Blog Archives
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is the kind of novel that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go. It’s book one in the Given Path Trilogy, and it kicks things off with serious momentum. We follow Roare Murdock-Galloway, a celebrated filmmaker with a complicated past, as she gets pulled deeper into a world that blends faith, science fiction, and real-world tech anxiety. There’s an eerie urgency to the themes, AI, transhumanism, spiritual warfare, and the plot weaves personal trauma with a global threat. It’s got action, heart, and a lot of soul.
The author’s writing style is rich, vivid, and surprisingly intimate. The dialogue feels raw, like you’re eavesdropping on real people grappling with pain and purpose. The opening chapter throws you into Roare’s world, a tense TV interview where she’s trying to hold her ground against a nosy host, and right away, you feel her vulnerability. That scene where she storms off the set (and then curls into her husband’s arms afterward) really hit me. It showed her strength and her limits, and I appreciated that balance. She’s not perfect.
The spiritual thread in this book isn’t subtle; it’s front and center, but it’s not preachy. That’s a rare balance. Roare’s faith journey is full of doubt, frustration, and flashes of divine connection. Her therapy session with Dr. Galletti, where she breaks down over her past and her father, was beautifully written and emotionally brutal. I loved how scripture was organically folded into conversations and it didn’t feel forced, just part of the characters’ world.
And then there’s the sci-fi twist. It sneaks up on you. The transition from personal healing to global intrigue is seamless. I actually got chills when Roare discovered the note referencing Dr. Stanley Monteith and started down the rabbit hole of transhumanism. It’s wild but grounded enough to feel plausible. That’s what makes it creepy, in a good way.
I’d recommend Rage Against the Machine to anyone who likes thrillers with a pulse and a purpose. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy Christian fiction but want something bolder, darker, and more urgent. If you’ve ever asked big questions about faith, technology, or the direction our world is headed, this one’s for you.
Pages: 360 | ASIN : B0DNWGXLJT
Past, Present, and Future
The Adamantine Jewel follows a university professor and former U.S. Marine who, with the help of his daughter, tries to track down a mythical healing stone to save humanity from a flesh-eating virus. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for my story came from a dream I had over fifteen years ago. I wrote the first twenty pages within a few weeks, but as life got busy, the project was put on hold. It stayed on the shelf until last year when I discovered NaNoWriMo.org, a writers’ resource. I decided to take on their 55,000-word challenge—to write 55,000 words in one month. I succeeded, and that’s how my novel was born.
David and April are intriguing characters with great emotional depth. What emotional and moral guidelines did you follow when developing them?
David believes in the inherent goodness of all people, though he acknowledges that some make poor choices in life. He is compassionate and non-judgmental, firmly believing in second chances and embodying unconditional love for all living beings. With unwavering faith and hope for a brighter future for humanity, David exemplifies the archetype of the peaceful warrior—kind and forgiving, yet resolute. He possesses the strength and skills needed to protect his family and friends when it matters most.
April, on the other hand, is on a quest for meaning and purpose, struggling to define her identity and place in the world while battling a life-threatening illness. Despite her challenges, she maintains a good sense of humor and discovers a profound spiritual connection with the universal goddess energy, or divine feminine. She faces her impending death with remarkable courage and fortitude.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One theme I explore is the interplay of the past, present, and future. The past is represented by a prophecy rooted in an 18,000-year-old religion. The present follows the journey of David and April, including an epic battle of good versus evil. The future envisions transformative initiatives for spiritually focused individuals on Earth.
Another theme I delve into is the mythic archetypal structure of the Hero’s Journey—and the Heroine’s Journey—that mythologist Joseph Campbell is renowned for. Both David and April are living their ordinary lives when they are suddenly thrust into a life-or-death quest. Through their struggles to fulfill this quest, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
April grows and matures as a woman, with a budding romance on the horizon, a deeper understanding of her role in the world, and her mission as a divine world spirit healer. Meanwhile, David collaborates with world leaders to address the issue of homelessness, assumes his role as Earth’s representative in working with advanced civilizations within the Galactic Federation Council, and expands his mystical understanding of universal truths.
New characters are introduced, enriching the narrative, while existing characters develop deeper and more meaningful relationships. The upcoming twelve metaphysical supernatural novels in The David Thoreau Adventure Series further explore the visionary themes introduced in this first installment. These visionary initiatives aim to guide humanity toward becoming a spiritually evolved, space-faring civilization.
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Their journey thrusts them into a life-or-death race to India, where their only hope lies in a rare, miraculous healing herb. As time slips away, every second counts, and failure means the end. But fate deals a cruel blow when their flight crashes in the treacherous Himalayan Mountains of Tibet.
What follows is an epic saga of survival, love, and redemption. Together, David and April confront their deepest fears and battle formidable adversaries. With each passing moment, the countdown to her demise draws closer. Guided by allies and aided by supernatural forces in the mystical “Land of the Gods,” they are destined to undertake a perilous quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy that only they can complete.
With time running out, their love and courage will be tested beyond anything they’ve ever known. In a battle where life, death, and the supernatural collide, they will discover that some destinies are forged in the crucible of the impossible—where a father’s devotion and a daughter’s courage shatter the very limits of time, space, and even death.
Knightfall
C.L. Embry’s Knightfall grips readers with a powerful blend of ambition, identity, and shifting perspectives. Set against a backdrop of medieval intrigue, the narrative follows Axel, a knight disillusioned by tradition and consumed by his obsession with alchemy. What starts as a simple pursuit to master transmutation turns into a journey of self-realization, pushing Axel to question everything he knows about his world and himself. The lessons he learns along the way are as unexpected as they are transformative.
Action, introspection, and mysticism weave seamlessly throughout the story, keeping you invested while also making you think. Embry crafts a world so vivid and detailed, you can almost feel the tension in the kingdom’s air—especially as fear and fascination with alchemy collide. The societal and political layers are rich, making every interaction feel loaded with consequence. Axel himself is a character who doesn’t ask for your sympathy. His flaws are real, his decisions often questionable. Yet, it’s precisely this complexity that makes his eventual growth deeply satisfying, turning what could have been a straightforward quest into something much more meaningful.
Alchemy, in Knightfall, is more than a plot device. It’s a metaphor for transformation, threading through the narrative to highlight themes of change and enlightenment. Embry doesn’t spoon-feed you the story’s deeper meanings. Instead, clues and reflections are sprinkled throughout Axel’s journey, allowing you to unearth layers of insight as the story unfolds. Political intrigues and hints of larger, unseen forces add depth without overwhelming the central narrative. By the time you finish, there’s plenty to ponder, and the world lingers in your mind.
Fans of introspective fantasy will feel right at home here, especially those who crave stories driven by character development and philosophical themes. If you love tales of personal growth, redemption, or the tension between power and knowledge, Knightfall delivers. The novel strikes a fine balance between being accessible and thought-provoking, making it an excellent pick for readers who want more than just a standard adventure.
Pages: 276 | ASIN : B0DJL6GLWW
I Don’t Create the Path—I Follow It
Divine In Essence is a collection of imaginative short stories that immerse readers in the supernatural world. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write this collection?
I write to dream. Whenever I compose a story, I keep Beauty on one side, Truth on the other. As long as I’m between the two, I know I’m on the Path. I don’t create the Path—I follow it.
Each of these stories was composed in this manner, for its own sake, not toward this collection in particular…and yet, once the pieces were gathered, Divine In Essence emerged vividly as a totality—not simply an assortment of stories—just as a human body is a totality of organs performing distinctive, necessary tasks aligned to support the function of the whole. For Divine In Essence, that function is to imagine a dream of the world that replaces the world: for the time that you read the words, you live in the dream. The words you imbibe from the page become your own words, and the dreams they describe become your own dreams.
What dreams? Sometimes, a fanciful surrealism emerges, as in the pan-telluric ontological upheavals of “The Great Event” or the fantastic voyage through the id of “Icarus in Bardot.” At other times, a heavy-lidded hypnagogia prevails, as in “I in the Eye,” which relates the observations of a boy imprisoned in his stepmother’s glass eye, or “Your Mother Loves You,” a survivor’s memoir in four dimensions. Occasionally, we float into some pleasant reverie tinged with sorrow, as in the perambulations of the gently damned in “Nancy & Her Man,” or the sweet, meek fortitude of “Mary Alice in the Mirror.”
I should say, many of these stories were written toward the purpose of publication in journals and anthologies. My previous work had been more in the experimental vein, and I had seen it published in various lit journals, online and in print, but I developed an interest in Horror and the Weird (so hospitable as they are to the dream sensation), along with a desire to publish stories in the journals and anthologies of those genres, which tend to be very classy and well-produced. I’m happy to report I managed to appear in several of those publications over the years, including some gorgeous hardcover anthologies from the UK, which hosts a thriving book culture.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore within your stories?
I am an intuitive writer, so I don’t necessarily impose themes on my work, but isn’t it funny how they emerge anyway? Especially in this collection!
Divine In Essence is STEEPED in the dichotomy of human existence between the Real and the Symbolic. The Real is your animal body; the Symbolic is your human spirit. The body (Real) is a medium for suffering and isolation; the spirit (Symbolic) is a medium for ecstasy and connection. Your struggle as a human being is to unify these divergent aspects of your nature, to inhabit both realms at once—to be kind in spite of cruelty, to identify your own pain in the pain of others (and theirs in yours), to understand your suffering within the greater context of your relationships to your family and your species, to be more than a survivor of the world-at-hand but a striver toward another world always out-of-reach.
You don’t create the reality you inhabit—it creates you—but you do create continually the ILLUSION that you’ve created that reality…which is all that makes it bearable. When the illusion is revealed for what it is and stripped away, hope flees, despair triumphs, and the human spirit sinks into perdition. Thus, the illusion MUST be maintained, with Dream as the only viable working method.
Many of my stories concern children. A child must come to terms with the arbitrary, senseless cruelty of existence and develop a sense of ownership over it: “This suffering is MY suffering, a very special sort of suffering indeed…if only I could share it with someone else!”
A child, being innocent, is the perfect victim. People tend to blame adults for their own misfortune: if something bad happened to you, you must have done something to deserve it! You simply can’t think that about a child, however: no child deserves punishment or abuse. That’s probably why I’m attracted to the theme of childhood suffering and how a child in the wake of trauma that is by definition unjust must reimagine the world itself in order to justify and endure it…again, with Dream as the working method.
Do you have a favorite story in your collection? One that was especially enjoyable to craft?
My favorite story is the finale, “The Life of Cherry.” This story represents the summa of all that came before. Each story in Divine In Essence exudes a spiritual dew that flows down into the next, and “The Life of Cherry,” situated at the bottom, collects all that spectral moisture into one supremely potent libation.
On the level of craft, it was incredibly rewarding to write this story. When I began it, I only eked out a few pages before abandoning it to the Purgatory of False Starts, but then I picked it up again six or seven years later, and it flowered on its own into a piece of art so precious and prescient that I can hardly believe it came from me. Whenever I read it, I learn something more about myself. Within my life, it serves as a practical demonstration of Literature’s power as a path to self-knowing. If I should ever doubt my calling to this practice of Writing, I need only to reread “The Life of Cherry” to refresh my conviction.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I’m duking it out with the Muse as we speak. No telling at this point how it will go, but I’m rooting for Her!
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
You will encounter:
a young boy captive in his stepmother’s glass eye,
the engrossing diary of a sassy and intrepid girl-ghost,
an “impudent” woman consigned to a passive life in a mirror,
a mutilated Fury ransacking the dream world,
Icarus mired in Brigitte Bardot,
ten tales of the Strange to unchain you from the Real.
The stories of Divine In Essence exemplify a sui generis slipstream style that deftly weaves a psychedelic literary fabric from elements of Irrealism, Occult Horror, Oneiric Fiction, and the Weird. Attune your mind and be transformed. Escape!
“Yarrow Paisley dictates dreams onto paper. His work is like nothing else I’ve read—enchanting, touching, terrifying, absurd.” —E. Catherine Tobler, author of The Necessity of Stars
“With his trademark sly humor, Paisley has created a world in a glass eye, a tour de force guaranteed to give readers delightful nightmares.” —Mickey J. Corrigan, author of What I Did for Love
The Adamantine Jewel
The Adamantine Jewel by Jeffrey Scott Pears is a thrilling supernatural adventure that sweeps readers into a world balancing on the brink of catastrophe. When an unstoppable, flesh-eating virus threatens humanity with extinction, David Thoreau, a university professor and former U.S. Marine, races against time alongside his brave eighteen-year-old daughter, April. Their mission? To track down a mythical healing stone known as the Adamantine Jewel. The stakes are impossibly high, and the journey is nothing short of epic, involving dangerous conspiracies, mystical forces, and the wisdom of ancient cultures.
The writing in The Adamantine Jewel is a mixed bag. There are moments of taut, breathless action where the prose shines. It grabs you and doesn’t let go, mixing humor with suspense. Yet, there are times when the narrative feels overly descriptive, bogging down scenes that would otherwise fly by. David’s philosophical musings, while intellectually intriguing, sometimes pull away from the story’s tension, making me wish the author would just get back to the action. Nevertheless, these reflective pauses do add a layer of depth, even if they occasionally feel misplaced. Character dynamics are where Jeffrey Scott Pears really excels. David’s relationship with April is authentic, heartwarming, and bittersweet. You can feel the weight of their shared grief over the loss of April’s mother, making their banter and mutual support all the more touching. Some secondary characters, like Serenity Adler, felt underdeveloped despite the potential for complexity. I wanted more from her, especially given her sudden departure to India and the emotional stirrings she awakens in David. The book’s plot brims with intrigue and cinematic energy. From high-speed chases through West Hollywood to the mounting horror of a global pandemic, the stakes are palpable. Pears does a fantastic job weaving real-world fears with mystical elements. The sudden, brutal encounter with the CDC authorities at David’s home made my heart pound, while the philosophical lecture on death during his university class left me contemplative. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel that the pacing wavered in some areas. The narrative jumps from action-packed scenes to quieter moments without always maintaining momentum, leaving me both exhilarated and occasionally restless.
The Adamantine Jewel is a gripping ride that delivers on suspense, family drama, and metaphysical reflection. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy thrillers with a spiritual twist, especially those curious about ancient cultures and myths. If you’re looking for a thoughtful adventure that keeps you thinking while keeping you on edge, this book is worth the read.
Pages: 266 | ASIN : B0DHPMNXBR
Divine In Essence
Divine in Essence, by Yarrow Paisley, is a surreal and endlessly imaginative collection of short stories. The book is a wild ride, blending the bizarre with the artistic in a way that’s both entertaining and unsettling. It’s a mix of the otherworldly and the unnerving, constantly pushing boundaries and keeping the reader off-balance with its strange, dreamlike narratives.
Paisley’s writing is so unconventional that condensing these incredible short stories into a brief description feels almost impossible. Take The Great Event, a fresh twist on a ghost story involving a young girl, Helen, and some haunted pipes. Or I in The Eye, where a boy finds himself trapped inside his stepmother’s glass eye while a homunculus takes his place. Then there’s Rocking Horse Traffic, a fever dream about a boy undergoing surgery, blending reality and a strange world filled with rocking horses. Each tale feels like it’s pulled from a feverish imagination, and they demand to be experienced firsthand.
What stands out in this collection is the way each story mixes the supernatural with ordinary horrors. The familiar becomes strange, as Paisley twists traditional horror elements into something more abstract and mind-bending. His writing style is rich, poetic, and sometimes so abstract that you’re left wondering what’s real and what’s imagined. The stories have a dreamlike quality that keeps readers guessing, making the experience immersive and often disorienting in the best way. Paisley’s prose is dense and lyrical, with themes revolving around identity, mortality, and the essence of existence. His characters are often trapped, whether physically or psychologically, and the way he plays with language blurs the line between fantasy and reality. It’s an unsettling but engrossing experience, pulling you deeper into his strange worlds.
This collection is unlike anything I’ve read before. While I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, it’s not for everyone. Paisley’s writing works best in small doses—I feel that some might find it somewhat difficult to follow. This isn’t an easy read, and the stories are definitely not for those who prefer straightforward narratives. However, for fans of surreal horror, it’s a rewarding challenge. Each story stands out in its own right, and there’s not a weak one in the bunch. It’s best enjoyed story by story, allowing time to digest each one’s unique oddities. Divine in Essence is perfect for readers who crave something deeply strange and entirely original.
Pages: 216 | ISBN : 978-1952600555
A Call To Action
Like a Lily Among the Thorns follows a young woman longing for a family connection who meets a woman who becomes more than a friend; she helps transform her life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
To me subconsciously, we all assign roles to acquaintances in our lives based on our unfulfilled needs. In this particular narrative, the MC has a real need for connection. Sometimes my muse uses my personal experiences but in others like this story my natural empathy for people in distress carries the load.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
The pursuit of happiness, connection, and dignity.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One main theme the reviewer failed to mention was the purpose of this book for me. I believe it is a call to action for the climate crisis that may possibly end life on this planet as we know it. Just like the characters in this story, the awareness of the danger is slow in forming and even at the end of this novel the lack of action to totally change one’s life in anticipation of this problem is just too much work. Eveyone hopes the problem is exaggerated and will just disappear. Like is actually happening right now.
What next book are you working on, and when will it be available?
My next novel explores the notion of what is reality. Can we move through different realities by choice? Scientists have postulated that the multiverse exists. In this work, I take the liberty of having proof that multiverse exists and that we can somehow move around these alternate worlds at will. It also is a nod to my gloomy attitude of the possible demise of humanity due to climate change. Enlightened souls will have the ability to save our species by traveling to another reality where climate issues do not exist yet.
Author Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Book Review
At a local small library in New York City, one such family was born. And just like so many capricious happenstances in life, this family unit embraced newcomers and grew exponentially. But this clan was also charged with far more than spreading love and joy and a sense of belonging. This clan was formed by divine Providence to help save the planet.
Gabrielle Bernstein, the MC of Like a Lily Among the Thorns, is a woman in her twenties and has started her career as a librarian at a NYC public library. Abandoned by her father as a young girl and now orphaned by her deranged mother, Gabby longs for a family connection. Coincidentally, she finds this connection at the same time she inherits a B&B in Vermont from her estranged and now-deceased father. This enchanted inn is under the watchful eye of goddesses of myth and legend who have been tasked to save mankind from destroying itself and this planet. These goddesses will use their powers to try and stall the onslaught of the effects of droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. But as a safety net, they have collected human saviors all over the planet to erect safe havens at high altitudes away from flood waters and blistering temperatures.
Woven through this tale is Gabrielle’s inherent understanding that she must be grateful, mindful, and present in this journey called life.
Author’s note: In response to the feedback from several reviews, I offer some clarity to the book’s ending. As a call to action, the other message of this book is the reality that humans would prefer to do nothing when all appears normal. Doing nothing and waiting for the worst to happen is a terrible approach and has been the mindset for a long time no matter the solid info that has been available for many years.
Like a Lily Among the Thorns
Karen S. Bell’s Like a Lily Among the Thorns mixes romance, personal growth, and a touch of magic. The story revolves around Gabby Bernstein, a young woman in New York City who clings to optimism despite life’s tough breaks. Things take a sharp turn when she crosses paths with the mysterious Countess Anastasia Ivanova. Their friendship opens new doors for Gabby, pushing her toward a life-changing transformation.
Bell’s writing style is poetic, vivid, and full of detail, making every scene pop. Whether it’s Gabby’s simple morning routine or the lush garden of the Countess, the words pull you in. You can almost see and feel everything through Gabby’s eyes. The way Bell blends everyday life with a dash of the mystical gives the story a unique, almost magical vibe. Gabby’s constant reflections, while key to her character, add depth to the story. They offer insight into her mindset and her journey. These moments allow readers to connect more deeply with her. Her focus on gratitude and mindfulness is central and enriches the narrative. While these reflections do slow the pace a bit, they also create a thoughtful, introspective atmosphere that adds to the story’s charm. The bond between Gabby and the Countess is where the magic really happens. Watching them grow and heal together is both moving and inspiring. As the Countess reveals more of herself, her role as a mentor to Gabby becomes more compelling. There’s a scene where Gabby finally faces her painful past that hits hard. It’s raw and emotional, showing just how good Bell is at capturing real, deep feelings.
Like a Lily Among the Thorns is a solid pick for readers who enjoy stories that focus on characters, with a sprinkle of magic. The book’s poetic language and thoughtful narrative dig deep into life’s ups and downs and the path to personal growth. This book is the perfect mix of the ordinary with a little bit of magic.
Pages: 231 | ASIN : B09V5KGMJF
LITERARY TITAN 