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The Penitent: Part III
The Immortality Wars The Penitent Part III is the epic conclusion of The Penitent Trilogy. In a battle between good and evil, Pall Warren is in the middle of it all, fighting evil demons to save humanity from the tyranny of an occult priest. Set in a world reminiscent of the Middle Ages with a fantasy spin, Pall continues on his quest to reconnect with his friend, John Savage, and find his place in the world.
The story begins with Pall helping Tom in the aftermath of the Ünger attack. He travels with Tom and his daughter to their new home in Gullswater. While in Gullswater, Pall puts feelers out to see where he can find the bowman, aka Savage. Leading Pall on a quest to Seascale, where he joins forces with Mercer, an ex-member of Gregor Mordant’s Marauders.
Once in Seascale, Pall and Mercer begin their mission to track down Savage and quickly find themselves deep in battle. Meanwhile, Savage works with his boss, Peredurus, the King’s Minister of Affairs, to update him on West Fündländ. Savage also alerts Peredurus to his views that Mordant is a traitor to the King. Peredurus begins his mission to validate Savage’s belief. All parties start to build the forces up for the impending war.
What I loved most was the multiple POVs, especially during the battle. I love when authors utilize this writing style as it gives me a better insight into the motives of the characters. A. Keith Carreiro is a strong writer, at times his style is more formal to help set the tone and add depth to the characters personality. I benefited from learning multiple new words as he has an expansive vocabulary.
The Penitent by A. Keith Carreiro is a thrilling adventure novel written for fans of fantasy and science fiction. The author is skilled at world-building and excels at keeping the reader engaged. Overall a strong finish to this riveting trilogy. Readers will enjoy finding out how Carreiro wraps up things.
Pages: 292 | ASIN: B07WCHGRKC
When I Decided To Write A Fantasy
Haelend’s Ballad is an epic fantasy novel that follows an ensemble cast that are trying to survive in a war torn land where fate conspires against them. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Definitely history. Our own world is full of war and atrocities, and yet we often only see one side of the story. But when we look at these historical events from various perspectives, we see a much more complex (and often darker) reality. When I decided to write a fantasy, I felt that having a large cast from different backgrounds and perspectives would be the best way to reflect that reality.
Your characters are intriguing and well developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
On one level, I simply wanted my characters to be real. I wanted them to be flawed, multi-faceted, and to sometimes just make really bad decisions. They needed to wrestle with their own sins and as well as the sins other against them, and that, in turn, should impact the choices they make. On another level, music was a big influence that helped shape each of my characters. I listened to a lot of early American ballads and classical composers, as well as more recent musicians such as Mumford and Sons, Radiohead, and Josh Garrels. Every character represented something that spoke to me in that music.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The biggest theme is probably suffering (how it impacts our worldview, the decisions we make, etc.). Other themes include the consequences of racism, nationalism, and political/economic corruption, as well as the power and freedom found in forgiveness, love, and self-sacrifice.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on a series of short stories that explores some of the mythology and other events in the world of Haelend’s Ballad. Also, I’ll be collaborating with my cover illustrator at the beginning of next year to create a series of illustrations for a hardback edition of Haelend’s Ballad that I hope to release at the end of 2022.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
A young man signs his own death warrant when he joins an already failing militia. A teenage girl is haunted by her childhood abuse and begins to crave the very things she hates. A childless mother finds herself on the run as a convicted murderer. Yet they are all unaware that their own fates are tied to a young orphan who has drowned and come back to life in a foreign land where he will be the death of everyone he meets.
Hælend’s Ballad is a tale about what happens when men and women from two colliding cultures realize they may not be on the right side. Heroes are villains. The persecuted are oppressors. And when rumors begin to spread that the world is dying, the darkness of their own hearts betrays them.
Who You Gonna Serve?
![Who You Gonna Serve? by [Aaron Pullins III]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41zHrfaLs0S.jpg)
In Who You Gonna Serve readers are faced with a conundrum, do you suffer through the bad situation until it passes? Or, do you contend with the necessary evil then atone for it later? It is a tough situation to be in. One that Daz Brooks knows all too well about. He is fresh out of prison and has a dream to be one of the best rappers alive. He could see no other way to achieve his dream other than the grey area resident, Andre Paul Zaayer.
APZ is a lawyer. Unlike other lawyers, he does not exactly practice the law. He practices around it and out of it. He is also deep in the drug trade. The exact thing that got Daz Brooks into prison to start with. APZ seems like everything a lawyers should not be. He is also the last person Daz Brooks should be engaging with. Will he be able to untangle himself from this web he walked into? Will APZ let him?
Authors Aaron Pullins III and Cathy Clark have written a captivating Christian fiction novel following two contrasting characters. One determined to get out of a dark hole and another willing to go to any lengths to keep him in there. It is a book about seeking the grace of God when the only solution you can come up with is a bad idea.
The authors have put names to the good and bad angels on your shoulder who pull you in different directions. Daz Brooks and APZ represent the two types of people in the world. You cannot help but root for Daz Brooks as you hope that the 40-day rule applies to guys like APZ and that his are almost over. Although, learning about his childhood in the beginning sort of eases the abhorrence you might develop for him.
Who You Gonna Serve starts an interesting conversation about the decisions people make and how they change their lives. Many times, people will take the path that gets them what they want despite the risk of losing more. However, with the grace of God it is easier to foresee the regret and pain that will come afterwards before the mistake is made.
This riveting crime fiction story lures readers in with a well written and descriptive story and then delivers some thought-provoking ideas. Readers will able to relate with a variety of moments throughout the story as well as the characters. It is especially interesting how the authors have used little bits from scripture to help drive the point of the story home.
Who You Gonna Serve is an absorbing urban Christian fiction novel with an entertaining storyline and a fascinating cast of characters.
Pages: 176 | ASIN: B08J3PVJX3
The Stars in April
![The Stars in April by [Peggy Wirgau]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515xmRj-MGL._SY346_.jpg)
Peggy Wirgau’s The Stars in April is a work of factual fiction recounting the journey of Ruth Becker, a survivor of the Titanic shipwreck on April 15, 1912. Due to the illness of her little brother, Ruth Becker must move from her birthplace and abode, Gunter, India, to Michigan. She is indignant at the prospect of her new and uncertain life in a foreign country, away from India, and her loving friend Sajni. The Stars in April follows the story of Ruth as she embraces the possibilities of a new beginning, her encounters with interesting people she meets along the voyage, and her experiencing the wonder of the magnificent queen of the sea, Titanic.
Though their presence may be brief, the novel presents the reader with some beautiful and interesting characters. Throughout Ruth’s significant voyage, the reader witnesses her change from resentful to a selfless individual affected by the people she meets. In the company of his equally generous father, Michael, the acrobat and unschooled boy of Ruth’s age, shows the wisdom he has gained during the years performing in a circus around the world. Also, while the three characters Natalie, Millie, and Elizabeth portray fashionable women of the time, who are eager to embrace the world with a receptive eye, Mrs. Becker’s astonishment at these women’s independence betrays her desire to be one of them.
By blending the facts from Ruth Becker’s life and the accounts of experiences gleaned from the internet, together with the additional elements of fiction, the author has woven a riveting historical fiction novel. I find myself exploring the deck of 1st class alongside Ruth, dancing in 3rd class with Ann, and experiencing the thrill of the Titanic, thanks to the fascinating and detailed accounts. Ruth and Michael’s eccentric habits are also great observations by the author of human behavior. Ruth’s habit of humming when stressed and Michael’s impulsive wrist-flexing when anxious are thoughtful ways to humanize these characters and make them feel real and sympathetic.
The reader is taken along, from Ruth’s anxious anticipation of what lies ahead to her anticipation of a fresh start with gratitude and eagerness. Ruth Becker’s last sky report in her journal, where she describes a clear and starlit sky instead of the constellations and the ancient tales associated with them, apparently illustrates her desire to paint her own story against the big horizon of the sky in her new life.
The Stars in April is highly recommended to readers who would love to explore the Titanic with Ruth Becker. It encourages people to accept and explore the new and unknown paths God has laid out for them without questioning his will, as the opportunities to encounter extraordinary people and experience significant things in life would never arise if one remained stationary.
Pages: 266 | ASIN: B08QFV21P9
Redemption, Connection, Community
Solomon’s Porch follows a man who suffers from a tragic accident that leaves him in a coma with nothing but flashbacks to keep him going. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
At my father-in-law’s funeral, we spent hours listening to people describe individual acts of kindness that he did in private for most of his life. He probably never realized what a difference he made. Solomon didn’t know either, so I thought it would be interesting for those he reached out to over the years to be the ones who came back to rescue him.
Solomon Thomas is an intriguing character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
He comes from such tragedy, but at the time, didn’t know how to lean on others. Once he lost it all, he no longer lived in fear and had only himself to give. Turns out, that was more than enough to breathe new life into his beloved town of Ginger Ridge.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Redemption, connection, community. We get so lost in our own brokenness that we forget to let others in. We’re all doing the best we can, but we don’t have to do it alone.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
A series of children’s stories called Character is a Choice. It’s a series of read-aloud, participation books that help children learn to make the best choices. The first one, due in spring ’22, is called Do Your Best, Tess!
After that, there will have to be a sequel to Solomon. The town of Ginger Ridge deserves to know what happens next, and there’s so many places it can go from here. Both in the past as well as the future. There are many stories waiting to be explored.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Solomon is running out of it.
A broken and forgotten man fighting the demons of dementia, he longs for the past when both he and his beloved military town of Ginger Ridge once thrived.
When his stooped body collides with the hardened realities of the present, Solomon lies in a coma as an unidentifiable victim of a hit-and-run accident in a faraway city.
With nothing to keep him going but flashbacks of relationships from his past, Solomon has no idea what a difference he will make on the future …
Solomon’s Porch
![Solomon's Porch by [Janet Morris Grimes]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41aPn-7od2L.jpg)
While this is not your typical love story, there is certainly a lot of love to go around between the characters in Solomon’s Porch by Janet Morris Grimes. Speaking of love, Grimes has a way of writing that leaves you feeling emotionally connected with each and every character-rooting for all of them despite their wrongdoings or shortcomings. We follow the characters through the aftermath of a traumatic event that weaves together the lives of people who didn’t know they needed each other, all connected through one beloved man from Ginger Ridge, Georgia- Solomon Thomas.
We meet the dramatis personae one by one, learning their story and that each is feeling the pressure of precious time-and a looming suspicion that they are running out of it. There is Raphael Henry- a Mexican immigrant who is suddenly facing deportation and attempting to prepare his young and growing family for a future without him. His run-in with Solomon creates even more chaos for him, and leads Solomon back into the life of single mom Harper Phillips. Unbeknownst to her at first, Harper was close to Solomon during her troubled childhood and is immediately drawn to helping him. With that task, she is surely not alone. Among many, there is newly single dad Brock Timberland, a soldier turned Pastor, who is trying to find his new way in life while restoring the faith in the Ginger Ridge community. Investigating the event is Detective Cameron Sterling-who despite his lackluster and burnt-out attitude, finds much-needed inspiration and a renewed sense of purpose through this particular case. All of their lives begin to intertwine in unexpected and interesting ways, leaving the reader in a dreamy state of surprise and suspense.
I could not have loved this book more. It was my favorite kind- one that you don’t want to end, already missing the characters you have come to love long before you’ve even finished. I would absolutely recommend it to every reader who loves a good heartfelt story. The lessons of overcoming trauma, abandonment and grief, living with empathy and kindness, and putting yourself in other people’s shoes run deep throughout the narrative. It is near impossible not to resonate with the struggles that are faced and to find hope and reason in seemingly unanswered prayers.
My favorite quote and greatest takeaway from Solomon’s Porch was from Solly himself: “You can only use the past to change the future, find a way to pay it forward.” Watching this lesson be brought to life over and over in this compelling story of human compassion will inspire any reader to live in alignment with these words of wisdom, releasing the chains of regret and focusing on the beauty in the hope of what is to come.
Pages: 253 | ASIN: B09C7LPQFB
A Pastor’s Pit
Preston Curtis could not have predicted the hint of what awaited him in the name of the city when he accepted the pastorate at Grace Bible Church in Pitfall, Oregon. Being a passionate believer in the Bible’s truth, he has no inkling that he would be prosecuted for a religious hate crime for exercising his religious freedom in preaching the Bible’s words. Judge Roy Sparkman’s A Pastor’s Pit is Preston’s fight against what he considers false religions and politically charged circumstances for a Christian in the U.S., dismissing constitutionally protected religious liberties and, thus, the virtue of the Bible.
A Pastor’s Pit depicts the dilemmas a Pastor has to overcome as a minister and counselor to people as a representative of God. Pastor Curtis is shown to be revered and admired, but he is equally criticized for conduct infringing on the consciences of previous supporters and admirers. He is shown as a devoted husband and father, as well as a true friend, delighted in the love and companionship of friends and family as anyone would, while also determined not to compromise his teachings of word-for-word Bible translation regardless of what the court ultimately determines. On the other hand, R.T. Glassman, his attorney, and best friend, does not retreat when defending his friend from prison, showing a beautiful example of what a loyal friend should be.
With the author being a former judge and practicing attorney, the court hearing with all of the legal terms, rhetoric questions, and cross-examinations by attorneys come across as authentic, without overdramatic and unreal situations. As informative and rhetorical as they are intriguing, the court hearings in the fiction greatly captivated me.
The topic raised in the novel is deserving of attention and explains laws molded for political ends. The novel brings to light the type of interference there is in religious liberties, no matter what the religion is. The book contains three examples of religious liberties being exercised or dismissed: the exercise of religious liberty in Pastor’s teachings and Umran’s choice of faith; dismissal of liberty in the persecution of Pastor and the threat of hell on infidels.
The novel deftly implement legal terminology, court hearings, and political intrigue to great dramatic effect and emerges as an informative work of fiction. A Pastor’s Pit is a riveting legal thriller with provocative questions at its core and an intriguing protagonist that lures you into this riveting novel.
Pages: 237 | ASIN: B08SDYCQ6X
They Are Fun To Explore
The Red Grouse Tales is a collection of speculative short stories conveying thought-provoking ideas through the stories of average people. What was the inspiration for the ideas behind your stories?
That is a difficult question to answer; where does inspiration come from? I suppose I feel that our world is pretty amoral – yes, it is immoral as well – and so ideas and themes relating to some form of morality interest me. As regards the writing of a story, some parts come amazingly easily, whereas others have to be really worked on. If I tell you that I wrote the central section of ‘The Golden Tup’ all in just a few days, whereas I worked up three different endings for ‘The Little Dog’ story, before finally settling on the one that I chose, you’ll get the idea. I am not a fan of ‘penny dreadful’s’ and like stories to be ‘plausible’ even if we know that they actually aren’t. So inevitably my stories tend to start slowly; one needs to set the scene and then introduce the story into it as though it really did happen. Most of the stories in our own lives start without us realising it and it is only when we are reasonably well into it that we realise that something is happening, or indeed has happened. My personal preference is for stories that have a bit of meat to them, so writers who have influenced me include Joseph Conrad, William Golding and Herman Hesse. I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to David Almond – who, by the way, lives just up the valley from me – for his book ‘Skellig’. The surreal concept of finding a real life angel in a garage just did it for me – wonderful! – and made me realise that my ideas were not so outlandish after all and could make stories, and it was this story of his that got me started on writing.
Your characters are felt unique but authentic. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
This question is not dissimilar to the previous one. Whereas one or two of my characters are almost, and I must emphasise the ‘almost’, a direct copy from life, most are made up. I suppose all characters are a mix of people who I have come across plus a bit of imagination, and I suspect the story also helps to drive the character. As a writer you have to ask yourself what sort of person would do this or that, behave in this or that way, and then you try and write the character to fit.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As you pick up on in your review, evil was probably the main theme; it and how people react to it. The Little Dog explores evil in a person and The Golden Tup evil in a place. The Crow is primarily about vanity and how it can distort an individual’s view of others and events, whereas The White Hart is at heart a battle of the sexes story, with a rather sexist male stance gradually being seen for what it is. Of course I enjoyed throwing in observations about life and death, the naivety of youth, religion and the concepts of good and evil and, as already mentioned, the battle of the sexes. All these are old favourites, but they are fun to explore.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently writing a trilogy loosely based on Dante’s Divine Comedy. For this I am borrowing from my civil engineering background and making the first part about the construction of a tunnel, the second about the surveying of a road and the third about the construction of a bridge. These will be modern day versions of Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. I am adjusting the stories of course, but broadly speaking the general theme will be the same; namely that of the protagonist discovering himself, coupled with a rather sad love affair. So far I am well on with the first two parts, though have yet to make a start on the third. When will it be available? My wife died recently, so my personal life is in a bit of a mess at present, So I would guess at, at least a year from now at the earliest. However, if readers are wanting another book, I have two novellas to choose from; The Bat and The Blue Horse; as well as an award winning novel, The Ghost Moth.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Bookbub | Instagram
The Little Dog – a story of good and evil and retribution. Bill, a retired forester, recounts a week in his early working life when he was paired with an unsavoury workmate. This commences with them finding a little domestic dog sitting beside a forest haul-road way out in a remote part of the forest. As Bill wonders what this little dog is doing in such an unlikely location the week becomes increasingly uncomfortable. When the little dog disappears events take an unexpected turn and our young troubled and naive Bill starts to learn some awful truths.
The Golden Tup – a dreadful tale of paradise being cruelly taken by latent evil. This story opens with the shocking news that a nice young couple have killed their new born baby. How could they have done such a dreadful thing? Our narrator, Verity, recalls how the pair bought an old derelict farmhouse and commenced renovating it; creating their own paradise. However, their felling of an old tree changed everything.
The Crow – a poignant tale of misunderstanding, dying, bitterness and blame. As a child, David, is taken to a hospice by his mother where he finds himself listening to an increasingly mad tale told by a dying and embittered old Irish priest. But why do the old priest’s recollections of the school days and subsequent rise of a local councillor become so increasingly bizarre and bitter?
The White Hart – a happy ghost story, if there can be such a thing! What might connect a chance encounter with a little albino deer, an equally unexpected meeting with a beautiful, but somewhat enigmatic young girl in a remote chapel, and a third, just as strange an incident, on a windswept hillside? Pete Montague, relates a redemptive, happy ghost story – if there can be such a thing!
LITERARY TITAN 