Blog Archives
Ricky the Teen Demon Slayer – Book Trailer
Ricky seemed doomed from the start. He was born into a poor family. He had an abusive, alcohol- and drug-addicted father. Ricky seemed to find trouble everywhere he went. Early in life, he would be faced with a choice between good and evil. Ricky wasn’t even sure if he knew the difference. He quickly learned that people are not who they appear to be. With his family in ruins, Ricky decides to fight to make things right. This is the struggle of his life…and for his life. Ultimately, he realizes he must save not only himself, but the lives of his family and friends in order to truly survive.
Never, Never
![Never, Never by [Liz Butcher]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311gP7wnGsL.jpg)
Wendy Darling, now all grown up, reluctantly returns to her childhood home when her mother passes away. While staying in her least favorite room of the house, Wendy is reminded nightly of her past with Pan. One morning Wendy wakes up to find out a local girl has gone missing, and Wendy believes she is the detective that will crack the case and remember more about her childhood captor. Wendy is already suspicious that this little girl’s abductor is Pan and she quickly finds out that Pan was not a figment of her imagination.
Never Never by Liz Butcher pleasantly surprised me by uniquely layering a gritty and puzzling crime fiction story on top of a classic children’s literature story. I finished this book within a few days because I was simply enthralled with the story and its compelling female lead. Liz Butcher’s writing talent is on full display, with character setup, engaging dialogue, and a slowly unraveling mystery that all seems effortless. There are plenty of details about Wendy that evolve her from her classic character into the intriguing detective that she is in this book. From her bedroom in her childhood home, being the oldest sibling, and being overall a strong individual; Wendy’s character will make you gain a whole new perspective from what you thought you knew about her.
Never Never has a deeply enthralling horror aspect to it and the creepy portrayal of Pan has changed my perception of Peter Pan… probably forever. One of my favorite parts of the book are the under tones of mental health. Wendy has a traumatic past and the lasting effects of those events have shaped who she is, especially as a detective. I look forward to this story being continued in a series because I love Wendy’s character and the unique idea driving this story.
Pages: 375 | ASIN: B08Y8H23L4
You’re Not In Control
Ariessy of Midgard follows a young woman who finds her world turned upside down by a series of events that will challenge her like never before. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I think all kids feel like they don’t belong or fit in at a certain point in their teens. It feels as though you’re not in control of anything, and I wanted to portray that in Ariessy’s life.
Ariessy is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
I used to be a host mother to some wonderful foreign teenagers who were studying here in the UK, and each of them made up a part of Ariessy’s character. It isn’t easy to adjust to a new country, with a different language, social expectations, food, traditions etc. Ariessy finds out there’s a good reason why she feels the way she does, which in some ways comes as a relief, but it’s also tough for her to adjust to a whole new way of seeing herself and the world. I think every teenager finds it difficult to accept restrictions, even when they’re put in place for their own protection, and it takes some time for Ariessy to adjust, so her development could only go so far in book one. We see her transform completely in book two.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Self-acceptance, Belonging, Respect and responsibility for the natural world, and accepting our limits. Ariessy fights as hard as she can, she saves a life and avenges her attacker, but she needs a bit of help to get to the finish line. We all need someone to help us walk that extra mile sometimes, and that’s okay.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is the follow up to this one. It’s titled Ariessy of Odinstone, and I’m hoping to publish it early next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
On the verge of losing her father to a mysterious illness, seventeen-year-old Seiva Ariessy Taylor must take drastic measures to cure him.
When the authorities question her, matters take a turn for the worse and the Veurrulfar — a shapeshifting race from Nidavellir — reveal a long-held secret that changes her life for ever.
Ariessy must learn who she can trust before it’s too late.
Is freedom worth dying for — or can her secret save her?
Set in South Wales, United Kingdom. Ariessy of Midgard is an emotional urban fantasy adventure with hidden magic, mythical creatures, and a fantastic combination of mystery and mythology that will keep you turning pages.
Literary Titan Book Awards August 2021
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 imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
The Narcissism of Small Differences by Dennis Dorgan
Silver Award Winners
What the boy hears when the girl dreams by Greame Friedman
PIZAHN by Axel Schilton
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Their True Purpose
Swords Of Deception follows a woman on a mission to track down a rogue council member but her journey reveals dark secrets about the Council of Witches. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
To show at what length people go to hide their true purpose and misuse of power.
Ellemar is a character that was fun to follow and well developed. What were some challenges you felt were important to defining her character in the story?
To find the right timing when Ellemar loses herself in her anger and how she learned throughout the story to be more reasonable. Then finding the right moments how Ason patiently tries to help her, making it as believable as possible. Because Ellemar mostly relies on him but he wants her to think for herself. Stepping only in if she loses herself in her anger again.
With beta readers and my editor, it took us a while until everyone was happy with the outcome. So lots of changes had to be made, leading to some frustrating moments.
What were some sources that informed the development of the world and lore in your book?
The world I have created in my Black Eyed Witch series was still fresh. So it made it easy to write it with a different story, powers and characters.
This is book one in your Sword of Deception series. What can readers expect in book two?
That Ellemar will be mentally challenged. That’s all I will say as otherwise it will spoil a big moment betas and my editor didn’t see coming. One beta said she cried during that scene.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
But her mission is nearly halted before it even begins because the Council of Witches prohibits members from killing, even if justified. Given the gravity of Celeana’s crime, the Council bends this rule and approves Ellemar’s mission.
Searching for Celeana takes Ellemar to a royal ship, a Forgotten Forest, and a secret island. Along the journey, she begins hearing stories that suggest Celeana’s horrendous act may actually have been justified. Is Ellemar chasing the wrong enemy? Has the Council been harboring secrets from its members? Getting the answers right is critical. The peace of the entire kingdom is at stake.
Creating My Own Vampire
Beyond Sunlight follows a woman who’s normal life is shattered when a dark underworld is revealed to her and she’s turned into a vampire. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
In my books I often like to place ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances, where they have little or no control and are forced to survive and adapt to the new situations before their destiny is revealed. I wanted the same to happen to my main protagonist, Melanie Brace, who is a normal human wanting what most of all humans need, health, love of her family and enjoyment of life. When she turns into a vampire, her life takes on a new meaning as she discovers another, dark and exotic parallel world with its unique set of rules and traditions. The inspirational setup for this story came from several sources, the movie Interview with the Vampire, the Lawson Chronicles, written by a writer Joseph F. Mertz and another writer named Michael Romkey. Creating my own vampire world was a very interesting experience indeed.
Melanie is a fascinating character that was well developed. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
Since I was a kid, I liked to draw and throughout my teenage years and my four years of college, I studied Fine Art and Graphic design. Melanie is a character that I molded practically from what you might say a rough clay, but I gave her many characteristics from my own personality. The gender issue here is even more relevant, because in making Melanie, I got into a deeper touch with my feminine side. Like me, Melanie is an artist, albeit a much better one (grin) and she is strong, independent, honest and dependable, and above all loyal to her friends and remains a law abiding citizen even after she turns into a vampire. The main driving ideals behind her creation were my own principles of loyalty to my family and friends and never compromising my principles in the face of injustice.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
When I sat down to write the story about Melanie, I studied other works of dark fantasy involving humans and vampires. Vampires are traditionally seen as creatures of darkness and mystery, the ultimate predators hiding among humans in plain sight. Since the world was introduced to Dracula, a legendary fictional vampire immortal based on a real Romanian nobleman and ruler Vlad the Impaler, vampires have been transformed from beings of terror into charismatic and intelligent men and women, who use their incredibly long life experience to do good or evil. In this book I wanted to explore such themes as a second chances in life, overcoming physical and spiritual demise and ultimately discover a vampire world not much through magic as through science, giving a logical and believable explanation about the origin of vampires. We cannot know of light without knowing the darkness.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on the final book of the Age of Magnus Trilogy, which takes place one thousand years after the events in the second novel titled Age of Magnus The Iron Dawn. In this conclusion of the trilogy, the readers who are familiar with the previous two books will discover a unique world dominated by intelligent machines, where humanity is now divided into those who had found a true paradise in empire of Magnus and those who continue to fight more than nine centuries against their crushing defeat. In this third book, titled Age of Magnus Keepers of the Rain, the main protagonist, the most powerful A.I. in the world and ruler of planet earth has to make a decision whether to let humans devolve or offer them another shot at greatness as a species without the old sins that might follow them in a new era of love, war and space exploration. The book should be available in 2022.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
These Ghosts Need His Help
Scarlet at Crystal River follows a man trying to lead a normal life but sees things others can’t image and he’s drawn into an enigmatic mystery only he has the ability to solve. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
When I visited this stretch along the Gulf Coast, I was fascinated with the beauty of the area—emerald and crystal blue waters, forests and swamps, and incredible wildlife like the manatees. As I traveled the region, I was also distressed by the conditions I witnessed of the migrant workers, many of them immigrants, who worked the fields of produce nearby, in central Florida. So I decided to use the contrast of the two images as a foundation for my story.
Darrell has an interesting ability that seems grounded while still being other-worldly. How did you balance his ability so it seemed as believable as possible?
Darrell comes to realize that his ability as a sensitive is no more incredible, or even unbelievable, than another’s innate talent as an artist or one’s endowed athletic ability. Though he’s not totally comfortable with his ability to communicate with those on the other side—this path has led to danger and even tragedy before—he realizes he possesses this sense because these ghosts need his help. His personality, as a teacher and a coach, will not let him turn his back on those in need, especially children.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Although the novels in the Haunted Shore Mysteries are captivating whodunits with a touch of the paranormal and plenty of romance, I’m also aiming for my writing to illuminate some important issues. In SCARLET, I address the touchy—and widely misunderstood—situation of illegal migrant workers and their role in our culture. Hopefully, readers will get a little insight into this complex situation through the characters and circumstances in my fiction. Things are not always as they seem.
When and where will this book be available?
The publisher has set a launch date for SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER for September 13. The novel will soon be available in both print and e-versions for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-million and Apple books as well as great bookstores everywhere.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
The Safe – Book Trailer
The Coldwater Security Company has a technician who works with a burglary ring. He lets them know which clients have a lot of money and jewels stored in their safes. An elderly couple moves into a mansion in Cromwell, CT. He watches as they store jewelry and cash in the safe. Then something goes terribly wrong, and the old couple is killed. They thought they had an easy score. However, all they found was the combination to open the gates of Hell!
LITERARY TITAN 