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Realistic and Focused
Echoes of Fortune: The Search for Braddock’s Lost Gold follows a man and his friends who, after discovering a clue to a long-lost Braddock’s gold, set off on a dangerous quest to find the missing treasure. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I grew up in the region where much of the French & Indian War (Seven Year’s War) took place, including Braddock’s campaign. I go between Southwestern PA and Garrett County (Western Maryland), where most of the story takes place. I love to read historical fiction as well as history itself. I am aware of a number of legends that are spread across our country, many stemming from the early parts of the US, including the one surrounding Braddock’s lost payroll and bribes. I have seen people using metal detectors along the Youghiogheny River and some in the woods when we have taken the hiking trail that follows much of Braddock’s expedition. Given that knowledge and knowledge of the area, it made sense to craft a story surrounding it that takes into account many of the theories as to why General Braddock followed that dangerous route when Washington took a different trail the year before, and General Forbes took another 3 years later.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well-developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
It’s a toss-up on Steve and Emma. The characters are based on the people that surround me, or I grew up with. Sometimes a single person, or a combination of two.
For example, my quiet, unassuming wife can be a bit of a badass. Everyone’s jaws drop when they hear some of the things she does, like whitewater rafting, scuba diving, or jumping off a cliff and into a river. She’s the “don’t judge a book by its cover” person, as she can be fierce when she needs to be.
Steve is mostly based on my best friend; we grew up and went to school together from 2nd grade through college. He’s a brilliant engineer, one of the top students in our high school class, and won the top engineer student award at Penn State, but he also has black belts in Hapkido and Taekwondo and always tries to crack you up. Steve’s last name came from my friend’s nickname from the engineering school, who put the wrong last name in the awards program. Steve’s first name came from another good friend, a former marine who served in the Persian Gulf, and that is where the idea of Steve’s military background came from. You’ll see why I chose the Navy in the next book.
I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists develop organically writing?
A little of both. I did not want to do the usual find a cryptic clue, go to the next clue, solve it, go to the next clue, etc. (although I enjoy those) I wanted it to be more realistic and focused on the story and characters so there was more to it. Yes, I wanted the thrills and suspense, but I wanted more. The first thing I do with any writing is build an outline and timeline (or, in this book – timelines). I flesh out more details, making sure I include relevant facts that are known and refine them several times before starting to write. I also figured out who the characters I needed were, their personalities, backgrounds, speech, problems (flaws), and what they looked like. For example: Jack’s OCD, Emma’s fear (of several things), and Steve’s social awkwardness and how he compensates for things (btw-my best friend is not like that). However, as I write the story, I get a better feel for things and often realize I have to make changes as I go. Or even add characters to solve an issue. In my case, I did not like the initial ending, so to create a better one, I changed who I killed off. I also changed the complete role of a side character in the story when writing.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Yes. I am working out two possible stories. The one that is “in the lead right now” has to do with how the end of the Civil War played out, where Jefferson Davis sent much of the Confederate treasury into hiding in several places. I do not want to give away too much. Although the story starts as another treasure hunt, it quickly transitions into a full-blown thriller where Jack’s and Steve’s military backgrounds come out more and are needed. Yes, there will be a new “interest” for Steve, and yes, more twists and turns.
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Can one man change his past with the discovery of a lifetime?
Echoes of Fortune: The Search for Braddock’s Lost Gold is a multi-award-winning thriller that weaves mystery, suspense, and historical intrigue across centuries. Winner of the 2024 PenCraft Book Award for Best Thriller, 2nd place in Action & Adventure at the 2024 Book Fest Awards, a Gold Book Award from Literary Titan, and a #1 Amazon New Release in Mystery/Thriller (September 2024), this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Driven by obsession, Jack Sullivan has lost nearly everything in his pursuit of an untold secret—a secret lost for centuries during the chaos of war. Left heartbroken and alone, luck has given him one final chance for redemption that leads him into the shadows of historical mystery and peril.
Be transported between the heat of the battle during the French & Indian War and the high-stakes hunt of today. When Major General Braddock faces his final foe, a fortune in payroll disappears—centuries later, Jack embarks on a daring quest to uncover it, facing cryptic clues, deadly traps, and relentless adversaries. Witness Jack as he follows the echoes of the past “Dan Brown-style,” and risks everything to bring the past to life—and perhaps restore his own.
Described as “National Treasure meets Indiana Jones,” this high-stakes, action-packed thriller blends rich history with relentless suspense. Echoes of Fortune dives into high-stakes, edge-of-your-seats adventure where love, loyalty, and courage are tested to their limits.
Home for the Bewildered
Home for the Bewildered, by Michelle Tobin, masterfully captures a haunting, tender world set against the backdrop of 1974 Lansing, Michigan. We follow Dr. Dorothy Morrissey, the first female psychologist at St. Lawrence Asylum, as she steps into the lives of her fragile patients—and, unknowingly, deeper into the wounds she’s spent years hiding from herself. Each of her patients reflects a piece of her pain: Thomas, whose reckless charm is both alluring and terrifying; Ruth, drowning in a sea of trauma; and George, whose mere presence brings up a discomfort she can’t quite explain. As Dorothy’s empathy tangles her fate with theirs, it becomes clear that she, too, is desperately in need of healing.
The storytelling here strikes a perfect, almost poetic balance between sorrow and hope. Tobin writes Dorothy’s journey with a raw intimacy that resonates deeply. We witness Dorothy peeling back the layers of her patients’ suffering, only to have those same layers stripped from her own guarded heart. It’s both heavy and heartbreakingly beautiful. I couldn’t help but think of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, as Tobin offers an unflinching portrayal of trauma and the yearning for connection.
The prose feels like open wounds—painful, vivid, and so delicately human. Reading this book isn’t just an experience; it’s a quiet, aching immersion into the need for acceptance and the long, messy road to healing. The narrative unfolds with depth and care evident in every well-researched plot detail and character arc. Each character is beautifully constructed, with stories that deserve to be felt, not just read.
Despite dealing with heavy, sensitive topics, mental illness, grief, and the stigmas of the past, including homosexuality, Tobin handles it all with a gentle, respectful touch. The result is a kind of immersive tenderness, making you ache for characters who often struggle to even root for themselves. Every chapter feels like peeling back layers to reveal what’s hidden, dismissed, or lost, and the effect is spellbinding.
The historical setting is a triumph. Tobin captures the period with such authenticity that I felt transported, as if I were sitting in the cold halls of the asylum or witnessing every tear and triumph alongside the characters. It reads like genuine historical fiction but is alive with emotional depth. There’s a dual-pull here: you want to savor each exquisite line, but the narrative grips you so intensely that you devour it without meaning to. The portrayal of Dorothy, who finds herself in the fractured reflections of her patients, is astonishingly resonant. It beautifully illustrates the reality that even those who dedicate their lives to healing others often find themselves on the brink of breaking. The characters feel alive, layered, and achingly real.
This book is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to live with an open heart and how the concept of family can emerge in the most unlikely places. If you’re drawn to stories that linger with you long after you’ve finished, that mix historical insight with raw, emotional honesty, Home for the Bewildered is a must-read. It will break your heart and, in its own way, try to mend it too.
Pages: 328 | ISBN : 978-3988320773
These Courageous Women
The Little Dutch Girls follows an 82-year-old woman who is being interviewed about her, her sister, and her friend’s role in the Dutch Resistance. What inspired you to tell this story?
Reading a random article about these courageous women on the death of Freddie Oversteegen sparked my curiosity in the Dutch Resistance during World War II. In my research, I learned that the two sisters, Freddie and Truus, were brought up by their mother who believed in the workers’ paradise and taught her daughters to believe in that as well. Although at the beginning of the war, the communists didn’t participate in the fragmented Dutch Resistance due to Stalin’s alliance with Hitler. The girls tried to defend their nation after Hitler defeated their armed forces.
When Freddie was recruited to be interviewed for a documentary about the resistance, through flashbacks I tried to imagine Freddie at age fifteen when she joined the armed effort with her sister, Truus, and their good friend, Hannie Schaft. How did they feel? How did they muster the courage to go boldly forward? At the beginning, they were couriers spreading news, but they graduated into guerrilla fighters quickly. What interested me were the struggles these patriots endured after the war because of their wartime affiliations and work in the resistance. Freddie preferred to keep the past where it belonged, while her sister became an artist and educator and was not shy from discussing the war.
My narrative is an attempt to shed light on Freddie who fought for freedom and bore the psychological scars to prove her loyalty to the resistance.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
We still hold many misconceptions about the war and its multiple layers. The war wasn’t fought just by Americans or the Brits. Many other people were involved in the struggle. Most histories deal with the generals: Patton, Eisenhower, Rommel, and Montgomery but fail to talk about those who clandestinely fought the Nazis and experienced firsthand their trauma at seeing friends and family butchered.
I wanted to show not only the physical pain of war but the psychological toll it takes on an individual. Freddie closed herself off from the world and concentrated on her family. Only later life and through the encouragement of her sister Truus was she able to overcome survivor’s guilt. Hannie the redhead girl was executed days prior to the German surrender in the Netherlands. For many years, the government blocked a memorial to Hannie.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing, and what one was the most challenging?
I had the most fun writing the back-and-forth comments between the interviewer and Freddie. His antipathy toward her because she had fought with the communists is palpable. Her disavowing Stalin’s attack on Czechoslovakia and her repudiation of the communist nonsense gave the interviewer the one-two punch. The most challenging was telling the story of the dunes at Overveen and the ringing the bell for the brave men and women executed there.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’ve just finished Iberia, an extensive story on the Spanish Reconquista, which follows a family through those difficult times. My work now in development is The Elf in the Table, a historical fantasy set in the Revolutionary War.
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The interview explores how the sisters were recruited and how Hannie, known as “the girl with the red hair,” became part of the Resistance when she refused to take an oath to Hitler and the Nazi puppet government he installed in Holland.
The sisters were drawn into the conflicts and learned quickly how to thwart dangerous situations, including the murder of Nazi soldiers by tricking them for sex. Freddie explores the persecution of members of the Dutch Resistance over their political views and how the Dutch government blocked placement of a memorial honoring Hannie Schaft.
Loss Is So Loud
Loss Is So Loud, by Jane Merling, delivers a compelling blend of suspense, love, and loss. The story centers on Sarah Koening, a brilliant and striking businesswoman who seems to have it all—a thriving life shared with her equally accomplished and admired husband, Christian. Together, they run the family enterprises Koening Shipping Ltd and the Koening Inn, commanding respect and admiration from their community. But Sarah’s world shatters in an instant. One morning, she kisses Christian goodbye, blissfully unaware it will be the last time she ever sees him. Her beloved husband becomes the victim of a tragic hit-and-run, setting off a chain of events that will change everything she thought she knew.
The novel plunges into Sarah’s grief and confusion as she struggles to find her footing in a life now defined by loss. Her pain feels raw and tangible, and she is haunted by an overwhelming sense that her late grandmother, Ava, is trying to communicate an urgent message about Christian’s death. Friends and family tread carefully around Sarah, offering time and space to grieve. Yet she can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. When she uncovers a chilling truth, that Christian’s death might not have been an accident but a murder, her sorrow gives way to determination. Who could have wanted to harm her kind, sweet husband? As suspicions mount and secrets unravel, Sarah embarks on a perilous quest for the truth, no matter the cost.
Jane Merling masterfully captures the many faces of grief. In my experience, the aftermath of a loss can be deafening as people flood in with condolences and support. Yet it can also be unbearably silent when those well-wishers return to their everyday routines, leaving you behind in an empty void. Merling weaves this duality beautifully into the narrative, creating a story that is deeply resonant and authentic. Yet this isn’t a novel solely about sorrow. It is a heartfelt exploration of love, family, and the enduring bonds that give us strength. At the same time, it brims with intrigue, transforming into a gripping murder mystery that spans locales as varied as the serene German countryside, the vibrant streets of Paris, and the confined, tense atmosphere of cruise ship staterooms.
Sarah shines as a protagonist—lovely, complex, and vividly real. The author takes time to build a colorful and endearing supporting cast, each character brimming with loyalty and grace. Their connections with Sarah radiate hope, even in the darkest moments. The interplay of grief and suspense is masterfully handled, keeping readers engaged and emotionally invested. The narrative does an exquisite job of balancing moments of heartache with the pulse-pounding tension of uncovering the truth. It’s a wonderful mix, weaving themes of family devotion with a thrilling whodunit plot that keeps you guessing until the end.
Loss Is So Loud isn’t just a story; it’s an experience. With poignant reflections on love and a fast-paced, unpredictable mystery, this novel stands out as a must-read for those who crave a tale that is both heartfelt and full of twists. It will leave you breathless, hopeful, and wholly satisfied.
Pages: 396 | ISBN : 1068942304
Into the Mist
In a world where past and present collide… Cheyenne Tanner, heartbroken and lost, stumbles upon a Victorian mansion shrouded in mist. Inside, forgotten memories whisper through dusty hallways… and the past beckons her. Slipping into the year 1895, she meets Augustus Moore, a man whose fate is destined to intertwine with hers. As time fractures, Cheyenne uncovers a sinister plot—a betrayal that could destroy everything and everyone she has come to love. Can her heart’s strength rewrite destiny? “Into the Mist.” Hurry, time is running out.
Every Day Is Like Sunday: The Secret Story of Nazi-Looted Art Being…Re-looted
Every Day Is Like Sunday takes us on a whirlwind journey through history with a personal narrative. It’s a gripping exploration of Nazi-looted art and the quest for justice that emerges generations later. The book intertwines the story of an Irishman, Roy Kean, and a Jewish girl, Lily Braun, against a backdrop of art theft, survival, and the lasting scars of World War II. With vivid detail, the author weaves an intricate tapestry of events that kept me hooked, from the glittering heists in New York City to the dark and desperate moments in Nazi-occupied Munich.
The writing style caught me off guard at first. John Doe tells the story as though you’re sitting at a bar listening to a friend share an incredible, albeit occasionally rambling, tale. This voice makes the narrative engaging and real. The dialogue and details pop, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at Roy’s scheming. Yet, the humor quickly gives way to the gut-wrenching reality of Lily’s trauma in wartime Munich. That shift from carefree to devastating was jarring, and it’s a testament to the book’s emotional depth.
The Braun family’s narrow escapes and the unimaginable courage of Lily moved me. Her journey, from surviving a Nazi attack to a haunting encounter with Hildebrand Gurlitt’s art-looting empire, is told with such rawness that I felt her pain and determination. The story isn’t afraid to show the horrors, but it also highlights resilience. The author captures that blend of fear and hope in a way that lingered with me. The writing occasionally meanders, especially during the lengthy historical interludes about Nazi art looters. While fascinating, some parts felt overexplained and slowed the pace. I craved a tighter narrative focus on Roy and Lily, whose stories I found most compelling. Yet, these historical digressions did give weight to the book’s themes of legacy, art, and memory.
Every Day Is Like Sunday is an enthralling read for history buffs, art lovers, and anyone fascinated by tales of crime and survival. The book’s charm lies in its twists, turns, and emotional gut punches. If you enjoy stories that dance between dark truths and the occasional wild adventure, this one is worth your time.
Pages: 264 | ASIN: B0DFYL7CKM
Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh
Set in early 1900s India, Vermillion Harvest, Playtime at the Bagh by Reenita M. Hora is an evocative historical fiction novel that skillfully weaves the tale of star-crossed lovers dreaming of escaping to Bombay, far from prying eyes. Hora sheds light on a dark chapter in India’s history, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919, which took place during the Baisakhi spring festival. Through this short novel, Hora brings both the romance and tension of the era to life with a story that captures the lovers’ struggle for a future free from societal scrutiny and under the looming shadow of British rule.
The story unfolds with striking historical accuracy, immersing readers in a powerful narrative that portrays the grim reality facing Hora’s characters leading up to the massacre. Even for readers unfamiliar with this history, the novel is a deeply informative journey, making one feel both sorrow and frustration as the characters challenge a society that forbids their love and resists the oppressive British regime. I could not help but root for them to reach Bombay, free to love and live as they wish.
Hora’s incorporation of Jane Austen references adds another dimension to the story, and fans of Pride and Prejudice will recognize Austen’s influence in the lovers’ struggle against societal norms. While the historical context is masterfully depicted, readers may occasionally find themselves needing to pause to look up certain terms, which, though slightly distracting, ultimately enriches the authenticity and depth of the novel’s portrayal of early 20th-century India.
Vermillion Harvest, Playtime at the Bagh is a haunting, well-researched, and intricately woven tale that combines romance and resistance, making it both an enlightening and emotional read. Readers of historical fiction and those drawn to stories of forbidden love will find this novel rewarding.
Pages: 312 | ISBN: 1953278523
LITERARY TITAN 