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A Man in Pieces
For most, life has never been a bed of roses; for Mike, it has been no different. Not only does he have to work for clients he utterly despises and condones, but he also has a bitter superior with an identity crisis. He is neck-deep in debt and does not have hope for a silver lining to get out anytime soon. Now his wife is heavily pregnant, he has to shoulder the responsibility of providing for all their needs. All with a smile on his face. But the pressure keeps building, and Mike is this close to caving in. What happens when the last straw finally meets the camel’s back, will it break Mike, or is there light at the end of the tunnel? And most importantly, what could the last straw be?
A Man In Pieces by Henry Corrigan is a tragic story about two men who are barely holding it together. Tom believes life sucks. A past he successfully suppressed is slowly resurfacing, and yet, he’s not ready to accept it. To feel in control of something since he failed with his personal life, he lashes out at anyone and everyone, including his subordinate, Mike, who’s equally having a hard time living life too. Unlike Tom, Mike is doing a great job masking his fears, concerns, and distress. But his pregnant wife, Claire, knows there is more behind his tired smile. Every day he comes home, she tries her hardest to crack him and fix him before it’s too late. But Claire is all Mike has, and the last thing he wants is to burden her with his problems. Eventually, he succumbs to Claire and pours out some of his worries. From then on, things seemed to be looking up for Mike and Claire. Little did they know that something in Claire’s past was brewing…
At first, A Man In Pieces can be confusing as readers are given a lot of information in the beginning, building out the main characters’ backstories. There is little action in the opening chapters, but building the story of the two men and their lives is interesting. Henry Corrigan fleshes out this novel in detail, turning it into a story that will make readers experience feelings of contempt, pity, happiness, hope, distraught, and love. Readers who fancy a short, tragic book with extremely descriptive scenes will find this book fascinating. Also, I recommend this book to mature readers.
Pages: 100 | ASIN : B0B1VXBZT3
Helping A Young Ghost
Ghost Boy follows a group of friends who set out to help a ghost in need and solve a curious mystery while facing a dangerous threat. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
When I was young I loved to read middle-grade mysteries that included adventures. I particularly liked the ones where the kids thought it out and talked to people who gave them helpful information. This enabled them eventually to solve the mystery, mostly without any adult help. These books had a few scary moments, but there was also kid fun to balance things out.
I like history a lot and wanted to include a look at the town’s past mining industry. This helped me to tie some elements of the story together.
Finally, to add another layer to the book, I thought kids might like to read a ghost story. That’s why I included this in the story. I tried to imagine how kids would react to helping a young ghost find peace.
The characters in your story are intriguing and well developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I worked on this book over about six years. I’d written eight nonfiction children’s books and hundreds of articles and stories, but this was my first fiction book. My characters changed a lot over that time. At first the dialogue I wrote for them didn’t sound realistic. So, I had my characters write journal entries about themselves and the mystery. I found this to be very helpful.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
When I was researching the historic element of the book I read a lot about the pioneers of this area. They had to be resilient. I tried to show this in the book’s characters. They encountered problems and sometimes made mistakes, but they didn’t give up.
I think this idea of not giving up is an important concept for kids today. Most kids encounter problems of various sorts in their lives. The important thing is for them to not give up on their dreams.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
From the start I wanted there to be three Ghost Boy books. The main characters would stay the same and the books would all feature adventure as well as a mystery.
I’m about halfway through the second Ghost Boy book. In The Secret of Cougar Pass the kids explore a cave that they later learn is said to be cursed. But they want to go back to help a young ghost connect with his long-dead parents.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
After Tyler Scott finds the skull, he’s shocked when the ghost asks him to help find his dad, who has probably been dead for years. He and his friends Addy and David Jacobson set out on the seemingly impossible quest. They have to work hard to solve the mystery before whoever is watching them does more than just threaten.
In Ghost Boy, by Jan Burns, we see these children setting out on a seemingly impossible quest to help a young ghost. Will their friendship hold up after things become dangerous?
Endemic
Endemic by Robert Chazz Chute follows Ovid Fairweather as she tries to navigate a world ravaged by a disease that turns people essentially braindead. As with any collapse of society, a power vacuum develops, and various individuals group together to seize that power. The Memory Keepers are no different, as they seek to weaponize information necessary for all to survive. Can Ovid find a way to survive in a world that aims to take whatever she has left? And can she do it while reconciling with her troubled past?
Other reviewers have it right when they say that this story is not one that neatly falls into the post-apocalyptic or dystopian genres, thanks in large part to the level of realism it maintains. This is a considerable strength of the story and will keep readers interested from chapter to chapter.
The structure of the story, while this could have been action-packed or dripping with tension from scene to scene, we are instead interrupted by flashbacks from Ovid as she attempts to deal with the trauma of her past, both with her parents and her therapist. Some readers may find these enlightening, giving readers a look into Ovid’s past and gaining a better understanding of why she does the things she does.
Ovid endures a great deal in her past and present life. The author does a fantastic job incorporating her past experiences into the main plot points, thus keeping readers guessing and gasping as they read. I would be happy to read more from this setting, and its characters in the future, so here’s hoping there’s a sequel on the way soon.
Endemic is a suspenseful and thrilling science fiction novel with a dystopian twist. Readers will be drawn into the world that at times is almost too real and plausible and left with an eerie feeling of could this happen to me.
Pages: 412 | ASIN : B09KMDMBGC
Passion and Fear are Close Bedfellows
Another Slice of Fear is a collection of short stories that explore fear in different ways. What inspired the theme behind this collection?
This is the second collection of horror short stories. The first was “A Slice of Fear”. The central theme of fear is complex since people do not share the same fears, nor can they be inspired by the same approach. Instead each of the stories tends to play on another approach inside of how people find fear. From fear of the unknow, fear of being powerless, to fear of other people they try to find at least 1 commonality that can see inside a persons mind.
What were some driving ideals behind your character’s in these stories?
It is funny. I also write daily about passion and the positives in life. Passion and fear are close bedfellows and I would suggest that fear is a type of passion, a near uncontrollable emotion. With that in mind things like revenge, survival, and greed are strong motivators to the characters inside the book. For the story “Monster” there is a sense of purpose that was missing that came out. Originally I planned 16 stories but in the first book “A Slice of Fear” I received many letters on “The Edge” a story that was written for my daughter who has a form of MD. When she found a sword in a second hand shop she was restored and it pushed me to add one more story to this anthology, the follow up “Edges”.
My favorite story from this collection is ‘Stung’. Do you have a story that stands out to you from this collection?
I like Stung as it explores a different type of greed and there is a substory about a crime free city. I suppose if your pet giant scorpion eats all the bad guys it becomes a good city. Monster has surprised me. It was originally a 600 word flash fiction that called to me and I expanded it. I have gotten several wonderful reviews on it and it made my editor cry. It pulls at a great many emotions. Those two stand out but each of the stories has a special place with me.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on “Curious Cousin”, books 6 in my action adventure series “The Masterson Files”; “Stealth Drive”, a story about a man who find a way to let go of the material; “Morgan”, book 2 in “The Eternal Forever” series; “Burial Ground”, a YA thriller; and “Yet Another Slice of Fear”, my third set of 15 stories of suspense and terror. I have to decide with the last if it will be 16 again or even 17 as some have suggested “Monster” and “Stung” deserve a follow up. It will be fun non matter what!
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A man finds the secret to immortality, or does he? A selfish woman gets eternal servitude, for a price. A monster awakens and has to decide who is the monster? A family fortune is saved by unlikely allies. A scene unfolds from three different perspectives and creates a problem for Kate with exciting results. A man wins a special vacation for the newly almost divorced.
All this plus a new installment of the story from A Slice of Fear “The Edge”.
Are you ready to see how deep the rabbit hole can go? Another Slice of Fear contains 16 original short stories from the mind of Andrew Allen Smith that may help you get there!
Literary Titan Book Awards July 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Gold Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Book Awards July 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Silver Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Really Stretch My Creativity
Ashes, Ashes follows a teen magi who is juggling family drama, school crushes and magical responsibilities when she draws the attention of a banished goddess seeking to restore her power. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
There wasn’t one “moment” of inspiration for this story. Each part morphed and clicked, adding pieces until I had a solid foundation on which to build. I’ve always loved creature stories, and werewolves in particular, but I didn’t want to write a run-of-the-mill werewolf story. I started looking for similar creatures to use instead, and landed on hellhounds. Originally the hellhound was connected to a witch, but as I did more research looking for historical witches to base my antagonist on I came across Hecate, and she took the place of the witch. With Hecate, the connection to ancient Greece built itself.
The family drama and school issues arose as I moved forward in my draft. My favorite characters to write are teens, and even though my teens have magical abilities, they still live in the modern world and face the same struggles and challenges that normal teens do. Balancing those struggles with the added magical responsibilities was definitely a challenge.
Adrienne Young is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
By nature of her position and responsibilities, Adrienne needed to be strong, both physically and emotionally. The same attributes that strengthen her as a magi also ostracize her from her peers, giving her a degree of isolation and social awkwardness. Throughout the story I tried to put her into situations that would help her to see and value her own strength and allow her to come into her own as the leader I knew she could be.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I had a lot of fun writing Adrienne performing the soul searching ritual in the hidden cave. The pacing is somewhat slower in that scene, which allowed for more observation and expository writing. Since everything occurs within her mind, there were no physical or magical rules I had to follow, and it gave me a chance to really stretch my creativity.
This is book one in your Mortals & Shadows series. What can readers expect in book two?
Book two is going to shift gears a little bit and focus on Mason’s adventures instead of Adrienne. Mason has a fairly abrasive personality, and I want him to have the chance to grow as a character into someone readers can root for and maybe even like. The other characters will still have their part to play, but they won’t take center stage again until later in the series.
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When Hecate sets her sights on Liza, Adrienne’s sister, the fight turns personal. With a band of unlikely allies and time running out, Adrienne may have to choose between saving the world or saving her sister.
LITERARY TITAN 