Blog Archives
The Light Through The Pouring Rain – Book Trailer
A remarkable love story that pulls on your heartstrings and leaves you inspired. A page turner that gives a first hand look into the lives of a young couple madly in love and eager to start their lives together, only to have it all halted by a cancer diagnosis. With no clear road map on how to navigate their new normal, James and Anabel proceed into uncharted territory, hand-in-hand, with the love of their families and their faith in God to guide them.
Rabbit in the Moon
![Rabbit in the Moon by [Heather Diamond]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OFZhow1nL.jpg)
Rabbit in the Moon, by Heather Diamond, is a gripping account of her life, a forty something woman and her husband Fred, who is from right outside of metropolitan Hong Kong. The memoir tracks her life starting from Texas, to Hawaii, to Hong Kong and then to the Continental US. Starting with how she meets her future husband at a conference in Hawaii, it explores the ups and downs of her relationship and her own life.
The writing style is engaging. Even though it’s an account of a real life, with no plot twists or cliff-hangers, yet the book manages to keep you gripped and is hard to put down. The language is simple and easy to understand yet descriptive enough to take you to the place the author talks about.
The emphasis on underlying themes is brought out beautifully without letting it hijack the entire narration. This is an engaging and impassioned memoir that touches on intercultural marriage but is about so much more. Other themes explored are the importance of family, contrasting the culture of America and Hong Kong, most importantly living life and bearing its ups and downs with bravery and courage. It is a thought-provoking book about new beginnings, and finding a path in life no matter the age. The fascinating mid-life reinventions of this forty something year old woman is what kept me back to this book again and again.
The overall tone of the book is humble. There is no room for harshness, being self-critical or setting unrealistic expectations. It presents the bare thought and emotions without trying to cross over any moral bar. Memoirs can often get preachy, but I really enjoyed how Heather Diamond’s story simply conveys her life journey, as it happened, as unbiased as possible. There is a certain softness yet courage to the overall tone that makes you connect to Heather, which is the best part about the book.
Rabbit in the Moon is a compelling memoir that will appeal to anyone looking for a heartwarming true story of a cross-cultural relationship and the candid reactions of a woman who takes it all on with vigor.
Pages: 203 | ASIN: B08VNSB71D
Literary Titan Book Awards June 2021
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
Silver Award Winners
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
The Story I Should Tell
Tales From The Mud Hole, Why Pigs Are My Friends is an inspiring and light-hearted memoir that shares your personal story and what you learned as a hog farmer. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I think most of us have felt at some point in our lives the desire, or the inspiration, to act on the creative instinct that we can feel now and then. This creative desire can motivate us to develop talent…be it writing, music, art….or designing a highly complex machine. For me, I felt the regular nudge telling me that I needed to write and exercise this tiny bit of talent I had been given. I eventually understood that if I failed to act on this inspiration, then it would gradually become only a daydream, played out in my mind with a twinge of regret.
Since I hate regrets, I decided to write a book…or at least try and since my experience with the hog farm was still fresh in my mind, and had made an impression on my young life, It seemed that this was the story I should tell.
What do you think is the most valuable lesson you learned as a hog farmer?
Even during difficult or trying times, we can have those moments when a beautiful window of sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines right where we are standing. Unless we are paying some attention, we can easily miss those bright moments when they arrive. .
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
That all of God’s creatures have beauty.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I love a well-told story. I’ve encountered many in my life. I hope in some small way, to have helped someone enjoy a story that perhaps that hadn’t entirely anticipated.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
Not Your Average Jo
Herman Morris Jr. also known by friends and family as “Jo”, was born on May 27th in Baltimore, Maryland. Second youngest brother of a family of eight, Jo was raised in a loving Christian home where he was close to his sisters and younger brother. Jo never lacked anything as his parents were able to provide for their family, yet he always longed for things that could help him fit in with his peers. At the age of eight, Jo’s parents discovered an unusual lump on the side of his face and decided to take him to the doctor. There they discovered a rare form of cancer that was potentially fatal. However, Jo recovered with the help of the doctors, hospital staff, and his supportive family; but he never viewed life the same. With puberty also came a downward spiral in Jo´s overall academic and social performance. He started committing robbery and petty crimes and was eventually caught. This close encounter with the law changed his perspective on what he wanted to do with his life. All was going well until cancer unfortunately caught up to him.
This emotionally-charged biography captures the life of Herman Morris Jr. and all the obstacles, choices, and success’s he had in life. I think readers will appreciate, and relate to, the evolution that Jo goes through, as it rings true and pulls at the heart, while delivering life lessons along the way and paying homage to a wonderful human being.
Not Your Average Jo is a very inspiring yet tragic story described by both “Jo” himself, and his wife who finished the story when he no longer could. Narrated in the first person, it guides readers through the ups and downs of Jo´s life, explaining in detail his feelings and reactions to certain situations. This is a book that will make you sad yet inspire you to view your own life from a more grateful perspective because we never know when life is going to take a turn for the worse. I recommend this impassioned biography to readers who are looking for an authentic and touching true story.
Pages: 218 | ISBN: 0578791242
Tales From The Mud Hole, Why Pigs Are My Friends
![Tales From The Mud Hole, Why Pigs Are My Friends by [Vally Mulford]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lhN0adtSL.jpg)
Tales From the Mud Hole, Why Pigs are My Friends by Vally Mulford is a non-fiction book that shares the often overlooked good qualities of pigs. It is filled with stories about the pigs that Vally has known through out his life, from Suzy the sow and her litter of piglets when he was a young boy to the hogs at Loa Yorkshire Farms. After growing up on his family’s farm in Wayne County Utah, Vally returns to his home town a short time after he graduates from college to accept a job as the manager of a hog farm. Not feeling quite qualified for the job, his hope and optimism is soon met with the realities of life.
This was a fun and interesting memoir to read, where the author shows pigs as the special and unique animals they are. I liked the easy tone and flow of the narrative. It felt very conversational, almost as though a family member or friend was retelling various experiences about their life to the reader. My favorite stories were the ones about the baby pigs. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the piglets’ antics and adventures. Many of the stories were humorous as Vally described his struggles to get the giant hogs to do what he wanted them to do, when they outweighed him by more than one hundred pounds. I liked that the author dedicated this book to the pigs and other animals that have been a part of his life. I enjoyed the author’s use of metaphors, especially in the introduction, attributing elements of the winter storm to the difficulties he faced. One theme that was repeated through out this book was trying something new despite the possibility of failing.
I appreciated how the novel didn’t shy away from more somber moments, like when an animal was sick or died, or when the market hogs were sent to slaughter. Sad, but true, and kept the story feeling authentic. I would not have been able to make the kinds of decisions that Vally was forced to make, especially deciding which hogs would live or die. While I enjoyed the memoir heartily, I would have liked to have had a little bit more detail about how the relationship between Vally and his future wife, Julie, developed. As I thought this was interesting and I would have loved to have heard more about it.
Tales From the Mud Hole, Why Pigs are My Friends is a fascinating memoir that shows you pigs in a new light. The tone was conversational, and the anecdotes were insightful and intriguing. If you’re looking for a vivid look at an interesting but relatable life, then this extraordinary memoir is for you.
Pages: 205 | ASIN: B08WCBWPZS
How Trauma Works
Wales High School shares your journey in high school and the events that led you to a psychiatric ward. What inspired you to write this autobiography?
I have spent so much time processing the challenging experience I had in college from my book University on Watch: Crisis in the Academy. I overlooked the importance of going back and revisiting what happened in High School. As a therapist, I appreciate how trauma works. Going back and getting a better understanding of the trauma I experienced before helped situate why the events, later on, manifested the way they did and gave me a better idea of the behavior patterns I kept repeating, which were so destructive. Also, I wanted to write a book that all people experiencing mental health struggles could relate. Not everyone goes to college and would appreciate University on Watch. Everyone goes to High School and struggles at some point.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about mental health?
I think a common misconception about Mental Health is how it looks or appears/presents to others observing someone who is sick. Mental Health/illness looks very different depending on the diagnosis and how the person handles him or herself while sick. I have seen people of all dispositions and demeanors with various illnesses as a therapist.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest part was truly capturing my desperation. I was a desperate teenager and in a desperate situation. It wasn’t easy to both find the correct language and read what I have written without cringing.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I have two other books available right now. One is a more petite ebook, Wales Middle School: the rise of J. Peters and Small Fingernails: Even Less love, both autobiographical.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
That troubled teen is me.
When I was discharged, I was in a daze. Numbed by medication and left with few friends, I spent my days listening to music and giving my teachers lip. Eventually, on a cold winter night home alone, I posted a single word on my blog: “goodbye.” I took a cocktail of pills and hoped to slip into an endless sleep.
When The Rain Stops
![When The Rain Stops by [John Callas, David Lewis]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KCDSuq4HS.jpg)
When the rain stops by John Callas is the emotional journey of a young man trying to deal with his depression to fully appreciate life and overcome any obstacle or difficult moment in his life. John’s misfortunes first came to him when he was only three years old, distorting his vision of reality and relationship with other people. When the little boy is sent away from home to a military school, rain starts pouring on him, symbolizing depression, and it gets the best out of him until he starts to fight it. However, this time he is not alone in this fight and he looks forward to the moment when the rain will stop.
Callas guides readers through a heartwarming adventure, making us feel both melancholy and happy at the same time, getting us to root for the misunderstood boy, who’s trying to find his own place in the world. Where some authors might want to make their character look like a hero, hiding their suffering; Callas tells us the story of a boy anyone can understand, if not relate to.
As a reader particularly keen on details, I noticed that Callas focuses only on important ones. We don’t get a detailed description of the settings in the book, whereas we get a precise description of the character’s feelings whenever turmoil comes in sight or a merry event takes place, we get to share those emotions with John and improve our empathy towards others. Furthermore, this memoir feels grounded because of the realistic conversations, including slang and swearing when needed.
This deeply moving memoir will send readers on an emotionally charged and spiritual journey. John’s story leads us through the emotions of a teenager and the thoughts of a young adult, making us feel like we are a part of his journey. I recommend this impassioned memoir to teen and adult readers, or anyone looking for an inspiring story or someone who struggles with depression. You never know when someone is suffering from depression and as Callas wrote: “If I save one life then I will consider this book a best seller.”
Pages: 223 | ASIN: B093F73G7H
LITERARY TITAN 