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Leaving My Mark
Posted by Literary_Titan

Legacy is a sprawling science-fantasy epic that follows the lives of several young warriors on the world of Utopia, a place where ancient magic coexists with advanced technology. This is an intriguing fantasy novel. Why was it important for you to write this book?
It’s a story that has stuck with me since childhood. It stayed in my mind and continued to expand in scope. I had thought about creating other media, but eventually settled on writing a story. It’s my way of leaving my mark in the sands of time, proof that I was once here, something I can leave behind.
Your characters are intriguing and highly engaging to readers. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I enjoyed writing for all of them. There were times when it got difficult, some of Ryker’s scenes in particular. He, unfortunately, suffers through some of the darker themes within the story. As I have previously mentioned, the story has grown within my mind, and so have these characters. I am telling a story that happened ages ago, which means I have to remind myself that these are younger versions of the characters. They can’t do certain things or wouldn’t react in the same ways that they would now.
I find that authors sometimes ask themselves questions and let their characters answer them. Do you think this is true for your characters?
Oh, most certainly. They are always with me. I’ve done what I can to keep the characters alive in my mind since childhood, as I wanted to write the story one day, but feared that as I got older, I would forget about them. I didn’t want to do that, so I found ways to keep them present and fresh in my mind. Creating new adventures or exploring new lands with them.
What is your background and experience in writing, and how did it help you write Legacy?
I have little to no experience in writing officially. The most I have done was write some short stories, many of which never got an ending, and write some poetry in my young teen years. I am not even an avid novel reader. I once was in my youth, but I lost that along the road, unfortunately. I’ll still read comics and manga occasionally, but even then. At one time, I thought I would create a Legacy series within a comic book or a manga, but my drawing skills aren’t as consistent as I would like them to be. I don’t have the means to hire an artist, but I know how to write. So, I decided on trying my hand at stringing words together and writing a book, a series of books if all goes as planned.
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A sci-fi fantasy epic of war, sacrifice, and the unbreakable power of friendship. For readers who crave rich characters, explosive action, and worlds where courage and conviction are the greatest weapons, Legacy delivers a thrilling beginning to a saga that will echo across galaxies.
Dark Angelus Everlast is a mystery to most. A local outsider with no known past, he rose to prominence after a decisive victory in one of Utopia’s most prestigious martial arts tournaments. Powerful, enigmatic, and reserved, he’s earned respect—but remains untested in the eyes of many. That changes when a brutal force from beyond the stars descends upon the planet, leaving devastation in its wake and catapulting Dark into a role he never sought.
Thrust into command as Planetary General, Dark must rally divided factions, earn the trust of wary allies, and master abilities that may cost him more than he’s willing to give. With his home on the brink of collapse, he stands as one of its final hopes—whether he’s ready or not.
At his side are Cory Ryker and Cogeta Fairway—steadfast friends whose loyalty runs deeper than blood. Cory, a quiet strategist with a sharp mind who must learn to confront and defeat his greatest enemy, himself. Cogeta, a charismatic warrior whose humor masks a lifetime of burdens, faces trials that will test the very foundation of his identity.
Together, they’ll navigate a galaxy where ancient forces and advanced civilizations collide, forging uneasy alliances, confronting devastating truths, and waging war against an enemy that embodies domination and despair.
Legacy is a bold fusion of military science fiction, epic fantasy, and political drama, exploring the price of heroism in a world where nothing comes without sacrifice. This is not a tale of chosen ones—it’s the story of young warriors standing against impossible odds, shaped not by destiny but by the choices they make when everything is on the line.
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, epic fantasy, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, legacy, literature, military sci fi, nook, novel, Political Drama, read, reader, reading, sci fi, story, The Chronicler, writer, writing
Legacy
Posted by Literary Titan

Legacy is a sprawling science-fantasy epic that follows the lives of several young warriors on the world of Utopia, a place where ancient magic coexists with advanced technology. The central focus is on Dark Angelus Everlast (Angel), a mysterious, battle-hardened youth with a troubled past, and his close-knit group of friends: the charming troublemaker Cogeta, the reserved intellectual Cory, the kind-hearted Leen, and several other richly drawn characters. The story begins with a celebratory dance at Utopia University but soon spirals into tournaments, political tensions, emotional entanglements, and spiritual conflicts that challenge the characters’ bonds and ideals. It’s a coming-of-age story wrapped in fantasy armor, soaked in emotional vulnerability, and set against a backdrop of war, prophecy, and legacy.
Reading this book felt like being dropped into the middle of someone’s beloved dream world. It’s dense, heartfelt, and often emotionally raw. The writing switches between tender introspection and explosive confrontation. There are scenes that resonated with me, especially those that explored Cory’s aching loneliness and longing, Angel’s gruff tenderness, and Leen’s quiet strength. The dialogue often brims with tension or affection. I appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing emotional messiness. There were parts where the writing veered into melodrama, but those moments made it feel more real, like watching teenagers deal with the weight of growing up while the fate of the world quietly looms.
Stylistically, the book wears its heart on its sleeve. Sometimes that means some scenes are long or narrations dive deeply into characters’ internal monologues. It felt like reading something intensely personal, like the author poured everything into these characters, their triumphs, their pain, and their awkwardness. The world-building was immersive, if sometimes overwhelming. The fusion of Norse myth, magical lore, and sci-fi tech made for a wild ride. But the real star was the character work. The friendships, rivalries, and quiet betrayals were where this book truly shined. It made me care deeply about these fictional kids and their fates.
Legacy left me feeling nostalgic, a bit heartbroken, and hopeful. It’s a book for anyone who loves character-driven fantasy with heavy emotional undercurrents. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy stories like Final Fantasy, RWBY, or My Hero Academia. Tales where bonds between characters matter more than the battles themselves. If you’ve ever sat alone at a dance, staring at someone you loved from afar, this book might hit you harder than you expect.
Pages: 391 | ASIN : B0FBRLTW29
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Posted in Book Reviews, Five Stars
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, epic fantasy, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, legacy, literature, military sci fi, nook, novel, Political Drama, read, reader, reading, sci fi, story, The Chronicler, writer, writing
Lose Yourself In A Story
Posted by Literary_Titan
Legacy follows a mysterious young man with an unknown past and his loyal friends, who is catapulted into a leadership role he doesn’t want and is unprepared for when his world is brought under attack from a brutal force beyond the stars. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always been fascinated by the image of people circling a fire or sitting around someone in a tavern—one voice holding everyone captive with a tale of heroes and distant wars. Today we gather around a screen instead of a campfire, but the need is the same: we want to lose ourselves in a story.
Dark’s journey truly begins when life unapologetically hits him hard. Suddenly, he is faced with challenges he never saw coming, things he couldn’t have planned for. It’s the origin story for many heroes of tales old and new.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
I am a big fan of Japanese animation, Western comics and cartoons, RPGs, and world mythology. These things influenced my imagination when I was younger. Characters and stories came to life as I played. To start off with I created a race of beings by fusing together three things that I was a fan of into one. After doing that, they needed a home, and so Utopia was created. I forget where I first heard of the word, but I liked how it sounded. Though my world Utopia definitely does not live up to the word’s meaning. It may be beautiful, but it’s far from a paradise. The stories that formed when I was a child remained with me. While writing the story it did have to change a bit here and there. Things that worked when I was younger, didn’t quite work as well now that I am older and more knowledgeable. Trying to figure out why this or that happens has been a challenge at times, when it didn’t matter how it happened when I was younger, it just did. That works sometimes but not all the time. In some ways the story grew even larger as I was writing it as new questions or problems with the logic of things popped up.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Adventure was a major theme for me. I enjoy exploring areas and walking along paths in the woods, at times veering off the trail. Going out for a drive and just going somewhere you’ve never been before.
Loneliness and self-doubt play a strong role as well. But to counter that is the theme of Love and Friendship. Love in its purest and most innocent form and the type of friendships that truly are unbreakable. The pillars one leans on when all else seems lost.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
In regards to where the story goes in the next book, to put it simply, to the stars. “Legacy” is the start of a series that is going to explore a vast universe. There are a lot of stories, worlds, and characters yet to be explored that are just dying to be told. Beyond that…my dream is that I am creating a series that can and will stand the test of time. The Legacy series will hopefully be a strong foundation to build upon for years to come. This isn’t just Dark’s legacy, it’s mine.
Author Instagram

A sci-fi fantasy epic of war, sacrifice, and the unbreakable power of friendship. For readers who crave rich characters, explosive action, and worlds where courage and conviction are the greatest weapons, Legacy delivers a thrilling beginning to a saga that will echo across galaxies.
Dark Angelus Everlast is a mystery to most. A local outsider with no known past, he rose to prominence after a decisive victory in one of Utopia’s most prestigious martial arts tournaments. Powerful, enigmatic, and reserved, he’s earned respect—but remains untested in the eyes of many. That changes when a brutal force from beyond the stars descends upon the planet, leaving devastation in its wake and catapulting Dark into a role he never sought.
Thrust into command as Planetary General, Dark must rally divided factions, earn the trust of wary allies, and master abilities that may cost him more than he’s willing to give. With his home on the brink of collapse, he stands as one of its final hopes—whether he’s ready or not.
At his side are Cory Ryker and Cogeta Fairway—steadfast friends whose loyalty runs deeper than blood. Cory, a quiet strategist with a sharp mind who must learn to confront and defeat his greatest enemy, himself. Cogeta, a charismatic warrior whose humor masks a lifetime of burdens, faces trials that will test the very foundation of his identity.
Together, they’ll navigate a galaxy where ancient forces and advanced civilizations collide, forging uneasy alliances, confronting devastating truths, and waging war against an enemy that embodies domination and despair.
Legacy is a bold fusion of military science fiction, epic fantasy, and political drama, exploring the price of heroism in a world where nothing comes without sacrifice. This is not a tale of chosen ones—it’s the story of young warriors standing against impossible odds, shaped not by destiny but by the choices they make when everything is on the line.
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, epic fantasy, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, legacy, literature, military sci fi, nook, novel, Political Drama, read, reader, reading, sci fi, story, The Chronicler, writer, writing
Legacy
Posted by Literary Titan

Legacy by The Chronicler is an ambitious, genre-blending tale set in the richly imagined world of Utopia, where technology, magic, and ancient warrior ideals coexist. Told through the lens of a timeless narrator known only as the Chronicler, the novel follows a group of university students, Angel, Cory, Cogeta, Leen, and Becky, through a transformative chapter in their lives. The story intertwines themes of loyalty, longing, coming-of-age, and social hierarchy, all while hinting at deeper undercurrents of political unrest and cosmic mystery.
One of the strongest aspects of Legacy is the emotional depth embedded in its characters. From the opening chapter, the novel presents a poignant and relatable exploration of unrequited love and self-doubt through Cory, a soft-spoken student struggling to express his feelings for a girl named Alisandra. The scene is richly written, conveying his vulnerability without resorting to melodrama. His internal struggle is one of the most human and grounded elements of the story, serving as a quiet contrast to the more overt heroism of his peers. Watching Cory wrestle with his emotions while surrounded by confident, outgoing friends like Cogeta and Angel adds an impressive layer of complexity to the group dynamic.
The narrative also shines in its portrayal of relationships and rivalries. Angel and Leen’s bond evolves with warmth and authenticity, standing out as one of the most compelling arcs in the early chapters. Their connection is given the space to breathe, which allows readers to witness not just romantic development, but also how love can soften a guarded, combative personality. The rivalry between Angel and Shaw, captured in a tense exchange, provides a compelling look at class conflict, pride, and jealousy. The way their mutual disdain plays out through terse dialogue rather than immediate violence adds a mature touch to what could have easily been a one-dimensional conflict.
The world-building is vast and imaginative, but sometimes overly detailed to the point of slowing the pace. The elaborate descriptions of food, drink, and school traditions, while evocative, at times overshadow the momentum of the plot. While Cory’s introspection is effective in moderation, extended internal monologues occasionally dilute the tension built elsewhere. Still, the writing retains a sense of earnestness that is difficult to fault. Every moment, whether quiet or dramatic, seems deeply felt by its characters.
Legacy is a heartfelt and immersive narrative that will likely appeal to fans of character-driven fantasy, particularly those who enjoy a blend of school drama, action, and interpersonal tension. The writing is sincere, the characters are richly drawn, and the setting is both imaginative and grounded. Readers who appreciate strong emotional arcs, evolving friendships, and a touch of romantic and political intrigue will find much to enjoy here. It’s a story that doesn’t just entertain, it invites you to care.
Pages: 464 | ASIN : B0FBRLTW29
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Posted in Book Reviews, Four Stars
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, epic fantasy, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, legacy, literature, military sci fi, nook, novel, Political Drama, read, reader, reading, sci fi, story, The Chronicler, writer, writing
Life After a Zombie Apocalypse
Posted by Literary_Titan

Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead follows a teenage girl who awakens from a two-year blackout to find she has survived the apocalypse but is now one of the undead. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I was talking to a friend about zombies and zombie apocalypses. She’s more of a horror writer and was working on a post-zombie apocalypse story about an ex-zombie who still had cravings for human flesh. But my thought was that if there were ex-zombies, those people were probably really traumatized—it’s where my mind naturally goes. And it was that thought that made me start to really wonder what life would be like for those left over from a zombie apocalypse, what sort of things they’d struggle with on a daily basis, and how they’d cope with everything they’d gone through and lost. I’ve always been passionate about psychology, so this became something of an interesting thought experiment.
What is it that draws you to the paranormal romance genre?
I like the freedom it offers. As I mentioned before, my main interest is in the psychological and I feel like a treasure trove can be explored in paranormal romance. There are the interpersonal and social issues between the main love interests stuck within the broader context of something extraordinary with its own psychological baggage. In CeCe and Derrick’s case, they had to bridge the gap of trust and forgiveness while navigating the trauma from being ex-zombies.
What was the inspiration for Cece’s traits and dialogue?
I love tennis, so I made her this phenomenal tennis player—the type of player I could only dream to be. Because CeCe is so dedicated to a sport and having this identity as an athlete from such an early age, it shaped everything about her and who she is. For her to lose that, it was like losing half of herself. She doesn’t know who she is anymore and has to get to know herself in a way she never has. It’s this feeling of being disconnected that dictates her traits and dialogue moving forward in the story.
Can readers look forward to a follow-up to this novel? What are you currently working on?
I did leave it open for a sequel, and I really love CeCe and Derrick so I’ve definitely been thinking of how the story would continue. Right now, though, I’m working on another paranormal romance that involves a serial killer, who is definitely not one of the main love interests.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
CeCe wakes to a reality she can’t fathom and realizes it’s probably not a good idea to fall for the guy who bit her and made her one of the undead.
But in this post-apocalyptic world, everything she’s known and understood has changed, including the path to love.
This is going to be your next favorite story, so hurry and buy it now!
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, fantasy, fantasy romance, fiction, goodreads, HJ Ramsay, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead, New Adult & College Romance, nook, novel, paranormal romance, post-apocalyptic, read, reader, reading, romance, romantic fantasy, story, writer, writing
Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead
Posted by Literary Titan

At its core, Love & Other Cures for the Recently Undead is a gritty, emotional, and strangely tender post-apocalyptic coming-of-age tale. We follow CeCe, a teenage girl who wakes up from a two-year blackout only to discover she was among the Infected, essentially the undead, during the downfall of civilization. As she tries to rebuild a life in a world that has changed beyond recognition, she confronts loss, trauma, guilt, and, unexpectedly, the guy who bit her. It’s not just a zombie survival story, it’s about identity, healing, and navigating the ugly mess of grief and rebirth.
I wasn’t prepared for how raw this book would hit. The opening chapters aren’t action-packed in the usual undead thriller way, but they are claustrophobic and gut-wrenching. CeCe waking up in darkness, confused and crushed under bodies, is horrifying, not because of gore but because it’s so human and real. Ramsay doesn’t rush the emotional recovery, and I appreciated that. You really feel CeCe’s pain when she realizes her mother didn’t make it, that her best friend and boyfriend are missing, that she’s been gone for two years and everything she loved (tennis, high school, her future) is shattered. That kind of slow-burn horror hits harder than any jump scare.
The writing style is simple but effective. Ramsay keeps things clean and fast-moving, even when the plot slows down. There’s a lot of introspection, especially in scenes where CeCe returns to her old school as part of the Rehabilitation Program. Those moments of being surrounded by other damaged kids with missing limbs, haunted eyes, and weird silence hit me like a punch to the chest. And the subtle tension with Olivia, the hostile Survivor, is quietly terrifying. But where the book really surprised me was Derrick. The boy who infected CeCe? It turns out he’s been cured, too. And somehow, this book manages to make you feel something when they meet again. Confused anger. Loathing. Maybe even curiosity. I didn’t want to root for him, but I found myself leaning in.
What really stood out was the emotional weirdness of returning to something familiar that’s now unrecognizable. Ramsay captures that eerie feeling of trying to go back to normal when “normal” is gone forever. When CeCe walks through her school, sees her old tennis team photo, or opens her ex-boyfriend’s locker. Those moments are small, but they carry so much weight. And it’s honestly heartbreaking how she’s just expected to rejoin society, do her homework, eat her weird canned spaghetti, and pretend everything’s fine. It’s not. It never will be. And that tension between survival and actual living is what keeps the book from falling into cliché.
Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead is for anyone who’s ever felt like a stranger in their own life, or tried to rebuild something that doesn’t quite fit anymore. It’s not a light read, but it’s oddly hopeful in its own way. There’s still love. There’s still friendship. And there’s still that weird human ability to keep going, even when everything’s broken. I didn’t expect to care this much about a girl with a zombie bite. I’m glad I read it.
Pages: 235 | ISBN-10 : 1957295821
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Posted in Book Reviews, Five Stars
Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, fantasy, fantasy romance, fiction, goodreads, HJ Ramsay, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead, New Adult & College Romance, nook, novel, paranormal romance, post-apocalyptic, read, reader, reading, romance, romantic fantasy, story, writer, writing
A Human Story
Posted by Literary-Titan

SiP follows a twelve-year-old boy with aquaphobia whose father’s naval ship is sucked up a giant drinking straw into space, leading him to join forces with his uncle, pirates, and aliens to try and save the Earth. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I had one of those daydream “Wouldn’t that be a cool idea” moments where I imagined an enormous straw drinking the oceans, like a juice box, and the idea grew from there. Earth is mostly water after all, and water is relatively rare in the universe so the idea that something might come and drink it was an interesting starting point.
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
I’m not the strongest swimmer. I can swim, but I don’t float. My body is not naturally buoyant. Jim in the story is slightly different, in that he is a strong swimmer who experiences a trauma that creates a fear of the water. I think some of Jim’s fear stems directly from my own lack of confidence in the water, and from the challenge it creates for him as the hero in the situation he ultimately finds himself in.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Family, friendship, humanity, inner strength, love. I wanted the story to be a positive, uplifting one. I tried to avoid violence or the ‘good vs evil’ trope in favor of telling a human story.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
The story deviates in book two and introduces new protagonists, a new conundrum, and an adventure that at first glance isn’t linked to the events of SiP. That all changes, however, when the story leads to the mysterious location which is also the title of the next book – AREA 52. The series is going to span seven books and will continue in the same vein as SiP – telling a human story using non-human, and extremely odd circumstances.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Teaming up with his wacky inventor uncle, a bunch of fishermen (who think they’re pirates), and a group of bizarre alien castaways, Jim’s incredible journey takes him from a sleepy village in Portsmouth, England, across the Atlantic and into the very edge of space.
If that wasn’t enough, the President of the United States is trying to stop everyone from blowing the straw to pieces, while the Earth could well be doomed if Jim can’t convince the mysterious presence in orbit that the world is worth saving. SiP by Marius Trevelean. The last straw for Planet Earth.
SiP is a science fiction mystery adventure for tween girls and boys thirsty for new and exciting books to read. Suitable for middle school kids ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 and even parents, teachers, grown-ups with a sense of humor, and anyone who loves adventure stories, science fiction, and funny books! All content is good, clean, fun, and age-appropriate for school grades 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th.
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Posted in Interviews
Tags: action, adventure, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Children's Aliens Books, Children's books, Children's Intermediate Readers Books, Children's Space Exploration, Coming-of-Age, ebook, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, Marius Trevelean, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, SiP, story, writer, writing
Unusual Friendships Creating Understanding
Posted by Literary_Titan

Shadow of the West follows the daughter of an American diplomat stationed in Berlin in the 70s who makes friends with teenagers from East Berlin. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
While the novel is fiction, the set up for the story is based on my own experiences living in West Berlin in the late 70s. My father was a diplomat at the U.S. Mission in the American Sector in West Berlin. With my diplomatic passport, I was allowed to cross into East Berlin and stay over. My best friend—who lived in the East where her father was a diplomat at the U.S. Embassy to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)—and I became friends with teenagers in the East. This was unusual—and certainly not encouraged. For a decade, I corresponded with my East German friend. His letters arrived opened and censored until, after the Wall fell in 1989, when he was finally able to write freely. We were reunited in 2011 when he and his family came to visit us when we were living in Istanbul. Our children were curious how we met, and their questions sparked a discussion of our uncommon friendship. It then dawned on me how much my perspective of that strange time differed from his—and how few people ever experienced that chapter in history as I had.
Your coming-of-age story blends the lives of Americans, West Germans, and East Germans at a critical time both in history and their lives. What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
I decided to write the story of the protagonist in the West in first person to induce a sense of familiarity, to draw the reader in with a sense that the friendships in the West were like typical high schoolers anytime and anywhere–focused, as teenagers are, more on their own struggles and dramas than on the bigger picture of what is happening in the world around them. The story in the East is developed with a third person narrative, allowing a greater sense of alienation, and to make the reader feel less comfortable, less secure, with less understanding—and so more guarded—which is how I envision most East German citizens had to live. Yet when the characters from the two worlds meet, these differences seem to fade with the sheer force of our shared humanness. Depicting how East German teenagers on the other side of the Wall had no choice but to acknowledge the bigger picture creates a poignant contrast that offers insight: feeling safe and being free is indeed something no one should take for granted. The experiences forever change the protagonist, reshaping her worldview which impacts her interactions with her friends back in the West—thereby having repercussions that extend far beyond her. I wanted to show that friendships across cultural divides can be rewarding and impactful in ways that can exceed the relationships themselves.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore the notion of freedom, its significance to people in different environments, and how its interpretation should matter to each of us. Another theme was individuality: what does it mean in terms of responsibility to the greater good? What happens, both good and bad, when we revere individual thought? How do our experiences influence and challenge our ways of thinking? To what extent are we truly individuals or simply products of our societies? It was also important for me to explore the notion of friendships, how they are not dependent solely on proximity or the length of time people know each other, but rather on the depth of experiences shared. And while only subtly touched upon in this story, I wanted to show tolerance of diversity, and how all of us are entitled to a safe journey through life as our authentic selves.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am struggling on which of two books I’ve started to focus my attention on first. One is a fictionalized version of my grandmother’s life when living in occupied Japan after WWII. The other is another “diplomat’s daughter” story that takes place in Istanbul in the 80s. It’s anybody’s guess when I’ll finish either one, but I’m doing my best!
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Divided Berlin is the face of the Cold War in the 70s. Kate is new at Berlin American High School in West Berlin, confused how life works in an island of freedom walled in by a totalitarian state.
Life in the American Sector takes off when Kate befriends Amy, joins cross country, and discovers Berlin’s quirky nightlife, while falling quietly in love.
On the other side of the Wall, siblings Michael and Anika are alone, struggling to stay true to their values despite State repression and manipulations of a creepy relative who works for the Stasi. Anika must find the courage to reveal her dark secret to her brother.
Worlds separated by the Wall: when they merge, the result is an explosion of courage as love leads the way.
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Tags: author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Coming-of-Age, ebook, goodreads, historical fiction, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, Sarah Monahan, Shadow of the West: A Story of Divided Berlin, story, teen, writer, writing, YA Fiction, young adult





