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Layer of Tension
Born on Monday tells the story of two people with a shared history and whose lives are both scarred by heartbreak, who reunite under less than ideal circumstances. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
Born on Monday began as a short story called “Time Capsule,” which was published in my debut collection, 50 States. The original story was very much about how those who leave a place after high school are changed, whereas those who stay behind remain the same. Billy Stevens stays in Augusta, whereas the love of his life escapes to New York City. When I started exploring this aspect of the story —wondering whether they would ever reconcile their differences —it became increasingly clear that they would have to overcome a past mired in tragedy. More than that, they would have to face several present-day threats, including someone sinister who follows Jessica Michaud home. It was in discussing the progression of this story with a close friend that her real-life experiences and my own research into stalkers would inform much of the novel’s direction.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of writing a thriller?
For this thriller, it was very much a matter of who knew what and when they knew it. All the characters have different perspectives on their shared past, which not only dramatically shapes how they interact with each other but also how they perceive themselves. The same can be said for the reader, too. They inevitably know more than any one character, creating an additional layer of tension, but never know enough to predict the end. Born on Monday is very much a story with secrets within secrets, and the consequences of keeping them.
Do you have a favorite scene in this book? One that was especially satisfying to craft?
There were several, and the two that stand out for me may be among the most overlooked by readers. I very much enjoyed crafting the chapter where Billy and his current girlfriend, Autumn, reconcile their differences. It’s a tender, heartfelt moment amid the chaos surrounding them. The immediacy and intimacy of their reunion run deep. The second is Andrea’s visit to the Kennebec Journal. She meets with her boss and mentor to discuss the story she is working on, which also touches on what journalism means in a small town like Augusta. Having worked as a journalist, this chapter allowed me to rehash some old conversations with colleagues in a contemporary setting. More than that, it underscores why I was so thrilled that Andrea, who was initially meant to be a supporting character, grew to become such a strong protagonist.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next work in progress (WIP) can best be described as a speculative thriller, blending and bending science, metaphysics, and something akin to the supernatural. It’s a continuation of the short story “Dead Ends” from 50 States. “Dead Ends” was one of the most called-out stories from the anthology and involves a young couple who take a reckless turn off a state highway in Utah and find themselves in a nightmarish government biohazard area. I’ve been relatively consistent in releasing a new book every other year, but I’m hoping to accelerate my pace so this novel is something readers can look forward to toward the end of 2026!
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In Augusta, Maine, a historic nor’easter unearths sins and secrets buried deep in the town’s past. Billy Stevens, a quarry worker haunted by loss, is drawn into a web of betrayal when a brutal crime pins him as a suspect. Jessica Michaud returns to care for her ailing mother, only to find herself hunted by a vengeful ex whose chilling threats awaken old wounds. And journalist Andrea Kearney digs into a local dynasty’s corruption as the storm’s fury mirrors the rising tide of violence.
With time running out, three lives collide in a desperate fight for survival, where truth becomes a casualty and redemption comes at a cost. Eleven-time award-winning author Richard R. Becker delivers a gritty literary thriller that digs into identity, perception, and the human condition.
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
Childhood’s Hour: The Lost Desert
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Writing Organically
The Guardian’s Legacy centers around a history teacher whose strange inheritance reveals a long-buried family secret and leads him on a journey through time. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
The spark came from a facsimile of a Greek coin—sent to me as a prompt for a short story that eventually found its way into a published collection. It took a few months for the idea to take root, but inspiration struck, fuelled by my love of ancient history, mythology, and the gripping twists of The Da Vinci Code, Steve Berry, and James Rollins. That tiny coin became the key to a much larger mystery, its origins entwined with lost languages and forgotten legends. From that seed, Nik and Iasos emerged—though if you ask them, they’ll insist they were the ones who found me first.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
Great question! I originally outlined the story as a five-book series—though whether it reaches five depends on how book four unfolds. Did I know where it was going? Not entirely. I had a plan, but the characters had other ideas, steering the plot in unexpected directions and demanding more involvement. I do outline scenes, but they’re more guideposts than strict rules. Writing organically allows the story to stay fluid and responsive, which I love. Of course, that means keeping close track of details and plot threads to maintain continuity. It’s a dynamic process—part structure, part surprise—and that’s where the magic happens.
Were you able to relate to your characters while writing them?
The bond between Nik and his grandfather, Iasos, is deeply rooted—something I relate to through my own family. No matter the distance or age gap, that connection endures. For both Nik and Iasos, family heritage and tradition are central, and that thread runs through me as well. Nik’s role as a high school teacher draws from my own teaching experience, grounding his character in something personal. While Nik’s heritage is Greek and mine is Italian, our roots intertwine. My family hails from southern Italy, where Greek ancestry isn’t uncommon. I only recently learned from my mother that my grandmother called her grandfather “Papou”—the Greek word for grandfather. That small detail felt like a beautiful echo across generations.
Can you give us a glimpse inside book 2 of the Coin of Time series? Where will it take readers?
In Book 2: The Race for the Lost Coin, Nik is pushed to take matters into his own hands—stepping beyond the law to protect what matters most. Though he offers an olive branch to Detective Sauveterre, she remains a steadfast officer, bound by duty. As the stakes rise, Nik evolves into an unlikely hero, drawing on his skills as a guardian to safeguard the coin and rescue his grandfather. Along the way, he’s joined by a hacker, a librarian, and a taxi driver—each adding heart and grit to the journey. It’s fast-paced, full of twists, and packed with myth-infused suspense.
Coming 29 November 2025—get ready to dive into the adventure.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
A three-thousand-year old magical coin, the disappearance of an old man, fanatical neo-Nazis, and the hunt by Interpol, merge in this gripping story of an ancient cover up, and the transition of an ordinary man into the guardian of the most powerful coin on earth.
High school teacher Nik Zosimos, leads an uncomplicated life until he receives a cryptic phone message from his grandfather, Iasos. He hurries to his grandfather’s finding him relaxed and pleased to see him. A few beers later, Nik leaves his grandfather’s place, stupefied and astounded. Iasos has a secret, one that dates back to the time of Herakles.
But that was just a myth, wasn’t it?
If you like Dan Brown and Wilbur Smith books or enjoys action, fast-paced dramatic shows similar to National Treasure and The Librarians, then you’ll love The Guardian’s Legacy. Award-winning author of Historical Fantasy/Adventure, Luciana Cavallaro, pens a thrilling mystery. Click the BUY NOW button at the top and find out how Nik’s life changes.
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
Filaments by KZK Zuganelis Kasling
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Moonlight Cruise: Murder and Magic
Moonlight Cruise is a dark and twisting thriller that takes the reader from the dusty desolation of the Mojave Desert to the serene yet deceptive beauty of a cruise ship gliding through the Panama Canal. The story follows Jessica Ascher, a woman on the run from the demons of her past, both human and supernatural. Her journey is woven into a larger tale of fanaticism, greed, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. As Jessica tries to protect her daughter, Zamzam, from a cult seeking divine power through blood and sacrifice, the book paints a vivid, unsettling picture of how madness can hide behind devotion and how faith can both save and destroy.
Reading this book was like stepping into a fever dream. The writing grabbed me right away. It’s gritty, raw, and full of heat. Yurie Kiri doesn’t shy away from horror, but the violence never feels random. It’s purposeful, meant to unsettle and make you think about the darker parts of human nature. I found myself both fascinated and disturbed, flipping the pages faster than I meant to. The story moves like a storm, quiet at first, then violent, full of lightning flashes of insight. Sometimes the dialogue feels rough around the edges, almost too real, but that rawness adds to the tension. It’s messy in the best way, like life when it’s at its worst and most honest.
What really got me was the emotion beneath all the chaos. Jessica’s fierce love for her daughter feels like the heartbeat of the story. It’s what keeps you rooting for her when everything else starts to rot. There’s also a haunting sense of mystery, of forces too big to understand. Kiri blends crime, horror, and spirituality into something that feels unique, almost mythic. I did find myself tripping over the sheer number of characters and subplots at times, but I think that’s part of the experience. It’s a labyrinth of sin and faith, and you’re supposed to get a little lost.
I’d recommend Moonlight Cruise to readers who like their thrillers dark and their mysteries layered with moral questions. It’s not a light read, not something to skim before bed, but it sticks with you long after the last page. If you enjoy stories that make you question what’s real, what’s holy, and what’s just human madness, this book will pull you in and keep you there until the end.
Pages: 396 | ASIN : B0DYJZW6SS
UNTERTAUCHEN
Untertauchen tells the harrowing and intimate story of Hans and Anna Bracher, a Jewish couple caught in the rise of Nazi Germany. Based on true events, the novel begins in the calm years before the storm, then steadily descends into the chaos and cruelty of the Third Reich. It follows their love, their faith, and their desperate need to survive in a country that has turned against them. What struck me most was how personal the story felt. It isn’t just about history. It’s about ordinary people clinging to hope while everything familiar burns away.
Arthur M. James writes with a steady hand, not sensational but deeply felt. The dialogue feels natural, like you’re overhearing real people, not reading characters on a page. His pacing is patient. He lets dread build quietly, almost tenderly, until it suffocates. The writing has a kind of restraint that makes the moments of violence hit even harder. I admired how he never forgot the human faces behind the history. These weren’t statistics. They were parents, lovers, neighbors. I found myself angry at times, then suddenly heartbroken. It’s that emotional swing that makes the book hard to put down.
The cruelty is not graphic for shock’s sake, but it’s honest. And it’s relentless. That’s what makes it powerful. The book reminds you how fear seeps into everyday life, how people adapt just to stay invisible. I loved that James didn’t make the story tidy. There’s no neat justice here. Just survival, loss, and the small flickers of kindness that somehow outlast hate. His prose feels both old-fashioned and immediate, like a letter from another century that still matters now.
When I closed the book, I sat for a while. It left me quiet, reflective, and oddly grateful. Untertauchen is a story for readers who want more than history, they want to feel what it meant to live it. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction with soul, to those who study the Holocaust, and to anyone who believes courage isn’t loud but steady.
Pages: 695 | ASIN : B0CWT2MR8M
Wondering At Big Things
The Last Ghost follows a man raised by his grandparents after his parents’ tragic death, who has a passion for technology and an understanding of business, leading him to live a successful but solitary life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
That’s an interesting question. When I was a boy, my brother and I were sometimes left for extended periods with my paternal grandparents. The life they led was not all like the lives of our parents – they had different values and very different ways of viewing the world.
I loved being part of their world for even a short while – it was like stepping back in time and living a slower life. In its pace there was time for savouring small things and wondering at big things.
After my grandparents died that world was closed to me, but I never forgot its lessons. But what if I had? Worse, what if I had never been lucky enough to learn them in the first place? The realities of contemporary life – virtual connections in particular – can erode a sense of community, of belonging, of the responsibility to be considerate.
The idea of a full life as a true measure of a successful life appealed to me. I guess that was the inspiration for The Last Ghost.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the character of Joshua Stewart in the novel?
What I wanted was to give the reader a picture of how Joshua developed and changed over nearly three decades of living. What I tried to do was to suggest the reasons for his actions – his ways of thinking, of applying both reason and desire to his actions.
My work is just the start, though. The reader’s imagination puts the real flesh on the bones. For sure, you need to give readers enough to go on, but its important to leave them room to think, to imagine, and to draw conclusions. If you fill in all the blanks, you preclude that from happening. Readers are like the audience of a play – indispensable to the story-telling.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
First and foremost, our disconnected world. What happens to a person when the value and importance of the next person is lost through lack of human contact?
How does that disconnectedness wear away our ethics? How easy does it become to commit a small evil when you can’t begin to understand the human consequences?
How does one small evil lead to larger ones? And what is the cost to a person’s being?
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am working on the fourth book in The Scandalous Memoirs of General John Torrance series of historical fiction adventures. The working title is Jack and Will and I’m hoping that it will be published in late December.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Josh’s family dwindles away and his real friends become his employees. His social life becomes nocturnal and empty of real meaning. He an otherwise solitary life, making more money than he needs, and facilitated by every modern convenience.
But there comes an unexpected occurrence, one that radically changes Josh’s needs and purpose.
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.
LITERARY TITAN 