Blog Archives
Shatter the Stereotype
The First Buds of Spring follows a teen girl who befriends the new boy in school, as their relationship grows mysteries and secrets are revealed that will change their lives. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I wasn’t inspired by anything in particular, though I have always wanted to write a romance novel. Here’s something funny: I’m an aromantic. But I always want to challenge myself to new heights. So far I’ve written fantasy, adventure, psychological horror, and romance, and I want to write a book of each genre. Different from the shy-girl-meets-rich-cool-boy-trope, though, I made my protagonist Azalea a bit mean and phony at first, although readers will learn later that it’s simply a façade to retain her popularity. I thought it would be cool to have a male protagonist (Bruce) help her recognize her inner beauty and encourage her to be herself instead of shaping her into who or what he prefers. And then the story formed in my mind. I aimed to write a novel that was cute, refreshing, lighthearted, and fun to read, unlike my previous works, of which were mostly dark and heavy in tone. Read the Otherworld trilogy and one of the companion novels, Helen’s Tale, and you’ll know what I mean.
Azalea and Bruce are both interesting characters with a lot of growth. Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the characters’ personalities grow organically as you were writing?
Yes, I wrote an outline for the characters. I outline every novel project before starting it to give myself confidence and convince myself I know what I’m doing. Having detailed chapter outlines is important for me because I never write according to the sequence of chapters. Chapter 2 was the first chapter I tackled in The First Buds of Spring. Then chapters 10, 3, 1, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 6, 16, 8, 9, 11, 19, 18, and finally, 20. I remember the sequence because I keep track of them in my iPad.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Love and life are the main themes. I wanted to shatter the stereotype that romance novels are soppy, sentimental, and totally pointless. I imbued plenty of life philosophy in the story, stressing how people always hurry through and fast-forward their lives. If they stop long enough to feel, they’d see the magic around them. Azalea and Bruce bonded through their common belief in slowing their pace in life.
Another theme I hinted at (but will be explored in depth in the future books in the series) is racism and tribal rivalry. Taking advantage of races with weaker magical powers, as evidenced by the Fireflamers and Aquamarines’ tormenting the Woodlanders.
Apart from those, I also wanted to stress the importance of being oneself. Too many people lose themselves in hope of blending into the society. They erase their individuality due to their choice of conforming to mundanity. However, neither Azalea nor Bruce conformed to the crowd. On the other hand, they remained true to themselves. Sometimes “strength” refers not to physical power but rather to spiritual dominance over the shallow, foolish majority.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The First Buds of Spring is my third-published novel. I released it in June, while I had three releases in July—War of the Chaotic Worlds I, War of the Chaotic Worlds II, and Heart of the Forest. The former two are the third books of the Otherworld Trilogy. Apart from the titles mentioned above, I also have three other books contracted—Once Upon an Enchantress, Helen’s Tale, and Eric’s Tale, the latter two being companion novels to the Otherworld Trilogy. While Zack’s Tale and Eileen’s Tale, also companion novels, are awaiting contract, I finished another book yesterday titled Where the Magic Lies, a YA fantasy romance about a girl being forced to marry a fairy prince to atone for her mother’s sin. I’m hoping to self-publish it in August. Right now I might start a novel about a lost siren finding love.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Unleashing The Power Of Love
Saving Gigy follows the process you went through to rehome your family’s beloved dog, and the challenges of making sure she went to a loving home. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The whole situation was so unexpected in my life and the way events unfolded , I strongly believed it was for a reason. I realized that reason was to share this story with a world .
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I want to invite people to consider how a little more love and compassion in even the smallest situations can change our world for the better. I want to encourage people to embrace the true meaning in life by unleashing the power of love .
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing was to find a courage to write at all . However, believing in a power of love and letting that power flow freely was like a smooth sailing .
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
The act of kindness even in the smallest situations in a day- by -day life can change this world for the better .
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Gigy was an adorable English cocker spaniel puppy. She had everything a puppy could want-a devoted owner, plenty of toys, a big backyard and a special human friend. But when circumstances required, the difficult decision was made to place Gigy with a new family, her heartbroken humans took on a tireless mission to ensure she was safe, loved, and cared for.
Saving Gigy is the inspirational true story of the lengths Gigy’s humans were willing to go to in order to make certain she was adopted by the right family, a family who understood how special she was and give her the attention, love, and care she needed. While there was no Hollywood ending to Gigy’s story, ILuta Sutra invites you to consider how a little more love and compassion in even the smallest situation can change our world for the better.
If you’ve ever had a dog, loved a dog, or any other pet for that matter, Saving Gigy will warm your heart and encourage you to embrace the true meaning in life by unleashing the power of love.
Create Compassion And Connection
Blessing Mistakes is a self-help book that teaches people to focus on the whole person instead of a mistake that was made. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For many years my focus has been to help people dissolve stress in 30 seconds when an upset arises—it’s called Instant Evolution Out Of Stress®. Mistakes don’t need to cause hostility and hollering when they can create compassion and connection.
What experiences from your own life influenced your book?
One day I was driving my dad’s too big truck in his too small corral and I put a dent in it. When I showed it to him, apologized, and offered to pay for it, he held his arms out to me for a hug and said, “It doesn’t matter a particle.” On that day I learned how to give myself and others Grace (be kind) instead of grief (be mean) when a mistake is made. The mistake is already made, so we can decide if we want to disapprove and feel upset or feel the truth of the statement, “I/Your matter more than the mistake.”
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
My mom showed me how to let the love in my heart look through my eyes.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
That they have a joyful nature residing within them—it’s there waiting for us when we dissolve what’s blocking it.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
in your head—and in your home. This book offers a host of connection-creating, stressreducing
strategies that transform you from grumpy to grateful and point you back to
your peaceful and playful nature.
With a heartwarming sense of humor, Brenda helps you unfriend anger—simply
because you don’t need it anymore. Dissolving anger makes space for Grace as your new
operating system, and leaves you genuinely able to show yourself and others kindness
when a mistake is made.
Brenda also includes three stories from her children’s book, Mr. Upalupagus’s Secret Secrets to help you teach your kids how to bless mistakes and shoo away anger.
Praise for Blessing Mistakes
“I went from panicked to peaceful in a matter of seconds when I applied
this simple strategy.”
—Julie Veresh,
Innate Dynamics
“Blessing Mistakes is a game changer for me. Talk. About. Relief.”
—Janna Glasman,
Franklin Method Educator
The Great Equalizer
The Perfect Match follows a young man with renal disease who realizes that patients ahead of him on the transplant list are mysteriously dying. Nick Seratino is an interesting character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
It’s my feeling that in Italian families, if there is only one son, he’s likely the favorite child. Framing him as a wealthy, spoiled child that got what he wanted one way or another ( through his father mostly and his good looks), he had everything going for him until he got the news that he had end stage renal failure, and this became a life-changing event. I’ve seen this many times throughout my career. It can make people better or sometimes worse facing a life-threatening illness. In this case Nick was exposed to the other side of society in the dialysis center which I often say is the great equalizer. You can find a drug addict sitting next to a judge. Nick’s exposure to Derrick makes him realize what a true friend really is. I chose Nick’s father to make the story more intriguing with twists and turns relying on Emilio’s nefarious past to captivate the reader.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
All in all, I wanted to educate the reader about what someone goes through facing dialysis and the need for a kidney transplant. From your review, it appears I was able to accomplish this and still make the story enjoyable to read.
would you go
to save someone
you love?
Nick Seratino is a vibrant, handsome young man starting college when he receives a terrible diagnosis. He has end stage renal disease, requiring dialysis and ultimately a new kidney, and is placed on a transplant waiting list.
Emilio Seratino is not willing to watch his son waste away. There are “many options” for a new kidney, and Emilio plans to utilize them all. When patients ahead of Nick on the waiting list start mysteriously dying, the authorities are called in to investigate. Meanwhile, Nick’s condition digs up family secrets better left buried.
Much as John Grisham educates readers about legal topics, Dr. Dennis Ross showcases his medical knowledge in The Perfect Match, teaching readers about kidney failure with many a thrilling twist and turn up to the final bloody crescendo.
A Burning Desire
Emotional Magnetism shares your real life experiences along with pragmatic and actional tips readers can use to improve their communication and relationships. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book took me almost 10 years to research and write (seriously). My journey discovering and creating the Emotional Magnetism communication technique spanned a decade and it was a rollercoaster ride! I’m amazed and grateful every day for the lessons this journey has taught me. My discovery began with a burning desire to evaluate my pattern of failed personal relationships. I had two failed marriages and was raising my two children as a single mompreneur. I knew in my heart, I needed to do work to understand my motivations and needs for a successful, loving relationship. My insatiable curiosity led me to a decade of study, the incredible results I received from the skills and techniques I learned, an extraordinary love story, and fueled my passion to teach others how to easily improve their communication in their relationships.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about communication in relationships?
I think the biggest misconception is that most of us feel we are good at communication in our relationships and think it should be easy. The reality is that typically we have not been trained in communication techniques and likely don’t know how and why we are not being heard and understood at home or work.
What is the first step people must take to improve communication in their relationships?
The first step people must take is to do a reality check on how effective their communication is right now and what is blocking their communication success. There are 16 different types of “communication blockers” we all use and once you are aware of them, you can catch yourself from blocking connection in your relationships. The next important step is to understand what motivates you to listen, what you emotionally need to hear, see, and experience to connect with others. There are four emotional needs that act as the undercurrent of our lives, and one or two of them are your default motivators in all aspects of your life. Identifying your “Emotional Magnet” equips you to understand why you make the choices you do and empowers you to share that with those you care about so they have more empathy and truth in your discussions.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I hope the “Emotional Magnetism” readers become more self-aware of their emotional needs, knowing what truly makes them motivated to listen, act, or engage with others. My intention for the book is to create a “love train”. My philosophy: the more of us there are that want to learn, communicate and share our Emotional Magnets, the more connections we create, the more relationships we nurture and potentially save, and the more love we create in this world.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
2022 Living Now Book Award Bronze Medal Winner
2022 Literary Titan Gold Book Award
Emotional Magnetism is the self-help book for people who want to improve their communication and connection in their relationships.
Have you ever felt unheard or misunderstood? Maybe your partner just doesn’t seem to get why some things are important to you. Or perhaps your boss is seemingly oblivious to half the things you’ve pointed out in the past week. You’re not alone.
In this life-changing book, communications expert Sandy Gerber reveals how, by understanding the Four Emotional Magnets that motivate people to listen and act, she transformed her relationships—and how you can do the same.
Gerber’s highly relatable stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and Emotional Magnets quiz, helps you to:
Identify what blocks your communication NOW.
Discover what you emotionally NEED to be happy.
Learn HOW to create greater engagement with your words.
Understand WHY the people in your life make the choices they do.
As you’ll quickly discover, when you know how to communicate what you need to be happy and respond to the Emotional Magnets of the people around you, you’ll magnetize your relationships. Not only will you be heard and understood, but you’ll understand what people want—and how to deliver it.
The book is excellent to read yourself and discuss as a couple, or in a book club or small group.
Order the book now and learn how to communicate to ignite connection in all your relationships!
A Powerful Self-love Movement
Reclaim the Rebel provides readers with actionable advice they can use to achieve unconditional love for their body. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As someone who struggled to like (let alone love) my body for decades and wanted a simple solution that didn’t involve a fad diet or plastic surgery, it’s my passion and life purpose to share with others the game-changing tools I used on my journey to achieving self-love, happiness and inner peace.
Wherever the reader is on their journey, it’s important to me that they feel seen and understood, I provide a safe place to discuss the challenges that many of us face, and offer an easy way through these challenges.
In writing Reclaim the Rebel, I wanted to create a powerful self-love movement that felt real (not just some trend) and also very achievable so that as many people as possible benefit from having self-love and all of the amazing ripple effects it brings.
What would you say to someone that struggles with self-love but thinks this book isn’t for them?
If you’re someone who struggles with self-love like I did, you may be feeling frustrated, demotivated and be skeptical of a book like this claiming to actually be able to help you. Maybe you’re thinking this is just one other thing that won’t work for you.
And that’s ok. It’s no surprise that you feel defeated. Whilst you’ve invested in courses, books, “goo-roos”, and you still struggle with self-love, what you haven’t got is the simple, effective tools you need to be able to consistently feel good even when you’ve been at war with your body for years.
This book has already helped others like you… so we know the tools in Reclaim the Rebel work, if you’re willing to try something different. The fact that you are reading this right now means that some part of you is ready to feel good. With Reclaim the Rebel, you’re finally in the right place.
What were some key ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
As scary as it was to do in such a public way, it was so important for me to share my story, because there is immense power whenever we share our own experiences authentically. It helps us realise that we’re not alone with how we feel and what we experience, and most importantly creates a sense of possibility and hope.
With Reclaim the Rebel, I wanted to offer the readers hope. Hope that they CAN actually achieve self-love despite what they’ve been through in the past. From eating disorders to bullying to toxic relationships, it is 100% possible for anyone to have unconditional love for their body.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
If I could make a wish for this book, it would be that every single reader takes away the one thing they had been missing before reading Reclaim the Rebel, which means they are able to move one step forward on their journey to achieving unconditional love for their body.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
If you’re like most women, you’re probably exhausted by fad diets and the constant churn of programs promising you weight loss and total body transformation.
No matter what you do, nothing seems to work.
What the diet industry doesn’t want you to know is that, until you learn to shut up your inner critic, you’ll have a hard time getting the body you love – and sustaining it.
Stop wasting your time and money scrolling social media and the internet trying to DIY your approach to weight loss (which, let’s face it, just results in the same cycle of emotional eating and binge eating followed by restriction and calorie counting)…and actually step into the body you love with Reclaim the Rebel.
This empowering guide of game-changing tools will show you how to finally enjoy eating without guilt and glow with confidence in your favourite outfits.
Imagine never having to diet again, being at your ideal weight, waking up every morning bouncing out of bed feeling ready for the day, checking yourself out in the mirror as you get dressed and receiving tons of compliments about how happy and joyful you’ve become.
When you read Reclaim the Rebel you’ll discover:
· 12 Rebellious Acts to confidently step in the body you love – and sustain your results.
· Why that diet is costing you more than you think.
· How to prioritize your health and wellbeing even when life is busy.
· The fastest way to overcome your inner critic.
· Easy and effective tools to help you build and maintain healthy habits.
Isn’t it time you rebelled against the diet industry?! Let Reclaim the Rebel show you how to confidently step into the body you love even if you’ve been battling with it for years.
The Magic Involved
The Masque of Count Milado follows a man from Earth who sets off on a quest to retrieve the missing masque before it goes missing forever. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I wanted to reprise characters introduced in “The House on Chambers Court”, though the challenge I set for myself was to write a traditional murder mystery. This book was an attempt to do that, and of course it’s a lot harder than it seems, the challenges of exposing the clues to both the characters and the reader in such a way as to move the story and keep everyone guessing.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the characters personalities grow organically as you were writing?
Many of the characters in my book are based on people I know personally or in the public eye. Villains are easy to spot in the political and corporate spectrum. At least that is the root of their creation. It gives me a ‘face’ to work from, though once the book is under way, they really take on their own personalities.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Each book I write represents a particular challenge for me, in this case writing a murder mystery. I don’t want my books to be carbon copies of each other, though some themes run through each. A subtle part of the book is taking on animal perspectives and how they may be different from our own. Add to that, Xavier Gaines is faced with an additional perspective, the differences between men and women. Empathy is an important element of the magic involved.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
“The Wizard of Grimmer’s Wharf” has just been released (another mystery) and I’m well into the next book, “The Rift of Brande”. I’ve a great deal of experience sailing and so I wanted to write a ‘sea story’ involving adventure and lost treasure. I’ve reprised characters introduced in “Grimmer’s Wharf” and “The Henna Witch”. It looks to be a bigger book, perhaps rivaling “The Deck of the Numinon” in size. Of course magic is involved, which is also a great way to introduce some metaphysics into the story. Speaking of “the Deck of the Numinon”, which is wonderfully illustrated, I’m working with the artist to create an entire deck, providing the guide book to supplement her work. Fundamental excerpts were included as an addendum in “the Deck of the Numinon”. With a little perseverance on my part, both will be ready by the end of ’23.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
While the surviving royals struggle for control of the Milado estates, a troop of mercenaries and a lone wizard find their way into the intrigue. As Xavier struggles to discover the whereabouts of the Masque, deeper plots are uncovered that prove the Masque hasn’t vanished at all, but central to a plot involving kingdoms.
Nothing and no one is as it seems.
The Terrifying Unraveling
Kaleidoscopic Shades: Within Black Eternity follows a father who’s realized that he’s passed the horrors of his childhood onto his son and fights to put an end to the madness. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
If I am to be so bold, inspiration came from the prequel – Kaleidoscopic Shades – Where Eternity Begins – which has yet to be released. It follows Bob and Sue Triplow through an apocalyptic event which transformed the city of Adelaide, its suburbs and outer lying regions into something akin to a war zone, in which holding onto your sanity was just the beginning of the terrifying unraveling that was to ensue. It seemed fitting that the Triplows would want to put this behind them, move far away, start a family. And forget – or try to – that something extraordinary, unexplainable, and not of this world had settled in as the new family member within each and every household back in 2011 until the lights slowly stopped burning at night.
It also seemed fitting that a mere child of ten, entering the first stages of his teens, and who had begun to question his sexuality, had what it took to confront something of unimaginable formidability. And that the child was Bob’s and Sue’s first and only child.
Bob and Joshua are intriguing and well developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
We constantly hear the generation before commenting on the generation following – the age old palaver between the young and the not-so-young – and by bringing together father and son bridged that gap and displayed the differences between them with frank honesty. Both had determination, both had grit, as well as a sense of ethics and morality… enough to place their own lives in ultimate jeopardy. So, what were the differences? None. At all.
The Triplows epitomize what it is to be human, what most of us harbor, whether we outrightly know it or not. It’s the good in people that prevails, else we would have long destroyed ourselves in some cataclysmic debacle that might have left E.T. scratching its head and wondering what in the hell it was all about.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
A genuine need to bring forward something unique, something that, hopefully, hasn’t been explored in this way before. After all, we are all prisoners of our own imagination and it’s the challenging of that imagination that can be confronting, but extremely rewarding if you kind of give it a twist and a shake, like whipping up a world-beating martini.
This very theme I am at pains to to bring forward in whatever journey I take the intrepid reader on.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The Penny Arcade is a sequel and final installment in the kaleidoscopic saga and focuses on an ancient underground maliciousness which rises to the surface in the rural settings of Kapunda, South Australia. A maliciousness that holds Sammy Debnar, the boy lost in Kaleidoscopic Shades, who continues to haunt the passageways of Joshua’s mind as much as he stalks the inner sanctums of his heart. Four years on, an impossible phone call in the dead of night brings it all to the surface and Joshua Triplow becomes instantly embroiled in a life and death struggle, not in another dimension, but right here on terra firma. It also draws the town’s constable, Benjamine McLevy, into a darkness in which her Smith a Wesson becomes nothing more than a water pistol squirting the last of its reserves.
I’m hoping that with the support of the reading public at large, this epic will hit the shelves in about 12 months.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Suddenly they are racing against an approaching storm like no other – for the horrors extend far beyond father and son, far beyond all that is imaginable.
They must abandon their suburban life within Corona, California, for a perilous journey into a dimension where unworldly chaos reigns amongst the depths of darkness.
Torn apart by horrific visions and memories, elements that should not be, that had no right to be, Bob will struggle for his sanity, while Joshua fights to seize the hands of time. To put an end to the madness that ripples across an endless vacuum, threatening to snuff out existence itself.
LITERARY TITAN 