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When Mountains Crumble
When Mountains Crumble tells the story of Faith Ansley, a private investigator haunted by the deaths and loves of her past. After losing her husband Jeremy in a tragic accident, she receives a mysterious letter that reopens old wounds and pulls her into memories of first love, betrayal, and grief that refuses to stay buried. The novel moves fluidly between Faith’s present and her youth, exploring trauma, obsession, and the ways love can both heal and destroy. It’s a blend of psychological mystery and emotional drama, unfolding slowly, like fog lifting from a valley.
Author Claudine DiScala knows how to paint a scene. Every coffee cup, every trembling hand, every heartbeat feels real. There’s a rawness to her style, and at times it’s intimate, like overhearing someone’s private confession. Some passages lingered with me long after I closed the book. The pacing occasionally slows. The flashbacks are intense and vivid, yet sometimes the shifts left me disoriented. But maybe that’s the point. Grief and memory are messy, and the novel captures that confusion better than anything I’ve read in a while.
This is an emotionally stirring book. I ached for Faith. I wanted to shake her and hold her in equal measure. DiScala writes about loss with an honesty that’s brutal but never cruel. The love stories within the story, Faith and Jeremy, Faith and Cole, feel like reflections of the same wound, revisited over decades. The author dives deep into trauma, obsession, and the danger of confusing passion with destiny. It’s not just a story about mourning someone else, but about mourning the person you used to be. By the end, I felt wrung out and oddly comforted, like I’d gone through therapy I didn’t ask for.
I’d recommend When Mountains Crumble to readers who like their fiction dark but relatable. If you’ve ever loved someone you shouldn’t have, or held onto a memory longer than you should, this book will speak to you. Emotionally, it can be heavy, but it’s beautiful in its honesty. For fans of psychological fiction that stirs up old ghosts and asks hard questions about love, guilt, and forgiveness, this one’s worth the read.
Pages: 358 | ISBN : 1509263268
Wednesday Night Whites
Wednesday Night Whites is a taut and provocative thriller set in the chilly backdrop of Chester, Nova Scotia. The story follows Azalea “Zale” Augustine, a determined lawyer drawn into a deep and dangerous conspiracy involving the town’s decades-long epidemic of missing women. What starts as a cryptic WhatsApp message leads her into a hidden war room beneath a beloved library, where truths unravel about white supremacy, political corruption, and the horrifying commodification of women. Zale’s world spirals as she learns one of her own law partners, an arrogant, magnetic, and secretly monstrous man, may be at the heart of it all. What unfolds is a story of fear, betrayal, strength, and the long shadows of history reaching into the present.
The writing is crisp and fast, the kind that doesn’t ask for your attention but grabs it by the collar and won’t let go. The dialogue, especially between Zale and her friend Jett, felt raw and real, like actual women whispering in a kitchen late at night. I found myself rooting for Zale hard. She’s sharp but not perfect, confident but wounded, and so very relatable. Her trauma is treated with care, not glossed over. The tension builds fast and deep, with revelations that made my stomach twist. Melvin does an incredible job layering dread with hope, fear with grit. The pacing is relentless in a good way. No fluff. No drag. Just a relentless storm of plot, character, and emotion.
But what stuck with me most was the guts of this story. The way it dared to look at how women disappear, figuratively and literally, and how society just keeps going like it’s normal. The white supremacy thread was chilling, not just because of its historical roots, but because it’s all too believable. There were moments I had to stop and take a breath. Melvin doesn’t hold back. And while some of the plot elements stretch reality, it never breaks. It just leans into its own dark momentum and dares you to follow. The villains are grotesque in a way that feels scarily possible, which makes the stakes feel even higher. Also, her writing on female friendship and resilience hit a nerve. It’s angry in the right places. It’s tender where it needs to be.
If you’re looking for a story that blends psychological suspense, crime drama, and social commentary with a raw emotional edge, this book is it. I’d recommend Wednesday Night Whites to readers who crave dark, intelligent thrillers with a strong feminist backbone. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt afraid walking alone or felt the chill of being dismissed, doubted, or watched.
Now Wait a Minute
What Lies Buried follows a woman married to a man with Complex PTSD who struggles to support him while protecting herself and their child as secrets from the past come forward. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My characters inspired me. When I finished Secrets In The Mirror (which preceded What Lies Buried), I didn’t think there would be a sequel. However, early one pre-dawn morning, while in that half-asleep/half-awake state, Gavin intervened. He basically said “Now wait a minute. There are loose ends that must be tied up, and it will be dangerous for me to do that. And besides, you think I’m OKAY, after what you put me through in this story??!! Think again.” And he proceeded to lay out the plot. Well, most of it. So I did some research and realized that the emotional abuse and trauma he experienced all during his childhood in that first story probably gave him not just typical PTSD, but Complex PTSD, which is as difficult to treat as BPD (Borderline). As I began writing, following the thread Gavin revealed, his wife Katie – who’d often worried in the first book that the dysfunction in Gavin’s family might eventually manifest in him – came to me and told me her story. Many marriages in which one spouse has PTSD often don’t survive, and with C-PTSD it’s that most don’t, because C-PTSD has three additional symptoms that block the patient’s ability to respond to treatment. Then Katie reminded me that she’d always been SO responsible & selfless after her father died when she was a kid & she had to take care of her mother…so did she ever have passions for herself? Well, that led to a discovery in this book of what she’d buried long ago, and now she wants it back – but taking care of Gavin & dealing with the rollercoaster of his C-PTSD makes it nearly impossible.
What was your favorite character to write for and why? Was there a scene you felt captured the characters’ essence?
This story is a dual POV — Gavin & Katie. I used Gavin’s faithful counselor from high school (a long-time family friend), Dr. Pedersen, to enlighten Gavin, Katie & the reader about C-PTSD, and to show how it is affecting them & their toddler Maggie. Showing that is hard and dark on the reader, and a painful downer. Showing how it affects Katie & Maggie was a downer too, but the joy was in revealing how Katie re-discovers her talent & passion for art and finds new friends who encourage her to re-claim that & her identity beyond only being a caretaker of broken people. Katie’s friend Destiny, an intuitive spiritual artist from Niger, was fun to find & develop as a catalyst to Katie’s self-journey. Bringing Tray back as Gavin’s no-nonsense level-headed yet warmly caring friend was like a family reunion. And realizing Pedersen’s own history of loss & why ensuring Gavin’s well-being was so important to him personally was a meaningful development. Oh, and precocious little Maggie!! She steals the show, doesn’t she? Well, a kid, a one-eyed one-eared rescue dog who rescues this family — All the feels!☺️
The scene where Katie finds the picture of her nine-year-old self with her father posing with her blue-ribbon painting — how it affected Katie was emotional and meaningful for me. And the scenes in which she attempts to paint the light she wants to escape to, out of the darkness all around her – to freedom, to shelter from chaos… And the scenes where Maggie urges Mommy to FEEL, and Destiny urges her to BECOME… even more feels!
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?
I had the “bones” of the story, which Gavin told me that early morning. But a story can lose its dynamic energy if you know it all before you begin. My characters take over, go places I hadn’t expected & discover things I hadn’t considered. I never know the end until ~three-quarters or later into writing the book. I hear about other authors getting excited when they finally type “The End”, but I’ve never done that. Because stories never really end. There’s always something that’s not fully resolved, something hanging in the air, in the characters…
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
The end of What Lies Buried provides a hint of what is to come for Katie (perceptive readers will get it). So the next book is solely from her POV. Which doesn’t mean that Gavin & the other characters disappear, of course. I’ve begun writing that book – working title ‘Power Play‘ – but I’m also being nagged into writing a straightforward standalone psychological suspense (‘A Rose by any other name’) that keeps tugging at me. Which is a bit distracting. We’ll see which book wins prominence in line. Or maybe readers would like to vote on which they’d like to see, how soon?
Author links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook Books | Facebook Author | Website
Scarred by a lifetime of emotional abuse and traumatic violence, Gavin battles the triggers of Complex PTSD. His wife Katie is determined to support him despite the strain of his unpredictable reactions on their marriage.
But returning to Boston to settle his father’s estate reactivates Gavin’s childhood scars, and more triggers. Then when he uncovers his family’s mob history, his volatile reactions put him in the crosshairs of dangerous people. Worried for his safety, Katie packs up their toddler and joins him. While there, she begins sorting through her late parents’ keepsakes, finding evidence of the artistic talent she abandoned after her father died, when she became child caregiver to her disabled mother. Eager to revive her unfulfilled past, Katie copes with Gavin’s increasingly unstable behavior through her painting and new friendships that encourage her journey to self-discovery.
As Gavin resists treatment and goes off the rails, secrets of his family’s past threaten them all. The generational dysfunction in Kain’s award-winning Secrets In The Mirror continues, as Katie faces her own emotional wounds and must choose between saving her marriage or saving their child…and herself.
What Lies Buried
In What Lies Buried by Leslie Kain, the narrative immerses readers in a world shaped by the haunting aftermath of suicide and the complex web of PTSD. Leslie Kain’s writing style is notable for its depth and psychological insight, effectively drawing readers into the protagonist Gavin’s internal struggle. The aftermath of his brother Devon’s suicide, coupled with a suicide note that blames Gavin, propels him into the depths of PTSD. This situation is further complicated when Gavin is summoned to handle his father’s estate, unveiling layers of past trauma and mob threats.
Kain’s approach to character development is robust, particularly in the gradual transition of focus from Gavin to another central character, Kate. This shift adds dimension to the narrative, introducing new perspectives and escalating tension. The dual perspectives in the narrative structure initially position Gavin as the primary character, but as the story unfolds, Kate’s role becomes more prominent, adding depth and complexity to the plot. Katie’s character is resilient yet vulnerable as she navigates through the turmoil of her husband’s deteriorating mental state. The author skillfully transports the reader into Gavin’s mindset, enabling them to vividly experience his anxiety and the constant struggle he faces with PTSD. The book goes beyond traditional thriller elements, offering a nuanced exploration of personal trauma and family dynamics. While it might not align with conventional thriller expectations, Kain’s rich storytelling, marked by well-developed characters and an integrated backstory, provides a thoughtful reading experience.
The author’s ability to create engaging world-building and intricate character arcs strengthens the bond between the narrative and the reader, making What Lies Buried a compelling read that deeply engages with its characters’ internal struggles and the impacts on their relationships.
Page: 346 | ASIN : B0CSWW8CFL
I Love Twist Endings
The Many Worlds of Mr. A. Skouandy follows a psychiatrist as he evaluates a patient that was dropped off and, in the process, learns the history of the patients in the sanatorium. What was the inspiration for this collection of short stories?
As my thesis for my MA.E.CW, Fic (Master of Art, English, Creative Writing, Fiction), I selected a collection of short stories instead of submitting a novel. I love to write short stories, and I love twist endings, so pulling a collection together was in my wheelhouse. I wanted and needed a theme to connect each story together. My answer was to bookend the story of Dr. Blanchard on both sides of the collection and connect the stories through the character of Aaron Skouandy and the sanatorium. Of course, the ending has a twist, which hopefully brings the reader full circle about the subject matter of each story and why it was included in my short story cycle.
I really enjoyed the short story “Silence So Deafening.” Do you have a favorite story in this collection, and why?
Silence so Deafening is a favorite of mine too, and it was placed in a contest and received publication, which was beautiful. But my favorite has to be Inseparable because my sister and I really stayed in the cabin this story is based on. I let her be the main character and kill me off. This delighted her to no end. Neither one of us has any plans to ever revisit the cabin. Ever.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The stories were centered around assignments mainly. For example, Baby Makes Three started off as a memory required for the first part of a project. My memory was about the adoption of my eldest son. The second part of this same project was to flip that memory on its head. I did just that and turned my characters into aliens and developed a plot around their baby. My professor immensely enjoyed it and commented that Science Fiction may just be my genre. I’m not sure about that. I haven’t written another Sci-Fi piece since.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have two books in the final revision stage. The first is a collection of shorts (several previously published online). The majority unseen by the public and written after peers in the writing community asked me to please turn them into full-length stories and make them into a novel. The title is The Crooked Crone and Other Mystifications and is slated for publication this fall. The second novel, We Three: The Ipswich Chronicles, is based on the main character from the book previously mentioned, the Crone, and her sisters. The story is about how they learned they were witches and their journey to find the source of magic, and my Beta readers loved it. So excited to publish this novel, targeted for spring 2023.
Additionally, I have a couple of collaborations with my writing partner, Derek R. King, slated for this summer. First, the second volume, Amore, of our new The Lighter Half Series, which launched in February with volume one, Abracadabra. These are delightful and magical collections of poetry. Second, we have a wonderful poetry collection for children themed around faeries titled The Enchanted Faerie Realm. This children’s book is slated for publication in May of this year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
This short story cycle is a blend of psychological suspense, horror, soft science-fiction, alternate universe, and alternate history, thematically tied together by outcomes that are unanticipated, unintentional, and always unexpected.
The Many Worlds of Mr. A. Skouandy, the title story that bookends nine tales in between, is presented in the postmodern collage style, including admission forms and patient sketches before each piece and doctor’s notes after each. The stories can be read separately, but when read sequentially, a much larger story is revealed, generating this unique psychological horror novella.
The Many Worlds of Mr. A. Skouandy
The Many Worlds of Mr. A. Skouandy & Other Stories from Oakwood Sanatorium is an assorted collection of short stories ranging from heartbreaking to horrifying. Author Julie Kusma explores loss, loneliness, grief, and a host of other mental afflictions in these winding, interconnected tales from the titular mental hospital. We follow Dr. Shepard Blanchard as he investigates the curious case of a newly admitted patient, one Mr. A. Skouandy and his mysterious knowledge of other patients in the ward. Dr. Blanchard becomes transfixed with Mr. Skouandy’s claims, and his investigation leads him on a journey through the origins of how the inhabitants of Oakwood Sanatorium came to reside there.
The main narrative takes place in the Oakwood sanatorium in the 1940s. We are not privy to Dr. Blanchard’s interviews with the patients; instead, we are treated to events in their lives that cause them to end up in Oakwood Sanatorium. The patient’s stories of loss or trauma and the resulting mental illness or psychotic break offer an interesting reflection on how the diverse characters deal with grief in their lives.
The author explores many genres: science fiction, fantasy, and horror are all represented here, while most of the stories are steeped in reality, as unsettling as it may be. The novel itself is a vehicle for some of Kusma’s works that have appeared previously. Dr. Blanchard’s prologues and handwritten notes offer a connecting thread to the stories, and it works to varying degrees. I feel some of the stories mesh well together in the setting, but others feel forced at times. “Free of Bees “and “The Writing Room” fit nicely. “Silence So Deafening” and “Baby Makes Three” have a very Twilight Zone-vibe, which works for this collection.
The Many Worlds of Mr. A. Skouandy & Other Stories from Oakwood Sanatorium is a collection of short stories collected from patients in a sanatorium, making it easy to combine elements from multiple genres. Readers who like the unusual, strange, and horrifying aspects of life will find this eclectic book a great escape from the day-to-day realities.
Pages: 172 | ASIN : B09FKCYN44
Pink Slips
Pink Slips is a riveting tale of one woman’s desperate plight to keep her loved ones safe, even in the sights of a mysterious stalker with an unsettling amount of determination. From the outside looking in, good-humored Betsy seems to have it all – a beautiful home, a dapper and doting family, a successful career as a gourmet chef, and even a fabulous little furry companion. Still, looks can be deceiving, and in the complex life of Betsy, a storm is breaking. Author Beth Aldrich masterfully weaves the unbounded strength of family and friendship into the tense mix of danger and pursuit, making this as heartfelt as it is chilling.
Truth be told, the emotional personality of this novel had me enamored immediately. The story opens warmly, inviting you directly into Betsy’s thoughts as she gleefully ponders over the fresh news of her first pregnancy. Her inner monologue is so charmingly real, and it was easy to imagine her gossiping to me with excitement for the little bean just beginning to grow within her. Unfortunately, life is often a blend of both miraculous beauty as well as senseless cruelty, and as Betsy is strolling through a parking lot, she’s interrupted by a mugger fixated on her handbag. This encounter feels as tragic as it does plausible, as raw moments like this unfortunately happen every single day. Reading along, my eyes began brimming with tears as I absent-mindedly gnawed off the tip of a fingernail. Aldrich has made such beautiful work of tapping into Betsy’s personal thoughts, gripping me with her fear in that moment. As the first chapter came to an end, I found myself hurriedly turning the pages, awaiting the fate of our beloved mother-to-be.
There is a famous saying to the effect of “What does not kill you makes you stronger,” but in tender Betsy’s case, stronger would be better replaced with “paranoid”. Years of meditation have served to soften the edges of her anxiety, but some trauma you just never fully recover from. When suspicious pink notes begin arriving in her life boasting threats, Betsy is forced to revisit the fear of that fateful night in the parking lot. She has worked diligently to create the loving and comfortable home around her, and it’s no surprise that she isn’t willing to let that be endangered twice. Again, I found myself furiously chewing at my own nails as I cheered her on, anxious of the long list of suspicious characters possibly behind the ominous pink slips. Luckily, Aldrich writes with a bright wittiness that balances the heaviness of the theme, or I wouldn’t have had any nails left by the end.
Aside from being endearing, this story is also incredibly digestible, despite being so darkly thematic at points. I read it in a mere two sittings. I really can’t pen enough praise for Aldrich’s cheeky and personal writing style. Even in the throes of a deranged stalker, each main character sports such flavorful personality that the novel stays warm and engaging throughout. I can’t wait to catch another title from this author.
Pages: 267 | ASIN: B071LKC325
The Shudder of Realization
Tantra Bensko Author Interview
Glossolalia is a thrilling ride through the mind of a woman who is seemingly normal but her life slowly unfolds to reveal something bizarre. What was the inspiration that made you want to write this book?
I have a keen interest in mind control of individuals, and the way controlling each individual can effectively affect a large number of people. All my life I’ve studied in depth the methods that agencies such as the CIA has historically used, and they often have manipulated people’s interest in the occult. And that seems like a topic rich with dramatic fictional possibilities, especially for Psychological Suspense, in which gaslighting is such a common element.
I know I love that electric shudder I get when realize something is not what I thought it was, when I’m just starting to put the pieces together and it’s first making sense, grim as the truth may be. I wanted to give readers that entertainment as well.
Nancy, is like many women at first, but she suffers from narcolepsy and has an addiction to pills that she is trying to kick. How her character unfolds and develops is fascinating. What was your plan as you wrote Nancy’s character?
The only way she can explain her fugues at first is to believe she has narcolepsy, but when she discovers what she does during her periods of amnesia, she realizes her problem is something entirely different from that illness. Similarly, she thinks she’s addicted to the pills to keep hallucinations and delusions at bay, but once she manages to stop taking them, she realizes her visions have been actual memories.
My plan with her was to create an anti-hero who finds a way to redeem herself while staying true to the dubious skills she’s been taught all her life. And she gives readers a way to inhabit the sympathetic victim as well as to perhaps develop compassion for people who are compelled to commit violent acts. In a way, she stands for all of us, because everyone has fallen prey to disinformation at some point, and thus has been an unwilling promulgator of it. And all of us have some chance at heroically redeeming ourselves for that, though of course, I don’t promote violence in any way.
There are a lot of fantastic twists in this novel along with a variety of surprises that kept me turning pages. Did you plan the novel before you wrote or did the story develop organically?
I planned it out to make sure all the plot points, pinch points, act breaks and all were in proper order. However, as I wrote it, I got new ideas for twists that were great fun to conceive of. For example, Brandon the YouTube conspiracy journalist with gigantism wasn’t in the completed first draft. Just as much as I enjoy the shudder of realization, I love the feeling of coming up with new plot twists. It feels delightful.
Glossolalia is book one in the Agents of the Nevermind series. Where does book two, Remember to Recycle, take readers?
People who like Glossolalia will probably like Remember to Recycle because it falls within the same genre categories including Conspiracy Thriller and Political Thriller, and while book one focuses on how coups are created, book two focuses on how proxy wars are created. In both cases, the emphasis is on how intelligence agents deceive the public into going along with the terrible treatment of other countries for profit motive, while pretending it’s for humanitarian aid.
Glossolalia referenced our society’s history, particularly related to intelligence agencies, as a foundation for the series, as well as a pattern of coups that’s been recurring for a very long time; Remember to Recycle specifically addresses what’s happening right now. It goes into all the types of trafficking that go along with war, which is the secondary meaning of the title.
However, the first meaning of the title is more obvious, because a major character is Dave, a homeless man who survives by going through people’s recycling bins and selling the stuff, like all the other guys on the street. But he comes up with a brilliant plan. As in Glossolalia, there’s a darkly humorous aspect to it, and he provides a lot of that. He was really fun for me to write, especially as it’s first person present tense, while he describes his life moment by moment to the “character” he affectionately calls Mr. Interrogator. He’s got a hell of a personality. He likes to wear a wide variety of costumes that he keeps under the bridge, and fancies himself an actor of sorts. He idolizes the Rescuers, who are based on the White Helmets.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
No one but her uncle would hire Nancy, considering her habit of snapping out of amnesiac fugues, wondering where she got her bruises and the scent of men’s cologne. When she sees a crime of poison in progress at the company, she chases the truck carrying away the chemical legally deemed too toxic to use or to dump. Her pursuit leads to a convoluted world of political intrigue, esoteric rituals and an arcane Elizabethan spy code, and assassinations she never imagined – though her imagination is what holds that world together.
This conspiracy novel introduces a young woman with an ambiguous past involving herself in a killer organization with one layer after another of her psyche. DARK, even possibly DISTURBING ROMANCE, is key to finding elusive authenticity.
The old cartoonish formula of good CIA VS bad guys no longer is fresh and relevant. Though through a fictionalized agency, the books in this series, like Barry Eisler’s spy thrillers, explore the shady side of the CIA secret psy-ops, covert experiments, illusions, coups, media theater, psychological warfare, and illicit methods of funding. The Agents of the Nevermind series dares to explore the edgiest controversies and the convoluted lives intelligence agents must endure as they create bizarre delusions for the world in order to hide the truth about their nation’s financial foundation.
LITERARY TITAN 