Blog Archives
My Secret Hideaway
A Goblin’s Mind the bizarre, the enchanted, and the profoundly unwell—with tea, therapy, and an ironclad refusal to get emotionally involved. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Long short story short, I entered a 3 day novel writing contest, and being a psychology major and fantasy lover, I began to string together some ideas. It was truly my love for the “didn’t see it coming” books and movies that seeded the arc for this one.
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 have a world where all my fantasy stories exist: The Corwyn Chronicles. It’s been my secret hideaway since I was a teenager. With many short stories, novelettes, and the upcoming first book of a four book series coming out this year, the world (and my writing) has grown exponentially.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
Everything about the human condition makes for great fiction. Ideas can come from anything. The well I tapped for this book runs deep: human flaws and our need to label them. Dr. Harlow can, at times, represent the judge, forgetting that even therapists have their flaws. No one is “better” than the next person; we all just have floating opinions we treat as fact.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
A Prologue of Deception is book 1 of 4 in the Talisman Series, set in the same universe as A Goblin’s Mind. It’s scheduled for release by Golden Storyline Books before the end of 2025.
Two stand-alone books are in submissions: a YA paranormal story set in the real world and a hybrid poetry/fantasy collection containing many of my award-winning and published works. Another full-length Corwyn Chronicles novel is being written, expanding the world even further.
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Doctor Harlow is methodical. Composed. A trusted mind in a kingdom full of unstable ones. On a remote island far from the crown, Harlow treats the bizarre, the enchanted, and the profoundly unwell—with tea, therapy, and an ironclad refusal to get emotionally involved.
But when a quiet goblin arrives—haunted by invisible friends and stories that don’t quite add up—something begins to crack.
At first, the sessions seem harmless. Eccentric, even amusing. Then people begin to vanish. Details shift. Memories blur. And the threads that hold reality together begin to fray like cheap spell work.
As the island slips further out of sync, Harlow must confront a terrifying possibility: the patients aren’t the ones unravelling.
She Who Was Severed
The story follows Freya Thorne, a young woman condemned to the Severing, a ritual that strips the unworthy of their very identity. In Selvarra, worth is measured by the beasts you bond with and the divine magic you wield. Freya fails. She’s left unbonded, cast into the margins, and expected to fade away. But instead of vanishing, something older and darker takes root inside her. A chain that awakens when everything else has abandoned her. What unfolds is both survival and defiance as she discovers a hidden path, the Ashen Chain, and begins carving out a destiny no one planned for her.
The prose is sharp, almost like it’s meant to cut, but there’s beauty in that edge. Kaye doesn’t waste words, and the imagery lingers. Blood, ash, chains that breathe. The writing feels alive, dangerous even, and I found myself rereading sentences just to taste them again. Sometimes it was overwhelming, like being dragged under by a tide, but it always felt deliberate, like the author wanted me to breathe with Freya, to choke when she did. There were moments I felt both exhilarated and unsettled, which, honestly, is exactly what I want in a fantasy like this.
As for the characters, they don’t come polished. Freya’s anger, her hunger, her brokenness, they’re messy and raw, and that’s what made me care. Kellen is fire wrapped in restraint, and their dynamic has this slow-burning pull that had me tensing every time they shared a scene. It’s not clean romance; it’s jagged and full of what-ifs. The world itself is merciless, dressed in ceremony and illusion but rotten underneath. That contrast between beauty and brutality made me furious at times. I hated how the system treated the Severed, and yet I loved how the story leaned into that cruelty to show what resistance really looks like.
By the end, I wasn’t just reading a fantasy about chains and beasts. I was sitting with questions about who gets to decide worth, about the violence of erasure, and about the power in refusing to disappear. It’s a dark book, but also strangely hopeful, like a flame in the ash that refuses to go out.
I’d recommend She Who Was Severed to readers who like their fantasy fierce and unflinching, who want characters that bleed and bite instead of saints who smile through suffering. If you liked The Poppy War or Serpent & Dove, you’ll probably love this too. It’s not for those looking for easy escapes, but if you want a story that claws at you and won’t let go, this is it.
Pages: 313 | ASIN : B0FKCM3L3D
Perpetual Limitations
Judetta Whyte’s Perpetual Limitations is a surreal and soul-bearing journey of a disabled young woman named Samira, who transcends her physical impairments to confront the spiritual, emotional, and societal barriers imposed on her. It’s part metaphysical fantasy, part existential commentary, and wholly unflinching in its portrayal of pain, perseverance, and the complicated power of inner faith. What begins as a narrative about personal limitations evolves into a layered confrontation with fate, human cruelty, identity, and spiritual awakening. With the guidance of the Sage and the companionship of Florence, Samira embarks on a quest that is as much about self-discovery as it is about saving humanity from collapse.
Reading this book was a raw and often heavy experience. The writing is lyrical, almost poetic, but it doesn’t cushion the hard truths it reveals. The prose swells with intensity, at times feeling like a storm of thoughts and emotions, messy, furious, tender, and relentless. And I liked that. It didn’t pull punches. Whyte doesn’t tidy up trauma or deliver inspiration in a neat box. She lets it bleed. Samira’s anger and exhaustion hit me hard. Her frustration with society’s labels, her battle with isolation, her eventual reckoning with love and faith, none of it felt sugarcoated. It was uncomfortable in the best way. The kind that forces you to check your own biases and beliefs.
What I really admired, though, was how the story wrestled with spiritual depth without sounding preachy. The Sage’s wisdom felt ancient and real, like it had been carried across lifetimes. Florence’s descent and redemption reminded me that privilege doesn’t protect you from pain, and Samira’s struggle made me feel ashamed for ever calling something “inspiring” without understanding the cost behind that strength. The characters are full of contradictions. Sometimes stubborn, sometimes cruel, but always striving. It made the world feel real, even when the scenes were dreamy or otherworldly.
I’d recommend Perpetual Limitations to readers who don’t shy away from raw emotion, who want something dense with meaning and heart. It’s for those who’ve ever felt invisible, misplaced, or broken. Especially those who’ve carried wounds the world refuses to see.
Pages: 170 | ISBN : 978-1-83794-493-4
Ancestor: The Hooded Hero #1
Ancestor drops you headfirst into the life of Cody Chance, a firefighter-paramedic in the gritty near-future city of Jade. It starts with what feels like a standard emergency call, but quickly escalates into a chaotic, bloody night that leaves Cody haunted by both what he saw and something darker that seems to be following him. A comet burns across the sky like an omen, strange voices whisper from nowhere, and Cody’s grip on reality frays. Between violent calls, moral compromises, and an unshakable sense that something supernatural is at play, the book builds a tense blend of urban fantasy, first responder realism, and psychological suspense.
Ozanich writes with the eye of someone who’s lived it, pulling you into the banter, the gallows humor, and the ugly truths of emergency work. At the same time, the creeping horror threaded through the story kept me off balance. I loved that shift. It’s not just gore for the sake of it. The unease builds slowly, like a shadow you can’t quite catch. The voice of the narrator feels raw and honest, even when the things he’s thinking aren’t noble. That unvarnished humanity made it hit harder.
The violence is vivid and unflinching, and the pace sometimes lingers on procedure in a way that slows the momentum. I found myself caught between being absorbed in the detail and wanting the story to push forward. And Cody, well, he’s not always easy to like. He’s stubborn, sometimes reckless, and definitely flawed, but that’s what makes him real. There’s a claustrophobic quality to the way the night unfolds, which works brilliantly for tension.
I’d recommend Ancestor to readers who like their urban fantasy grounded in real-world grit, especially those who aren’t squeamish about violence or moral ambiguity. If you enjoy character-driven stories where the supernatural seeps in slowly, and you can handle the rough edges of first responder life, this one’s worth the ride. It’s a wild, unsettling, and strangely relatable trip.
Pages: 376 | ASIN : B0FHRQS1JW
The Heart Scarab: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel
The Heart Scarab is a sprawling and layered fantasy tale set in the richly imagined world of the Duchy Wars. The story weaves together the fates of warriors, mystics, and serpents in a landscape scarred by mining, politics, and old tribal magic. Atrium introduces us to Bybiis, Raykiim, Ulaya, and a cast of many others who grapple with serpents both literal and symbolic. At the center are the mysterious serpent pouches, objects of power and danger that drive much of the conflict. The novel is both an adventure and a meditation on power, sacrifice, and what it means to serve something larger than yourself.
The prose is often strange and textured, with voices that shift from tribal chants to raw dialogue. At first, it made me stumble, but then I leaned into it and realized that Atrium wanted me to feel disoriented, just as her characters are when they confront forces beyond their control. I admired the guts it takes to write like that. Some sections flowed like a river, pulling me along without effort. Others were jagged, forcing me to slow down, reread, and sit with the unease. I liked that tension.
I kept coming back to the characters. Bybiis is wounded and stubborn, scarred inside and out, but she burns with an energy that made me root for her even when she drove me crazy. Raykiim had this mix of charm and darkness that made me wonder how much of him was his own and how much came from those serpent pouches he guarded. And Ulaya, chasing her twisted experiments, was chilling in her certainty. What hooked me most was the sense that everyone here carried scars, literal or otherwise, and the story kept asking whether scars make us stronger or just remind us of what we’ve lost. The emotional weight of that question stayed with me.
The Heart Scarab isn’t an easy read, and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. It’s for readers who enjoy being challenged, who like complex worlds with no hand-holding, and who don’t mind wandering through passages that feel more like songs or riddles than straightforward narrative. If you want to be immersed in a world that feels alive, harsh, and unpredictable, with writing that pushes you out of your comfort zone, then The Heart Scarab is worth your time.
Pages: 539 | ASIN : B0FLF6ZHN1
How Magic Operates
Azazel’s Scriptures follows a trio of friends who find themselves entangled in a mystery surrounding dark folklore and demonic beings. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
I read a lot of historical fiction and love history in general, especially English history. When my eldest son, who is a huge fantasy fan, asked me to read one of his favorite books (The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss), I did. And I like it. A lot. I decided to combine the magical elements that initially drew me into this fantasy with my interest in historical fiction to create a unique blend of “realistic fantasy.” The concept for the plot developed gradually. I first imagined three friends sitting around a table, with candles flickering, wine poured, and a fire crackling beside them. Then I named these friends, and with each name, their distinct personalities began to emerge, and with that, their story.
How did you handle balancing the power and use of magic in the story?
I aimed to develop a logical framework for how magic operates, linking it to folklore and history. The enigmatic and wise Druids appeared to be the perfect choice for battling the evil Daegons, who are the foot soldiers of Azazel, a demon from the Bible.
What were some books or movies that you think were your main sources of inspiration for this novel?
I appreciated the medieval vibe from Game of Thrones and aimed to create something similar, but set in the English Tudor period.
What is the next book you are working on, and when can we expect it to be available?
I’m working on a novel set in the 1970s. A young girl who is bullied discovers her ability to enter people’s dreams, using this power to navigate her difficult life.
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In 16th-century England, Newt, a reluctant monk, discovers that a demonic book with a chilling history—Azazel’s Scriptures—has been hidden in his monastery for centuries. Intrigued and terrified, he shares the story with his friends Simon and Hugh. When Hugh decides to publish a version of this incredible tale, it triggers a series of events that lead to the resurfacing of the Daegons—a group of immortal beings who harvest innocent souls to fuel the dark ambition of the demon Azazel. This also draws the attention of a knowledgeable professor and three powerful Druid sisters—Ravenel, Sibyl, and Elswyth—whose ancestors once battled the Daegons and knew their dark ways. After Thomas Bromwell, the Daegon leader, persuades the unsuspecting King Henry to break with the Catholic Church and close the monasteries to search for the scriptures, his men recover the book and resume turning and reaping souls. Now, the three friends, along with the professor and Druid sisters, must unite in a race against time to find the scriptures and stop the Daegons from destroying humanity
The Most Magical of Worlds
The Floating Lake of Dressa Moore follows two university professors who embark on a scientific expedition to a mysterious floating lake where they encounter pirates, cursed crew members, ancient magical sources, and an empire that doesn’t like being questioned. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I always loved the idea of science and magic blending together in a logical way. Jonathan’s drive to understand magic at the most basic level is fascinating to me. I always felt that science would have a place in the most magical of worlds.
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 wanted to write a magical fantasy novel, but have it border on the absurd, but still make some logical sense. What better way to start than a lake floating above the world? As I wrote the novel, I had to remind myself to ground every detail, no matter how nonsensical, in some way that made that detail believable.
In fantasy novels, it’s easy to get carried away with the magical powers characters have. How did you balance the use of supernatural powers?
That’s always difficult. Magical beings can do amazing and wonderful things. No one in Dressa Moore really understands magic. They just know how to cast a few spells here and there, and a lot of the time, they don’t cast them correctly. So, even though lots of characters can cast spells, no one is very good at it. Of course, that might change in future books.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
There are a lot of places to go for sure. There’s Marta’s story, and finding her way back home. Jonathan will continue to research magic, and who knows what he may find. William is on the brink of uncovering forgotten truths that could be both fantastic and cataclysmic, and there’s always Commodore Wilkes and the empire. Now that they are in Dressa Moore, I don’t think they are leaving.
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In an effort to unravel the mysteries of magic, and save their dying relationship, Jonathan Braxton and William Watts Worthwaddle have embarked on a journey to investigate the source of sorcery.
Their pursuit leads them to the skybound lands of Dressa Moore where a magical battle between a wizard and dragon sent the lake soaring into the sky. But the professors are soon entangled in a deadly game of global politics—pawns in a struggle between empires, gods, magi, constables, religious zealots, and anti-zealots.
Hunted from all sides, the professors race to conduct their scientific research. But they soon learn that science alone is no match for mysteries of sorcery and their research just might create a magical tsunami that could destroy the world.
The one question they never considered asking—should magic be researched at all?
Longing, Loss, and Waiting
The Broken Bridge tells the story of two communities united by their faith in the Great Bridge and the intense fear and dread that follows its catastrophic collapse. What was the inspiration that drove the development of the world the characters live in?
The story began with a single image in my mind: a great, living bridge holding two communities together—until it falls. I’ve spent years walking with people through conflict, loss, and reconciliation, and I wanted an allegory that shows both the terror of separation and the costly beauty of restoration. The world of The Broken Bridge is built around that question: when what we’ve trusted collapses, which “bridges” do we run to—and which one can actually bear the weight of our hopes?
I felt this story was very well-written. What’s your experience as a writer?
Thank you. I’ve been writing for over two decades—first Bible studies, devotionals, and discipleship courses through our ministry, and then a number of nonfiction books. Fiction became a natural next step for me because a story reaches the heart in ways instruction alone can’t. The Broken Bridge drew on those years of pastoral ministry and teaching, but it let me weave truth into a narrative that invites readers to feel as well as think.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Unity and division: how easily communities fracture—and what it truly takes to reunite them.
Counterfeit vs. true solutions: many “fixers” promise quick repair; only one path restores the heart.
Sacrificial love: the kind of love that stands in the gap and pays a cost for others.
Pride and humility: the danger of self-reliance and the freedom that comes from surrender.
Hope through suffering: how longing, loss, and waiting can become the doorway to deeper healing.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
Two follow-ups are on the way. The Living Bridge is due out in October 2025—it continues the allegory by exploring how trust is rebuilt and what kind of bridge can truly hold. The trilogy concludes with The Eternal Bridge, scheduled for January 2026, which lifts our eyes to the ultimate reunion and the promise of forever.
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Seven years ago, an earthquake separated Fidel from Verita the day before they were to be married. Now, as they exchange nightly lantern signals—an old watchman’s code Verita learned from her uncle—the churning waters of the Vitae River still separate them, but their light signals speak across the dark divide.
Six builders arrive, each promising to rebuild the bridge. They each represent some aspect of humanity’s attempt to heal what’s broken—through law obedience, knowledge, religion, servitude, charisma, and self-transformation.
When the seventh builder arrives—an ordinary carpenter with extraordinary compassion—everything begins to change. Geshriel speaks of a different kind of restoration, one marked by humility, love, and a mysterious costly sacrifice.
As darkness closes in, will Fidel dare to trust a path that seems weaker than all the others—but somehow feels truer? After seven long years of lantern signals across the raging river, will Fidel and Verita finally be reunited?
This is a story of ache and heartbreak, of longing, of desperate attempts to be reconnected. It speaks of love and loss, of yearning to be reunited.
A story of separation and reunion, sacrifice and redemption—and the bridge that love builds when all else fails.
LITERARY TITAN 