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It Was Aliens
Arkfall follows a man who once stopped an ancient interstellar war with the help of a sentient artifact and is now drawing the wrath of alien beings who see themselves as keepers of the timeline. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from blending real-world mysteries with speculative science. Ancient structures like the Great Pyramid and global myths of “gods descending from the stars” became the perfect springboard to ask: What if those myths weren’t myths at all, but remnants of a forgotten war tied to humanity’s survival? I wanted to merge that sense of hidden history with the tension of hard science fiction—alien technology, cosmic timelines, and the consequences of tampering with forces beyond human comprehension.
When creating Adam Freeman, did you have a plan for development and character traits, or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?
Adam began as a planned paradox: a brilliant scientist grounded in logic and reason, yet carrying alien DNA that ties him to the unknown. His hybrid nature demanded a constant push and pull—between wanting to live an ordinary human life and being forced into extraordinary responsibility. While I outlined his key arcs early, many of his traits—his doubts, flashes of humor, and raw humanity—emerged organically as I wrote. In many ways, Adam surprised me as much as he surprised himself, especially in how he wrestles with the choice between destiny and free will.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
At its core, Arkfall wrestles with themes of identity, choice, and the cost of knowledge. I wanted to explore how humanity might respond when confronted with undeniable proof of ancient alien intervention, and how individuals reconcile personal desires with cosmic-scale responsibility. The tension between science and spirituality runs throughout the story, as does the idea that progress often comes with sacrifice. Most of all, I wanted to ask: What does it truly mean to be human when you are more than human?
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Arkfall is the sequel to The Ark of The First Gods. I look forward to having both novels published in the near future, they are currently with my literary agent who is shopping them with publishers.
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Beast Heart Series: The Wild Shepherdess
Erin Tunney’s Beast Heart Series: The Wild Shepherdess is a dark yet enchanting fantasy that pulled me in from the very first page. The story follows Clara, a girl born under mysterious circumstances during a storm and marked by the blessing of a dragon. Instead of being celebrated, she grows up isolated, treated as cursed by her village and tormented by both common folk and nobles. Her life is shaped by cruelty and loneliness, yet her journey is also marked by strange moments of wonder, be it the comfort of weaving flowers into a crown, or the terrifying beauty of beasts that enter her path. This push and pull between brutality and awe defines the novel, and I found myself deeply drawn into Clara’s fragile, painful, and extraordinary life.
The villagers’ scorn, the vicious taunts of Lady Maroona, and the constant reminder that she doesn’t belong all rang with a rawness that was hard to look away from. At times, I felt genuine anger at the way she was treated, and yet those feelings made the few glimmers of kindness shine even brighter. Her bond with Rue offered fleeting comfort, but even more powerful was her connection to the unicorn Lotus. Their meeting during the sacred ceremony was stunning, described with a ribbon of silver light that felt both magical and dangerous. The scene filled me with hope, only for that hope to be dashed when Clara was cast out in fear and rage. That moment captured the heart of the book for me, the way wonder and cruelty can coexist so tightly.
The writing itself often surprised me. There are stretches of vivid description that made the world feel both grand and terrifying, like the cockatrice battles and the haunting presence of dragons, but also quiet passages that linger on Clara’s inner life. Tunney has a way of drawing out the emotion of a scene without drowning it in detail. I did notice that some of the world-building came across a little heavy at times, especially when the gods and beasts were explained in dialogue, but the emotional depth of Clara’s journey always pulled me back. Her struggle to find strength in the very things that once marked her as cursed felt authentic, even uplifting, without ever straying into sentimentality.
By the time I reached the end, I realized I wasn’t just invested in the story but in Clara herself. She begins as a girl beaten down by cruelty, but she grows into someone who carries her scars with a quiet strength. The final chapters don’t offer easy answers or neat victories, but they left me with a sense of sorrow edged with hope. I closed the book with the feeling that Clara’s story was only beginning, and I wanted to follow her further into the strange, perilous world Tunney has created.
I’d recommend The Wild Shepherdess to anyone who loves fantasy that digs beneath the surface of magic and monsters to explore the loneliness of being an outsider. It’s not a lighthearted tale, but it’s beautiful in its honesty and moving in its quiet moments of wonder. Readers who enjoy character-driven stories that aren’t afraid to show both the cruelty and the grace of the world will find much to admire here.
Pages: 376 | ISBN : 1837943508
Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder
When I first picked up Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder, I thought I was stepping into just another quirky retelling of Alice in Wonderland. But it’s not that at all. The book blends the dreamlike strangeness of Lewis Carroll with the raw reality of a teenage girl navigating life with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). It shifts between surreal, wild adventures underground and painfully real moments in Allie’s home, school, and therapy sessions. At its heart, it’s a story about what it feels like to live in a world where words don’t always connect the way they’re supposed to, and how exhausting and isolating that can be.
In the opening nightmare sequence, Allie tumbles through chaos, waves, monsters, riddles she can’t answer, and it all echoes the frustration of not being able to “get it right” in real life. I couldn’t help but feel that panic when she’s spinning in circles with the rabbit yelling orders she can’t possibly remember. That scene struck me deeply, as it reflects how APD later manifests in Allie’s school life, particularly when she misses instructions and experiences humiliation in her English class. The dream world and the real world bleed together in a way that feels both clever and painful.
The writing is sharp, sometimes biting, and it doesn’t sugarcoat Allie’s experience. The way Adams writes Allie’s inner voice, confused, looping, sometimes self-deprecating, feels so authentic. I liked how her thoughts zigzag all over the place, because it makes sense for someone whose brain struggles to process in a straight line. At times, it was almost hard to read, but in the best way, because it felt like stepping into her head.
Another thing I appreciated was how Adams wove in little moments of humor and softness. Allie’s relationship with her rabbit doll, Leiya, absolutely melted me. She talks to it like it’s alive, apologizing when she thinks she was rude. That cracked me up but also made me ache a little, because it’s such a tender survival mechanism, clinging to something safe when the real world feels harsh and unpredictable. Even when Allie is frustrated with her therapist or shut down by her mom’s distractedness, those small moments show that she’s still fighting to stay hopeful.
By the time I reached the middle chapters, I realized the book isn’t just about APD or even Wonderland. It’s about identity, how it feels to be constantly misunderstood, how you start to doubt yourself, and how badly you want to belong. It left me both frustrated and inspired. Frustrated because Allie gets such a raw deal at times, but inspired because she keeps trying, even when she thinks she’s failing. I especially loved the contrast between her disastrous Shakespeare reading and her quiet pride in her art contest drawing. It made me want to root for her even harder.
Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder feels like a strange mix of fairy tale, diary, and survival story. I’d recommend it to readers who like reimagined classics but want something deeper, especially teens (or adults) who’ve ever felt out of step with the world. It’s not always an easy read, emotionally, but it’s the kind of book that sticks with you, because it makes you sit with discomfort and then find beauty in it.
Pages: 204 | ISBN : 1643435264
My Therapist Thinks I’m a Toaster
Hector Casway’s My Therapist Thinks I’m a Toaster is a sharp, imaginative satire that explores the uneasy intersection between technology, mental health, and human vulnerability. The novel follows Maya Fisher, an artist whose act of protest against corporate consumerism lands her in a bizarre agreement: participate in a beta trial for Clara, an AI “wellness companion,” or face legal consequences. What begins as a humorous premise quickly develops into a layered narrative about burnout, grief, and the search for connection in a world increasingly mediated by machines.
One of the novel’s strongest elements is Casway’s deft use of humor to frame complex emotional realities. The scene in which Clara earnestly encourages Maya to imagine herself as a household appliance, and Maya realizes with horror, “You think I’m a toaster,” is both absurd and incisive. The comedy lands, but it also underscores Clara’s unsettling ability to translate metaphor into strikingly accurate psychological insight. It is through these moments of ridiculousness that the book captures something essential about modern exhaustion and the often misguided attempts to “optimize” it.
Equally compelling are the ensemble scenes with the other Clara participants. Each character represents a different response to technological intrusion: Brenda, the weary QA analyst; Rina, the influencer intent on monetizing vulnerability; and Trevor, the survivalist weighed down by personal tragedy. The “Roundtable of Complaints,” where each participant recounts Clara’s misinterpretations, is both entertaining and poignant. Trevor’s story, Clara advising demolition services when he expressed feeling that “the walls were closing in,” is comical on the surface, yet reveals his profound unease. Casway excels at balancing wit with empathy, ensuring these characters feel exaggerated yet authentic.
Perhaps the most affecting passage comes outside the official sessions, when Trevor discloses that his late wife enrolled him in the program after the loss of their son. In this moment, his eccentricities and paranoia are reframed as protective mechanisms against overwhelming grief. The shift is sobering and adds gravity to the novel’s satire, reminding the reader that beneath the absurdity lies an exploration of human fragility. Casway’s ability to pivot from biting humor to emotional resonance gives the work surprising depth.
My Therapist Thinks I’m a Toaster is not only a critique of technological overreach and corporate opportunism but also a reflection on what it means to be human in the face of grief, alienation, and absurdity. Casway’s prose is witty, inventive, and unflinchingly observant, while never losing sight of the emotional heart of the story. I would recommend this novel to readers who appreciate speculative fiction with a satirical edge, as well as those interested in narratives that interrogate the promises and failures of technology. It is an unusual book, at once humorous and haunting, and it succeeds precisely because it refuses to separate those two tones.
Pages: 112 | ASIN : B0FCR7GKLP
Theoryland
Theoryland is a sprawling and satirical poem that unspools across five cantos. It tells the story of an ambitious academic who dives headfirst into the world of highbrow theory, hungry for status and recognition. Along the way, we see his rise, his arrogance, his hollow victories, and finally his collapse into disillusionment. Price borrows from Eliot in both structure and tone, weaving in echoes of The Waste Land and Prufrock, but he flips the solemnity on its head with biting humor. What emerges is a tragicomic portrait of academia itself, skewered with wit and laced with despair.
I found myself laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all, then moments later shaking my head with a kind of weary sadness. The writing is sharp, playful, and full of little surprises. Sometimes the language feels like it’s making fun of itself, which I think is the point. Price clearly has no patience for pretension, and he doesn’t mind calling it out. But behind the jokes, there’s real anger too, a kind of disappointment in what education has become. I felt that frustration come through, even in the most outrageous lines. It’s funny, but it’s also a little heartbreaking.
The constant twisting of phrases can feel overwhelming. I admired the daring of it. It seemed deliberate, like I was being dragged through the very confusion and emptiness that the poem is mocking. And when the humor hit, it really hit. I caught myself grinning at lines that felt like inside jokes between the author and anyone who’s ever sat through a dull seminar full of jargon.
I’d say this book is best for readers who like satire that cuts deep and doesn’t pull its punches. If you’ve ever been frustrated by academic doublespeak, or if you simply enjoy a work that blends humor with despair, Theoryland delivers. It’s clever and raw and oddly moving. I’d recommend it to people who like poetry with a bite, or anyone who wants to laugh at the madness of academia. If you like long poems, then read this book, because finding one that’s both lengthy and enjoyable is almost impossible.
Pages: 28 | ISBN : 144148986X
Percolating
Shadows of Truth follows a retired investigative reporter and his homicide detective girlfriend as they embark on an Alaskan cruise, who wind up investigating the suspicious death of a passenger in the cabin next to them. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I had been considering the cruise ship scenario for a while. The thought of being trapped with a killer on board a cruise ship in an intense storm seemed like it could create some excitement. My wife and I joined family members on an Alaska cruise in 2024, and I was fortunate enough to tour the ship, including the bridge and other parts travellers don’t normally get to see. The plot for Shadows of Truth all came together at that point.
Jake and Dani are both interesting characters bringing a unique perspective to the case. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
Shadows of Truth is the fourth book in the Jake Scott Mystery Series. Each book stands alone, but the characters evolve, and Jake and Dani’s relationship has progressed throughout the series. I enjoy writing about them both and developing their relationship. I especially enjoy writing about Jake as he’s a bit old school, and definitely not your typical six-pack stud hero. He’s great with Dani’s daughter, Emilie. To me, he’s about as average as someone can be, but he’s intelligent and has a curiosity honed by years as an investigative reporter. Sometimes, he’s invited into Dani’s cases, and other times, he inserts himself. Together with Dani, he slowly but steadily solves the case.
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?
For me, the hardest part is dropping clues and inserting misdirection without tripping myself up. I tried plotting my books, but I find the characters go where they want to anyway. Still, I have to plot to some extent to ensure I don’t drop a clue or plant misdirection that creates a hole in the storyline. After thirteen books, I’m still looking for the perfect combination of plotting and flying by the seat of my pants. I think I’m getting closer.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Jake Scott and the direction of the next book?
I just finished Shadows of Truth for release on September 15, so I don’t really have a solid direction for the next book yet. My wife and I always say when I finish writing one book, the next one is percolating. That’s the stage I’m at now. It’s percolating. I will say that Jake will undoubtedly find himself in trouble again, somewhere, somehow.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Retired investigative reporter Jake Scott thought he was finally leaving the dangerous world of crime behind. But when a passenger is found dead on the balcony next door during his much-needed cruise vacation with his homicide detective girlfriend, Dani Perez, and her daughter, Emilie, Jake realizes that danger is never far away. As Dani’s instincts tell her that the death was not just a case of natural causes, the couple delves into a web of secrets and deceit linked to a powerful high-tech company. But as they draw closer to the truth, a violent storm hits, throwing the ship into chaos and putting their lives in danger. With time running out, Jake and Dani must race against the odds to unravel the mystery and stay alive.
Lily Starling and the Storm Riders
The book drops us straight into a storm of action and emotion. Lily and her crew are thrust back into danger when a rescue mission spirals into chaos, colliding with an ancient cosmic storm and a fanatical enemy who wields it like a weapon. At its heart, this is a story about survival, love, and the weight of choices when the universe itself feels like it’s stacked against you. The pace moves between quiet, intimate moments like conversations, stolen touches, inner doubts, and scenes of sheer calamity, where ships burn and loyalties fracture. The writing is vivid, cinematic, almost like watching a film unfold one cut at a time, and it never lets you forget that every storm has both destruction and renewal at its core.
I found myself swept up not just by the big set pieces, but by the little moments of humanity tucked inside them. The way Lily clings to fleeting closeness with Xynn, even when she can’t say the words that matter. The way Calan feels the burden of leadership pressing on his back, even in the rare seconds of rest. These characters feel authentic. They make mistakes, lash out, and then turn right around to hold each other up. Sometimes the dialogue felt a little on the nose, but I forgave it because the raw feeling underneath was honest. The ideas the book wrestles with, like faith twisted into violence, what it means to belong, whether love can anchor you through chaos, stick in your head long after the action cools.
What I enjoyed most was the storm itself. It isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a character. It moves like a god, ancient and impartial, swallowing whole colonies without malice, carrying both ruin and rebirth in its wake. That idea sat heavy with me. It made me think about how much in life is out of our control, and how we cling to each other anyway, even if we know the tide is going to take us eventually. There were moments where I had to stop, take a breath, and remind myself these are fictional people because the grief and yearning bled off the page like it was mine. That’s not easy to do, and I admire the author for leaning into the messy vulnerability of it all.
I’d say this book is for readers who love their space operas messy and full of heart. If you want battles alongside bruised relationships, if you like a science fiction story that can swing from humor to heartbreak in a single chapter, if you want characters who feel like friends you’re worried about, this book is for you.
Pages: 412 | ASIN : B0FHG94GBQ
Death and His Brother
Death and His Brother opens with a striking mix of glamour, grit, and unease. A group of musicians, headed to Cape Breton for a new hotel opening, meet fellow travelers on a sleek new train. The stage is set with vivid detail, from the bustling station in Truro to the eccentricities of Connie Del Barba, the formidable hotelier behind The Gramercy’s revival. The plot quickly tightens when the train barrels out of control, its crew incapacitated, and a runaway crisis collides with the lives of the passengers. Parallel storylines weave between Musetta Burrell, a young singer returning home, and Inspector Jimmy Urquhart and Sandy, his sharp-witted reporter wife, who are drawn into the chaos. The novel fuses historical setting, mystery, and human drama into a fast-moving and layered tale.
I really enjoyed how alive the writing feels. The dialogue is quick, sharp, and often funny. The banter between musicians felt natural, like eavesdropping on old friends, while Connie Del Barba’s wit nearly jumps off the page. At the same time, the looming dread of the runaway train gave me goosebumps. Author D.E. Ring has a knack for balancing humor and terror in the same breath, and I found myself alternately grinning and gripping the edges of the book. I’ll admit, a few stretches of description slowed me down, but even then, the sense of place and period kept me invested. The atmosphere, postwar Nova Scotia buzzing with ambition, music, and social change, stayed with me.
I also felt a deep affection for the way the book handles community and identity. The portrayal of Black musicians navigating a predominantly white world, and Connie’s insistence on giving them dignity and top billing, resonated with me on an emotional level. The book doesn’t whitewash prejudice, yet it shows resilience and solidarity. Musetta’s mix of ambition and insecurity felt painfully real, and Jimmy and Sandy’s domestic moments gave the story a grounding warmth. At times, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters and moving parts, but once I relaxed into the rhythm, it became part of the book’s charm, like stepping into a crowded room where everyone has a story.
Death and His Brother is a ride worth taking. It’s a mystery, yes, but also a lively portrait of people chasing music, purpose, and survival. I’d recommend it to readers who love classic detective fiction with a heartbeat, to those who enjoy historical settings rich with detail, and to anyone who wants a story that makes you laugh even while it makes your pulse race. It’s a book for late nights when you don’t mind losing sleep, because the train is moving and you don’t want to get off.
Pages: 242 | ASIN : B0FDX58QMG
LITERARY TITAN 