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A Parody Turned Novel
The Eye of Osiris follows a Mexican American woman working at a law firm whose boss turns up dead, and her being accused of murder, while an ancient Egyptian curse is the real cause. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As regaled in my introduction to this book series, it was a way of survival while working in a toxic environment. I’m a workaholic and I need to be busy. I had run out of work while my creepy, abusive boss was out of town. So my fingers started moving vigorously typing a story about how he got murdered! Yes, it was like a parody that turned into a novel. That is definitely a happy ending to a bad job. (No, he did not die – only in my mind.) And, it still makes me giggle.
I found Moriah Maizon to be an intriguing character. What was your inspiration for this character?
This was my first book; inspired by my circumstances of that time in my life. In many ways, Moriah is a reflection of me. Although Moriah is in many ways much more serious than I ever hope to be. However, I did go through some life changing events reflected in Moriah’s story, such as losing a brother. I have a great deal of passion about life and through this character, I was able to express it.
There is one huge difference, I was born in El Paso, Texas where almost every Mexican American speaks both English and Spanish. I was very surprised at how little many Mexican Americans in Northern California didn’t speak Spanish and how little they knew about our wonderful culture. Of course, as time went by I realized how much racism there was against us and why many did not want to open that can of worms.
Speaking of worms, I am very lucky to be living in Mexico today where I can speak any language I wish without fear of unlawful detainment by the American Nazi-like Gestapo now known as Ice Agents. Why, you might ask, would I compare these armed soldiers to worms? Because they are people who oppress by means of unfair opposition (gangs) and threats of violence. In the end, they will crawl away, just like a worm, in shame.
Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?
In the next book, Osiris the Second Coming, Moriah is married to Luis Mendoza who is now an attorney. They have a son, Thomas and their life is perfect. Then, the evil cult starts up all over again in San Francisco. The city is under siege and the Osiris cult is on a new mission to get to her and her family. Through Luis’s family who has an extensive library and knowledge of all things ancient, they search for the key. When the Heliacal rising of Sirius arrives, Moriah is ready for the trip into an unknown world and another dimension.
In Osiris 333, she returns to San Francisco along with her son and best friend Veronica; while Luis and family continue with their research. Still, the cult is in hot pursuit and on the trail of Moriah, their long, lost, reincarnated princess. They take refuge in Florida. A major clue is found by a couple in San Francisco after purchasing a home in the Sunset District. Their find is a unique Mayan Codex written in three languages. From that, they travel to Chichen Itza.
The Osiris Trilogy Mystery series is an adventure about cultural history, challenges, family, friendship, and the glue that holds it all together, love.
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Disturbing the dead is never a good idea. Stealing from the dead is even worse. Importing ill-gotten goods from the sands of Egypt; that is definitely the road to hell. Unsuspecting beneficiaries of a sacred Egyptian papyrus had no idea this gift was the result of an unholy theft.The curse started with donor, Jim Patton, partner at a law firm located in the Pyramid Building in San Francisco. When news of the sacred papyrus gets out, the Eye of Osiris cutl emerges on a mission.
Moriah Maizon, his legal assistant, was next. She suddenly finds herself in jail for Jim Patton’s gruesome murder. And that, was just the beginning.
The Osiris Mystery Trilogy Series is about a Mexican American family on a mission to stop an Egyptian curse.
D.O.L Light Running in Afghanistan
The book plunges headfirst into a world of secret military projects, hidden powers, and tangled family ties. Lilly and Aurora, caught between loyalty and betrayal, navigate brutal battles, heartbreaking losses, and a storm of revelations about who they are and where they come from. The story moves with a wild energy, shifting from explosive action in New York to covert missions in Afghanistan, all the while threading in the complicated web of love, grief, and survival that binds its characters together. The book is about identity and the cost of power, wrapped inside high-octane scenes and sharp dialogue.
I found myself both entertained and unsettled. The writing has a raw pulse to it, like the author wanted every scene to bleed emotion or crackle with tension. Sometimes that worked beautifully. The fight sequences felt cinematic, and the dialogue between Lilly and Aurora was charged with anger, sorrow, and just enough dark humor to keep it human. But there were moments when the avalanche of detail threatened to bury the emotional core of the story. Even then, I couldn’t put it down, because there was always another twist, another confession, another blow waiting around the corner.
I also caught myself feeling torn about the ideas underneath the action. The story plays with big questions: what it means to be family, how much pain someone can carry, and how power both saves and destroys. The story also leans hard into chaos and violence, which keeps the energy high and the tension unrelenting, never giving the characters or the reader much chance to breathe. The author clearly loves his cast, though, and that affection comes through in the banter, the awkward humor, and the way even the most hardened fighters carry their scars like open wounds. It gave the book a surprising tenderness under all the blood and bullets.
Light Running in Afghanistan reminded me of the relentless drive you find in early James Patterson thrillers mixed with the emotional grit of something like Suzanne Collins or even Stephen King at his more chaotic. It isn’t neat or carefully buttoned up the way a Tom Clancy novel might be. Instead, it thrives on the jagged edges, the mess that makes its characters feel human. Readers who want a story that punches fast and doesn’t apologize will feel right at home here.
Pages: 364 | ASIN : B0F9TV3ZX2
Dig Two Graves: A Noir Thriller of Revenge
Dig Two Graves is a hard-hitting noir tale about a man just out of prison, stumbling back into the world with nothing but a Bible, some rage, and a whole lot of unresolved history. Von Martin is bitter, raw, and desperate. He wants to see his daughter, reclaim his place, and claw back respect in a world that seems determined to keep him down. What unfolds is a tense ride through betrayal, revenge, and the messy business of survival, with every page steeped in grit and sweat.
I felt torn while reading. On one hand, the writing is sharp and immersive. The author captures the voice of Von with uncanny precision. It feels like you’re right there with him, stuck in his head, tasting his anger, hearing his rationalizations, even when you know he’s full of it. That intimacy made me uneasy, but in the best way, because it’s rare to find a book that commits so fully to the flawed perspective of its main character. On the other hand, Von is not an easy guy to root for. He’s selfish, volatile, and often cruel, and I caught myself rolling my eyes at his self-pity while also sympathizing with his hunger for dignity. That push and pull kept me hooked.
The ideas in this book hit harder than I expected. It’s not just a revenge story. It’s about the weight of time wasted, the way choices narrow your life, and the slow decay of trust. There’s this constant tug between the possibility of redemption and the lure of destruction, and I felt that tension every step of the way.
By the time I turned the last page, I was impressed. Dig Two Graves is not for someone looking for a comforting read. It’s for readers who want to wade into murky waters, who can handle being close to a character that repels as much as he fascinates. If you like crime stories with grit, moral ambiguity, and a voice that sticks in your head, then this one is worth your time.
Pages: 214 | ASIN : B0FRD5R9L7
The Gift
The Gift follows Emery, a young woman pulled into a strange dimension where voices, shadows, and visions drag her into a fate she never asked for. The novel is about her journey to rescue her mother, uncover hidden truths about her powers, and navigate an ancient and perilous world that teeters between myth and science. There are black holes that bend time, creatures that lurk in slithering shadows, and tribes that live by instinct and survival. But underneath the cosmic spectacle, it is really about one woman’s fight to hold on to family, identity, and purpose in a reality that constantly shifts beneath her feet.
The writing surprised me. It has a dreamlike quality in places, flowing almost like waves, then suddenly crashing into moments of raw grit and pain. The descriptions of the void, of light turning into memory, of bodies disintegrating and reforming, made me pause and reread because they were so vivid. But then the author would drop Emery into the dirt, into hunger and thirst, into stumbling mistakes, and it grounded everything. That combination kept me engaged. Sometimes the prose was a little heavy, but the emotional weight pulled me through. I found myself caring about Emery’s stubbornness, her doubts, her messy humanity, even as she was tasked with saving more than just herself.
What really stayed with me was the emotional pull of Emery’s relationships, especially her bond with Visla. Their friendship felt tender and real, the kind of connection that lights up even the darkest setting. I loved how their language lessons became a bridge between two worlds. I felt warmth reading their moments together, and sadness knowing Emery’s destiny might tear them apart. Emery’s constant second-guessing sometimes slowed the story, and I wished she trusted herself more. But then again, maybe that’s what made her believable. She wasn’t some perfect heroine. She was clumsy, scared, and hopeful, and that made me root for her all the more.
I felt like I’d been on a strange and exhausting journey right alongside Emery. The Gift is not just for fans of science fiction or fantasy. It’s for readers who want to feel the clash of fear and hope, who enjoy sci-fi stories where survival is as important as destiny, and where the heart matters as much as the universe. I would recommend it to anyone who likes their adventure raw and relatable, layered with both cosmic wonder and everyday struggle.
Pages: 381 | ASIN : B0FM77FD39
Deep Freeze
Anne Louise O’Connell’s Deep Freeze is a suspenseful mystery set against the unlikely backdrop of Dubai’s indoor ski slopes, posh neighborhoods, and glossy hospitals. At the heart of the story is Susan Morris, an American ex-pat nurse whose curiosity and compassion pull her into the chaos following a tragic ski lift accident that nearly kills her friend’s husband, Dr. Barry Thornton. What begins as a personal favor to comfort a friend quickly spirals into a dangerous investigation involving hospital coverups, cryogenic experiments, and the exploitation of domestic workers. The book moves briskly, balancing cultural detail with medical intrigue, and it doesn’t take long before Susan realizes she’s in over her head.
I was hooked from the start. The writing has a straightforward flow that makes it easy to slip into Susan’s world. What really grabbed me was the way O’Connell built tension through ordinary settings. A shopping mall ski slope or a hospital hallway doesn’t sound like a thriller, but the unease creeps in, and before you know it, you’re bracing yourself for the next turn. I found myself both frustrated and impressed with Susan. She’s stubborn, she pushes too far, but she’s also brave in a way that feels relatable rather than superhero-like. At times, the dialogue felt a little stiff, but the energy of the plot kept me flipping pages late into the night.
Emotionally, the book hit me harder than I expected. The parts dealing with exploited domestic workers left a knot in my stomach. It’s not just about crime or corruption, it’s about people living in the shadows of luxury and power. That gave the story real weight. I also felt for Susan as her marriage slowly unraveled in the background. Those quieter moments balanced out the faster-paced mystery, and I found myself caring as much about her personal struggles as the central investigation. The suspense had my pulse up, but the human side of it tugged at me even more.
Deep Freeze is a gripping read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries with both heart and grit. If you like thrillers that blend cultural insight with medical drama, you’ll find a lot to love here. It’s especially for readers who want a strong but imperfect female lead, someone who feels like a real person caught in extraordinary circumstances.
Pages: 244 | ASIN : B0DTLY26YZ
The Eye of Osiris
The story begins with Moriah Maizon, a Mexican American woman working at a San Francisco law firm, and quickly spirals into a tale that blends murder, ancient mysteries, and cultural connections across time and continents. What starts as the death of her corrupt, overbearing boss turns into a ritualistic investigation tied to Egyptian mythology, Mayan history, and the underbelly of city life. The book weaves personal struggles, family legacies, and even cosmic links between Egypt and Mesoamerica. It has a strong sense of place, drawing San Francisco in vivid strokes while hinting at broader, universal mysteries.
I found myself caught up in the drama of Moriah’s world and the strange forces circling her life. The characters are sharp, almost cinematic, and I could clearly see them moving through their offices, their apartments, and the foggy streets of San Francisco. I especially liked how the author made the setting itself feel alive, almost like another character in the story.
What really stayed with me, though, was the blend of myth and reality. The way the narrative ties Egyptian scarabs and pyramids to Mayan codices and Mexican ancestry felt both imaginative and believable. At times I found myself smiling at the boldness of the connections, and other times I felt a shiver at how real they seemed. It made me think about heritage, about how much of our personal story is tied to ancient ones. And the emotional pull of Moriah’s relationship with her family, especially her late parents and her younger brother, grounded the wilder elements in something tender and human.
I’d recommend The Eye of Osiris to readers who enjoy mysteries with a twist of history and myth. It’s not just for fans of thrillers but also for anyone who likes stories that mix culture, identity, and a touch of the supernatural. It’s the kind of book that rewards patience and curiosity, the kind you read with a cup of coffee and a willingness to be swept somewhere unexpected.
Pages: 234 | ASIN : B0D6P73NKT
Ultra-Criminal Types
Once Upon a Safehouse follows a woman who receives a large inheritance from her uncle, thinking that it’s a life-altering fortune and a mysterious mansion, but it turns into a legacy she never expected or wanted. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
During the pandemic, I watched a whole lot of streaming shows, and one of them was all about the Nazi ratlines to South America. Those shows were astonishing because a lot of the “hideouts” that were located had secret rooms, or escape tunnels, built right into their architecture. Talk about bizarre! Who would do that – unless they had something to hide that was major. And that was enough to get me thinking about it and wanting to turn it into a story!
Were you able to relate to your characters while writing them?
I was able to relate to most of them, yes – the decent characters, especially. It’s always a challenge to try to get into the heads of the more nefarious ones, and this book had some ultra-criminal types in it. Still, I tried putting myself into the place of hunted people who had convinced themselves they’d done “nothing wrong” and took it from there.
What intrigues you about this time period enough to write such a thrilling period piece?
Thank you for calling it thrilling! I look at it this way. The whole World War II era was bizarre in so many ways, and the wrong people had taken over dozens of countries in the world. Everything was upside-down. Decency towards marginalized groups was outlawed, murders of persecuted groups were legalized, and bombs were being dropped all over the place. It was insane. Germany was ruling half of Europe in an atrocious manner, and Japan was just as bad, if not worse, in the countries they took over in Asia. So there are a lot of possibilities for material! And I always try to tell a story where there’s plenty of hope in spite of it all, too.
What is the next book you are working on, and when can fans expect it to be released?
I’m working on one mystery involving suffragettes, and another about a school that closes down under very odd circumstances. I’m having fun with them both!
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Former American paratrooper Glenn Halliday and his British-born wife Ivy think they’ve struck gold when they inherit a sprawling mansion in Argentina in 1963. But the house has other plans.
A poorly concealed door hidden off the parlor. A Nazi-era coin found in their daughter’s room. Strangers watching the house with unnerving intent.
As Glenn and Ivy dig deeper, they uncover a chilling legacy—one that links wartime crimes, hidden identities, and a past that refuses to die. What was this house really used for? And why does it seem to be calling them into its shadows?
Some inheritances come with strings. This one comes with living ghosts.
Once Upon a Safehouse
The story begins in Dobbs Ferry, New York, in the early 1960s, when Ivy Halliday receives a letter out of the blue from Argentina. Her uncle, a wealthy banker, has passed away and left her a sprawling fortune, a mysterious house called Casa Florencia, and a legacy she never expected. What starts as a thrilling surprise inheritance quickly spirals into something far more complex. As Ivy, her husband Glenn, and their two children travel to Buenos Aires to claim the estate, they’re drawn into a web of secrets connected to the aftermath of World War II, old family mysteries, and unsettling ties to the shadowy presence of Nazis who fled Europe after the war. The book unfolds with a mix of domestic charm, suspense, and lurking danger that creeps in through hidden doors, whispered rumors, and strangers who may not be what they seem.
I found myself pulled into this one almost immediately. The writing has a warmth to it, especially in the early chapters with Ivy’s family, that made me want to sit at their breakfast table and listen in. The descriptions of Buenos Aires were lush and inviting, and yet every time the narrative turned toward the darker threads, like the Nazi fugitives, the shadowy history of Casa Florencia, I felt my stomach tighten. That balance between light and heavy is tricky to pull off, but Quinn manages it well. At times, the prose leans a little old-fashioned, but that suits the period setting. I liked that it didn’t try to be flashy. It let the story carry the weight. The mystery around the wallpapered door in the mansion had me grinning like a kid, and the way tension built slowly but surely kept me hooked.
What really got me, though, was the emotional undertone of Glenn’s memories from the war. Those scenes were haunting, and they gave the book a gravity I wasn’t expecting. I could feel his reluctance to face Argentina, knowing the place had become a hiding spot for men he once fought against. As someone who loves mysteries, I appreciated that the danger didn’t just come from some masked villain lurking in the night but from history itself pressing down on the present. The family scenes sometimes lingered, and I caught myself itching to get back to the secrets. But when those secrets came forward, they delivered. The mix of personal drama, historical shadows, and good old-fashioned hidden-room intrigue made for a rewarding read.
Once Upon a Safehouse is the kind of book I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries laced with history, family drama, and just a touch of gothic atmosphere. If you like stories about ordinary people stumbling into extraordinary secrets, this will hit the spot. Fans of historical mysteries or readers curious about how World War II echoes could ripple into later decades will find plenty here to sink into.
Pages: 174 | ASIN : B0FPHQG2CQ
LITERARY TITAN 