Blog Archives
Into The Arms
From the very first page, Into the Arms throws you straight into the storm. This isn’t a story told, it’s lived. We follow Rei, a girl clawing through her youth with an aching heart and sharp eyes, struggling to understand love, shame, and survival in a world that often turns its back on innocence. Author Angelica Lamb’s novel is part memoir, part emotional reckoning, a raw and lyrical unraveling of trauma, told through flashbacks, poetic fragments, and brutal honesty. We’re led from Rei’s early days at a cold Catholic boarding school through a series of shattering, formative experiences into womanhood. What holds it all together is a quiet inner light, dimmed but never out. The writing itself is jagged, unfiltered, emotionally dense, and it works.
Angelica Lamb doesn’t give you time to warm up or settle in. You’re tossed into Rei’s mind. Her pain, her longing, her awkward, tender, and often horrifying moments, every one of them slices through you. Some scenes, especially with Rei’s father or the grotesque acts at boarding school, made me physically squirm. And yet I couldn’t stop. The writing is wild. Sentences swerve, thoughts bleed into each other, and punctuation comes second to rhythm. It reads more like memory than fiction, fragmented, dreamlike, vivid. Lamb’s greatest gift might be how she makes trauma feel both intensely personal and alarmingly universal. I saw my younger self in Rei more times than I care to admit.
There’s barely a plot in the traditional sense, but the emotional thread? Oh, it’s there. It pulls you under and doesn’t let go. I loved the way Lamb lets Rei be a contradiction. Sweet and angry. Lost and wise. Scarred and still somehow soft. Her journey is filled with abuse, abandonment, awakening, and through it all, this persistent, haunting whisper: “You are love.”
If you’ve ever felt silenced, if you’ve questioned your worth, or carried shame that didn’t belong to you, then Into the Arms might just feel like someone seeing you. I’d recommend it to women healing from emotional or sexual trauma, to lovers of poetic memoir, and to those who find power in pain. It’s a hard read. A beautiful one. And one I won’t forget.
Pages: 416 | ISBN : 1036966186
Out of Body: Straight to Hell
Out of Body: Straight to Hell is a wild, genre-defying ride that blends psychological drama, speculative science, supernatural horror, and heartfelt coming-of-age storytelling. The novel follows Harley Baker, a paralyzed young man who, after a childhood trauma tied to a dream-world soulmate and a very real fall from a second-story window, sets off on a determined, mind-bending journey to rediscover the truth of those dreams. Armed with government-declassified astral projection guides, banned hallucinogens, and a stubborn belief in the soul’s reality, Harley risks everything to find Stephanie—a woman who may or may not exist. Along the way, he tangles with literal demons, the CIA, and the biggest enemy of all: his own doubt.
I didn’t expect to get sucker-punched by emotion so often in a story that features Satan as a literal antagonist. But Chater does something special here. His writing has this knack for yanking you through a dozen moods in a single chapter. One minute, I’m laughing at Harley’s razor-sharp sarcasm and tragically millennial monologues, and the next, I’m stunned into silence by the sincerity of a line about loneliness or parental love. Chater’s voice is sharp, raw, never too polished, and it suits Harley’s inner chaos perfectly. Some of the scenes, especially those involving the black-eyed dream demon or Harley’s aching memories of his dog Barney, hit harder than I expected. And while the dialogue flirts with melodrama at times, it never crosses into the unbelievable. Harley’s voice is exactly what it needs to be: brutally honest, emotionally bruised, and relatable.
Now, the ideas in this book? They’re bonkers—in the best way. We’re talking government-funded psychic training, astral projection as espionage, spirit dogs quoting hip-hop, and an actual demon with a libido and a vengeance. And yet… it works. Chater doesn’t dump exposition on your head. He lets you piece together the crazy through Harley’s obsession. There’s a surprising amount of research under the hood—Gateway tapes, Monroe Institute lore, CIA documents—and it’s all used not to impress, but to deepen Harley’s desperate search for truth. The line between madness and metaphysics is always razor thin, and Chater walks it like a tightrope artist. Sure, some plot turns stretch credibility, but so does reality when you’re twenty-two, emotionally shattered, and chasing your dream girl through multiple dimensions. I bought in—and I stayed in.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if The OA made out with Stranger Things while reading a Monroe Institute report high on DMT, this book is your answer. It’s heartfelt sci-fi for the spiritual misfit, horror for the sensitive soul, and a love story written in the language of astral projection, regret, and raw hope. I’d recommend this to readers who crave deep weirdness with emotional bite—fans of Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, or anyone who’s gone down a rabbit hole at 2 a.m. and come out wondering if any of it was real.
Pages: 216 | ASIN : B0F4ZJ8WVG
Real Aussies: John’s Heartbreak
At its heart, Real Aussies: John’s Heartbreak is a raw and emotionally intense dive into the life of John, a 24-year-old car salesman hustling through Sydney’s sun-soaked grit of the late ’70s. The story kicks off with John chasing the Australian dream—buying out the dealership he works for and giving his family a better future. But things unravel fast. There’s infidelity, identity struggles, explosive family drama, a deeply repressed past, and an unexpected romantic connection that challenges everything John thought he knew about himself. It’s set against a vivid Aussie backdrop of drag queens, classic Holdens, meat pies, and church pews. It’s heavy, hilarious, heartbreaking, and, at times, unhinged.
The dialogue snaps with authenticity, the slang hits just right, and the pacing is mad. One minute you’re laughing at a wild Monaro test drive, and the next you’re cringing through John’s brutal Sunday family lunch, dripping with micro-aggressions, classism, and suppressed rage. The scenes with his mum and Beergut Barry was spot on. Horribly accurate. You can feel the suffocation. That kitchen table tension isn’t just writing, it’s lived experience on the page.
But the emotional gut-punches land hard. The twist about John’s biological son genuinely winded me. And then, Jezbon goes further. That deeply disturbing assault scene with Peter was unexpected and so painfully real. It’s handled with unflinching honesty. It doesn’t glorify or overexplain, it just lets you sit in the horror of it. It messed me up a little. That’s powerful storytelling. Still, it’s not for the faint of heart. You have to be ready for it. But it shines a light on the complexity of male trauma, especially in a world that doesn’t give men like John the language or space to process it.
John is messy. He lashes out. He hits. He breaks. But Jezbon doesn’t romanticize it. He forces you to reckon with the choices people make when their lives implode. There’s nuance. There’s shame. There’s that desperate grasping for control when everything’s slipping. And then there’s hope, like a tiny stubborn weed growing through concrete. John’s care for his sons—especially Jason, his “little champ”—grounds all the chaos. The emotional rollercoaster is real, and I didn’t wanna get off.
If you like your stories emotionally charged, a little chaotic, and rough around the edges—this one’s for you. Especially if you’re into queer themes wrapped in raw masculinity, generational trauma, and the realest kind of love—the kind that’s flawed but refuses to give up. It’s not tidy. It’s not polished. It’s real. And that’s exactly what makes John’s Heartbreak stick. Jezbon wrote something that lingers.
Pages: 398 | ASIN : B0F3KDHH9R
The At-Your-Beck Felicity Conveyor
The At-Your-Beck Felicity Conveyor is a satirical novel that dives into the exploits of a grocer, Justyce Dreadmiller, and his turbulent interactions with Yvette Cartier, a wealthy young kleptomaniac. It’s a story riddled with irony and dark humor as Justyce maneuvers through moral dilemmas, exploring the complexities of revenge, economic strain, and the lengths one might go to protect their reputation and livelihood. This “sin and retribution” novel pairs outlandish scenarios with striking reflections on class, character, and consequence.
The writing was both a joy and a challenge. Landon’s language is exuberant, full of wordplay and intricate descriptions. Justyce Dreadmiller’s inner monologues often had me chuckling and groaning at the same time; he’s dramatic, even flamboyant, in his thoughts about revenge. For example, when Justyce fantasizes about the exaggerated consequences for his bully from prep school, we get insight into his deep-rooted vindictiveness. It’s over-the-top but hilariously so and gives the story a unique and theatrical vibe.
The characters are as absurd as they are fascinating. Justyce’s obsession with his store and his frustration with Yvette’s petty thefts contrast sharply with his idealization of himself as a “pillar of the community.” This duality paints Justyce as both relatable and ridiculous. Yvette, meanwhile, is as enigmatic as they come. Her lifestyle suggests privilege and luxury, yet her compulsive stealing and mysterious persona make her more complex than your typical antagonist. Author Dolly Gray Landon uses these dynamics to satirize social expectations, which felt relevant.
What I found most engaging was the novel’s underlying tension between justice and self-interest. Justyce’s attempts to address Yvette’s thefts go beyond practicality into the realm of personal vengeance. His conversations with friends and allies, like the dean at Yvette’s college, feel almost conspiratorial, showing how community respect can turn into a weapon when someone feels slighted. It’s a darkly humorous yet unsettling reminder of the lengths people go to maintain their version of “justice.”
The At-Your-Beck Felicity Conveyor is a must-read for those who enjoy biting satire with a flair for the absurd. If you’re a fan of stories that poke fun at human flaws while diving deep into moral quandaries, this book is right up your alley. This novel is bold, strange, and refreshingly unfiltered. A true delight for anyone craving something a bit unconventional.
Pages: 203 | ASIN : B0DHB3PXSV
Vengefully Yours
Vengefully Yours presents a captivating collection of short stories, interweaving mystery, romance, and profound themes of longing, loyalty, vengeance, and redemption.
A Disgraced former police officer, now a private investigator, is entrusted with the critical task of safeguarding a substantial amount of illicit funds during transportation. However, his mettle is tested when the captivating platinum blond singer, Angelina Darlane, takes the stage, posing a severe temptation.
Ryder, who once rescued Larissa from a life plagued by fear and abuse, has been her secret benefactor, shielding her from harm with his enigmatic past. But now, everything is on the brink of transformation.
Cormac, a resilient ex-Navy SEAL turned mechanic, confronts a shattered future and a resentful heart as Aurelie, the daughter of a powerful US Senator and his former flame, unexpectedly resurfaces. Their reunion unfolds under dire circumstances.
Stellan Stark, a paramilitary assassin, finds himself compelled to confront both a mission and the woman he left behind a decade ago. As his handlers meticulously monitor his every move, Stellan must make a pivotal choice between seeking closure or defying orders once again.
Former Marine intelligence operative Maxen Brigh teams up with the tenacious and captivating investigative reporter Aveline Watson in a relentless pursuit of a murderer. The victim in question happens to be none other than Dr. John Watson, the renowned assistant of Sherlock Holmes and Aveline’s own father.
Private investigator Joe Casey, battling his own demons as a recovering alcoholic, disrupts Mayor Reagan Kane’s re-election party to declare a vengeful mission against the corrupt politician who ruined his life. However, his plans take an unexpected turn when he becomes entangled with an alluring femme fatale. Will she lead him astray, or could she become his path to redemption?
Each story within this enthralling book leaves the reader yearning for more, immersing them in diverse narratives inhabited by characters with their own personal struggles, secrets, and desires. The authors masterfully craft these compelling tales, effortlessly turning pages as the plot unravels and the characters confront their inner demons. Set against the backdrop of the 1940s, the stories possess a nostalgic charm that enchants readers, transporting them to a bygone era brimming with intrigue and peril. Whether you are drawn to the streetwise private investigator, the protective, military figure, or the enigmatic alpha male, Vengefully Yours offers stories that will undoubtedly resonate with your sensibilities. The brevity of each story, though leaving the reader wanting more, speaks volumes about the authors’ ability to create spellbinding narratives.
Vengefully Yours is a thrilling and seductive collection of interconnected tales, sure to captivate aficionados of mystery, romance, and suspense. The vividly depicted settings, engaging characters, and expertly crafted storylines combine to deliver a mesmerizing reading experience. Whether you seek an escape into a treacherous world of secrets and desire or a transformative journey of redemption and love, this book excels on all fronts, promising to satisfy even the most discerning readers.
ASIN: B0C3ZGGFVT
LITERARY TITAN 