Blog Archives
You Are Not Broken
The Split gives voice to women who have faced pain, loss, the dissolution of their marriages, and challenges of long-held beliefs. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book wanted to be written. Another collaborative book was not in my plans and yet, the idea came to me in a moment of frustration as I heard yet another person reference families of divorce as ‘broken’. I pushed it off and the idea wouldn’t let go, so I knew it needed to be shared. The women I know that have gone through divorce are not ‘broken’ and neither are their families. As we discuss in the book, something is arguable broken before divorce happens. Divorce is the and the answer to a problem where no other solution has worked. Letting women know that the end of a marriage or relationship is not the end of the story, simply the end of a chapter is extremely empowering. Having gone through divorce mostly alone, I know the power of having a group of women guide you in the process is priceless.
With so many authors involved in the making of The Split, I would imagine the collaboration process was complex. Can you share with us a little about the writing process?
Surprisingly, it was more difficult getting women to join the book than it was to have them write! So many women that were interested in writing self selected out before the process really began. To choose to share a story, especially one as raw as divorce, one has to be ready to share. You want to share what you’ve learned along the way and if you’re not quite there yet, the story simply won’t come. Being ready was the most challenging part. Once the women said they were in, the writing happened and the deadlines were (mostly) met without much fuss. The Split is now a beacon in the dark for those that need it.
Did you learn anything about yourself while putting this book together?
I learned the seeds of my divorce (and so many others) were planted long before marriage was even a consideration. From a young age, our families of origin and society share a particular message of happiness, without providing a lot of room for curiosity. I realized that when I began to become seriously curious about my life and the future I wanted, I found out the story I had been told I wanted isn’t what I actually wanted.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from The Split?
I hope the readers understand that the idea of divorce is not one they need to explore alone. It can be a tough journey and I hope this book provides a guiding light and the authors in it become a part of the readers’ support system. I hope they connect with the authors that resonate with them the most and continue their healing journey.
Did you hear? They’re getting divorced.
We have a broken family.
We’ve all heard these phrases whispered in hushed tones—words laced with judgment, pity, or shame. But what if they’re wrong?
The Split: Tales of Family Renewal and Female Resiliencechallenges the narrative that divorce equals failure. These powerful, deeply personal stories reveal that splitting isn’t the breaking point—it’s the breakthrough. In these pages, women share how they reclaimed their voices, rebuilt their lives, and redefined what family, love, and strength can look like after endings that became beginnings.
This anthology dismantles generations of stigma around divorce and womanhood, replacing it with a message of renewal, courage, and collective healing. These are not broken women. They are bold, audacious, and resilient—choosing themselves, their peace, and a new path forward. Splitting isn’t the end; it’s a rebirth.
Contributors: Brandee Melcher, Dr. Katherine Humphreys, Carol Britton, Lesley Goth, PsyD, Carolina Cifuentes, Sierra Melcher, Christen E. Bryce, MS RN, Allison Banegas, Dr. Erica Anne Love, Summer Jean, LaToya Burdiss, and Jen Kennedy, MPA
Simple Intentional Acts
Sacred Celebrations is a warm and soulful guide to help readers who want to deepen their emotional and spiritual life by marking life’s transitions with intention and love. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As more people identify as “spiritual but not religious,” there’s a real need for a guidebook that can be returned to again and again when big life events arise. I’ve heard from readers who’ve used Sacred Celebrations to plan weddings, funerals, menopause parties, divorce parties, and other intimate gatherings. When they write to share their stories, I often find myself saying “YES!” out loud at my computer—usually startling my cat! It thrills me not only that the message resonates, but that readers are putting it into practice. The world needs more rituals, and one by one, readers are helping bring that vision to life.
We are craving connection and community more than ever. In our fractured world, it’s essential that we find our way back to one another—and rituals help us do that. They ground us, center us in the present moment, and invite us to truly witness one another during life’s milestone moments, whether they are filled with joy, grief, or often both at the same time.
Creating a new ritual or celebration can be overwhelming when someone already feels the need to slow down. What is a good starting point to help someone ease into this new way of thinking and create something meaningful for their lives without feeling overwhelmed?
Start small. Light a candle and write in your journal. Create a simple altar with photos of your ancestors on a bookshelf. Say a gratitude grace with your family at dinner. Invite a few trusted friends to offer prayers or blessings before surgery. Pick flowers from your garden and give them to a neighbor.
Ritual doesn’t need to involve lots of people, elaborate planning, or money to be meaningful. Simple, intentional acts can be incredibly powerful.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
My miscarriages. I experienced two miscarriages of twins within a 72-hour period. Writing about that time was an important part of my healing journey—though about 75% of what I wrote never made it into the book.
The portion that did remain included two rituals we participated in, one private and one public, that deeply supported us as we moved through profound grief. Rituals have a remarkable ability to help us navigate some of the most devastating experiences of our lives.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Sacred Celebrations?
That there is only one right way to do ritual: your way. This book is not prescriptive; it’s an invitation. An invitation to sense what needs to be honored, celebrated, or remembered, and then to use the tools and ideas I offer to create something meaningful and aligned with you and your community.
You can easily create simple yet memorable rituals that you and your community will remember for years to come!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Sacred Celebrations | Amazon
Do you celebrate the joys, grieve the losses, and embrace the changes inherent in life’s natural cycles and seasons? In today’s fast-paced world, our souls are begging us to slow down—we must heed that call!
By blending her personal experiences, information about multicultural celebrations, and practical how-to steps, Elizabeth Barbour shares uniquely accessible advice for designing rituals. You’ll enjoy new elements to invigorate birthday gatherings and holidays and additionally be inspired by:
A beautiful grief ritual featuring white roses
An infant’s spiritual dedication in a labyrinth
A young girl’s playful and educational first moon party
An artist’s creative and meaningful “starting a new business” ritual
A divorce ritual punctuated by beating the furniture with a tennis racket
Sacred Celebrations is a resource you’ll come back to again and again to help you navigate emotional endings and beginnings with more presence, clarity and confidence.
Believe in Exceptions
In Wooden Dolls Game, readers follow a woman through a lifetime of dysfunction and chaos as she tries to undo past traumas via a set of curious wooden dolls. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
The main idea came from the extraordinary concept of rewinding time in order to fix mistakes from the past. I then combined that idea with several personal inspirations. One of them was meeting two little sisters during an acting course. I also worked at a company where I met a man who was my trainer at that time, and I was fascinated by how optimistic he was about life. The curious thing is that everything seemed to work exactly as he predicted. He became my inspiration for the character of Jhonatan. Finally, the story was also influenced by one of my favorite movies, The Butterfly Effect. During the pandemic, I had the time to work on this story daily, blending all of these elements together.
How did you navigate crafting the tumultuous relationship between Mary Jane and her sister?
When I was a girl, I had the chance to grow up with my stepsister. She was more intrepid, even though we were close in age. As a teenager, she was often getting into trouble, while I was the one who stayed at home. She was my main inspiration for the character of Antonia.
Is there any moral or idea that you hope readers take away from the story?
My premise is that people do not change the behavior they are naturally born with. What people carry deep in their hearts is what it truly is. That said, I do believe in exceptions and even in miracles.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I am not sure how soon, but my next goal is to write a five-book series. The series is called Allies of the Stars. I am just starting this project, and while I already have the general ideas for all five books and their stories, I am still developing each one. As with all my stories, it will be a quotidian story with a touch of fantasy.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In a moment that shapes their lives forever, five-year-old twin sisters Mary Jane and Antonia find themselves embroiled in a rivalry over the simple act of choosing a bedroom in their new home. From that one event, their sisterly bond is broken. As MJ forges a life-long kinship with Olivia, the girl next door, Antonia’s jealousy continues to fester.
Amidst the twists and turns of fate, Mary Jane is presented with a peculiar gift from a local fair—a set of mysterious wooden dolls imbued with magical powers. But as MJ discovers the dolls’ ability to transport her through time, fear leads her to hide them away, burying the magic they hold.
As the years pass and the sisters drift further apart, Antonia’s jealously for Mary Jane deepens. And, as her hatred intensifies for her sister, it sparks a life-changing tragedy, forcing Mary Jane to confront her past and the dormant magic of the forgotten dolls.
But as she seeks to use the power held within the curious toys, can Mary Jane mend the shattered pieces of the past to reshape the future? Or are some destinies bound by forces beyond her control?
Wooden Dolls Game
Wooden Dolls Game, written by Ivonne Hoyos, follows Mary Jane Crowell through a life shaped by family tension, a volatile sister, and a strange set of wooden dolls that lets her rewind time. The story begins with two little girls picking paint colors for their new bedrooms and unfolds into a tale about resentment, trauma, fate, and the high cost of trying to fix what cannot stay fixed. What starts as a simple childhood conflict grows into a sweeping journey through teenhood and adulthood, where Mary Jane desperately tries to undo tragic events using the dolls, and where every attempt triggers new ripples of chaos. It is a story about family wounds that never quite heal and the limits of love when time itself becomes a battleground.
The writing is direct and emotional in a way that sneaks up on you, and I found myself caring a lot about what happened. Scenes between the sisters made my chest tighten. Some moments felt painfully real, like the time Antonia destroys Mary Jane’s room in a wild burst of envy or the school fight that spirals into tragedy. The author captures the feeling of walking on eggshells around someone you love yet fear. I felt myself bracing every time Antonia entered a scene. The pacing moves fast, and sometimes the dialogue feels raw, but honestly, that worked for me because the characters live in a constant state of imbalance. Their world is never calm.
As the story leaned more into the supernatural element of rewinding time, I felt a mix of fascination and frustration, which I think is exactly what the book wanted me to feel. Every attempt to rewrite the past leads Mary Jane deeper into emotional exhaustion. I kept rooting for her and kept dreading what might go wrong next. The idea that fixing one tragedy only opens the door to another stayed with me. It made me think about how people carry their pain and how trying to rearrange life into something perfect can end up breaking everything. Even when the plot went dark, I stayed hooked because the emotional truth behind the events felt honest.
Wooden Dolls Game is a story for readers who enjoy family drama with sharp edges and for anyone who can handle a bit of heartbreak mixed with hope. If you like stories about sisters, trauma, time loops, and choices that echo forever, you’ll enjoy this book. For readers who enjoy a tense and emotional journey, Wooden Dolls Game is more than worth your time.
Pages: 353 | ASIN : B0CDJ8T2NX
The Split
The Split gathers the voices of women who faced the unraveling of marriages, families, identities, and long-held beliefs. Across these stories, the writers look directly at pain, loss, and the complicated paths toward freedom. Instead of treating divorce or separation as a collapse, the book reframes each ending as a turning point where women choose themselves, rebuild their lives, and honor the truth that wholeness can follow even the hardest breaks. By the final pages, the collection stitches together a message that is steady and hopeful. These women are not broken, and they are becoming something stronger.
Reading their words, I felt an ache in my chest more than once. The writing is striking in its honesty, and the stories breathe with real life. Brandee Melcher’s chapter opens with the raw confusion of childhood and grows into a powerful reclaiming of self, and her voice shook me because of how clear and grounded it becomes. Her journey from chaos to confidence made me root for her, and it reminded me how childhood patterns can shadow adulthood until we finally name them. I also found myself lingering on Sierra Melcher’s reflections on choosing peace over performance. Her reminder that children do not need perfect homes, they need healthy adults, resonated with me personally. The stories impact in different ways, but all of them bring a unique emotional punch.
Some chapters hit harder than others, and the shifts in tone from one writer to the next made the book feel unpredictable in a way I genuinely enjoyed. That variety gave the collection its energy. I especially appreciated the moments when the authors stepped back from the trauma and wrote about joy creeping in again. Those small wins felt huge. They made the book less about loss and more about rebuilding something real. At times, I wished a few stories went deeper into the “after” rather than the “during,” but even that unevenness felt honest. Healing rarely moves in a straight line, and the structure of the book mirrors that reality.
The Split would be a meaningful read for anyone standing at the edge of a major life change, especially women navigating separation, divorce, or the quiet breaking points that do not always have names. It would also help friends, partners, and professionals who want to understand what these experiences actually feel like from the inside. The book sits with the hard parts, and it also leaves space for light. I would gladly recommend it to anyone who needs a reminder that endings do not mean failure. They mean a new chapter is ready for you, and you get to decide what it becomes.
Pages: 144 | ASIN : B0G274WVFH
Emotional Truth
Dirty South Haiku sketches a childhood and young life shaped by family legends, Southern landscapes, and the mix of sweetness and grit that sits in so many memories. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
Growing up in the South, I was surrounded by family stories that were passed down almost like folklore, along with landscapes that left a lasting impression. I wanted to capture the sweetness and grit that often sit side by side in Southern life without overexplaining them. These haiku became a way to sketch moments from childhood and young adulthood in brief, distilled scenes. In many ways, the collection serves as a prelude to my upcoming Southern short story collection, where those same themes will be explored in longer narrative form.
What is it about the format of haiku poetry that you enjoy, and why did you choose to tell your story in this format?
A visit to Japan deepened my appreciation for haiku. The form encourages attention—to language, to silence, and to what can be suggested. That approach felt well-suited to memory, which often arrives in flashes rather than complete stories.
How much do real-life events and personal experiences influence your writing?
My writing is strongly influenced by personal experience, but I’m more interested in emotional truth. Real people, places, and moments often serve as a starting point, then evolve through reflection and imagination.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this poetry collection?
The biggest challenge was learning to sit with restraint. I had to accept that some moments would remain unresolved on the page, much like they do in real life. Allowing the haiku to stay open was a challenge, but it felt true to the nature of both the form and the memories themselves.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Website | Amazon
Losing Mom
Losing Mom, by Peggy Ottman, is a memoir about a daughter walking with her mother through the last stretch of her life. The story moves through medical crises, small moments of grace, old family rhythms, and the shifting power dynamic between parent and child. It opens with years of near misses, each one convincing Ottman that maybe her mother would never actually die, and then follows the final days with an honesty that feels both intimate and strangely universal. At its heart, it is about love, caretaking, and the long letting go that comes when a parent fades.
The writing is simple, direct, sometimes almost breathless in the way it tumbles forward. That works for this kind of memoir. The scenes of crisis feel sharp because they are told the way we remember trauma, in fragments and quick flashes. I appreciated how she didn’t try to polish herself into some perfect caretaker. She shows the guilt, the second-guessing, the resentment, the deep tenderness. Her relationship with her sisters adds texture, too. They each carry different responsibilities, and you can feel the family history in every conversation.
What struck me most was the author’s honesty about fear. The fear of losing her mom, yes, but also the fear of doing the wrong thing, of missing a sign, of not being strong enough. Those moments felt very emotional. Some scenes hit hard, like when she speaks nonsense during what might be a stroke. Other moments are quiet, almost gentle, like the nurse patiently washing her mother’s hair. The memoir doesn’t try to turn grief into something tidy. It lets it stay messy and human, which makes it more powerful.
By the end, Losing Mom feels like a long exhale. It doesn’t offer big lessons. Instead, it gives you the feeling of having walked alongside someone through something real. I’d recommend Peggy Ottman‘s story to anyone who gravitates toward memoirs that deal with caregiving, aging parents, and the complicated love that sits underneath family stories. Readers who value emotional honesty over dramatic storytelling will appreciate it most. This is a memoir that keeps you thinking, especially if you’ve ever watched someone you love slowly slip away.
Pages: 300
The Adventures of Belle Bear
The Adventures of Belle Bear tells the story of a cheerful polar bear cub who lives in snowy Mount Bearia with her loving grandmother, Baba Bear. Life is warm and cozy even in the cold. Then everything changes when they must move far away to sunny Calibearia. Belle Bear struggles with loneliness, new faces, and a school where she feels totally out of place. With Baba Bear’s steady encouragement and a magical new orange cape, she slowly finds her courage, makes friends, and discovers that who she is has always been enough.
This picture book captures that weird mix of excitement and fear that comes with starting over. The writing is simple in the best way. It feels comforting. I loved how Baba Bear’s words repeat like a song. It made me smile every time because it reminded me of the kind of thing a real grandma might say. The gentle rhythm of the book pulled me in. I didn’t expect to feel so moved by a polar bear pep talk, but here we are.
Moving, making friends, trying to fit in. It all felt honest. That moment when Belle Bear loses her cape on the journey felt symbolic in a way that surprised me. When the new cape appears as she speaks those affirmations in the mirror, it feels empowering. The story doesn’t pretend that being brave is easy, and I appreciated that. The artwork in the book is bright, friendly, and the characters are full of personality. Every character looks lively and expressive. The colors are soft but cheerful, which gives the whole book a cozy vibe. Each animal has its own charm. The style overall feels playful and comforting, perfect for a children’s book about friendship and courage.
By the end, I felt genuinely happy for Belle Bear. The book wraps everything up with this sweet feeling of hope, and it left me wishing every kid could hear Baba Bear’s nightly reminder. I’d recommend this book for kids who might be moving, starting a new school, or feeling unsure of themselves. Honestly, it’s also lovely for any child who just needs a confidence boost or a comforting story at bedtime. It’s warm. It’s kind. It’s the sort of book that stays with you.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 1966786506
LITERARY TITAN 