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Mermaids and Sirens
Caught follows a mermaid who is captured by a vengeful pirate and finds that she may not want to escape his embrace. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
I got my inspiration from the Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides. That’s where the idea of mermaids attacking a pirate ship came from also the Disney movie Sinbad where the water sirens’ were attacking the ship gave me the idea for establishing a difference between mermaids and sirens.
Lorelei is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character development?
I wanted her to have a strong connection to her family the ones she loves. It’s what drives her actions.
I appreciated the careful development of the mythology of this world. What were some themes that were important for you to capture in your story?
I wanted to show how even through one’s intentions might be pure in the beginning, if you’re not careful power can easily corrupt.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Claimed, Storm’s book which is book two in the series is next. It is currently in the editing process, and will be followed by Captivated Book Three which is Jewel’s story.
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Ruthless pirate captain Quinn O’Connor is bent on getting revenge on the creatures who sank his ship and killed his crew. When he claims their leader as his captive, he doesn’t expect the scorching consequences that come with being stranded with her on a mysterious island.
A beautiful sea temptress…
Lorelei, a daughter of Poseidon, is willing to bargain with the dangerous pirate who captured her in order to save the ones she loves. He believes the worst of her and her kind, and when he drags her onto dry land, turning her beautiful tail into a pair of unsteady legs, she’s not sure if she’ll be able to return home—and soon she starts to wonder if she really wants to.
Magic and mayhem bring them together…
With each smoldering kiss, each heated touch, their desire blazes higher. Can they overcome misunderstandings and monstrous enemies seeking to tear them apart? Will a mermaid challenge her fate for the love of a pirate? Will an unforgiving pirate give up his revenge and take on a god to save his mermaid?
Matriarch
![Matriarch by [Adam Wing]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JX-vCpUsL.jpg)
Matriarch by Adam Wing is a tale full of magic and lore. Ayla Merrill lays in her hospital bed and decides to tell her great-grandaughter Cass a story. The story is of the epic adventure of how Ayla met her deceased husband, Ollie Merrill, but this isn’t your typical love story. Ollie Merrill wanders across Turkey in search of something, but he doesn’t know what this something is. Until, of course, he has an exhilarating adventure and comes across a magical being that helps lead him to his destiny. Three wishes, unrequited love, and a magical bracelet create a whirlwind.
Talk about an emotional adventure! Adam Wing has a gift in the art of writing! This story and his writing reminded me of being a young girl and listening to my grandmother tell stories from her childhood. He immerses you into the story immediately. Even in the moments of magic and mythical mayhem, he has a way of making them feel realistic.
The world and character building are five out of five stars, especially for it only being a novella! The way he has Ayla tell the story keeps you captivated while not leaving out any significant details. Most authors struggle to do this in 300 pages, let alone 57!
Wing delves into the topics of fate, destiny, and doom. He discusses them through Ayla and Ollie’s story, showing how they work into the cycle of everyone’s lives. His poetic but comprehensible writing style gives you the ability to delve deeper into the topics while still allowing you to escape into his magical world.
A natural consequence of his exquisite world-building abilities, this book, even in its darkest moments, gives off a feeling of coziness and familiarity. This is in part because of his strong matriarchal character, Ayla. When I was reading this, I would curl up into the corner of my couch and escape into a magical land that I feel like I had been to before.
Adam Wing’s Matriarch is a wild adventure and heart-wrenching tale, with many twists and turns. This story, in particular, reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia in the way it immerses you. Part of me wishes this book was longer, just so I could spend more time within the story’s world!
Pages: 144 | ASIN: B08193V6FG
The Garden and the Glen – Trailer
“You are all different and all perfect, just as you are. Lately, you have become more than that. Now, you reach beyond yourselves, using your differences to help your friends. That is the magic of belonging.”
A tiny blue butterfly is chased out of a yellow garden because she does not blend in.
She flees to the nearby forest glen, where she encounters a colorful band of woodland creatures-all of them expelled from the garden for the same reason-being different. The glen provides safety, friendship, and acceptance. However, it’s the garden that holds the blue butterfly’s true destiny.
A Queen, a mystical potion, and the fate of their natural world hang in the balance. The blue butterfly, and what makes her different, holds the key.
The Garden and the Glen is about the magic that finds us when we’re brave enough to be our unique selves.
Caught (Sea Temptress Series Book 1)
![Caught (Sea Temptress Series Book 1) by [Kimberley Cale]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41oHgtYIWJL.jpg)
Caught (Sea Temptress Series Book One) by Kimberley Cale is a fantasy romance story about a pirate captain seeking revenge against the mermaid he captures. Quinn O’Connor believes that Lorelei is responsible for sinking his ship The Mayhem and killing his crew, and he intends to make her pay. He refuses to listen when Lorelei tries to explain what happened. Though she is desperate to escape an arranged marriage to the sadistic brother of sirens, Lorelei’s sister will be forced to take her place if she does not return home. When Lorelei and Quinn end up stranded together on a deserted island, will she be able to find a way to save herself and her sister?
The author has an enjoyable and engaging writing style and the story kept my interest. Lorelei and Quinn start out as enemies, but feelings between them quickly grow. I liked Lorelei’s character throughout the entire story, and I enjoyed reading the interactions between her and her sisters, Jewel and Storm. The twist at the end of the book, that allowed Quinn and Lorelei to be together, was not what I was expecting, and I liked that this part was not predictable despite some familiar beings from myths and fantasy. I liked the inclusion of the mythological elements that were woven into the story. There were many humorous parts of this book, which caused me to laugh out loud more than once, and I enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
I didn’t like that the book started in one place in the story and then went backward to show the reader the “beginning” of the story. I prefer when books start at the beginning of the story, and in this case, it felt as though the out of order timeline hindered the forward momentum of the story.
There were some troubling aspects of the interactions between Quinn and Lorelei at the beginning when he used his superior strength against her to try to push for physical intimacy while he was holding her captive. Despite his justifications and the agreement they come to, it brings up questions about whether Lorelei is actually “willing” or not. Quinn redeems himself later in the book, and I was glad that the story ended happily for both Lorelei and Quinn.
I’m looking forward to the next story in the series about one of Lorelei’s sisters. Caught is an exciting adventure novel that will delight fantasy fans who would like to see a new layer added to the mermaid mythology.
Pages: 155 | ASIN: B08D7T8YSK
The Garden And The Glen
Elizabeth Moseley’s The Garden and the Glen is a delightful fable with a timeless feel. The story, which follows a blue butterfly exiled from her home for being different, is simple yet poignant. With the help of her charming woodland friends, who take her in with gracious, open arms, blue butterfly finds the strength to overcome the tyranny of the bossy butterfly and once again turn the forest into a safe haven for all to inhabit without fear of discrimination.
The book is divided into sixteen chapters, including the epilogue. Each chapter is bite-sized and easily digestible by younger readers, while still remaining enjoyable and engaging to older readers. The delivery of this fantastic story is similar in style to Aesop’s Fables.
Maggie Green, the illustrator, does a superb job at capturing the idyllic imagery of the garden and the glen. Her use of soft pastel watercolors throughout makes both the woodland creatures and the scenery of their home appear magical and precious. The illustrations also help the reader follow along with the dialogue and happenings of the story.
The content is just as welcome in an elementary school classroom as it is to a contemporary adult audience. The author’s ageless message about the value of embracing our own differences, as well as the uniqueness of those around us, is particularly relevant at this current juncture of 2020. This is a read I would gladly pick up over and over again when I feel that I need the inspiration it provides.
Ever Alice
![Ever Alice by [H.J. Ramsay]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41DWWiHhm9L.jpg)
H.J Ramsay’s reinvention of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland is as beautiful as it is eerie. Her book, Ever Alice delves deeper into what Wonderland truly is. Through the eyes of both Alice and Rosamund, the Queen of Hearts, she gives two perspectives of a powerful tale. In many ways, Ever Alice reads like a sequel to the original Lewis Carrol classic.
While this book starts with Alice trying to recover from her first Wonderland visit and trying to fit in to her family, it ends with her finally finding her place. Throughout the story, she continues to follow and look up to the White Rabbit in the pursuit of her true destiny. On the other hand, the Queen of Hearts continues with her fits of paranoid rage which unexpectedly lead her down a path to more destruction than she had ever imagined.
Ever Alice is undeniably creative, but I felt that the first part of the novel wasn’t as eventful and compelling as the rest of the novel certainly is. However, the author more than makes up for this. It almost feels like this transition marks a quick-paced race to the biggest plot twists of all time. Even with this I still felt like the first few pages captured the original feel of Wonderland and how things are just a bit absurd.
The ending of this book leaves you with as many questions as it does answers. In some ways, it makes you think deeper about what Lewis Carroll was trying to convey in the original classic.
In this book, we get to interact with many beloved characters but some of them have been written in different and unexpected ways. For instance, our beloved Mad Hatter is no longer close to Alice in any way; sad in my opinion, but I see how the author uses such unexpected occurrences to give the story more depth .
The running theme of this book is family and the need to belong. It is a book for the misfits and the characters are a representation of this. Ultimately, it is evident that the plot of this book was extremely thought out and meticulously planned. I also love the whimsical writing style used by H.J. Ramsay. A wonderful continuation of a literary classic that adds a unique layer to a much beloved fantasy story.
Pages: 351 | ASIN: B07TNHCZG8
Voyage Of Pearl Of The Seas
![Voyage of Pearl of the Seas by [Ruth Finnegan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VoESZS1VL.jpg)
Voyage of Pearl of the Seas is an enchanting novel about two characters, Kate and Chris. The plot of this fantastic novel follows these two endearing character’s who travel on a ship that they built for an exciting adventure. On this adventure, they learn make sacrifices, gain wisdom, and develop a deep bond between them. This novel is a prequel to Ruth Finnegan’s award-winning Black Inked Pearl, however it was made after and the former and explores different themes and ideas. Voyage of Pearl of the Seas is a short novel but it still explores deep issues that we can all relate to.
Ruth Finnegan has created a unique novel with Voyage of Pearl of the Seas. The story excels above others in many aspects. It is written in a style reminiscent to that of poetry than a standard novel which is beautifully eloquent in most areas.
I enjoyed following Kate and Chris, and their dog, on a wondrous adventure. Both Kate and Chris are well thought-out characters, but the real beauty is in how they evolve throughout the story. We get a sense of who they are and why certain actions were taken, though they are kids and sometimes children’s actions, to adults, can be frustrating. The themes this novel explores are deep and sometimes dark, like abuse and abandonment. While not exploring both to the same degree, Voyage of Pearl of the Seas may not be as robust in the themes of abuse but it succeeds in themes of abandonment. Finnegan explores abandonment expertly and I, as a reader, felt that this was where the novel was at its best. It skillfully displays a person’s feelings of despair and anxiety when they have been left behind by everyone they love. This is something everyone has gone through yet only few novels can portray effectively.
Ruth Finnegan has undoubtedly created a beautiful story and where it succeeds, it excels greatly. Voyage of Pearl of the Seas is an intriguing YA fantasy adventure story.
Pages: 134 | ASIN: B079GPQMG1
The Court Of Outcasts
In her latest book, Allison Rose takes us through a roller-coaster of emotions finalizing in a hopeful yet uncertain ending. The Court of Outcasts is a contemporary fantasy novel filled with treachery, betrayal, and a twist of unexpected loyalty. While it begins with the main characters; Nola and Kelty, trying to adjust to their new normal, they are yet to realize how much weirder things could get.
With the introduction of a new foe, everything goes haywire as old enemies become new friends in the pursuit of a common good. Nola, though she looks like an ordinary teenager realizes that she is far from it. Torn between her mundane high school existence and the allure of the mystical faerie world, she embarks on a journey that will eventually force her to choose one of the worlds.
On the other hand, Kelty faces trials of her own. Battling with the uncertainties of her love life and the painful reality that she may never go back home, she has to make difficult decisions about who to trust amid chaos.
While the book does inspire a sense of awe and curiosity, it can be a little hard to follow if you haven’t read the previous book. For instance, the use of mystical language like ara can take a while to wrap your head around. However, the author goes through great lengths to explain foreign concepts in simple terms. She uses a lot of descriptive language to not only explain the woodsy setting of the book but also the emotional and psychological states of the characters.
This book gives you a clear description of both the physical and personality traits of each of the characters. The story begins with gentle explanations and hints about things to come. Yet, little can prepare you for the great plot twists ahead. The story seems to intensify from page to page until it reaches a breathtaking climax. As a reader, I am yet to get the resolution I need and have ended up with great fantasies about what is to happen next.
This is a great motivation to read the sequel if there will be one. Allison has done a phenomenal job in capturing the emotions between characters and tension in scenes, although more could be done in developing the story of supporting characters like Sayra and Lark. Another aspect that is yet to be fully explored is the romance between Nola and her love interest.
However, I do appreciate that the author could be saving this for the next book. Apart from what is on the surface, there are serious and compelling themes that subtly color the narrative. The ones that truly stand out are the importance of family and sense of belonging and perseverance through dark times. These are themes that I and many others can relate to, and it kept me devouring pages.
Pages: 246 | ASIN: B0851VPMPX
LITERARY TITAN 