Blog Archives
New Dreams and Career Possibilities
Charli’s Pawsome Park follows a curious girl who meets a landscape architect and wonders if she could design her own dog park, so with the help of her friends, she does, but not without some challenges. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I taught 2nd and 3rd Grade, and I well remember the perpetual question of “WHY do we need to learn this?” With this series, I’m showing kids the why behind STEM activities and education. I want them to see that STEM can be fun and practically applied. Hopefully, this will open their eyes to new dreams and career possibilities.
Is there anything about Charli that came from yourself or your life experiences?
Like Charli, I’ve always loved school and learning new things. But when I was a child, girls were not really encouraged to pursue STEM fields. I want to help change that narrative so that my own granddaughters and their peers know that they can choose any educational and career paths they desire.
What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?
Chapter 3 shows Charli and Molly brainstorming ideas for the dorsal device. This scene introduces the themes that are more deeply explored in the rest of the book: leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, empathy, and female empowerment.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Charli and the direction of the next book?
Charli’s Dorsal Device: An Engineering Adventure is Book #3 in this series. In it, Charli owns her engineering company and designs a GPS tracking device for a dolphin.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Trade-Offs
Crossfire follows a high-powered executive who is struggling to juggle corporate pressure, family expectations, and the uneasy beginnings of an environmental partnership that pushes her boundaries. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I am fascinated by the impact of each choice we make in life, and each benefit requires a sacrifice, no matter how small. I wanted to use the green energy debate to show how small decisions really add up over time. For the series inspiration, I think we have so many books focused on coming-of-age stories, decisions that define the original trajectory of a life in early adulthood, but few dealing with middle age, which is where I wanted to focus. This first book series looks at a woman in the middle of her life, reflecting back on all those trade-offs she’s made—like choosing career over family, or balancing what she believes about the environment with what’s actually practical. I was most inspired by the idea that all these choices we think are separate actually connect and end up shaping where we land in life, but one or two different decisions can change everything at any point.
There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
It was important that Moirin, the main character, remained deeply committed to her convictions while being unyieldingly tough and independent in the workplace, yet vulnerable and yearning in her personal life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
This series explores the experiences of women in midlife, and a common theme is the impact of life choices, such as prioritizing work over having a family or vice versa. I wanted to explore this with the extra layer of the moral, ethical, and financial choices made on behalf of a corporation. Every choice each of us makes impacts not only what we expect, but often has implications we could have never imagined. The results end up being our legacy in life, and the ultimate choices Moirin made.
What will the next book in that series be about, and when will it be published?
The next book in the series follows Jo Sanderson, Moirin’s best friend, who is dealing with the midlife financial challenges of a widow who loses her job, but a deeper struggle is at play with overcoming decades of loss and grief. As a result of her history, she developed a people-pleasing personality, constantly seeking to support the dreams of others, even those deceased, at the sacrifice of her own. It’s another story of growth that has a lot of cowboy and Wyoming outdoor influences. It will be available by mid-year 2026.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Everyone around her marked the passage of time through celebrations of weddings, anniversaries and graduations, measuring life success through joy in family portraits. Everyone else had a life with husbands and wives, children, grandchildren. Moirin has a cat named Orson.
After decades spent building her grandfather’s Denver-based energy company into an international corporation, she’s poised to be the next CEO, when the Board of Directors announced a rigorous vetting process, ostensibly to avoid nepotism. It should have been a formality, but the challenges of an environmental impact study, resolving a string of increasingly suspicious management issues, and a vindictive business associate aren’t helping her pass their scrutiny.
When she meets a state brand inspector and team roping cowboy, his pragmatic outlook and life philosophy challenge her ideas about environment, life, and legacy. On the verge of achieving everything she’d worked for, Moirin Garrett wonders – had she made the right choices in life? At this stage, was it too late to change her legacy?
Different Solutions
The Grubby Feather Gang follows a boy plagued by bullying and fear who finds himself part of a small circle of friends who together find adventure and hope in a village otherwise torn by war and chaos. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’m really not sure, to be honest. I am very interested in the experiences of those who lived through either or both of the world wars because both wars plunged otherwise peaceful, ordinary people into extraordinary and horrific situations. But I love the idea that different people can have different solutions to the same problems; most young men of fighting age during WW1 wanted – or felt the need – to go overseas and join the fighting whereas some, such as George’s father in the story, believed in a totally different, peaceful approach. The amount of courage needed for either approach must have been immense, and thankfully, most of us today can only imagine what it must have been like to face that dilemma. I’m fascinated by the fact that these experiences, that seem, to us today, to exist only in the realms of fiction, really happened to real people.
What do you find is the most challenging aspect of writing for middle-grade readers?
Other than the usual challenges of writing for any audience, I’m not sure I find anything especially challenging about writing for middle-grade readers. It can be a challenge when you’ve been hired by a publishing company – rather than writing just because you yourself have decided to do so – because if the project is for a young audience the publishers give you a tight word-count which creates restrictions and challenges, ones which, I have to say, I really enjoy working within. However, I wrote The Grubby Feather Gang off my own bat, so I didn’t have those restrictions, even though I did want to keep the book short. But middle-grade is a wonderful age range. I don’t hold back on the complexity of the language I use or the depth of the issues the story tackles. The only thing I do differently when writing for children as opposed to adults is to make the main characters children.
Is there anything from your own life included in the characters in The Grubby Feather Gang?
I’m happy to say that the experiences of the children in this story are very different from mine. I don’t think you have to have experienced something to write about it in a believable way though. I hope I’m right about that! But there often elements of the writer’s personality in the characters they create. George is prone to anger and sulking, and as a child, I was a little like that. (I’ve grown out of it now though!) I would add that I am always warmed by people – real or fictional – who turn out to be more impressive in some way than you originally realised, like Mr Haxby. And in a way, the same can be said of each of the three main characters.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on a novel for adults. Unlike most of what I’ve written before, this is a fantasy novel, with elements of horror. It features werewolves and witches. There is so much literature about such things, so the challenge is to present them in a new way, avoiding stereotypes and tropes, and I think I’ve achieved that…
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Worse still, the school bully hangs George upside-down from the hayloft, and the next day, George gets the cane! So, with a bit of help from Emma, a curious newcomer to the village, he decides to take daring and drastic revenge on both the bully and his teacher. But he could never have predicted what happens next…
The Grubby Feather Gang is the story of four friends helping each other cope with their parents’ problems.
The BigShorts books are short, stand-alone novels for strong Key Stage 2 readers. Each novel is around 100 pages long. The content is rich and detailed, tackling discussion-worthy themes. Being shorter than most novels, BigShorts books are a great length for teachers to read to their class, or for use as guided-reading texts.
The Adventures of Belle Bear
The Adventures of Belle Bear tells the story of a cheerful polar bear cub who lives in snowy Mount Bearia with her loving grandmother, Baba Bear. Life is warm and cozy even in the cold. Then everything changes when they must move far away to sunny Calibearia. Belle Bear struggles with loneliness, new faces, and a school where she feels totally out of place. With Baba Bear’s steady encouragement and a magical new orange cape, she slowly finds her courage, makes friends, and discovers that who she is has always been enough.
This picture book captures that weird mix of excitement and fear that comes with starting over. The writing is simple in the best way. It feels comforting. I loved how Baba Bear’s words repeat like a song. It made me smile every time because it reminded me of the kind of thing a real grandma might say. The gentle rhythm of the book pulled me in. I didn’t expect to feel so moved by a polar bear pep talk, but here we are.
Moving, making friends, trying to fit in. It all felt honest. That moment when Belle Bear loses her cape on the journey felt symbolic in a way that surprised me. When the new cape appears as she speaks those affirmations in the mirror, it feels empowering. The story doesn’t pretend that being brave is easy, and I appreciated that. The artwork in the book is bright, friendly, and the characters are full of personality. Every character looks lively and expressive. The colors are soft but cheerful, which gives the whole book a cozy vibe. Each animal has its own charm. The style overall feels playful and comforting, perfect for a children’s book about friendship and courage.
By the end, I felt genuinely happy for Belle Bear. The book wraps everything up with this sweet feeling of hope, and it left me wishing every kid could hear Baba Bear’s nightly reminder. I’d recommend this book for kids who might be moving, starting a new school, or feeling unsure of themselves. Honestly, it’s also lovely for any child who just needs a confidence boost or a comforting story at bedtime. It’s warm. It’s kind. It’s the sort of book that stays with you.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 1966786506
Lunch Tales: Teagan
From the very first page of Lunch Tales: Teagan, I was pulled straight into Teagan Quinn’s world. The book begins with warmth, ease, and a glimpse into a contented life, marriage, motherhood, and family. Then suddenly, that life is shattered. Her husband dies in a freak accident, and we follow her through the crushing grief that follows. We see her try to put one foot in front of the other. There’s love, loss, friendship, heartbreak, and a tentative hope that life can still hold beauty, even when it feels like the world has gone cold. The story unfolds through Teagan’s eyes as she faces widowhood, single motherhood, and the slow, painful path toward healing.
Reading this felt like listening to a friend spill her heart. Teagan’s voice is honest. Author Lucille Guarino doesn’t palliate grief. It’s raw, messy, and stretches out longer than you’d think. What I loved most is that she doesn’t turn Teagan into a saint. She’s angry. She’s tired. She lashes out. She feels selfish. She feels broken. But she keeps trying, and that’s what makes her feel real. The writing is clean, almost conversational. At times it’s quietly poetic, but mostly it’s grounded, warm, and intimate. And while the story could easily slip into melodrama, it doesn’t. The emotions feel earned. I laughed. I cried. I caught my breath in parts. There were scenes I had to reread just to sit with the weight of them.
What surprised me was how much I came to love the side characters. Suellen, Bridget, even Luke. Everyone felt like someone I’d met in real life. The friendships, especially among the lunch moms, were such a balm. They held her up when she couldn’t stand. And while there’s a flicker of new romance by the end, it’s not rushed or forced. It’s more like a door left slightly open. The book isn’t about moving on. It’s about moving forward. There’s a big difference. And Guarino nails that. She doesn’t give us a fairytale. She gives us the slow, stumbling rhythm of real healing.
I’d recommend Lunch Tales: Teagan to anyone who’s ever had to start over when they didn’t want to. It’s a gentle, moving story for readers who crave depth and feeling over plot twists and speed. I found that the book reminded me somewhat of The Light We Lost in its raw emotional core, and it had echoes of Still Me with its theme of rebuilding life, though it carries a gentler, more hopeful tone overall. I think this book is for women who understand how complicated love is. And how precious.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0FR582BPJ
The Grubby Feather Gang
The Grubby Feather Gang follows George, a boy caught in the middle of a village torn up by war and judgment. He deals with bullying, fear, and the shame that others try to pin on his family because his father refuses to fight. As he meets Emma and Stan, the three of them slip into this oddly sweet little friendship that grows out of chaos. They stumble into adventures, trouble, and eventually form the Grubby Feather Gang, a tiny group held together by loyalty and a grubby feather that somehow becomes a symbol of hope instead of cowardice.
Reading it felt like sitting beside these kids as their lives spun between fear and laughter. I found myself rooting for George right away. His thoughts felt real in this quiet, aching way. Sometimes I wanted to shake him, other times I just wanted to hug the kid. The writing surprised me. It has this softness running through all the messy bits. Even the sad scenes didn’t feel heavy for long because there was always some little spark of warmth or humor waiting around the corner. And Emma cracked me up constantly. She felt like the friend who shows up loud and strange and instantly makes everything better.
What I liked most were the ideas behind the story. It’s a book about courage that doesn’t sound preachy. It tackles judgment and fear and the pressure to fit in. But it does it through the eyes of children who are trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t make sense at all. Some moments hit harder than I expected. Other scenes felt gentle and simple in a way that made me smile without thinking about it. I liked that the book didn’t pretend everything gets fixed, only that sticking together makes the hard stuff feel less impossible.
I’d recommend The Grubby Feather Gang to kids who enjoy stories with heart and a bit of grit, and to adults who like children’s books that don’t talk down to anyone. It’s great for readers who want friendship, trouble, and a little hope woven into history.
Pages: 113 | ASIN : B01FARFVUG
What Bear Said: About Life, Love, and Other Stuff
What Bear Said is a tender and beautifully illustrated children’s book following the conversation between a wise bear and a curious child. Through a series of heartfelt exchanges, the book explores themes like friendship, love, forgiveness, grief, and the importance of being present. Each chapter touches on a different life lesson, framed in simple yet profound dialogue that feels timeless. The story doesn’t follow a traditional plot but instead unfolds like a walk through the woods, where each stop along the trail offers a new truth about what it means to live, love, and grow.
Reading this book felt like sitting by a fire with someone who understands life’s messiness. The writing has this soft rhythm that slows you down. I loved how Wiens captures the innocence of a child’s questions and pairs them with Bear’s gentle wisdom. It’s not preachy or forced. It feels natural, even when the topics get heavy. The artwork complements the words perfectly. The imagery is warm, earthy, and full of quiet emotion. I found myself smiling at some pages. The talk about grief and forgiveness hit me hard. It reminded me of my own moments of letting go, and how much courage that takes.
What really stood out to me was the honesty of the book. It doesn’t sugarcoat pain or pretend that love fixes everything. It just says, “This is how it is, and that’s okay.” The simplicity of the language makes it easy to read, but the ideas stay with you long after. There’s a humility in Wiens’ voice, like he’s still learning along with us. The bear isn’t some all-knowing creature; he’s patient, kind, sometimes unsure, and that makes him real. The book feels less like a children’s story and more like a letter to anyone who’s ever struggled to understand their own heart.
I’d recommend What Bear Said to anyone who loves reflective, soulful reads. It’s perfect for parents and grandparents to share with kids, but also for adults who need a quiet reminder that love, kindness, and forgiveness still matter. This isn’t a picture book you rush through. It’s one you sit with, maybe under a tree or on a rainy afternoon, and let its calm wisdom sink in.
Pages: 98 | ASIN : B0DNRH1H8F
Explore Life’s Adventures
Bunny and Fawn: The Midnight Creature Mystery follows three friends living in a new part of the woods who hear a strange sound in the dark, leading them to embark on a quest to discover its source. What was the inspiration for your story?
Bunny and Fawn are based on my two rescue dogs, Lulu and Pixie. I’ve drawn from their quirks, personalities, and even some of their funny habits to shape the characters and their adventures.
This second book picks up where the first one left off. After being separated during a storm, Bunny and Fawn find each other again with the help of their new friend, Bear. They decide to stay near Bear’s home by a pond, a perfect spot since swimming is one of their favorite activities.
As for the mysterious creature they meet later in the story, I won’t spoil the surprise, but the character was inspired by Pixie’s love of burrowing into blankets and making playful noises. This new addition will return in future books as part of the continuing story.
Much like my first book, I’ve woven in themes that children can relate to, but that also resonate with readers of all ages. Diversity is a central idea, shown through different species of animals sharing the forest and learning from each other as they explore life’s adventures.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
For all my books, I intentionally include themes that are applicable to children. In Bunny and Fawn: The Midnight Creature Mystery, several main themes include friendship, resilience, and discovery. All three themes are truly universal. Our lives are shaped by those around us. We seek guidance from those who have the experience, like Bunny in my first book, when Fawn taught her ways to be safe in the forest. Life is unpredictable, and we need to be ready for various opportunities and obstacles that come into our lives. I want readers to understand that it’s important to learn from experiences, be it good or bad, and that taking away those experiences makes us stronger. Also, specifically related to discovery, there’s so much to our world, and to simply ignore opportunities to meet someone new or experience a new adventure will only serve as a disservice.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Damien Hall?
I’ve worked with Damien on both books, and the process has been wonderful. I shared my manuscript along with a short description of what I pictured for each illustration, but I encouraged him to bring his own creativity to the art. The process usually went from sketches to final renderings, with my feedback at each stage. Many times, he suggested changes that ended up making the illustrations even better than I imagined. Collaborating with him was smooth and inspiring.
Will this story be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
Bunny and Fawn: The Midnight Creature is the second book in the Bunny and Fawn series. I’m currently writing the third book in the series, which will be revealed in January of next year, marking the start of the illustrations phase of the process. I have no plans to stop writing books in the Bunny and Fawn series.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Amazon
LITERARY TITAN 