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Of Reality And Dream
![Of Reality and Dream: Tales for Underground by [Loredano Cafaro]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41syVmXh9PL.jpg)
Of Reality and Dream by Loredano Cafaro is a collection of short stories. Each tale has peculiar narratives the author wrote as a youth. However, his inexperience at the time didn’t rob the stories of considerable literary sophistication as they incorporate both realistic and fantastical settings and happenings. They are also narrated from different points of view ranging from the first person to the third person.
Many of Cafaro’s stories have an eerie note that expertly relays an uneasy feeling to the reader. It’s not so much that it will leave you awake at night but it’s just enough to creep you out considerably. Also, Cafaro clearly has a way with words as his ability to describe scenes and entities exemplifies the proficiency of a skilled poet. Flash fiction requires sharp and punchy language and the author duly delivers. To do this, he uses striking analogies to eliminate extra words that would have been required to perfectly describe certain scenarios.
The short stories are dominated by themes of love – the love that never was and the painfully short-lived one. Cafaro also centers some of his tales around tragedy and the pain of losing a loved one. Each story carries an air of mystery that’s just strong enough to keep you turning the pages. Be warned, however, that not many of the tales would give you answers even at the end. In such situations, Cafaro leaves you at the mercy of your imagination.
I thought some of the stories were a bit bland. But on the whole, it’s a nice read if you’d like to have your fancy tickled by short narratives structured like musings with tinges of dark tones.
Pages: 71 | ASIN: B07RTTKXJN
A Misunderstood Monster
Author Interview Craig DiLouie
One of Us follows a group of teenagers known to locals as monsters because they bear the markings of extreme genetic mutation. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thought-provoking story?
Thank you for reading it and for your kind review! I’d wanted to write a monster novel and try a different take on it.
Previously, I’d written a vampire novel, Suffer the Children, about a parasite that kills the world’s children and allows them to return to life for a brief period of time if they drink human blood. The children are vampires, but the monsters in the book are the parents who have to decide how far they will go to keep their children alive. It made for a horrifying twist on the vampire story that challenges the reader to evaluate how far they themselves would go for love.
For One of Us, I wanted to do a misunderstood monster take similar to Frankenstein, give the children developing agency similar to The X-Men, and make them hideous and terrifying such that they are subjected to horrible prejudice, which they fight in an uprising that is as cathartic as the classic 1972 film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. When they finally rebel, the reader must confront whether this was necessary or if change could have occurred some other way. The whole story is produced as a Southern Gothic, really the most original twist here, which seemed perfect for the novel, as Southern Gothic has a dark and rich tradition of covering strong topics like the grotesque, societal decay, taboo, and prejudice. And while it is very dark and somewhat violent, reflecting the society these people live in, the story ends on an important note of hope.
I liked how you were able to imbue both the normal people and the plagued with good and bad characteristics. What were some themes that were important for you to capture in your characters?
Initially, I wanted to show very simply that books should not be judged solely by their covers, so as the story develops, we see very human monsters and in some cases very monstrous humans, all of them the product of the society they share that is broken by the plague and the genetic mutations it produced among a generation now coming of age and wanting their birth rights. As this is a Southern Gothic, there is an ensemble cast of characters, and also true to that literary form, we see the full pageantry of human behavior on display, the good, the bad, and the ugly. By the end, when the children begin to fight back and win, the reader will probably experience a sense of catharsis after seeing and experiencing what the monsters endured, but then question their feelings. I fell in love with these characters, even the bad ones, and I hope my readers will too.
Your characters are all well developed and intriguing. Who was your favorite character to write?
Readers seem to like Dog, one of the monsters, as he’s earnest and believes if he follows the rules and works hard, he’ll get a fair shake. Sadly for him, the world ain’t fair. Goof, another one of the monsters, was a lot of fun to write because has an amazing power but all he wants to do is have a fun, normal childhood, and he offers comic relief. Among the monsters, though, my favorite is probably Brain. He’s a super genius trapped in a hideous body and must hide his intelligence from the authorities. He doesn’t see him and his brethren as monsters but as the rebirth of the gods of ancient myth. He doesn’t want a revolution but plans one anyway, seeing it as necessary. When the violence starts, there’s no turning back even though he finds it horrifying and hates it, making him a tragic figure.
On the human side, there are a number of characters we can both root for and hate, from the idealistic Jake to the hapless loser Dave Gaines, but my favorite is probably Sheriff Burton. He feels for the monsters but is similarly trapped by his role and belief system, which is to enforce what he sees as the natural order. This also makes him a tragic figure trapped between who he is and what he must face in the story, including guilt over a secret connection he has with the monsters.
In the end, it is these characters who take well-worn themes in a fresh package and make the whole thing emotionally a gut punch that I hope will affect readers, make them think and feel and challenge their perceptions, and continue engaging with the story even after they close the covers.
Will there be a follow up novel that continues this story?
Unfortunately, no follow-up is planned at this point, as it was a standalone story. Based on reader interest, though, there’s always a possibility.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
![One of Us by [Craig DiLouie]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41n+QPtbi0L.jpg)
They’ve called him a monster from the day he was born.
Abandoned by his family, Enoch Bryant now lives in a rundown orphanage with other teenagers just like him. He loves his friends, even if the teachers are terrified of them. They’re members of the rising plague generation. Each bearing their own extreme genetic mutation.
The people in the nearby town hate Enoch, but he doesn’t know why. He’s never harmed anyone. Works hard and doesn’t make trouble. He believes one day he’ll be a respected man.
But hatred dies hard. The tension between Enoch’s world and those of the “normal” townspeople is ready to burst. And when a body is found, it may be the spark that ignites a horrifying revolution.
Prepared to Face the Demon
Mercy is a fascinating supernatural account of one man’s struggle to overcome his family’s mistakes. What was the inspiration behind this engaging story?
I found it interesting that the Literary Titan reviewer discovered a layer to my story which I didn’t actively intend, but which in retrospect, is apparent to me as well. There is one particular chapter near the beginning of Mercy which addresses the “turmoil, sadness, sickness and death” which had inflicted Anthony’s extended family. The demon is initially attracted to the Napolitano family because of the love which is abundant throughout, but also because Anthony’s grandfather is essentially an evil person at heart, who was ripe for possession. So, in that respect, Anthony’s journey is an attempt to overcome the failings of his family and the tragedies to which they were subjected because of them. Believe it or not, the initial inspiration for the story of Mercy was the stone cross fragment which I saw and photographed outside a small shop in Woodstock, NY. It is the cover of the book. It started me on a game of “What if…?” which eventually became the story of Anthony and the demon and his cosmic connection to a 17th century woman.
Anthony is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some ideals that guided his character development?
The character of Anthony is based largely upon me and some of the experiences that I had as a child, as a young man, and, now, as an older man. But he is of course an idealized version of me. I’m not at all sure I would have had the courage and fortitude to deal with a demon for a good portion of my life! His feelings are largely my own, but his problems and solutions, of course, are not. When the central theme of the book eventually became clear to me, that “love reallydoes conquer all,” I needed to make sure that Anthony was not only prepared to face the demon, but equally prepared to face, embrace, and most of all be worthy of, the rare love which would one day come his way.
I enjoyed the unique take on angels and demons in this book. What were some themes you wanted to explore in your novel?
The primary theme here was tied into the questions, “What exactly is religion?” and “Who exactly is the being we call God?” I guess these questions arose from my own questions about, and struggles with, Catholicism and being raised in the “Italian-American version” of the Catholic Church. Shortly after Anthony meets his mentor/confessor Professor James Gilligan, a former divinity student, he asks him if he still believes in God. Gilligan’s answer to that question is the starting point to Anthony’s defensive posture against the demon.
What is the next story that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently seven chapters into my next book, which is tentatively titled The Walrus, and is another supernatural mystery tale. The story is essentially an exploration into the possibility that something, or someone, could be inherently both good and evil. I’m hoping to have it available by the end of this year or early 2021.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Years have passed. The demon comes and goes, never staying away for long, never giving Anthony the normal life he craves. Now a student at Rutgers University, Anthony decides, finally, that enough is enough.
Under the guidance of celebrated academic and demonologist James Gilligan, Anthony begins to delve into the supernatural, eventually discovering among the old, dusty tomes, the story of one Mercedes Engle, a 17th Century Dutch colonist who, legend claimed, had been visited by the Archangel Raphael. Anthony can’t help but wonder: could Mercedes’ descendants still live in New York? Could they hold the key to defeating the demon once and for all?
Mercy is the thrilling, romantic, and sometimes comic tale of an Italian-American boy who, coming at last into adulthood, is forced to face his demons head-on—literally.
Literary Titan Book Awards June 2020
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
Silver Award Winners
Belonging by Benjamin Anderson
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information and see all award winners.
One of Us
Craig DiLouie’s One of Us follows a group of teenagers named the plague generation. Known to locals as monsters, these youngsters have been placed in orphanages as they bear the markings of the most extreme genetic mutation. Abandoned by their parents, the monsters have been raised away from those normal members of society, with a clear divide in place for many years. Yet, that divide is now at risk as these kids see adulthood on the horizon and tire of those normal people dictating their life to them. With tensions already high in a town that is still rife with racism and all manner of other prejudices, it’s only a matter of time before both worlds collide, with deadly consequences.
After having read One of Us, my first thoughts are, inevitably, this has to be made into a film! This has got to be one of my best reads this year.
Firstly, the setting and the timing in One of Us is faultless. The teenagers, both plagued and normal, are all at that point in their lives where confusion, emotions, and anger is high. Add in the many judgmental residents and old-timers of the town and the tension is bubbling at the very beginning.
Yet, Craig seems to present both the normal and the plagued with an element of good and evil, so much so that you find yourself veering between them, switching your opinions back and forth. So, you feel for the plagued, but at the same time, you understand the fear the normal people might have of them.
The book’s message is stark, and the plague is said to be spread as a sexually transmitted disease, as the normal teenagers have this message hammered home to them constantly. A sense of shame hangs over the town and its residents, with the news continually touted that all that those with the germ should never procreate.
Yes, there are a few scenes that make for uncomfortable reading, be it the actions of the older normal residents toward the plagued kids or the plagued kid’s acts of revenge, in particular Brain’s horrific act of retribution. But in reality, I think these harder to read scenes merely force us to question how we as adults have a level of power over children – which unfortunately some can and do act upon.
One of Us reminds me a little of the book, The Girl with All the Gifts, which I also thoroughly loved. However, I feel One of Us has the advantage here as it goes further by delving further into each character and offering us more individuals than just the one. As a result, you feel more invested in the plagued kids and the normal kids fighting on their behalf.
One of Us doesn’t let up with pacing that verges on perfection. When you add to this a bunch of entirely compelling characters, the result is a book you will not want to put down.
Pages: 400 | ASIN: B0776QMHPT
Traumatic Experiences
Anthony Hains Author Interview
Nightshade’s Requiem follows Cole as he finds himself wrongly placed in an asylum where the ‘Creeper’ is preying on kids. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
Nightshade’s Requiem had its origins in my work as a young psychology student in the pediatric ward of a psychiatric hospital in the mid 1970s. The characters are all fictionalized, of course, but some of the images and the “feel” of my experiences made their way into the novel. I had to research what the conditions were like in psychiatric facilities during the fifties and early sixties, however. And, of course, I focused on the harrowing descriptions to make St. Edwards come alive (and to be sure, most hospitals were not like the asylum as portrayed in my book).By the mid-seventies, approaches to treatment were improving by leaps and bounds—and I observed very compassionate practitioners as a student back then).
Cole is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind his character development?
My professional specialization was as a pediatric psychologist, while conducting research and teaching in a university setting. That meant that I spent a lot of time around adolescents and young adults. I enjoy the age range. In my novels, I naturally gravitate toward creating characters that fit this age. With Cole, I wanted to portray a typical twelve-year-old on the cusp of adolescence. He also needed to be intellectually curious and a thoughtful problem solver. At the same time, he needed to display emotional distress proportionate to his traumatic experiences.
I enjoyed the plot twists throughout this book. Were these planned or did they develop organically while writing?
I always go into my novels with a general story arc, meaning I have a beginning, middle, and end in mind. However, the plot frequently changes as the story progresses. The plot twists toward the end of this book were not planned. These developed organically as the story advanced. I am glad they did, too. The twists work considerably better. I guess you can say I didn’t see them coming.
This is book one in your Nightshade Chronicles. What can readers expect from book two, Sins of the Father?
Book two: Sins of the Father has just been released! The story picks up right where Nightshade’s Requiem ends. Cole learns more about his family and is trying to live a normal life. Of course, this wouldn’t be a horror novel without horrifying things happening. Cole becomes haunted by something unbelievably evil.
Author Links: Website | GoodReads | Facebook
![Nightshade's Requiem (Nightshade Chronicles Book 1) by [Anthony Hains]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zdkqLeCcL.jpg)
Before she died, Cole Nightshade’s grandmother taught him how to keep his demons from coming out of their hiding places and wreaking havoc. But none of Nana’s lessons have prepared him for Saint Edwards Mental Asylum, where he’s landed after a foster-care placement gone wrong. Saint Edwards has a history of abuse and death that makes itself known to Cole in alarming ways. Walls containing the spirits of prior inmates scream in agony. Young women who once ran from monsters, or from their own pain, leap to their deaths again and again.
The good news: Cole’s new friends on the pediatric ward believe him when he tells them what he sees. The bad news: they have a bigger problem than ghosts. For years, a creature known as the Creeper has been preying on kids in the asylum. Rumor has it that if you catch a glimpse of him, you die. And someone—or something—has been stalking Cole since his first night at Saint Edwards.
Mercy: The Devil is in the Details…
![Mercy: The Devil is in the Details... by [Alan J. Paul]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61HHeerJRkL.jpg)
Anthony’s life has never been what most would call normal. From an early age, his entire family was plagued by one tragedy after another. Anthony can’t escape what some might consider to be the family curse. When he is dared to enter a room otherwise off-limits to students at his military school, he again meets up with an old acquaintance–an entity vile in the most personally devastating ways. One after another, the demon lists his family’s shames leaving Anthony to fear what may follow. Once Anthony steps from the cursed room, will his life ever be the same? Will he look at his family in a new, more ominous light?
Mercy: The Devil is in the Details, by Alan J. Paul, follows Anthony Banna on a strange venture into the supernatural as he deals with the presence of a demon who seems hellbent on showing Anthony the error of his family’s ways. Anthony is introduced to the entity as a young boy and can’t seem to shake it. It’s almost poltergeist-like feel makes the demon all the more palpable and keeps readers on their toes.
The author has mastered the art of the backstory. Including a good bit of historical fiction/supernatural history, he has created a truly terrifying read. The notion that a possession can pass from generation to generation is as unsettling as it is fascinating. No matter where Anthony is, he faces the return of the demon–his fate seems sealed. His resolve to prepare himself and remain armed for the next encounter makes for a well-rounded character. It is interesting to watch Anthony research and gather an arsenal of information to combat what is coming his way.
The introduction of Professor Gilligan into Anthony’s life is a godsend for Anthony as well as the reader. It is through Gilligan we see how deeply disturbing the study of the occult can be. Gilligan’s own story adds a new layer to the plot and enhances Anthony’s own family tragedy all the more. There is something about a tragic character who draws strength from his adversity that draws me into a book. Both Anthony and Gilligan are these types of characters. As a team, they are unstoppable.
Readers who are interested in the religious aspect of angels and demons will find Paul’s work a fascinating supernatural read based on historical religious figures and tied neatly into an engaging fictional account of one man’s struggle to overcome his family’s mistakes. Paul’s main character is memorable and relatable and takes readers on quite the thrill ride through history and into his present day nightmare.
Pages: 213 | ASIN: B086JDH43C
LITERARY TITAN 