Blog Archives
The Turning Point
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life is a memoir that moves through your childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood, sharing your reflections on resilience, gratitude, and the strange ways life can twist, betray, and yet still surprise with meaning. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For years, I knew I wanted to write a book, but I argued with myself over releasing parts of my story into the world. I also wasn’t sure if my experiences mattered to anyone else. Working with my publisher, Karen Weaver, was the turning point. Her encouragement gave me the courage to finally share A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life with the world. It became important because I realized that sharing our stories creates connection, and my hope is that someone reading mine will feel less alone and more inspired to see their own journey in a new light.
How did you balance the need to be honest and authentic with the need to protect your privacy and that of others in your memoir?
That was something I considered carefully from the start. Being authentic didn’t mean I had to share every single detail, it meant sharing what was true in a way that served the story. I gave myself permission to set boundaries, to hold back pieces that were too raw or that belonged more to someone else than to me. That balance allowed me to be real while still protecting both my own heart and the privacy of others.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir and what was the most rewarding?
The hardest part was revisiting times in my life I hadn’t thought about in years and realizing how much they shaped me. I also hesitated at times, wondering how my stories would be received by people who know me, but may not know the whole story. The most rewarding part has been the freedom that came from finally putting those experiences on the page, and even more than that, hearing from readers who found comfort, laughter, or hope in my words … that has meant more to me than anything.
How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?
Writing my memoir gave me a kind of freedom I didn’t expect. For so long, I carried my story inside me, partly as a dream, partly as a weight. Finally putting it into the world allowed me to let go of the fear and step fully into sharing my voice. It has opened doors I never imagined: connecting with readers around the world, seeing my book up on a Times Square billboard, speaking on stages, and bringing it into my Queen Code work. But even more than that, it has changed the way I see myself. I no longer question whether my story matters, I know it does, and I know telling it can help others believe the same about their own.
Author Links: X | Facebook | Website
From uncovering hidden family truths and navigating the ups and downs of relationships, to surviving a house fire and winning the lottery, Laura’s story is an inspiring testament to the power of resilience. With candor and humor, she reflects on the lessons each experience brought her, and how they shaped the person she is today.
This memoir is more than a recounting of life’s surprises; it’s a reminder that, no matter what challenges we face, we can find strength, growth, and even laughter along the way.
Letters to a Young Teacher: Wisdom for Those Who Guide Others
Letters to a Young Teacher is a heartfelt and introspective exchange between two voices. One seasoned, one still learning. The book unfolds as a collection of letters that feel intimate yet universal, tackling the quiet battles teachers and caretakers face while guiding others. It isn’t just about education in the formal sense. It’s about emotional endurance, vulnerability, and the messy process of becoming someone who leads without losing themselves. Through tender honesty and sharp wit, the authors build a bridge between exhaustion and renewal, inviting readers to sit in their own discomfort and find grace in the act of staying.
What struck me most was how relatable it all felt. O’Neill’s voice has this rare balance of humor and rawness, while Gacilo’s letters glow with warmth and courage. Together, they create a rhythm that feels alive, like listening to two souls learning how to breathe again after too many years of holding it in. The lessons aren’t wrapped up neatly. There’s no false optimism. Instead, they offer a kind of tired hope, the kind you earn by showing up even when you’d rather disappear. I found myself nodding, wincing, and sometimes laughing at how painfully familiar the words were. The prose dances between lyrical and plainspoken, and that tension gives it power, it’s equal parts poetry and therapy.
The reflections on resilience, stillness, and the cost of always being “okay” hit like soft blows. There’s a steady reminder throughout that strength isn’t stoicism, and love isn’t theory, it’s practice. The authors don’t preach. They confess. And that makes the wisdom feel earned, not borrowed. I found myself pausing after nearly every chapter just to think. The book has that rare ability to make silence feel full, to make vulnerability feel safe.
I’d recommend Letters to a Young Teacher to anyone who’s ever tried to hold everything together for too long, teachers, caregivers, leaders, and anyone who quietly carries others while forgetting themselves. It’s a companion for the weary, the self-doubting, the ones who keep showing up even when their hearts are heavy.
Pages: 168 | ASIN : B0FH688BJK
From Hill Town to Strieby: Education and the American Missionary Association in the Uwharrie “Back Country” of Randolph County, North Carolina
Author Margo Lee Williams’s From Hill Town to Strieby tells a sweeping story of a Black community in post, Civil War North Carolina that found strength through faith, education, and family. The book traces the evolution of Hill Town and the nearby Lassiter Mill settlement, communities founded by free and formerly enslaved African Americans under the shadow of the Uwharrie Mountains. At its heart is the life of Reverend Islay Walden, a man born into slavery who fought blindness and hardship to return home as a minister and educator. Through meticulous research and family genealogy, Williams captures the interwoven lives of the Hill and Lassiter families, showing how their legacy shaped the creation of Strieby Church and School, a hub of spiritual and educational hope for generations. The narrative moves through centuries, from emancipation to civil rights, offering both history and homage.
Reading this book felt like sitting on a front porch, listening to someone who not only knows the history but lived its echo. Williams writes with a reverence that’s contagious. Her attention to names, deeds, and census records could have been dry in another writer’s hands, but she turns them into a living map of resilience. I found myself pausing often, thinking about what it meant for a man like Walden to walk north on faith, then return to teach others to read and dream. The writing has a rhythm that feels intimate, almost oral, as if the voices of the ancestors rise through every paragraph. Sometimes the detail gets dense, the endless generations and property records can slow the flow, but even those moments carry a sense of duty, a need to set the record straight for families long overlooked by mainstream history.
I liked how Williams weaves emotion into documentation. She doesn’t just present facts; she reclaims stories. Her reflections on Strieby’s survival, even after the school closed, made me think about how heritage lives on in memory and ritual. I admired how she connected the local with the national, the way a small rural church in Randolph County linked to larger forces like the American Missionary Association and Howard University. The writing feels humble but powerful. It’s the kind of storytelling that makes you look at a dirt road or a worn gravestone and see history breathing there.
From Hill Town to Strieby feels like both a love letter and a ledger. I think it’s about what education and faith can build when the world offers nothing but obstacles. I’d recommend this book to readers who care about African American history, genealogy, or Southern heritage, and to anyone who values stories of perseverance.
Pages: 452 | ISBN : 0939479095
The Broken Weathervane
The Broken Weathervane tells the story of Leslie Wickersham, a grants officer carrying both ambition and the heavy weight of family secrets. She steps into a new job at Raymond University, only to find herself working alongside the proud and difficult Dr. Gregory Stafford, a man intent on finishing a biography of author Fritz Buckwalter. Leslie, however, has her own hidden connection to Buckwalter, one she has been asked to keep quiet. The novel weaves past and present together, drawing on family turmoil, mental illness, hidden journals, and long-buried truths. It’s a tale of secrets colliding with the need for honesty, of pride giving way to humility, and of love tentatively growing in unlikely soil.
Reading this book felt like being drawn into a living, breathing world. The writing was rich without being fussy, and it held me with its rhythm. I admired how the author took big, heavy topics like mental illness, shame, and betrayal, and approached them with care. Some scenes made me ache because they felt so true to life. Leslie’s self-doubt rang true to me, and her push-pull with Greg had the kind of sharp banter and underlying tenderness that I didn’t expect at first but grew to enjoy. I found myself rooting for her not just to succeed in her career, but to make peace with her past and claim her own story.
Greg’s arrogance rubbed me the wrong way, but that seemed intentional. I wondered if he could have shown more cracks sooner. The family history sections fascinated me, especially the 1950s journal entries, yet I sometimes felt yanked between timelines. Still, I can’t deny that the mystery of what really happened to Leslie’s family kept me hooked. I would sit down, meaning to read for half an hour and end up lost for an evening, chasing one more revelation.
The Broken Weathervane is a book about secrets and how they shape us, about how shame passes through generations until someone has the courage to face it. It left me thoughtful, a little sad, but also hopeful. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy family sagas with layered characters, a dash of romance, and questions that don’t have easy answers. If you like Amanda Cox or Lisa Wingate, this will probably be right up your alley.
Pages: 424 | ASIN : B0FHDTSPH6
Tachyon Tunnel 3
Tachyon Tunnel 3 continues the breathtaking saga of Alex Durant, Paula Campbell, and the evolving AI, Emily, as they face a galaxy on the brink. The story picks up where the last book left off: Earth barely spared from annihilation and the Daklin Empire’s grip tightening over the Milky Way. Author Michael Gorton plunges us into a universe brimming with complex technologies, alien politics, and impossible odds. We meet Fortak, a Daklin scientist stranded on Earth, and follow the growing resistance led by Alex and his allies. There are vast ships that hold cities within their hulls, civilizations millions of years old, and battles that unfold across the fabric of space and time. It’s part space opera, part philosophical exploration of humanity’s place in the cosmos.
Gorton’s writing crackles with energy. His descriptions of the Martian Empire and their cities made me feel the weight of their history, their pride, their downfall. The pacing runs hot, but it fits the chaos of a war that stretches between galaxies. I loved how science isn’t just a backdrop here. It’s part of the soul of the story. Tachyon tunnels, plasma consciousness, and sentient AI aren’t just gimmicks. They’re extensions of how we think about creation and survival. I wanted to sit longer with the characters, especially Fortak, who’s both villain and victim. His curiosity and isolation hit me harder than I expected.
Emotionally, this book is a roller coaster. It made me think about what it means to be human in a universe filled with beings far older and smarter. The scenes on Andromeda Prime, with its harmony and peace, contrasted beautifully with the Daklin Empire’s cruelty. There’s awe in the way Gorton writes about discovery. There’s sorrow in his portrayal of loss. And yet, there’s a spark of hope that keeps burning, even when the odds seem hopeless. I found myself rooting for Emily, the AI who feels more alive than most of the humans. Her growth and sharp wit gave the story its heart.
I’d recommend Tachyon Tunnel 3 to readers who love big ideas mixed with real emotion. If you enjoy science fiction that feels vast but still human, this one’s for you. It’s for those who want their space battles served with philosophy and heart. Gorton writes like someone who believes in both science and soul, and that combination makes his universe feel alive.
Pages: 519 | ASIN : B0DWKRQFJS
Falling on Southport
Falling on Southport tells the story of Abigail Lethican, a young woman from a prominent Chicago political family who falls for Jim Hardy, a charming yet manipulative athlete she meets in college. What begins as a picture-perfect romance quickly turns into a psychological descent through love, control, and deception. As Abigail becomes entangled in Jim’s world, author M. J. Slater pulls readers through the emotional wreckage that follows, layering suspense with the ache of self-doubt and the slow unmasking of lies. It’s part love story, part psychological thriller, and part study of how ambition and trauma can twist even the most romantic beginnings into tragedy.
I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing is tight and cinematic, with vivid scenes. Slater’s dialogue feels alive, the kind that crackles between people who think they know each other but really don’t. The pacing caught me off guard. It lulls you with sweetness before snapping like a whip. What hit hardest wasn’t the murder mystery, but the way Slater captures how smart people still fall for manipulation because they want to be seen. I felt angry, then sympathetic, then exhausted in the best way. There’s something painfully real about watching Abigail rationalize her own unhappiness. It reminded me of the small compromises people make in relationships that turn, inch by inch, into submission.
The story digs into the quiet violence of control, and that’s not easy to read. But it’s worth it. The characters aren’t neatly likable. They’re messy, relatable, and raw. I liked that Slater didn’t try to explain every emotion or tie up every question. The writing has a pulse. It’s not polished to death, and that makes it better. There’s beauty in the cracks. By the end, I felt both gutted and weirdly hopeful. The kind of hopeful that comes from realizing survival is its own kind of victory.
I’d recommend Falling on Southport to readers who love dark relationship dramas, who appreciate strong yet flawed female voices, and who can stomach emotional honesty without flinching. It’s not a breezy read, but it’s powerful, heartfelt, and painfully true.
Pages: 225 | ASIN : B0FMS6K2YC
Blood on the Trailhead – A Lost Grove Mystery
Blood on the Trailhead is a haunting, slow-burn mystery that tangles horror, folklore, and small-town secrets into a story that seeps under your skin. It opens with an archaeologist’s quiet curiosity and ends in something much darker, something that feels both ancient and alive. The book’s plot threads stretch across Devil’s Cradle State Park, where strange glyphs, a missing child, and old wounds converge. The story blends investigative suspense with mythic terror, pulling you through the redwoods and into the dark pulse of the land itself.
The writing is lush and eerie, with that grounded sense of place that author’s Zang and Knudsen do so well. They write forests the way others write cities, every root and shadow alive with intent. The pacing is steady, sometimes deliberately slow. When the horror hits, it lands hard, not with cheap shocks but with creeping inevitability. I found myself both enchanted and unsettled by how human the story felt, even when it slipped into the supernatural. The grief, guilt, and obsession in these characters are raw. Sometimes the dialogue feels almost too clean, but that’s balanced by the way silence and atmosphere carry the emotion.
What really struck me was how the story handles belief, scientific, spiritual, and everything in between. It doesn’t force explanations. It lets mystery exist, and that takes confidence. The book asks you to trust your instincts, even when they’re wrong. There were moments I felt real affection for the characters, especially the flawed ones who keep searching for truth when it’s obvious the truth is going to hurt. The story gave me that same uneasy calm as walking through an empty parking lot after dark, knowing you’re probably fine but not quite believing it.
I’d recommend Blood on the Trailhead to anyone who loves mysteries with a side of folklore and a heavy dose of unease. It’s perfect for readers who like their horror thoughtful, their detectives damaged, and their endings not too tidy. If you enjoy stories that make you linger on the last page before closing the book, this one’s worth every step into the woods.
Pages: 444 | ASIN : B0FVZH16H9
LITERARY TITAN 