Blog Archives
Wing Haven
Wing Haven, by Naomi Shibles, is a beautifully imagined fairy tale that feels both timeless and new. It tells the story of Almond Nettlesworth, a reluctant fairy who doesn’t quite fit into her messy, mossy world. After being outshone and betrayed by her younger sister, who suddenly becomes queen, Almond is thrust into an adventure that forces her to confront danger, friendship, and her own sense of belonging. Alongside unlikely allies like a chipmunk named Nutsie, she journeys through the wild forest in search of purpose and freedom, discovering a forgotten dollhouse that becomes a kind of refuge. Beneath the fantasy, the story hums with ideas about independence, family, and what it means to find beauty in imperfection.
What I liked most was how the book blended the charm of childhood imagination with the weight of adult emotion. The writing is lush and cinematic, full of textures like glittering wings, sticky sap, and the smell of damp moss. Shibles has a gift for description that makes even tiny moments feel alive. Still, it’s the heart of the story that got to me. Almond’s frustration with her world, her yearning for cleanliness and order in a place ruled by chaos, hit closer to home than I expected. I found myself rooting for her even when she stumbled, even when her pride made her prickly. The relationship between Almond and Pepper, sisters bound by rivalry and love, felt raw and real. Their clash mirrors the kind of quiet wars siblings fight when one grows up too fast and the other gets left behind.
I felt the pacing sometimes slows under the weight of its detail. The world-building is rich, like a garden that needs a little pruning. Yet, I didn’t mind walking through that garden. The story invites you to pause and notice the small wonders that are hiding. I also admired how the author used the natural world not just as a setting, but as a character. The forest breathes and sighs, both nurturing and cruel. It reminded me of how nature holds contradictions, beauty and decay, danger and shelter, and how those same tensions live inside us.
Wing Haven left me with a quiet ache and a deep sense of wonder. It’s a story for readers who still believe that magic exists just out of sight, for dreamers who feel out of place in the noise of the world. I’d recommend it to anyone who loved The Secret Garden as a child and now wants something more grown, more tangled, and more tender.
Pages: 219 | ASIN : B0FQBXFWPQ
Born on Monday
Born on Monday tells the story of Billy Stevens and Jessica Michaud, two people tethered by shared history and unfinished feelings in the small town of Augusta, Maine. It’s a story about trauma, redemption, and how the past has a way of catching up even when we think we’ve buried it. The novel opens with a reunion that feels innocent at first, a meeting in a bar between ex-lovers, but it quickly widens into something much darker. Their lives, already scarred by heartbreak and regret, begin to tangle again through loss, addiction, and violence. Becker’s writing threads together memory and immediacy with quiet dread, pulling the reader through a story that feels both intimate and cinematic.
I couldn’t help but feel pulled under by Becker’s prose. It’s sharp but unpretentious. The way he writes about small towns feels dead-on, that claustrophobic mix of nostalgia and rot. His characters are flawed, all cracked open in ways that feel real, not performative. Billy’s grief feels worn and honest, and Jessica’s shame and self-doubt are haunting. I liked how Becker avoids grand speeches or easy answers. Every conversation carries an undercurrent, like everyone is speaking through layers of history. The pacing is deliberate, but it gives space for emotion to breathe. I found myself pausing often, not because the plot slowed, but because I needed to sit with the weight of what had just happened.
There’s something raw about the ideas Becker plays with, survival, masculinity, and cycles of trauma. Some scenes hit harder than I expected. The quiet domestic pain, the strange kindness between people who are barely holding on, the way memories echo through time. Becker writes people who keep trying, even when they shouldn’t. The story feels true in a way that most “redemption arcs” don’t.
By the end, I wasn’t sure if I felt heartbroken or hopeful. Maybe both. Born on Monday isn’t for readers who want neat resolutions or tidy morals. It’s for those who don’t mind sitting in the mess, who understand that healing isn’t about closure, it’s about survival. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes character-driven fiction that deals with real scars, not storybook wounds. Fans of small-town dramas like Sharp Objects or Winter’s Bone will find something familiar here, but Becker’s voice is his own.
Pages: 352 | ASIN : B0FSSN8XXZ
Monsters Don’t Say Meep: Even the tiniest roar can make the biggest difference
This children’s book tells the story of Meep, a little monster who just can’t roar like the others at Monster Scare Prep School. Everyone around him belts out their big scary sounds, but poor Meep can only squeak his tiny “meep.” He tries everything, roaring in caves, wearing a pumpkin helmet, even stuffing his mouth full of gooey pumpkin guts, but nothing works. When the Monsters’ Ball goes wild with chaos and scared kittens, it’s Meep’s soft, sweet “meep” that saves the day. Turns out, his quiet voice is the one that really matters.
I loved this children’s story from the very first page. The writing feels playful and full of rhythm, like it’s meant to be read out loud with silly voices and giggles. The way author Bridgetta Tomarchio paints Meep’s struggle is both funny and heart-tugging. It captures how it feels to not fit in, especially when everyone else seems bigger, louder, or braver. The humor, pumpkin guts, fart sounds, and monster mishaps keep it light and fun, while the message sneaks up softly. It’s not about being the scariest; it’s about being yourself. And that “meep”? It’s adorable.
You can tell this story comes from a place of love, especially knowing it was inspired by the author’s son. The idea that our real voices matter, even when they sound different, is such a beautiful thing to teach kids. The vibrant and charming illustrations burst with playful energy, perfectly suited for a children’s picture book. It features a delightful cast of colorful monsters. The warm, bright color palette, combined with the monsters’ expressive faces, creates an inviting and positive atmosphere.
I’d totally recommend Monsters Don’t Say Meep for kids ages three to seven, or anyone who’s ever felt too small to be heard. It’s the kind of book that makes you smile and maybe tear up a little at the end. If you’ve got a shy kid, a loud kid, or any kid in between, this story belongs on your shelf. It’s got the kind of magic that makes bedtime stories worth staying up for.
Pages: 42 | ASIN : B0FQK4N98J
The Illusion of Freedom
Day Drinkers follows a woman on a Caribbean island desperate to escape her dead-end job who takes a risk captaining a small sailing vessel for a corrupt music artist, sending her into a life-or-death situation. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for Day Drinkers came from the decade I spent living and working in the Caribbean as a travel writer, performer, and liveaboard sailor. I was fascinated by how easily escape and suffering coexist in so-called paradise. The novel is a meditation on the consequences of rejecting society’s rules in pursuit of the illusion of freedom, and on how we choose to either make sense of our past or run from it.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Absolutely. My books always emerge from lived experience. My debut, Zone Trip, was inspired by the fifteen years I spent with a secret artist society in San Francisco. For Day Drinkers, I drew from a decade of sailing, performing, and working as a travel writer in the Caribbean. I want my stories to feel authentic, so I live them. Most of the characters in Day Drinkers are composites of people I met in the islands, viewed through the lens of absurdism and satire.
Some events in the book were chillingly similar to real-life events. Did you take any inspiration from real life when developing this book?
Yes. Easter Cay, the island at the center of Day Drinkers, was loosely inspired by exclusive enclaves owned by billionaires and celebrities, most notably the infamous Little Saint James, formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein. As a traveling circus artist, I was hired to perform at private parties for powerful people. This book reflects what happens when wealth and secrecy collide with poverty and desperation—something I witnessed firsthand. While Day Drinkers is a work of fiction, it asks very real questions about complicity, exploitation, and how paradise can become a prison for those who serve it.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
My next literary thriller is titled Bufo. It explores the use of spirit medicine and its strange aftermath. In this story, DMT entities begin to manifest as characters. Commercially, it’s in the same vein as Nine Perfect Strangers—but more positive and surreal. From a literary perspective, a major influence is William Burroughs’s Queer, with its raw, unsettling exploration of altered consciousness and outsider desire. Bufo is expected in 2027.
Author Links: Goodreads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | YouTube | Medium | Instagram | Spotify | Amazon
🏝️ Invited to a party on a forbidden pleasure island
🍹 Swept into the corrupt world of a country music legend
☠️ Flees to Cuba, hunted by drug and human traffickers
🥥 Inspired by the dark reality of Jeffrey Epstein’s world
🌊 Day Drinkers: Where the American Dream washes ashore
From her office window on St. Columba, Gemma gazes out at the mysterious pleasure island just beyond the reef. Owned by country music legend Cowboi Rivers, the exclusive retreat lures the world’s wealthy and powerful with promises of secrecy and illicit pleasures. Meanwhile, the locals keep their distance, wary of the wild parties and whispered rumors of drugs and disappearing girls.
Desperate to escape her dead-end job, Gemma seizes a risky opportunity to captain the sailing vessel Mariposa for Cowboi’s shadowy empire. She finds herself swept into a world of corrupt elites. When a cocaine pickup in the Dominican Republic spirals into a deadly double-cross, Gemma and her crew enlist the aid of a Vodou priestess, a hard-drinking mariner, and a rumba-loving boat boy to escape. With her enemies closing in, Gemma sails toward Cuba, facing a storm that threatens to sweep her away.
Day Drinkers is a tantalizing medley of Saint X and Don’t Stop the Carnival, seasoned with a dash of The Rum Diary. Drawing from her ten years as a liveaboard sailor and Caribbean travel writer, Kitty Turner, an American Absurdism revivalist, delivers a gripping tale of identity and redemption through her unique talent for rollicking storytelling and deep philosophical inquiry.
Sense of Unease
Friday at Four follows a researcher who happens upon an unexpected method for communicating with his dog and discovers what it means to truly be understood. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I don’t know where the inspiration for this book came from. Somewhere on vacation in France, at some point, I was overcome by a great sense of unease. I had to go and buy a notebook and a pen, and I started writing. I just followed the flow of my thoughts.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
I never felt that I had any influence on this story. It was literally dictated to me. But I don’t know by whom or how. It was like a compulsion that had me in its grip for two years.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
The slow death of a loved one.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m going to publish a very funny book about a failed art forger – before Christmas, I hope.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Few novels capture with such honesty the way love can be eroded by silence and then, in the face of death, renewed in its most fragile and essential form. This is not just a story about a man caught between two women, but about how we confront loss, and how even in the darkest moments tenderness and clarity can emerge. It lingers in the mind as a stark yet luminous meditation on what it means to live, to love, and to let go.
Friday at four is a powerful novel about love, betrayal, and the courage to face loss — written with clarity, honesty, and unforgettable emotional force.
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True Change
Common Sense & Other Tales of Disillusionment is a collection of short stories that peels back the layers of ordinary life to reveal the people who are breaking down under the weight of their own choices & circumstances. What was the inspiration for this collection of stories?
Coming off writing my book before this one, BE NOT AFRAID, I’d had the desire to work in a shorter form. BE NOT AFRAID was an incredibly taxing, and thorough, and ambitious project. So, I knew fairly soon after that I wanted to produce a collection. Originally, I’d only wanted to do four stories, but my mother convinced me to do a fifth (lol).
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Well, right off the bat, disillusionment was the overall compass for each story. When I began writing the collection, I was experiencing a good deal of it in my personal life and wanted to explore characters entering into their own bouts of disillusionment, where they always believed life would go one way but, instead, was going another, and not for the better, and, try as they may, they only seem to make it worse. I’m one of those readers who does not read to escape but reads to see the world reflected, the more brutally honest, the more I’ll enjoy it. So, naturally, that’s what I write 🙂
Was it important for you to deliver a moral to readers, or was it circumstantial to deliver an effective book?
Everything I write begins as a premise argument, usually around a unique belief I have of the world. For instance, one might look like this: People are incapable of true change vs People are capable of true change. And I will design characters to embody behaviors and decisions for both sides of that argument, so the story is a compelling one. In the first short story of the collection, “DRIVE YOU TO VIOLENCE,” the premise argument was–Family will drive you to violence vs Family will drive you to compassion. Characters dance on both sides of that premise 🙂
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
At the moment, I’m nearing completion of a Fargo-esque crime novel, which I plan to serialize on my substack in the coming months. The working title, which is totally subject to change, currently is THE FIRE YOU’RE DRAWN TO.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
A mother’s patience turns to quiet rage as family secrets unravel.
A filmmaker loses his grip on reality while chasing his masterpiece.
In a near future where machines mimic emotion, humanity itself begins to fracture.
And in the haunting remains of a lost documentary, a vanished man’s voice echoes long after he’s gone.
Each story in AJ Saxsma’s acclaimed collection is a slow descent into disillusionment—where hope flickers, truth corrodes, and the familiar becomes unrecognizable. With a masterful blend of literary fiction, dark realism, and quiet horror, Saxsma confronts what it means to live honestly in a world built on denial.
Fans of Shirley Jackson, Raymond Carver, and Flannery O’Connor will find themselves captivated by Saxsma’s unnerving portraits of love, loss, and human fragility. If you crave stories that unsettle as much as they illuminate, Common Sense & Other Tales of Disillusionment will stay with you long after the final page.
We Have Agency
Time and Space follows a woman on the verge of turning forty who, on the way to work, is kidnapped by three university-aged young men from the future and is taken forward in time to a society built on patriarchal dominance. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I remember becoming angrier and angrier at the objectification of women and the failed promise of equality.
Women’s Liberation hit the news when I was in school. I also grew up with a Zoroastrian father who taught us, in accordance with his religion, that men and women are equal. I didn’t understand the need for Women’s Lib until my later university/early working years, when I saw how women were treated in the workplace. Decades on, and except for Federal and provincial Canadian laws, nothing had changed. Women who felt they were liberated because of issues around sex having been loosened were wrong. It seemed like only the older generation understood that changing laws and mores didn’t translate to women being treated and perceived as equal to men. Whether women were virtually unclothed in one culture or covered up to the eyeballs in another, they were still being treated as objects for men to control. They still had less value.
I was also getting fed up with how Toronto and Ontario treat Toronto’s public transit and the commodification of every aspect of life.
On a personal note, I had little control over any part of my life because of my brain injury. I guess I was telling myself through Time’s story that we may not see it, but we have agency.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
Our weaknesses. And the forces that both exploit them and force us to grow. That often surprises us when they lead us to fulfilling our own potential.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Sexism:
- The objectification of women and how they’re perceived as either baby bearers or sex fulfillers for men.
- What equality truly looks like when men and women perceive women as having inherent worth.
- Women recognizing their own intelligence, both to receive help and to problem-solve their own challenges.
Classism:
- Through the neglect of public transit.
- In the commercial arena or public spaces.
Racism:
- I’ll leave this to the reader to ponder the way I presented it and its meaning.
Ageism:
- I made Time an older woman.
- Since then, I began writing a trilogy (The Q’Zam’Ta Trilogy) featuring a woman in her 60s. Book one, The Soul’s Awakening, is out now.
- With such an emphasis on stories with younger people and the whole mindset that the youth will “save us,” we need to hear stories about older people also able to “save us,” especially older women in nondescript jobs.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I’ll be publishing The Soul’s Reckoning, book 2 of The Q’Zam’Ta Trilogy, in December 2025 and am currently writing book 3, The Soul’s Turning, which I hope will come out at the end of 2026.
I’m particularly excited about The Soul’s Turning because it’s set in far, far future Toronto, London, and Mumbai, and expands on some of the technology and themes I first explored in Time and Space. However, I’ll be making climate change an essential background to the character development and plot settings. And unlike Time and Space, it delves into the latter aspects of Revelation — what would a world without Satan and the beasts of “the elite” actually look like?
Author Links: GoodReads | Bluesky | Website | Amazon
Time is turning forty, but her ordinary morning walk to work shatters when three university-aged boys from the future snatch her into a shimmering white cube. Their destination: a technologically advanced, male-dominated future where girls are tightly controlled, kept cosmetically perfect, and denied knowledge and autonomy.
When their professor discovers the abduction, he’s furious. The boys had promised never to interfere with the past again. Now he orders them to dump Time in a desolate era few dare visit, The Nasty Time. It’s 2411. The world is stripped of equality, connection, and choice. Time is abandoned and left stranded.
But someone unexpected intervenes, offering Time a sliver of hope—and knowledge she never asked for. Now, survival may depend on learning more than she ever imagined.
Smart, satirical, and deeply unsettling, Time and Space is a genre-defying journey across centuries and systems of control. Shireen Jeejeebhoy blends speculative science, biting social commentary, and sharp humour in a story that asks: “What happens when the powerless are forced to reclaim their life—or be erased from their future?”
Time is waiting. Don’t delay.
Humble, Conservative Origins
In the Shadows of the Blue Ridge is a portrait of rural life colliding with political and economic change in Loudoun County, Virginia, and how what was once a sprawling community of dairy farms was urbanized by the construction of Dulles Airport. What inspired you to write this story?
As a native of Loudoun, I’ve witnessed its development over the past 30 years firsthand. In shocking contrast to its current frenzied level of activity, when I was a child, not much happened west of Leesburg, and there weren’t yet any wineries. Indeed, I remember slower, kinder days in Loudoun – long, summer days and nights when all that could be heard were tumbling brooks, crickets, and tree frogs. That memory stands out in stark opposition to today’s traffic, retail shops, and human activity here. I suppose before too much more “progress” occurs, I wanted to remind my readers of Loudoun’s humble, conservative origins in its not-so-distant past, and also discuss the policy and political changes Loudoun County (actually the entire country and planet) is grappling with, which required a deep dive into the classical philosophies on which the U.S. was founded.
As someone who lives just outside Loudoun County, I found your book fascinating. While fictional, it brings the rich history of this area to life and shows awareness of how much it has changed in a relatively short period. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The country has experienced rapid cultural change over the past 30 years, specifically since the introduction of Critical Theory into public colleges and universities in the mid-90s. I wanted to chronicle these changes in order to understand how we have arrived at this point of contentious divide between parties. Also, I wanted to emphasize the crucial role of parents in the education and rearing of their own children, who are tomorrow’s citizens.
What is one thing that people point out after reading your book that surprises you?
I suppose I’m surprised about the emotional connection my readers experience with my main character, “Red,” including anger, pity, and pride (the latter over his clandestine political achievements). This feeling unites me with my readers. I find it interesting that our connection is emotional, rather than academic or intellectual.
What experience in your life has had the most significant impact on your writing?
I was raised by old-world aristocratic Germans before the computer chip, when all we had was a piano, a full set of Encyclopedia Britannica, horses, chickens, and a garden. This afforded me time to dream and contemplate life’s mysteries in nature, when, as a child, I myself wandered over Loudoun’s creeks and fields. Due to my childhood, I have experienced the differences of perception and identity under European feudalism vs. American capitalism.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
The narrative includes detailed accounts of Loudoun County’s political landscape, featuring figures such as Scott York, Phyllis Randall, Dave LaRock, and Eugene Delgaudio. It highlights political conflicts, cultural shifts, and controversies over social issues, reflecting the tension between conservative and progressive values within the community. The story of Red’s involvement in local politics, legal battles, and personal vendettas illustrates the complex interplay of power, identity, and morality in Loudoun.
Originally a farming community with a focus on livestock, agriculture, and dairy farms, Loudoun County experienced rapid urbanization starting in the 1960s, especially due to the construction of Dulles Airport. This shift led to a decline in dairy farms and an increase in real estate development, significantly altering the county’s landscape and economy. The county became a technology hub, known as “Data Center Alley,” hosting major tech companies and data centers that handle approximately 70% of global internet traffic.
The book delves deeply into the philosophical underpinnings of Western law and morality, tracing ideas from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero to the founding principles of the United States. It emphasizes the role of Natural Law, the Cardinal Virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance), and the theological virtues (faith, hope, charity) in shaping legal and ethical frameworks. The Founding Fathers of the U.S. are portrayed as influenced by these classical and Christian ideas, embedding them in documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The history of education in America, particularly in Loudoun County, is outlined, noting early religious instruction and the evolution toward compulsory public education. The document discusses contemporary debates over educational policies, including diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and critical theory, highlighting controversies in Loudoun County Public Schools. It also introduces Patrick Henry College, founded to prepare Christian leaders grounded in biblical values and American founding principles.
A detailed profile of George Soros is provided, including his background, philosophy, and economic theories such as reflexivity. Soros’s influence on global politics and progressive movements is discussed, with attention to his support for causes that challenge traditional biblical morality, including LGBTQ rights and abortion. The document contrasts Soros’s views with classical moral philosophy and critiques the progressive rejection of traditional virtues.
The book presents biblical narratives and teachings that emphasize natural law, the Noahide Laws, and the importance of filial piety, empathy, and moral virtue. It recounts stories from Genesis, such as Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, linking them to contemporary moral debates. The role of forgiveness, reconciliation, and spiritual salvation through Christian faith is underscored as essential to personal and societal well-being.
Throughout, the book acknowledges the struggles with addiction, family dysfunction, and societal change experienced by individuals like Red. It explores themes of identity, abandonment, and redemption, and situating these personal stories within the broader historical and cultural transformations of Loudoun County.
LITERARY TITAN 