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The Cost of Service
The Cost of Service tells the story of what it really costs to live a life built around serving others. It moves through the worlds of the military, law enforcement, and ministry with a mix of personal stories, quiet confessions, and raw honesty. The book lays out the emotional and spiritual wounds that often go unseen, and it does so in a way that feels deeply human. It follows the author’s journey through war zones, patrol units, and church pulpits, and shows how each role demands sacrifice from both the one who serves and the people who love them. It is a book about struggle, purpose, loss, and the long road toward healing.
As I moved through these chapters, I found myself getting pulled in by the simple directness of the writing. It is blunt in places and tender in others. The stories hit hard because they feel lived in. I kept stopping to sit with some of the moments, especially the ones where duty pressed up against heartbreak. The book doesn’t preach. It tells the truth, and it lets the truth sit there. I appreciated that. It reminded me that behind uniforms and titles are people trying to hold themselves together while holding everyone else up.
What surprised me most was how much emotion is tucked between the lines. You can feel the burnout, the loneliness, and the long, quiet ache that comes when someone keeps showing up even after they feel emptied out. The writing can feel heavy, but it is the kind of heavy that makes you reflect on how much people give without asking for anything in return. The book pushed me to consider how easily we forget the weight that service workers carry home with them every night.
By the time I reached the end, I felt grateful. This book is for anyone who loves someone in uniform or ministry, and for anyone who wants to understand why service changes a person. It is also for people who have served and may need the reminder that they are not alone in their struggles. I would recommend The Cost of Service to readers who appreciate real stories told with heart and honesty, and to anyone willing to look past the surface and hear the deeper, quieter truth of what service truly demands.
Pages: 120 | ISBN : 9798989359288
Meaningful Work
Emetophobia & Me follows your transformation from a childhood shaped by fear to an adulthood grounded in courage, compassion, and the radical act of choosing to live fully even when anxiety whispers otherwise. Why was this an important book for you to write?
What a great question. It brought up quite a lot for me. I will try to summarise it. Having battled crippling anxiety throughout most of my childhood and adult life, I wanted nothing more than to help others who were suffering too. When I saw someone suffering with anxiety and/or emetophobia and heard them speak of their experience in ways I deeply resonated with, my heart would literally hurt. For many years, I would just listen and try to offer any understanding and …. well, just love really. It felt like a lifeline for me to have someone who would just listen and remind me that I was not alone. So when I decided to write this little book, it was really to create a lifeline for those who feel lost and to remind them that they were safe. There is hope, and they are deeply loved.
What feels important to me is that, even when I am gone, my books might still bring comfort to others. That feels like meaningful work to me.
What was the hardest memory to revisit while writing Emetophobia & Me, and how did you care for yourself during that process?
Writing the book really did bring up some old feelings and fears, but it was therapeutic in a way too. I think the hardest part to revisit was those times, as a child, where I felt so unsafe. I had the phobia, anxiety, and panic ( I had no idea they had names then), there was violence at home, and my sister was diagnosed with cancer.
I felt so sad for that frightened little girl, who tried tirelessly to control what was never in her control. I guess that is why I turned inward more and more, to try and control myself. To try and keep myself safe with rituals, behaviour, and fear.
Was there a specific moment when your relationship with fear shifted from something to avoid to something you could coexist with?
You know, I wish there was a light bulb moment when it all changed. We are all looking for the magical quick fix, right? But, actually, it was a slow process. A process of seeing, then not seeing, then seeing more. The real change came from being open to being wrong …. about who I thought I was, my beliefs, and my misunderstanding about fear.
Being open. Being prepared to change your mind. Being aware that there is a lot you don’t know yet, is huge.
What do you hope readers who don’t struggle with phobias take away about empathy and the lived experience of anxiety?
It has always been important to me that loved ones and family members have some understanding about anxiety and Phobias. The one thing a sufferer needs is understanding. Followed by time and love. Just listen, not always to fix, but just to hear. Often, we sufferers of anxiety feel unheard, and that increases fear and insecurity.
The answer to everything always is love.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Finding Peace | Website | Books.By | Amazon
She could control everything—
except her own fear.
From the outside, Jess Smith looked fine. A wife, a mother, a woman doing her best to hold it all together. But behind every smile hid a secret terror—an obsessive fear of vomiting so intense it ruled her every decision. Every meal was measured. Every outing calculated. Every day, a battle with her own mind.
Until the fear began to consume her life completely.
In this raw and beautifully written memoir about emetophobia, anxiety and panic attacks, Jess takes readers inside the hidden world of a phobia few dare to talk about. Her story unfolds like a psychological thriller—every symptom, every panic episode, every desperate attempt to stay “safe” pulling her further from the life she longed to live.
But when she finally hit breaking point, something miraculous happened.
She stopped running.
She turned inward.
And she began the journey home—to herself.
Part memoir, part self-help guide for anxiety and recovery, Emetophobia and Me will make you feel every heartbeat of fear—and every breath of freedom that follows.
If you’ve ever lived your life controlled by fear—whether of panic, sickness, or simply losing control—this story will hold your hand through the darkness and show you that healing isn’t about fixing yourself.
It’s about finally allowing yourself to be free.
A powerful, honest, and inspiring read for anyone navigating anxiety, emetophobia, panic disorder, or trauma recovery.
You are not afraid of what you think you are.
It’s time to see the truth — and take your life back.
Losing Mom
Losing Mom, by Peggy Ottman, is a memoir about a daughter walking with her mother through the last stretch of her life. The story moves through medical crises, small moments of grace, old family rhythms, and the shifting power dynamic between parent and child. It opens with years of near misses, each one convincing Ottman that maybe her mother would never actually die, and then follows the final days with an honesty that feels both intimate and strangely universal. At its heart, it is about love, caretaking, and the long letting go that comes when a parent fades.
The writing is simple, direct, sometimes almost breathless in the way it tumbles forward. That works for this kind of memoir. The scenes of crisis feel sharp because they are told the way we remember trauma, in fragments and quick flashes. I appreciated how she didn’t try to polish herself into some perfect caretaker. She shows the guilt, the second-guessing, the resentment, the deep tenderness. Her relationship with her sisters adds texture, too. They each carry different responsibilities, and you can feel the family history in every conversation.
What struck me most was the author’s honesty about fear. The fear of losing her mom, yes, but also the fear of doing the wrong thing, of missing a sign, of not being strong enough. Those moments felt very emotional. Some scenes hit hard, like when she speaks nonsense during what might be a stroke. Other moments are quiet, almost gentle, like the nurse patiently washing her mother’s hair. The memoir doesn’t try to turn grief into something tidy. It lets it stay messy and human, which makes it more powerful.
By the end, Losing Mom feels like a long exhale. It doesn’t offer big lessons. Instead, it gives you the feeling of having walked alongside someone through something real. I’d recommend Peggy Ottman‘s story to anyone who gravitates toward memoirs that deal with caregiving, aging parents, and the complicated love that sits underneath family stories. Readers who value emotional honesty over dramatic storytelling will appreciate it most. This is a memoir that keeps you thinking, especially if you’ve ever watched someone you love slowly slip away.
Pages: 300
Literary Titan Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
Talthybius by Jessie Holder Tourtellotte and Nathaniel Howard
Golem Mine by Donald Schwartz
A Trail in the Woods by Mallory O’Connor
Messenger of the Reaper Part 2 by Jimmy Straley
Missing in Lincoln Park by Staci Andrea
Medusa: Or, Men Entombed in Winter by Kyle Farnworth
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan 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 Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
The Moments Between Choices by Harris Kamal
Secretos De Familia by Diego Uribe
Once Upon A Time In The Big Easy: Down On The Bayou by Wilson Jackson
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines
Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines tells the story of a childhood shaped by violence, poverty, mental illness, and constant upheaval. The author shares scenes that feel almost too real to read, moments where survival hangs by a thread, and small flashes of love keep her moving. The book follows her from her earliest memories with a schizophrenic and abusive mother, through years of instability, family trauma, homelessness, and danger. It is a memoir that traces pain in sharp detail but also draws a clear line toward resilience and the stubborn spark of hope that refuses to go out.
I felt pulled into the author’s voice in a way that left me raw. Her writing hits hard because she does not hide. She tells everything straight, letting each moment speak for itself. The simplicity of the language works in her favor. It keeps the story grounded. It also makes some scenes feel heavier because the words do not soften them. I kept thinking about how young she was during the worst moments and how she managed to hold on to any sense of self. The honesty in her storytelling is powerful.
I also found myself drawn to the way she describes small joys. A homemade sour treat from her grandmother. A moment of kindness from an aunt. A flash of sunlight during a hopeless day. These little details gave me something to cling to as a reader. They also gave the memoir a sense of rhythm. I appreciated how the author allowed those memories to stand beside the darkness without trying to smooth them together. Life often feels jagged that way. The book captures that unevenness with real heart. I found myself caring deeply about her younger self and feeling frustrated at how many systems failed her at every turn.
The story is heavy, no doubt about it. Still, the author’s insistence on survival leaves a clear message. Pain shapes us, but it does not have to end us. I would recommend this book to readers who appreciate personal stories told without filters, to those who work with vulnerable communities, and to anyone who wants to understand trauma from the inside out.
Pages: 221 | ASIN : B0FHY52WZ2
Finding Joy
The Joy Molecule is a soulful blend of memoir and life guide that follows your journey from achievement-chaser to purpose-driven connector, revealing how real joy grows from self-awareness, compassion, and meaningful relationships. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For most of my life, I’ve seen personal growth as an ascension ladder. We climb through experiences, challenges, insights, and relationships. And wherever we are on that ladder, we have two responsibilities: to reach down and help those coming up behind us, and to reach up and learn from those who have already climbed higher.
At certain points on that ladder, something shifts. Instead of stepping onto the next rung, we feel called to build a platform, something sturdy enough for others to stand on, something that can support more than just our own next step. The Joy Molecule came from one of those moments for me.
I realized that the concepts in this book, understanding what we are, who we are, and why we are here, and how joy arises from conscious connection and purpose, were too important to keep climbing quietly with. They deserved a platform. They deserved to be shared in a way that could help others navigate their own journey, especially those who, like me, spent years chasing achievement while longing for something deeper.
Writing this book was my way of building that platform: a place where people can pause, reflect, reconnect with themselves, and find a more joyful, aligned path forward.
What moment or relationship first made you realize that joy and achievement weren’t the same thing?
There wasn’t a single moment, there were dozens. But the clearest shift happened during my trip to Africa in 2012. I met people with far fewer material resources than I had ever known, yet they radiated a depth of joy and connectedness that I couldn’t quite understand. Meanwhile, I had all the “achievement boxes” checked and still felt empty. That contrast shook something loose in me. It exposed the illusion that achievement automatically leads to fulfillment. Becoming a father to two extraordinary children deepened that lesson. Their struggles, and my desire to support them without projecting my own expectations, also showed me that joy comes from presence, compassion, and connection, not accomplishment.
How did writing this book change your own understanding of joy, if at all?
The title of the book came from the concept that Conscious Connection + Purpose (C2P) = Joy. When I started writing the book I thought I would focus on the concept of connection, yet when I started digging and reviewing the people that I know who have deep, meaningful joy, they all had something in common. They all knew What they were, Who they were and Why there are here. That concept came after I started writing the book, so that was a huge piece of awareness I didn’t have before writing this book.
For readers who feel stuck in their careers or identities, what’s the very first small step you’d urge them to take toward reconnecting with joy?
I think joy is about connection and knowing What you are, Who you are and Why you are here. The metaphor I use in my talks is a closed door. Most of us live in a very comfortable room, especially here in the US. We live for ourselves, rugged individualism, raising our children as isolated families rather than in community. With this in mind, if we want to find more joy we don’t need to look outside of ourselves, this is an inside job. By opening the door to a journey to finding self, we begin to shed the identity we’ve created since our birth and seek connection. Finding ourselves allows us to connect more deeply with others and I believe that is one of the biggest reasons we are here. The Harvard Study on Happiness over the past 85 years is clear that those who have deep meaningful relationships at 50 will be happy at 80. To me it all comes down to connection and connecting to self is the first step.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
In The Joy Molecule, author Larry Kesslin introduces a simple but powerful idea:
Joy comes from knowing What you are, Who you are, and Why you are here. And it is deepened by personally connecting with others. Joy is not something to chase … it is something to live.
Kesslin reveals that joy isn’t about perfect circumstances. It’s about clear alignment.
Within these pages, he shares the stories of individuals who have taught him the most valuable lessons of his life.
Most spend their lives trying to succeed, impress, and keep up. But deep down, what they are really searching for is joy.
Through personal stories and the lives of remarkable individuals—from blind athletes to social impact leaders—each became the lightning rod for him to see a path to joy. Now he shares them with you. Their stories are profound. Their resiliency, creativity, and courage to take another step forward when no steps were readily apparent will leave you with wonder. Their lives are to be celebrated … as yours is.
Joy is rooted in deep human connection. It is a journey to love yourself, your life and surround yourself with peace that enables you to breathe with clarity and vision.
If you’re ready to live with more purpose, more connection, and more joy—
The Joy Molecule is your invitation to begin.
LITERARY TITAN 