Blog Archives
Family and Friends
Coco’s Tea Party beautifully captures the wonder of childhood imagination and family bonding. What inspired you to write this story, and is Coco based on a real child in your life?
My inspiration for this story was from my Coco’s Life Adventures book series, and I wanted to show my character growing up and meeting new friends who look different than Coco, which my Dad recommended to show on my book cover. I also love drinking tea and thought it would be fun for little girls and parents to be inspired to have tea parties of their own.
The tea-making tips and the fun guessing game add an interactive element to the book. How did you decide to include these features, and what do you hope young readers take away from them?
I thought of the tea games to make the tea party engaging and fun for the characters in my book and for the readers to also know the difference between hot and cold tea and have fun drinking tea with family and friends.
The ending, where Coco expresses gratitude to her mom, is particularly touching. Why was it important for you to highlight appreciation and meaningful moments in the story?
I believed this moment was special because it helps parents and children to see how important it is for parents to be creative with their children’s learning, activities, and social skills.
If a young reader were inspired to host their own tea party after reading Coco’s Tea Party, what advice would you give them to make it extra special?
I would recommend that young readers ask their parents to help them with learning about the purpose of drinking tea, how to plan a fun tea party, inviting family and friends, with special bakery treats, games, and gifts, and taking fun photos, to make it memorable for a time of bonding and sharing fun with the ones they love.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Friends, Lovers, Enemies
Friends, Lovers, Enemies is a riveting collection of short stories that explores many situations that we as readers have experienced, from two friends fighting over one man, to a married couple where the husband suspects his wife is cheating on him with his friend. Friendship, love, betrayal, and loneliness are but a few themes that are represented in these short stories.
Author Vera Zegarac has written a collection of eloquent and striking short stories. I can see each one being turned into a full-length story due to the vivid details and surprising depth that begs to be explored. It is said that a good writer knows how to end a chapter. I think author Vera Zegarac knows how to start a chapter, or in this case, a short story. I was immediately captivated at the beginning of each story. The characters were compelling; like deep alluring reflections of people you come across in your life.
Each story is only a couple of pages, but the author does not hide her story behind purple prose. Each story utilizes clear and concise language so that readers easily pick up on the nuances of the story. We are not given much detail about each character but by their actions we know their story.
The author’s writing is unpredictable and shocking in a satisfying way. Losing Zoe is a story about infidelity and insecurity, which lulls you into thinking it’s a predictable read, but the surprising twist ending is shocking but enjoyable. Max’s character is jealous, insecure, and desperate and I loved how expressive and passionate he is. I feel readers will be able to relate to his actions in one way or another. I enjoyed how the author both described and showed you how each character felt. This helped to immerse me in these characters’ lives. Why are We Here is a story of two friends who meet up for brunch to rekindle their friendship, but we later learn that Amanda wants to make Linda jealous for stealing her husband. There is a fantastic scene where Amanda takes her lipstick from her bag and begins applying it and smiles at her reflection. I loved this scene because I felt it perfectly portrayed her passive-aggressive behavior toward Linda. This is a great example of how the author shows you who these people are. Once I finished reading the stories, I found myself contemplating what I had just read and wondering what could have happened after the ending, and in some cases creating my own endings to some of the stories that I felt needed one.
Friends, Lovers, Enemies is an engrossing collection of short stories that showcases the authors writing talent. If you’re looking for stories with a unique voice and something to say about life, then I highly recommend this collection.
Pages: 115 | ASIN: B0BPLP777Y
The Direction Was Never In Question
Waterbury Winter celebrates the restorative value of art and the joy to be found in keeping promises. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
My husband and I were visiting family for the holidays one snowy December. The day after Christmas, we stopped by a drug store. No one was there except for my husband and me, and the middle-aged attendant at the checkout counter asked us how our Christmas was. “Fine,” we said, “and how was yours?” His reply: “I was here, and my car broke down.” Holidays are not easy for everyone, we thought. And so Barnaby Brown came to life, as a lonely middle-aged man who didn’t celebrate Christmas and whose old car broke down.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing or did it come out organically as you were writing?
The tone of the novel evolved naturally once I had established Barnaby as a likeable character who had lost his way. I knew I needed to write about how he would overcome his longstanding bad habits and restart his failed artistic career. He had many obstacles to overcome: debts, drinking, depression, along with anti-social behavior, so the story progressed slowly. The direction was never in question because I wanted him to succeed.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Really only my interest in art and the creative process and my belief in their healing powers.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on a novel set in England in World War II, scheduled for publication in spring 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
A heart-warming novel about ordinary people reclaiming their dormant potential, Waterbury Winter celebrates the restorative value of art and the joy to be found in keeping promises.
Taking A Leap Of Faith
Sammy the Flying Squirrel follows a young squirrel that is afraid to fly and must overcome his fear to same his best friend. What was the inspiration for your story?
Having six grandchildren it was illuminating to see how each one tried to handle their insecurities differently. In searching to find the ways to get them to open up about trivial or significant issues I learned what they were worried about.
I found that talking about animals and giving them human characteristics made it easier for young children to open up and talk about what made them anxious.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
- Fear of rejection,
- Bullying,
- Friendship,
- Positive close family interactions.
Perhaps most of all–believing in yourself and taking a leap of faith in order to save a friend.
Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
My husband Dan, son Sean, grandson Kevin and granddaughters Fiona, Macalyn and Kate.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
In Sammy the Flying Squirrel who Was Afraid to Fly, Thomas the Terrible Tomcat got a “bad rap” as a mean and hurtful villain. I want to explore how he got that way, and see if there is there hope for him. (You’ll have to read the next book to find out!)
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads | Facebook
After Sammy makes friends with another squirrel, Sarah, they play together, day after day. Sammy is in no hurry to learn to fly, especially since he is having so much fun with Sarah. As Sammy and Sarah scamper, roll, and play on the forest floor, they have no idea that another animal is lurking in the bushes, just waiting to pounce. But everything is about to change when Sarah has an accident. Can Sammy overcome his big fear and save her, before it is too late?
In this charming children’s tale, a young flying squirrel must overcome a giant fear in order to rescue his new best friend from a terrible fate.
To Move Past All The Hurt
Silent Screams follows four friends in the aftermath of a school shooting that unravels secrets and relationships. What was the inspiration for the idea behind this compelling story?
It came from a song called Prom Queen by Katie Turner. She has a line about a audience that was never meant for me. It was where the idea for Zachary came to be. It was also my 50th novel that I wrote. I wanted to add elements from each of the first 49 in there.
We really get to dive deep into each unique character in the story. Who was your favorite character to write for?
Honestly, it was Cass. I just had such love for her. I wanted so much for her to be strong and be able to move past all the hurt she had to deal with. I just honestly don’t know how she handled that situation. You find out your boyfriend is cheating on you, and you can’t hate her because she lost her life from one of your best friend’s actions. Then on top of that Jarele was a good guy. He helped Cass through so much. It was hard for Cass to hate Jarele. I just was impressed by her strength and where she ended up.
In this story we get to explore how families and relationships are all different and complex. What were some themes you wanted to capture within them?
Honestly, that everyone goes through some hardships in their life. I also wanted to go through this idea that no one is a full villain or victim. With Gabe each person viewed Gabe in such a different way, and I really wanted to portray that. My theme for all my novels is make sure to not judge someone because you don’t know what’s behind someone’s closed doors.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available
I’m working on a campy book. It’s a lot like my High Schools Queen trilogy. It’s called Cutthroat Cheerleader. It’s sassy, campy, and a murder mystery too. It will be out actually in October.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
In the aftermath of a tragic school shooting, the group must find their own form of justice and a way to begin healing from a wound that just won’t stop hurting.
For them, the lines were drawn.
Right and wrong became blurred.
Friends became enemies.
Told from the perspective of four friends, we learn how one student’s revenge reigned terror over a school and a community– causing secrets to unfold and relationships to be tested.
A compelling and powerful story about a school shooting. A must read.
Silent Screams
![Silent Screams by [Zachary Ryan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pjalMmehL.jpg)
Silent Screams by Zachary Ryan follows the lives of four high school friends forced to grow up due to a school shooting. Lane struggles with whether or not to come out to his friends while mourning the loss of his lover. Cass struggles to find someone to save her from her home life. Zachary deals with losing what she thinks makes her special. Ben finds his life of luxury torn away and struggles to figure out who he is without it. Being friends with the shooter, these four students battle with their own demons while attempting to cope with the guilt and responsibility they feel for their friend’s actions.
The raw emotion and authenticity of the characters is something that is outstanding in this book. I applaud Zachary Ryan for creating such imperfect characters that are so relatable. Each character deals with something different and grieves in a unique way. Each character, even background ones, go through so much character development and really grow up and learn how to trust and depend on each other. We get to see through each character’s eyes through point of view changes that happen each chapter. It’s refreshing in a way because you get to see into the heart of each of the four main characters and see their innermost secrets and insecurities. Silent Screams is a story about friendship, love, insecurities, trust, and the dangers of keeping secrets in for too long.
I enjoyed this book, but there were some times I had to reread a line because of a typo. There was also one background character who’s name was inconsistent, being Violet in some places and Valerie in others. However, this book is still thoroughly enjoyable.
Silent Screams was a roller-coaster of emotions from beginning to end. I am not ashamed to admit I cried a couple of times. This is the sort of book you pick up and can’t set down until you finished it. I’m not sure that I would class this as a feel good story but it ultimately leaves you feeling satisfied and rejuvenated.
Pages: 254 | ASIN: B08BK4DPN5
Oink and Gobble and the Missing Cupcakes
Oink and Gobble have very little in common, but that doesn’t stop them from being the best of friends. No matter what others on the farm may say about either of them, they manage to ignore it and live happy-go-lucky lives. When Oink’s cupcakes go missing, the two best friends set out on a mission to find the culprit. With Gobble’s love for logic and Oink’s overactive imagination, the pair is bound to solve the mystery–with some light-hearted moments along the way.
Oink and Gobble and the Missing Cupcakes, written by Norman Whaler and illustrated by Mohammad Shayan, is a children’s book filled with humorous moments between farm animals and best friends on their way to solving a mystery. Bright and colorful illustrations clearly convey the story line and further add to the plot. Included is a page with the names of each farm animal complete with labels.
I enjoyed this book, but I felt like the story line belongs in a book for children ages 2 to about 6 while the verbiage and some of the exchanges between characters I think might be above the heads of most children in that age group. I enjoyed the asides and the humor injected into the dialogue but found it more appropriate for older readers. I would recommend the plot of the story for young children, but the narrative is much more fitting for young adult readers.
Well-written and superbly illustrated this book will bring a smile to readers’ faces. I think this book is best read with parents or teachers as it presents many learning opportunities. Oink and Gobble and the Missing Cupcakes is a fun and funny picture book.
Pages: 30 | ASIN: B07YN4W37Q
Bully Friends – Trailer
Written by a woman who dealt with bullying and bully friendships during grade school, Bully Friends teaches everyone (even the bully!) about how dangerous bully friendships really are. This book covers everything from defining what a bully friend is to how to heal from a bully friend relationship. Along the way, Kay Kay shares personal stories of her heartbreaking experiences with bully friends and how she went on to find herself and form healthy relationships now and in the future.
LITERARY TITAN 