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Intentionally Accessible
In 9 Habits of Happy Retirees, you walk readers through the process of shifting their mindsets from work to enjoying post-career life. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote 9 Habits of Happy Retirees because I saw a growing gap between how well people plan financially for retirement and how little support there is for the emotional, identity, and lifestyle transition that follows. Many people retire having done “everything right,” yet still feel unsettled, unsure, or even disappointed.
This book was important to me because retirement isn’t an ending; it’s a major life transition that deserves as much thought and care as any other. I wanted to create a practical, reassuring guide that helps people slow down, reset expectations, and design a retirement that feels meaningful, flexible, and personally fulfilling, rather than something they’re meant to “figure out” once work stops.
Can you share with us a little about your research and writing process?
The book grew out of a combination of research, observation, and lived experience. I spent a lot of time reviewing studies on well-being, purpose, aging, and happiness, alongside insights from psychology, habit formation, and life-transition research.
Equally important was listening to conversations with people approaching retirement, those already living it, and professionals working in adjacent fields. Patterns began to emerge around identity loss, time structure, social connection, and the pressure to make retirement “perfect.”
The writing process itself was intentionally accessible. I wanted the book to feel like a calm, supportive conversation, something readers could return to, reflect on, and apply in small, realistic ways rather than feeling overwhelmed by big, irreversible decisions.
What is one common misconception you find that many people have regarding retirement?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that retirement will automatically feel joyful and freeing once work ends. In reality, removing structure, identity, and routine can be surprisingly disorienting.
Many people assume that happiness will arrive when the calendar clears, but fulfillment in retirement, just like at any other stage of life, comes from intention, connection, curiosity, and a sense of purpose. Retirement isn’t something you “arrive at”; it’s something you gradually shape.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from 9 Habits of Happy Retirees?
I hope readers come away feeling reassured, knowing that there is no single “right way” to retire and that uncertainty is a normal part of the transition.
More than anything, I want readers to feel empowered to approach retirement with curiosity rather than pressure. Small habits, gentle experimentation, and self-compassion go a long way. You don’t need to have it all figured out; you need to stay open to what this next chapter could become.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
“9 Habits of Happy Retirees” is your guidebook to crafting a retirement lifestyle that goes beyond financial security, focusing on the habits that lead to true happiness and contentment in your golden years.
In this transformative book, you’ll journey through the nine essential habits of happy retirees, each chapter packed with practical advice, inspiring anecdotes, and actionable steps to help you create the retirement of your dreams.
From redefining retirement planning to cultivating a positive mindset, from exploring passions and hobbies to staying active and healthy, this book covers every aspect of retirement living.
With humor, wisdom, and a modern approach to retirement, “9 Habits of Happy Retirees” will empower you to:
Understand the different phases of retirement and how to thrive within them
Discover new passions and hobbies to keep life exciting and fulfilling.
Keep your mind sharp and engaged through continuous learning and personal growth
Seize the opportunity for adventure and exploration in retirement
And so much more!
Whether you’re just starting to plan for retirement or already enjoying this new chapter of life, “9 Habits of Happy Retirees” offers invaluable guidance and inspiration to help you live your best retirement.
It’s time to turn your retirement dreams into reality and embrace a life filled with laughter, love, and endless possibilities. Get ready to retire rich in every sense of the word.
Unlock the secrets to a fulfilling retirement!
You Write What You Know
Reservations follow a gifted FBI profiler with psychological insight whose mentor dies while working on a serial killer case, leaving her to pick up where he left off. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
First, I have to start with a backstory. In 2017, I was having a difficult time in my life; ending a 28-year marriage, leaving a job I was unhappy in, selling my house, and in need of a life overhaul. One day, I woke up and demanded a do-over from the Universe. Several nights later, the dreams started, and the books began. This book, Reservations (originally under a different title), was written in less than a month, followed by six more in a period of six months. I dreamt every night and wrote every day. The dreams were a visceral guide, with me filling in the blanks. A lot of stops and starts, but eight years later, here we are.
Samantha Wright is as real a character I could write because she is all of us. She is me. The story is about losing those who are close to us, who have made us who we are, and when they are lost to us, how we move on and try to make them proud with our attempt, we try to make things better. Sam has a career at the FBI, dealing with death while trying to find justice for the victims of the heinous things people do to each other. In this world, we all deal with what Sam does, just in a more unnoticed way. Just as Sam is trying to learn to live with everything she witnesses and is surrounded by daily, so are we with the very personal stories we all have to tell about how we live within the 24-hour news cycle and the reality we all see. I needed Sam to be many things, and she could be those things if her job had leverage to it.
I enjoyed Samantha’s character; she is engaging, intelligent, and complicated, not at all predictable. What was your inspiration for Samantha Wright’s character, and how did you craft her outlook on life?
They say you write what you know, and there is a lot of subconscious memory that is a treasure trove of bits and pieces that surface once they are awakened. Samantha Wright is a culmination of women I’ve known over the years that made a difference in me and my thinking, and by morphing those qualities and remembrances – well – Samantha was born. Once I had Samantha Wright and the dreams, I pieced the puzzle together. I’ve worked for attorneys as a paralegal, and that brought connections to stories of people and situations that made sense of the dreams and enabled me to weave a story together anchored by this amazing woman, Samantha Wright. Sam’s outlook is one of despair backed by hope. Strength of conviction, but willing to be weak, with not always knowing what to do. A yearning for love, but knowing her responsibilities will always color any relationship she would have. Again, Sam is us. I write with first and third person – I want the reader to know at all times all the characters in the scene and what they feel, think, and say, even when Sam isn’t part of the scene.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I have always had a connection, an affinity to Native culture, having lived in the Western state of Colorado. I’ve been drawn to the sense of Tribe and the rich history since I was young. I’ve also lived in situations that brought abuse, addiction, strength through fear, cultural divides, and love, of course, in my life and the life of those I know. I try to slowly bring themes into the plots, without being preachy or making it stand out – themes don’t have to stand out; they just have to be absorbed by the reader as part of the story. I want the reader to think back and see layers in what they’ve read.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
The series has seven books – the first, Reservations: A Samantha Wright Crime Series, the second, The Last Profile, which just launched on Amazon, continues the core characters that are so integral to the plots and the important stories they bring forward. The Last Profile has Samantha following a case on and off the reservation, three plots going on at the same time, leading her through a maze of lies and betrayal by the very people her life centers around. If you love Will Little Bear, he helps Sam work the case that is supposed to finally free her from the FBI, so they can have the life they yearn for. Five more books follow; manuscripts finalized, waiting in the wings to be launched every six months. Plots that you may never have read before, characters that attach themselves to you, and relatable stories that resonate with the reader. The books are about people who have a family life and a work life – they figure out how to make it work, and in Sam’s case, her family, her tribe, is her foundation that gives her the ability to do her most difficult job, finding justice and a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
When Special Agent Samantha Wright’s mentor dies while profiling a disturbing serial killer case known as “The Reservations Case,” she’s left to pick up the pieces—and finish what he started. Young Native American boys are being abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered across multiple states, and the trail leads deep into the heart of the American West.
Sam is no ordinary profiler. Gifted with an uncanny psychological insight and a darkly self-deprecating sense of humor, she sees patterns others miss. But as the case grows more complex—and culturally sensitive—she’ll need more than sharp instincts to bring the killer to justice.
With help from her commanding yet complicated boss, Special Agent Charlie Falken, and a skilled Cheyenne tracker, Will Little Bear, Sam must navigate the perilous intersection of federal law, reservation sovereignty, and cultural trauma. As tensions rise and bodies pile up, alliances deepen—and so do emotions.
RESERVATIONS is a gripping crime thriller that blends psyc
Better Choices Are Possible
Against All Odds is a blunt and emotional memoir about growing up in poverty, surviving horrific abuse, entering the foster care system, and clawing a way toward stability, purpose, and adulthood. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I grew up believing that instability was normal—new homes, new schools, new last names on the mailbox. Writing this book was my way of refusing to let chaos be the whole story. I wanted to document what that instability does to a child’s sense of identity and possibility, and to show that survival can become purpose.
It was also a letter to three audiences. To foster youth: you are not what happened to you; you are what you choose next. To caregivers and professionals: stability is not an idea, it is a practice—measured in rides to school, ceremonies you don’t miss, and promises you keep. And to the broader public: systems are made of choices; better choices are possible. The memoir gave me language to transform private pain into public service.
How did you balance honesty and authenticity with protecting privacy—yours and others’?
I followed three rules. First, I wrote from the “I”—what I saw, felt, and believed in the moment—without assigning motives to others. Second, I protected people who were not public figures by changing names, compressing timelines, and removing identifying details, while keeping the emotional truth intact. Third, I applied a dignity test: if a detail sensationalized trauma or exposed someone’s private struggle without advancing understanding, it did not belong in the book.
When possible, I sought consent from supportive adults who appear in the story and shared passages with them. I also set boundaries for myself—there are scenes I chose not to relive on the page because my present and the youth I serve deserve a healthy author. Truth and care can coexist; that tension shaped every edit.
What was the most challenging part of writing—and what was most rewarding?
The hardest part was narrative order. Lived experience is nonlinear; trauma scrambles memory. Turning 25 placements and 13 schools into a coherent arc meant revisiting rooms I’d rather forget and deciding what belonged to the reader and what belonged to healing. Writing about my mother’s death and the first nights in strangers’ homes required frequent stops—walks, prayer, and time.
The reward has been hearing from youth and caregivers who used the book as a bridge—youth who said, “Now I have words for what this feels like,” and caregivers who changed a practice so a child could keep a school, a therapist, or a ritual. Reclaiming my narrative was personal; watching it make someone else feel seen has been the joy.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
That pain is data, not destiny. For kids in care, the difference between drifting and developing is often a single steady adult plus continuity—of school, relationships, and story. If readers finish the book believing they can be that steadiness—by mentoring, fostering, advocating, or simply showing up reliably—then the pages did their job.
And for those who grew up in instability: you are allowed to build a life that is quiet, rooted, and yours. Resilience is not just surviving the fire; it’s learning to live without smoke.
Author Links: GoodReads | LinkedIn | Amazon
From a young age, Tristian’s life was marked by chaos and uncertainty. Witnessing his mother being taken away on a stretcher was a pivotal moment that thrust him and his younger brother into a turbulent existence within the foster care system. They bounced from one temporary shelter to another, grappling with abuse, neglect, and the haunting specter of trauma. But amidst the darkness, a flame burned brightly within Tristian’s soul. Dreams became his sanctuary, providing solace and fueling his unwavering determination to rise above his circumstances.
Tristian’s memoir is not just a personal narrative-it sheds light on the broader societal issues surrounding foster care. With staggering statistics, he underscores the challenges faced by children in the system and gives a voice to those whose stories often go unheard. Through his writing, Tristian aims to foster empathy and understanding, urging readers to confront the flaws and shortcomings of the foster care system within. His ultimate goal is to inspire positive change and create a more compassionate and supportive system for future generations.
Against All Odds is a powerful and necessary memoir that shines a light on the realities of growing up in foster care. Tristian’s journey serves as a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the transformative power of hope. It is a call to action, urging society to come together, support foster youth, and create a brighter future for all.
Mulberries In The Rain: Permaculture Plants For Food And Friendship
Mulberries in the Rain, is part memoir, part teaching guide, part love letter to plants. It follows two friends, Ryan Blosser and Trevor Piersol, as they build farms, communities, and a shared life of learning through Permaculture. The book blends personal stories with practical frameworks, from the Human Sector to food forests to plant guilds. It paints a picture of people shaped by land and relationships, and it shows how plants become characters in their lives. The authors invite readers to see plants this way, too, and the book moves between narrative, reflection, and guidance on growing dozens of species. It feels like an invitation to slow down and see plants as teachers.
I found myself caught up in the warmth of the storytelling. The tone is friendly. It is confident without trying to sound authoritative. I liked how the writers move between humor and sincerity. One moment, they poke fun at themselves. The next moment, they share something tender about belonging, failure, or learning to listen to land. Their voices feel lived-in and honest, and that drew me in. I also appreciated how deeply human the book is. For a book about plants, it spends a lot of time sitting with the mess and beauty of people, which surprised me in a good way. The Human Sector section especially resonated with me. It made me stop and think about how much our internal stories shape the landscapes we touch.
The loose, talky rhythm of the book has its own charm, and I enjoyed it most when the authors told personal stories. Every time they step into teaching mode, the tone shifts and the pacing slows. That said, the teaching sections still have heart. The reworked Scale of Permanence is thoughtful. The LUV triangle feels like something I could use tomorrow. The 8 Forms of Capital section is full of moments that made me smile, especially the groundhog au vin story. I caught myself nodding at the idea that recipes and jokes and small daily acts can hold entire forms of wealth. The book shines whenever it grounds big ideas in real people doing real work.
I would recommend Mulberries in the Rain to anyone who wants a different way to think about growing things. It is great for new growers who feel overwhelmed and want a gentler entry point or for longtime gardeners who crave a more personal, relational approach. It is also a strong fit for people who work in community spaces or who feel curious about Permaculture but are tired of dry instruction. Blosser and Piersol speak to folks who want stories, feelings, and a sense of connection as much as they want plant lists and guild diagrams.
Pages: 216 | ISBN : 978-1774060032
Between Eros
When I first picked up Chris Neo’s Between Eros, I thought I was stepping into a straightforward love story, but it opened up into something bigger. The book follows Aris, an older, seasoned man juggling a collapsing marriage, unpredictable friendships, and a dangerous ocean voyage that turns into a survival fight. What begins as a romantic adventure quickly spirals into storms, sabotage, and tangled emotional loyalties. The story blends romance, action, and psychological tension, giving it the feel of romantic adventure fiction tinged with thriller energy.
As I read, I found myself reacting as if I were listening to a friend tell me wild stories over coffee, pausing every so often to say, “Wait… what?” The writing leans into momentum rather than subtlety. Neo moves quickly through conflict, argument, seduction, and danger, rarely lingering on inner reflection. The fast pace kept me turning pages. I didn’t expect the mix of interpersonal drama and near disasters at sea to feel as chaotic as it did, but it fits the book’s emotional landscape. Aris is constantly pulled between desire, responsibility, ego, and fear, and the writing mirrors that turbulence.
Aris is written as both admirable and deeply flawed, and the women around him range from seductive to volatile to tender. The tone sometimes slides into melodrama, but in a way that feels intentional for the genre. What stood out most to me were the moments when characters dropped their masks. A single line of vulnerability from Kay, or a burst of insecurity from Uri, did more for me than some of the larger plot swings. The book seems to ask whether love is a force of destiny, a psychological illusion, or something we build through trial, error, and sheer stubbornness. It doesn’t hand you a tidy answer.
By the time I closed the book, I had the sense that Between Eros would appeal most to readers who enjoy high drama, fast movement, and a blend of romance and danger. If you like romantic adventure fiction that leans into passion, betrayal, big emotions, and bigger twists, this one delivers exactly that. It is bold, emotive, and unafraid to swing for the fences.
Pages: 390 | ASIN : B0D6BTYFNZ
Nurturing the Mystic Within
Nurturing the Mystic Within follows Catherine S. Tuggle’s journey to understand the message that arrived through a vivid dream. The dream delivered five simple words. Those words shook her ideas about God, fear, and love, and eventually inspired her to explore belief, trauma, and spiritual healing. Through autobiography, psychology, and a reinterpretation of the Genesis story, she builds a pathway that helps readers uncover the fears that shape their reality and block their ability to perceive life as Paradise. Much of the book focuses on the unconscious roots of fear, the formation of beliefs, and the personal exercises she developed to help dissolve the veil that hides unconditional love.
Tuggle’s writing blends intimate storytelling with big ideas; she writes plainly and openly. She doesn’t try to sound like a guru. Her willingness to expose painful memories gives the book a raw honesty that made me trust her voice. I found myself wincing at the childhood scenes. The moment Agnes threw the valentines on the floor, or the wrenching knife incident, forced me to stop for a breath. Those stories aren’t there for drama. They serve the purpose she claims for them. They show how beliefs take root long before we know the meaning of the word belief. I felt myself wishing she had lingered a little less on theory and more on lived moments, because her lived moments are where the book shines.
I also found myself moved by her interpretation of Genesis. I appreciated how she questions long-held assumptions without attacking them. The way she ties Adam and Eve’s fear to our own unconscious habits made the old story feel surprisingly fresh. The shifts between memoir, theology, and psychology come a little fast, but the blend mostly worked for me. I liked the sense of searching. I liked watching her move from confusion to clarity. The dream sequence she shares in the preface kept me thinking about the idea that love is all that exists. It sounds simple on the surface, almost too simple, and yet the book spends hundreds of pages showing just how hard it is to believe that in everyday life.
I would recommend Nurturing the Mystic Within to readers who enjoy spiritual memoirs, especially ones that grapple with fear, trauma, and the desire for inner peace. It would also suit people who like gentle psychological insight wrapped in a story rather than textbook-style instruction. Anyone who has ever felt trapped inside old beliefs or puzzled by the tension between the world’s harshness and the idea of a loving presence will find something worth holding onto here.
Pages: 216 | ASIN : B0G2DLBVHQ
The Cost of Competence
Stealing Stealth follows a CIA officer tasked with protecting a new stealth technology who must enlist the help of a brilliant thief to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wrote the initial draft of this story when I was deployed in Afghanistan. I was constantly in this battle with what is said and what is left unsaid, in an intriguing chess match with men who were both my ally and not at the same time. To capture this specific paranoia, I thought of the mid-1970s. We often look at the Cold War through the lens of the 80s. That was the end. But just before that, everything was messy. The Church Committee was exposing CIA secrets, Vietnam had just ended, and trust in institutions was crumbling. I wanted to drop a “Boy Scout” character like John Olson into that moral grey zone and force him to work with someone like Gabrielle Hyde, who represents pure, chaotic individualism. The stealth technology itself was the perfect catalyst because it represented a revolution in warfare that terrified everyone. The idea that a plane could be invisible to radar felt like magic in 1977.
There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
Competence. Nothing kills a thriller faster than characters who make stupid decisions just for the sake of the plot. I wanted Olson and Hyde to be masters of their respective crafts. When they fail, it’s because they were outmaneuvered by a smarter opponent, not because they were making bad choices. I also wanted to explore the cost of competence. For Olson, his dedication to the CIA cost him his personal life. For Hyde, her tragic youth led to brilliance as a thief, but it also left her isolated. The most important factor was ensuring that even when they were enemies, they respected each other’s skills. That mutual respect is the engine of the book.
How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?
My background in special operations taught me that real action is rarely a continuous two-hour firefight. It’s hours of tension followed by seconds of chaos. I tried to replicate that rhythm, but with a better balance. Also, it is important that the reader cares. 1970s politics and game-changing aircraft technology are complicated enough, but I needed the reader to feel that pressure. Then, as the tension built through briefing room politics, the surveillance, and the planning, the reader finally felt the stakes. The pacing comes from the pressure cooker effect; the clock is ticking, and the walls are closing in. Then I added the guns.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
The next book is Arctic Fire, releasing in April 2026. It is a tonal shift from the spy world of Stealing Stealth. It’s a Neo-Western Noir set in the Alaskan wilderness, following a female Marine veteran who uncovers a conspiracy in a small, frozen town. Think Wind River meets Sicario. After that comes Eye of the Caldera. It’s a high-octane disaster thriller inspired by incredible true events and a declassified CIA operation. It drops in the Fall of 2026.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
At the height of the Cold War, America’s revolutionary stealth technology could tip the balance of power. Now the race to control it threatens to derail a critical nuclear treaty between the world’s two superpowers.
Soviet operatives are close to acquiring this game-changing military secret. CIA Officer Olson has just seven days to protect America’s biggest technological advantage from falling into the wrong hands. His only hope lies with the brilliant thief he couldn’t catch: Gabrielle Hyde.
Inside the secretive Skunk Works facility, nothing is what it seems. Hyde and Olson discover Moscow isn’t the only enemy. A traitor from within is thwarting their every move. With both the FBI and KGB closing in and bodies piling up, Olson faces an impossible choice: follow orders from an agency that no longer trusts him or follow Hyde into an elaborate con against his own government.
From a decorated Air Force Colonel with 26 years in special operations and field command comes an authentic Cold War thriller where the greatest threats wear familiar faces.
Trust no one. Question everything. And never underestimate Gabrielle Hyde.
For fans of David McCloskey’s Damascus Station, John le Carré, and Daniel Silva, Stealing Stealth is a high-stakes heist where the only way to protect freedom is to steal its deepest secret.
Faith in Faith
Miracles Beyond the Crowd is a heartfelt call to push past spiritual passivity and step into a faith that moves, reaches, climbs, and refuses to settle. What is a common misconception you feel people have about living their faith?
Faith is not a theory or an empty ritual. A common misconception is that faith just exists without investigation and exploration. The truth is, everyone must wrestle with what they believe and practice how to hold fast to that conviction. It is personal, and it is relational. It is a firm conviction so powerful that it can turn a hopeless situation into a hope-filled pursuit.
There is a saying that says: We do what we believe, and we don’t do what we think is futile. Many people have faith in faith, but when challenged, they find it hard to pinpoint what their faith is ultimately built on. Faith must have a foundation, a source, or a place where believing can stand. This kind of faith is dynamic and alive, not static. It grows, shifts, matures, and deepens as we live it out.
Now, how we live by faith is different and looks different for everyone. It is easy to believe what you can trust. I believe in God, His promises, His nature and character, His history, and His word. I trust His integrity and His capacity to do what He says. That makes it easy for me to live by faith.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Heaven has not run out of miracles. For those willing to press through fear, doubt, and societal pressure, a deeper encounter with God awaits. My hope and passion for every reader of this book is that by reading what I have written, it will awaken a relentless, persistent, and resilient faith in the person, promises, and goodness of God. To those who pursue Jesus wholeheartedly, miracles are not accidents. My heart is that people will be inspired to look beyond the obvious distractions, troubles, and obstacles of everyday life and see that pushing deeper into God is where miracles can be found.
I also hope every reader will see they are not disqualified, unworthy, or broken beyond God’s ability to renew, restore, and bless their life. It is scandalous what grace can do when a life is surrendered to God! I pray the love of God bacons all to hear their life is valuable and important.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from Miracles Beyond the Crowd?
I hope they take away hope! Big, crazy, and impossible hope. Hope is the beginning of faith. If hope lives, then faith is not far behind.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Step into a 10-week journey of powerful persevering faith and transformation. Based on the popular book Miracles Beyond the Crowd, this 50-day interactive devotional helps you move from watching miracles to living them. It is an invitation into faith that moves — not just in Sunday moments, but in the ordinary walk of life.
Across 10 weeks, you’ll explore what it means to:
• Press past the noise and hear God’s voice
• Reach beyond barriers and touch Jesus
• Walk in obedience before you see the path
• Finish strong when the crowd has left
Inside you’ll find Scripture, original excerpts from Miracles Beyond the Crowd, daily reflection questions, faith-in-action exercises, and a full 100-question application questionnaire to help you embed what you discover and carry it forward.
Ideal for personal study, small groups and corporate settings. This devotional workbook will guide you beyond survival into possession, beyond visitation into habitation, and beyond promise into fulfilment.
This is not a book for spectators—it’s a roadmap for those who dare to move beyond the crowd.
– FOR BEST EXPERIENCE it is recommended (not necessary) that this devotional workbook is used with the original book ‘Miracles Beyond The Crowd- The Power of Persevering Faith ‘ by Nico Smit. Whether used individually or in a group, this workbook is a tool, a challenge and a commission—to rise in faith, move forward with purpose, and passionately pursue the presence of God, no matter the cost.
LITERARY TITAN 