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In Spectacular and Memorable Fashion
In the Wrath of Legends follows a Nez Perce woman torn between two worlds, as she confronts military secrets, supernatural horrors, and her own haunted past in a battle where myth and history collide. What inspired you to blend indigenous spirituality and supernatural elements in a historical setting?
This similar genre mishmash was previously utilized in my first novel (“In the Lair of Legends”) in spectacular and memorable fashion, but for the sequel I wanted to delve deeper into those unique facets of the story by exploring even more of the culture and history pertaining to the Nez Perce and the historical context in which these exciting stories take place. For me, the supernatural elements have allowed me to highlight some very difficult and challenging (and hugely important) political and racial themes by allowing the reader to experience them through the lens of spirituality, legends, and incredible action. I tend to think of these stories as character-driven adventure tales anchored by a foundation of history and faith.
Chenoa Winterhawk is such a layered, resilient protagonist. Was she inspired by a specific person or story?
Chenoa is absolutely my favorite character that I’ve ever written! (And I actually felt that way about her in the previous book when we meet her as a 6 year-old girl who becomes Chief Jolon Winterhawk’s motivation to not only survive, but to completely alter his perception of what duty and fatherhood truly means.) In this book, Chenoa is dealing with the loss of hope, struggling with the concept of fading honor, and feeling betrayed by the very ideals that her father fought for. In these types of action/adventure stories, it’s customary to launch the story with physical threats. But here, I wanted to introduce Chenoa to gigantic emotional obstacles before having her face those monsters of legends and monsters of men. She’s very different from her father, so I wanted to approach her character atypically for the genre. She’s a warrior, certainly, but her motivations and actions are driven by something much more deeply-rooted than what uniform she wears, or what enemy she’s facing. She sees everything from the inside-out, which is a unique perspective for an action hero. Her resiliency stems from faith which allowed me to richly layer and explore her character in fascinating and unforgettable ways.
I felt that some scenes explore the cost of survival and the moral weight of violence. What truths were you hoping readers would wrestle with?
Violence casts a shadow in our lives and in our world; sometimes, it follows behind us for the rest of our lives. In this particular story, characters use violence as both a means of survival and of opportunity; selfish as well as selfless. The human antagonist in the book experienced a great violent injustice, so his retribution was to inflict that same pain and suffering tenfold. He took everything bad he’d experienced and made it worse because he felt that blood (innocent or otherwise) was the only way through his own suffering. Chenoa Winterhawk is a warrior and her own father was a decorated Civil War soldier. Her dichotomy is that she recognized violence as being the answer but wrestled with it as the only solution. Our actions have consequences, and the book deals with how they impact us through generations and into eternity.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next novel is called “Suspension.” It’s a standalone adventure/thriller set in 1990 that’s a literary homage to some of my favorite action movies like “Die Hard 2” and “Sudden Death.” It will be published by Black Rose Writing on November 19, 2026.
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Chenoa Winterhawk is a battle-hardened member of Oregon’s elite U.S. Army Indian Scouts, sworn to protect travelers across treacherous mountain terrain and dark forests whispering of ancient terrors. As the daughter of legendary Civil War hero Chief Jolon Winterhawk, Chenoa is also a warrior bound by duty, struggling with injustices brought upon the Nez Perce amidst the broken promises that have forced another relocation of her tribe.
While escorting a military leader carrying a mining map of an underground river hidden deep inside the Blue Mountains, Chenoa is ambushed by a rogue Army unit in a deadly dirigible assault. Their sadistic leader is a traitor from her past, driven by revenge to destroy her family’s legacy. The diabolical plan-destroy the mine and unleash the underground river, bringing a destructive flood onto sacred tribal lands to avenge personal betrayals.
Engaging ruthless military forces throughout unforgiving mountain wilderness and abandoned mines, Winterhawk wages the fiercest battle of her life. But she soon discovers that a much darker terror is also stalking her. Monstrous legends, roused from their ancient lair. These enormous creatures of myth were once faced by her father in an epic battle to the death. And now, it’s her turn…
UNTERTAUCHEN
Untertauchen tells the harrowing and intimate story of Hans and Anna Bracher, a Jewish couple caught in the rise of Nazi Germany. Based on true events, the novel begins in the calm years before the storm, then steadily descends into the chaos and cruelty of the Third Reich. It follows their love, their faith, and their desperate need to survive in a country that has turned against them. What struck me most was how personal the story felt. It isn’t just about history. It’s about ordinary people clinging to hope while everything familiar burns away.
Arthur M. James writes with a steady hand, not sensational but deeply felt. The dialogue feels natural, like you’re overhearing real people, not reading characters on a page. His pacing is patient. He lets dread build quietly, almost tenderly, until it suffocates. The writing has a kind of restraint that makes the moments of violence hit even harder. I admired how he never forgot the human faces behind the history. These weren’t statistics. They were parents, lovers, neighbors. I found myself angry at times, then suddenly heartbroken. It’s that emotional swing that makes the book hard to put down.
The cruelty is not graphic for shock’s sake, but it’s honest. And it’s relentless. That’s what makes it powerful. The book reminds you how fear seeps into everyday life, how people adapt just to stay invisible. I loved that James didn’t make the story tidy. There’s no neat justice here. Just survival, loss, and the small flickers of kindness that somehow outlast hate. His prose feels both old-fashioned and immediate, like a letter from another century that still matters now.
When I closed the book, I sat for a while. It left me quiet, reflective, and oddly grateful. Untertauchen is a story for readers who want more than history, they want to feel what it meant to live it. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction with soul, to those who study the Holocaust, and to anyone who believes courage isn’t loud but steady.
Pages: 695 | ASIN : B0CWT2MR8M
IN THE WRATH OF LEGENDS
David Buzan’s In the Wrath of Legends is a sweeping historical thriller that fuses mythology, frontier violence, and spiritual depth into a relentless narrative. The story picks up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, following Chenoa Winterhawk, a fierce, complex Nez Perce woman, caught between two worlds. As she navigates the tensions between Native traditions and the encroaching modern age, she becomes entangled in a web of military secrets, supernatural terrors, and personal reckonings. From the haunted mines of Oregon to the skies above the Blue Mountains, Buzan crafts a story where the past refuses to stay buried, and every legend hides a truth too monstrous to ignore.
The writing is vivid and poetic, often leaning into raw, sensory detail that grips your imagination and refuses to let go. Buzan doesn’t just write scenes; he paints them. The dialogue snaps with tension, and the pacing, alternating between explosive action and quiet, meditative passages, keeps the heart engaged and the mind uneasy. I was struck by how seamlessly he weaves indigenous spirituality and historical realism together. It’s not a romanticized view of history, but a hard look at betrayal, survival, and the thin line between faith and fury. At times, the prose feels almost cinematic, but what gives it weight are the moral undercurrents. This isn’t just a story about monsters; it’s a story about what people become when they’re forced to face them.
Emotionally, the book hit me harder than I expected. Chenoa’s journey is one of constant loss and rediscovery, and I found myself rooting for her even when the darkness seemed too heavy to fight. The monsters in the story, both human and otherwise, serve as mirrors, showing what happens when hope falters. I felt anger, awe, and even sorrow while turning the pages. Buzan writes with a kind of unfiltered honesty that sometimes cuts close to the bone. He doesn’t shield the reader from violence or grief, yet every brutal moment seems to serve a deeper truth about resilience and spirit.
In the Wrath of Legends is for anyone who wants to understand how myth and history can intertwine to reveal the soul of a people. It’s perfect for readers who love stories with grit, mystery, and heart, people who crave character-driven tales set against a backdrop of real pain and impossible beauty. If you want a book that challenges your emotions while thrilling your imagination, this one deserves your time and then some.
Pages: 298 | ASIN: B0FWS1BD91
A Cry for Vengeance
The story begins in Tucson in 1968 with a hospice nurse who records a dying man’s confession. He reveals that his true identity is Franz Dietrich, a Nazi officer who escaped justice and lived under an alias in the United States. What follows is a tense unraveling of secrets. A writer, Bryan De Luca, is drawn into the mystery and begins tracing the threads of Nazi war criminals who were protected after the war. Along the way, he uncovers government complicity, survivor testimonies, and chilling reminders of how the past refuses to stay buried. The novel blends history, moral questions, and suspense into a gripping narrative that moves across personal stories and larger political shadows.
I easily sank into the flow of the writing. The conversations feel natural, almost like eavesdropping on people with something heavy on their hearts. There is a rawness in the way guilt, regret, and fear are drawn out, yet it never tips into melodrama. At times, the pacing slows, almost deliberately, as if to make me sit with the weight of what is being revealed. That worked for me. It made the moments of tension sharper and more unsettling. I’ll admit, though, there were times I wanted things to move a little quicker, but then I’d be pulled right back in by a revelation or a moral dilemma that felt too real to ignore.
I felt anger at the injustice, sadness at the lives lost or scarred, and frustration at the bureaucratic indifference that let murderers live quietly in suburbia. There’s a thread of hope in the survivors’ voices, but also a deep weariness. I appreciated how the author didn’t try to tie everything neatly with a bow. Life, especially life touched by atrocity, rarely allows that. At times, I found myself thinking not just about the characters but about my own willingness to look away from uncomfortable truths. That kind of reflection is what makes this story powerful.
I’d recommend A Cry for Vengeance to anyone who likes a blend of history and thriller, but also to readers who don’t mind being left with hard questions. It’s not just about chasing old ghosts. It’s about the cost of silence, the burden of memory, and the uneasy choices people make in the name of survival or justice.
Pages: 191 | ASIN : B0FJ5257B6
Nothing Is Ever Black And White
A Game of Masquerade follows a time-traveling professor who goes back in time to London in 1888, where he ends up working with Scotland Yard to find a serial killer, all while avoiding any alterations to history. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have always had a huge interest in stories involving time travel. There’s something fascinating about someone experiencing history firsthand – being brought face to face with the people who are living it as present day. It’s quite a different scenario than simply picking up a book and reading about the past. Suddenly these people are real and no longer a footnote in history. But stepping into history means there is a risk of altering established events – if you change one thing then what happens to the future you expect to happen?
Another enduring fascination of mine is the mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper. Even if his identity had been discovered, the brutality of his crimes would still engender interest, but the fact that he was never caught, maintains the mystery which invites endless speculation and gives a writer the chance to think outside the box.
What intrigues you about this time period enough to write such a thrilling period piece?
The East End of London in the 19th century is a rich character all its own! The hardships – how people survived such a tenuous existence, the opportunists preying on the vulnerable, the attitudes of the time – there is so much detail that the story takes on a life of its own. Introducing Jack the Ripper into this already volatile setting is like striking a match in a powder keg igniting fear, intolerances and anger in an already-turbulent sphere. It is both a shocking and fascinating study.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
I believe that, more often that not, nothing is ever black and white. In the case of my novel, Jack the Ripper has his reasons for killing which can never be condoned, yet these reasons have left damaging psychological scars. But it is his choices, made of his own free will, which creates the monster. It’s an interesting element to explore and makes for great storytelling.
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?
The novel is a stand-alone piece however the protagonist, Professor Orlando Delbrotman’s story, has not finished and I have some ideas as to his fate! I have sketched out some thoughts and will take the Professor to another time in history long before the 19th century. It will take time to write, but it will be time well spent so please stay tuned!
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But what if there is more to this mystery than meets the eye? What if the identity of the murderer is more than
human? A fugitive from another world who joins forces with Scotland Yard is soon to discover that past and future
events have created a monster, which ignites fear and outrage on the streets of the East End.
To stop the murderous rampage in 1888, Professor Orlando Delbrotman must solve one of the most brutal mysteries of the 19th century…without changing history…
A Game of Masquerade
A Game of Masquerade blends historical crime with speculative fiction, pulling Jack the Ripper out of the fog and into a stranger and darker light. The story follows Professor Orlando Delbrotman, a time-traveling outsider who stumbles into the grimy alleys of 1888 London. His mission is unclear even to himself at first, but soon he becomes entangled in the investigation of the Ripper murders alongside Scotland Yard. What begins as an observational trip turns into a dangerous game of survival, trust, and pursuit, with the Professor moving between the dim-lit taverns, cold morgues, and filthy streets of Whitechapel. The setting is thick with atmosphere, and the narrative swings between gritty human suffering and the strange detachment of an alien mind learning the limits of morality.
The writing carries the weight of the setting with vivid detail, but it also knows when to lean on humor or eccentricity. I liked how the author didn’t shy away from the brutal realities of the time. The women in the story aren’t romanticized; their hardship is tangible, and their conversations are raw. The Professor, in contrast, is formal, almost awkward, and I found that gap between his precise, alien perspective and the chaos around him strangely compelling. The pacing can be a slow burn in places, but that gave me time to sit with the tension rather than rush through it.
Some parts felt theatrical, almost like a stage play with its sharp entrances and dramatic exchanges. Sometimes it worked, adding color and energy, and other times it brought me out of the scene. Still, I admired how the book balanced historical authenticity with a speculative twist without letting one overwhelm the other. The Ripper mystery has been told in countless ways, yet this take felt fresh, partly because of the outsider’s-eye view and partly because of the relatable moments that broke through the gloom.
I’d recommend A Game of Masquerade to readers who enjoy historical mysteries with a speculative slant, particularly those who like their stories gritty yet occasionally whimsical. If you’re curious about what happens when history’s shadows meet something not quite of this Earth, you’ll find plenty to chew on here.
Pages: 333 | ASIN : B0DW69W3S1
Forecast
Aaron Ryan’s Forecast presents a gripping and thought-provoking story centered on Roland Bishop, a 28-year-old meteorologist from Jersey whose life is irrevocably changed after surviving a lightning strike. The incident leaves him with an extraordinary ability: he can foresee catastrophic events before they unfold. However, these visions come with a chilling caveat; they only manifest in the presence of individuals on the brink of committing devastating acts, including terrorism. As Roland struggles to understand the implications of his newfound power, he faces an agonizing dilemma: should he intervene to prevent disaster, or does meddling in fate risk unleashing unintended consequences?
Ryan weaves a story that is as suspenseful as it is intellectually stimulating, tackling themes of fate, free will, and the harrowing burden of responsibility. The novel does not merely present a man with premonitions; it plunges the reader into his psychological torment, forcing them to consider the weight of knowing too much.
The writing is sharp, immersive, and relentless in its pacing. Ryan constructs a world brimming with moral ambiguity, capturing the essence of Roland’s internal conflict with a palpable sense of urgency. The premise itself is fascinating, one man burdened with the knowledge of looming tragedies, including events akin to 9/11. Yet, it is the execution that truly elevates the novel. Each vision Roland experiences intensifies the tension, and as he attempts to alter the future, the butterfly effect looms ominously in the background. The story constantly forces the reader to question: is intervention an act of heroism or hubris?
Beyond its riveting plot, Forecast excels in its thematic depth. The age-old struggle between fate and free will is explored with precision as Roland grapples with the unnerving possibility that his actions might be predetermined. Can he truly change the course of events, or is he merely a pawn in an unchangeable timeline? The novel does not offer easy answers, making Roland’s moral dilemmas all the more compelling. His internal turmoil is visceral, his fear and uncertainty radiating from the pages, drawing readers into his desperate attempts to navigate an impossible situation.
Ryan also succeeds in crafting a world that feels unpredictable and chaotic, mirroring the protagonist’s own unstable reality. The novel blends elements of thriller and psychological drama seamlessly, offering both high-stakes suspense and philosophical reflection. Readers are not only kept on edge by the tension-laden plot but are also invited to contemplate the ethics of intervention, the limits of human agency, and the price of knowledge.
Forecast is a riveting, intelligent, and emotionally charged thriller. For readers who appreciate high-concept suspense novels laced with deep ethical quandaries, Aaron Ryan delivers a story that is as exhilarating as it is thought-provoking.
Pages: 339 | ASIN : B0DLQ9HMFP
With Full Intent
Jon Gaskins’ With Full Intent unfolds like a slow-burning bonfire in the heart of 1930s Virginia. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the novel begins with a chilling discovery of multiple murders on a plantation. The narrative hooks you immediately, transporting you to a time when law enforcement relied as much on intuition as emerging forensic science. The story explores the hunt for justice in a community torn by secrets and the lingering shadows of systemic inequality.
Gaskins doesn’t just describe the rolling fields or dusty roads; he places you there, with the smells of manure and tobacco leaves filling the air. The descriptions are sharp and raw, setting a stark contrast to the brutality of the crime at the heart of the story. The pacing, particularly in the first few chapters, builds tension effectively, even if some scenes linger longer than necessary. The characters are a standout feature, particularly Deputy Kendricks, who serves as a lens into the complexities of the investigation. His mix of naivety and determination brings authenticity, especially as he navigates not only the crime but also the entrenched prejudices of his environment. Floyd Williams, the black farmhand who discovers the bodies, is another compelling character. His role highlights the intersection of race and justice, especially poignant when he’s thrust into suspicion simply because of proximity to the victims. These dynamics made me empathize with Floyd, even as I winced at the systemic injustices he faced. Thematically, the book succeeds in exploring the fragility of trust and the consequences of greed. The depiction of the Cannon brothers’ wealth as both a shield and a target is particularly sharp. Scenes involving the safe—both as a physical object and a symbol of secrets—stood out as both metaphorical and plot-driving. The novel’s treatment of burgeoning forensic science is another highlight. Kendricks’ visit to the Bureau of Investigation’s lab was a fascinating window into early criminology, showcasing both the potential and the limitations of technology at the time.
With Full Intent is a gripping historical thriller that thrives on its evocative setting and layered characters. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy crime dramas with a strong sense of history and don’t mind a bit of narrative indulgence. It is a story that lingers, reminding us of the human cost of justice and the ever-present scars of history. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with moral complexity and atmospheric depth, this one’s for you.
Pages: 229 | ASIN : B0CZV272RY
LITERARY TITAN 