Blog Archives
Interview with Death, Tales from the Afterworld Book 1
In Interview with Death by V. K. Pasanen, readers are introduced to Nathan Miller, a man whose personal tragedies have inadvertently set him on a path of eerie inspiration, guided by Death itself. As a successful war correspondent and writer, Nathan seems to lead a charmed life, shielded by a perceived invincibility linked to his supernatural muse. Yet beneath his professional triumphs, he grapples with overpowering guilt that spirals into addiction.
This supernatural fantasy novel, tinged with magical realism, delves into a rich tapestry of themes, including politics, addiction, love, fate, and the omnipresence of death. The narrative strength lies in the intricate character development and exploring deep existential themes. Nathan’s authentic portrayal of internal conflicts and moral quandaries not only enhances the realism of his character but also pulls the reader into the depths of his tumultuous life. Death is personified in a complex yet intriguing manner, reminiscent of the whimsical yet profound portrayal found in Terry Pratchett’s works. This character adds a layer of suspense and philosophical musing to the plot, enriching the narrative. The presence of Kaisa, another pivotal character, introduces necessary emotional layers and acts as a mirror reflecting Nathan’s inner turmoil and growth. The novel does not shy away from the grim realities of historical atrocities such as ethnic cleansing, embedding these within its fabric to challenge the reader further. Despite these strengths, the novel occasionally stumbles in pacing and development. Certain plot points, particularly those detailing Nathan’s descent into addiction and his consequential decisions influenced by Death, seem hurried and underexplored.
Interview with Death is a compelling exploration of the darker sides of human nature and supernatural intervention. Its rich thematic base and complex characters offer an in-depth, if occasionally dense, narrative experience.
Pages: 316 | ASIN : B0CXXP6B53
Mercy on Your Soul
Mercy on Your Soul, by H. M. Mills, follows Mercy, a character who is part demon and part angel, allowing her to navigate both hell and heaven. Lucifer desires to make Mercy his queen to exploit her ability to access heaven and overthrow God. However, Mercy is in love with someone else and refuses Lucifer’s proposition. In response, he and his demons pursue her, while archangels, intent on thwarting Lucifer, seek to eliminate her. Aware of the peril she faces, Mercy goes on the run with her beloved and friends, some of whom are human, seeking assistance to ensure her survival and freedom.
The novel falls within the supernatural genre, featuring characters like demons, Satan, and angels. It is set in France, the United Kingdom, and various realms beyond Earth. The narrative highlights the rewards of taking a challenging path. Mercy had the option to mate-bond with Talus, eliminating her demonic side and rendering her useless to Lucifer, but she chose to fight and preserve herself until she was ready. When she eventually bonds with Talus, it is wholehearted and without regret.
A major strength of the book lies in its dual narrative perspectives, using both third and first person. Mercy narrates her story, offering readers valuable insight into her character. The third-person viewpoint allows the author to cover events outside Mercy’s realm, providing a broader overview of the story. The ending, which leaves readers wondering about the future of Mercy and Talus’s relationship, is also compelling. The introduction of numerous characters throughout the book adds depth, occasionally encouraging readers to revisit certain sections to fully appreciate their roles.
Mercy on Your Soul, by H. M. Mills, provides an engaging narrative filled with supernatural elements, compelling character perspectives, and a storyline that emphasizes the rewards of choosing a challenging path. With its unique mix of viewpoints and intriguing ending, the novel captivates readers while encouraging them to dive deeper into its richly woven tale.
Pages: 400 | ASIN : B08XWPWJ2F
The Loneliness of Miscommunication
The Curse of Balar follows the inhabitants of a decaying town starting with the murder of a young woman and leading to a sequence of vengeful events.What was the inspiration for this collection of stories?
I was working on another Gothic Horror novel (coming soon). For inspiration, I went back to the classics of the genre (e.g. Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.) and discovered that there might be unexplored aspects of the genre. The roles of female characters – for instance – were often limited. They were forced to accept what the male characters did to them – this did not seem right to me. All the stories flowed from this idea of subverting some of the tropes and seeing what came out of it.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
Humans are contradictory animals. The angel of the mind is always at odds with the ape of the body – in some sense. For me, there is story (and to some extent, horror) in this inner conflict. We are capable of feeling great guilt, but we are not so capable of avoiding the cause of that guilt in the first place. Furthermore, we have sophisticated means of communicating (what other species has a writing system), yet we are doomed to misinterpret each other or hide our true feelings behind euphemisms and lies.
This has become a feature of my writing: the loneliness of miscommunication. This is perhaps a battle only literature can win. But for now, it is what interests me most and what keeps me coming back to the keyboard.
What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
Scary stories stay with you. They stayed with me from childhood – a childhood in which I was given free rein of a library. I wandered into sections that were meant for older readers. I guess strange things happen when you finish all the Goosebumps and move on to Stephen King.
Furthermore, the unknown is scary – the unknown is a mystery (by its very definition). An unanswered question is what keeps me reading for all good books have a sense of mystery about them. Horror seems to embrace this aspect better than any other genre. Balar was my first step into this realm as a writer, and I hope that I instill that same sense of awe and curiosity in my readers.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am working on the rest of the Balar series. I am writing the next two installments concurrently. The first one is The Doom of Balar which I hope to release somewhere near the end of May 2024. There is a murder mystery at the heart of this short story collection, as Inspector Skender discovers a rather strange body left on display just outside the town. As he follows his leads, we discover more stories about the doomed residents of Balar.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Beasts stalk the woods, the dead rise from their graves, and not all is as it seems. Everyone carries a secret — a secret that can either be a blessing or a curse.
Welcome to Balar, a secluded town in the Carpathian Mountains. With the turn of the Twentieth Century looming, the townsfolk cling onto old traditions and superstitions while the world around them steadily marches into a new age. But all is not well in this backwater, for paranormal killers stalk the streets, strange creatures wonder the woods, and a mysterious resident has moved into the ruined castle on the hill.
Now, strangers arrive in town in search of lost treasure, destiny, and blood. Will they find what they seek or will they — like many before them — succumb to the Curse of Balar.
Thirteen stories of supernatural horror await the bravest readers in this, the first of a series of stories exploring the many secrets of the cursed town of Balar.
Warning! This book contains adult themes of violence and sexual conduct. +18
No AI was used in the creation of this book.
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
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 VOID by Safdar Ali
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Beginnings, Endings, and Meaning
Exoputians follows a group of genetically created humans who arrive on Earth during the Second American Civil War in an attempt to fulfill their mission of saving the planet from the climate crisis. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I actually thought first of the thematic elements of the story before fleshing out the details, something I haven’t done since, although I think it worked well for this novel. I wanted to tell a story from the ‘outsider’s’ perspective, and the best way to do that was to create the Exoputian. I am also one of those people that enjoys going ‘all the way’, and seeing America and the planet at large go down a reckless path for ‘glory’ and cash inspired me to push us to the brink of what current scientific predictions are suggesting. And then I added in the really big What If…Aliens came who could save us, but are we worth saving? The existential questions inspire me the most to write what I write, the morally questionable, the ethical hiccups, the confounding arguments the so-called smartest species on Planet Earth creates so as to believe ourselves righteous in the name of ourselves.
I felt that the science inserted in the fiction was well-balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?
Thank you for saying that, I appreciate it. I kept this story as realistic as possible, up until a point, as you mention. The science fiction elements are really only there to exacerbate the story that I wanted to tell, and it made the most sense to me to write it as I did. This is a foremost a story of America. I feel as if our world and the Exoputians’ is the same, just pulled further in time and hate and that one tidbit about extraterrestrials…that was where I needed the science to wrap the story up into what I wanted. The Exoputians are themselves a scientific experiment, yes, but they were really created to shine a light upon the darkness that is humanity. I felt that grounding was ‘easy’ as the Exoputians were tossed into a very real and horrible, dirty, gritty road trip through America, as humbling and unscientific as one can get, or feel, in a science fiction novel – I think…
I am also a seasoned traveler and have been to the ends of Africa where people are still using cows to plow fields, to trade as currency, where refrigerators do not exist. I like to intertwine the two worlds, the one of the raw and rugged survival, and the tech-heavy world, both LA and San Francisco fit the bill. These places are current in today’s timeline upon Planet Earth, it shocks, depresses, and confuses me every time. But LA and SF also have the poorest people I have ever seen in my life, in the richest country on Earth, where we build rockets to go to Space, for fun. I find the homeless of LA and the rural poor African as the grounded people in our fast paced world of high speed internet and space exploration. I just tried to add that one giant leap for human/Exoputiankind.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Definitely racial strife in America. White Nationalism is awful, extremely dangerous, and needs to be understood as one of the most realistic ways the American Empire falls. I also wanted to explore what it means to be human, I think I strive for that question and answer in all my writings, and if we can define human, is it actually a good thing? I really don’t have the answer but tend toward the skeptic in that argument. I could not write a book about racial strife and the general feel of America without going into politics. Neither ’side’ is right, and I wanted to show that in this story.
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?
As the book is, the story is complete. I am not a series writer and do not intend to be, I generally find stand alone novels (or stories-Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion is a two book set/one story) the best way to tell stories with beginnings and endings, and with meaning.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
With rising tides and thawing tundra, the Exoputians-a new species of human genetically created to live in Space and communicate with the Folbulae, land in the Republic of Texas following a missile strike on their Space station. Mary and the other Exoputians learn of the lies their progenitor taught them, training the Space-bred crew to use their novel communication to cure the planet they’d never set foot on. As Mary and the others road trip through racially segregated America, they encounter multiple attempts on their lives to follow through with their once-mission of saving the planet from the climate crisis.
Discover with Mary what’s worth saving on a planet prepared to destroy her entire species.
Content Warning: This novel is about the Second American Civil War, a race war. As such, it contains references to racism, police brutality, war, profanity, hate speech, violence, violence against minorities, racial slurs, sexual violence, drug use, death/murder, descriptions of gore, school shootings, animal death, slavery, terrorism, torture, kidnapping, homophobia, child death, alcohol/ism, and possibly others.
When the Hoax Becomes Real
Mimic follows an online content creator who accidentally opens a portal to another dimension, letting in a supernatural killer with the ability to imitate with great skill humans and invade the police. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The set up for Mimic was inspired by fake paranormal online content. They’re the kind of videos we often see where someone films themselves opening demon boxes, having seances or playing with spirit boards. I pondered what would happen if the creator of hoax content actually tapped into something from another realm. What would that mean for them specifically and for humanity as a whole.
A supernatural killer that mimics humans is a creative character. How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
The antagonist was inspired by my love of monsters and my belief that nothing is scarier than a deadly threat that blends in. A something or someone that could pass you on the street and you’d never know how close you came to certain death. As the story progressed, the antagonist transitioned from a basic creature to an otherworldly entity with a profound connection to the existence humans currently enjoy and that evolution afforded the exploration into how tenuous our reality truly is.
What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story, where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?
The most difficult part of writing a story like Mimic is keeping it unique, intriguing and engaging while ensuring it’s not predictable for the reader. Each revelation should be akin to a step on a staircase. Once the reader reaches the top and looks down on the story it should all come together. Knowing when to reveal something and how, becomes the real challenge. I worried constantly that I would reveal too much too soon. For me, it’s probably the most stressful part of writing a story.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
My next release, which will be book three of this series is called Lake Halcyon. Decima and the detectives are summoned to a small cottage town to investigate a series of deaths that all have a tie to water yet are seemingly impossible. Lake Halcyon explores mythology, mysticism and the power of the human mind. Tentatively, its release is slated for winter 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
When an online content creator accidentally opens a portal to another dimension, Decima, Rennic and Stokes find themselves in a high stakes game of cat and mouse with a mysterious entity armed with the ability to mimic and a hauntingly selective hunting pattern.
Racing against time, with mere days to unravel the truth behind the enigmatic adversary who is leaving a trail of victims in its wake, the team must confront the unknown to stop it, or risk altering the course of human history.
Mimic
In Mimic by T. Kolodziej, the typical day-to-day challenges of online content creators are unexpectedly compounded by the emergence of an otherworldly killer from another dimension. This blend of horror, science fiction, and police procedural unfurls through the urgent efforts of Ontario Police Service Detectives Decima, Stokes, and Rennic, who find themselves in a perilous game of cat and mouse with a creature that excels in human mimicry.
As the narrative progresses, the detectives grapple with a sinister foe whose mythological roots equip it with eerie abilities seemingly crafted to thwart modern investigative methods. The juxtaposition of cutting-edge technology against ancient supernatural forces creates a riveting dynamic that propels the story forward. As the body count rises, the urgency intensifies, compelling the trio to adapt their tactics in hopes of neutralizing this elusive threat. Readers familiar with Stephen King’s The Outsider, which also explores the theme of an incomprehensible horror concealed within everyday reality, will find resonant themes in Mimic. Skepticism in the face of the supernatural emerges as a fatal flaw, while those willing to embrace unconventional approaches may stand a chance against the darkness.
Mimic is a compelling tale that maintains a brisk pace and is filled with enough chilling moments to satisfy enthusiasts of the science fiction and horror genres. The novel’s seamless integration of different elements makes it a gripping read that challenges the boundaries between the known and the unknown.
Pages: 289 | ASIN : B0D2B7517R
LITERARY TITAN 