Blog Archives
I Was Playing Checkers While God Was Playing Chess: The Power and Presence of God in My Life
I Was Playing Checkers While God Was Playing Chess is part memoir, part testimony, and all heart. It’s the story of a man who lived through a mountain of trauma. Abuse, racism, addiction, marital struggles, and found God moving in places he didn’t expect. Every chapter uses a chess move to explain a turning point in his life, like how his grandmother giving him an encyclopedia set as a boy set the stage for him to one day decode complex psychiatric info and care for his wife. It’s deeply personal, packed with emotion, and reads like someone sitting across the table, telling you their truth.
One chapter that really hit me was “The Fork” about his abuelita. She steps in during his horrible childhood, gives him love, and literally hands him books when no one else believed in him. That whole section had me teary-eyed. It reminded me how sometimes the smallest gestures change everything. And the way he ties it back later, like decades later, to how he understood medical texts to help his wife, was amazing. That’s not just a good story. That’s fate with a plan. I could feel how much those books meant to him. It wasn’t just about reading. It was about survival.
Then there’s Crystal. She’s not just his wife. She’s a whole force of nature. That part where she tells him, “I love you for the man you’re going to become,” after he’s cheated and blown up their marriage? I had to put the book down for a second. That line wrecked me. You feel the weight of what they’ve been through, but you also feel the hope. The love between them isn’t pretty or easy, but it’s real. The mental health stuff is raw, too. He talks about psychosis, ER visits, and disappearing acts. And yet there’s faith threaded through it all, like a lifeline.
Later on, when he talks about writing his first book and speaking publicly, it’s a total shift. That’s when you realize the guy who used to think he was worthless is now lifting other people up. There’s this full-circle moment when he reconnects with an old boss who turns out to be a pastor. The way it all lines up? It’s wild. It feels earned. I could see the gears turning in his life even when he couldn’t. That made me look at my own life differently. Like maybe all this chaos has some kind of pattern.
If you’ve ever felt like you were getting hit from all sides and couldn’t see the bigger picture, this book is for you. If you’ve ever loved someone who was hard to love, or were that person yourself, this book is for you. It’s not fancy or polished. But it’s real and full of heart.
Pages: 78 | ISBN : 978-1963737240
Paraclete Hills Vacation Bible Camp: Prayers, Praise and Perfect Pranks
Paraclete Hills Vacation Bible Camp, by James and Crystal Bass, is a sun-drenched, laughter-laced ride through summer camp. It follows six lively kids—Annabelle, Ariel, Zion, Bo, and twins Big Jay and Little Jay—on their hilariously mischievous, often heartwarming journey of faith, friendship, and epic pranks. Through silly escapades like fart-sounding balloons in Bible class and googly eyes on school supplies, they explore what it means to grow, learn, and bond in ways that go beyond marshmallow roasts and canoe races.
I loved how genuine this story felt. The kids aren’t perfect. They make a mess, push boundaries, and pull off pranks that would give any camp counselor pause. But they’re never cruel. Their balloon prank during Pastor Coleman’s Bible lesson had me laughing. But even better was how the adults handled it—with humor, a touch of wisdom, and a good-natured lecture that turned the chaos into a lesson about kindness. That balance—fun without meanness, correction without scolding—made this more than just a goofy camp story. It felt real. Like a place I wish I’d gone to as a kid.
Then there was the moment Micah the Menace arrived. A toddler armed with the appetite of a vacuum and the tantrum power of a hurricane? Genius. But it wasn’t just for laughs. The counselors flipped the script on the pranksters. Watching the kids learn humility through a pint-sized storm named Micah was both hilarious and surprisingly touching.
As the story moved into the later chapters, especially “The Apology and Making Amends” and “A New Kind of Fun,” it honestly got me a little misty-eyed. The kids’ decision to write apology letters and then organize a camp-wide talent show? That hit home for me. It reminded me of how we grow up in spurts—first we laugh, then we reflect. That campfire scene, with everyone clapping and singing, wrapped the whole thing up in the best way possible—warm, sincere, and full of love.
If you’re a parent, a youth group leader, or anyone looking for a story that teaches lessons without preaching, Paraclete Hills Vacation Bible Camp is a treasure. It’s especially perfect for middle-grade readers who want humor with heart. Think Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Sunday school. This book made me laugh, smile, and think, and I’d happily recommend it to anyone who believes that joy, mischief, and growth can all live in the same chapter.
Pages: 58 | ISBN : 978-1963737837
Tough Fatherly Love
Dead Men Walking: A Stairway to Life is a raw and deeply personal appeal to Black men and their communities to rise from spiritual death into a life of purpose and redemption through Christ. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book was important to write because I am tired of seeing young black men dying needlessly on the streets via homicides. This is impacting the very essence of the black family. Black Fatherlessness pandemic is real and we as a race are better than this. It’s us killing us. It is unacceptable that it’s ingrained in our culture that Black murder is normal I am on a mission to save black men and to turn this thing around. Turning them to Jesus Christ.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Jesus Christ is a chain breaker and he will change your life. He is the answer.
The book is also is an encouragement to women using the example of Priscilla as a strong woman of God modeling faith and character and training children using God given wisdom.
The importance of having a father in children’s lives versus those who don’t.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
My father gave me some tough fatherly love. When I graduated from high school, my father sat me down and said, “So, what are you going to do with yourself? I said, “I want to work in the steel mill like you.”
His response was, “I figured you wanted to be like me, but I want you better than me. Because you want to be like me, I want you out of my house now, or I arrange for you to go to college.”
I chose college. I attended Marian College a Catholic college and graduated with my BA degree. I got hired in State government and held several executive positions. My highest accomplishment was as executive director of the Medicaid Waiver program for the state of Indiana. In that position, I received a National award from the health care financing administration under President Clinton administration for my management overseeing thousands of patients receiving needed home care services. My father’s tough love caused this to happen. He wanted better for me.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from Dead Men Walking: A Stairway to Life?
One thing I hope readers take away from Dead Men Walking a Stairway to Life is that Jesus provides us with a whole new way of life. He can make your life better. He is ever present.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
There is an old saying, “Enough is enough, and too much is too much.” The book was written by a Black man for a Black man. You no longer have to remain on the road of death. For a dead man fears nothing, not even death itself.
Doing without an awareness of God’s judgment and no sense of urgency to get your life right. A prayerlessness life with no worship, no fellowship, and no appetite for those things of God. A loveless life.
Love is expressed by one’s actions. The actions of a dead man is not love. God is love, and he desires your love and commitment to him. The book reveals the importance of placing God at the center of your life. God can take you from being beneath and cause you to be above. You will move from being the tail and becoming the head.
Throughout the book, Philippians 4:13 reveals, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Everything God has called me to, he gives me the strength to accomplish, no matter how difficult it is. Author Elder Walter Thomas has made it through many things in life by remembering this verse and trusting it to be true.
Changing your life not only makes you a better man but also a better husband, a better father, which results in a better family, making a better community. Families, pastors, teachers, politicians, governmental officials advocacy groups, mentors, lay individuals, and others will be able to exercise the usage of Dead Men Walking a Stairway to Life to turn this thing around.
Lamba’s Journey with Jesus
This sweet little picture book tells the story of Lamba, a curious baby lamb born on a cold night in Bethlehem. As he grows, Lamba’s natural wanderlust leads him on unexpected adventures—from meeting baby Jesus in the manger, to witnessing the events in Jerusalem during Palm Sunday, all the way to discovering the empty tomb on Easter morning. Through Lamba’s eyes, kids are gently guided through key moments in the life of Jesus.
As a mom who reads a ton of bedtime stories (and has heard “read it again!” more times than I can count), this one really warmed my heart. The writing is simple and rhythmic, which makes it easy for my little one to follow along. And the fact that it’s all told from a lamb’s point of view is genius. My kid was instantly hooked. It gave him someone small and innocent to connect with, and the way Lamba gets a little lost but always finds his way back—it just tugged at my heart. It reminds me of how we all sometimes stray and still get called home with love.
But what really got me was how the story weaves in the big parts of Jesus’s life without making it too heavy or confusing for young minds. It felt spiritual without being preachy, gentle without being watered down. The illustrations are bright, expressive, and just the right mix of realism and whimsy. Lamba’s eyes are so bright and expressive.
Lamba’s Journey With Jesus is the kind of children’s book I’d keep on our shelf year-round, not just for Christmas or Easter. It’s perfect for faith-based families who want to introduce Jesus’s story in a way that’s approachable and heart-centered. I’d recommend it to moms of toddlers and early elementary kids, Sunday school teachers, and honestly, anyone who wants to see the gospel through fresh eyes.
Pages: 96 | ASIN : B0DNRQW7N8
Literary Titan Book Award: Nonfiction
The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes outstanding nonfiction books that demonstrate exceptional quality in writing, research, and presentation. This award is dedicated to authors who excel in creating informative, enlightening, and engaging works that offer valuable insights. Recipients of this award are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Discerning Reality From Illusion
In The Conspiracy of the Christ you examine your relationship with Christ through anecdotes, mysterious encounters, and childhood reflections. Why was this an important book for you to write?
My obsession with truth seems to have been innate from my earliest recollection, and it has always been a challenge to discern reality from illusion. When I became religious, my obsession centered around Jesus Christ.
Writing is for me a learning experience. It is an excuse to do more research, and I learned a lot in writing this book. For me, this book pulled together all the threads that I left hanging for so long. I almost feel satisfied.
Is there anything you edited out of this book that you now wish you had included?
The book is too long, and I was self-conscious about that; but the volume of source material was too great, and I had to gesticulate towards the sources as a guide might point out landmarks. Giving a total overview was important. I wanted to go into more detail, but the digressions would have interrupted the flow and the balance. Especially, I hope my readers will seek out the works of Dionysius the Areopagite, which were secretly foundational to Christianity. I am thinking about doing a book on the secrets of Christianity. Also, I wanted to spend more time on atheism and Christianity, but I did not know enough sources to support that. Maybe, that is another book.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The personal miracles and perhaps hallucinations could have made me appear unreliable as an author. It was a risk.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your experiences?
We are magical beings in a magical world, and we should become humble to better appreciate our moment in time.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
The Conspiracy of the Christ: A Memoir of Gnosis, History, the Secrets of Christianity, and Carlos Castaneda
Michael LaFond’s The Conspiracy of the Christ is a memoir that defies easy classification. The book is a deeply personal exploration of mystical experiences, the nature of miracles, and a critical reexamination of Christianity. Through anecdotes from his own life—ranging from encounters with mysterious entities to reflections on childhood indoctrination—LaFond threads together theology, psychology, skepticism, and spirituality. He attempts to uncover not just the historical Jesus, but a deeper, internal experience of “Christ” as universal awareness. This is no ordinary religious memoir; it is part philosophical musing, part confessional, and part critique of organized religion.
I was immediately struck by LaFond’s openness in recounting intimate and often bizarre experiences, like the childhood encounter with what he calls the “bogeyman” in a tree—a shadowy, pulsing mass that disappeared upon his father’s denial of its existence. These stories are told with conviction and a sincerity which make them hard to dismiss. His writing has an offbeat cadence that feels both earnest and unpredictable, sometimes philosophical and other times oddly playful. It’s a rare voice—self-aware, but not self-important. I appreciated the vulnerability in passages like when he describes hearing a voice say “You will save the world,” and how, rather than embracing a messianic complex, he questions its origin and meaning. The way he balances belief and skepticism feels honest and relatable.
LaFond is clearly well-read and philosophically curious, yet his prose avoids academic pretensions. His critique of Christian doctrine, particularly miracle stories and the early church’s reliance on spectacle, is bold without being dismissive. He’s not trying to debunk belief entirely; instead, he’s trying to widen the definition. This book isn’t about theology in the institutional sense. It’s about how one person’s mind wrestles with experience, meaning, and the spiritual weirdness of life.
There are stretches of tangents and long personal digressions that don’t always circle back. It’s part of the charm, but also part of the challenge. At times I felt like I was eavesdropping on a very long, very personal monologue. But even when it wandered, the writing never felt false. His refusal to provide neat answers or a definitive worldview is what gives the book its authenticity. He lets contradictions stand—faith and doubt, science and mysticism, belief and disbelief—all jostling together under the same roof.
The Conspiracy of the Christ is a heartfelt and thought-provoking memoir. It’s not for someone seeking traditional apologetics or tidy theological conclusions. But if you’ve ever felt torn between reason and wonder, or if you’ve wrestled with religion and longed for a more personal, mystical experience of meaning, this book will speak to you.
Pages: 423 | ASIN : B0DS1KXWXS
LITERARY TITAN 