Blog Archives
I Died In The Early 1990s
God of Nothing follows the daughter of God and Satan who after being murdered awakens and discovers the truth about herself and her family. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I died in the early 1990s and for sure, God is a woman…female anyway. Not human. That is when I started to consider what if everything we believe is wrong? Then the story took on a life of it’s own.
Aja is murdered at the age of 17 and now is faced with understanding who she really is. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted Aja to be a regular kind of teenager but considering her parentage, and who she really is, that regular life is not for her. Still, she has good values, morals, work ethic, and will do whatever she has to. Sometimes, because of her age and power, the things she does are not nice. It doesn’t make her evil or even bad, it makes her a teenager who sometimes makes poor choices.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
What difference does it matter what a person looks like on the outside…the gift is on the inside. This came about when my wife and I were watching Deep Space Nine and I told her, I thought some of the Cardassian women were kind of hot. After she got done laughing she said, “I can imagine how people on Earth would react to you dating a Cardassian.” She is right, most humans would freak out. I don’t under that. Why is it okay to love this person, but not that one. If there is a thinking, intelligent, adult mind in two radically different bodies, and they love each other, be it Titan, Dragon, Bool, Vampire, or Demon…I don’t have any issue or problems with those relationships. I don’t think it is any of my business to tell anyone who they can love and who they can’t. If someone was dating a rock person they’d be welcome in my house. Everyone in my book either already has, or will find their one person to love forever. These relationships are almost always with people radically different from each other…Dragon & Bool, Dragon and Demon, God and Devil, Human and alien (Ebezz). I see nothing wrong with any of that.
I also wanted loyalty…not the kind demanded by tyrants and dictators, the type of loyalty that comes only from forging a close, trusting relationship with another person.
And I wanted to provide answers to all the various immortal races and how they might have come about along.
I also wanted to portray alien cultures different from Earth. If we ever do get to space and find other cultures, I feel certain they won’t be anything like us. Even if they look like us, everything about them will be different.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I finished and published a 2 hour novella titled, FAITH last Feb. I am currently working on the second book in the series, God of Everything. I’d like it done and published around Feb 2023 but it is coming along slow. Difficulty in marketing, sales, and getting reviews drains my motivation to keep writing. Writing is hard hard work for me. I’d like to keep writing but so far, I have found no real benefit or reward to help motivate me to keep writing books.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
God of Nothing is a stunning, epic fantasy. This imaginative coming-of-age series follows four generations of Gods, Devils, Dragons, Titans, Demons, Werewolves, Vampires, and Angels.
Mortals and Immortals collide in never-ending battles of love and hate across uncountable years and dozens of worlds.
God of Nothing starts the adventure. Murdered at seventeen by the Titan, Silver, God of Death, Aja wakes with her Dragon. Thrust into a bizarre world where enemies are friends, and friends are enemies, she learns the truth about her parents and herself.
Her mother is God, and her father is the Devil. Aja is the first person born, not created.
Enraged that Aja survived, Silver, God of Death, forces her to make choices to protect those she loves. Will Aja save the All or destroy it? If she survives, will she hate herself for what she’s done?
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God of Nothing has no graphic sex, but there are sexual situations, including some LGBTQ+. It also has instances of vulgar language, smoking, drugs, violence, and mentions rape. It is intended for people eighteen years or older.
The Mommy Clique
The Mommy Clique is an entertaining and unpredictable novel filled with gossip and betrayal that will keep readers on their toes. Beth comes back to her hometown after many years to take care of her mother. She is worried about coming back to town, and to make matters worse she is forced to face the mean girl clique of mothers on her street. She soon realizes that she has become the target of these women, and they are looking for some fun. We find out that their ‘perfect’ life in the suburbs is not as great as it looks on the outside.
This is a riveting character driven story and author Barbara Altamirano does a fantastic job of creating believable characters, even when they do some unbelievable things. Each character is different in their own way but they all have one thing in common, they are mean girls and no one can be better than them.
Each chapter in the story is told from a different perspective. This allows the reader to get an intimate look at their thoughts and feelings and truly understand them. Even if readers can’t relate to certain situations they’ll still find that the characters have surprising depth, even when they sometimes seem shallow.
The reader learns that some of the characters in the story are not as happy and perfect as they seem and are putting up a façade. Elise, who is also referred to as the queen bee, is a surprisingly complex character and she is one that I loved to hate. I think that is a testament to the author’s writing ability, as she is able to evoke such strong emotions from the reader. I was also surprised by Beth’s character because, when she is first introduced to the group, she is looked at as weak and as easy prey, but as the story progresses readers learn that she is not at all who we think she is.
This is an engrossing evolution of the high school mean girl story. But when I thought I knew where this story was going the author adds an unexpected twist and once it is revealed you will not be able to put the book down.
The Mommy Clique is a spunky urban drama that will captivate readers as they are drawn into the melodrama, the cattiness, and the backstabbing. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a quick but compelling story.
Pages: 203 | ASIN: B088DJS6TT
Craziness and Humor
The College Shrink follows a recently divorced woman that takes a job at a college where the students end up helping her as much as she helps them. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
This story was built upon many unspecific tales that I have heard over the past two decades from a person who has spent their life as a college psychologist. It’s a hard job and the challenges are sometimes unimaginable. At the same time, there can be a good amount of craziness and humor working for a college, something I have learned over many years of being a witness to that world. But with the explosion of mental health issues among teenagers, it is a story that was well worth exploring.
Did you create an outline for how Emily would develop before you started writing or did her personality grow organically as you were writing?
Good question, Karen. I had developed an outline before launching into writing The College Shrink. As it is a character driven story, the personalities of each of the people (not just Emily), ultimately drove the story in a different way than I had originally planned. They were rich characters, and I grew quite fond of them. Some of their actions I applauded, and some made me cringe. In many ways, they wrote the story.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
There are many difficult topics touched on in The College Therapist, all of which took a fair amount of research. Anxiety, depression, body image issues, substance abuse, racism, assault, rape, suicide. All of which, unfortunately, are omnipresent on college campuses. And, of course, central to all human beings is the theme of how relationships work in the midst of these difficult topics.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is closer to home for me. Where poverty, Asperger’s, pedophilia, and churches make for strange bedfellows. It is a story of a family where dysfunction seems the norm. The manuscript is close to completion. The question is whether I can bring myself to publish it.
Book Review
Drone Child
![Drone Child: A Novel of War, Family, and Survival by [David Rothman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51w-4aqY+cL._SY346_.jpg)
Drone Child by David H. Rothman is a thrilling novel set in the near future and is filled with adventure that will keep you on your toes at all times. The story follows a young fifteen-year-old electronics genius from the Congo. His twin sister is also a young genius in the fields of music and dance. In a time where the Congolese purification army is taking children from their families and turning them into child soldiers, it is time for Lemba and Josiane to leave for the city’s safety. However, the city is not any better so our protagonist is on the quest to save himself, his parents, and his sister.
“The problem with a war memoir is there’s no suspense. You already know I live. I need to tell you, too, that I not only survive, I thrive. Even less suspense.” These are the first few lines of this incredible novel. So aware of itself and simple yet so striking that the author has you hooked on his words from the very start of the book.
The author uses vivid imagery that creates an engrossing world and leads the reader on a phenomenal visual journey. Because this is all so foreign to me it felt exotic and I really enjoyed the details that immerses readers in the fascinating setting and the colorful culture. While this is a riveting thriller with many elements and captivating characters, the solid writing ensures readers always know what is going on and why. The easy storytelling lures you into this, at first, deceptively simple tale, that soon spirals into something much more complex and gripping.
Lemba is an intriguing character that I loved following because his slow evolution throughout this spellbinding story is methodical and absorbing. Making Lemba a character you will be rooting for throughout the novel, which is one of the ways readers get lost in his compelling journey. It is a journey that is sadly reflective of real child soldiers in Africa, and I appreciated how that level of social commentary permeates the story.
Drone Child: A Novel of War, Family, and Survival is a rousing military thriller that will appeal to readers looking for a compelling young adult novel with a unique voice.
Pages: 196 | ASIN: B09MH94XCC
Literary Titan Book Awards January 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
Silver Award Winners
Storm Front 8 by Steven Paul Germane
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Letting Loose
Cape Henry House tells the story of a group of sailors that come together to party and relax but find a deeper camaraderie through all the mayhem. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Firstly, the book is important because it is my first publication. Second, the book is based on a true story, and over the years a handful of the people that were a part of the real-life house and myself have gathered annually to catch up. After many discussions about the wild nature of the actual house, it seemed fitting to write a book.
This book is based on a true story. What were some aspects that you felt had to be told accurately and what were some things you took creative liberties with?
The dynamic of “B-man” and “Dolvar” vs. the married couple “Penley and Anne” was told accurately as it was the main source of tension that made the wild events at the house even more memorable. Almost all of the events at the house are told accurately as well, however some characters are fictional or multiple characters were written in to represent who was actually one person at the real-life house.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The wild nature of the parties, but also the extreme dynamic between the sailors working hard on duty and letting loose just as hard when off.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is “Bag ‘O Goodies” and it was originally intended for release in January 2022. After careful consideration, I will be publishing it later next year to spend more time promoting “Cape Henry House.”
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
CAPE HENRY HOUSE
![CAPE HENRY HOUSE by [Jolly Walker Bittick]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cnkCohLDS.jpg)
Nostalgia is an entertaining source of literary inspiration – even when it’s getting nostalgic about the debauchery of your early adult years. This rings true in Jolly Walker Bittick’s novel, Cape Henry House. Based on a true story, this is a coming-of-age tale told by former Petty Officer Third Class Bosner. When his friends move into the titular house off-base, they originally see it as a place where they could relax and drink their livers to oblivion. Little do they know that the house will later become a focal point for the friend group as they navigate the real world.
While it is true that one could consider Cape Henry House a coming-of-age story, you should have flexible expectations coming in. Because this novel is coming-of-age the same way the American Pie film series is. That is not a knock on either Cape Henry House or American Pie (I’m a huge fan of both) – all I’m saying is, do not expect to see quirky teenagers stick their heads out of the sunroof and talk about how they’re infinite (whatever that means). Instead, you will get to read about house parties, keggers, “pass-out rooms,” greasy hangover cures, and all the other rough trimmings of youth.
Throughout this engaging novel, Bittick takes his time to paint the scene. Every character is described in vivid details, making each one stand out. The narration is told through Bosner, making the reading experience feel like you are kicking back with an old friend. Just like making new friends in real life, it is a bit difficult to get familiar with all the names being introduced as you flip through the pages. But once you get to a certain point, seeing characters make an appearance almost feels like going through an old photo album.
Cape Henry House is an entertaining bro novel. There is fighting, there is copious amounts of drinking, and women are often described by their numeric levels of hotness. “I hope she’s a five…” or “She’s somewhere between a five and a seven.” This novel is overtly masculine in a way that reminds me of Ernest Hemingway. If you can handle Bosner’s vulgarity, then Cape Henry House is a book that will be entertaining. Do not hesitate to pick up this lively book: the doors of Cape Henry House are wide open.
Pages: 339 | ASIN: B093VPBL5L
Dargo
![Dargo: Eco Hero! (Treasury of Feel-Good Stories) by [Karina McRoberts]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510jroDCXzL._SY346_.jpg)
Poor Dargo Fernandez. He doesn’t want much out of life. In fact, he really wants nothing more than to belong. At the rate he is going, he won’t even accomplish that much. His life is more of an existence than anything–he has no social life to speak of. When Dargo comes face to face with the fact that even his meager position in the company is in jeopardy, he heads for home with his heart on his sleeve. Wondering how he will be able to pay his bills, Dargo finds himself creating a laundry list of new worries on his journey home. Before he can even begin to resolve his issues, he is quite literally swept away to face a whole new challenge
Dargo: Eco Hero, by Karina McRoberts, follows main character Dargo Fernandez as he rises from the depths of despair in his going-nowhere-fast job to his new position as hero for the environment. McRoberts’s work hits on a few genres but hones in primarily on fantasy. In fact, it gives me the best kind of Wizard of Oz vibes. The author has nailed the same type of warmth as L. Frank Baum but puts her own unique spin on main character Dargo and his band of merry cohorts.
The ecological lessons conveyed in McRoberts’s work are huge ones. She is successful in creating quite an impact with her words and the experiences of her cast of characters. I was especially impressed with the mixture of personification and metaphors found throughout the writing. The imagery she creates leaves readers breathless at times. Her writing is timely and gives voice to the environment in a way no other writer I have seen has been able to do.
Dargo: Eco Hero is a short read, easily digestible in one sitting, it packs an important punch–and one we all need to feel right about now. Protecting and appreciating the earth for the miracle it is tops this author’s list of priorities. Readers looking for a hard dose of truth in their fantasy reads will appreciate McRoberts’s style and character development. I highly recommend Dargo’s story to anyone looking for something different, something fun, and a book that will leave them smiling.
Pages: 85 | ASIN: B083RBML74
