Blog Archives
Comfort and Risk
In Dead Reckoning, a group of detectives and their families find themselves embroiled in a mystery complete with missing passengers and eerie mysteries on what should have been a relaxing Mediterranean cruise. Where did the inspiration for this mystery come from?
I’ve always been interested in how a normal setting can suddenly turn dangerous. Cruises are supposed to be fun and relaxing, but they’re also closed‑off worlds where people can’t just walk away. That mix of comfort and risk gave me the idea for Dead Reckoning.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
For me, they go hand in hand. A twist works best when it grows naturally out of the story. I like to drop little clues along the way so readers feel surprised but also realize the twist makes sense.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of writing a trilogy? What is the most rewarding?
The hardest part is keeping everything consistent from book to book — characters, details, timelines. The best part is being able to spend more time with the world and the people I’ve created. It lets me go deeper and give readers more to enjoy.
Can fans of The Stanton Falls Mysteries look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Yes! Dead Reckoning is a stand‑alone mystery, separate from the Stanton Falls trilogy. I wanted to give readers a fresh story with new characters and a different setting. At the same time, I am continuing to develop future projects — including more mysteries — so fans of Stanton Falls can look forward to new work from me soon.
Believable Dark Fantasy
The Siren’s Daughter follows a young, spirited girl, drawn irresistibly to the sea, who finds a mysterious conch shell that lures her away from her family. What inspired you to retell this story in this manner?
I was working on another project, making cultural heritage cards. When researching CHamoru legends, I found that the Marianas had their own sea siren lore. Because of my Latino heritage, I know that “sirena” is Spanish for “siren.” While “Sirena” is a beautiful name, I started wondering if maybe the legend wasn’t actually about a girl named Sirena, but was a warning based on what happened to a girl claimed by a siren. A Spanish word for a warning instantly placed the story in Spanish colonial times, and I imagined that it was a priest who wrote the warning and did not care to keep the girl’s name. The details of the rest of the story just fell into place as I imagined it more. I really liked the whole premise of a siren claiming the girl as her own, and the details being lost to time because of colonial control. I liked it more and more as I kept developing the story.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The legend of Sirena is a Guam legend, but I wanted to make it more of a general CHamoru legend by integrating it with siren lore in the other Mariana Islands.
As with my other works, I want to share CHamoru heritage with readers everywhere. In The Siren’s Daughter, I saw an opportunity to share with audiences another part of CHamoru history – Spanish colonization. I wanted to mention the wars against the Spanish. I also wanted to mention the loss of spiritual and traditional knowledge because the Spanish killed off traditional healers.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
My main goal was to create a believable dark fantasy that shares CHamoru heritage with readers. I wanted to give a glimpse of life under Spanish rule. But to be honest, I really liked the story that I had imagined, and I was excited to write it.
What story are you currently in the middle of writing?
I am currently working on Books 2 and 3 of what I am calling The Yo’Åmte Trilogy. The Makana’s Legacy is Book 1. I like the outlines that I have, and I wish I had the time to devote to these stories. These next two books will actually bring up topics that even many CHamorus might not have thought about. Because these stories delve deeper into the role of Yo’Åmte (traditional healers) in CHamoru society, I will be consulting with an expert on the topic of Yo’Åmte to help me stay accurate and respectful in my portrayal of Yo’Åmte.
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After the wars, Hagåtña fell hushed. Tasi – restless and bright – slipped to the reef where a siren waited with a black opal conch. At home, her mother’s patience frayed; her grandmother warned that spirits were listening. One bitter outburst became a curse, and the sea answered.
Sailors spoke of a girl in the foam. Priests spread a warning about la sirena – the siren. The word traveled farther than the truth – until it swallowed the girl’s name.
The Siren’s Daughter is a haunting CHamoru retelling set just after the Spanish-Chamorro wars: a tale of mothers and daughters, desire and duty, and what the ocean keeps while history erases.
Includes a traditional telling of the Sirena legend and an Author’s Note.
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
Stolen Diary
Stolen Diary follows Jasmin, a gifted young girl raised in a tightly controlled world shaped by family secrets, emotional distance, and the heavy weight of expectations. As she uncovers the truth behind her mother’s mysterious diary, Jasmin begins a long journey of self-discovery that stretches across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The story blends coming-of-age tension with gentle mystery. It frames the inner life of a brilliant child who wants love, clarity, and a sense of place.
I found myself pulled in by the writing. The sentences feel smooth, simple, and clear. The author lets the scenes breathe, and I could feel Jasmin’s loneliness and her fierce desire to understand the world. Some moments hit me hard. The quiet pain in the family home, the mix of fear and longing, the strange way adults try to protect kids while also hurting them. I felt frustrated for her sometimes. I also felt proud when she found her own footing. The slower parts gave me time to sit with her thoughts, and that made the story feel honest.
The ideas in the book stayed with me. The balance between intellect and emotion. The pressure placed on children who shine in ways adults do not understand. The way trauma hides inside ordinary routines. I liked how the author handled these themes with gentle hands. Nothing felt forced. Sometimes I wanted sharper edges or more confrontation, yet the softer tone works for Jasmin’s world. It made the big emotional moments land with more force. I kept thinking about how families try hard yet still end up wounding each other.
I would recommend Stolen Diary to readers who enjoy intimate stories about growing up, especially those who like character-driven novels set against rich cultural backgrounds. It is a good fit for people who appreciate slow-building emotional journeys and mysteries that unfold quietly rather than loudly. If you want a thoughtful, heartfelt read that lingers in your mind, this book should suit you well.
Pages: 334 | ASIN : B0BSHFRD11
For Cause
In Kansas City, truth used to be simple… facts, evidence, justice. But attorney Josephina Jillian Jones… 3J… is about to learn that in a world of deepfakes, even reality can be weaponized. When Paxton Energy files for Chapter 11, 3J expects a brutal legal brawl with a powerful bank group. What she doesn’t expect… is betrayal captured on video. A damning confession from CEO Remmy Paxton… clear, crisp, and devastating. There’s only one problem. He swears… it isn’t real. As the banks tighten their grip and a crooked Wichita banker pulls strings from the shadows, the judge gives 3J twenty days to prove the impossible: that the truth is a lie. Her only hope lies with a digital forensics prodigy, who now works for Robbie McFadden, the Irish mobster who rules Kansas City’s underworld with charm, menace, and a new business model: manipulating reality itself. From urban courtrooms to the windswept oil fields of northwest Oklahoma, 3J, her mentor Bill Pascale, and investigator Ronnie Steele race to unravel a conspiracy where corruption runs deep… and the wrong move could cost far more than a case. This time, justice has competition. Coming in early 2026.
LITERARY TITAN 