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Organic Plot Twists
Oceano Beach Bedlam follows a former forensic accountant turned private eye, and his fierce partner, as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a teenage surfing prodigy. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have an “idea catcher.” I bet you have one, too. Mine is a little notebook on the nightstand where I jot down all the little inspirations I get while I sleep, dream, or ponder. It’s chock-full of ideas for the next murder mystery. The howdunnits. The whodunnits. The whydunnits.
But getting from a brilliant idea to a fully developed manuscript sometimes takes more than a notebook. Sometimes it requires a mentor. A force majeure.
This is the story of the man who inspired me to write Oceano Beach Bedlam.
The year is 2019, Spring. I’m taking a class entitled “So You Want to Write a Novel” through the Institute for Continued Learning at Utah Tech University (then Dixie State). Dr. Warren Stucki, local novelist and author of the Dr. Cooper Mystery Series and six standalone books, is teaching the class. He challenges us to write a novel and gives us an assignment:
Write a one-page summary of your novel’s setting. Then write a one- or two-page setting scene. And, in just one sentence, write your theme.
At that point in my writing journey, I had just finished the complete rewrite of my first murder mystery, All That Glisters. In the final chapter, amateur sleuth Thad Hanlon is exploring options for rebuilding his life after suffering major personal loss. He tells his sleuthing partner, Bri de la Guerra, “This is going to sound totally wackadoodle, but I was considering getting a PI license. I thought, maybe, I’d hang out a shingle as a Private Investigator.” Given how the first book ends, I asked myself if a sequel made sense.
So for Dr. Stucki’s assignment, I outline Oceano Beach Bedlam and sketch out the scene where Thad Hanlon lands his first client. Months later, on the way to the final draft of the sequel, the original plot takes a few detours. But that first scene from Dr. Stucki’s writing assignment? The scene where Thad brings in his first case as a newly licensed PI? That survived almost completely intact as Chapter 3. Also intact? A brand new character—Mrs. Dudamel—the client in search of her missing son.
What was my takeaway from Warren Stucki’s class?
Take the dare. It might lead to a series—in this case, the Thad Hanlon & Bri de la Guerra Mysteries.
Thad Hanlon is an engaging and complex character. What scene was the most interesting to write for that character?
My favorite scene in Oceano Beach Bedlam, and the most interesting to write, was Chapter 7, where private investigator Thad Hanlon goes on his first date since losing his wife. The scene captures all the awkwardness of first dates after being out of the singles circuit for several years. And all the vulnerability. What makes it even more intriguing is that during the date, Thad tries to reveal to the woman he’s courting (the town’s detective), that he was not entirely forthcoming when, earlier in the week, down at the Sheriff’s Station, she took his statement about a recent incident that may have led to a murder. Secrets, grief, clumsiness, and even a little humor. A perfect blend.
At the time I wrote the chapter, I, too, was re-entering the dating scene, having just lost my wife of 47 years. Talk about awkwardness! I was living it.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I’m a big fan of the late Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!® approach to story development, so I tend to “beat out” the major plot points in my novels, complete with scene cards. Each card has a short scene description identifying the Hero/Heroine, Goal, Obstacles, and Stakes, along with notes on the emotional change from scene opening to scene close. And each scene is designed to either advance the plot or develop my characters. My most effective scenes often manage to do both.
As I write the scene, sometimes magic happens and the “players” don’t behave as I expect. So, I end up channeling the characters, leading to surprises (“shocking plot twists”) I never would have imagined during the outline phase of the project. In that respect, I’m neither a plotter nor a pantser, but more a plantser, allowing for organic plot twists. For me, you could make the case that story development and character-generated plot twists can be the same thing, taking the tale in a new but logical direction.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Hanlon & de la Guerra and the direction of the next book?
Book Three in the mystery series is nearing completion. The story takes place eight years later. Zael is eleven and quite the surfer himself. He’s a member of the Five Cities Surf Team, Grommet category—junior surfers ages eleven to twelve, or “groms” in surf jargon. Zael and two other members of his surf team are in the water north of Pismo Pier, competing in the California Central Coast Surf Trials, when a crazed marksman starts taking potshots at them. The sniper vanishes. Panic ripples through the Five Cities beach community.
Thad and Bri are hired by a group of terrified parents to protect these local youth as they train for the West Coast Surf Championships. The duo soon discovers that the surf team members aren’t the only ones in the perp’s crosshairs. In a mad scramble, Hanlon and de la Guerra must keep the Five Cities Surf Team safe while unmasking the sniper before he strikes again.
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All they need is a client.
That’s when a former exotic dancer from Bakersfield CA shows up looking for her surf prodigy son who’s gone missing in the wake of cult violence terrorizing the California Central Coast.
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
Crimson Hearts by Susan Reed-Flores
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
The Gestalt in the Machine
The Gestalt in the Machine is a sharp-witted techno-thriller that follows Adam Arrowman, a tech journalist reluctantly thrust into a deadly web of intrigue after witnessing a bombing at a Silicon Valley conference. What starts as a routine puff piece on a flamboyant billionaire’s AI announcements quickly escalates into a sprawling mystery involving murder, media manipulation, political corruption, and the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence. With a cast of rebels, reporters, moguls, and a robot or two, the book weaves a narrative that interrogates the direction of modern technology and whether it’s pulling us toward a utopia or a cliff.
This book floored me. It’s not just the plot, though, that’s plenty twisty and loaded with surprises. It’s the writing. Andy Dornan has a gift for mixing satire with sincerity in a way that feels real and raw. The characters have edges, contradictions, and actual voices. Adam isn’t your typical hero; he’s flawed, insecure, sometimes petty, and often overwhelmed, but he feels honest. The pacing is relentless in a good way, and I was laughing one minute and holding my breath the next. Even the exposition, normally the death of a good thriller, feels alive here, crackling with tension and humor. And the dialogue sings. Fast, funny, and always revealing more than what’s said out loud.
Dornan doesn’t just poke fun at Silicon Valley hype, he goes deeper, asking what it means to be human in a world where every gesture, thought, and feeling is data to be sold or shaped. The critiques of surveillance tech, algorithmic romance, and digital immortality hit hard without getting preachy. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea that everyone’s out there curating a digital self to outlive them, while their real lives shrink. It’s scary, familiar, and sad. This book made me laugh, wince, and nod a lot. It’s fiction, sure, but it’s hitting nerves that are painfully nonfiction.
I’d recommend The Gestalt in the Machine to anyone who likes fast-paced fiction with brains, guts, and something to say. It’s for fans of Cory Doctorow, William Gibson, and even people who’ve never touched sci-fi but wonder why their phone knows what they want before they do. Techies will get the jokes, cynics will get the vibes, and anyone who’s ever been ghosted by a dating app will definitely get the message.
Pages: 318 | ASIN: B0FGSD2J6J
He’s a Keeper of Magic
The Keeper’s Code follows a determined journalist investigating her mother’s suspicious death who hires a PI with mystical connections to help her get answers. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This is book 2 in my series. I wanted Ash Hunter, an important secondary character from book one, The Witch Whisperer, to have his own story. He’s a Keeper of Magic, so who better to pair him with than a determined journalist who wants to out his secret witch society. Falling in love with her, a Reg, makes his life doubly more difficult.
Skye is a woman with strength and determination. What do you think makes her a valuable and worthy heroine?
Skye doesn’t take any guff, and with her trust issues, she’s going to keep Ash on his toes. There’s not much she hasn’t seen or done, so she’s resilient and resourceful and adventurous.
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?
When I was initially creating my world, I didn’t want the witches to embrace all the usual conventions, like spells and wiccan and black cauldrons, waving wands around. They come from another dimension of Earth called Tae-wen, driven out hundreds of years ago by a warring race called the Malgren who hate the mage. They traveled to our world through portals. They are pacifists extolling reverence for life and worshipping the One Mother. They set their own realm within Tae-wen in a deep sleep before they left. I gave them spectrums of powers from lower magic to high magic, calling them Quaints, Specials, and Elites. I didn’t want any one of them to be all-powerful like Superman. I did keep the convention of having consequences for using magic. The big issue with their magic is it has become unstable. More and more incidences of broken magic have been reported, which is a HUGE problem for their secrecy.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
I’m excited about book 3, the final book in the series. The story takes place 3 years after The Keeper’s Code and 5 years after book 1. I took two secondary characters from book 2, Gryph (a Malgren with witch-tainted blood) and Myst (a Keeper of Magic) to become the protags and love interests in book 3. The witch society has found that time spent in their ancient homeland by security forces seems to enhance their powers. They send a small group to their old sleeping city with 2 problematic witches, hoping the magic that still infuses the land will heal them. Myst, a Keeper of Magic who worked with Ash in book 2, is there for security because some warring Malgren are still hating on mage. She persuades her good friend and witch sympathizer Gryph to go with her after the Malgren who are hunting all the mage creatures. There be unicorns and tiny dragonites and other cool magical creatures. Of course, both Gryph and Myst have their own deep issues to deal with—I love to keep things interesting, maybe impossible?
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So believes Skye Parker, an investigative journalist with major trust issues. She is hell-bent on proving her mother’s murder was staged as a suicide by someone with paranormal powers. She follows a suspicious man connected to mystical events and discovers he’s a P.I. What better way to keep an eye on the enigmatic, sexy Ash Hunter than to hire him to find her mother’s killer? But danger escalates when the killer targets Skye.
Ash Hunter, a reluctant Keeper of Magic, is tasked with preventing Skye from finding out about his secret global witch society. He determines a witch is killing Reg (people without magic) and mage alike. Ash must reveal to an incredulous Skye, someone he’s fallen hard for, that he’s a powerful witch and so is the killer. When forces conspire against them, he takes Skye through a guarded portal to a safe place, Tae-wen. That mystical land proves anything but safe. Will Ash and Skye learn that trust works both ways when life and love are at stake?
Deceptions
Deceptions is a fast-paced political thriller that blends gritty realism with sharp satire. The novel follows Vance Brentley, a decorated Chicago cop who is recruited into the FBI during a time of increasing political unrest. As Vance climbs the ranks, he uncovers layers of corruption, manipulation, and power plays that stretch from local precincts to the Oval Office. With characters like the enigmatic Mr. Todd and the bombastic President, the story dances between dark humor and stark warnings, all while reflecting anxieties about truth, democracy, and leadership in America.
Jeff Bertram’s writing is straightforward but evocative, and the dialogue often crackles with wit and cynicism. The story’s opening scene is gritty and tragic, and it hooked me right away. It grounded the plot in emotional stakes before veering into broader political terrain. The characters are vivid. Vance is earnest and likable, even when a bit naïve. Mr. Todd, meanwhile, is an unforgettable figure. He’s gruff, brilliant, and always a step ahead. I loved how the book pokes fun at bureaucracy and ego while still showing deep reverence for duty and sacrifice.
The president’s over-the-top behavior, the dysfunctional Cabinet, and some of the dramatic monologues walked a fine line between parody and preachiness. Still, I appreciated the ambition behind it. The book clearly wants to say something about modern America, about cults of personality, the fragility of democracy, and the ease with which people accept deception when it’s wrapped in charisma. It made me feel a little sad, a little angry, and very reflective. There were moments I laughed, others when I just sat there thinking.
Deceptions is a sharp, dramatic, and surprisingly emotional story that would appeal to readers who enjoy political thrillers, dystopian satire, or character-driven drama with moral weight. I’d recommend it to fans of House of Cards or anyone curious (and maybe a little nervous) about how power really works behind closed doors. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it asks the right questions, and for me, that’s what makes it worth reading.
Scam at Higgins Canyon Road
Scam at Higgins Canyon is a fast-paced thriller set in modern-day San Francisco, where Jack Rhodes, a forensic data analyst with a past riddled with personal tragedy, is drawn into an investigation that blurs the lines between conspiracy theory and criminal fact. After being approached by Tommy Griggs, a former military man grieving the suspicious death of a close friend, Jack finds himself navigating murky dealings involving construction companies, veterans, shady bar staff, and a patchwork of old friendships and new threats. The story unfolds with scenes ranging from dive bar brawls and emotional reckonings to intricate digital sleuthing and philosophical musings about loyalty, justice, and memory.
Mackay’s voice is dry, often funny, sometimes poetic, and surprisingly introspective. He doesn’t just tell a story, he sits with it. The dialogue is snappy and real. The prose veers between gritty and lyrical, painting San Francisco with a worn, lived-in brush that feels nostalgic and alive at once. The characters are layered, flawed, often a bit lost, and it works. Jack isn’t your typical hard-boiled hero. He’s sharp and measured, but there’s a sadness beneath all that quiet competence. And the side characters from the chaotic Madam Li to the old army guys drowning their grief in tequila feel like people you’ve met in a bar at 1 a.m.
The plot feels realistic. There’s no grand twist, no explosive climax, just the slow, methodical piecing together of something quietly wrong. And that’s where Mackay leans into an idea I appreciated: that real scams, real deaths, real betrayals, don’t need Hollywood endings. They just need someone to pay attention. It made me think more than it thrilled me, which, to be honest, I didn’t expect, and ended up liking.
Mackay’s writing style reminded me of early Michael Connelly mixed with the gritty introspection of Raymond Chandler and the modern, character-driven pacing of Tana French. If you like character-driven mysteries with heart and grit, stories that hang out in the gray areas and don’t rush the truth, then Scam at Higgins Canyon is a gem. It’s a book for people who don’t mind sitting with uncertainty, who appreciate when a mystery’s biggest revelation isn’t about a killer but about the world we live in.
Pages: 341 | ASIN : B0DTFLZMNC
Hessman’s Necklace
Nicholas Litchfield’s Hessman’s Necklace is a gritty and fast-paced noir thriller set in 1950s America. The novel follows Ray Stokes, a rakish fixer with a thirst for danger, who is sent on a mission by his powerful boss to retrieve a legendary, long-lost necklace. His target? A sultry secretary in Boston and her corrupt lover, a reverend with a taste for contraband and secrets. The story winds through back alleys, smoky bars, and seedy motel rooms, all drenched in bourbon, betrayal, and lust. At its heart, this is a story of greed and moral decay disguised as a treasure hunt, and it plays out like a vintage film noir flick brought to life in brutal, unflinching detail.
What struck me most was the prose. It’s bold, lush, and rich with attitude. Litchfield doesn’t hold back. His writing practically swaggers across the page. There’s an almost hypnotic rhythm to it. Some of it is gloriously over the top: the metaphors, the bravado, the sexual tension. At times, I laughted, not because it was funny, but because it was so brazenly confident. And it works. The characters are larger than life, especially Ray Stokes, who’s every bit the cocky anti-hero, full of flaws and swagger, but weirdly easy to root for even when he’s being a jerk. I didn’t always like him, but I always wanted to see what he’d do next.
This isn’t a quiet, introspective read. It’s brash. It leans hard into noir tropes: femmes fatales, crooked men of the cloth, cynical quips, and backroom deals. But somehow it doesn’t feel tired. There’s a knowing wink in the storytelling, as if the author is in on the joke, and that self-awareness kept things sharp and fresh. The mystery is tight and satisfying, but it’s the mood that really sells it. Litchfield paints the era vividly, full of cigarette smoke and greasy diners and nights that never quite end.
Hessman’s Necklace is a love letter to pulp fiction fans, noir junkies, and readers who like their stories hot-blooded and full of bite. If you want to step into a world of shadows and sin with a smirking guide at your side, this book delivers. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, or even Tarantino at his most playful. It’s a wild, messy, full-throttle ride, and I had a good time reading it.
Pages: 160 | ASIN: B0DXDFQR4W
LITERARY TITAN 