Blog Archives
Live Life on Your Own Terms
I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf is the journal of a teenager’s life before a devastating diagnosis leading up to her treatment for liver cancer. Why was it important for you to share your sister’s experience with readers?
While there are many published books about cancer, there isn’t a single story about liver cancer from a teenager who did not survive the disease. My sister Adrienne always wanted to educate people about her cancer and publishing her journals, poetry, and artwork was the best way to do it. Also, all the proceeds benefit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, a national nonprofit organization that I founded in memory of Adrienne.
Adrienne’s journal is quite gripping in its honesty. What was the most difficult part of putting her writing and artwork together for publication?
Well, Adrienne was a notoriously bad speller, so correcting her mistakes was time-consuming. But seriously, the hardest part was going through her artwork and being reminded of how talented she was. The world missed out on an amazing, funny, creative young woman. I don’t know if she would have become a professional artist because she had so many interests and gifts, but her talent is undeniable.
How has sharing your sister’s journey impacted your life?
From the moment she came to live with me, Adrienne gave my life purpose and meaning. She continues to do so beyond her death. I feel like I raised the best kid ever and I’m glad her story is helping others with the devastating disease that ended her life far too young.
What is one thing you hope readers can take away from I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf?
Live life on your own terms and enjoy every freaking minute of it.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In her own words, this is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at the age of fifteen, Adrienne expressed her funny, bright soul in this prolific journal. Her musings on life, relationships, music, love, and the beautiful grime of her adopted hometown of Los Angeles leap off the page; her deep sensitivity and perspective are captured in full-color prints of her award-winning artwork. Steeped in late-90s nostalgia, this artistic journey through a teenage girl’s eyes is moving, often hilarious, and unforgettable.
University of Hard Knocks
Have you ever pondered upon the profound questions of why you are here, where you fit in, what you are born to do, what gift you are born to give? In other words, have you figured out your contribution to the world, the grand tapestry of life, and the symphony of human civilization?
In moments of introspection during his retirement years, Rolland felt as if he had unwittingly ‘wandered in the desert’ for 40 years (1975-2015 or 1980-2020). Yet, in hindsight, his life’s purpose was, at some pivotal points in his career -unbeknownst to him- already staring him in the face. He just failed to appreciate and recognize, much earlier, his life’s true purpose. In essence, the author failed to ‘bloom’ where God had already planted him!
If you are a teen or young adult -but especially if you are an immigrant or a member of a minority group- on a quest for your life’s purpose, this book was written for you. It’s a self-help guide outlining practical steps you can use to find and crystallize your life’s true purpose … sooner, rather than 40 years later!
If you follow the guidance contained in this book, you would hopefully avoid the shame and ultimate embarrassment of a lifetime which befell the book’s author: ‘wandering in the desert for forty years’ without constancy to purpose, to the abject dismay of his humdrum biography.
This book is also a clarion call for all citizens, especially immigrants and minorities, to say GOODBYE to apathy and indifference and, instead, to say HELLO to active participation and involvement in an ailing American democracy.
In these extraordinary times, sitting on the sidelines is simply unacceptable. Do you have a definite purpose? What does it mean for you –with your distinct set of skills, knowledge, passions, and talents– to be here in America at this particular moment in time?
The answers lie within you, waiting for you to bring them to light. May you embrace your uniqueness and align your actions with your deepest strengths, values, and aspirations … so you can experience a deep sense of fulfillment of your life’s purpose.
Yes, You Matter asserts that self-reflection is essential for understanding oneself and living to one’s fullest potential. What inspired you to write this book?
My realization, upon retirement that I failed to ‘bloom where I was planted’ inspired me to write this book. You see, upon retirement, I felt a great sense of regret and guilt when I came face to face with the reality that –having been blessed by the Almighty with the great fortune of life in America, a safe haven and comfortable refuge from the clutches of a burgeoning dictatorship I fled decades ago– I did NOT live my life with a constancy to purpose. With no definiteness of purpose, I, therefore, failed to fulfill my life’s true purpose … I failed to make it in America despite an environment of unparalleled freedom and opportunity for immigrants in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave! In hindsight, my successes in the CPA profession and in local electoral politics did not measure up to my true potential.
My intent in writing this book is simple: To be of service, to pass on the key lessons I learned from the University of Hard Knocks so that readers don’t end up ‘wandering in the desert for 40 years’ without definiteness of purpose’ like I did, to the abject dismay of my humdrum biography.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
For me, out of the whole book, the hardest thing to write about was the discussion on Chapter 4, “Passion and Purpose: Are They the Same?” I had to discuss the twin topics of passion and purpose from the intellectual and practical vantage points to be helpful to the reader. With no formal training in psychology or philosophy, Chapter 4 really challenged me.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from Yes, You Matter?
The pursuit of purpose can be met with challenges and uncertainties. The expectations of others, the pressures of society, and the fear of failure can cloud your vision and divert you from your true path. In such moments, it becomes essential to quiet the outside noise and listen to your heart’s whispers. Allow your intuition and inner wisdom to guide you, for they are the compass that will lead you toward your purpose. Embrace your uniqueness, nurture your passions, and step forward with courage and conviction.
Can readers look forward to seeing more from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Yes, despite health issues, I’m working on a few more books on the twin topics of K-12 education and American democracy.
Author Website
This book was born out of a great sense of regret and guilt which the author felt after he had retired, when he came face to face with the reality that he –blessed by the Almighty with the great fortune of life in America, a safe and comfortable refuge from the clutches of a burgeoning dictatorship he fled decades ago– had failed to fulfill his life’s purpose, despite an environment of freedom and opportunity for immigrants in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave! In moments of introspection during his retirement years, the author felt as if he had unwittingly ‘wandered in the desert’ for 40 years. Yet, In hindsight, his life’s purpose was, at some pivotal points in his career, already staring him in the face. He just failed to appreciate and recognize his life’s true purpose. The author failed to ‘bloom’ where God had already planted him!
If you are a teen or young adult, an immigrant, or a member of a minority group on a quest for your life’s purpose, this book was written for you. It’s a self-help guide outlining practical steps you can use to find and crystallize your life’s true purpose … sooner, rather than later.
Hopefully, this book can help the reader avoid the shame and ultimate embarrassment of a lifetime which befell the book’s author: ‘wandering in the desert for forty years’ without constancy to purpose, without definiteness of purpose, to the abject dismay of his humdrum biography.
This book is also a clarion call for all citizens, especially immigrants, and minorities, to say GOODBYE to apathy and indifference and, instead, to say HELLO to active participation and involvement in an ailing American democracy. Whatever suits you, in these extraordinary times, sitting on the sidelines is simply unacceptable. What does it mean for you –with your distinct set of skills, knowledge, passions, and talents– to be here in America at this particular moment in time?
The answers lie within you, waiting for you to bring them to light. May you embrace your uniqueness and align your actions with your deepest strengths, values, and aspirations … so you can experience a deep sense of fulfillment of your life’s purpose.
The Victorious Vagina – How To Beat A Player At His Game & Win At Self Love
Katie Slade’s The Victorious Vagina takes readers on a journey through the highs and lows of modern relationships. Framed as a series of poems preceded by narrative segments, this memoir delves into the emotional rollercoaster experienced by a woman navigating the complexities of love and intimacy in today’s dating landscape. Through her book, Slade underscores the importance of self-love and caution in romantic engagements, offering a candid exploration of her own vulnerabilities and triumphs.
Slade’s writing style is both raw and evocative, adeptly capturing the fervor and despair of her relationships. While the directness of Slade’s language and the rich detail of her personal anecdotes are vivid and engaging, they create an immersive reading experience that vividly brings her emotional journey to life, allowing readers to feel a deep connection with her. The integration of narrative with poetry enriched the text and allowed me to deeply connect with the emotional context behind each poem. The themes are universal, but the execution feels distinctly personal, sometimes bordering on a diary-like confessional.
The Victorious Vagina presents intriguing ideas about gender dynamics, emotional labor, and the societal pressures shaping romantic interactions. I think Slade challenges the reader to reconsider what it means to engage in modern love, pushing against the commodification of intimacy.
Katie Slade’s memoir is a passionate call for self-empowerment in the realm of dating and relationships. I recommend it to readers who appreciate a straightforward and heartfelt exploration of personal growth and resilience. Those who enjoy poetic narratives that are deeply personal and anyone navigating the intricate world of modern relationships will find this book particularly resonant.
Pages: 128 | ASIN : B0BQ1JXPVD
Willing to Acknowledge the Pain
Angry Daughter: A Journey from Hatred to Love shares your path of healing and forgiveness through the use of healing prayer. This seems like a very personal story for you. How hard was it to put this story out in the world for people to read?
I never had actually planned to write this story, but the first chapter just popped out one day quite unexpectedly, so I suppose God had other plans. Because part of my story includes the sudden loss of my mom, getting it on paper wasn’t so much hard as it was cathartic for my grieving. I was a little nervous about it being a memoir, mainly because I didn’t want to bring any grief or pain or shame to family. But the responses have been overwhelmingly positive, and I’m grateful that my vulnerability is helping others.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The biggest idea was that there truly is profound freedom in real forgiveness. It radically, unexpectedly, changed everything about my life. Another important idea is that victims of childhood abuse don’t often discuss the mothers who stood by, and this has to be part of the discussion in order for full healing to start. The gravity of fleeting time is also a major idea because we never know if we will have another opportunity to forgive someone. And a final idea is that a traumatic, abusive childhood does not have to define someone’s life and that when we are willing to acknowledge the pain of what happened, then we can start to heal from it.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
I wish I would have learned a long time ago that my value and my worth are well-established in God, regardless of how people treated me or spoke to me. I wasted decades looking for acceptance and validation when God already gave these to me.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
When we choose to recognize that the failures of our parents weren’t intentional as much as they were learned by their own brokenness, it creates space for grace, mercy, and a better understanding of why.
Get your copy of Nanci’s FREE gift, this daily spiritual warfare prayer download here.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Amazon
Well into her mid-forties, Nanci Lamborn was a critical, angry Christian who carried a consuming hatred of her mom. Frustration, annoyance, and offended contempt were constant companions at every family gathering, and these emotions robbed Nanci of her inner peace for decades. With no concept of the freedom available, she surrendered to heart healing prayer and experienced profound transformation.
From navigating the messy relationship with her dramatic, difficult mom, to surviving traumatic abuse, and finally assuming the role as a caregiver before her mom’s tragic death, Nanci’s story blends gritty, uncomfortable truth with beautiful and tender healing.
Now as an ordained minister of inner healing, Nanci walks with hurting people to introduce them to the supernatural power of forgiveness, repentance, and release of the painful past to Jesus. Angry Daughter is Nanci’s very personal journey down that same path to peace.
Part personal growth, part hilarious memoir, and part self-help, Angry Daughter thematically weaves its way through resentment and grief, to fear and shame, and from trauma to destiny. Nanci paves a clear pathway for those ready to begin their own journey of releasing Mom to the Lord in prayer.
A Testament to Resilience
The Unvarnished Truth: Purpose in the Pain shares your story of surviving abuse and how you were able to finally find peace and healing. Why was it an important book for you to write?
I wrote this book because I strongly believe that it is a story that many persons can relate to. It’s an exploration of a life filled with trauma and emotional turmoil. There are many lessons to be learnt. I share my struggles, my moments of despair, and the darkness that led to two desperate suicide attempts. But more importantly, I reveal how I found the strength within to move forward and ultimately discover peace through forgiveness and acceptance of my situation as it is.
I recognize that every twist and turn, every triumph and setback, has made me into the person I am today. This book is not just a recounting of events; it’s an exploration of the human experience, a testament to resilience in the face of adversity.
I am hoping that this book shows that our individual journeys are pieces of a larger, intricate plan, woven together by shared experiences, emotions, and the quest for meaning and PURPOSE.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted to remove the stigma in regard to Mental health and to show that even the well-to-do and the educated can suffer. May persons suffer in silence. There is always hope.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
Show gratitude. I have learnt that appreciating what one has rather than focusing on what one lacks, is the key to peace of mind, and acceptance. I have learnt to let go of the things I cannot change.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
There are many things but perhaps the key takeaway is that one should never give up on life, no matter the circumstances. Hold on tightly to faith and love and cherish the persons who love and care for you.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
The narrative takes a poignant turn as the author navigates through a twenty-seven-year-long marriage to a narcissistic partner, enduring oppression and mistreatment. Amidst the turmoil, the birth of her two beloved children brings joy and a ray of hope illuminating the darkest corners of her existence.
The inevitable separation and divorce become a turning point and a catalyst for change, but it also brings unexpected and unimaginable heartbreak that shatters her world.
Through abuse, pain, disrespect, rejection, abandonment and despair, the author finds the strength to rise above her circumstances. Despite two suicide attempts, she emerges as a beacon of hope as she embraces the profound truth that God has been intricately woven into every chapter of her life’s story, serving as a guiding presence and a shield of protection.
Through her poignant prose, the author offers a raw and honest account of these deeply personal experiences, illuminating the complexities of human relationships, the search for healing, and the power of personal growth. This autobiography stands as a testament to her resilience and steadfast determination to inspire and uplift others through the transformative power of storytelling.
An Honest Telling
To Venus and Back: One Man’s Quest to Rediscover Love is your story about becoming a widower and single parent at the age of fifty-one and your return to the dating world two years later. Why was this an important book for you to write?
There was an odd inner pull I felt to write my story, a story I never would have believed if I hadn’t lived it. I thought people needed an honest telling—from a man’s—perspective of what can happen in the world of dating, love, and sex. Dating memoirs and relationship books are a significant non-fiction category but are differentiated by gender. There are books about dating and relationships for women by women (spoiler alert, men don’t fare well) and the same for men (bro-books often written with locker-room mentalities). My book uniquely bridges this divide and fills a void—a dating memoir about women for women written by a man.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The biggest thing is that there are still people in this world—men in particular—for whom kindness is paramount. I also wanted to debunk the pervasive popular cultural thinking among some women that men are rather clueless—and maybe a bit unfeeling—when it comes to love. Lastly, for those who think love is about checking all the boxes, that’s not love. That’s accounting.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
Several things were particularly hard. One was writing about various intimate situations. That was oddly strange in a way I’ve never felt before. Another was writing about—confessing—difficult personal failings and doubts. But if I was being honest about my story, I had to fess up and be honest about everything, including where I felt I was falling short. By far the most difficult thing I wrote about however was describing how my wife died. When I began writing my memoir I swore to myself I would not write about how she died. I didn’t think I could do it and I talked myself into thinking it wasn’t relevant for a book about the crazy world of online dating in middle age. But then I realized I had to, and it changed the narrative.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
We all have in our lives certain things we never talk about and never share—that which is the most personal and intimate and rarely makes it past a hushed conversation with a trusted friend if even that. After all is said and done, and after years of writing and all the work that went into it, I’m not sure how much the big picture on dating, relationships, and sex will change because of my book. But I do know for sure that between the covers of the book, one thing has changed—a man has spoken about things we just don’t speak about, and it’s one incredible story.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
At age fifty-one, Turner Grant became a widower and single parent to his twin boys. Deep in grief, he often found daily routines difficult and his work arduous. But after two years, Turner embarked on a journey to find his future, both in life and love.
What Turner discovered shocked him. After tentative steps into the shallow dating waters, he was quickly immersed in a deep ocean filled with unexpected riptides and crosscurrents within a digital-dating universe that didn’t exist when he last dated decades earlier.
In three years, he met fifty-four single, middle-aged women who took him to a totally different world—Venus. It was a journey—a journey that’s, well … complicated.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Nonfiction
The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes outstanding nonfiction books that demonstrate exceptional quality in writing, research, and presentation. This award is dedicated to authors who excel in creating informative, enlightening, and engaging works that offer valuable insights. Recipients of this award are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
LITERARY TITAN 