow
Fourth Strike
The Family or Foe Saga Boxed Set
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This Book Was Born Of A Promise
When Mommy is in Heaven follows a little boy who prays to God each night that his mom in Heaven can visit and attend his Monther’s Day Tea Party. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for “When Mommy is in Heaven” was my dear friend, Lisa, who passed away after giving birth to her son. When she passed, I was also pregnant and I was devastated by the sudden loss of my friend. I made a posthumous promise to her that I would write a book for her son. This book was born of a promise.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Dan Drewes?
The collaboration with Dan was amazing! He was very patient with me, knowing that this was a very personal story, and I wanted everything to be perfect. More importantly his illustrations were a perfect depiction of my vision for this book and that was important to him!
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
It was important for me to share that Micah’s life was a blessing from God. It was also important for me to address the issues of loss, grief and faith in a manner that a child could understand.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on the second book in Micah’s story ” When Micah Goes to First Grade”. In addition, I am working on another children’s book, “The Colors of Me” for my Grandson. Both are in the process of publication and I hope to have them both available by this summer.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
For The Readers To Decide
In The Phantom a rebellion is revealed and the destinies of individuals will intersect when dreams and desperation collide. What was the one thing that motivated you the most to write this book?
That is a great question. For me, the driving force behind the book was the notion of empire and the cost it brings. As an avid history reader, I found myself drawn to battles and political inquisitions from both the recent and distant past. Moreover, I wanted to focus on a different type of war. The Harmonious Union, technically speaking, is not your traditional behemoth of an empire like say Rome, Britain, or Spain. It functions more like the United Nations with the Nameless Continent serving as a foundation for a brotherhood between the nations. In turn, the Expeditionary League functions as a multinational peace-keeping force. I drew inspiration from the modern day status of NATO which serves as a tight coalition between what many would see as the western powers. NATO originally served as a deterrent against the Soviet Union, a rival superpower during the Cold War. Even with its main adversary gone, however, NATO has not been dissolved. To the contrary, NATO has carried out offensive operations in the former Yugoslavia, several nations of the Middle East, and even took a crack at Africa during the Libya campaign. Many would argue these bombing campaigns were the only alternative to deal with tyrants and tottering nations, but there’s no doubt that the price of such campaigns has been extensive for stability and civilian life.
That was the duality I wanted to show with the Expeditionary League and their foes. Pantheon:The Phantom‘s central theme is that no adversarial nation appears in a vacuum. All actions have a historical precedent and an origin point, even if one doesn’t agree with the policies and aftermath of a rogue state, a band of terrorists, or the now lesser used term radicals. The Pact of Ram can be seen as any number of these historical groups. That to me would be for the readers to decide. Are they freedom fighters, or dangerous insurrectionists and anarchists?
There is a lot of fantastic action in this book. Was that intentional or incidental to the story you wanted to tell?
It actually developed naturally for me. I sat down and first decided the geographic layout of each theater of combat. A promontory over a foggy ocean, a ship out at sea, a forest not far from a beach, all of these things took time for me to visualize. Then I wondered how the characters would use that environment. Unlike my previous science fiction works, magic was a factor so I also decided to make full use of that. I wanted to give each nation a unique use of their mages’ abilities, and for me it was a whole lot of fun that way. The Daijo bend water, ice, and fog to their will while Yunians rely more on alchemy and even music itself. The lone Ilean soldier portrayed uses a much more aggressive style than all the rest and walks a fine line between black magic and what’s legally sanctioned. I hope to explore more of these characters in the future.
Do you define your character’s motivations before writing or are they revealed to you as you write?
As a writer, I am admittedly slower because I like to build thorough skeletons of my chapters and characters. Thanks to the power of Google Docs, I can line up my chapters from start to finish and examine if the order is logical or substance is needed. Even so, I also discover much about the characters as I write. This process of “putting meat on the bones” leads to development of character personality quirks, underlying motivations, and sometimes even backstory reveals. A soldier is never just a soldier any more than a king is just a king. I try to keep that in mind when I write.
What can readers expect in book three in the Pantheon – Genesis Arc?
Oh boy! This is a book I can wait for readers to experience! I actually wanted to release it in 2022, but a slew of ideas and expanded storylines led to me pushing it back. The next book will be released in August of 2023 and will be called Pantheon: The Contact. As I’ve spent more and more time in the world of the Pantheon series, I’ve found myself developing the history of the world, its culture, and of course its dark secrets. Many of these dark secrets will come to light in the third book.In a similar vein to the Malazan Book of the Fallen Series, each book will now focus on a different set of characters though many characters will crossover between stories of course. Pantheon volume 1 introduced primarily Atty Sowell and Yaphet Orinse while the Phantom focused on Atty, her father Palkan Sowell, and the Pact of Ram warriors. Pantheon: The Contact will follow Yaphet as he discovers a massive conspiracy that has rotted the integrity of the Sebelian south. Hot on the trail of these dark secrets is the huntress Dahan who will discover her own sordid history. All the while, Palkan Sowell continues his hunt for the Pact of Ram. What he discovers, however, is no less than a monstrosity that threatens to consume the entire world of Avah. An ancient terror will emerge from the shadows and drag the nations into chaos. An ancient terror for centuries known only as The Wanderer. This is a character who has briefly appeared in the first two books but also in the Law of Might trilogy. The Wanderer’s backstory will be explored in the Law of Sacrilege books.
There’s much more to come in the Pantheon Universe!
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In the eastern sea, a bounty hunter prepares for another job. The pay is good and the gig seems easy enough. Yubira hails from the desert continent in the west and has seen much of the world. Wars and the grueling trials of the underworld are what she’s used to. With her partner by her side, nothing seems impossible. That is until the day she runs into an old acquaintance from her past. Their encounter will change her life forever.
The destinies of these individuals will soon intersect. Dreams and desperation will collide. Fans of adventure, fantasy, and horror will rejoice with the Pantheon series. The epic saga continues with Pantheon: The Phantom.
Enthusiasm To Imagine Stories
The Red Eyes & The Curse is a fascinating collection of supernatural stories for middle-grade readers. What was the inspiration for the setup of your stories?
I got the inspiration from having the enthusiasm to imagine stories which belong to the supernatural genre. I have always wanted to write stories which can intrigue middle-grade readers by letting them feel immersed in the fiction of supernatural world where things are mystical. I like to keep young readers continuously enthralled by the things that cannot be explained by natural causes or the sciences, and also by the suspense at the very end of each chapters that hook them to go on to the next chapter.
The characters in both stories were interesting. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The characters in the stories are both very young, and yet, they possess the boldness of soaring eagles and the determination of charging bulls. In these stories, the characters start off by being pure and innocent, and it is not until the strange things have happened as the stories flow that the characters begin to challenge their limits. I intend to let the readers savour the radical transition of the development of such characters as the stories unfold, and to let middle-grade readers feel inspired by the courage of such characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in these stories?
The plot twists and the captivating ending of every chapters in the stories are the uniqueness of the book. The stories are laid upon the foundation that there are myriads of suspense and mysteries that make the readers want to explore more as the stories unfold. The themes of the story revolve around the supernatural happenings that transpire in every chapter, and they let the readers continuously wonder what is going to happen next. Other things that revolve around the themes are freshness, creativity, and dynamism.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Currently, I am not yet working on the next book, but I have already published 7 books. All these books can be found in my social media such as Facebook, Website, Instagram, and Amazon Author Central Page.
Author Links: Facebook | Website | Instagram | Amazon
Something Typically Cheeky
The Visitors follows two time-traveling aliens who go back in time to save Earth from destruction with the help of some misfit friends. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I was fiddling with some basic digital art. I created a Pteranodon aimed at kids. My cat Dax, one of the main characters, did something typically cheeky and I was inspired to create the story round Dax and Ptoni.
With so many entertaining characters in this story, who was your favourite character to write for and why?
My favourite is Dax because he is based on a real cat. The scene on the ship in orbit over NASA, where Dax flicks his collar off, is based on an actual event. I do have to say that family feedback is that Florence the Jersey Cow is the favourite among readers hands down.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Inclusion
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am currently on working on a follow up to The Visitors, and I am turning an original screenplay into novel form. A very adult story of street kids, I will release it under a new pen name. Both should be around 6 months away.
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The laid back Ptoni the Pteranodon, the ladylike Florence the Jersey Cow, the excitable Penelope the Adelie Penguin, and the Chicken Nugget obsessed Dax the Maine Coon Cat, set off on an adventure that will see them cross the galaxy and back again.
Their adventure is filled with drama, fun and chaos. The local drive-thru will never be the same again, and neither will Florence’s derriere. Alien abduction can be fun!
Searching For Their True Place
Inspiration From a Masterpiece inspires and motivates readers to take the steps needed to draw close to God in order to become his masterpiece. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As Christians, the line between what we decide our future will be and what actually is our true destiny can be intertwined. In more ways than we know and see. Beginning to untangle all the possibilities begins with knowing our creator on a deeper level. Authenticity and transparency are the keys. For myself, frustration was the real enemy. Gnawing at me for long seasons. I wanted to know who my unique person really is. During my research, I discovered many people just like me, searching for their true place, destiny and person.
What research did you undertake to write this book?
First off, I just finished a 2-year course in biblical theology. This helped me tremendously. I also have an extensive library with books from my favorite Christian theologians which I have read over and over many times. I also have numerous study Bibles and concordances. Lastly, I interviewed former pastors from my church and many other churches. Lost of computer searches and knowledge I’ve gained from my experience in church leadership and teaching over the years.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
First, never lose the desire to want a closer relationship with your God. Second, always have a willing Heart to except the person you may not be presently. Third, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t let you do what you want, don’t be surprised if he does permit you to do what you want. Lastly, don’t be afraid to discover the real you, and don’t be angry if you turn out to be someone you didn’t want to be. Most of all, find that person God designed you to be and embrace it.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
When people read my book the one thing that I hope they get from it is this; that they discover just one new thing about themselves which will motivate them to begin the process of searching. This wanting or yearning I believe is exactly part of God’s plan for each one, to discover this process that can bring them closer to God and enable them to find his plan and look for it as they move through life.
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In this book, I hope to open the door that has been closed for many years. Our education system in this nation is deeply secular and humanistic. We are encouraged from the day we enter grade school to find what we love and have an interest in, and then pursue those dreams and we will find happiness and fulfillment. Sadly, this has turned out to be bad advice for many students upon reaching adulthood. Disillusioned and following their dreams, they work many years in occupations, soon realizing again and again and job after job, they have lost the passion they once knew. Now determined more than ever to locate a new career these people move on to their next dream.
In these pages, I hope to bring some clarity to this dilemma in which a majority of us encounter at some point in our life walk. I will also feature real-life stories of people who shared moments in my life, some with significant and positive outcomes and some unfortunately with tragic endings, not easy to understand or for some folks to accept. I hope this book will encourage and inspire everyone who picks it up to read and find the hidden lessons in each story. God has crafted each and every one of his children with intimate brush strokes, which are yours and yours only, which no other painting receives. Instead of inventing yourself over and over again in a lifetime of nurturing frustration and disappointment, find out what God created you to be.
In this book, I will share real stories with different perspectives regarding uniqueness, purpose, destiny, vocation, as well as how to know when to be patient waiting on the Lord, and knowing when to be content in your vocation. Learning to hone a keen eye, how to look for God and his plan, and accepting the mysteries and unknowns, which God will never reveal to us here on this earth. You may ask, well, what or where did you acquire this wisdom and insight? I’ve gathered these experiences over a lifetime of doubts and unknowns and frustration. Therefore, it’s my desire to share them with everyone who is brave enough to take the journey in discovering their true identity, their true value, and the work of art God hoped you would become in order to complete his goal for you to give him the greatest possible glory. I pray each person who picks up this book will find inspiration and motivation to take the necessary steps needed to draw close to the grand designer in order to become his masterpiece; a divine product, his workmanship, his poetry, a work of art.
It Turned Out To Be Chilling And Brutal
The Road Renounced follows a mourning woman as she goes through her father’s things and discovers the diary of her grandmother, that died before she was born. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The premise for the setup of this book, which follows my last novel, presented itself to me before I had even finished writing The Road Remembered. That earlier book explores Sam Ryan’s family, where we learn that his father, Buzz, was a less than stellar parent. I knew that my own father’s father was, in fact, a less than stellar parent, and there are some parallels between the life of my father’s mother and Sam’s mother. While my real grandfather was not a drunk (as far as I could learn), he had a habit of leaving my grandmother alone much of the time with no or very little money—and eight children to care for.
Like Sam, who spent much of his life wondering how his father could have abandoned his mother, I wondered what got into my grandfather to leave my grandmother alone so much with all those mouths to feed. No one in the family had a good answer and since my own father WAS a stellar parent, I couldn’t understand the thought process my grandfather must have gone through to have been okay with leaving my grandmother alone the way he did. So I began thinking of reasons my grandfather may have had for leaving. Was he disappointed with his life and searching for a better one? Or at least a different one? As I speculated all manner of things that could have gone through my grandfather’s head, as often happens, the characters, themselves, reached out to me and told their own story rather than, I believe, my grandfather’s story. It turned out to be chilling and brutal. Much worse than my grandparent’s real life story.
And, since I knew that everyone who could have related the fictional story to Sam’s daughter was dead, I had to think of another way to tell the story to my readers. So I told it in layers—Suzanne reading her grandmother’s diary to get the big picture and then the scene morphing into that particular point in time so the reader could learn the “as-they-happened” details. My early readers and the Literary Titan reviewer have led me to believe that that story-telling style worked.
Suzanne learns of her family’s past and about how alike she and her grandmother are. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The primary ideal was women’s strength and how strong women do whatever is necessary to care for their children and keep a roof over their heads. While Suzanne wasn’t faced with raising children alone the way Maude was—Suzanne’s husband didn’t die until her son was grown—she still had to face life alone once he died and then the day-to-day trials of caring for her father. So while we didn’t have a chance to explore the depth of Suzanne’s strength, we certainly saw how strong Maude was.
Another huge ideal was dealing with emotional impact as a result of external factors. In Maude’s case, she had to deal with losing her brother, her mother, and then her father in addition to figuring out how she would cope when she realized she couldn’t count on Buzz. In Suzanne’s case, it was dealing with losing her husband, then her father and finally, realizing that she couldn’t share what she had found out about her grandfather with his remaining children.
And of course, both women shared their fierce love of family.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Since the story takes place during the first World War, I wanted to explore the themes surrounding what leads to and takes place during global fighting. The overarching thing I tried to get across was the emotion generated from all aspects of the war—the dread of having to leave your home and go and fight someone with whom you had no quarrel, the heartsickness of those left behind, the devastation when loved ones are lost, and finally, the realization that a few people decide the fate of the world and that foot soldiers are simply pawns in the process. One of the things that upset me the most was the fact that so many soldiers died needlessly on the last day of the fighting because one general didn’t agree with the armistice.
Other themes included how the world handled the Spanish flu, especially given the fact that we are still recovering from the COVID pandemic. I also wanted to explore women’s rights—or in this case, lack of them. There were many times, as I researched, that I was shocked at what women had to endure a mere hundred years ago. And because of the time in history, it was also important to bring in tidbits about prohibition and the Great Depression.
Mostly, I wanted to write a satisfying story of human emotion and a mother’s determination to keep her family together during difficult times as Maude, first, reinvented herself to leave home and get a job, and then—always—focused on maintaining her selfless devotion to and love for her children.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am currently exploring an idea for a third book in the “Road” series that would focus on Sam’s remaining siblings. I haven’t gotten very far with this one yet, so it may be 2024 before that one is ready. And of course, like any writer, a myriad of other ideas are chasing around in my head and working to take shape.
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2015. Prospect Park, Pennsylvania. Suzanne Ryan uncovers her grandmother’s diary hidden in the binding of a century-old photo album. Thrilled to learn about her grandmother, Maude, who died before Suzanne was born, she reads the first entry, written on Maude’s tenth birthday.
1915. Prospect Park, Pennsylvania. Maude Brewer, her brother, Henry, and his best friend, Buzz Ryan, live a relatively care-free existence. But the darkening conflict in Europe looms, threatening them all with the fight of their lives.
At the same time, across the ocean, darkness has already fallen as the Germans march into neutral Belgium and shatter the life of nurse Marthe Peeters, whose family is viciously killed right in front of her. She is captured and forced to travel with the German Army, each step escalating the rage in her heart that explodes into plans for revenge.
But as Maude’s story unfolds through the years, it intersects with Marthe’s and despite the fact that an ocean separates them, it is clear that the two women share their perspectives on the war. They also, Suzanne learns, share the love of the same man, Buzz Ryan, Suzanne’s grandfather. Buzz must not only fight the war on the battlefield, he must also fight the war within his heart.
LITERARY TITAN 