Blog Archives
Fate vs Free Will
The Lost Dragonrider of Lamar follows a mysterious young woman with no memory of who she is or her past, who possesses a glowing pendant that turns out to be the relic at the heart of the ongoing war between dragonriders. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for setting up this story first started with a conversation I had with a close friend. We were talking about how a kingdom would look like if the economy was based on having heroes for hire and setting these heroes up with a celebrity status. From there the plot unfurled, I developed characters, added my magic system and it was off to the races.
What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The driving ideas behind the character’s development are predominantly fate vs free will. I also play with self-discovery and try to highlight how Lark’s instinctual moral code drives her into action.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main theme is good vs evil. That gets mottled up with loyalty and betrayal, power and responsibility, and the interplay of the character’s fate vs free will.
Can you tell us where the book goes, and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?
With the next book, I continue the adventure where I’ve left off at the end of book one. We explore more of Lark’s past, how it plays a role in her future, and the fate of the kingdom. I introduce a new major threat to the world as they know it and dive deeper into wielding magic. There are more dragons, dragonriders, and action that you won’t want to miss.
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When Lamar’s greatest dragonrider falls in battle, the kingdom’s last hope seems lost… Until a woman is found wandering the edge of the Everburning Forest with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or why she carries the very object the dragonriders have been warring over—a Hyalite.
The Hyalite, an artifact containing the power to forge a new dragonrider and tip the scales of the conflict, has been declared stolen by the enemy. Now, with the relic in her possession, Lark—an amnesiac with no clue about her connection to the war—finds herself thrust into the center of a world poised to unravel.
Humans, elves, and dwarves clash with orcs and mythical beasts as Lark uncovers truths too dangerous to ignore. Her fighting skills rival even the most seasoned warriors, but it’s the cryptic visions haunting her dreams that continue to expose her checkered past. As the stolen Hyalite’s power stirs, kingdoms send ruthless assassins to claim it, each step pulling Lark deeper into a destiny she never wanted—and cannot outrun.
The fate of the realms hangs by a thread. Will Lark embrace the storm—or be swept away by it? Start reading The Lost Dragonrider of Lamar today!
The Ancient Fire
The Ancient Fire is the first in the Triple Goddess series by Ellen Read. It’s a fantasy novel rooted in rich Celtic mythology and filled with lush imagery, suspenseful action, and themes of identity, legacy, and awakening power. The story follows Bree, a young woman raised in isolation with her aunt Áine, who discovers her divine lineage as the daughter of Brigid, the Triple Goddess. When an earthquake shakes their hidden world and the sacred fire she’s sworn to protect begins to change, Bree is thrust into a dangerous journey back to her homeland of Tír na nÓg. Alongside the brash warrior god Lu, Bree must come to terms with her powers, her grief, and the peril threatening her people.
I couldn’t put this one down. Read’s writing is poetic without being too flowery, and the pacing dances between quiet introspection and bursts of action. Bree is a character I wanted to root for—clever, curious, brave, and deeply human even as her godhood awakens. The dynamic between her and Lu had me grinning. There’s tension, banter, and just enough mystery to keep things spicy. What I loved most was how the magic felt sacred and elemental—more myth than wizardry, more essence than spectacle. And the fairies were delightful. The scene where Bree uses fire to chase off trolls? I actually cheered.
The lore, while fascinating, occasionally teetered on overwhelming. There’s a lot to absorb—names, places, histories—and at times I wished for a breather or a bit more grounding. Also, Lu’s macho swagger sometimes grated. I get that he’s a warrior god and all, but maybe chill. Thankfully, Bree holds her own and then some. Her transformation from cave-bound girl to rising goddess is powerful, and her grief for a mother she never knew is heartbreakingly real. Those emotional notes hit hard, and that’s what gave the book its heart.
The Ancient Fire lit something in me. It’s more than a fantasy, it’s about becoming who you were meant to be, even when you didn’t know you had it in you. I’d recommend this to anyone who loves myth-rich world-building, fierce heroines, and the spark of magic hiding in ancient stories. This book’s for the dreamers, the rebels, and those who believe stories shape the world.
Pages: 260 | ASIN : B0DTT2YFYN
Wolf of the Nordic Seas
Wolf of the Nordic Seas is a high-stakes romantic fantasy steeped in Norse mythology, Viking lore, and a smoldering enemies-to-lovers storyline. It follows Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir, a fierce shield maiden and heir to the coastal Viking stronghold of Étretat. After her father is captured by a ruthless Frankish count who demands her hand in marriage, Elfi finds herself caught between political alliances and personal vengeance. Enter Njörd Ívarrsson, the massive and mysterious Viking jarl sent by King Harald Bluetooth as a potential suitor and military savior, known ominously as the “Wolf of the Nordic Seas.”
I went in expecting a standard historical romance with Viking window-dressing, but Walker does not play it safe. She throws you straight into Elfi’s blood-soaked world with battle cries echoing off castle walls and an emotional punch that hits early. The writing is raw and cinematic, and the grief Elfi feels over her brother’s death is gutting, and her frustration at being locked away during a siege really sets the tone. I could almost feel the chill of the tower stones under her hands. That kind of visceral writing pulls you in fast and deep.
What stood out most for me, though, was the sharp contrast between Elfi’s strength and the emotional vulnerability Walker lets slip through the cracks. She’s not your typical damsel or stoic heroine; she’s fiery and flawed. When she meets Njörd, there’s this magnetic tension that you feel before either of them says a word. That scene where she sees him from her tower window with white wolfskin, wild hair, and hulking presence is pure electricity. Walker’s prose here is lush and full of heat, and I was hooked. The way Njörd calls her “mine” during their first dance is swoon material.
The pacing occasionally bordered on indulgent. Certain passages adopted a highly poetic tone, which, while contributing to the rich world-building, at times hindered narrative momentum. The skaldic verse battle midway through the novel, though an engaging cultural element, felt somewhat tangential to the central tension. I admire Walker’s willingness to dwell in the details; her descriptions of feasts, sea cliffs, and silk wedding gowns are rendered with a vividness that nearly lifts them off the page.
Wolf of the Nordic Seas is a sweeping, sensual tale of love and loyalty that wears its heart (and sword) on its sleeve. If you’re into Viking mythology, strong heroines, brooding warrior-lovers, and a story soaked in lore and longing, you’ll have a blast with this one. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves historical fantasy with romance turned all the way up. I’m already craving the next book in the Valiant Vikings series.
Pages: 357 | ASIN : B0F22JS3CM
The Lost Dragonrider of Lamar
The Lost Dragonrider of Lamar kicks off with a fiery bang—literally. The prologue plunges us into a mystical war zone where divine storms split the sky and dragonriders duel for god-touched power. The story follows two central characters: Tel Roan, a battle-hardened dragonrider with a golden dragon named Ingamar, and Lark, a mysterious young woman with no memory of her past, only a glowing pendant and an unshakable pull toward a storm. A Hyalite—an orb infused with godly power—is about to change both their destinies. With war looming between the Kingdoms of Lamar and Nordraven, and ancient magic bleeding into their world, the book layers classic fantasy tropes with a fresh, fast-paced twist.
This book had me in its grip from the opening page. The prologue was cinematic. That scene where he fights a massive blue-skinned orc for the Hyalite was epic. The tension is so thick you could cut it with Stormbreaker. Walker has a knack for writing action that feels intense but never overcomplicated—no confusing jargon, just pure adrenaline and magic.
What surprised me the most, though, was how much I loved Lark’s chapters. At first, she feels like the typical “mysterious girl with a magical trinket” trope—but she grows on you. Her connection to the storm and the dragon lore is told with this eerie, poetic pacing that contrasts perfectly with the more militaristic energy of Tel’s story. I loved the moment when she’s drawn toward the Everburning Forest and starts getting those weird flashes of memory, like the image of a man holding a box that pulses in time with her pendant. There’s a soft, haunting tone to her arc that feels like a dream slowly turning into a nightmare.
Some of the world-building was heavy at times—there’s a lot of information given through conversations about realms, magical politics, and the difference between Hyalites and Yogo Sapphires. I appreciate the depth, but it occasionally slowed the story. I wanted to get back to the drama—the betrayals, the aerial dragon fights, the strange glowing creatures in the woods. Still, even the slower bits added layers to the world that made the payoff richer.
The Lost Dragonrider of Lamar delivered on everything I want in a fantasy read—gutsy characters, high-stakes magic, and dragons that feel like more than just pets with wings. It’s bold, a little bloody, and absolutely bursting with heart. I’d recommend this book to fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn or those who devoured Eragon and wished it had a bit more edge. This isn’t just a setup for a series—it’s a solid first strike. If you’ve got even the slightest itch for fire-breathing beasts and mystic prophecies, give this one a shot.
Pages: 486 | ASIN : B0F468WDC4
Beyond Blood Ties
The Shadow and the Scream follows a woman struggling with trauma who encounters a distressed teen girl, and she is drawn into a supernatural mystery to find a killer. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have a really good friend who has been diagnosed with complex PTSD as a result of long-term chronic relational family trauma. I remember having a lot of conversations with her over the years about how she struggles to find books that represent the ongoing, long-term recovery of trauma survivors. I’m also really interested in the idea of female rage, and how this manifests, especially in female survivors of trauma. I’ve also always been fascinated by the concept of monsters, what makes something a ‘monster’, and what being a ‘monster’ means. I decided I wanted to combine all these ideas to create a world where monsters were drawn to human rage and pain, providing a way for my characters to explore their feelings and learn to accept them as part of themselves. In the story, and in the series as a whole, the creatures called ‘monsters’ are often not the ones perpetrating real harm. I liked the idea of the monstrous deeds not actually being carried out by the creatures labelled as ‘monsters’, but by ordinary human beings working within the confines of a society that allowed them to behave monstrously.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
I’ll admit, I struggle to stick to a story plan! A lot of the worldbuilding for Wilderness, the world Annie and Sheb travel to, emerged organically as I was writing. I had some idea about the Dread King and who he was, but the power of the Wood, and its magic, was something that evolved over the course of the first two drafts. I am a huge advocate for ecological sustainability and respecting our living planet, so a lot of my books tend to have a nod toward that, including through using settings like the Wood as characters in their own right.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
A key one for me was the importance of found family, and building a positive, protective community for yourself. I have an extremely supportive family, whom I love dearly, but not everyone does, and I wanted to provide room in my stories for the idea of family to go beyond blood ties and genetic relations and move more toward communities of people who care for and look out for each other. Trauma recovery was also another big one for me, including the fact that it takes time, and there are often setbacks. I also really wanted to explore the idea of how we can harness our emotions to better understand ourselves. That’s the whole point in the relationship that grows between Annie and her monster, Wriggler. She believes her rage makes her wicked and evil. What Wriggler shows her is that emotions are neither good nor bad and, if we learn to harness them properly, even anger can be a force for positive change.
What will your next novel be about, and what will the whole series encompass?
I’ve actually already published book 2 of The Nowhere Chronicles! It’s called ‘Flight of the Bone Crow’ and, in it, Annie and her friends venture into Sheb’s world, where he must contend with his past. Like ‘The Shadow and the Scream’, there is a monstrous mystery to solve, a whole new world to explore, a natural setting that has its own personality, and plenty of new characters to get to know! You can grab the book from my website, or from most of the large, popular online bookstores. I’ve just finished the developmental edits for book 3, which is called ‘A Fearsome, Lonely Heart’, and, in this one, Annie will have to confront someone important from her own past. It’s due to be released later this year!
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***Feathered Quill Bronze Award 2025***In a world of hidden monsters, she must catch a killer – without becoming one herself.
Annie has spent five years hiding in the parallel universe of Nowhere, wrestling with a terrible, uncontrollable power. But her fragile peace shatters when a distressed teenage girl emerges through a mysterious portal, claiming to have witnessed a monstrous murder. Reluctantly, Annie is drawn into a supernatural mystery that will test her resolve and challenge her very nature.
As she delves deeper into this twisted tale, Annie uncovers unsettling secrets and faces off against a monstrous force she barely understands. With each step, she battles not only external threats but also her own inner demons.
Can she solve the mystery and catch the killer without becoming as monstrous as the beast she hunts?
This coming-of-age fantasy novel blends suspense, complex characters, and immersive worldbuilding with themes of love, forgiveness, and family. If you enjoy the eerie atmosphere of Stranger Things combined with the heart of How to Train Your Dragon, you’ll love this adventure that explores trauma and self-acceptance.
Don’t miss out on the dark fantasy sensation that’s mesmerizing readers. Grab your copy of The Shadow and the Scream now and lose yourself in a world where shadows whisper and screams echo with untold secrets!
The Shadow and the Scream
The Shadow and the Scream by Rebecca L. Fearnley takes readers into a dark and thrilling world, following Annie as she navigates chilling confrontations with monsters both real and imagined. It’s a gritty tale steeped in darkness, magic, and the shadowy corners of human experience, particularly highlighting Annie’s struggles with domestic abuse and trauma. Through forty-five gripping chapters, the novel pulls you deep into the tension-filled journey of a protagonist wrestling with internal demons and otherworldly threats.
What really enjoyed about Fearnley’s writing was her intense, almost visceral way of illustrating emotional trauma. Right from the start in Chapter One, the raw depiction of Annie’s internal struggles is both unsettling and captivating. I found myself deeply moved yet a bit overwhelmed, particularly in scenes where Annie’s pain was almost palpable. Sometimes, it felt like Fearnley held nothing back, and while that intensity might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it certainly left an impression on me.
Another thing that stood out was the world-building—especially notable in chapters like “Through the Portal Tree” and “The Battle for Lin.” These were immersive moments that sucked me right into Fearnley’s uniquely crafted universe. I felt transported, right alongside Annie, through every harrowing battle and heart-pounding escape. There was never a moment where the story’s atmosphere didn’t feel real, even amidst its supernatural chaos.
The relentless pace, particularly in chapters like “Fangs and Fury” and “Storming the Manor,” sometimes made it challenging to catch my emotional breath. It’s not necessarily a downside—more like an emotional marathon. Yet, in the quieter moments, like those in “Maeve Remembers,” the depth and humanity of the characters genuinely shined through, providing necessary emotional relief.
The Shadow and the Scream is powerful and raw, a dive into darkness that ultimately highlights resilience and courage. I’d highly recommend it to readers who aren’t afraid of confronting heavy themes alongside fantastical horrors. If you’re someone who loves intense, emotional rollercoasters with well-crafted supernatural twists, this is definitely a book that’ll grab you and refuse to let go.
Pages: 689 | ASIN : B0CCP4SGW1
Darke Realms: One Tough Temporary She Alpha (Arcana 2)
Michele L. Sayre’s Darke Realms – One Tough Temporary She Alpha drops you into a world where supernatural beings, werewolf politics, and the remnants of a brutal war collide. The book follows Leiry Matthis, a reluctant alpha, forced back to her pack after the death of her rogue mate and father. The stakes are high. Her son is in danger, a self-proclaimed Rogue Alpha King is on the rise, and she has no patience for anyone trying to control her fate. With power struggles, deep emotional wounds, and a fierce determination to protect her own, Leiry embodies the grit and resilience that define Sayre’s heroines.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is its protagonist. Leiry is not your typical heroine. She’s hardened by loss, unapologetically strong, and yet emotionally vulnerable in moments that make her feel incredibly real. From the first chapter, where she steps back onto the packlands she once fled, the weight of her past is palpable. The author does a great job balancing her toughness with raw emotional depth, like when she recalls her mate’s death during the Arcana-Kabaltz War. The trauma is still fresh, and Sayre doesn’t shy away from showing how that grief shapes Leiry’s choices.
The world-building in this book is layered with supernatural history, werewolf customs, and high-stakes politics. Sayre weaves in elements of mythology and war lore, making the conflict feel bigger than just a personal struggle. It’s about survival, legacy, and the balance between light and dark. The concept of the Arcana, beings of light who oppose the Kabaltz, agents of darkness, adds an epic scope to the story. The inclusion of treaties, sacred burial rites, and pack dynamics makes the world feel lived-in, though at times, the sheer amount of detail can slow things down. Still, it’s a rich setting that fantasy lovers will appreciate.
There are moments where the pacing slows, particularly in the middle of the book. Some sections take their time delving into exposition, especially when exploring the mythology and history of this world. While these details add depth and intrigue, they occasionally pause the action. Similarly, some dialogue leans into exposition, particularly when characters reflect on past events. However, Sayre’s snappy writing style and Leiry’s sharp inner monologue keep the story engaging, ensuring the book moves forward in an enjoyable way.
Darke Realms – One Tough Temporary She Alpha (Arcana 2) is a gripping read for fans of supernatural fantasy, particularly those who enjoy strong female leads and intricate world-building. If you love stories with werewolves, war-torn pasts, and heroines who don’t take crap from anyone, this book will be right up your alley.
Pages: 542 | ASIN : B0DXKH34D2
A Greater Story
The Legacy of the Dreamer follows a man on the brink of death who pleads for his life only to have his wish granted by someone with forbidden magic, leaving him with the unsettling realization that he can no longer die. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always enjoyed stories of immortality, but they never end in a way that realizes its definition. Even at a young age when I heard someone say they wanted to live forever, I knew there was no way for that to end well. I wanted to explore what it would be like to truly live forever.
I wrote about how I personally view immortality, as something that could not have a happy ending. With my vision of this, there can only be yearning, despair, and hopelessness in the end.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
It was important for my main character, Renealt, to be suffering. I was not kind to him. He is grieving, and unable to move on. He suffers the worst fate that I can imagine. His morality changes drastically throughout his exceptionally long life as he loses his humanity. He starts as a fairly neutral person, who becomes a pacifist and turns outright evil.
When I wrote the three short stories that are spread out through the main story, I deliberately based each main character around two of the seven deadly sins. This was a lot of fun to write. Renealt takes the seventh sin through his desire for knowledge and power and to be reunited with Renay. While these seven deadly sins come from a religion, this should not be taken as a tie between Earth and Cenadur.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Obsession, and the simple fact that things are not always what they seem. People misread situations. People make mistakes, waste time looking into the wrong place, and are flawed. There is always something more important happening in the background, and a greater story is being told somewhere else. Earth is vastly complex, and the world Renealt is in is no different. He is both a cog in the machine, and the machine itself, but at the end nothing he does matters. He cannot have what he desires.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
When I first began writing this book, I intended for it to be a single novel. As I neared completion I realized I had more to tell. I have begun working on outlines for a prequel and a sequel. They will be drastically different from the story told here, and will not even take place on Cenadur. The Legacy of the Dreamer completes Renealt’s storyline, but how it came to be and its aftermath could be fascinating.
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Who was that he pleaded to in those final moments before he faded into the black?
Driven by an obsessive desire for knowledge, he embarks on a quest to uncover the truth. Every answer only leads to another question, but he can never give up.
On his journey he discovers that the magic that saved him was not only impossible, but permanent. He cannot die.
Is an eternal life long enough to unravel his mystery?
What mark will he leave on the world, with a life that will not end?
Only time will tell, and he certainly has enough of it.
LITERARY TITAN 