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Curiosity and Wonder
Posted by Literary_Titan

With Love from Mom: The Journey of Dreams centers on a mom reassuring her daughter that she will always be there for her in life and perhaps even in dreams. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for With Love, From Mom: The Journey of Dreams comes from my own experiences as a mother to my daughter, Audrey. Since she was little, we’ve bonded over bedtime stories, and I wanted to write a story that celebrates the bond between a mother and her child. I aimed to capture the warmth and comfort of knowing that a parent’s love is constant and unwavering, both in waking moments and in dreams. It’s a love letter to my daughter and children everywhere, reminding them that they are always cherished and supported.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Gail Rae Javier?
I feel incredibly fortunate to have collaborated with Gail Rae Javier. As a new author, working with her has been wonderful. She brought her own artistic vision to my words, creating whimsical, dream-like illustrations that resonate with both children and parents. Gail’s talent for capturing gentle, heartfelt, and dreamy themes was exactly what I envisioned for the book. I appreciated her artistic point of view, and each illustration beautifully complemented the narrative, conveying the emotions and adventures of the mom and daughter. Her ability to translate my words into vivid, enchanting visuals brought the story to life beyond my expectations.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
There were several key ideas I wanted to convey. First and foremost, the theme of unconditional love and the strong bond between a mother and her child. I also wanted to emphasize the power of dreams and imagination, encouraging children to believe in themselves and explore the world with curiosity and wonder. Additionally, the story supports social and emotional learning (SEL), highlighting themes of love, self-worth, and emotional bonding. It’s important for me that children feel secure in their parents’ love and grow up confident in their individuality.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am currently working on a new book that continues the adventures of the girl and her bunny from With Love from Mom: The Journey of Dreams. This time, they travel around the world, learning about different cultures, respecting customs, and immersing themselves in local traditions. It combines education with whimsy, aiming to broaden young readers’ horizons and foster a love and appreciation for the world around us. I’m excited to share that it will be available next year, and I can’t wait for readers to embark on this new journey with us.
I will also be releasing two more books this year in a series called Blossomvale. Curly’s Giving Heart follows Curly the Caterpillar as he learns the importance of balance and self-care while helping his friends. Feather’s Healing Song is a touching story about dealing with loss and finding joy again. Both books explore universal themes of friendship, self-discovery, and resilience, designed to entertain and impart valuable life lessons to young readers. I’m excited to share these heartwarming tales with children and families everywhere.
AuthorLinks: GoodReads | Instagram | Website
Experience the Magic:
“A nurturing sendoff into a dreamworld of playful wonderment.” – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review, Get It Award)
“Each page feels like a mother’s hug, filled with love and care.” – Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review
“A whimsical journey of fancy and love in the land of dreams.” – Reedsy 4-Star Review
A Poetic Journey:
Told with lyrical rhymes and vivid imagery, this book invites young readers to dream big and feel deeply loved. It’s perfect for sparking curiosity, fostering a sense of security, and creating cherished bedtime memories.
Award-Winning Author:
Winner of the Golden Book Prize 2024, this beautifully illustrated book is a testament to Gel See’s captivating storytelling and Gail Rae Javier’s stunning illustrations.
Ideal for children of all ages, from newborns to young readers, this book is a wonderful gift for baby showers, birthdays, and special moments.
Join this heartfelt journey of dreams, where a mother’s love lights the way to wonder and self-discovery!
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, Baby & Toddler Bedtime & Dreaming Books, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Children's Imagination & Play Fiction, Children's Social Skills, childrens book, ebook, family, Gail Rae Javier, Gel See, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, picture book, read, reader, reading, stories in verse, story, With Love from Mom: The Journey of Dreams, writer, writing
Time Heals All Wounds
Posted by Literary_Titan

The Last Single Couple in America follows a gay man and his best friend, a straight woman, who both sleep with the same man, unknowingly causing their friendship to take a drastic turn. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I thought it would be an interesting dynamic if two best friends unknowingly slept with the same person, especially if one was gay, and the other being his best straight female friend just added to the dramatic fallout of their friendship. It was tricky how I had to orchestrate them both sleeping with the same guy since they were so close and shared all the intimate details of their love/sex life. Hopefully, I pulled it off without seeming unrealistic. But throughout the novel, I basically let the characters dictate where the story was going, and fortunately, things just fell into place in a logical (hopefully) way.
Because Francine was absent throughout a good chunk of the middle of the novel, I didn’t want the reader to forget about Francine, so I would periodically interject how Jude missed her and wished they were talking so he could tell her about some of the crazy situations he experienced. Of course, I had — at some point — to reunite them and a death was the impetus to do just that because they both came to the conclusion that life is too short to let petty things come between friends.
Jude and Francine are well-crafted characters that readers will be drawn to and can relate to their emotional struggles. Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?
I feel that I did. In the beginning, Jude frets about turning 30. By the end of the novel, as he heads into the new year when he will turn 32, he realizes that age is just a number, and he doesn’t feel any different than when he was in his 20s.
As for Francine, she comes to realize it was foolish to let Dakota come between her deep friendship with Jude. She let her anger and emotions override reality. As they are celebrating New Year’s Eve, Jude optimistically moves on from his breakup with Chase, and Francine does the same with Douglas and Jude tells Francine how much he appreciates her and that you can’t rush love; it has to happen naturally. He will find a better version of Chase and Francine will find a better version of Douglas, but patience is needed. Until then, they will have each other and will support each other through the ups and downs of life. Time heals all wounds. I think it is a good lesson to learn for the reader.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Obviously, friendships and relationships were the major themes, but also family. I wanted to portray a positive relationship between a gay man and his family. Although it isn’t until the end of the novel that Jude tells his mother that he is gay, I wanted to present being gay as no different from being straight. When Francine asks Jude why he hasn’t told his parents, he says, “My brother didn’t have to tell them he’s straight. Being gay is who I am.”
Although I think of The Last Single Couple in America as a comic novel, it would be negligent to not include some of the social issues that faced gays in the 90s, so I had to include one character who has an AIDS scare and another character who is HIV positive, but that he was living a normal, happy, and healthy life.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m toying with doing a sequel because I really liked the characters so much. But then I was thinking of doing a novel about a struggling actor and a struggling playwright who are thrown together by economic fates and start out at odds with each other, but an underlying attraction develops between them. We’ll see. I’ve spent a lot of time getting The Last Single Couple in America published and marketing it, but now I can spend more time thinking/writing a new novel.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, LGBTQ+, literature, Martin Sacchetti, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, romantic comedy, story, The Last Single Couple in America, writer, writing
Tap Your Emotions & Write Sincerely
Posted by Literary_Titan


Matson’s Case No.2 follows a detective leading the investigation of five complex murder cases who discovers a government coverup operation in the process. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Reading about Operation Paper Clip and how the United States government brought many German scientists, Nazi intelligence officers, and members of death camp personnel here. This open door policy also was extended to members of Unit 731, the Imperial Japanese Army’s biological weapons unit. I used my character, Robert Matson, to peel back the layers of this onion. In the process, Matson reveals how the Agriculture Lab off the coast of Lyme, Connecticut, became the epicenter for Lyme’s disease and other infectious diseases that have been diagnosed in this area. Members of the U. S. Senate were informed about the tick colony at this facility and how the insects had escaped, but they took no action. Lab leaks do not happen only in China.
With so many emotionally impactful scenes in your book, what was your hardest scene to write and why?
The death of Bumpy Johnson was hard to write, because I wanted to open with an event that was significant for Matson because Bumpy, although a criminal, had been helpful in starting Matson’s career on the police force. I wanted to make sure that the scene was very accurate in terms of location, who was there, and what Matson’s emotions as he saw his friend die in front of him. It also reminded me of witnessing my first death and how I felt seeing a patient alive only a few hours earlier and then at autopsy.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write about things that move you. Don’t think about financial gain, because if that is your primary focus, you will never write anything worthwhile. Tap your emotions. Write sincerely about your at experiences: the loss of a loved one, the birth of a child, the anger at being betrayed, the fear when facing danger. Be a good observer of life. Describe people, places, and objects. Put the reader in those places. Think about what would make you turn the page.
What types of questions do you ask yourself when planning a new book?
What is your interest in the particular story you want to tell? Who are your characters? Who are they before they show up in your story? Each character has a life. He or she breathes, eats, loves, and hates. How do you write these things so that your reader will find your story worthwhile to read? While I do not outline a story in advance of writing it, many writers prefer to do that. Whatever works best for you. I also have no idea how many pages I will need to write to tell my story. I let my characters dictate what happened, where they’re going, and what happens next and in the long run. Do not keep writing after you finish telling your story just to add more pages. It’s not the length of a book that counts; it’s the quality of the writing on whatever pages it takes to tell the story.
What are you in the middle of writing now?
I am writing a series about a family during the Spanish Reconquista from about 1230 to 1492. This three-part historical novel deals with the politics, intrigue, war, family life, and heartaches of noblemen and women trying to survive.
Author Links: GoodReads
In their investigation into the three murders, all revealing ties with Hitler, the two cops go to the FDA’s animal research facility, site of the three murdered men’s work on biological warfare off Lyme, Connecticut, namesake for Lyme disease.
Who murdered whom becomes a twisted riddle of love and covert operations—and protection of government secrets. Will the truth ever be known? Matson and Smith, in their search for the answer, venture off to the FDA’s Animal research facility, site of the three Nazi scientists’ work on bacteriological warfare off Lyme, Connecticut.
In the familiar sub-plot to the Matson series, he continues to advance in the police ranks, despite ongoing discrimination during the pre-Civil Rights era of the late 1950s. Sissy, Matson’s wife, begins her education in earnest toward becoming a highly respected psychologist.
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, crime, ebook, goodreads, historical fiction, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, Matson's Case No.2, murder, mystery, nook, novel, Pablo Omar Zaragoza, read, reader, reading, story, Susan Giffin, suspense, thriller, writer, writing
It Started with a New Magic System
Posted by Literary_Titan

Spirit Light: Volume 1 follows two sisters with great magical abilities who are being hunted by a dark Empire set on taking over their world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
One day about five years ago, I was daydreaming about how fantasy authors come up with such creative magic systems. I tell myself stories when I’m waiting to sleep, so that night, I decided to give it a try and come up with my own magic system. The only thing I remembered the next morning was the idea that, when they were young, the magically adept caused pain in others. I wanted to know what their life was like.
For some reason I’ll never be able to explain, I found myself writing in a coffee shop that cold, snowy morning. I hadn’t written a word of fiction since ninth grade. All I had was that question, two characters and a situation. Three hours later I had a pivotal scene in my first novel, Spirit Sight. It was awful. I couldn’t get the words to reflect what I saw in my head. But I loved it. When I walked out of that coffee shop, I knew I was going to be a writer.
I continued to write disconnected scenes while I tried to come up with a story. I’ll never forget racing home to tell my partner, Deb, one of my ideas. When I was done, she said, deadpan, “That’s the hunger games.” It was nearly a mortal blow.
It wasn’t until I went back to what started the whole thing, the magic system, that I finally got the basic pieces of the story. The people at the center of the story are called the Alle’oss. It’s a Norwegian phrase that means ‘all of us.’ So, I read a lot about Norse mythology and shamanism. That was what I needed. Once I had the magic system, the main character and a setting, the rest just started falling into place.
The Spirit Song Saga is a sprawling story in a world as complex as in The Game of Thrones. Eventually, there will be six books in the main series and six prequels. But I’m as passionate about it as I was that morning in the coffee shop five years ago.
What were the driving ideals behind the characters’ development throughout the story?
At the heart of the overarching story is the contrast between the peaceful, collectivist Alle’oss and the authoritarian, hierarchical Empire. The importance of family and community is reflected in many aspects of the Alle’oss’s culture and language. For example, as I mentioned above, the name means ‘all of us’. They call their mountains na’lios which means our home.
My main character is Minna Hunter. Despite being persecuted as a child, she grew up with the values her people hold dear. It’s why she can remain grounded when her people require her to step onto history’s grand stage.
Minna is the best sort of fantasy hero. I originally wanted to base her on Vin from Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series or Nona Grey from Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestors series. But she refused to fit the mold of a young, powerful girl made angry and defensive by a cruel world. She’s humble, open and unwaveringly kind. She isn’t always sure what she’s supposed to do, but she has a bedrock belief in herself. She never draws attention to herself, but she never fails to rise to the occasion when required.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I love all my characters, even the ‘evil’ ones. Everyone has a story, and everyone’s story can be interesting. Of course, my favorite character is my main character, Minna. I know her so well now, writing her scenes are second nature.
But the character that’s the easiest for me to write is Nara Flynn. She’s a powerful witch. The self-professed ‘best storyteller in the Empire,’ she’s ‘flamboyant, impertinent, disrespectful, sassy. Some, mostly Imperial officers, would call her obnoxious. But she is loyal to a fault to those she deems worthy, and, despite her love of the spotlight, she’s never the hero in her own stories.’ I can write her scenes almost as fast as I can type them. It took me a while to understand why, but when I figured it out, it was obvious. She’s my partner, Deb.
Can you tell us about the next book and when it will be available for fans to purchase?
The third book in the main series, Spirit Light Volume 1, comes out August 1 and the second book in the prequel series, Desulti, comes out November 1.
Author Links: X | Facebook | Website
Tales of the powerful saa’myns’ exploits spread like wildfire throughout the Empire, igniting their people’s hopes for freedom. As the daughters of the greatest seer who ever lived, they know their mother saw a path to defeating the Empire. But Ragan was struck down before telling anyone her plan, leaving them to find the way forward alone.
And they are in more danger than they know. Witches more powerful than the one who killed Ragan are tracking them. Can the Alle’oss withstand the might of the Empire while Minna and Alyn divine their mother’s plan? Or is it already too late?
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, coming of age, ebook, epic fantasy, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, Ross Hightower, Spirit Light: Volume 1, story, teen, writer, writing, ya fantasy, young adult
Upward Mobility
Posted by Literary_Titan

In This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods, you provide readers with a guide for dealing with childhood traumas that leave an impact far into adulthood. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Throughout the doctoral program for my PhD in clinical psychology, I searched for a comprehensive program to address the many complex issues present in family environments that allowed for repeated trauma and dysfunction. While I learned many fantastic therapeutic approaches to treating trauma, I found that they addressed several key parts of the trauma picture while ignoring other critical components. And so I set out to create a more complete list of variables, along with solutions and guidance to address each variable. And it only took me 14 years to complete!
What is a common misconception you feel people have about growing up with a dysfunctional family dynamic?
So many young adults believe that all they have to do is get free of their dysfunctional family by getting a solid job and their own independent place to live, which usually works for about a decade until their late 20’s and early 30’s when the less obvious (but very damaging) lingering habits and unhealthy thinking prevent personal thriving and happiness. It is not until they learn about self-sabotaging cycles, interpersonal control dynamics, and other natural consequences of the dysfunctional family dynamic that these survivors are able to truly break free from their family’s trauma history.
Can you share with us a little about the research required to put your book together?
First of all, for many years I have directly served clients struggling with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), like at the National Center for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System (amongst other places) where I studied and worked for 4 years in graduate school. Secondly, through continuing education programs, I purposefully learned many of the empirically validated therapies for treating trauma (EMDR, biofeedback, mindfulness, ACT, DBT, etc.). Third, by 2015, I had created my curriculum that included 13 variables that I turned into ‘rules’ that were easier for my clients to memorize and integrate into their lives. By 2017, the list had grown to 20 rules. By 2020, the 20 rules curriculum was highly refined and had successfully helped my clients and me address their family dysfunction in a comprehensive and detailed fashion. It was time to put the curriculum into book format!
What is one thing you hope readers can take away from This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods?
The lifestyle of upward mobility!! There is no one technique, one concept or skill, or one action that will heal a survivor and prepare them for a healthy, stable, happy life with their own successful relationships and family. So, much like the lifestyle of the martial artist, thriving survivors of childhood struggles have adopted a lifestyle of self-education, training, and self-empowerment that comes with tremendous challenges and victories throughout their lives. They just keep learning in their therapeutic activities–year after year–the many skills and insights that enable them to successfully handle life’s many challenges, as well as pass on their hard-learned education to the next generation!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website 1 | Website 2
During prolonged periods of chronic stress, family traumas, or dysfunctional family dynamics, your young brain likely created deeply ingrained physical and mental habits to help you survive. Unfortunately, these habits and core beliefs work against your adult life and relationship goals.
Even if you did not directly experience childhood abuse or neglect, you have likely felt the harmful effects of intergenerational (generational) trauma from your family, inherited as genetic issues or passed along through skills deficits and dysfunctional relationships. When these ancestral issues go unaddressed, we hand them down to the next generation. Natural responses to childhood stress can include:Chronic anxiety symptoms
Unhealthy, chaotic, or toxic relationships
Survival-based thinking (short-term, defensive, distrusting)
Personal or family substance abuse (or addictions like gambling, work, porn)
Unstable work life
These perfectly normal reactions to a painful childhood do not automatically go away when you grow up! Recovery from such childhood experiences is challenging but quite possible when motivated survivors utilize self-education, therapy, and skills building to empower themselves.
This book presents 20 key concepts for comprehensively thriving past your stressful childhood. While many books focus on two to three of these issues in depth, they typically leave out entire concepts critical to beast-mode thriving! This book offers guidelines for you to develop yourself as an individual before moving on to enhancing your interpersonal functioning. Each chapter explains key concepts before offering solutions with realistic healing exercises to develop healthy habits that will help you heal and ultimately thrive! Here are just a few of the 20 rules:Trauma lies are just that…LIES
We must slow down to speed up
Practice treating yourself in a self-loving and self-respecting fashion
We are responsible for the decisions that we are aware of
It’s us against trauma world
This encouraging and reality-based guide was authored by Ernest Ellender, PhD, who has worked directly with trauma survivors from all walks of life since 1995. He combined insights from his clinical psychology doctorate education and career with training methods from his martial arts career (Jiu-jitsu black belt instructor) to create this comprehensive and effective curriculum for those on a healing journey toward emotional wellbeing.
Clients benefiting from this curriculum have included those struggling with mental health instability; those in codependent and dysfunctional relationships; single parents wanting to do better for their children; divorced parents struggling with healthy co-parenting; clients diagnosed with C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depression, or dissociative disorders; clients whose prior therapists were poorly trained in trauma counseling and cptsd treatments; and parents seeking parenting tips to strengthen their family to prevent or minimize the impact of future traumas.
Following the guidelines of this book will lead to…More control, stability, and self-esteem
A daily life free of toxic shame!
Empathic and mature self-care and coping skills
Advanced self-advocacy and communication skills
Healthier, mutually supportive, and deeply engaged relationships when desired
The ability to articulate, set, and enforce healthier boundaries with both loved ones and toxic individuals
Positive parenting that fosters healthy families
A healthy lifestyle of healing and pursuit of long-term goals
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, coping skills, Couples & Family Therapy, ebook, Ernest Ellender, family health, family life, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nonfiction, nook, novel, psychology, read, reader, reading, self help, story, This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods: A Practical Guide for Healing Past Intergenerational Stress and Trauma, trauma, writer, writing
New Trails
Posted by Literary Titan

New Trails by Jody Norman is an engaging fantasy novel that transports readers to the world of Abhaile, a realm where ancient powers, complex societal structures, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness shape the destinies of its inhabitants. The story follows Troy Kirkland, a young man from Earth who finds himself inexplicably drawn into this mystical world, and Kieran, a native Guardian, as they navigate the intricate web of alliances, betrayals, and hidden truths that bind their fates.
Norman’s writing is immersive and richly descriptive, painting a vivid picture of Abhaile’s landscapes and the mystical elements that define its existence. The opening scenes, where Troy finds himself stranded in the desert with a blown tire, quickly set the tone for the adventure and mystery that follow. The author’s ability to blend the everyday with the fantastical is one of the book’s standout features. For instance, the shift from Troy’s mundane troubles to his encounters with Olaf Henderson, who can see multiple futures, creates a compelling juxtaposition that hooks the reader early on. The author’s character development and the emotional depth of the protagonists are standout features of this book. Troy’s journey from skepticism to reluctant acceptance of his new reality is handled with nuance. His initial interactions with Henderson are particularly striking, revealing Troy’s internal conflicts and his struggle to reconcile his past with his unexpected new role. Kieran’s character is equally well-drawn, and his bond with Troy adds a layer of emotional resonance to the narrative. The dynamics between them, especially during moments of crisis and revelation, drive the story forward and make their journey both believable and engaging. The detailed world-building and intricate plot are strengths that invite readers to fully immerse themselves in Abhaile’s rich society. The multiple layers of Abhaile’s society, the various types of energy workers, and the numerous rituals and customs introduced throughout the story offer a depth that rewards attentive readers. While some may find themselves referring to the glossary frequently to keep track of the different terms and characters, this adds to the experience of uncovering the story’s many facets, making it a deeply engaging and interactive read.
New Trails is a richly woven tapestry of fantasy, emotion, and adventure that will appeal to fans of detailed world-building and character-driven stories. Jody Norman’s ability to blend the familiar with the fantastical creates a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. This book is particularly well-suited for readers who enjoy diving deep into complex worlds and unraveling the intricate relationships that drive the story.
Pages: 751 | ASIN : B0CW9CLY26
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Posted in Book Reviews, Five Stars
Tags: action, adventure, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie author, Jody Norman, kindle, kobo, LGBTQ+ Fantasy, literature, New Trails, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, romantic fantasy, story, writer, writing
The Question Our Nairb’s Stories Book Two
Posted by Literary Titan


Reading The Question: Nairb’s Stories Book Two by Greg Siofer was quite an adventure. The book, a sequel to the author’s previous work, takes us on a thrilling journey filled with mystery, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural. From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the intense emotions and the gripping storyline.
The story begins with Nairb in a cabin, desperately searching for Grace, which immediately sets a tense and emotional tone. Siofer’s writing style is evocative, pulling the reader into Nairb’s world, where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural are blurred. The protagonist’s journey is marked by a series of enigmatic events and powerful encounters that keep the reader guessing.
One of the book’s strengths is its character development. Nairb is a flawed yet relatable character whose experiences and emotions are portrayed with depth. His interactions with other characters, like Jim and Dawna, are compelling and add layers to the narrative. The dynamics between them are complex and believable, making their struggles and triumphs resonate deeply with the reader.
The plot is well-paced, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns. The tension builds steadily, leading to moments of intense action and poignant reflection. Siofer’s ability to blend supernatural elements with real human emotions is impressive, creating a story that is both fantastical and grounded in reality. However, there were moments when I felt the narrative felt a bit fragmented, and I think some transitions between scenes could have been smoother. Despite this, the overall story arc is satisfying, with a conclusion that leaves enough questions unanswered to pique interest for the next installment.
The settings in the book are brought to life with vivid detail, from the eerie silence of the cabin to the surreal encounters in different locations. Siofer’s attention to detail helps create an immersive reading experience, where you can almost feel the chill of the cabin and the otherworldly nature of Nairb’s powers.
The Question: Nairb’s Stories Book Two is not just a supernatural thriller. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of loss, redemption, and the quest for truth. It delves into the complexities of human relationships and the struggle to overcome past traumas. The philosophical undertones about the nature of the soul and its journey add a layer of intellectual depth to the story, making it a truly engaging read.
The Question: Nairb’s Stories Book Two is a captivating read that combines elements of mystery, fantasy, and emotional drama. If you enjoy stories that mix the supernatural with profound human experiences, this book is definitely worth picking up.
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Posted in Book Reviews, Four Stars
Tags: action, advenutre, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, Greg Siofer, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, mystery, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, supernatural, The Question: Nairb’s Stories Book Two, writer, writing
Sour Apples
Posted by Literary Titan

Sour Apples is a charming and nostalgic tale that immerses readers in the adventurous and often precarious life of young Jimmy Hamilton. Set in the small town of Walnut Creek, the story follows Jimmy’s escapades, from near-falls out of his beloved tree fort to navigating new friendships and the trials of Little League baseball. With a keen eye for detail and a heartwarming portrayal of childhood, Jantzen crafts a world where imagination reigns, and the simple joys and fears of youth are vividly brought to life.
One of the most striking aspects of Jantzen’s writing is his ability to capture the innocence and boundless creativity of childhood. From Jimmy’s vivid daydreams of pitching in the major leagues to his spirited efforts to defend his fort from imagined enemies, the narrative is infused with a sense of wonder and excitement. The author’s detailed descriptions of Jimmy’s tree fort—a sanctuary built around an old walnut tree—serve as a poignant symbol of the protagonist’s desire for independence and adventure. This setting becomes a central character in its own right, anchoring many of the story’s pivotal moments. The characters are well-developed and relatable, particularly Jimmy, whose struggles and triumphs resonate deeply. Jantzen’s portrayal of Jimmy’s relationship with his mother adds a layer of complexity to the story. The tension between Jimmy’s yearning for freedom and his mother’s protective instincts is palpable, reflecting the universal parent-child dynamic. The scenes where Jimmy’s imagination takes flight—such as when he envisions himself pitching in a circus—are both humorous and touching, showcasing Jantzen’s skill in blending fantasy with reality. The friendship between Kevin and Jimmy is a central theme, reflecting the importance of companionship and loyalty during childhood. Kevin’s presence also helps to illustrate Jimmy’s growth as he learns to navigate conflicts and develop empathy. Through their interactions, readers witness how the boys support each other, whether it’s Kevin covering for Jimmy at school or Jimmy helping Kevin feel welcome in a new town.
Sour Apples is a delightful read that captures the essence of childhood with warmth and authenticity. Paul Jantzen’s narrative invites readers to reminisce about their own youthful adventures and the timeless thrill of simple pleasures. This book is particularly well-suited for those who enjoy coming-of-age stories and anyone looking to relive the magical moments of their youth. Whether you’re a fan of nostalgic fiction or seeking a heartwarming tale to share with younger readers, this book is a sweet and satisfying choice.
Pages 249 | ASIN: B0DCC4N8LT
Black Rose Writing | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
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Posted in Book Reviews, Five Stars
Tags: adventure, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, coming of age, ebook, fiction, goodreads, humor, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, Paul Jantzen, read, reader, reading, Sour Apples, story, writer, writing





