Blog Archives
You Can Feel The Love
Johari The Great follows a fifth-grade boy who discovers the power of his imagination and enters the school writing contest; he uses his story to inspire his classmates and friends. What was the inspiration for your story?
My grandson, whose name is actually Johari, was the initial inspiration for this story. He was always so smart and curious about learning. I wanted to write a story that clearly dealt with a boy whose gift was within him – he could feel it – and how he was able to bring it out with the support of the adults in his life.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Megan White?
Megan White, now Megan Rizzo, is such a gifted artist. She used to be an art therapist, so she brings this sensitivity to her art. We worked so well together. She really listens to what my vision is, and there’s never a lot of back and forth with her. She understood this was a fun story, an adventure, but she also picked up on the emotional nuances too, like the relationships. For example, I love the illustration of Johari hugging his dad. You can feel the love there.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
It was important for me to have this story about an African American boy. Research shows that at the 3rd-4th grade level, there is a high risk of boys, and African American boys in particular, slipping in their reading skills. This is a critical time when students go from learning to read to now reading to learn. If those skills are missed, it’s an uphill struggle. So, I wanted to engage these boys and use an adventure that included school, teachers, families, friends, but most of all, how their imagination and effort could make them successful. Their imagination could help them discover just how great they really are, and what wonderful gifts already lie inside of them.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m very excited to share that my next book will be the second in the Johari The Great series. Johari will be off on a new exciting adventure, so there will definitely be another story he has to share. I can’t divulge the title yet, but I will say, the setting is quite unique! This story promises to be very appealing to almost anyone – young readers and adults too! Megan Rizzo and I are anticipating a Spring, 2023 release.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
The Vast Corpus Of Poetry
Poems from Heartlands is an evocative collection of poetry that explores faith and contemporary life. What inspires you to write and publish this collection?
I have been writing poetry for a long time and finally felt I had to get the material published, I had previously published a collection, The Last Irish Romantic, which was launched at the Listowel literary festival and the response inspired me; it was described by Gabriel Fitzmourice, the noted poet as reminiscent of T S Eliot and Michael Hartnett , and the noted Dublin publisher Pat Boran who published it for me described it as a work of distinction. This inspired me to write a sequel that would draw on the vast corpus of poetry I had accumulated over the years.
What inspired you to create this Special Illustrated Color Edition?
The color edition – I was inspired to publish the special color edition, by the fact that I had so much art work interwoven with the poetry in my notebooks, and wanted to produce a unique distinctive collection with both printed poems and handwritten works within my own art work, I called the result art poems and it turned out beautifully
What were some ideas that were important for you to explore in your poetry?
The ideas that inspired the poems were as varied as my life that they embodied, my faith, my concerns with contemporary life, my memories of childhood in Ireland, my experiences in Oxford where I did my doctorate, and experiences as a lecturer in Israel and the Philippines where I worked, and above all my faith struggles as a priest; my whole life and soul went into the poems.
Are you working on more poetry that you’ll publish in another volume?
I am about to publish a new collection of “art Poems”, to be called “Journeys into Light: New Art Poems”, I think this collection is better than the two previous ones. I am also about to publish a novel call The Cottage.
Author Website: frconbuckleyssundaysermons.com
The Final Battle At The Mountain
Spoiler follows a young man who’s plunged into a deadly standoff and must choose between the torture of his loved ones or giving in to Ms. G’s monstrous demands? What were some sources that informed this novels development?
I’ve always been fascinated by choices we make and I believe we don’t ever really know someone (or ourselves, for that matter) until we’re tested in a difficult situation. Alex has always had a desire to heal, not hurt and he’s so empathetic toward the pain of others that he can’t see someone suffering without needing to help, and yet if he helps, in this case, he will hurt countless other people. I like putting characters into challenging moral quandaries to allow readers to ask themselves, “what choice would I make under those circumstances?” I didn’t have any special sources for the situational portion of the book except that it continues what began in books 1 and 2 and I took the premise to its logical conclusion. I felt the moral vacuum that is Ms. G must do monstrous things because that’s who she is, and the young heroes—particularly Alex—would therefore be forced to resist her in any way they could (without stepping over the line into her level of evil.)
This book is very creative. What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
My favorite scenes were the personal ones, the character bits that emphasized relationships and family, like the scene in the gym where everyone worked out together and bonded even more than they had previously. I also liked exploring the development of William and Francis and how they explored their innate humanity (despite having been told by Davalos and others they weren’t fully human.) The most challenging scene was the final battle at the mountain. I had to make a list of every character who would be present, what “team” each would be on, and an approximate outline of where each would be as the scenes progressed. Even then, I still forgot about some along the way and had to go back to make sure I showed what he/she was doing.
What challenges did you set for yourself as a writer with this book?
This biggest challenge was to wrap up and pay off all that had been set up in the first two books and do these things in ways that readers would find enjoyable and satisfactory. Series like this that have so many characters and so many threads sometimes stumble in the final book because some of those threads are left unraveled, and that has often frustrated me as a reader, so I hope I have resolved everything to my readers’ gratification.
Do you have plans to write more books in the Healer Chronicles?
I definitely leave the door open for more stories with these characters, especially with the promise Alex, Andy, William, and Francis made to the president that they are available in a national crisis. Of course, William and Francis are already special agents, and I’ve considered a spinoff series focusing on them. Time will tell. For now, I’m giving these characters (who are some of my all-time favorites) a much-needed rest.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Despite losing Andy, Alex has a few fleeting moments of happiness, especially as he finds himself falling for Allison, Mr. Shaw’s spunky daughter. But he knows these moments of “normalcy” will be short-lived because Ms. G and her group need his power to fulfill their evil plans.
When on-base treachery leads to attempted assassination and kidnapping, Alex—along with Roy and Allison—is plunged into a deadly standoff with Ms. G that he knows will result in his death and that of his loved ones. Can he allow them to be tortured, or will he give in to her monstrous demands?
Colonel Walker gathers his troops around the location where Alex is held prisoner – the mountain housing a mysterious “gate” into another dimension. Should Alex be forced to open that gate and release the dark entities within, the human race will come to a swift and violent end.
As the final battle approaches, can Alex hold out long enough for rescue to arrive?
The Healer Chronicles conclude.
Adventures, Monsters and Magic
The Emerald Lake follows an orphaned alien living on Earth as he sets off to save an underwater race from flesh eating, fire breathing serpenta and save his first love. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The original story arose from a need to keep a small group of youngsters (newfound friends of my five-year-old son) occupied (quiet) as they sheltered in our crowded beach tent during a holiday shower. Within the group was one ginger-headed boy, the smallest in the group, who was being ordered around (bullied) by the bigger boys. My story was intended to show that bullying is bad but can be overcome. I needed him to overcome the challenges. The story needed adventures, monsters and magic. And so Jimmy Crikey was born and among his friends were the four witch guardians of Earth’s realms.
What was the inspiration for the culture of your characters? Is it modeled after any particular society?
The inspiration was an idealistic concept of a race of people living together democratically in a caring environment with a minimum of antagonism.
What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?
The way a small group of beings, the Aquamites, banded together in the Emerald Lake, to overcome a stronger, dangerous foe. The young Aquamites placed their own lives in danger for the benefit of their own peoples. There was no magic to help them. They had to act using their own skills before Jimmy and the witches could act.
Will there be another book in the Jimmy Crikey series, and when will it be available?
The Story continues. One of the characters, Jade, the young apprentice witch, pleaded with me to write her story. She was convinced that if I didn’t she would die if readers did not know about her.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
The underground Emerald Lake, the home of the Aquamites, is invaded by a flesh-eating, fire-breathing serpent, which is impervious to the magic of the four guardian witches. Matilda, the chief witch, asks for Jimmy’s assistance.
Jimmy accompanies Elwinn, witch guardian of everything associated with water, to visit the Emerald Lake. They arrive at a plausible plan to capture the serpents in a spider’s web net.
Their strategy is complicated because Jimmy cannot breathe underwater unless included in Elwinn’s bubble. Several of the strongest young Aquamites agree to act as live bait to entice the serpents into a lake in an extinct volcano’s caldera.
Once the serpents are lured into the volcano’s lake Jimmy, with the help of his starship SR3 and XRU, the intelligent computer/navigator, the reptiles are ensnared in a Golden Orb spiders’ web net, ready to drag the creatures into the cold depths of deep space. During the operation to rid the Aquamite’s world of serpents, Annison is seriously injured when one serpent takes a big bite out of her lower tail. She is dying from the loss of blood. The witches do not have the power to help. There is no time to get her to Jimmy’s home plane of Attalia for advanced surgery.
All appears lost until Lord Oron reveals his true identity. Lord Oron is one of the Lords who serve the all-powerful Master. The Master could save Annison, but he refuses to bring a subject back to life from the dead. Can Lord Oron persuade the Master to intervene and save the life of Jimmy’s first love, Annison?
An Exploration Of Daily Life
In A Small, Quiet Village follows Adam, a stranger that arrives in a village before a disastrous storm is set to hit. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet.” is what I was going for with Adam. While it’s only briefly alluded to in the book, Adam is trying to escape a sordid past, fearful that it may catch up to him eventually. The village seems like the perfect place for him to leave all of his troubles behind and start life anew.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The inactive, the mundane and the boring. An exploration of daily life, and doing my best to keep it engaging. Coming of age also plays its part in this book, particularly with Sabrina dealing with the permanent loss of her best friend, and learning how to carry on without him there.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on Village’s sequel. I mean, given the post-epilogue ending, I kind have to write one, don’t I? 😉 It should be available … um … several months after a few heavy edits. So probably sometime around late 2023, but no promises!
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
It Leaves The Reader Thinking
Deadly Attraction follows a woman who’s kidnapped by an emotionally hard man that slowly falls for her. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
This story actually came from a dream. The character development as far as Ace was my favorite part of the story. It leaves the reader thinking, nothing is ever as it seems and people can be so much more than what they were born into.
Reyna and Ace are intriguing and I enjoyed following their relationship. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
My mother would tell you, I put a lot of myself into Reyna’s character. I wanted that almost love at first sight aspect with their relationship, yet they approach with some caution. It does hit them hard and I personally have experienced a fast love like they experience in the book. It is all consuming and devastating when lost.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I really wanted them to have conflict in their emotions but not too much. Both never really believed in true love so it is nice to see them come together quick and realize this is what was missing in my life and I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep it. I wanted to show thought into why they were feeling the way they did but really not being able to explain it other than, it being kismet.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next novel will hopefully be the second book in the Legacy Series. But I do have others in the works as well. It will be a race to the finish to see which story speaks to me the most in the coming months. Information should be updated on my website soon.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Ace doesn’t do emotions. Brought up in a world of guns, violence, and bloodshed. He has seen every horror the world has to offer. Reyna is just another job to him…until she’s not.
Reyna says it’s kismet, but Ace doesn’t believe in fate. He must stop himself from falling for her, because he’s afraid that loving her will be the death of them both.
Demanding To Be Written About
Child of Etherclaw follows two siblings as they investigate the mystery behind an opal necklace and its otherworldly powers, encountering danger along the way. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Child of Etherclaw began as a short story exploring a rather radical approach to climate change mitigation—the Void Pillars. These are the massive hollow superstructures that reach into space and act as heat sinks that cool the planet. When I started to consider how they could be constructed, who (or what) could construct them, and why, that short story quickly took on a novel length. Most importantly, it turned out to also be the perfect setting for several characters that had been banging around loudly in my head for years, demanding to be written about.
Fenlee discovers her life is not as simple as she suspected as she discovers more about her family and her past. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
One of the reasons I love young adult fiction is the growth arcs of the characters. Fenlee is no exception. With her, I wanted to portray a character who could be considered “strong” but is realistically flawed, and has to overcome moments of weakness and doubt. A great deal of Fenlee’s strength comes from her friends and her family, and as fiercely independent as she wishes herself to be, she must come to terms with the fact that she needs them as much as they need her. As the story moves along, Fenlee’s motivations also change as she begins to see the true depths and darkness of the world around her. Getting knocked down repeatedly but continuing to get back up for both yourself and those around you is a real challenge, but Fenlee is up to it, despite the odds.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Found family has always been one of my favorite themes, and one that I wanted to make central to Child of Etherclaw. There are so many different ways to explore family dynamics, but when non-biologically related characters get mushed together in an unlikely living situation, their personalities really tend to shine through in their interactions. I believe this is largely because there isn’t the expectation of the same sort of “default loyalty” we afford to those we’re related to; how we treat found family shows us who we really are. It was also important to me to ensure the feeling of hope. While this may be a dystopian novel, it’s not without positivity. I wanted to demonstrate that, no matter what the world around us looks like, we can always make it a better place, even in small ways.
What is the next book in the series going to hold for readers, and when will it be available?
The next book is currently set for release in late 2023. There are a number of things hinted at throughout Child of Etherclaw, such as certain characters’ backgrounds and mysteries around how the world got to its current state, which will be answered in the next book. A dire threat, much darker than anything in Child of Etherclaw, will also emerge, and certain characters’ roles and destinies will become clearer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
But can those bonds hold when the blood itself carries a devastating secret?
Fenlee’s opal necklace had always radiated a certain warmth since her mother’s death. But now, at sixteen, her world begins to unravel as the stone sparks to life, revealing itself to be an otherworldly artifact of untold power.
Between her mechatronics studies at the academy and scavenging expeditions beneath the sprawling city of New Cascadia, Fenlee and her adopted brother, Elliot, try to decipher the mysteries of her necklace and its link to events in Fenlee’s past.
But they’re not alone in their search.
Strange undercity dwellers offer cryptic warnings, drones track their movements, and deadly corporate agents lurk in the shadows. When tragedy rips Fenlee’s family apart, she must learn to use the artifact’s power to save those who are deeply precious to her. But nothing can prepare her for the dark truths that she will uncover on that journey…
“Lee,” Elliot mumbled. “I’m not who you think I am.”
The Sacrifices Made
The Chippendale Letter follows a Vietnam War widow as she embarks on a journey to find the intended recipient of an unmailed letter from 1944. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
Although I was never in Vietnam, I was in the USMC Reserves during that time, so the sacrifices made by those who served have always stayed with me. Those sacrifices obviously extend to those families who suffered the loss of a loved one. As for the story’s 1944 timeframe, I have been interested in that period of American History since I was a teenager. My previous novel, Fate’s Final Destiny, takes place during those years, and letters also played a role in that plot’s development. So, in a sense, I was the source for that part of the story.
What were some challenges you felt were important to developing Patti’s character in the story?
I needed to establish Patti’s fragile state so the reader could appreciate her overcoming the hardships she had to endure. Then, without giving away too many plot details at this time, I needed to make her journey and resulting emotional growth seem natural and not contrived.
What were some questions you kept asking yourself as you were writing your story?
Besides staying historically accurate, I needed to know if I kept the lives of the four main characters believable and authentic. I would also ask myself if their lives and life-changing decisions would resonate well with my readers. I disapprove of it when an author is too loose with what is factual to make the storyline conveniently result in the outcome.
What draws you to the historical romance genre and makes it perfect for you to write in?
The genre consists of two passions of mine. I have always been a history buff, and I have always loved a good love story, especially those with a feel-good ending. Writing historical romance novels allows me to combine the two by weaving the romance into a historical setting. Having lived in the latter part of the twentieth century, writing about those periods allows me to draw from my personal experiences and what I have learned from books.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
LITERARY TITAN 