Blog Archives
Bound in Flames
Bound in Flames follows Cleo, a young woman trapped in a brutal life until her long-buried magic erupts in a moment of fear and fury. Her escape pushes her into a violent world shaped by prejudice, power, and ancient conflict, and her path soon crosses with Dex, an orc chieftain who is far more dangerous and far more compelling than she expects. The book blends dark fantasy with intimate character work, vivid trauma, and a slow-burning bond that blossoms amid cruelty, captivity, and war.
I was pulled into Cleo’s pain in a way I didn’t expect. The writing hits hard. The author doesn’t flinch from the ugly parts of Cleo’s life, and that honesty hooked me right away. The scenes of abuse are raw. What kept me going was the spark beneath it all. Cleo’s voice has this stubborn edge that refuses to die, and I found myself rooting for her even in the worst moments. The worldbuilding unfolds through emotion rather than long explanations, and I liked that. It felt natural. It felt lived in. And the moment her magic breaks free felt huge.
The introduction of Dex adds a shift in tone that I didn’t know I needed until it arrived. The banter between them carries a bite. It feels risky and strangely warm at the same time. Dex has this mix of humor, menace, and quiet conviction that drew me in fast. Their chemistry doesn’t rush. It simmers. The writing leans into that slow build, balancing danger with curiosity in a way that made me grin even as the situation around them stayed grim. I liked how the story lets them challenge each other. There is a sense of two people learning their power in a world that wants them crushed. Some moments made me laugh. Some made my chest tighten. The blend felt messy and human and honestly pretty addictive.
I walked away thinking about the bigger ideas running under the story. Power that comes at a cost. Survival in a world built to break you. The strange tenderness that can bloom between two people who have every reason to mistrust each other. The writing doesn’t hide its darkness. It leans right into it. But it also offers hope in these sharp, glowing little shards. I felt that more strongly than I expected. It made the whole experience land with a weight that surprised me.
If you enjoy dark romantic fantasy with emotional depth, brutal stakes, and complicated characters who fight for themselves even when the world tells them not to, this book will hit the spot. Readers who like morally gray heroes, slow-burning tension, trauma-to-power arcs, and a world that feels rich with conflict will get the most out of it. It is intense, bold, and highly recommended.
Pages: 366 | ASIN : B0F16V46X6
Elf Stone of the Neyna
Elf Stone of the Neyna is a character-driven fantasy adventure that follows Yanda Selkeden, a surgeon from the planet Alland who is wrenched away from her life and her young daughter when a mysterious psychic call drags her onto a ship and into captivity. The novel moves from claustrophobic imprisonment on a barren moon to the toxic, war-scarred world of Terlond, where Yanda and a diverse group of other abducted women, each with unusual abilities, must survive the schemes of the mind-controlling mage Kridenit. As Yanda forms bonds, grows her own powers, and eventually encounters the ancient Elves whose fractured Great Stone summoned her, the story blends science fiction settings with classic fantasy motifs, creating a hybrid genre that feels both familiar and new.
Reading this in Yanda’s corner of the universe pulled me in quicker than I expected. The writing has a clean, direct style that makes even the stranger pieces of worldbuilding, mind-speak, stasis flights, toxic moons with domed prisons, easy to settle into. I found myself warming to the rhythm of scenes where the women talk in their cells late at night, learning to trust each other despite trauma and fear. Those chapters felt grounded and human. At the same time, the book isn’t shy about darkness. Kridenit’s manipulation and violation of Yanda is handled with a starkness that made me pause. It’s uncomfortable because it’s meant to be. The author doesn’t sensationalize it, but she doesn’t soften it either, and that honesty shapes the emotional arc of the whole story.
What surprised me most was how the story shifts tone once the Elves enter more fully. When Zamani reveals the true nature of the Stone and Yanda’s connection to it, the narrative opens up. The fantasy elements step forward, the ancient magic, the living forests, the sense of destiny pulling at her life. Those scenes have a gentler color to them, almost like stepping from a metal corridor into filtered green light. I liked that the book didn’t rush to resolve Yanda’s sense of guilt over leaving her daughter or the unease she feels about how her powers are growing. The author gives her space to make mistakes, to wonder, to push back. It makes her feel real in a story full of mind magic and star travel.
I walked away feeling like I’d been given a part of a much larger journey. The book’s blend of science fiction and fantasy, its hybrid genre, will appeal to readers who like character-centered stories with both technology and ancient magic intertwined. If you like your fantasy worlds with a hint of sci-fi grit and emotional stakes that don’t let up, Elf Stone of the Neyna is worth your time.
Pages: 308 | ASIN : B0C1629PRX
Because of His Heart
Because of His Heart tells a twisting story of strained love, private wounds, and the strange ways people hide from themselves. The book moves between Charles Portland, a journalist who stumbles through heartbreak and confusion, and Erica Seames, a doctor whose inner world spills into journals, therapy sessions, and dream-like reflections. Their marriage trembles under jealousy, grief, illness, and the pull of outside influences. Around them swirl detectives, therapists, academics, and a host of observers who add tension and mystery. What begins as a domestic rift grows into a psychological maze that pushes everyone toward breaking points and revelations. The story feels intimate and huge at the same time, like a whisper that somehow shakes the walls.
I felt pulled in by the writing right away. The style is rich, sometimes thick with emotion, sometimes floating in quiet sadness. I caught myself slowing down just to feel the rhythm of a paragraph. At other times, I sped ahead because the tension swelled and I needed to know what someone would say or remember or confess. The voices of the characters shift often, and that creates a strange, almost musical pattern. I enjoyed that. It felt risky and bold. When the book turns inward, especially through Erica’s journal passages, I felt a kind of ache, something tender and unsettling. The language is lush, sometimes a little wild, but it fits the turbulence inside her.
The book probes marriage. It pokes at the pride and fear that sit quietly between two people who love each other but stop speaking honestly. It also wanders into questions about identity, longing, projection, and the blurry line between truth and imagination. Some sections confused me in a way that felt intentional, almost like the author wanted me to experience the disorientation the characters felt. At times, I wished for clearer edges, yet the fog added to the emotional weight. I admired how the book balanced real-world problems with almost mythic undertones. Charles and Erica felt fragile but also alive, and their pain carried a beauty.
I would recommend Because of His Heart to readers who enjoy psychological fiction that digs deep into relationships and the hidden storms beneath daily life. It is perfect for someone who likes character-driven stories that wander through memory, longing, and emotional tension. If you want a straightforward plot, this may feel heavy. If you love getting lost in voices, feelings, and messy human truths, this will be a fantastic book for you.
Pages: 555 | ASIN : B0FS5BF8GD
A Personal Challenge
The Manglers of Carraig centers around a boy fighting to protect his mother and sister and a jeweler known for her grim designs, both living in a world split by wealth and riddled with monsters. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
Believe it or not, the idea came from Brandon Sanderson’s writing course. I was in a bit of a literary slump, so I decided to check out the free creative writing course Brandon Sanderson posted on YouTube. In one of the classes, he asks students to come up with a setting or plot for a horror story. One of the students suggested “economic,” which stumped Sanderson. However, as an economics teacher, I took it as a personal challenge. Not long after, the idea hit me: what if a nation’s currency was not only a medium of exchange but also something people needed to keep the monsters away at night? I immediately took that concept and layered it over Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not—and voilà, my masterpiece was born.
What intrigues you most about the horror genre?
Definitely the characters. All genres need compelling characters, of course, but there is something about horror that requires very human and flawed people. I think this is why Stephen King is so successful. His plots are powerful, but it’s his characters that keep people invested for hundreds and hundreds of pages. To be honest, I would consider The Manglers of Carraig more dark fantasy than horror, but I knew I needed compelling characters if I was going to get readers invested in the setting.
What was your favorite scene in this story?
The scene with the Finger Baron. The chapters set in the Hen House, in general, are some of my best writing. I remember when I finished those chapters, I felt tremendous pride in how they turned out. Normally, I’m nervous after finishing a chapter because I worry the writing wasn’t as clear as it felt while it poured from my fingertips. But I had so much fun writing those chapters that they required almost no revisions in later drafts. The interaction with the Finger Baron was especially fun, and I actually laughed out loud at the madness I had created—or, more accurately, the madness the characters created for themselves, as sometimes happens when they take over the narrative. Hopefully, readers will find the same horror, humor, and suspense that I felt while writing the scene.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I have quite a few books waiting to be discovered on Amazon, but for now, I’m working on a seafaring fantasy with pirate orcs and sea monsters. It’s in the early stages, but I’m happy with where it’s headed and hope to be finished by the end of 2026.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Profound Emotional Bonds
The Third Twin follows an ER nurse who is pulled into a web of corruption and black-market adoptions when she sets out to find her missing twin sister. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for The Third Twin came from my lifelong fascination with human connection—how bonds are formed, broken, and sometimes manipulated. As DrHeatAndHeart, my work has always focused on the space where emotional intelligence meets high-pressure situations, and that lens deeply shaped this story.
Identical twins represent one of the most profound emotional bonds we know. Their connection is often intuitive, unspoken, and deeply rooted in identity. I wanted to explore what happens when that bond is violently severed—and how the absence of someone who is literally part of you can become both a wound and a driving force.
Choosing an ER nurse as the protagonist was intentional. Nurses are trained to read people quickly, to stay calm in chaos, and to lead with empathy even when the stakes are life and death. That made her the perfect heroine—not just for a thriller, but for a romance. As she searches for her missing sister, she’s also forced to confront her own emotional walls, learning that vulnerability can be just as powerful as strength.
The black-market adoption thread allowed me to explore a darker side of connection—how love, legacy, and longing can be exploited when systems become corrupt. But at its core, The Third Twin is still a love story. It’s about trust earned under fire, intimacy forged in danger, and the courage it takes to let someone see you when everything is on the line.
Ultimately, the story asks a question I return to again and again in my work: Can love survive the truth? And sometimes, more importantly, can it heal it?
Is there anything from your own life included in your characters’ traits and dialogue?
When we moved into our first neighborhood in Colorado, my next-door neighbor discovered she was pregnant, with triplets. I had the rare privilege of watching that journey unfold from pregnancy through infancy, witnessing not just the logistics of raising three babies at once, but something far more extraordinary: the invisible bond that connected the babies from the very beginning.
After the triplets were born, I helped often, which allowed me to see firsthand how deeply attuned they were to one another—even in the earliest days. Like all newborns, they fussed at times, and each was cared for individually—fed, changed, held, soothed. But when one baby became inconsolable, something remarkable happened. Simply placing one of the other babies beside them in the crib brought instant calm. No rocking. No singing. Just proximity. As if comfort lived in the shared presence of each other.
We watched their tiny hands reach out, searching, until they found one another. The moment they touched—fingers curling, palms resting—peace followed. It was clear they didn’t just recognize each other; they needed each other. This connection existed beyond sound or sight, rooted in something deeper than ordinary awareness.
As they grew, their communication became even more fascinating. Long before words, they spoke in their own language—soft babbles, rhythmic sounds, gestures, and expressions meant only for each other. Even as they learned to communicate with adults using words, they continued speaking in this private way among themselves, as though translating life into a language only they shared.
What struck me most was their awareness of one another, even when they weren’t in the same room. They seemed to sense when another needed comfort, attention, or closeness—crying, settling, or calming in patterns that defied coincidence. When reunited, their communication resumed effortlessly, as if no separation had occurred at all.
Watching these triplets changed the way I understood sibling bonds—especially those formed before birth. Their connection wasn’t learned; it was remembered. A quiet, powerful communication code that many twins and triplets experience, often dismissed as myth—but I saw it with my own eyes. It’s real. And once you witness it, you never forget it.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing a thriller?
The most challenging aspect of writing a thriller is maintaining relentless tension without sacrificing emotional authenticity. Suspense can’t exist on plot alone—readers may turn the pages for danger, but they stay for the people at the center of it.
For me, the real challenge is ensuring that every twist is earned on an emotional level. As DrHeatAndHeart, my work has always focused on how people think, feel, and communicate under pressure. In a thriller, characters are constantly operating in high-stakes environments, and if their reactions don’t feel psychologically true, the tension collapses. Fear, love, hesitation, and trust must unfold in ways that mirror real human behavior—even when the circumstances are extreme.
There’s also a delicate balance between control and surprise. A thriller requires precise pacing and careful structure, yet it must still feel unpredictable. The hardest moments to write are often the quiet ones—the pauses between danger—because that’s where readers sense what could be lost. Those moments allow space for romance, vulnerability, and connection, which ultimately raise the stakes far more than action alone ever could.
Ultimately, blending thriller and romance means understanding that danger sharpens desire, love intensifies risk, and when both are woven together, the emotional payoff becomes as powerful as the suspense itself.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Yes—readers can absolutely look forward to more work very soon. The Third Twin is part of The Casanova Family Legacy Series, an interconnected collection of romance thrillers that blend danger, devotion, and the enduring power of family.
Two new novels are already in development. The first is When Fire Meets the Snow, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Aspen, Colorado. This story traces the emotional evolution of two people who are both afraid to commit, yet slowly discover a bond strong enough to build a family rooted in trust and love. Readers will also be introduced to Luna, an affectionate, purpose-trained rescue puppy—carefully selected and certified for her intelligence, temperament, and ability to serve—whose journey into becoming a skilled mountain rescue dog mirrors the healing and resilience of the people around her.
The second upcoming novel is The Heiress’s Daughter, which introduces a new heroine while weaving in familiar faces from the Casanova world. She is a classically trained chef who studied in Paris, built her career in Seattle, and then lost everything during the collapse of the restaurant industry in the wake of COVID. Seeking a fresh start, she makes her way to the wide-open beauty of Colorado, where building a career within the Casanova family’s restaurant empire brings opportunity—but also exposes her to betrayal, hidden agendas, and unexpected danger. Her journey is one of reinvention, strength, and love tested under fire.
What excites me most about these stories is the balance—introducing new voices while deepening the emotional legacy of characters readers already know. My goal remains the same with every book: to create stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats, emotionally invested, and believing in love even when the stakes are high.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | TikTok | Amazon
My body guard. My mistake. My obsession.
And now I am pregnant with his twins.
Luca Stone Is a badass protector.
His mission: Protect the billionaire’s daughters
—including me.
Then danger tore through my family.
A kidnapping. Dangerous predators. Crimes we never knew.
His life changed. So did mine.
But touching him one stormy night changed everything for both of us.
Now the man I hated is the only one I can trust.
As the walls come tumbling down around us,
Can love rescue us and make life right again?
Why Was She Moaning?
The Moaning Lisa follows an older married pair of sleuths who land in the middle of a disturbing mystery inside the Gilded Gates assisted living community, where several residents have gone missing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Almost fifteen years ago we published the three Paco and Molly mysteries: Locks and Cream Cheese, Hot Grudge Sunday, and Boston Scream Pie. We had established their ages in their sixties, but now they would be in their eighties—not exactly vigorous protagonists in pursuit of a mystery. Coincidentally, elderly relatives of ours were kicking and screaming over the prospect of moving into a retirement facility. Their reluctance and fears sparked the idea for a setting where Paco and Molly might flourish. One day, just kidding around about the Mona Lisa, one of us happened to say “Moaning Lisa” and it clicked right away. Who was Lisa and why was she moaning? We dove into the plot.
I loved the characters of Paco and Molly; their personalities work well together. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
When we started writing together decades ago, we hadn’t even considered writing mysteries—until we visited Rosemary’s father, Dr. Saul K. Pollack, a prominent psychoanalyst in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That visit set us on a happy new course. Her father, a widower in his seventies, had a housekeeper/gourmet cook named Dorothy. She was sixty-three, with a beach ball figure, waddle walk, taffy-colored curls, and a good-natured, nosy-body personality. She had never gone past the tenth grade, but she was super-smart and keenly observant.
Dorothy also had a unique way of expressing herself. “I have to take my calcium so I don’t get osteoferocious.” During our visit, Rosemary’s father pulled out a piece of paper from his desk drawer and handed it to us: his secret list of Dorothy’s sayings. He thought we could submit it to Reader’s Digest. Back home in Severna Park, Maryland, we studied the list and decided, “Forget Reader’s Digest. Dorothy belongs to us.” We named her Molly. Her frequent witticisms were “malaprops,” but we named them Mollyprops. The concept of malaprops originated with the character Mrs. Malaprop in a 1775 comedy of manners, The Rivals, by Robert B. Sheridan.
When Locks and Cream Cheese, our first in the series, was initially conceived, we envisioned ourselves—our own alter egos—as protagonists Simon and Rachel. But Paco and Molly came across so powerfully in the writing that they soon edged us out.
Paco is modeled after a Barcelona, Spain, police inspector I met socially aboard a U.S. Naval ship docked in that city’s harbor. I was a field engineer for RCA at the time. The short, fit, and vibrant inspector was visiting the ship to practice his English. For an entire evening, the inspector told me one impressive anecdote after another. His bushy eyebrow movements were a “tell” of his current emotions. They moved together and individually, making the man memorable even to this day.
What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story, where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?
The hardest part of writing a mystery story is building and keeping track of the details. After razzle-dazzling readers with twists, turns, and the black art of red herrings—and perhaps a subplot—we need to leave a trail of clues that make sense. It’s a matter of maintaining the readers’ trust. We want them to come back and read our next mystery.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Paco and Molly and what the next mystery they will have to solve is?
Any new Paco and Molly mysteries will sit on the shelf for a time while we pursue our next adventures. Last year we published our first spy novel, Kent and Katcha: Espionage, Spycraft, Romance. It won five stars and an award. We are now working on the sequel, Kauai Spies and Bald-faced Lies. Our fifth short-story collection is also brewing. Who knows if and when our Paco and Molly muse will strike again. Meanwhile, our twenty-one published books are currently displayed at our website, www/magicile.com.
Author Website
Now in their eighties, Paco and Molly have moved into Gilded Gates, an assisted living community in Maryland. They expect their golden years to be blissful. They are dead wrong. Some residents are missing and no one knows what has happened to them.
One suspicious resident is a sleepwalker and claims to have heard mysterious moaning during his night walks, but for the life of him he can’t figure out where the anguished sounds are coming from.
“Inspector Paco” has retired as head of the Black Rain Corners police force. But many residents of Gilded Gates fear they might be next on the list of the missing. They beg Paco to investigate.
Naturally, Molly also pokes her keen nose and shrewd insights into the baffling disappearances.
Riddles of the Ancestors
Riddles of the Ancestors is a mythic fantasy novel rooted in Arthurian legend and spiritual fiction. The story follows Merlin and his sister Ganieda across timelines, from a magical Foretime to modern-day London, as they protect the secrets of the Round Table and work to activate an ancient star-coded template called Logres. Along the way, druids, goddesses, healers, and everyday people are drawn into a larger unfolding meant to heal the Earth and usher in a new age of balance.
This book felt less like racing through a plot and more like being invited into a long, winding conversation with myth itself. Sullivan’s writing moves gently, often lingering on gardens, sacred landscapes, and quiet moments of recognition between characters. I found myself slowing down as I read. The author seems less interested in suspense than in atmosphere and meaning. At times, the story reads like a modern-day fairy tale layered with Celtic lore, astrology, and goddess wisdom. If you enjoy mythic fantasy that feels devotional rather than dramatic, this book leans into that space.
What stood out most to me was Sullivan’s choice to center Ganieda and other feminine figures alongside Merlin. The emphasis on healing, collaboration, and remembrance gives the book a softer pulse than traditional Arthurian retellings. Some scenes feel almost ceremonial, like stepping into a candlelit room where symbols matter as much as actions. Occasionally, I wished for sharper tension or more restraint with exposition, especially when spiritual concepts were explained directly rather than shown. Still, there is sincerity here. The book believes deeply in what it is saying, and that conviction carries it forward.
Riddles of the Ancestors will resonate most with readers who enjoy mythic fantasy, spiritual fiction, and reimagined Arthurian legends infused with goddess traditions and New Age themes. It is for readers who like to wander, reflect, and sit with big ideas about time, memory, and the living Earth. If you enjoy stories that feel like modern myths meant to be felt as much as understood, this book is worth your time.
Pages: 375 | ASIN : B0FW9G2ZVN
LITERARY TITAN 