Blog Archives
Anna, the Princess and the Pendant
Anna Owens is a bright, imaginative seventeen-year-old living in the quiet town of Morrisville, North Carolina. Yet beneath her composed surface brews a yearning for something more, something strange, something thrilling. That desire becomes reality when Anna is summoned to her dying grandmother’s side and receives a curious parting gift: a green gemstone said to possess unusual powers. As it turns out, the stories are true. The gem is a portal, a key to a dreamscape filled with romance, peril, and discovery.
Anna, the Princess, and the Pendant, the debut novel by J.E. London, offers a spellbinding coming-of-age fantasy that blends elements of classic portal fiction with a touch of gothic mystery. Echoes of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell surface throughout, though London’s voice remains distinct.
The premise may sound familiar: an adolescent longing for adventure, drawn into an alternate realm, but it endures for a reason. Such narratives tap into our collective craving for escape and transformation. Here, that escapism is filtered through Anna’s emotional lens, adding depth to what might otherwise feel conventional.
Anna is painted with nuance. She is impulsive, deeply emotional, and teetering on the edge of adulthood. Romantic entanglements tempt her, pulling her between logic and longing, between the budding maturity of a young woman and the whimsy of the girl she still partly is. This tension feels authentic and is one of the novel’s quiet strengths.
London’s real distinction lies in the richness of historical context and vivid sensory detail. The dream world Anna explores never loses its grounding. A delicate balance is maintained, ethereal settings balanced with tactile realism. Even as Anna faces life-altering decisions, the prose remains buoyant, never descending into overwrought drama. The stakes are real, though largely emotional, centering on the tumult and vulnerability of first love.
Anna, the Princess, and the Pendant marks a compelling entry into young adult fantasy. It’s a heartfelt, imaginative journey, and J.E. London proves to be as captivating a storyteller as Anna is a heroine.
Pages: 200 | ASIN: B079KHD1PC
A Certain Man
Linda Dindzans’ A Certain Man is a strikingly heartfelt and vividly imagined piece of biblical fiction. It follows Mara, a Samaritan woman navigating the brutal constraints of her culture, her faith, and her heart during the time of Christ. Told through lush, poetic prose and an unflinching lens, the novel begins with a young love interrupted by betrayal and spirals into a gripping journey of survival, soul-searching, and transformation. With its backdrop of Roman-occupied Judea and familiar Gospel moments reimagined, the story weaves spiritual truths with deeply personal struggles, culminating in a powerful retelling of the woman at the well.
What stood out most to me was Dindzans’ writing. Her style is rich but never overdone, lyrical without losing clarity. She manages to make the ancient world feel immediate. There’s real grit in her characters, especially Mara, who is no porcelain saint. She’s bruised, desperate, fierce—and incredibly human. I felt every injustice, every small joy, every beat of her aching heart. The dialogue is often simple, but it hums with tension and longing. The scenes of violence, particularly those involving Mara’s forced betrothal, are hard to read but so crucial. They ring too true. You don’t just observe Mara’s suffering—you feel pulled under with her.
It’s the ideas that linger. The novel tackles faith, consent, justice, and freedom in a world built to deny those very things to women like Mara. And yet, there’s hope threaded through it all, not in neat resolutions, but in the idea of redemption. The figure of Yeshua appears in glimpses, each one filled with quiet power and startling gentleness. Dindzans doesn’t preach. Instead, she lays bare the deep hunger for mercy and lets the possibility of grace rise naturally. I was especially moved by how she links trauma with spiritual healing, not with platitudes, but through real, painful growth.
A Certain Man is for anyone who loves powerful women, deep questions, and stories that reach beyond their setting to hit something true. It’s especially for readers of biblical fiction who want more than sanitized retellings—this one is raw, brave, and beautifully unsettling. I’d hand it to fans of Francine Rivers or Mesu Andrews, or anyone longing for a story where faith doesn’t erase suffering, but shines all the brighter through it.
Pages: 415 | ASIN: B0D98K4BPT
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
Finding Manhood in Scotland by Victor Atyas
Viper Island by Cameron K. Moore
The Ballad of Midnight and McRae by Jess Lederman
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Past Preserve Us
Past Preserve Us is a richly textured historical romance set in 1968, blending the backdrop of the waning days of the Vietnam War in America with the emotionally intricate life of Jeannie Parks, a young widow and textile curator at Great Lakes University. At the heart of the novel is Jeannie’s journey through grief, resilience, and rediscovery, sparked unexpectedly by a rugged mammalogist named Dr. Nicholas Randall. What begins as a collision between the two turns into a slow-burn entanglement of intellect, humor, and buried longing. Woven through it all is a deep appreciation for textile history, academic life, and the quiet power of community.
This isn’t just a love story. It’s about healing after devastating loss, about finding meaning in small things, like a student’s enthusiasm for a costume collection or a widower’s story told in a church basement. Nickles is careful not to make grief a plot device; she respects it, lingers with it, lets it shape her characters without overwhelming the story. The romantic tension between Jeannie and Nick is electric but mature, refreshingly grounded in their very real, very messy lives. And can we talk about Nick? He’s smart, a little cocky, rugged in all the best ways—total heartthrob, but with depth. Their chemistry? Off the charts.
I was absolutely drawn in by the writing. Carol Nickles doesn’t just describe scenes, she animates them. The smell of vinegar from a lunchroom pickle jar, the hiss of cold Michigan wind, the warmth of a hand on a coat sleeve—all of it feels immediate and intimate. Her characters are full of life, especially Jeannie, who is one of the most relatable heroines I’ve come across in a long time. She’s complicated, often overwhelmed, sarcastically funny, and achingly real. The prose moves with energy, shifting from wistful to witty without missing a beat. That blend of emotion and detail makes it’s hard not to get pulled in.
Past Preserve Us made me laugh, ache, and even tear up once or twice. It’s for anyone who’s ever lost something and still dared to hope again. I’d recommend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction with strong female leads, fans of slow-burn romance, and anyone who appreciates a smart, beautifully crafted story about life, loss, and love.
Pages: 390 | ASIN : B0F1PB24KC
An Unexpectedly Tender Heart
Wolf of the Nordic Seas follows a fierce shield maiden and heir to the coastal Viking stronghold of Étretat, who, after her father is captured by a ruthless Frankish count who demands her hand in marriage, finds herself caught between political alliances and personal vengeance. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In Wolf of the Nordic Seas (book 2 of the Valiant Vikings trilogy), I wanted to have the story take place within the same setting that I introduced in Dragon of Denmark– the alabaster coast of Normandy known as the Pays de Caux (the Land of the White Chalk Cliffs). I wanted to continue the political tension between the Franks and the Vikings of Normandy, by creating a shield maiden who seeks to avenge her brother’s death through powerful alliances with Richard the Fearless (the Viking Duke of Normandy in the tenth century) and my fictional character–the Danish Jarl of Ribe known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas.
What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
Political alliances between Viking rulers were often secured through arranged marriages, so I used that historical premise as the basis for the interaction between my main characters. Since Richard the Fearless was a political ally of Harald Bluetooth (the Viking King of Denmark and Norway), I created an arranged marriage between the daughter of the Norman Count of Étretat and the powerful Danish Jarl of Ribe to solidify Viking power in Normandy against the Franks.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It was essential that for me to create a fiery, rebellious Viking shield maiden for a strong female lead character. I also wanted to create a fierce Danish warlord with an unexpectedly tender heart beneath his brutal exterior.
In Dragon of Denmark (book 1 of the Valiant Vikings trilogy), I introduced some intriguing characters and plot developments based on Viking myths and legends. For Wolf of the Nordic Seas, I wanted to delve much more deeply into Norse mythology by creating such characters as the Úlfhéðnar wolf warriors, a Viking völva with malevolent seiðr magic, and the magical realm of Álfheim.
I also chose to incorporate Celtic and Nordic legends, such as the Druid priestesses of the Gallizenae– the shape-shifting mermaids who transform into mammoth sea dragon warriors of the Norse Goddess Rán.
When will book three be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
I am currently writing book 3, Falcon of the Faroe Islands, the thrilling conclusion of the Valiant Vikings trilogy, which I expect to be published in late summer of 2025.
It will take readers into the mystical realm of the Lofoten Islands in the wild, rugged north of Norway, where we meet the prophesied Son of the Dragon. We’ll venture into the fiery, frosty world of medieval Iceland, and to the remote Faroe Islands, home of Haldor Falk– the shape-shifting vitki who transforms into a falcon, first introduced in Dragon of Denmark.
I hope my readers will enjoy the sizzling blend of historical fiction, paranormal fantasy, Norse mythology, and the steamy Viking romance between the völva Úlvhild and the Falcon of the Faroe Islands, Haldor Falk!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | Amazon
Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir is a skilled shieldmaiden who seeks vengeance against the ruthless Frankish count who killed her brother and abducted her father in an attempt to seize her clifftop castle. But rather that submit to the count’s relentless demand for her hand in marriage, Elfi allies with Richard the Fearless—the Viking Duke of Normandy— and the Danish Jarl of Ribe known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas.
As Elfi and Njörd discover startling secrets about their respective pasts, they find that the three Norns have entwined the threads of their fates not just as political allies, but as mates destined to fulfill a divine prophecy.
Wolf of the Nordic Seas— book 2 of the Valiant Vikings series set in tenth century Normandy— is a sizzling, scintillating blend of historical fiction, Norse mythology, paranormal fantasy, and steamy Viking romance!
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
Survive an Ancient Sorrow by Michael Greenwald
Native Arcana by C.J. Caughman
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
THE MYTHOLOGIES OF THE AMERICAS – A BOOK TRILOGY by Roberto Jimenez
Fleeting Moments, Eternal Memories by Manmohan Sadana
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
LITERARY TITAN 