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Broken Things
Broken Things is a beautifully raw novel about a woman named Maggie Oliver who’s reeling from the loss of her husband and son after a traumatic accident. Left with little more than a lakeside cabin and a bucket of unresolved pain, she escapes her old life in San Francisco and holes up in the Sierra Nevadas. But this isn’t just a grief story. It’s a sharp, funny, sometimes eerie look at healing, memory, and rediscovering identity when everything else feels gone. The book swings between the very real, like Ambien-fueled breakdowns and late-night sobs, and the surreal, with dreamlike elements and mysterious happenings that might just be her imagination. Or maybe not.
I was genuinely surprised by how often I laughed while reading a novel so deeply rooted in trauma. Corso’s writing carries a dry, cutting wit that never feels forced, it’s a natural extension of Maggie’s voice. Her narration is filled with sharp observations and brutally honest reflections, often delivered with a kind of dark humor that perfectly balances the heaviness of her grief. One moment that stood out occurs during a storm, when she panics and thinks, “I’m not going to die alone at the hands of a cruel, cabin-smashing troll.” It’s absurd on the surface, yet completely relatable to anyone who’s ever spiraled into irrational fear late at night. This blend of levity and pain doesn’t undermine the story’s emotional weight; instead, it makes Maggie feel vividly real, like someone you know well enough to reach out to.
What really got under my skin, though, were the strange, almost ghostly twists. There’s a whole chunk where Maggie sleepwalks and finds furniture rearranged and the pilot light mysteriously lit, things she swears she didn’t do. Then there’s the discovery of a music box shaped like a cabin that feels like more than just a keepsake. These elements creep in slowly, and they’re not loud or gory, they’re unsettling in a quiet way. The mystery is never over-explained, which I loved. It left me with questions that lingered in the back of my mind long after I put the book down. Is it grief? Is it the house? Or is it something else entirely?
The real heart of the book, though, is Maggie’s slow, cautious return to life. Her relationship with her quirky neighbor Zach and his precocious daughter Mina adds so much warmth to the story. There is a moment when Mina simply asks Maggie, “Are you sad?” and the directness of that question is profoundly affecting. Kids don’t dance around grief the way adults do. That moment was simple, but so emotionally honest. I appreciated how Corso let Maggie be messy and weird and not always likable, she’s not some perfect, noble widow. She’s bitter, she’s sarcastic, she cries in her car. And that’s what makes her journey back to writing, and maybe even back to joy, so satisfying.
Broken Things made me feel a lot. It made me laugh. It made me uncomfortable. It made me think about my own griefs, the ones I’ve shared, and the ones I haven’t. I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s been through a loss, or who just loves character-driven fiction with a sharp voice and a touch of weird. It’s for fans of dark humor, haunted houses, and messy healing. It’s one of those stories I’m going to be thinking about for a long while.
Pages: 300 | ASIN : B0F6W5P5H3
Darkness Lurks Beneath the Surface
Feast of Valentine follows a former ballerina turned bartender seeking a fresh start, who returns home to Pottersville, where the town’s supernatural pull engulfs her in romance she never wanted. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of places that seem to have a will of their own—towns that pull people in and refuse to let them go. Pottersville became that kind of place for Angie, the protagonist. I wanted to explore the tension between free will and fate, especially when it comes to love and desire. The inspiration also came from themes of isolation and how the past never truly lets us go. Angie returns home seeking a fresh start, but she quickly realizes that Pottersville has other plans for her.
The setting is also inspired by small-town mysteries where darkness lurks beneath the surface. The supernatural elements reflect the unseen forces that manipulate us, whether societal expectations, personal demons, or something else.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think makes for great fiction?
I’m drawn to the complexities of desire, fear, and the struggle for control. One of the most fascinating aspects of the human condition is how we often want things that aren’t good for us—or resist things that are. That push and pull between choice and compulsion creates tension that makes for great storytelling.
Another theme I find compelling is identity—how we define ourselves versus how the world defines us. In Feast of Valentine, Angie struggles with who she is and what is being forced upon her, mirroring a real-world experience that many people can relate to.
What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
Horror and the paranormal intrigue me because they allow us to explore fear in its purest form—whether it’s the fear of the unknown, the loss of control, or even love. In Feast of Valentine, the supernatural serves as a metaphor for the unseen forces that shape our lives, often beyond our control.
Paranormal elements give me the freedom to delve into deeper themes through a heightened, almost dreamlike lens. Love, for example, can be both intoxicating and terrifying at the same time. Writing horror also allows me to challenge expectations—because not all love stories are romantic, not every homecoming is a fresh start, and sometimes, the real monster isn’t lurking in the shadows—it’s the one smiling right in front of you.
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?
Yes, Feast of Valentine is the first book in the series. I’m currently working on another project, but the next book will also take place in Pottersville. However, it will feature a new cast of characters and explore a different set of themes.
Author Website
“It held me spellbound until the very last page, leaving me eager for more.” –Literary Titan
In the quaint town of Pottersville, Angie, a former ballerina turned bartender, seeks a fresh start away from the demanding world of ballet.
However, her quest for independence encounters unexpected challenges during the town’s legendary Valentine’s Day festivities. As romance and mystique intertwine, Angie finds herself irrestibly drawn to a man she doesn’t truly love, struggling to maintain her autonomy.
With the towns’s historical secrets slowly unraveling, Angie must confront the dark forces of an ancient tradition.
Can she reclaim her will or will she be forever caught in a supernatural struggle that dictates the heart?
Feast Of Valentine: Where Love Binds More Then Just Hearts (Pottersville’s Dark Valentine Book 1)
Angie had no clear vision for her future, but she knew one thing for certain, love had no place in it. Her return to Pottersville was born of necessity, not nostalgia, spurred by the passing of her mother. Though she found herself back in her childhood home, her stay was meant to be temporary. Yet, Pottersville had a way of holding onto people, especially as Valentine’s Day approached. The town’s very identity was entwined with love, its defining statue, the Heart Binder, standing as a symbol of unity, reinforced by the town’s mantra: Bonded by Heart, Together We Stand. But for Angie, love was about to reveal itself in starkly contrasting forms, one freely given, the other imposed. How she responded would shape the course of her future.
Christopher Clark’s Feast of Valentine is a gripping romantic thriller that threads the eerie history of Pottersville into the lives of Angie, her sister Alicia, and the men who orbit them. Angie, after more than 15 years away, is only just discovering the town’s unsettling past when she suddenly finds herself drawn almost inexplicably to a mysterious stranger. As her fascination teeters on obsession, the lines between folklore and reality begin to blur. The deeper she falls, the more bizarre and perilous her world becomes, forcing her to question whether Pottersville’s legends are merely stories or sinister truths waiting to be unearthed.
Clark’s prose is immersive, laced with dreamlike imagery and shifting perspectives that mirror Angie’s spiraling sense of uncertainty. The novel thrives on atmosphere, treading the delicate space between reality and fantasy, pulling the reader into Angie’s growing unease. Each revelation is a fragment of a larger, enigmatic puzzle, one she must piece together with only fleeting guidance. Despite its compelling premise, Feast of Valentine falters where it should shine. The Heart Binder, a central symbol of the town’s legacy, remains frustratingly underexplored. Hinted at rather than truly dissected, its significance lingers on the periphery rather than being meaningfully integrated into the narrative’s climax.
At its core, the novel brims with potential, delivering moments of gripping tension and intrigue. The suspense builds masterfully, reaching exhilarating heights that keep the pages turning. While the conclusion unfolds with an unexpected abruptness, it leaves room for interpretation, encouraging readers to ponder its deeper implications. Feast of Valentine is a fascinating enigma, both captivating and thought-provoking, compelling yet open-ended. It held me spellbound until the very last page, leaving me eager for more and reflecting long after the final chapter.
Pages: 291 | ASIN : B0DTGXQR1H
Say Your Goodbyes to the Light
Elliott Marsh knows he’s far from virtuous, and he’s come to terms with that. He believes he’s covered his tracks flawlessly. Delyla, his victim, lies hidden in a place he’s certain no one will ever find. He got away with murder, or so he thinks. But violent deaths often leave restless echoes, and Elliott is about to discover that some crimes demand reckoning. It starts subtly: an uneasy feeling, fleeting shadows. Soon, though, it’s undeniable. Something relentless, something judgmental, has its sights set on him, and it won’t stop until he pays in full.
M.B. Whittington’s Say Your Goodbyes to the Light is a chilling blend of supernatural and psychological horror. Echoing the dread of Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, the moral reckoning of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and the cinematic tension of What Lies Beneath, the novel treads familiar ground but does so with an unnerving mastery of atmosphere.
The premise of vengeful spirits haunting their murderers is well-trodden, yet Whittington breathes fresh life into it. His prose exudes unease, crafting a creeping dread that tightens its grip with every page. Elliott’s psychological descent is both compelling and horrifying. Watching his mind unravel becomes a spectacle that’s equal parts disturbing and satisfying.
Elliott’s journey reveals a fascinating shift in perspective. Initially, he views himself as a victim of circumstances, justifying his actions. Gradually, however, he is stripped of his delusions. Whittington peels back every layer of his self-deception, exposing a man as detestable as the ghost that haunts him believes him to be. It’s a slow, deliberate transformation, but it’s inescapable an unstoppable march toward justice, no matter how much Elliott resists. Though the ending becomes predictable early on, the execution more than compensates. Whittington excels at cultivating mood, and the story’s sense of inevitability only heightens the tension. The result is a journey that feels less about where it leads and more about how it gets there.
Dark, twisted, and relentless, Say Your Goodbyes to the Light is a gripping addition to the psychological horror genre. With its unflinching exploration of guilt, judgment, and inevitability, it’s a haunting tale that lingers long after the final page.
Pages: 452 | ASIN : B0DPCY3N7P
The Pillar
T. E. MacArthur’s The Pillar (The Praetorius Agency Files: File No. Two) dives deep into the world of paranormal romantic mystery. The story unfolds in San Francisco, where Jack de Sombras, newly arrived in California, finds himself immediately thrust into intrigue. His partner at the Praetorius Security Agency, Tessa Wells-Lancing, has a case waiting: Darius Trădat, a tattoo artist with a penchant for antiquities, faces cryptic threats steeped in curses and old-world superstitions. But just as Jack and Tessa begin unraveling the mystery, they’re confronted with a grim crime. Was this crime the work of something supernatural or a cunning imitation meant to deceive? And how does this brutal act connect to the deaths of other members of his family?
Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I found this sequel equally compelling. MacArthur deftly balances the paranormal and the mundane, threading humor through Jack’s determined disbelief in all things supernatural. Jack’s contract with the agency, which hilariously bans vampires, werewolves, zombies, and aliens from being classified as valid subjects of investigation, adds a light touch. In contrast, Tessa’s ability to see ghosts and experience prophetic visions grounds the paranormal elements in genuine tension. Their opposing views create a dynamic interplay that adds depth and humor, especially as Jack stubbornly chases logical explanations for everything that goes bump in the night. Yet, he does permit haunted objects and spectral apparitions in his investigations, a concession that plays into the narrative’s eerie atmosphere.
MacArthur weaves a dual storyline at the outset: Jack and Tessa’s investigation into Darius’s threats and a separate case being worked by the San Francisco Police Department. Initially, these threads seem unrelated. However, the author expertly interlaces them, creating a satisfying convergence as events unfold. Watching these parallel mysteries interconnect was a highlight of the novel, as it provided both intrigue and a sense of narrative cohesion.
While I enjoyed this story and found it gripping overall, I felt some pivotal moments were glossed over. For instance, the transition from Jack’s arrival and initial conversation about the case to the chaos of the aftermath, Darius’s murder and Tessa’s injury, was missing an essential and vivid scene. I think this abrupt jump leaves a gap. The tension of Jack and Tessa discovering the murder firsthand, rather than the aftermath, I think, could have added a more visceral impact and deeper engagement with the stakes at play.
The Pillar still delivers a richly textured mystery filled with suspense, humor, and the supernatural. Jack and Tessa’s chemistry, alongside a plot brimming with twists, makes this book a gripping read that fans of paranormal mysteries won’t want to miss.
Pages: 309 | ASIN : B0DJDKTWYL
The Mystique of the Unknown
The Legend of Rachel Petersen follows a writer who moves to the country and writes a best-selling book about the imagined life of a twelve-year-old girl whose grave he finds on his property. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
While hunting one year, I actually did stumble upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for that big buck to cross my path, I had plenty of time to ponder the dead girl’s fate, which I was then driven to write.
Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, a writer finds a lone grave in the forest and writes the dead girl’s story, but he pays the consequences!
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Yes, several. I am as technologically handicapped as Christian Kane, the main protagonist. Also, I based his happy marriage and supportive wife off of my marriage. The two Yoder boys, who are avid deer hunters, were centered around my own experiences during my teenage years when I hunted.
What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
Just the eeriness of the macabre; the uncertainties that ghosts and spirits exist. The overall mystique, the unknown.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I’m thirty chapters into a psychological thriller where a wealthy lawyer and a psychiatrist team up to rule the world. They both share a secret, but one has ulterior motives. Expect it in maybe in six to eight months, it needs four more chapters to finish it, but I write slowly. Plus it’s hard to write a book while promoting a finished one.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | UBL
Outraged when The Post Gazette overlooks him for a well-deserved promotion, 43-year-old Sports Writer Christian Kane quits the Paper and moves to the country to write fiction.
Inspiration flows from a lone grave he stumbles upon in the woods. He compiles “The Legend of Rachel Petersen,” a fascinating story revolving around the dead twelve-year-old girl laid to rest beneath the weathered tombstone. His book quickly becomes a Best Seller; then Hollywood turns it into a blockbuster movie. Kane becomes rich and famous. But then? Does an enraged Rachel become more than a figment of the writer’s imagination? Does she rise from her grave to seek revenge on Kane for slandering her name?
The Legend of Rachel Petersen
In Legend of Rachel Petersen, Christian Kane — an ambitious sportswriter with aspirations that stretch far beyond the press box — navigates a serendipitous series of events. Initially overlooked for a coveted promotion, he takes the reins of his destiny and, alongside his wife, embarks on a journey to fulfill a shared dream: the acquisition of a quintessential suburban home. Their choice, a quaint fixer-upper nestled in the countryside, proves to be more than just bricks and mortar. On a seemingly innocuous walk, they discover an isolated grave, the final resting place of Rachel Petersen. This enigmatic spot becomes the muse for Kane, and without a detailed history of its inhabitants, he crafts a compelling novel that catapults him to bestseller status. However, the ethereal Rachel Petersen is less than pleased with his imaginative take on her story and emerges from the afterlife to confront his artistic interpretation.
The novel serves as a refreshing nod to the bygone era of B-movie horror, juxtaposing comedic flair with classic horror undertones. Unlike the often graphic and hyper-realistic modern-day horror tales, Legend of Rachel Petersen captures the whimsical essence of old-school black-and-white horror films. Its cover art resonates with this spirit, channeling the aesthetics of vintage classics such as “Return of the Living Dead” and “Hobgoblins.” For aficionados of traditional horror cinema, this book promises an engaging trip down memory lane.
The character ensemble, though drawing from archetypal molds, enhances the story’s distinctive appeal. Christian and Shelby, far from being mere caricatures, possess endearing eccentricities that make them both relatable and intriguing. Christian’s transition from an almost-professional footballer to a sportswriter adds layers to his character arc. Shelby, on the other hand, gracefully challenges cliched perceptions, presenting a multifaceted persona. Noteworthy is Christian’s intriguing reluctance towards modern technology, adding a dimension of unpredictability to his character without feeling out of place. While enriching, the intertwining of multiple storylines — particularly Thaddeus and Rachel’s tales — may strike some as a tad distracting, with a potential preference for a deeper dive into Kane’s post-fame life.
Legend of Rachel Petersen is a fantastic concoction of wit, suspense, and imagination. Its amalgamation of timeless horror elements with contemporary narrative techniques promises readers an unparalleled literary adventure.
Pages: 237 | ASIN : B0C7YBD9JR
Death Coach
In Sandra Wickham’s intriguing novel Death Coach, we venture into a realm where the boundaries between life and death blur, witnessed through the unique perspective of our extraordinary protagonist, Amy. An ordinary woman with the remarkable ability to communicate with spirits, Amy’s life is turned upside down when she is thrust into an ethereal world of unknowns. A client’s sudden and suspicious demise further complicates matters, leading her on an otherworldly investigative journey, assisted by her cousin Carme. All the while, eerie threats lurking under her own bed pose a menacing reality. Will she survive as a life coach on an ominous path toward death?
Wickham’s enthralling narrative successfully intertwines mystery, horror, and supernatural elements, keeping readers captivated from the first page to the last. The author’s deft storytelling is evident in Amy’s well-crafted character, endowed with an intricate blend of vulnerability and resilience. Her personal struggles and journey toward understanding resonate deeply, drawing the reader in and fostering a strong emotional connection.
In addition, Wickham masterfully delves into profound themes, intricately exploring death, loss, and the afterlife. Amy’s struggle to reconcile with her unique gift and its impact on her relationships injects an added layer of complexity into her character, creating a rich, relatable narrative.
Despite the compelling character development of Amy, there remains a desire for a more intricate exploration of the secondary characters. I would have liked a deeper dive into the motivations, histories, and character arcs of the supporting cast, which I think could enhance the story’s emotional depth and narrative impact.
For those with an affinity for dark fantasy and a willingness to venture into a world where life and death intersect in startling ways, Death Coach is an engaging read. It’s a chilling yet heartwarming tale that will undoubtedly leave a memorable mark on the reader.
Pages: 261 | ASIN : B0BXMRXYPN
LITERARY TITAN 