Blog Archives
The Grubby Feather Gang
The Grubby Feather Gang follows George, a boy caught in the middle of a village torn up by war and judgment. He deals with bullying, fear, and the shame that others try to pin on his family because his father refuses to fight. As he meets Emma and Stan, the three of them slip into this oddly sweet little friendship that grows out of chaos. They stumble into adventures, trouble, and eventually form the Grubby Feather Gang, a tiny group held together by loyalty and a grubby feather that somehow becomes a symbol of hope instead of cowardice.
Reading it felt like sitting beside these kids as their lives spun between fear and laughter. I found myself rooting for George right away. His thoughts felt real in this quiet, aching way. Sometimes I wanted to shake him, other times I just wanted to hug the kid. The writing surprised me. It has this softness running through all the messy bits. Even the sad scenes didn’t feel heavy for long because there was always some little spark of warmth or humor waiting around the corner. And Emma cracked me up constantly. She felt like the friend who shows up loud and strange and instantly makes everything better.
What I liked most were the ideas behind the story. It’s a book about courage that doesn’t sound preachy. It tackles judgment and fear and the pressure to fit in. But it does it through the eyes of children who are trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t make sense at all. Some moments hit harder than I expected. Other scenes felt gentle and simple in a way that made me smile without thinking about it. I liked that the book didn’t pretend everything gets fixed, only that sticking together makes the hard stuff feel less impossible.
I’d recommend The Grubby Feather Gang to kids who enjoy stories with heart and a bit of grit, and to adults who like children’s books that don’t talk down to anyone. It’s great for readers who want friendship, trouble, and a little hope woven into history.
Pages: 113 | ASIN : B01FARFVUG
The Derge
The Derge is a sweeping sci-fi adventure set thousands of years in the future, where humanity has mastered interstellar travel and tamed emotion itself. The story follows Commander Titus and his deputies, Caeli and Rogat, on a high-stakes pursuit through space and time to capture a fugitive named Corso. Their chase leads them to a planet that mirrors ancient Earth, filled with strange societies and barbaric rituals like “The Derge.” Beneath its thrilling plot and futuristic technology, the novel wrestles with timeless questions about morality, control, and the meaning of progress.
Reading The Derge pulled me into a world that felt both distant and familiar. The writing style is vivid and cinematic, with crisp dialogue and detailed settings that make each scene easy to visualize. I loved how the story mixed classic space opera adventure with deep philosophical undertones. There were a few places where the pacing slowed a little as the story delved into background detail. Some of the futuristic terms and technical descriptions occasionally pulled me away from the emotional flow, but they also added depth to the world. The human elements, the tension between duty and empathy, the clash between freedom and control, kept me hooked. I found myself rooting for Titus even when I wasn’t sure if I trusted him completely.
Seeing a society that eradicated violence by regulating emotion made me question what we lose when we trade chaos for peace. The scenes on the alien planet, especially “The Derge” event, were chilling. It was brutal and absurd, yet disturbingly believable. Cezar’s depiction of humanity’s reflection in alien form hit hard. The contrast between the sterile perfection of Earth’s future and the raw savagery of Spaith stayed with me long after I closed the book.
I’d recommend The Derge to readers who love thoughtful science fiction with moral weight. Fans of Asimov, Bradbury, or Clarke would find its ideas fascinating, though Cezar’s storytelling leans more visceral and emotional. It’s perfect for anyone who wants more than a space chase, someone who wants to be made a little uncomfortable, to think, and to feel.
Pages: 191 | ASIN : B0F1M1FCZD
Claw & Ember
Claw & Ember follows Nyra, a young rider bound to her saber tooth, Sathra. The story moves through a world shaped by political pressure, old loyalties, and a city that feels like it is swallowing itself. Nyra trains, fights, and stumbles her way through shifting alliances while a strange heat thrumming under her skin hints that something inside her does not fit the rules everyone else seems to follow. The book mixes sharp fights, thick atmosphere, and tight emotional beats as Nyra tries to find her footing in a place that demands more from her than she expected.
Reading it pulled me in more than I thought it would. The writing hits with this raw, lived-in energy. The fights snap. Even the animals feel alive. I liked how the book lets small moments breathe, like a glance from someone who matters a bit too much or a sound in the fog that turns the whole mood. I got wrapped up in Nyra’s rough edges and her stubbornness. The world feels big and hungry, and the writing makes that weight real in a way that hit me in the gut.
I also found myself hooked on the relationships. They twist in these honest ways. Quiet jealousy slipping into the training yard. Old history tucked under a single line of dialogue. That stuff landed harder for me than some of the politics. Sometimes the pacing rushed when I wanted it to walk. Other times it lingered in a way that made the tension coil nicely. But the emotional beats always felt solid. I kept turning pages just to see how Nyra handled the next mess she got dragged into or the next truth she tried to swallow.
By the time I reached the end, I felt that warm spark of wanting the next book right away. I’d recommend Claw & Ember to readers who like gritty fantasy with strong character focus and a world that feels close enough to touch. If you want sharp claws, slow-burn tension, big cats that actually feel like big cats, and a heroine who keeps getting up even when the world leans on her hard, this one will be a great fit.
Pages: 379 | ASIN: B0FVRZ5LF3
Confidence Transformation
Girl Game: Balls Out is a blend of memoir, psychology, and empowerment, and is a call for women to reclaim their power, stop people-pleasing, and rise unapologetically into their full selves. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In love, I was always had an anxious attachment style, and I genuinely felt like something was medically wrong with me. My insecurities always got the best of me, and I grew up without any confidence or self-esteem. Rejection was my middle name. I was unlucky in love. I had to get to the bottom of this, so I spent 5 years intensively studying attachment theory and childhood emotional neglect, and boy, did my findings revolutionize my life as I know it. That research and my own confidence transformation were the catalyst and backbone of this work.
In Chapter Six, “The Fight of Your Life,” you write about internal battles. How do you personally recognize when you’re in one?
By how I am feeling. All internal states are attached to a feeling, and all feelings are trying to tell us something vital about ourselves.
What do you hope women take away from your message when they’re standing at their own
breaking point?
That they heal “balls out” style. Many people sit in a therapist’s office for years and take medication for decades hoping to numb the pain, but they never really heal HEAD ON. I encourage radical healing through awareness and consciousness, and that requires a full-blown, balls-out exploration of the shadow, or what I call an emotional exorcism, in this book.
You mix faith, psychology, and empowerment in a unique way. How do those three forces coexist in your own healing process?
I am a spiritual person. I do blend faith, spirituality, psychology, and empowerment because of my background in all 3. I refuse to take pills. I don’t go to therapy (but I am a huge fan of it) – I champion healing by facing problems head-on and feeling them fully until healed.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
With over 100 years of research behind it in human psychology, emotion, healing, attachment and relationships, self-worth and identity, this book provides profound insights concerning the realities that shape our existence when we struggle with low self-esteem. Since our subconscious accepts all suggestions as facts, we are met with demons we didn’t create who plague us as mirrors impacting our closest relationships while making rejection become the norm. This happens because of generational trauma passed down from ancestors and the general negativity felt and experienced in the external world. By embracing self-worth from within, the book emphasizes the transformative power it holds in reshaping personal connections and attracting genuine affection. The text prompts introspection on questions of rejection, societal constraints, and the impact of insecurity on personal growth and fulfillment. Encouraging a shift from seeking external validation to embracing inner worth, GIRL GAME: BALLS OUT advocates for empowerment and taking control of one’s narrative. By fostering self-belief and authenticity, individuals can transcend self-doubt, radiate confidence, and magnetize positive interactions.
You can either overcome or come undone… the POWER is yours.
Are you hiding behind that pretty face…
Out of Mind
Out of Mind follows Paige as she rebuilds her life after a violent attack and the loss of her closest friend, all while her dangerous ex-lover Max Dovic remains a shadow over every step she takes. The story cuts between Paige’s attempt to find peace in Michigan and Max’s own slippery survival, creating a tense back-and-forth rhythm that carries through the book. The plot keeps tightening as their worlds drift closer again, which gives the story a steady pulse that never really relaxes.
Reading this book gave me a strange mix of nerves and curiosity. The writing feels punchy and quick, almost like it is trying to outrun the danger inside the story. I liked that. I also felt the emotional weight of Paige’s grief in a way that surprised me. Her memories show up like bruises. Small, painful, and always there. Sometimes the dialogue moves fast, and at other times the scenes linger on the characters’ inner messiness. That shift made the story feel alive. It kept pulling me through, even when the subject matter got dark.
Max’s chapters left me unsettled. They show a different angle, one that is slick and cold. I found myself rooting for Paige even harder because of how sharply the book paints that contrast. The pacing kicks up in the middle and does not really let up afterward. I enjoyed that jump in energy. Some twists were wild and maybe a little over the top, but I did not mind because the book leans into that dramatic style. It feels like it knows exactly what kind of ride it wants to be.
The story gives thrills, heartache, and a good punch of tension. I would recommend Out of Mind to readers who enjoy fast suspense, emotional stakes, and characters who carry real scars. It is a good pick for someone who wants a gripping story that stays close to the characters’ feelings and keeps the pace hot all the way through.
Pages: 293 | ASIN: B0FP7P4RJ2
An Ever-Opening Poem
In A Wave Without a Shore, you explore both science and soul through the introspective poetry in this second installment of the Entangled Universes Trilogy. What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this poetry collection?
Honestly, my writing flows unlike anything I have ever experienced. Since August 2019, I have written 2500 poems, so the challenge is mapping ~200 of them to the eleven chapters in a way that helps elevate the poetry to a “shore our galaxy will only pass by” in our future.
How do you approach writing about deeply personal or emotional topics?
With ease. I am an INFJ personality type with introverted intuition and deep empathy. These topics are like an ocean that I never leave.
How has writing this poetry trilogy changed you as a writer, or what are you learning about yourself through writing it?
My writing has absolutely evolved since I began writing poetry at the start of the global pandemic. It’s almost like six years ago, I had just stepped into this realm, completely unaware of what I was experiencing. I never studied writing poetry; instead I only read poets (Whitman, Hesse, Rimbaud, Hemingway, Milton, Dickerson, Homer, Keats).
I’ve learned that the universe is an ever-opening poem in which our lives are immersed and entangled, almost like the words we use to express it.
Can you give us a glimpse inside the final installment of the Entangled Universes Trilogy? Where will it take readers?
We were born inside a star. Everything that makes up our experience within this universe came from our mother sun, Sol. Here’s an example of how my poetry will resonate in Tides of Light:
The Fragile Silence of Becoming Our Real
We trade light in a dance we were born to make
Your words find mine almost as if they know us
When we met eons past each poem was a song
I’ll know you again, sweet when we’ll sing them.
Flush with our demurs love asks how to be now
When we decide our fates even time plays along
Fragile silences frame thoughts as if we’re alone
When you’re lost remember that light we shared.
I’ve ventured on lonely highlands in search of us
Komorebi shadows taste like a kiss only you gift
Guardian angels perfect our course through time
When you’re ready to dance love, hold my eyes?
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Jazz on the Coast | Website | Amazon
Clip Toenails for a Living: A Unique Path to Success
Clip Toenails for a Living is a blend of memoir, mindset guide, and professional journey that follows Dr. Marcin Vaclaw’s rise from podiatry resident to clinic owner and medical officer. The book lays out a simple idea. Success comes from doing the unglamorous work and doing it well. Dr. Vaclaw uses podiatry, especially the humble act of clipping toenails, as the central image of his philosophy. The book is organized into parts that move from fundamentals to building a personal path to defining success in your own terms. It mixes anecdotes from training, small wins, setbacks, and the slow grind that shaped his career.
I felt pulled in by the author’s plain way of telling stories. Nothing feels sugar-coated. He talks about fungal nails, house calls and residency struggles. That honesty made the bigger ideas easier to trust. I liked how he treated simple work with respect. It made me think about my own habits and how often I overlook basic tasks. Sometimes the writing leaned a little too hard on metaphors about cooking or recipes, but it still kept the tone friendly and down to earth.
I also enjoyed the way the book paced through the lessons. Some chapters focused on grit. Others focused on adjusting your course or finding your niche or learning from discomfort. I felt myself nodding along, especially during the parts describing how success is mostly small steps and small choices that pile up. It felt real. At moments, though, I wanted more detail about his own failures. Even so, the overall effect is motivating. I came away feeling lighter and more willing to take on the boring parts of my own life.
I would recommend this book to people who like personal development stories that feel practical and human. If you are early in your career or trying to rethink your path, it hits the spot. It would also appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs from medical professionals. The lessons are simple, clear, and easy to apply. It left me with the sense that I could do a little better tomorrow.
Pages: 193 | ASIN: B0FT6ZDK3M
Deep, Soul-Level Understanding
Safe Haven follows a fallen Chicago news anchor who retreats to a crumbling farmhouse and finds redemption among strangers learning to live with their own brokenness. What inspired you to center Safe Haven around rebuilding after loss?
I love writing stories with broken characters—individuals struggling with grief, loss, and regret. People whose wounds run deep, whose silence often speaks louder than words. Yet within this brokenness, they somehow find a thread of hope, a quiet courage, a stubborn perseverance that keeps them moving forward. If they push through the pain, they come out on the other side changed in a way that makes them view the world in a different light. And when their eyes are open, they start to see the silent battles others are fighting. That recognition—that deep, soul-level understanding—is empathy. Empathy is not a character weakness. It is strength wrapped in softness. It is the heartbeat of humanity. To feel deeply is not to be fragile—it is to be brave. In my writing, I strive to illuminate the power of empathy, compassion, and hope for humans and animals alike.
The relationships in East Haven feel real. Were any of the characters or their struggles drawn from people you’ve known?
They didn’t come from any one person, but from a collection of individuals. People who have endured pain and carry wounds that don’t always show, but shape the way they move through the world. I’ve known people who have been through unimaginable tragedies, who have suffered physical, mental, and emotional abuse, and have found a way to heal those wounds through faith, hope, and love. Not in a religious sense—although many people find healing that way—but in a spiritual sense: in the presence of someone who cares deeply, in the quiet of nature, in the soul of an animal. Those are the kind of people I love to write about. The kind I find strength in. The kind that endures and transforms.
You write grief with so much restraint and honesty. How did you find the right emotional balance without tipping into sentimentality?
Finding that balance was incredibly difficult for me. I’ve always been someone who feels deeply, so stepping into Michael’s point of view—a man who struggles to name, express, or even acknowledge his emotions—was a struggle. His tendency to shut down or get angry felt foreign to me. But what started as a challenge became a blessing. It was a character fault that didn’t just serve the story—it shaped it. Michael’s silence, his internal battles, became a starting place for the growth he’d experience throughout the novel. Two things helped me keep the portrayal raw and honest. First, I created Mac—a character who became a mirror and a guide for Michael. Mac wasn’t just a sounding board; he’d done his own emotional work and could recognize the pain Michael was trying to hide. Through their dynamic, I could give Michael space to stumble, to resist, and eventually to speak. Mac helped him find language for the things he’d buried, and in doing so, helped me stay true to the emotional arc without forcing it.
Second, I had a writing partner who acted as an emotional compass. Doug wasn’t afraid to tell me when my own feelings were bleeding too heavily into the narrative—when Michael’s voice started sounding more like mine. That feedback was invaluable. And I learned that emotional truth doesn’t always mean emotional intensity. Sometimes, it means restraint. Sometimes, it means letting the silence speak.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Safe Haven and, if all the stars align, hope to have it published sometime next year. I am also looking at publishing a collection of short stories.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon
On the eve of his 40th birthday, Michael Russo faces a devastating trifecta: the loss of his job, a crisis of self-doubt, and a broken engagement with the love of his life, Anna. On impulse, he buys a run-down forty-acre farm unaware the dilapidated barn, home to a one-legged turkey and a blind rooster, harbors mystery.
It isn’t long before Michael’s life is once again turned upside down and he finds himself raising his daughter, Brie, alongside Anna’s overbearing parents. While they fight about what’s best for Brie, she develops an enigmatic attachment to the barn’s residents. A bond that cannot be broken.
As Brie struggles with one mysterious illness after another, Michael discovers she was born with a unique gift. One that has the power to change the world, but also the potential to endanger her life.
In a race against time, Michael must face his greatest fear to safeguard his daughter, whose innocence and extraordinary talent have forever altered his life.
Elizabeth Stiles’ debut novel, Save Haven: Where Hope Lives, intricately weaves together themes of loss, resilience, and the unexplainable, culminating in a poignant exploration of the power of love, healing, and the interconnectedness of all beings.
LITERARY TITAN 