Blog Archives
A Tribute to my Mother
The Secretary follows a British woman working for M16 who goes undercover in the British embassy in Moscow, where she starts an affair with a journalist also undercover while searching for a possible traitor. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Lois Vale is a fictionalised version of my late mother, Joy, and I wrote the novel as a tribute to her. My parents met in Moscow at the height of the Cold War, and my sister and I grew up with tales of their romance tailed by the KGB and how they would dig listening devices out of apartment walls. Her 1958 diary was a wonderful find; it was clear she had deliberately left it for us. In her 80s, she had finally admitted to me that she had worked for MI6, though I had long had my suspicions. The diary made sense of the stories she had shared and put them in context. She actually did have a German journalist boyfriend for a while in Moscow, and always spoke fondly of him. I based the structure of the novel broadly on events in the diary, from her initial train journey from Helsinki to Moscow on the night express, to her trips to Vienna and the Black Sea. Though the spy story in the novel is complete fiction, it is rooted in contemporaneous historical fact.
The characters in The Secretary are very complex. What is your process for creating such in-depth characters?
I tried to be as truthful as possible. I always had a lovely relationship with my mother and as I grew up we became close friends and confidantes. I knew, admired – wished I had – her qualities. Writing her character was a question of doing her justice. She was interesting to be with, always elegantly self-effacing and calm, with flashes of sharp humour, and conversations with her were memorable. I drew on years of remembered conversations to build the characters around her; though almost all of them are entirely imaginary, some spring from her observations of people she mixed with in Moscow and subsequently in embassies across the world, and others come from my own reading, fiction and non-fiction, about that era.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The unsung and underestimated role of women in intelligence in the 1950s is a crucial aspect of the novel. Also the question of loyalty and betrayal: how loyalty may not be reciprocated, and how there might even be a moral component of betrayal.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I’m working on the third novel in the fun French cozy mystery series I write with my husband Rob under the name Serena Kent. Death in Provence and Death in Avignon came out in 2018 and 2019, so this next episode has been a long time coming, interrupted by my determination to bring The Secretary to fruition. After all the delays, I don’t dare promise imminent publication!
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A tense Cold War spy story told from the perspective of a bright, young, working-class woman recruited to MI6 at a time when men were in charge of making history and women were expendable.
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Secrets is a high-stakes political thriller that drops readers straight into a near-future America fractured by extremism and secession. Centered around Annie Price, an investigative journalist still healing from a past ambush, the story unpacks the creation of a new state called Westcarolina—a theocratic breakaway backed by religious fanatics, corrupt politicians, and shadowy powerbrokers. As Annie chases leads through bombings, government secrets, and personal betrayals, the book balances political commentary with the pulse of a fast-paced mystery.
Let me just say it up front: I devoured this book. The writing has that brisk, no-nonsense cadence you want in a thriller—nothing bloated or overly poetic. Every sentence moves the story forward. Nancy Stancill doesn’t waste time. Her protagonist Annie is sharp without being snarky, tough without being cartoonish. And while the plot careens through explosions, shady politicians, and mounting paranoia, it never forgets the emotional toll all this takes. Annie’s moments of doubt and trauma hit hard. You don’t just watch her chase a story—you feel the cost.
Some characters lean toward caricature, especially the villains. Reverend Kingston Avery, the zealot who builds a “Christian state,” reads at times like a mashup of every televangelist villain trope. That said, his hypocrisy and ambition feel eerily relevant. What really surprised me, though, was how layered the story becomes—especially in the way it weaves Annie’s personal entanglements with broader questions about truth, faith, and power. The romantic subplot adds tension without slowing things down, and there’s this subtle ache in Annie’s longing for normalcy that sneaks up on you.
Deadly Secrets feels like a warning disguised as entertainment. It’s a propulsive, emotionally grounded novel that juggles political fiction, crime drama, and character study without dropping the ball. I’d recommend it to fans of investigative thrillers, political dramas, and anyone who likes their mysteries with a bite of real-world grit. If you’ve ever wondered how close fiction can creep to reality, this one might leave you a little uneasy, in all the right ways.
Pages: 240 | ASIN : B0DHWFSXF4
A Layer of Supernatural Dread
The Tribune follows a struggling American PhD candidate who receives a mysterious phone call, sending him off to Romania on a journey into the Carpathian wilderness in search of a long-lost Roman eagle standard—an artifact tied to one of history’s forgotten battles. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for The Tribune came years ago when I discovered that a series of Roman Army battles had taken place in the southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania, and that historians are divided on exactly what happened. Roman history is fairly exhaustively documented, so learning that an entire legion may have been lost in what is still considered the last great wilderness of Europe seemed like the perfect opportunity. I could capitalize on what we know happened and take artistic license on the rest. The Carpathians also seem to resonate an aura of mystery, at least in American pop culture, and that can probably be attributed mostly to Bram Stoker. But that aura of mystery was the perfect backdrop to take a familiar, historical institution like the Roman Army and weave in a layer of supernatural dread.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
The most interesting thing about the human condition is our fallibility and our inherent, daily struggle against it. Great fiction is relatable because it tells the story of how we all miss the mark, something we all recognize. This isn’t necessarily a negative view because the heart of great fiction is articulating the struggle.
Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
Roman historical fiction, particularly Roman Army fiction, is a fairly popular subgenre, so I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of stories I could find combining the topic with supernatural horror. For certain, I’m not the only author in this very specific subset, but it did give me a boost of confidence to take the subject and run with it.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am working on the sequel to The Tribune, and hope to have it available in early 2026.
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Gabri Is The Inspiration
Sanctum launches the Dragon Guild series with a powerful blend of Indigenous lore, futuristic tech, and raw emotional stakes as a Cherokee teen battles her destiny to reclaim her identity and save the world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Although a latecomer in a previous series, Gabri had been a key character. I had introduced her as a baby in the final book, and when the story ended, she insisted her story had only begun. The Dragon Guild series is her story, and Gabri is the inspiration.
In Sanctum, the story quickly moves from a familiar scene born in an earlier book to a whole new world with a host of challenges my character must face.
Since reading Anne McAffery’s Dragonriders of Pern many years ago, I have been fascinated with intelligent dragons who form bonds with humans. Sentient, mobile plants, the Aracai, came to me in visions and had a strong role to play. As the scenes unfolded, new scenarios came up, drawing me deeper into Gabri’s world and the people, dragons, Aracai, and evil creatures inhabiting it.
Gabri is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
As a teen, Gabri takes her extraordinary powers for granted. She deeply loves her family and Donny, her self-proclaimed, older protector. She’s easily annoyed and has no qualms about using her abilities to get her way, but she isn’t mean. When she loses everything, all she has left are her core values. I wanted her to be relatable, with an ingrained respect for the Creator and for her parents’ beliefs and ideals. Throughout the story, she makes them her own while adding to them.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I believe obstacles to interacting with people and cultures different from our own can be overcome. We all face challenges like neediness, fear, danger, and difficult relationships. What does it mean to bond with others through love, kindness, and understanding? How should we react to evil? Those themes weave through Gabri’s story organically. They may not come to mind, but through the characters, the reader will experience them.
How did you approach blending Indigenous spirituality with sci-fi elements like aliens and frequency manipulation?
Research has taken me down rabbit holes leading to amazing discoveries. I learned everything–color, sound, motion, objects–has its own frequency. Every object in the universe, Earth included, produces its unique sound. I’ve always believed aliens have interacted with Earth for millennia, leaving plenty of evidence. And I believe in God, my Creator, and in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Indigenous people have their own deeply held beliefs, many of which are not at odds with mine. The Creator is infinitely creative, and nothing exists without him. We couldn’t imagine it if it weren’t already in existence somewhere. For me, it’s only logical that aliens exist, science is the discovery of what is already true, and God has made it all.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
When a nightmarish vision rips Gabri O’Connell from her home and family, she wakes up powerless in a freezing tower on a hostile planet.
Saved by a dragon and brought to Sanctum inside the planet, her rescuers don’t want her there.
Will a baby dragon be the key to her survival? Will Gabri ever see her family again?
Get your copy of SANCTUM today.
TEEN-YA FANTASY ADVENTURE
Until The Rescue Ship Arrives
Until the Rescue Ship Arrives is a surprising and slow-burning science fiction tale set in a dystopian near-future Earth where trust, compassion, and personal conviction quietly battle the weight of authoritarian oppression. It begins with a washed-up alien, half-drowned on an Oregon beach, and a retired priest, Father Hughes, whose intuition tells him to protect the mysterious visitor rather than hand her over to the authorities. As the story unfolds, a gentle but profound exploration of humanity’s best and worst qualities emerges—not through epic battles or flashy technology, but through whispered conversations, weary choices, and quiet heroism.
What caught me off guard was the elegance and intimacy of the writing. The prose is deeply thoughtful without being pretentious. In the first chapter, the simple rhythm of Father Hughes walking the misty beach with his dog Buster is almost meditative. When he stumbles upon the alien girl, the moment isn’t dramatic in a Hollywood sense—it’s hushed, almost sacred. The author draws this scene out just enough to let the emotional weight sink in. His decision not to call the authorities, guided by nothing more than a “little voice,” was a turning point. It said everything about the kind of story this was going to be—about character over plot, trust over fear.
What I admired most was how the book takes time to earn your emotional investment. It lets you sit with discomfort, with silence, with uncertainty. When Father Hughes debates whether helping this alien being is the right thing to do, knowing the risks not just to himself, but to others, it felt incredibly grounded. His conversations with Mother Catherine and Doctor Griffith aren’t expositional info dumps; they feel real. These are people with doubts and weariness and love for each other, pushed into a situation that none of them were prepared for. There’s a moment when Sister Clare chooses a name for the alien—”Laura”—that brought me to tears, not because it was grand, but because it was so heartbreakingly human.
It occasionally leans heavily into exposition, particularly during the sections that explain the alien civilization or the tunneling technology. While interesting, these parts slow the story’s pace. I found myself much more invested in the scenes grounded in human connection, like the moment when Laura listens to the nuns singing in the chapel, or when she asks about truth and kindness. Those scenes carried more weight than any sci-fi explanation ever could. The latter chapters involving the alien couple’s escape and internal monologues about their society were beautifully written, but I wished they had been more tightly integrated with the human narrative.
Until the Rescue Ship Arrives isn’t about aliens, or dystopias, or resistance movements. It’s about the quiet decision to care for someone who is different. It’s about the fragile but powerful ways humans choose grace over fear. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves thoughtful, character-driven stories with a moral spine. Fans of The Man Who Fell to Earth or The Left Hand of Darkness will find a kindred spirit here. If you’re tired of noisy, effects-laden science fiction and want something that feels like a whispered prayer against a storm, this book might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Pages: 270 | ASIN : B0DHV72FWH
86 The Chef
Adam K. Watson’s 86 The Chef is a razor-sharp and soul-searching novel that follows Trey Chapman, a celebrity chef whose once-brilliant culinary empire is now cracking under the weight of ambition, exhaustion, and emotional disconnection. The book paints a vivid picture of the entire Chapman family, all tangled up in the food world. From Trey’s aging critic brother Jackson to the elusive fixer Joey, each with their own dreams, demons, and disappointments. Through a swirling cast of chefs, critics, smugglers, and hustlers, the story unpacks the tension between art and commerce, legacy and identity, all wrapped in the steamy and cutthroat chaos of the restaurant scene.
I loved how real this story felt. The writing is cinematic, funny, and biting. There’s this effortless flow to Watson’s sentences, some clipped, others lush, that mimics the chaos of a kitchen and the pacing of an exhausted heart. The characters are layered and messy, especially Trey, who is both brilliant and broken. Watching him claw his way through ego, fatigue, and physical pain was gut-wrenching but deeply compelling. I could feel the weight of his fame pulling him apart. And yet, the story never becomes a pity parade. It’s sharp, darkly funny, and full of those little observations that make you pause, laugh, or wince.
What really hooked me wasn’t the food, the fame, or the drama, it was the grief. Not loud, tear-soaked grief, but the quiet, creeping kind that sneaks in when success costs you yourself. Trey is a man haunted by what he’s lost, time, purpose, connection, and that quiet sadness echoes through every chapter. Watson’s ability to explore that without spelling it out or dragging it into melodrama is fantastic. The supporting characters, like Jackson and Erica, aren’t just props, they have their own bruises, their own bitterness, and it makes the world feel lived-in and raw. The whole book is a balancing act between fire and finesse, and it sticks the landing.
I’d recommend 86 The Chef to anyone who loves stories about ambition and the emotional collateral it leaves behind. Foodies will be thrilled by the behind-the-scenes grit of the industry, but it’s not just for chefs or food lovers. It’s for anyone who’s chased a dream and realized too late they were running from something else. This is a book about burnout, brilliance, and the blurry line between building an empire and losing your soul.
Pages: 285 | ASIN : B0F549F1RN
Bloodbound: Extreme Temperatures
Extreme Temperatures is a gritty and emotionally-charged supernatural novel that dives deep into the tumultuous life of Hunter, a vampire with a demon’s blood and a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas. The story kicks off in a raucous biker bar, where Hunter’s thirst for blood, for identity, for understanding sets off a chain of events that unravel his past and ignite his inner turmoil. Alongside complex allies and lovers like Gibson and Kai, Hunter battles not just external enemies, but the firestorm erupting inside him as he begins to literally burn with the onset of his demon puberty. The narrative explores themes of identity, betrayal, found family, and the painful journey toward self-acceptance, with a cast of supernatural beings navigating loyalty and loss in a world that’s as violent as it is emotionally raw.
I enjoyed the writing style. It’s brash, fast, and pulsing with tension. The prose punches through scenes with vivid violence and palpable emotion. There’s blood, there’s sex, there’s fire—sometimes all at once. And somehow, it works. The balance between raw supernatural action and aching vulnerability is impressive. The characters don’t just react to their world; they bleed through it, and the world bleeds right back. Hunter is infuriating and lovable all at once. He’s damaged goods, and you feel every splinter. Even when he lashes out, you get it. You want to scream at him, then hug him, then scream again. And that, to me, is good storytelling.
The story isn’t for the faint of heart. It hits heavy emotional beats—abandonment, identity crisis, the scars of betrayal—and it does so while vampires are biting throats and werewolves are shifting mid-fight. At times, I found myself reeling, not because the plot was confusing (it’s actually paced very well), but because the emotional intensity rarely lets up. The stakes are always high, the emotions raw, the danger close. Still, the underlying themes hit home: what does it mean to be yourself when your origins are ripped away? How do you forgive someone who shattered you without meaning to? And how do you keep from burning the world down when you’re on fire inside?
Extreme Temperatures is a wild and heartfelt ride. It’s angry, it’s tender, it’s fierce, and it’s not interested in sugarcoating the path to healing. This is a book for readers who like their vampires with more bite than brooding, who crave supernatural drama that digs into the heart as much as it tears through flesh. If you enjoy character-driven stories where the monsters are just as broken as the humans they once were, this one’s for you.
Pages: 240 | ASIN : B0DZYQX31N
D.O.L Light Running Part 1
D.O.L: Light Running, Part 1 plunges the reader into a high-octane, emotionally-charged dystopian military drama that follows Lilly Lamberton—a fiery, sharp-tongued heroine entangled in government secrets, paramilitary organizations, and her own haunted past. The narrative starts in explosive fashion and rarely lets up, blending raw action with psychological depth. From secret missions and violent ambushes to quiet reflections on loss and identity, this book is both a survival story and a deeply personal coming-of-age saga, set in a world cracking at the seams.
Jason Logan Maxwell writes like he’s trying to outpace a storm—fast, punchy, and relentless. The dialogue is witty, often hilarious, and refreshingly grounded. Characters feel alive because they’re flawed, they fight dirty, and they bleed. The pacing is intense, almost breathless at times, and while that energy keeps the story charging forward, it does leave some emotional moments a bit rushed. Still, when the book slows down, it doesn’t lose power—it hits harder. The flashbacks, the trauma, the tenderness buried under tough exteriors—they all ring painfully true. There’s something raw and human beneath the sci-fi military veneer, and it pulled me in more than I expected.
The book doesn’t shy away from the gritty or the grotesque. Some of the backstory, especially the POW sequences, are harrowing, borderline horrific. But it wasn’t gore for gore’s sake. It served a purpose. It gave weight to the trauma these characters carry. And Lilly—god, Lilly. She’s tough, smart, impulsive, and deeply broken. Watching her navigate betrayals, boot camp, and blackmail was riveting. She’s someone I rooted for fiercely, even when she messed up. She doesn’t ask for your sympathy—she earns it. The book also isn’t afraid to call out military systems, toxic leadership, and blind patriotism. It’s bold in the best way.
Light Running isn’t just an action novel, it’s a gut-punch of a character study dressed in tactical gear. It’s perfect for readers who like their stories gritty, their characters layered, and their themes heavy. If you enjoy works like The Hunger Games or Codename Villanelle but crave a sharper edge and darker truths, this book is for you. Be warned: it’s a wild ride with sharp turns. But if you can hang on, it’s worth every second.
Pages: 194 | ASIN : B0DN85DM2K
LITERARY TITAN 