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Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
THE VOID by Safdar Ali
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Is Morality a Luxury?
Scout’s Honor follows Eddie, whose perilous drug smuggling venture in Tijuana sparks his urgent quest for redemption amidst a life rife with crime and moral dilemmas. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It was this question that has nagged me for decades: Is morality a luxury? Is it only the well-off who can afford to do the right thing? And what happens to a decent young man when his whole world crumbles? And if he does break his moral compass, can he live with himself afterwards? Will his crimes still shadow him on the darkest nights?
Eddie Kawadsky is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted to set a very good boy with a dazzling future into a petri dish of despair and see where that culture takes him. Eddie’s an Eagle Scout, a straight “A” student, good to his parents, liked and admired by his friends. Funny and quick-witted, Eddie’s talented, driven and ambitious—his sky is limitless. Then his sky falls. To evade capture and life imprisonment, Eddie has to bury his personality, become a man who speaks as if he’s breaking a vow of silence with his every word. He can never ask questions for fear of being asked himself. He must live in constant fear of being recognized. My fond hope is that readers will agree that Eddie develops slowly—organically— after the terrible night in Mexico, perhaps becoming the man he was meant to be.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Is virtue like an investment gone bad? That is, can it be walked away from with merely a sigh and a couple lasting regrets? Or, given a chance, will character prevail? Also, friendship and its healing power figures large in Scout’s. It seems to me that life can be as binary as a computer, a matter of ones and zeros. If you have just one good friend, you can be happy. With no one, you’re lost. And on a somewhat Catholic note, the redemptive powers of confession, atonement and absolution.
Also, perhaps on a more mundane level, I wanted to explore the world of illegal drugs, whether they really should be decriminalized, whether the war on drugs or drugs on every corner is the greater societal harm.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m halfway through a story about a man nearly destroyed by the death of his teenage son. Though they’re still living under the same roof, Thomas is estranged from his grieving wife Mac, his 16-year-old daughter Meghan won’t speak to him, his career is cratering, and he’s on that loneliest precipice, in danger of losing his humanity. Desperate for affection, Mac buys a puppy despite Thomas’s strenuous protests. He’s been afraid of dogs his whole life (for good reason, it turns out) and this puppy Daisy is a holy terror, as wild as her ancient forebears. The question will be whether Thomas recovers his family and his humanity through learning how to train and love Daisy.
The working title is The Dog Trainer. I write slowly. It’s likely to be several years before it’s published.
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It’s 1969. Devastated by the loss of his parents, 19-year-old Eddie Kawadsky is alone and penniless, his dream of becoming a navy pilot seemingly lost. In desperation, Eddie falls in with the charismatic Roy Cross who talks him into smuggling drugs across the border.
Once in Mexico, Roy betrays Eddie, setting him up to be murdered. On the run from vengeful narcotraficantes, corrupt cops, and his own demons, Eddie flees for his life, changes identities, and—as Richard Austen—joins the Marines, serves two heroic combat tours in Vietnam, and then hides himself in New York City. Over the ensuing 25 years, Eddie becomes one of Manhattan’s wealthiest real estate developers, but one haunted by his sins and secrets.
When a long-dreaded visitor finally shows up to extort hush money, Eddie is forced to confront his past. To save his own life and protect the beautiful wife he adores, he must sacrifice nearly everything. But will it be enough to redeem his honor lost so long ago?
With an intricate plot spanning the 1960’s counterculture, the Vietnam War, 1970’s gritty New York real estate world, the grandeur and hardship of the Marine Corps, and more, Scout’s Honor is a sweeping novel of suspense that explores larger themes of morality, guilt, trust, and redemption. Populated with flawed yet compelling characters, Scout’s Honor will appeal to fans of both character-driven literary fiction, thrillers, and redemption tales.
THE DARK SIDE OF WRITING
Readers often enjoy happy-ending stories, but everyone craves stories with intrigue, nail-biting dilemmas, and unusual storylines. Since the beginning of time, humans have told (as well as listened to) the tales that weave unusual and unexpected ‘dark’ threads together. Sometimes these stories become a golden fabric by the end of the weaving.
As writers, wanting to explore the entire spectrum of emotion, for this story we wanted to check out the dark side of a storyline, even if it was just to peek at that edge of murky gloom. Writing about a subject that even scares us (!) was something we wanted to try in Tree Pose.
Tree Pose follows a couple on their dream vacation to Tasmania who end up in a nightmare of mystery, murders and ghosts from the past seeking revenge. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
One of our favorite short stories is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. It is hard to top a headless horseman, a shaky schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane, a night of relentless shadows, a discarded hat on the ground, and the remains of a shattered pumpkin.
As one of the components of Tree Pose, we created a short ghost story. And Tasmania gave us all the elements to build that ghost story. Several Australian states were used as a penal colony starting with the arrival of the first British fleet in 1788. Tasmania was an isolated island at the lower end of Australia reserved for prisoners deemed the worst, or even just recalcitrant at being ‘transported for life’.
The mixture of a naturally beautiful island with the brutality of the prison system led to the desperation and hopelessness felt by the men, women, and children convicts locked up in Tasmania. These images provided us with a ‘ghostly’ backdrop for this embedded story. It also helped to visit the remnants of the prison buildings which are spread throughout Tasmania. Many have what are called ‘nightly ghost walks’ and guides recounting the horrid tales of the past.
Ghosts became a theme within the entire story line. Elaina picks off a leaf from Ric’s clothes that is from an iconic Australian Ghost Gum tree. There is a joke between Ric and Elaina about ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past’ and the movie Ghostbusters. The ghosts from Ric’s past have haunted him throughout the first three books.
Ric and Elaina, our protagonists, move between the joy and elation of their budding romance to dealing with a past that haunts them both. This includes dark secrets Ric cannot reveal. While Ric and Elaina share the beauty of coming together there is a darkness—from hitmen to multiple warnings, to ghost stories. These are wrapped up and delivered within the storyline.
And that is why the dedication in the eBook and Audiobook is in part: To All Ghosts – Past, Present, and Future. There is nothing like ghosts to help explore the darkness … and light within a story.
How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
There are four main antagonists in Tree Pose. Two remain a threat throughout the story, two turn out to be different than expected. We wanted to use these changing patterns contrasted against a combination of people caught in the throes of life altering events.
The events of the story help create the varying feelings of regret, hatred, seeking revenge and settling a score among the different antagonists.
Both authors have had varied backgrounds including working and living in various parts of the world. This includes military service, law enforcement, restoring a presidential yacht, cleaning up hazardous waste sites and working in Middle Eastern oil production areas with live minefields … just to name a few. With that background we have seen a variety of antagonists of varying degrees, as well as done significant research in various psychological realms. Further we drew on personal experience for the some of the emotions of the antagonists in Tree Pose.
But like all humans, changes do occur over time. The raw motive of revenge, the elements of pity, self-doubt and remorse, and finally redemption, which can turn a character from a vengeful monster into a caring human. But not all characters make this transition. Their storyline thus becomes a tragedy.
Was there a reason why you chose this location as the backdrop for your story?
The Australian island-state of Tasmania is well known as a tourist destination, a ‘go-to place’ for throngs of visitors from Australia and from all over the world. It is a stunning part of the world and like no other. While living in Australia, we became fascinated with the state and more so with its dark beginnings and history.
At one point, Tasmania was inhabited by First Nations Australians during the time of lower sea levels when the area had a land connection to the mainland of Australia. But with a sea level rise, those early inhabitants and the flora and fauna were cut off from the mainland. Imagine that for 12,000 years, a few thousand people were isolated and cut off from anyone else on the planet.
When European settlers first arrived, Tasmania was established as a penal colony for the British Government. Men, women, boys, and girls were transported by sailing ships to Tasmania shores.
The crimes were often minor, such as stealing food and clothing. Hardened criminals were also ‘transported for life’. The contrast of Tasmania as a popular destination for tourism, compared to its dark past as a penal colony actually attracted us for this very distinction.
We thought it helped provide the contrast for our main characters coming to a beautiful place to sort some things between out between them, while being met by the darkness and dangers that faced them in Tasmania. It was irresistible.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
We are long term planners and writers. We have produced three eBooks and three audiobooks in three years.
Our next book is Warrior Pose. This book is set in another one of our favorite locations in the world—the islands of New Zealand, and particularly, Nelson, on the South Island.
The next book is also a homecoming for Ric Peters, since he was born in New Zealand. His partner in the crime solving mystery series, Elaina Williams, will be meeting Ric’s parents while there. Does it sound like we think our characters are real? You bet!
New Zealand is an island chain of volcanoes, thermal pools, snowcapped peaks, fertile valleys, and forests spread from the tropical North Island to the cooler alpine climate and topography of the South Island. It has ‘drop dead’ gorgeous scenery, which is perfect for two crime-writers.
As expected, we will explore several themes, and a mysterious death or two. The eBook will include an audiobook some months after, as the previous writings.
As far as the upcoming books, Book 5 is Half Moon pose set in the south of France, Book 6 is Dragon Pose set in Melbourne, Australia and Book 7 is Goddess Pose centered, in Greece and the Mediterranean.
As with all our writing we ground truth all story locations as part of our research. If you see us walking around, we are the ones with cameras, notebooks, measuring tapes … and spare change for the coffees we sample along the way.
The Devil’s Island is living up to its name, serving up the ghosts of its dark past, while Ric is haunted by his own demons. The truth is unravelling, and death is closing in from all sides. And now, it’s stalking Elaina.
Ric’s past is catching up to him, with a vengeful man seeking retribution for a catastrophic blunder in Indonesia. Ric has kept a secret hidden from Elaina, fearing that she will not … cannot, forgive him. That after all they’ve been through, he’s not the man she believes him to be.
In the shadows, a hitman lurks … waiting for the time to strike, unafraid of collateral casualties.
As corrupt officials pull strings and innocents are sold, Ric and Elaina’s life together is threatened. Detective Inspector Jack McMasters races against time to piece together the clues before it’s too late.
A sociopath and an anguished man are closing in. As the lightning strikes, the uncertainties remain … revenge, redemption, or devastation?
Tree Pose is delivered hot with twists and turns, mixed with secrets and attractions, tossed with suspense and revenge, then blended with classic storytelling.
The third book in the Yoga Mat Mysteries series takes readers on a thrilling ride through the beautiful and mysterious island of Tasmania, Australia. The story follows Dead Man’s Pose, set in Sydney, and Cobra Pose, set in Brisbane.
BUY Tree Pose for a captivating mystery with murders, ghosts, and a past that won’t stay buried.
Her First Homicide Case
When Things Fall Apart follows a Native American woman who is a new homicide detective and encounters antagonistic coworkers leading to her working a murder case on her own. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My sister lives in Oklahoma and related an incident to me about the verbal abuse of an older Native American man by a group of white males. Using that incident, I created the young Native American female and saddled her with a misogynistic and racist male detective as a partner.
Kit endures discrimination and prejudice from her new colleagues while trying to adjust to her new position as a homicide detective while maintaining her cultural diversity. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Facing open discrimination and prejudice from her assigned partner was the driving idea behind Kit’s character. It forced her to have to deal with it in a way so as not to totally alienate her senior detective yet defend her heritage. How she responded to the complex and deeply troubling nature of her first homicide case rounded out her character.
How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing or did it develop organically?
I planned the basic plotline prior to beginning the story then developed it organically as the story moved along.
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?
Yes, this is the first book in this series and I am currently writing the second one now. Kit’s next case will take her out of her comfort zone working in Fort Worth with leads which send her to Las Vegas. There, she comes face to face with a nemesis who seems to be two steps ahead of her. He will force Kit to make a dangerous choice.
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Scout’s Honor
Scout’s Honor presents a gripping tale of Eddie Kawadsky, who later transforms into Richard Austen, navigating a tumultuous life marked by crime and an urgent quest for redemption. The story opens with a perilous drug smuggling venture in Tijuana, setting the stage for a narrative that is rich in betrayal, ambition, and survival. As Eddie’s escapades evolve from risky undertakings to major criminal operations, he is forced to confront his morality and past ties, ultimately striving to reinvent himself amidst shady deals and his ventures into real estate.
John McNellis adeptly portrays the high stakes and moral dilemmas that pervade Eddie’s world, making Scout’s Honor a riveting read. The story is laden with suspense and is intricately described which immersed me in the intensity of the conflicts. The contrast between the gritty urban settings and the lush, perilous Mexican landscapes provides a striking backdrop to the drama.
The novel portrays a broad cast and tackles intricate interpersonal dynamics, which may present a rich challenge for readers keen on delving into diverse backstories and motivations. This complexity serves as a testament to John McNellis’s skill in character development. I think he particularly excels with the character of Eddie/Richard, whose evolution is portrayed with both authenticity and depth, making his journey a compelling highlight of the story.
Scout’s Honor is an engrossing exploration of crime, identity, and redemption. This crime thriller is written with a keen eye for tension and moral complexity. The vivid settings and the dynamic protagonist add layers of depth to an already compelling narrative, making this novel a rewarding read for those who appreciate thoughtful character studies intertwined with suspenseful plots.
Pages: 312 | ASIN: B0CTLNPS93
LITERARY TITAN 