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The Little Girl’s Mother
The Little Girl’s Mother drops us straight into a police station that turns into a battleground and then never really lets the tension slip. It follows a family whose daughter witnesses a murder and suddenly becomes the target of a powerful criminal syndicate. The parents, both former military with heavy pasts, step back into a world they hoped to leave behind. The story twists from procedural chaos into a dark rescue mission, something between a thriller and a raw look at what parents might do when no one else can keep their child alive. It moves fast. Sometimes brutally fast. And it carries a steady drumbeat of fear and determination.
Reading it, I felt myself leaning in, almost holding my breath. The writing hits with a kind of straight shot energy. There is no drifting around. The scenes move with hard edges and sharp turns. I liked that. It pulled me right into the panic, the cold choices, and the way the parents shift from frightened to focused. I cared more than I expected to and sometimes caught myself rooting for them in ways that surprised me. The emotional weight lands strongest when the parents talk to each other or when they steady their daughter. Those moments feel real. They cool the fire just enough to let the story breathe before it kicks off again.
Some scenes in the workshop are rough. Not because they are gory but because of the calm way they unfold. The tone made me uneasy in a way that felt intentional. I could sense the author pushing me to sit with the question of what desperation does to good people. I liked that the book did not try to pretend those choices are clean or noble. The pacing can feel intense. Yet the emotional through-line keeps things grounded and stops the story from tipping into pure action for its own sake.
I would recommend this book to readers who like high-tension thrillers and stories about families under extreme pressure. It fits readers who enjoy military backgrounds, tactical problem solving, and moral knots that do not come undone easily. If you want a story that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go, then this will absolutely hit the mark.
Pages: 217 | ASIN : B0FHSHXY18
My Own Life Experiences
This Time follows a Marine pilot and a recent divorcee who rekindle old sparks at their ten-year high school reunion. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
I built the structure of the novel around my own life experiences … and the fictional story from an active imagination. I grew up in a small-town community much like Tartan Springs, and I served in the military as a Navy pilot.
I enjoyed the romantic relationship between Ty and Siena. How did their relationship develop while you were writing it? Did you have an idea of where you wanted to take it, or was it organic?
I maintained my original concept for Seeney’s and Ty’s relationship … a strong female in the lead consistently pushing her less aggressive male partner along.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing a romance novel?
I’m not really sure, because I don’t usually write in this genre. I found keeping the dialogue “real” a challenge, as well as keeping the growing romance from interfering with the serious nature of the other conflicts occurring in the novel
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I hope to follow up my popular crime-thriller novel, Pedaling West with a sequel entitled, Pedaling East.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Ty is a decorated Marine Corps combat pilot, carrying the weight of duty and distance. Siena has stayed close to home, where memories linger and reputations stick. As their paths cross once more, the chemistry is undeniable—but so are the obstacles.
Can love survive the turbulence of Ty’s deployments and the shadow of Siena’s past? Or will the road they travel together prove too steep…this time?
A heartfelt story of reconnection, resilience, and the kind of love that dares to try again.
The Moral of the Story is the Story
The Tilted Palace: Weeds of Misfortune follows a retired Green Beret haunted by Vietnam and marooned in the quiet of small-town Massachusetts, who meets a disheveled paster with whom he forms a bond as they struggle to survive. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Righting the narrative around Vietnam had been simmering inside me since before I returned from that war in 1968. Discovering and writing an essence of the real story, beyond the general impression of the presumed feckless French in the French-Indochina War, got the ball rolling with Weeds of War: Those Who Bled at Dien Bien Phu, the first in the trilogy.I understand there are something over three thousand books on Vietnam, from text-like to raw and unending visceral adventure. While each may have a distinct target audience, I needed something that speaks to my neighbor, my ex-wife, and a general audience. Ingesting human interest story with historical “corrections” is what I came up with in Weeds of War, and carried forward with Irish Weeds and now The Tilted Palace.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
Our assumptions about others — almost always wrong. Our mistaken belief in knowing what is best or not knowing, much less understanding, the entire story. The too late epiphany between characters. The “Plan B” that each of us comes up with when life goes south.
Was it important for you to deliver a moral to readers, or was it circumstantial to deliver an effective novel?
In large part, the moral of the story is the story. Imparting my truth has been the point. Being able to do so in a manner that touches the mind or the heart or the soul of the reader is, of course, an effective novel.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
There is potential for all of them going in different directions, either together or separately. Trinity and Jilly could easily be lesbian or bi-sexual, or seen to be, then discovered so by the communist government — oh my! Chang may be “turned” by a CIA operative — oh my! Jimmy Ray? Who knows? Perhaps a pathetic effort to replace Jezz or he may be saved by the need of the other characters to be saved by him. Or another story could begin with Jimmy Ray’s headstone and epitaph. Patrick and Thuy? They may simply die on the vine, aged and with memories that have either sustained or killed them — what could have been, perhaps. Or, Jimmy Ray’s mother could easily return to be the classic character she is in Irish Weeds. Old, yet fiery, Bess could be a main character in The Troubles of Northern Ireland, with Jimmy Ray either assisting or trying to redirect her.
What fun it all is.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
The reality is strongmen with militias pressing for power, and multiple politicians and political factions with sharp elbows eyeing the Presidential Palace and affecting its balance.
Supported and directed by communism, a guerilla force called Viet Cong is recruiting and stirring things up for the government. Patrick and Thuy did not expect another war, nor to be engaged in it to the bitter end and beyond.
Now, fifteen years after it ended, that American-Vietnam War is seldom spoken of other than when an isolated veteran messes up real bad. Then Vietnam vets are referred to as “drug-crazed baby-killers.”
Jimmy Ray Crandall served years in the war. “It ain’t right,” he would grind out, revealing a hint of his trauma. Just in time he meets the dog. Her owner is a young woman with her own troubles. There is sharing, drinking, and bickering until insight begins to perform little miracles.
Can a return to Saigon be healing?
Old friends with new stories come to the fore. Regardless of it all, the war was lost years ago—no change there. Perspective on the past, however, can change a great many things.
The Tilted Palace: Weeds of Misfortune
The Tilted Palace: Weeds of Misfortune is a haunting and human story about broken souls trying to stitch themselves back together. It opens with Jimmy Ray Crandall, a retired Green Beret haunted by Vietnam and marooned in the quiet of small-town Massachusetts. His loneliness seeps through every line until a wounded stray dog, and later a disheveled pastor named Trinity Hathaway, stumble into his life. What follows is a gritty, sometimes funny, often painful dance between despair and redemption. Through late-night bourbon, raw honesty, and shared pain, two strangers become mirrors of each other’s brokenness. It’s not a simple war story or a tale of faith. It’s about survival when everything that gave life meaning has already burned to ash.
The writing pulls no punches. It’s blunt, messy, and real. The author writes like someone who’s seen too much and refuses to pretty it up. The dialogue, sharp and layered, swings between biting sarcasm and quiet revelation. There’s a strange rhythm to it, like life itself, uneven but true. Some scenes hit me hard, especially when the pastor and the soldier lay their wounds bare. Both want to die, yet somehow keep each other alive. The dog, Jezz, might be the most human of them all. She’s the glue, the silent witness to two lost people trying not to drown.
This is an emotional book. It made me angry at how war chews up men like Jimmy Ray and spits them out forgotten. It made me ache for people like Trinity, trying to preach hope while secretly running on fumes. There’s no sermon here, just raw humanity. The story doesn’t tie things up neatly, which I liked. Life rarely does. The prose has its rough edges, sure, but they fit the characters. They live in those jagged lines. At times, the story drifts into monologues that feel like confessionals, and that works because I feel like the whole book is one long confession.
I’d recommend The Invisibles to readers who crave something honest and bruised. I think it’s for those who understand that redemption doesn’t always look holy and that healing can start with a bottle, a stranger, or a dog scratching at the door. For me, this book wasn’t just a story; it was an experience.
Pages: 253 | ASIN : B0FF4B3CF5
The Passage of Time
The Admiral’s Gamble follows a decorated officer at the end of his long career, who stumbles upon a mysterious device capable of altering time and leaving him to decide how the future will play out, and at what cost. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from my fascination with the idea of fate versus free will, how a single decision can ripple through time and alter everything that follows. I’ve always loved sci-fi movies and have a deep respect for the military, so I wanted to see if I could combine the two in a meaningful way while keeping traditional values and storytelling at the heart of it.
I found Admiral James Harrington to be a well-written, in-depth character. What inspired him, and what drove his emotional turmoil throughout the story?
Admiral Harrington is a blend of strength, regret, and redemption. He’s inspired by real-world veterans and leaders who carry the weight of their choices long after the battles end. His turmoil comes from the struggle between doing what’s right and doing what’s necessary.
I think everyone, at some point, wonders “what if” — what if we could change a single moment or decision from our past? That’s something everyone can relate to, and it’s what makes Harrington such a human character. He represents that quiet part in all of us that looks back and wonders how life might have turned out differently.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main themes are sacrifice, morality, and the passage of time. I wanted readers to think about the price of second chances, that even with the power to change the past, you might lose something far more valuable in the process. The story also touches on legacy, how we’re remembered, and whether it’s worth altering fate to protect that legacy.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
My next project, Return What Was Taken, was released not long ago. It’s a psychological thriller that explores what happens when the mind begins to fracture, dealing with mental health struggles and the battle between reality and perception. I think that’s something many people in today’s world can relate to on a personal level.
I’m also working on a new full-length novel that combines elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and thriller. It’s a bold story with deep characters and moral questions, similar in tone to The Admiral’s Gamble. My goal is to have it completed sometime next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Amazon
Admiral James Harrington thought his final mission was behind him. After decades of service, he’s preparing for retirement until a top-secret assignment throws him into a war not bound by space or time. A temporal breach has unleashed chaos, rewriting history and threatening global collapse. Now, Harrington must lead a mission through shifting realities and fractured timelines, where every choice could erase the people he loves or doom millions. As old enemies resurface and long-buried regrets return, the Admiral must confront not only the mission but himself. This explosive sci-fi thriller blends military strategy, time travel, and deeply human stakes, perfect for fans of Jack Campbell and The Expanse. The Admiral’s Gamble is a story about courage, consequence, and the impossible decisions leaders must make when the future is on the line.
This Fight Inspired Me
Full Circle follows a counterterrorist organization that becomes the target of someone they thought was dead, who now has to find and eliminate the threat. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I spent 22 years in the CIA, primarily in the field of counterterrorism. I spent considerable time in the Philippines where we had to take on the New People’s Army (NPA) which was the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. This fight inspired me to write this book.
How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
I wanted the antagonist to be an opponent that had not been seen before in novels. Having an NPA Sparrow (assassination) unit gunman as the killer felt to me to be a novel and different idea for a bad guy. It changed as I wrote as I decided to have a back story explaining how he ended up in the NPA when he started off as a good kid. He was still bad and had to be stopped by my protagonist, Jack Trench and his team, but I wanted to make the bad guy more than a one-dimensional character.
How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?
I wanted the action scenes to grab the reader from the first chapter. But having too many action scenes makes a book too cartoonish. So, I made sure the story carried the day while the action sequences provided the necessary support to the story. I also made sure the action sequences were realistic based on my background in the CIA and as a police officer in Oakland, CA.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
I have written two more books in the Jack Trench series and in each one, the characters are drawn back into the world of covert action. But you also see more information revealed about them as the books progress. I want the readers to really feel like they know the characters and what makes them tick.
Author Links: Website | X | Facebook | GoodReads
Or, so he thought.
A phone call brings Jack back into the spy game. Someone is coming after his old team, critically wounding one and landing him in the ICU. Now Jack is out for revenge. And as the clues start emerging as to who might be behind the brutal assault, the team must reunite one more time to take on a lethal foe. A foe they thought no longer existed.
They were wrong. Once again, it’s kill or be killed.
Jack Trench is about to find out, in life, things can go full circle.
The Admiral’s Gamble
The Admiral’s Gamble unfolds like a cinematic naval epic mixed with the intrigue of a sci-fi thriller. It follows Admiral James Harrington, a decorated officer at the end of his long career, who stumbles upon a mysterious device capable of altering time. The story begins at his retirement party and spirals into a tense, emotional journey through duty, destiny, and moral conflict. What starts as a quiet reflection on legacy turns into a race against fate, as Harrington must decide whether to sacrifice everything he knows to prevent a future catastrophe.
Reading this book felt like stepping into an old-school war movie that suddenly turns futuristic. The writing is vivid and grounded in military realism, yet it slides seamlessly into moments of eerie wonder. Author Nick Malara writes with a strong sense of rhythm; his scenes move with a cinematic flow that keeps the tension alive even in the quiet moments. A few pages linger long on scenery when the story’s emotional punch could have carried itself. But the heart of the book, the internal struggle of a man torn between heroism and self-preservation, shines bright and feels honest.
I found myself really drawn to Harrington as a character. He’s gruff, tired, and haunted by the weight of command. The dialogue feels old-school and clipped, full of restraint, like the man himself. Yet beneath that hardened shell is a depth of conscience that makes him compelling. The time-travel element, though wild, serves more as a mirror for his soul than a trick of plot. It forces him, and the reader, to ask: what’s the cost of doing the right thing when it erases the life you’ve built? There were moments that hit hard, moments that made me pause and think about sacrifice, legacy, and the strange way duty can both define and destroy a person.
I’d recommend The Admiral’s Gamble to readers who like military fiction with a twist of science fiction, or stories about aging heroes facing their past. It’s ideal for people who enjoy introspection mixed with high-stakes action. The story’s emotional weight and moral questions make it worth the ride. If you like tales that mix grit, heart, and a touch of the unknown, this one’s a good bet.
Pages: 178 | ASIN : B0FH77C97Z
Military Kids
Seasons in Manana follows a boy growing up in a military family in the early 1970s, with a passion for baseball, who, after moving to Oahu, is kidnapped by a radical organization, leading to a lifelong trauma. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My co-author, Scott, and I are brothers—only an 18-month age gap—and we actually did spend the better part of 1971 to 1974 as military dependent kids on the island of Oahu. And, as in the book, we actually were baseball-obsessed. So while the overall story is definitely fiction, there was very little of our baseball experiences that we had to make up. The counter-culture elements we experienced during our time in Hawaii were also very much the inspiration for what happens in the story—again, some of it fictional, some very much taken from real life. Also, it is my brother, Scott, who is the real-life counterpart of the main character, Alan. I would be closer to the Eric character.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
As mentioned above, both Scott and I made liberal use of our own experiences as military kids living in Hawaii for that three-year period in the early 70’s. That would include the stress and awkwardness of trying to fit into an island culture (albeit on the elementary school level) as “haole” mainlanders. In addition, there truly was a growing awareness of the dark and the menacing that surrounded us, even in a gated military housing area (and yes, it was named Manana). Much of that had to do with the current climate of the early 70’s. It actually was a quite unsettled time with America trying to wrap up the war in Vietnam, teenagers and parents often in bitter conflict with each other—not just over politics, but also over hair length, music, clothes, and yes, drug use. But having the Hawaii Five-O TV show on every week, also made that “menacing” aspect of island life seem all the more real (Oahu is a small place)! On the other hand, the emotion of discovering the glory of playing baseball for the first time—that is definitely in the book!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It wasn’t just simply exploring the glorious, and sometimes painful, world of all things baseball (Little League, following pro baseball, collecting baseball cards, etc.). Scott and I wanted to share how this captivating game could be viewed through the eyes of unjaded, elementary-school-age boys. Scott and I (as well as my younger brother, Kevin) were all on a mission during our Hawaii years: to play in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. After that, once we reached adulthood, the goal was to play in the Major Leagues. However, Scott and I were on the threshold of teenhood, so the flip side of our idyllic baseball-heavy island life was the aforementioned uneasiness with an often-scary youth counter-culture that was pervasive in the early 70’s. Throw an intense crush on an older teenage girl into the mix, and there’s a cauldron of mixed emotions going on!
What is the next book you are working on, and when can we expect it to be available?
I do know that Scott is working on another book. He hasn’t gone into it with me in detail, but it sounds like it will be a military thriller type novel. As for me, I do have a manuscript completed: it’s a novel having to do with the French Children’s Crusade of 1212. My goal is to have it published next year some time, but I don’t have a definite date yet.
LITERARY TITAN 