Blog Archives
Sense of Unease
Friday at Four follows a researcher who happens upon an unexpected method for communicating with his dog and discovers what it means to truly be understood. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I don’t know where the inspiration for this book came from. Somewhere on vacation in France, at some point, I was overcome by a great sense of unease. I had to go and buy a notebook and a pen, and I started writing. I just followed the flow of my thoughts.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
I never felt that I had any influence on this story. It was literally dictated to me. But I don’t know by whom or how. It was like a compulsion that had me in its grip for two years.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
The slow death of a loved one.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m going to publish a very funny book about a failed art forger – before Christmas, I hope.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Few novels capture with such honesty the way love can be eroded by silence and then, in the face of death, renewed in its most fragile and essential form. This is not just a story about a man caught between two women, but about how we confront loss, and how even in the darkest moments tenderness and clarity can emerge. It lingers in the mind as a stark yet luminous meditation on what it means to live, to love, and to let go.
Friday at four is a powerful novel about love, betrayal, and the courage to face loss — written with clarity, honesty, and unforgettable emotional force.
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Friday at Four
Gert Richter’s Friday at Four opens as a story about a man, his marriage, and his dog, but it quickly becomes something far more mysterious. The narrator, David, is a researcher whose logical world begins to blur when he finds an unexpected way to communicate with his dog, Lea. What starts as an odd experiment turns into a quiet, haunting meditation on connection, identity, and what it really means to be understood. The novel moves gently between the ordinary and the uncanny, asking big questions in the smallest moments.
What I found most striking about this book is Richter’s ability to blend warmth with unease. The early scenes feel almost playful. David’s tone is ironic, funny, even a little smug, but slowly, the edges soften. There’s something raw and human beneath his intellect. Richter writes with an understated confidence that makes even the strangest moments feel believable. You can feel the pull between love and loneliness, curiosity and fear, running through every page.
The prose itself is clear and unhurried, yet full of quiet emotion. Richter’s descriptions of everyday things, a glance, a walk by the river, the silence after a conversation, carry a strange electricity. I found myself rereading certain lines just to feel their rhythm again. The book doesn’t lecture; it invites reflection. You sense the author’s fascination with how people and animals connect, how relationships can both reveal and dissolve who we are.
What makes Friday at Four memorable isn’t its plot, but its mood, the sense of drifting between clarity and confusion, between science and feeling. It’s not a loud book, but it lingers. I finished it feeling both calmed and unsettled, the way you might after a long, searching conversation that doesn’t quite end.
I’d recommend Friday at Four to readers who enjoy introspective fiction, books that take their time, that ask more questions than they answer. It’s especially for those who like stories that explore thought and emotion without ever spelling things out. If you’ve ever found yourself looking into your pet’s eyes and wondering what they see when they look back at you, this novel will feel strangely familiar.
Pages: 320 | ISBN : 978-2940364602
Beyond Spoken Words
The Summer Knows is an emotionally layered novel about a single mother who returns to her hometown one sweltering summer to confront buried family trauma, a long-lost love, and the shadows of her past. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I weaved my childhood experiences, growing up on the Southeast shore of Florida, into The Summer Knows. My eccentric and undiagnosed bipolar grandmother co-raised me alongside my mom and grandfather. I also had two best friends who were brothers, and they came to visit their grandparents, who lived down the street from me, every summer from age six until we all went to college. The Atlantic coast was always a backdrop for my childhood memories. It was fun taking elements from my growing up and creating a new fiction story.
Adrienne is an intriguing character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
I am always fascinated by coming-of-age stories, and so I wanted Adrienne to have that coming-of-age tale, and then we also get to see her return and face the aftermath of her coming-of-age summers. By running away so young, she never gets to resolve and heal until she is an adult. I wanted to capture that feeling of unfinished business that many of us experience as we transition into adulthood. I also wanted her to come to find some understanding as to why her grandmother was such a bitter and controlling person. This understanding allows Adrienne to free herself from the idea that she caused her grandmother’s misery. So many of us go around thinking we are the cause of other people’s problems, and that is a heavy weight to carry, when most of the time this idea is self-imposed. We see this ideal recur with her relationship with Quinn and Lucas, and her struggle to see herself as a chef.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Communication was a big theme I wanted to explore. None of the characters are very good at it, which is the cause of all the trouble in the novel. I wanted to examine different ways of communicating beyond spoken words, such as cooking meals and feeding each other, as a form of communication. Food becomes a mode for coaxing characters to communicate, to share things they have kept hidden, and ultimately a source of healing.
Place was also a theme I wanted to work with. I feel that the town and the natural world surrounding the story are almost characters. Harbor Point, South Road, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Back Bay are all deeply connected to each moment of the story, shaping how we perceive and understand the actions of the plot.
What do you hope readers carry with them after finishing The Summer Knows?
Not everyone is redeemed, and the girl sometimes does not end up with the guy, but we can get what we need when we realize the guilt and shame we have held onto is nothing but our own invention. That food and feeding people is an ancient form of communication with powerful healing properties.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Adrienne’s world is upended again when she gets the call that her eccentric grandmother has nearly burned down the family cottage. Adrienne has no choice but to return, and the town wastes no time in thrusting her back into the harsh limelight. When local fishmonger Christopher Crane offers Adrienne a chance to be the chef at the fish market her grandfather once owned, Adrienne might just figure out how to face the past and forge a new future.
Let Them
Until I Come Back for You follows a young girl, the youngest of five siblings, as her family escapes the dangers of Detroit and tries to build a new life in the countryside, only to encounter a menacing and violent new neighbor. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
That’s easy – my real life! My family really did leave Detroit in the early 70s, and my city-slicker parents really did buy a small farm on a dirt road in rural Michigan. The bad guy is fictionalized, but the setting and family characters are all real.
What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
For me, the key to dialogue is to let it come quickly, naturally, and not overthink it. Don’t argue with your characters – let them speak. Let them stutter. Let them mispronounce words. Because that is how humans talk. Dialogue should “play” in the readers’ heads as if they can hear it, and so it has to “sound” authentic. If a writer edits dialogue the same way she edits the narrative, you lose that authenticity.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
For story development, I’m an avid plotter. I map out the big parts of the story, the bones. For this story, I focused on “the event” and worked backwards to include everything that had to come before it. Then worked forward, writing all the consequences and fallout.
The plot twist(s) were afterthoughts that organically stemmed from the story. There is a writing rule: “Get your protagonist in trouble. Then get them in more trouble and more trouble.” When I did that, she really surprised me, and it was just my job to capture that.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
For right now, I’m having so much fun with this book, I can’t even think about another. This was a bucket list goal for me, so I’m just allowing myself to revel in this moment.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Instagram | Amazon
Right where she left it.
UNTIL I COME BACK FOR YOU invites you to wallow in the comforting nostalgia of the 1970s, a simpler time when there were only three TV channels, two colas, and one phone in the house. Smell the honeysuckle of lazy summer days; listen to sisters sharing whispers in bunk beds before drifting to sleep. Just when you get comfortable, you’ll find yourself stranded in a tree, dragged across a field, held down on a cold examination table. Taste the blood in your mouth from a lost tooth. Feel the breath of a predator on your neck. Hear the death rattle of a lost soul.
Follow one family’s history woven into the tattered fabric of the Midwest and witness one girl tear at the seams of girlhood, suspended between the generations of women who reinvented womanhood.
Targets of Public Scrutiny
In Out of the Crash, tragedy brings together two families when an author’s son strikes and kills a cyclist with his car. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
Out of the Crash was inspired by two separate but similar tragedies that occurred in my hometown. I watched the aftermath of each incident unfold and read comments on social media in awe of how bold (and cruel) people could be. As quickly as the local media reported on the stories, people formed conclusions about the alleged offenders. What they were doing at the time of the accident. What kind of people they were. And what type of punishment they should endure. Despite a legal system built on the principle of innocent until proven guilty, the drivers of each car became targets of public scrutiny. Ultimately, some of those conclusions had merit; others did not. But it made me sad how easily people jumped to the worst-case scenario. I felt compelled to speak out but didn’t know how.
I also couldn’t help peppering myself with questions about how I would feel if wrapped up in similar circumstances. What if someone I love had sustained injuries in one of those crashes? Or someone close to me had been behind the wheel of one of those cars?
As a mom, I pictured myself trying to defend one of my kids if they’d been responsible for someone else’s grave injuries or even their death. Would I wholeheartedly support my child’s actions under any circumstance? Would I accept the truth even if it destroyed the future I’d foreseen for my family? And how much consideration would I give to the pain suffered by the victim and the victim’s loved ones?
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think makes for great fiction?
There are countless contexts where I see people taking unyielding sides. It’s black or white. Right or wrong. Us versus them. Life doesn’t seem that clear-cut to me, and storytelling provides the opportunity to give voice to those who might be misrepresented or misunderstood.
In writing Out of the Crash, I set out to convey how multi-faceted the human experience can be—to debunk any suggestion that there’s ever only one side to a story. In a time when the media bombards us with compelling headlines and summary talking points—typically just scratching the surface of a news event—it’s more important than ever to at least avoid passing judgment until the whole story becomes clear.
What are the pivotal moments in the story that you think best define Caroline and Ethan?
Caroline’s character arc is pretty gradual throughout the story. Still, one of the most pivotal moments occurs when she talks with Kyle’s attorney, Valerie, about their different cancer journeys. At this point, Caroline starts to see what everyone around her has seen for years—that she closed herself off from the ones who love her most as she underwent treatment. She put up a wall instead of accepting help from the people around her, like Valerie had done, and channeled her energy toward a career revolving around advocacy for others. The distance she created backfired when she tried to be there for her family after the crash as they’d learned to live without needing her attention.
A pivotal moment for Ethan occurred much earlier in the story when he learned about his mom’s past struggles with alcohol. This realization shocked him to his core and made him question whether he ever really knew his mother at all. Before that moment, he believed they were so close, making her sudden death even more devastating, as now he’ll never have a chance to talk with her about why she never confided in him about something so significant.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on a book titled Iris Inked. The story revolves around an older woman who is forced to leave her cherished home due to a degenerative disease. She forms an unexpected friendship with a young aspiring social media influencer, who encourages her to share the stories behind her tattoos in a YouTube series. As their bond deepens, both women are compelled to confront their regrets and the challenges that come with embracing change. The book can be compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and the classic Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. My first draft is almost complete, and I hope to start pitching/querying it in early 2026.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Angelic Love
Jasper: Book One of The Guardian League follows a woman in a near-fatal car accident who is rescued by her celestial guardian, leading to a whirlwind romance between them. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Well…actually…I just wanted to write a story with a guardian angel and a human female. The angel, upon meeting her, would find her enchanting, fascinating and he would want to know more about her. The ideas for the story came to me, afterward, and I started building who he was, who she was and how they met.
Car accidents happen, sadly, quite frequently. I have heard some wild stories about how people have survived some horrific accidents and attributed their safety and wellbeing from the accident to an otherworldly force and I thought hmm…. What if Jasper saved a female from a terrible car accident that would’ve changed her entire lifestyle if he didn’t intervene and help her. The story just blossomed from that.
Tatiana is a relatable character that readers will be drawn to and understand. What was the inspiration for the main character’s traits and dialogue?
For traits, it was actually me. Lol. Yeah, I know. I place a lot of myself in my books. As a curvy girl, I have insecurities and worries just like anyone else but maybe even more so because of my voluptuous size and how I have been perceived in the past or treated unjustly in the past, solely, because of the shape and size of my body. Back then, body positivity was not a thing people spoke about or even emphasized. I am so glad it exists now because some of the memories I have are pretty traumatic and no person should experience them.
I wanted to portray a female that was relatable, down to earth, genuine and kind. One that has problems just like anyone else but keeps trying. One that readers could side with and root for their happiness. I believe every woman deserves a beautiful, handsome, sexy male. Curvy girls, too! That’s what I wanted to write about.
For dialogue, I kind of just went with the flow. I wanted the interaction between Jasper and Tatiana to be perceived as natural and comfortable like a conversation between friends. Her responses to him are in direct response to what he says or conveys. She genuinely likes Jasper, but she has reservations because she has been burned in the past. Albeit he is an angel, and she has to keep reminding herself of this.
Still, it is kind of awestriking and fascinating that an angel would take to a human in a way humanity has never considered. I think that fact, in itself, can be a lot to swallow but it can also be wonderful to entertain.
In fantasy novels it’s easy to get carried away with the magical powers characters have. How did you balance the use of supernatural powers?
Well, Jasper really only needs to use his supernatural powers in instances where he has to. The Council, a group of five men that preside over the angel hierarchy, has their set rules. Doing anything that goes against those rules or is done without a purpose for humanity or for an angels’ own purposes or intentions is unlawful and can be punished. No angel wants to go up against the Council.
Jasper is an angel so showing some of his abilities was necessary in the book plus entertaining for the readers. It also gives a sense of realism to the story. Besides co-guarding a charge, he is also part of the voluntary group called The Guardian League so any time he is on a mission, he needs to use some of his supernatural abilities to assist humanity.
I wanted to tie in the world we live in and the angelic realm so mixing a bit of both without giving the majority of attention to one or the other was my intention when creating this story.
Can you tell us what the second book will be about and when it will be available for fans to purchase?
Centurion is the second book in the Guardian League series, and it is available now, for readers. Centurion is also my second favorite angel in the Guardian League. His story is a bit different because he is an angel that does not want to be tied down/committed to anyone. Because he is handsome (as all angels are) and women are drawn to him, he has no concerns when it comes to needing intimacy or companionship.
Yet, when he meets a beautiful human female at an art show, where he is guarding his charge, he begins to question his thoughts and ideas about human-angel relationships.
Centurion is known as the angel that enjoys “strong and hot things.” His mate and coffee are examples of two of those “things.” It is a fun, enjoyable read laced with humor, character growth and a beautiful happy ever after.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Single female seeks rare, coveted treasure.
That was the announcement Tatiana wanted to post.
A strong, loving, committed male partner was what she sought. What she found, instead, were several frogs and too many toads. Where was her elusive prince? Did he exist or did she miss her opportunity?
Jasper isn’t seeking a mate. His only intention is to rescue Tatiana from a near-fatal car accident and then go in pursuit of his next assignment. However, intent and reality don’t always coincide. Saving Tatiana altered his world and now he can’t leave. But making introductions and claiming her heart was not going to be easy. He has a secret he is forbidden to disclose.
As much as Jasper craves Tatiana, he can’t override her free will. In the end, whether being with him or not is her decision. Will Tatiana welcome the powerful being who adores her and only wants to protect her, forever? Or will his secret be too much for her to accept?
Reader Advisory: A loving, protective angel intent on winning his enchanting, curvy, human weaves a fun tale interlaced with flirtatious foreplay and sensual, passionate moments.
PUBLISHER NOTE: Paranormal Romance. Angels and Demons. Rubenesque. 90,000 words. All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.
Jasper: Book One (The Guardian League)
Jasper: Book One of The Guardian League by TK Lawyer is a tantalizing blend of paranormal romance and fantasy that weaves the story of Tatiana Baker and her celestial guardian, Jasper. The novel starts with Jasper rescuing Tatiana from a near-fatal car accident, setting the stage for a whirlwind romance between a human and an angel. As Jasper reveals his true nature and the depth of his feelings for Tatiana, she must decide whether she can accept his otherworldly secrets and the complexities of their relationship.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is the chemistry between the main characters. Tatiana’s insecurities and Jasper’s unwavering adoration create a dynamic that is both heartwarming and compelling. The author does an excellent job of developing their relationship through a mix of tender moments and passionate encounters. For example, Tatiana’s self-consciousness about her body is a recurring theme that Jasper addresses with genuine affection, making their interactions feel authentic and deeply emotional. The writing style is vivid and engaging, pulling the reader into the story from the first page. Lawyer’s descriptive prose brings the scenes to life, whether it’s the intense moments of passion or the quieter, introspective times between Tatiana and Jasper. The dialogue is natural and often laced with humor, which helps to balance the more dramatic elements of the story. The author also effectively uses inner monologues to give insight into the characters’ thoughts and emotions, adding depth to their personalities. The world-building, though not overly complex, provides a suitable backdrop for the love story and sets up potential for future installments in the series.
Jasper: Book One of The Guardian League is a delightful read for fans of paranormal romance who enjoy a mix of passion, drama, and fantasy. The book is particularly well-suited for readers who appreciate strong, protective heroes and heroines who undergo significant personal growth. It delivers a satisfying and entertaining story that leaves you eager for the next book in the series. If you’re looking for a romance that transcends the ordinary and explores the divine, this book is definitely worth a read.
Pages: 325 | ASIN : B0CGNW2ZWH
How We Perceive the World
Left Turn follows a corporate rising star who meets and falls for a Hollywood heartthrob looking to escape the spotlight. What inspired the setup of your story?
I used to travel to and from England on business. When they adapted the Outlander books for TV, I thought, “What would happen if I got on the plane home from London and Sam Heughan sat next to me? What would he say? What would I say?” From there, it just bloomed into this story of a professional woman bumping into a celebrity who changes her life.
Alex and Finley live in very different worlds but find common ground in their passions. What inspired their characters’ interactions and backstories?
Alex’s world came easily to me as we share a common background. I worked for years in her industry and experienced the same things she’s been through.
For Finley, I’ve always enjoyed listening to celebrity interviews where they talk about their craft. Their dedication to acting shaped how I thought Fin would view his world. And I’ve always sympathized with those chased by the paparazzi and the disruption to their lives this must cause.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It’s always amazed me how people perceive the world so differently. I think it’s important to understand that each individual defines success as unique to them, and what you see on the outside doesn’t always reflect how people feel on the inside. Along those same lines, how people measure their success changes as their priorities in life change.
Another important concept I wanted to convey is the bias that women encounter in the corporate world. Sometimes it’s in your face and hard to miss, but usually, it’s so subtle, you don’t realize it’s happening until you have distance from it.
And the last theme I wanted to explore was the effect of all the attention we give to celebrities and how destructive it can be.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Left Turn is the first book in the Women of Caprock series. This series features interconnected stand-alone novels, each centering on strong women, their careers, and the relationships in their lives.
The next book in the series, Code Block, features Claire Broussard, an application developer who’s trying to find her place in a new company and finding her progress consistently blocked by the grumpy operations manager, Noah Raines.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Alex Tanner has worked hard to get where she is and isn’t about to let a charming celebrity distract her from her goals. Finley McAlister is tired of the limelight and just wants a chance to be himself. When he meets Alex on a flight, he’s drawn to her confidence and independence.
But their attraction doesn’t go unnoticed, and soon they find themselves caught up in a media frenzy. As they navigate the scrutiny of the public eye, they must decide whether to follow their hearts or stay on the path they’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Left Turn is a captivating tale of love and ambition, featuring strong heroines, gorgeous men, and emotional challenges. It’s the award-winning first book in Lancy McCall’s Women of Caprock series of interconnected standalones that will leave you breathless and longing for more.
Click Buy Now to read Alex and Fin’s story.
LITERARY TITAN 