Blog Archives
Finding Footprints
Finding Footprints: A Sasquatch Saga written by the team of Erik Daniel Shein, Melissa Davis, and Karen Fuller, is set in the lush Pacific Northwest, where protagonist Lily Evergreen, a hearing-impaired girl with a deep connection to her Native American roots, explores the enchanted forests accompanied by her service dog, Malachi. The narrative takes a fantastical turn as Lily uncovers a portal to another world and meets Winston, a young Bigfoot. Faced with the choice of embarking on a daring quest or returning to her familiar world, Lily grapples with the decision, her journey exploring themes of courage and cross-species friendship.
The story’s strength lies in its portrayal of Lily, who transcends her hearing impairment to engage with her environment in unique and insightful ways. Her friendship with Winston, characterized by non-verbal communication, beautifully illustrates the power of understanding beyond words. This narrative is a celebration of overcoming obstacles and forming unbreakable bonds. While the treatment of time in the story can sometimes seem fluid, with transitions between scenes that move swiftly, akin to a video game’s dynamic cutscenes, this narrative style adds a layer of briskness and excitement to the unfolding events.
The book’s concise length allows for a fast-paced journey that hints at deeper scenes and character developments, suggesting a broader world and story that could be expanded upon in future installments. This brevity ensures that readers are continually engaged, always anticipating more, and leaves them eager to explore more of the potentially epic moments and evolving friendships that lie within this rich narrative tapestry. The core of the story— the profound friendship between a girl, a Bigfoot, and a loyal dog—resonates deeply, emphasizing emotional connections without reliance on dialogue. The narrative is like a finely brewed cup of tea that has yet to reach its full flavor, yet it remains a commendable read for those interested in tales of adventure, cultural richness, and magical realism.
Finding Footprints: A Sasquatch Saga will engage young readers who are looking for an exciting and meaningful adventure that is rooted in folk tales and myths. It celebrates the beauty of diversity and the importance of friendship, especially those that are unexpected, and is sure to inspire and delight readers of all ages.
Pages: 154 | ASIN : B0CZ7WNG57
A Break From the Day-to-Day Drama
A Hole in Her Sky follows a young woman coping with the loss of her twin sister while at the same time navigating a family feud that threatens her newfound romance with a childhood crush. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I really wanted to take a break from the real world and let myself wander in a time and place that was less complicated in the day-to-day drama. This gave me a perfect place to experiment with love in its various forms, from family dynamics and friendships all the way to first love. The loss of someone who is essentially a part of you could completely erase who you are, and Maddie has a chance to either disappear completely or rewrite herself. Her strength becomes the only thing she has to hold onto in an uncertain time. She was an interesting character to interact with along the way.
There is a sense of love and innocence throughout the novel. How were you able to capture those feelings and put them into words?
I tried to imagine a time when my world felt innocent. And if that failed, I tried to see it through the eyes of a child like my own. With so many things making our kids grow up so fast, you have to remember what it was like to see the wonder in their eyes as they simply gaze up at the stars. I’d like to think that most of us would love to have more of that wonder back in our lives.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
My experiences as a child still impact my writing. When I was younger, I often escaped into whatever world I was reading about at the time. Books got me through quite a few difficult times. I always wanted to do the same for another reader. I want to provide a small getaway from the world to let them forget the things that are weighing them down, if only for a little while.
I find a problem in well-written stories in that I always want there to be another book to keep the story going. Is there a second book planned?
Unfortunately, at this time, there are no plans for a second book. This was always intended to be a standalone.
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A Hole in Her Sky
Dealing with the devastating loss of her twin sister and an overwhelming sense of abandonment, Maddie spends her summer in a serene rural village with her grandmother in search of tranquility, hoping to get away from the emotional storm that is brewing inside of her. Her stay takes her on an unexpected trip that will force her to face her problems head-on and learn what it means to be sad, joyous, and in love.
A Hole in Her Sky, by Erik Daniel Shein, Karen Fuller, and Melissa Davis, is a compelling young adult novel that explores the complexities of grief, the nuances of young love, and the extraordinary resilience that lies within when faced with unfathomable loss. The narrative is told through the eyes of Maddie Tyler, a 17-year-old, whose emotional journey readers can easily identify with. Like most of us, she struggles with negativity that comes from inside, and it unfortunately affects her reality and fate. The use of Tristen’s character as not just her partner, but also as this supportive, affirming, and caring person was a nice touch added to the narrative. The authors use a delicate touch to intricately design their interactions, capturing the awkwardness and excitement of first love and creating a vivid image of the innocence and uncertainty that go along with these feelings. However, their affair is anything from easygoing. There is an additional layer of tension and strife brought on by the rekindling of a long-standing family rivalry between the Tyler and Tristen families. The authors expertly strike a balance between the dramatic and romantic components, making sure that the plot never gets overly serious or formulaic.
A Hole in Her Sky is a heartfelt and exquisitely written young adult book that examines sorrow, love, and the inner strength that may emerge from the depths of despair. The story is gripping from start to finish, thanks to its emotional resonance and surprising turns. This book is proof of the resilience of the human spirit and the ability to discover hope and fortitude in the face of tragedy. I highly recommend this book to anyone undergoing severe traumatic and emotional experiences in their life right now, as this book can give them hope and help them see there is still light at the end of the tunnel.
Pages: 232 | ASIN : B0CJ6L1Z44
What Better Backdrop For A Crime
Lethal Connections follows a homicide detective who is investigating a series of deaths with the only connection being money and power. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
One of our authors, Erik Shein, is a herpetologist and has always been fascinated with poisonous reptiles. He has his own snake collection. Melissa Davis and I both enjoy writing dark paranormal, tinged with a little humor. We thought it would be fun to team up and put together a crime thriller with a dark, paranormal feel. We chose the New Orleans area for the backdrop because let’s face it, everyone is fascinated with New Orleans with its dark history, myths and legends. What better backdrop for a crime novel?
What was the collaborative process of working with the other authors on this novel?
We’ve been doing this for a while. We’ve been writing as a team since 2016. We started the process by first throwing ideas back and forth at each other. Once we decided where the story would take us, we did a lot of research to ensure our facts were right, and the writing process began. As I said before, we’ve been doing this for a while now. With a writing team, it keeps writer’s block at bay.
Crime fiction is a new genre for us and presented a few new challenges to us as writers. You would be surprised at what you could do when you challenge yourself. I have to say that it was a fun collaboration, and we plan to do more.
How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing or did it develop organically?
The mystery of the story was developed by a lot of plotting! Most of the stories I personally write myself usually develop organically. I let the muse guide me. However, with this one, we plotted it step by step and scene by scene. Since this was a new genre for us, we wanted to make sure that the story flowed and that no steps were missed in solving this mystery.
Will this novel be the start of a series or are you working on a different story?
Yes, this novel is the start of a series. We’ve already been discussing how the next story will begin. The only thing left to do is to pick our poison. LOL Seriously, though, we have about ten different ideas percolating. Not sure right now if it’ll be ten more books, but two or three more books for sure.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Sergeant Lance Knight has a pile of unsolved homicide cases on his desk. On the surface, none seem to be connected. The victims are all men with money or power. An investment banker, a lawyer, and a local politician. They don’t socially run in the same circles. Lance can’t find a connection.
Working closely with coroner Gina Goodwin, Lance and Gina discover a pattern. Three unrelated things the bodies all have in common—a string of lethal connections. Is it just a coincidence, or is it something more?
Things heat up when Lance realizes he’s getting close to finding the killer, and everything spirals out of control. Can he piece it together before it’s too late?
Lethal Connections
Lance Knight, a homicide detective in New Orleans, has his work cut out for him when bodies begin to stack up. He teams up with Gina, an intelligent coroner who doesn’t give up so easily to solve a challenging case. Thomas Wilcox, a man who was dumped in the swamp with a distinct mark on his body, is just one of many that end up dead. Are these deaths connected? Is there a serial killer on the loose? As the investigation deepens, Lance soon becomes a target. Unsure of whom to believe, he knows one thing, he must find the killer before they find him.
The story immediately opens with drama and suspense, and I was instantly hooked. The authors provide readers with a captivating narrative that will keep them on the edge of their seats. Lance is passionate about his work, and that takes precedence over anything in his life. Gina is the coroner who is methodical, intelligent, and also passionate about her work. I enjoyed that the authors kept the storyline moving while providing short backstories on the characters introduced in the stories. This helped the story to move along while also giving the reader a sense of each character’s motivations. Authors Erik Daniel Shein, Melissa Davis, and Karen Fuller have combined their writing skills and creativity to create a thrilling story with likable characters. The details of the dead bodies may be a turn-off to some, but I found it intriguing. The twist at the end threw me for a loop and was the icing on the cake for this book.
I highly recommend this gripping read to fans of thrillers and crime fiction. It is the perfect read for suspense lovers with strong and intelligent characters. Lethal Connections is an engaging and page-turning novel that will not disappoint.
Pages: 191 | ASIN : B0BSG42JH1
Under the Aurora Sky
Lee is a city guy who has to work in a wildlife magazine to save his journalism career. To prove his capabilities he agrees to step out of his comfort zone and go on an expedition in the Great Bear Rainforest. He is taken by surprise when he meets his tour guide, Dani Skybird, a strong, perceptive but pessimistic woman. While forming a nascent love with nature, Isaak’s city habits cause trouble for his survival. With Dani guiding him a journey of self-discovery begins, helping Isaak appreciate a new lifestyle that might not keep his nails clean, but will surely keep his heart full of joy.
Under the Aurora Sky by Elissa Daye and Karen Fuller is a romantic adventure novel that uses nature as a backdrop to tell a heartfelt love story that is punctuated by some fun and dramatic moments. The story is colored by themes of love and friendship, making this a feel-good drama that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.
This is an easy novel to get through. It is barley over 200 pages I was able to finish this book quickly because of the clear writing that keeps the focus on the characters and moving the story forward, all while giving you the feels.
The conflict between city dwellers and survivalists is contrasted beautifully through the two protagonists. While there is certainly a preference towards nature in this book I liked how the gender roles were reversed in this story. Isaak’s character goes through the largest change throughout the story and I enjoyed watching how he evolved. The authors make sure readers are with him every step of his self-discovery journey. While sowing the seeds of a romantic relationship, the authors emphasize how true companionship is important. Dani changes his outlook on life while he changes her perception of love.
Under the Aurora Sky is an adventure-filled love story that will keep readers engaged right up until the very end. Fans of romance will enjoy the exotic backdrop to this sentimental story and any reader will feel the warmth of companionship this book has to offer.
Pages: 225 | ASIN: B0BD2L21LS
LITERARY TITAN 