Blog Archives
Sense of Unease
Friday at Four follows a researcher who happens upon an unexpected method for communicating with his dog and discovers what it means to truly be understood. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I don’t know where the inspiration for this book came from. Somewhere on vacation in France, at some point, I was overcome by a great sense of unease. I had to go and buy a notebook and a pen, and I started writing. I just followed the flow of my thoughts.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
I never felt that I had any influence on this story. It was literally dictated to me. But I don’t know by whom or how. It was like a compulsion that had me in its grip for two years.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
The slow death of a loved one.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m going to publish a very funny book about a failed art forger – before Christmas, I hope.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Few novels capture with such honesty the way love can be eroded by silence and then, in the face of death, renewed in its most fragile and essential form. This is not just a story about a man caught between two women, but about how we confront loss, and how even in the darkest moments tenderness and clarity can emerge. It lingers in the mind as a stark yet luminous meditation on what it means to live, to love, and to let go.
Friday at four is a powerful novel about love, betrayal, and the courage to face loss — written with clarity, honesty, and unforgettable emotional force.
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Friday at Four
Gert Richter’s Friday at Four opens as a story about a man, his marriage, and his dog, but it quickly becomes something far more mysterious. The narrator, David, is a researcher whose logical world begins to blur when he finds an unexpected way to communicate with his dog, Lea. What starts as an odd experiment turns into a quiet, haunting meditation on connection, identity, and what it really means to be understood. The novel moves gently between the ordinary and the uncanny, asking big questions in the smallest moments.
What I found most striking about this book is Richter’s ability to blend warmth with unease. The early scenes feel almost playful. David’s tone is ironic, funny, even a little smug, but slowly, the edges soften. There’s something raw and human beneath his intellect. Richter writes with an understated confidence that makes even the strangest moments feel believable. You can feel the pull between love and loneliness, curiosity and fear, running through every page.
The prose itself is clear and unhurried, yet full of quiet emotion. Richter’s descriptions of everyday things, a glance, a walk by the river, the silence after a conversation, carry a strange electricity. I found myself rereading certain lines just to feel their rhythm again. The book doesn’t lecture; it invites reflection. You sense the author’s fascination with how people and animals connect, how relationships can both reveal and dissolve who we are.
What makes Friday at Four memorable isn’t its plot, but its mood, the sense of drifting between clarity and confusion, between science and feeling. It’s not a loud book, but it lingers. I finished it feeling both calmed and unsettled, the way you might after a long, searching conversation that doesn’t quite end.
I’d recommend Friday at Four to readers who enjoy introspective fiction, books that take their time, that ask more questions than they answer. It’s especially for those who like stories that explore thought and emotion without ever spelling things out. If you’ve ever found yourself looking into your pet’s eyes and wondering what they see when they look back at you, this novel will feel strangely familiar.
Pages: 320 | ISBN : 978-2940364602
Gynarchy’s Golden Sire
The story picks up in the Zhiva Legacy universe, a strange and intoxicating place where women rule absolutely, men are property, and technology blurs the line between flesh and machine. The story opens with Erin Prisco as she struggles to reconcile her new role as a Duchess in the Gynarchy with her lingering feelings for Ethan, a man now trapped in the system of control. The narrative weaves her political and personal dilemmas together with Ethan’s harrowing descent into the Institution of Male Education, where bodies and minds are broken down to be rebuilt in submission. Running alongside these arcs is the scheming of Dr. Morgana Bennett, whose obsession with revenge pushes her into darker and darker manipulations. The book also threads in flashbacks and interludes, like the Patel children’s tragic past, which add weight and scope to the wider galactic power plays. It’s equal parts political intrigue, erotic dystopia, and space opera.
I was blown away by the sheer ambition of this world. The Gynarchy feels vivid and lived-in, equal parts terrifying and fascinating. The author leans into sensory description, making scenes lush and immersive. The erotic content isn’t just window dressing. It’s tied tightly to the politics, the power, and the characters’ own battles with identity. I sometimes found myself jarred by how clinical certain scenes of control and humiliation were, almost like reading a medical report stitched into a love story. As though the intensity tipped from emotional to procedural. I admired how unflinchingly the book asked me to confront the mix of desire, shame, and survival.
Erin feels caught in a tug-of-war between vulnerability and authority, and I often sympathized with her. Ethan, meanwhile, broke my heart. His resistance against the collar’s influence felt raw and real, and I think his chapters carried the most emotional punch. Morgana, on the other hand, is larger than life in her cruelty, and while she’s a compelling villain, her obsession sometimes teetered into melodrama. What I appreciated most, though, was that none of these characters felt safe. The book thrives on tension, political, sexual, and personal, and it kept me on edge in a way I didn’t expect.
Gynarchy’s Golden Sire is a bold, confrontational, and deliberately uncomfortable book, and I think that’s its greatest strength. If you’re willing to dive into a world where power, sex, and politics are tangled in ways that are sometimes ugly and sometimes beautiful, then you’ll find something here worth wrestling with. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy dark science fiction with erotic and psychological edges, people who want their stories to provoke as much as they entertain.
Pages: 350 | ASIN : B0DFKD7LCT
Gynarchy’s Collar
In Gynarchy’s Collar, the first book in the Zhiva Legacy series, T.R. Schneider crafts a futuristic, sensual tale where gender dynamics are upended and power plays out through collar technology, political seduction, and raw emotional entanglement. The novel begins with a space expedition led by Lieutenant Ethan Drake and his crew, who are flung 200,000 years into the future and awaken in a galaxy now ruled by the Gynarchy—a matriarchal empire where men are property and emotions are often weaponized. Amid the sweeping backdrop of galactic intrigue and technological marvels, Ethan finds himself entangled in a dangerously intimate triangle with Anaisa, a brilliant engineer, and Dr. Bennett, a calculating psychologist with dark designs of her own. As passion meets submission and politics slips between the sheets, survival hinges on loyalty, vulnerability, and the cost of surrender.
The writing often walks a tightrope between lush and lurid, sometimes dipping into camp, but it works. Schneider isn’t afraid to lean into the drama, and that boldness kept me flipping pages late into the night. The world-building is ridiculously imaginative. Cryogenic sleep cycles, neural dampeners, collar-based control systems—these aren’t just sci-fi gimmicks, they’re woven into the emotional core of the story. Ethan’s internal war between duty and desire struck a chord with me. He’s a character who starts out commanding and composed, only to be slowly and methodically unraveled. And Anaisa is the heart of the book. Fierce, brilliant, but haunted. Her slow dance between empowerment and submission made her feel utterly real. And then there’s Dr. Bennett—seductive, sadistic, and absolutely terrifying in the best way. I hated her. I feared her. I was riveted by her.
At times, the eroticism felt heavy, and the psychological games Bennett plays, though chilling, sometimes strayed into over-the-top villainy. Still, I admired how Schneider used sensuality not just for heat, but to explore identity, control, and the ways trauma clings to us in unexpected ways. The prose flits between stark, almost clinical observation and poetic sensuality, which kept me off-balance, in a good way. The story thrives on tension, and the love triangle is both steamy and agonizing. I felt the ache of their choices, the way intimacy gets twisted in the gravity of power. And that final moment of self-doubt Ethan experiences stuck with me. It’s rare for a sci-fi novel to leave me feeling so bruised and breathless.
Gynarchy’s Collar is not for the faint of heart. It’s erotic, intense, and unapologetically subversive. But if you’re drawn to stories that blend sci-fi spectacle with intimate human messiness, and if you’re into high-concept world-building with sharp emotional stakes, this one’s worth your time. I’d recommend it to fans of The Expanse, Dune, and Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s a rare cocktail: space opera meets dark romance with a psychological edge.
Pages: 528 | ASIN : B0D8P91SV1
Resistance as Inspiration
Defending Engagement follows two brothers and the woman they love in an unconventional polyamorous relationship as the trio navigates judgment from family, societal expectations, and their own emotional minefields. What was the initial idea behind this story, and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?
The initial spark for this story came from reader reactions to Overruling Judgment, Book One. Reader interest in the characters’ lives prompted some readers to want more, while others strongly objected to two brothers sharing one woman. I quickly realized I would not convince everyone to embrace the dynamic. Instead, I used that resistance as inspiration. I created side characters who embodied those critical voices, turning them into narrow-minded, often hypocritical figures within the story. It became a way to reflect real-world attitudes while still centering the story around love, complexity, and choice.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
What draws me to writing about the human condition, especially about love, is the emotional depth and delicious complexity of it all. I’m fascinated by polyamorous relationships because they push characters (and readers) to rethink what intimacy, trust, and commitment can really look like.
There’s something undeniably compelling about multiple hearts in motion and how people navigate desire, jealousy, vulnerability, and connection when the rules aren’t pre-written. It creates space for raw, honest emotion, and unique character arcs. I write these stories to expand the conversation around love and offer stories where passion and partnership don’t have to fit in a single box.
I want to write bold stories that are a little daring and rooted in the belief that love can be real, messy, and beautiful all at the same time.
What was one of the hardest parts in Defending Engagement for you to write?
It may come as a shock, but the hardest part wasn’t the family confrontation. I had powerful feelings about how Sasha, JD, and Ian would stand up to their family. I stepped back into my law student mindset when writing that scene. Each character’s voice rang out with confidence, love, and a refusal to be shamed for what they share.
The real challenge? Restraining myself from turning the novella into a full-blown novel. But I knew that Defending Engagement shouldn’t end with a glossy ten-years-later epilogue and a picket fence. They deserved something real, grounded, and just a little raw. Sasha, JD, and Ian didn’t need a fantasy ending.
What they have is sold. They faced judgment, fought for each other, and came out stronger. That’s the story I wanted to tell. Not a neat bow, but a fierce, ongoing choice to love boldly, live honestly, and keep showing up for each other, no matter what.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
They’re not just surviving, but thriving. By the time they reappear in Book Three, they’re more confident and connected than ever. What started behind closed doors is now something they’re willing to defend in daylight. You’ll see them out holding hands while skating in the middle of a Chicago public ice rink. No dodging glances. No hiding in the crowd. Just three people choosing each other, over and over, with the world watching.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
At the O’Malley family’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party, whispers turn to outright condemnation—immorality, illegality, and taboo desire. JD and Ian fear the scorn will drive Sasha away. They underestimate Sasha’s ability to eviscerate closed-minded arguments and fire to defend what’s hers.
It is time to take a stand and defend their engagement.
Defending Engagement
Defending Engagement by Liz Ellyn picks up where its predecessor left off, thrusting us right back into the unconventional but fiercely loyal triad of Sasha, Ian, and JD. This steamy, heartfelt romance explores the complexity of a polyamorous relationship between two brothers and the woman they love. The trio navigates judgment from family, societal expectations, and their own emotional minefields. Set in Chicago, the novel blends domestic drama, erotic tension, and tender moments, all while the three protagonists try to preserve their bond in the face of rising stakes, both personal and public.
I’ll be honest—I didn’t expect to be pulled in so completely. From the jump, Ellyn’s prose is bold and immersive. The sex scenes are explicit, yes, but they’re more than just spicy—they’re deeply connected to character development. I felt the love between these people. I believed it. The intimacy wasn’t just physical; it was emotional, awkward, messy, and often beautiful. JD’s vulnerability, Ian’s internal battles with control and image, Sasha’s desire to keep them together—it was raw and real. Their love feels earned. And that’s no small feat in a setup that could have easily veered into gimmick.
At times, the story leans into its erotic edge, occasionally slowing the plot’s momentum with scenes that start to blur together. I found myself wishing for a bit more depth in the external challenges they face, beyond disapproving relatives and holiday drama. Still, Ellyn earns her emotional beats. The writing is unflinching. The dialogue rings true. And when the characters hurt, I felt it. I was frustrated with them, rooted for them, even rolled my eyes with love at their little quirks.
Defending Engagement is a love story that’s unorthodox, tender, explicit, and ultimately hopeful. It’s for readers who want more than just fluff in their romance. If you’re into character-driven storytelling, steamy dynamics, and the kind of emotional vulnerability that makes your heart squeeze, this book delivers. If you’re curious, open-minded, and a sucker for complicated love, this book is perfect for you.
Pages: 118 | ASIN : B0F549X4HK
Mister Movie Star
Mister Movie Star is a charming, flirty romp of a romance novel set against the glitzy backdrop of Beverly Hills and the more grounded vibe of the Pacific Northwest. At its heart, it’s about Rose Poppins—a talented but emotionally bruised chef—and George Reed Masters, the Hollywood heartthrob with a hidden depth and, as it turns out, a surprisingly grounded soul. When Rose lands a job as George’s personal chef, neither expects the whirlwind of attraction, awkwardness, and healing that’s about to unfold. It’s the kind of story that combines humor, heart, and heat in just the right doses.
I fell for the writing right away. It has this effortless, snappy rhythm—funny without trying too hard, emotional without feeling saccharine. From the first few pages, when Rose awkwardly fumbles her way into George’s estate (and into his arms, quite literally), I was hooked. That whole “mistaken identity” set-up where she thinks George is just the pool guy is classic. But it’s not just a gimmick—the banter that follows feels natural and genuinely fun, like you’re eavesdropping on two people falling into something big and messy and real. That moment when Rose realizes the “pool guy” is actually her movie star boss was deliciously cringey and delightful.
The deeper stuff hit me harder than I expected. Rose’s backstory with the sleazy chef and the fallout from that mess felt all too real. There’s this sharp moment when Rose reflects on how being a woman in a high-end kitchen already stacks the odds against her—and then a sleazy encounter pulls the rug out from under her. Her resilience, though, really got to me. She’s smart, funny, a little self-deprecating, and trying so hard not to get hurt again. You can’t help but root for her. And George, under the glitz, is just a guy trying to figure out what matters. His moments of vulnerability—like his existential dread over aging out of Hollywood, or wondering if he can carry off a British accent without sounding like a cartoon—give him this surprising, relatable depth.
The chemistry is off the charts. There’s this perfect blend of slow-burn tension and goofy sweetness. I loved their early kitchen scenes—Rose trying not to blush while George munches carrots like Bugs Bunny, or her awkward sandwich moment where she can’t stop staring at his indigo eyes. It’s romantic comedy gold. And somehow, amid all the flirting and fumbling, there’s this growing sense of trust, like they’re both learning how to be safe with someone again. That’s where the story really shines—not in the glamor, but in the quiet moments where they see each other for real.
If you love character-driven romances with heart, humor, and heat, this one’s a gem. Fans of Emily Henry or Katherine Center will probably feel right at home. It’s got enough Hollywood sparkle to keep things fun, but it’s the emotional beats that really stick with you. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a love story with depth—plus some good food, awkward falls, and the kind of witty repartee that’ll leave you grinning.
Pages: 340 | ASIN : B0F3RSKKNV
Real-Life Experiences
Afternoon Rebecca is a charming romance novel about two small-town Christians navigating online dating, faith, and vulnerability, set against the quirky and heartfelt backdrop of Indiana life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It came to me many years ago when I was a dishwasher for a local Italian restaurant. Originally, it was going to be called Fine Dining, and the ending was to be revealed: they were on a Love Connection-type show and the previous chapters were them recounting their stories on the show and agree to another date when done.
How did you go about crafting Jeff’s internal monologues to feel so authentic and relatable?
I thought back to when I was in the dating world and tried to remember how I’d think about the possibility of her having a male roommate or avoiding simple questions like how she got her nickname.
Did any of the quirky details, like the parrot’s Biblical recitations, come from personal experiences or observations?
Most of the conversation between Jeff and Rebecca was based, however loosely, on my real-life experiences, up to and including how she got the nickname, Afternoon Rebecca, and the song. “Can of Peas” is an actual song I wrote in 2020, and I accompany it by playing my ukulele.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Being Afternoon Rebecca. It picks up the day after the date and goes through most of the summer. It’s her, her job, playing on the softball team, and her budding relationship, among other things. It should be out by the end of January. At least five books are expected in the series. The sequels are longer, all expected to come in well over 700 pages each, unlike the 140 or so of the first.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon
Get to know the couple as they learn about each other and enjoy a Tuesday afternoon dinner together. As they dine, Rebecca’s best friend and roommate, Maxine “Max Little, anxiously awaits updates from Afternoon Rebecca as she scopes out the potential love of her life.
Set in a fictional county in Central Indiana, Jeff and Rebecca’s tale is more than just a love story. Hear the narratives of the restaurant’s staff as their many short stories are woven together in an effort for Jeff67 and Afternoon Rebecca to have their happily ever after.
LITERARY TITAN 