Blog Archives
Eagle Scout to Killer: A Novel Based on True Events
Eagle Scout to Killer by K.S. Alan and Lorna Dare is a harrowing and unflinching account of one man’s transformation from idealistic youth to haunted veteran. Told through the voice of Kurt S. Alan, a soldier whose service in Vietnam blurs the line between heroism and survival, the book chronicles the moral and psychological toll of war. From its opening pages, where Alan recounts his covert involvement in the events surrounding the Gulf of Tonkin, the narrative establishes itself as both historical confession and personal reckoning. This is not a traditional war story; it is an exploration of how combat reshapes identity, erodes morality, and leaves wounds that no medal can redeem.
The authors write with a restrained intensity that makes the book deeply affecting. Alan’s first-person account of meeting CIA operative Coleman and orchestrating a staged naval attack feels chilling in its calm precision. When he admits, “I grew up being taught to never lie, but here I was perpetrating a lie on the U.S. Congress,” the line reverberates beyond his personal guilt; it becomes an indictment of the political machinery that demanded such deception. The prose is unsentimental yet charged with quiet anguish, capturing the conflict between duty and conscience with unsettling clarity.
What gives the book its emotional weight is not only its exposure of covert operations but its portrait of trauma. In the preface and the reflections from Alan’s VA therapist, the story is framed as part of a long process of healing. The therapist describes it as “Kurt’s effort to reclaim his soul,” and the book indeed feels like an act of reclamation. When Alan later visits the Vietnam Memorial and leaves his Special Operations coin at the wall, the gesture becomes a moment of fragile grace amid decades of inner torment. That scene encapsulates the cost of survival and the longing for absolution that haunts so many who return from war.
The combat scenes themselves are vivid, brutal, and often difficult to read. Chapters such as “The Punji Pit” and “Operation Cherry” depict the chaos of Vietnam with visceral precision. Yet the violence never feels gratuitous; it underscores the moral corrosion that the preface warns against. The narrative’s strength lies in its refusal to glorify combat or simplify the psychology of those who endured it. Alan’s voice remains grounded, disciplined, and painfully self-aware. The result is a story that feels at once deeply personal and universally human, a meditation on guilt, loyalty, and the enduring search for meaning after unimaginable loss.
Eagle Scout to Killer is not an easy book to read, but it is an essential one. It speaks to veterans who have carried their battles home with them, and to civilians who have never confronted what war truly demands of those who fight it. For readers interested in military history, moral philosophy, or psychological resilience, this book offers a rare and unsettling clarity. It is both a confession and a cautionary tale, a powerful reminder that while war may end, its echoes never do.
Pages: 264 | ISBN : 9781965390139
My Soul Mission
Transform Your Cosmic Self is a spiritual guide that charts a path from awakening to ascension by blending autobiography, metaphysics, and practical exercises to help readers explore their spiritual evolution. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was a Divine calling for me to write Transform Your Cosmic Self after years of soul-seeking and awakening—experiencing both the profound highs and lows of my spiritual journey, which ultimately led me to reunite with my Higher Self, the enlightened aspect of my consciousness. Through this reconnection, I was guided to create a comprehensive guide that intertwines my personal experiences with the Divine wisdom I’ve channeled, to illuminate the path for others who are also navigating their journey of awakening and ascension.
This book is a vital part of my soul mission—to help others expand their consciousness, embody their Divine essence, remember who they truly are, and contribute to raising the collective consciousness of humanity. It serves as both a roadmap and a companion, blending personal story, higher teachings, and practical exercises to support readers in their spiritual evolution with greater clarity, confidence, and Divine alignment.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about awakening and ascension in relation to finding their Soul Purpose?
A common misconception is that awakening and ascension happen suddenly — as if one day you simply “wake up” enlightened and instantly know your Soul Purpose. In truth, awakening and ascension are not single events, but ongoing journeys of self-discovery, healing, and self-mastery.
For every soul, the ultimate purpose is to transcend the cycle of rebirth. Within each lifetime, we are presented with unique lessons and experiences designed to support our spiritual evolution. Many people remain unaware of their greater Soul Purpose until they begin the awakening process. As we evolve, we come to realize that our purpose is not something to seek outside ourselves, but something that unfolds naturally from within as our consciousness expands.
Awakening and ascension invite us to release energetic blockages, raise our vibration, and realign with our Higher Self. It’s not about reaching perfection or a final destination — it’s about walking the path of evolution in alignment with our true essence and allowing our true Soul Purpose to unfold with Divine timing.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
This book is not just a collection of theories or spiritual concepts — it is an integration of my own first-hand experiences gathered over decades of spiritual evolution, combined with the Divine wisdom received through direct connection with my Higher Self and Ascended Masters. It interweaves transformative insights with practical inner-work practices that have emerged through years of soul searching, ascension work, and self-mastery.
It offers a comprehensive roadmap — from the foundational principles of creation to guidance on transcending the cycle of rebirth — providing readers not only with tools for spiritual awakening but also actionable practices to support their ongoing journey of ascension and soul evolution.
How did you develop, or choose, the exercises you use in your book, and what is the best way for a newcomer to explore consciousness and multidimensional existence to get started down this path?
This book is written in a natural flow, so I recommend starting from Chapter 1 and following through each chapter in sequence when reading for the first time. The exercises in this book were carefully developed from decades of personal spiritual practice, energy work, and direct guidance from my Higher Self and Ascended Masters. They combine experiential practices, meditations, and reflective exercises that I have personally used to deepen awareness, release limiting patterns, and expand into higher states of consciousness. Each exercise is designed to help readers access their inner wisdom and cultivate a deeper connection with the true essence of the self.
For newcomers, the best way to begin exploring consciousness is through simple, consistent practices that foster presence and self-awareness. Meditation, contemplation, and energy-focused exercises are excellent starting points. It’s essential to approach this journey with curiosity, patience, and compassion for yourself — awakening and multidimensional exploration are gradual processes. Start small, honor your own pace, and allow insights to unfold naturally as you expand your awareness and reconnect with your Higher Self.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Through powerful personal stories and timeless teachings—complete with reflections and exercises—Joy reveals profound Truths that transcend ordinary reality. This book offers a clear and grounded framework for self-discovery, spiritual awakening and ascension.
Journey through over 90 spiritual topics as Joy shares her awakening and ascension path, explores the universal principles of creation, uncovers humanity’s spiritual origins, offers practical pathways to enlightenment, and reveals the transformative power of the Akashic Records and multi-dimensional healing.
Whether you’re just beginning or advanced on your spiritual path, this book provides guidance and clarity to support your soul evolution. Let this be your guide to reclaiming your Divine essence and fulfilling your highest potential.
Literary Titan Book Award: Nonfiction
The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes outstanding nonfiction books that demonstrate exceptional quality in writing, research, and presentation. This award is dedicated to authors who excel in creating informative, enlightening, and engaging works that offer valuable insights. Recipients of this award are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
Filaments by KZK Zuganelis Kasling
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Education and Evangelism
From Hill Town to Strieby explores the life of Reverend Islay Walden, a man born into slavery who overcame blindness and hardship to return home as a minister and educator, and the legacy the Hill and Lassiter families left on the community. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As descendants of the original families that helped found the church and who continue as trustees today, we worried as we watched the last of the generation before us pass away that our history would be lost if we did not make a concerted effort to preserve, share, and uplift it. As the writer in the group, they looked to me to help that happen. In addition, just as other African American community descendants are concerned about erasure, not just benign neglect, we wanted to do all we could to be certain that the history of the church, school, community and its founder, Rev. Islay Walden, would always be an acknowledged and celebrated part of Randolph County, North Carolina history, and be part of the broader American History of African Americans and the rural South. I didn’t want anyone in Randolph County to ever say again as someone once had, “Strieby? Never Heard of It.”
With regards to Islay Walden himself, I had come to realize, as I researched his life, that in his lifetime, he was not an obscure poet, as some had portrayed him. In addition, I realized that none of the biographical essays about him had really understood that his passion was not poetry, regardless of his success. His passion was education and evangelism. No one had reflected on that in writing about him, so I wanted to pay homage to him as a 19th century African American poet, but even more important for me to elucidate was his legacy in education and ministry.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
At the time that I made the decision to finally write the book, I had been researching the community for over twenty years and had already written a book about the history of one family, the Miles Lassiter family. At the same time as discussions about writing the book, family members were also asking about historical preservation. As part of that, I prepared an extensive, documented history of the church, historic school, and cemetery in application for the county’s Cultural Heritage Site designation, which we received. That application became the first draft. It took two more years of research and writing before the book was completed in 2016.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The level of educational excellence that the school stood for had been praised and celebrated at every turn by the entire community. This was a community with nearly 100% literacy in the early 1900s, when that achievement was rare for any community in the rural South. This community had placed a high premium on education, and members had gone to great lengths to seek additional opportunities, even leaving the community to do so, yet always returning to share love and encouragement with the next generation. In fact, this community had produced at least one young teacher by 1900, and several more soon followed.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from From Hill Town to Strieby?
I hope readers see that rural communities of color have been seeking the same things that their urban siblings have been seeking — opportunity. They seek educational opportunities, which they hope, like everyone else, will provide them with other opportunities, including economic security, whether they leave the countryside or not.
Author Links: Goodreads | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website | Amazon
Hope of Recovery
In Being Broken, you share the traumas of your childhood, heartbreaking losses, and how you were able to face the damage that shaped your life. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I had to understand how things could have gone so terribly wrong that my sister had to pay the ultimate price, with her life. I’m not a spiritual person, so I needed to believe that this was preventable; that there was a rational and reasonable explanation for this tragedy. Not only that, I needed to better understand my part and be able to forgive myself for either my inability to act in time, or if I had become apathetic to her plight from years of dealing with it. But the journey allowed me to view my own life from a better perspective. It allowed me to dig deep into the traumas of my past and move forward with forgiveness of myself and the fact that I was not responsible for what happened to either of us.
I appreciated the honesty and raw emotion throughout your memoir. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
Top of that list is my sister’s death. I was so overcome with shame and guilt about not being able to save her, the only way to deal with it was to write about it. I was having a hard time articulating what I was going through, and to write it all out was relieving since the rumination during grief can be very overwhelming. However, equal to how difficult her death was, learning and writing about my sister’s rape was extremely difficult. As I wrote in the book, our parents downplayed my sister’s rape to the point where they were trying to convince me it didn’t happen. Because of their manipulation, I believed them, and the guilt and shame I felt when I read about it in her journals was heartbreaking. Knowing that I wasn’t there for her like I should have been while she was dealing with that trauma, alone, made me feel absolutely horrible. Understanding now it is not my fault, but the fault of my parents’ manipulation of me, that I wasn’t there for her during the most difficult time of her life allowed me to forgive myself.
What is one misconception you believe many people have about growing up in abusive homes?
That children, and even adults, can see and understand that they are being abused, and that escaping the situation is obvious. Many people in abusive relationships are unaware that they are experiencing abuse. I didn’t understand that my sister and I were being abused by our parents until after her death. The narcissistic front of family perfection that our parents projected out into the world made it very difficult for anyone to believe us when we talked about what was going on in that house. Further, the nature of the abuse caused us to live in fear of talking about it. To even consider sharing what was going on with us, we knew the consequences would be severe. And lastly, the amount of control my parents had over my sister’s life precluded any ability for her to escape. They had full control over everything in her life: her car, her lease/rental properties, her phone, money, even her son when she was deemed incapable of caring for him – and they constantly threatened to take it all away if she didn’t behave as they wanted. Truly understanding what was happening to us took a lot of study on my part; years of work through my sobriety, and then grief. By then, it was too late for her, but it continues to help me heal.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your experiences?
That if you are experiencing the same type of abuse, or have in your past, that you are not alone and there is hope of recovery. The common statistic is that 1 in 4 children experiences a form of abuse. It doesn’t have to be physical or sexual abuse, the most horrific types; it could be any type of mental or emotional abuse. Everyone experiences trauma, even the same trauma, differently based on their formative childhood years. Studies show that a child who experiences repeated forms of abuse has a very altered brain than one who does not. However, through neuroplasticity, therapy, and work, we can manage the challenges of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to rewire our brains to live healthy, improved lives and still accept and integrate what we faced as children.
Author Links: GoodReads | Bluesky | Facebook | Website | Amazon
The son, brother, stepson is the only one left to pick up the pieces. He begins a journey of the self and finds out the truth of his family. After going over letters, notes, emails, videos, and text messages, he uncovers a disturbing picture of the abuse his sister suffered at the hands of their parents. He also begins to better understand his own struggles with mental health and substance addiction because of the trauma and abuse he also suffered from their parents.
Follow the son as he looks through his family history to discover the generational abuse that trickled down through the years. Learn about how parents who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder emotionally abuse and manipulate their children. See how the abuse and trauma becomes mental illness in the abused, and how they fall into vicious traps of addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Witness the transformational change of the son as he works on the recovery of his inner child and tries to become the man he was meant to be.
Being Broken: Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse
Being Broken, by Geoffrey R. Jonas, is a brutally honest memoir about trauma, addiction, and survival. It follows Jonas through a childhood steeped in neglect and narcissistic abuse, into years of substance dependence, and finally toward healing and self-understanding. He recounts the deaths of his sister, father, and mother, all in a single year, and how those losses forced him to face the damage that shaped his life. The book mixes memoir with insight–part psychology, part confession, and all heart.
Right from the start, Jonas pulls no punches. In the foreword, he admits, “I am spewing my head out onto these pages,” and that’s exactly how it reads, raw, direct, and strangely freeing. The prologue on narcissistic parental abuse hooked me. He doesn’t just define the concept; he exposes how it poisoned his family dynamic and left scars that followed him into adulthood. The mix of personal detail and clinical explanation makes it both heartbreaking and fascinating.
What I love most about this book is its honesty. Jonas never paints himself as a victim. He admits to his own part in the chaos, lying, manipulating, and self-destructing. There’s something refreshing about how he refuses to hide the ugly parts. When he writes about his sister’s overdose or his parents’ emotional absence, he doesn’t look for pity. He looks for truth. The section “Fault vs. Responsibility and Blame” really stuck with me. His idea that “it’s not their fault, but they are responsible” reframes forgiveness in a way that feels mature and real.
Jonas’ writing hits hard because it’s unfiltered but thoughtful. The poem “Broken,” written for his sister, might be the emotional heart of the book. It’s tender and painful, a mix of love, guilt, and memory. And by the end, when he says, “Here I am. A survivor,” it doesn’t sound like a line from a movie. It feels earned.
Being Broken isn’t a light read, but it’s a powerful one. It’s for people who’ve faced trauma, addiction, or toxic family systems, and for anyone curious about how self-awareness can lead to recovery. Jonas writes like a man who’s been through hell and decided to document the landscape. It’s dark, hopeful, and deeply human.
Pages: 274 | ASIN : B0DZPGY1BZ
War of the Words
Carol Karels’ War of the Words: The Office Revolution That Transformed the Lives of Women and the Men They Worked For is a fascinating mix of family memoir and tech history. Karels tells the story of Microsystems Engineering Corporation (MEC), the small family company her father and uncle founded in the late 1970s that created MASS-11, a powerful word processor that quietly helped shape the modern office. From NASA contracts to the early days of Digital’s VAX computers, she traces how a homegrown business rode and was eventually crushed by the wave of the Information Age.
What grabbed me right away was how personal it felt. Karels doesn’t hide the messiness: her brother’s public one-star review of her first book, her father’s fierce ambition, and the family’s chaotic dynamic all sit side by side with the story of a company at the center of a digital revolution. When she recalls their product being featured at the Paperless Office event at the Watergate Hotel or the excitement of reading Alvin Toffler’s The Third Wave, the scenes feel alive, filled with awe and possibility. Yet underneath, there’s tension, the sense that every success came at a cost.
I loved how Karels mixes technical history with heart. She writes about computers, word processors, and office automation, but always brings it back to people: her father’s restless drive, her brother’s pride, and her own search for purpose. Her prose has a natural rhythm, part storytelling, part confession, and even when she dives into details about the DEC VAX or the shift from typewriters to terminals, it feels human and intimate.
One of the most memorable moments for me was her father’s blunt advice: “Learning MASS-11 might be the best goddamn thing you ever do.” That line sums up the entire book, equal parts tough love and belief in possibility. Karels writes with humor, honesty, and just enough bite to keep you hooked.
War of the Words is perfect for readers who love memoirs that connect personal lives to cultural change. It’s about family, ambition, innovation, and the strange beauty of watching a dream take shape, and then fall apart. Anyone curious about women in tech or the human side of the computer revolution will find this story both moving and unforgettable.
Pages: 332 | ISBN : 978-1953728432
LITERARY TITAN 