Blog Archives
Sinful Oath: Book 1 On The Wings Of Angels Series
Sinful Oath is a blend of historical fiction, Christian fiction, and historical mystery, set in 1618 London and centered on Elizabeth Bowmar, a young apprentice midwife with a fierce moral compass, and Alexander Berkley, a man tangled in his own duties, loyalties, and regrets. The book opens with Elizabeth reflecting on her past, her faith, and the weight of responsibility she carries, then pulls us into a widening web of injustice, danger, and compassion. Author KT McWilliams paints the world with gritty street life, tense family dynamics, and the looming shadow of Newgate Prison. By the time I settled in, I already felt the stakes tightening around both Elizabeth and Alexander in ways that promised more than simple historical drama.
I was surprised by how intimate the writing feels. Elizabeth’s voice in particular comes through full of honesty and vulnerability, especially in her private thoughts by the hearth as she burns her written worries, believing the smoke carries them to angels. Even with the book’s heavier themes like poverty, violence, faith, and control, the storytelling stays grounded in the everyday textures of life. I liked that the author doesn’t treat the period like a costume. It feels lived in. And even when characters lean into ideals or spiritual reflection, the language never pushes toward sermon; it reads instead like people trying to make sense of their choices, which made it easy to stay with them.
What I appreciated most was how McWilliams balances tenderness with hardship. The moments between Elizabeth and her father feel warm and steady, and they’re a strong counterweight to the scenes with her mother, whose sharpness cuts deeper than some of the book’s villains. Alexander’s chapters add another layer, especially when we see him navigating the dangerous corners of London and the people who operate in them. The tension between old loyalties and present conscience gives his storyline weight. Sometimes the book lingers on internal rumination a bit longer than I expected, but even then, it felt true to the characters’ emotional lives. I got the sense that both leads are standing at a threshold, stepping into versions of themselves they don’t fully understand yet.
I feel like Sinful Oath is less about a single mystery and more about courage, the quiet kind that comes from tending to others, and the louder kind that comes from facing what’s broken in a community or in oneself. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong moral undercurrents, detailed atmosphere, and characters who wrestle honestly with faith and justice, this book will be right up your alley. Readers who like a mix of Christian historical fiction and historical mystery will probably enjoy it most, especially if they’re drawn to stories that move with both heart and grit.
Pages: 459 | ASIN : B0FPMT9YVC
River Talk
River Talk is a sprawling and dreamlike journey through myth, memory, and human frailty. It drifts between fables, folklore, and deeply personal reckonings with place and time. At its heart is Marchon Baptiste, a man both haunted and blessed by a heightened sense of connection to the world around him. His story, interwoven with echoes of gods distracted by their own games, high-stakes gamblers rising from the dead, and tribes living outside the reach of modernity, circles endlessly around the question of what it means to belong, or not belong, within the noise of humanity.
I enjoyed how the writing feels unpinned. Sentences sprawl and snap. They carry the same restless energy as the rivers and forests that pulse through the story. Sometimes I felt lost, like I was dropped into someone’s fever dream without a guide, and other times I felt stunned at how vividly the world cracked open. The language is raw, but that’s what gave it its weight for me. I loved how the prose could be coarse one moment, then suddenly dissolve into passages that felt more like prayers than storytelling.
The book kept circling back to this deep divide between human-made noise and natural rhythm. I felt admiration because it made me think about how little we listen, how much we dismiss in our rush to build walls of words and explanations. I can’t shake certain images: Marchon in the swamp hearing the river sing, the gods playing careless games with human lives, the silent communication of tribes who never needed words. These moments felt alive in a way I rarely get from fiction.
I’d recommend River Talk to readers who like stories that don’t walk straight lines. If you enjoy Faulkner’s twisting voices or the mythic strangeness of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, you might find something here to savor. It isn’t a book for quick reading. It’s for anyone who’s willing to wrestle with the unsettling question of what it means to really be connected.
Pages: 222 | ASIN : B0FJR45LQK
Grounded in Hope
Angelica follows a young girl who discovers she’s gifted by God to enter dreams, battle fear, and bring light to the lost with the help of heavenly allies and unshakable faith. What inspired you to combine dream journeys with Christian symbolism and spiritual armor?
I’ve always been fascinated by dreams—how they can feel so real, symbolic, and even spiritual. As a person of faith, I believe God can speak to us through dreams, especially when we’re young and open-hearted. I wanted to create a story that showed children their fears are not the end of the story, but an invitation to rise in courage. The spiritual armor from Ephesians 6 became the perfect foundation—each piece carries meaning and power, and I wanted kids to see that faith is both imaginative and real. Combining dream journeys with Christian truth allowed me to explore big themes like identity, fear, and calling in a way that feels magical but grounded in hope.
How did you approach writing about fear in a way that would feel both honest and comforting to children?
I’ve worked with many children over the years—some of whom are dealing with very real fears: nightmares, family struggles, feeling different or left out. I didn’t want to minimize those feelings. Instead, I wrote Angelica as a mirror for kids to see their own emotions—especially fear—and realize that even in the middle of fear, they are not alone. Angelica learns that bravery isn’t the absence of fear; it’s showing up anyway with faith. By giving fear a shape, a voice, and then surrounding Angelica with divine support, I hoped to show kids that fear can be faced and defeated—not through force, but through light, truth, and love.
Todd the squirrel and the Eagle Fort are so unique. How did you come up with these dream-world companions?
Todd the squirrel actually came to me in a moment of prayer—I pictured this fast-talking, witty little creature who balances Angelica’s seriousness with joy and humor. He represents the voice that reminds us to laugh and trust, even in dark places. The Eagle Fort was inspired by Isaiah 40:31—“They will rise on wings like eagles.” I imagined a soaring place of refuge where warriors gather and children are trained in truth. I wanted every companion and setting in Angelica’s world to reflect part of God’s nature—His protection, joy, wisdom, and strength—while still being imaginative and memorable for young readers.
When and where will this book be available?
Angelica: Enter into the Dream will be available in the month of August 2025, in both print and digital formats through Amazon and select bookstores.
Joint Salvation
Judging Athena follows a humble and kindhearted research assistant who meets a curator at an art gallery, and what begins as a chance encounter over a necklace for a young girl’s birthday unfurls into a deep and poetic romance. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The idea came to me while I was walking one evening last October. There is a real art gallery gift shop in a charming New England town. Many years ago, I purchased some custom nickel jewelry from the shop manager, a lovely woman with an accent (the nationality of which I cannot recall). On my walk, I suddenly suspected a story was lurking in the memory. As I strolled along, it all began to coalesce in my mind, blending with a few other ideas. I decided to go home, start typing, and see how far it went. Three and a half weeks later, I had a rough draft.
I enjoyed the romantic relationship between Josh and Athena. 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’m glad you enjoyed it! I had a notion about both characters and their interaction. While they eventually presented themselves well in the first draft, initially, both were somewhat difficult for me to conceptualize. Josh was a challenge because of his humility and piety, and because I wasn’t sure how he would relate to Athena. She was very challenging due to her rarified nature and utterly unique circumstances. And her essence changed quickly in my mind, from a mere legend into something higher and in keeping with her arc of redemption. Fortunately, all my quandaries were resolved as I wrote. Once I was used to the sincerity and kindness in both characters, writing them became a nearly effortless pleasure.
Because of my marital deliverance theme, and partly in defiance of postmodern trends, I knew I wanted the relationship to progress from meeting to matrimony as quickly as possible. Yet in getting there, I decided to dwell on the details of dates, thoughts, emotions, and so forth. And many, many roses! That is why the betrothal period, less than two months long, essentially occupies half the book. I felt the emphasis on clean and honest dating and development, along with genuine understanding behind the marriage, was that important. As an aside, part of me almost wishes I could have dedicated the same level of attention to the rest of the story. However, that would have resulted in a book of 95,000 pages, not words, and I was pleased with the second half anyway.
I did have an idea of where I wanted Athena and Josh to go, though the idea evolved a bit. Most unusual for me, the ideas pretty much landed in the word processor in an organic fashion. Ordinarily, I erratically plot, fill in via scattershot, overthink, and stall manuscript development for months or even years. I practically wrote Judging Athena straight through from page one to “The End.”
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Perhaps the most important element is the Christian concept of joint salvation, manifested through the three primary reasons for marriage, as explained by Father Josias in Chapter Four. This is a core tenant of the Church, however, too much of its veracity has been lost or diluted in our era. The tale I tell is, sadly, not my own. Rather, it is an idealistic expression of the ideal romance. My plot device or hook regarding Athena’s true nature is an admittedly extreme use of speculative theology. However, given the extreme state of the real world around us, I thought it was important to provide a strong counterbalance.
Another important concept, for me and, hopefully, for readers, is the complete deference to God offered by two imperfect people who, by dispensing with solipsism, offer anathema to the postmodern concept of the individual über alles. Fiction provides a forum for letting be what should be, even if the imagined vehicle approaches the fantastical.
Many of the themes and subthemes in Judging Athena stem from First Corinthians. I really enjoyed working various metaphors into the characters’ perceptions, their relationship, and their interaction with God, others, and the world. In addition to all else, the titular matter of judgment requires a real apophatic leap of faith. While hinting all around, I do not expressly explain how it happens. I don’t know technically how these matters unfold. No one does. Hence, a degree of trust is warranted. Had I delivered a detailed verdict, I doubt anyone would have liked it—least of all the author.
Also, I really like writing “innocent” fiction. All too often, my work veers into the polemical and the expositive. I may have finally discovered it is better to suggest than to force certain matters. Beyond telling what I hope is a sweet and entertaining story, I ultimately hope to encourage young men and women to defy the world, unite, be fruitful, and help each other redeem themselves through and into the glory of the Almighty.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
Next up, Tom Ironsides returns in AURELIUS, a hard-charging action novella wherein the CIA’s former best blasts through the ranks of assorted international criminals. It’s another book that’s been simmering for a while, since around 2020. With any luck, it should be out late this year or in the winter of 2026. As with Judging Athena and The Substitute, it will come to market via Green Altar Books, the growing and outstanding literary imprint of Shotwell Publishing.
I generally have four or five manuscripts in development at any given time, and now is no exception. My “save the world” inclinations are slowly giving way to something more genteel and with more genuine literary quality. I have a few more romances in the works, including an outline for something of the levels of apologetics in Judging Athena. And there’s always more coming along—in due time.
Author Links: GoodReads | Telegram | Website | Amazon
JUDGING ATHENA is an exciting foray into innocent, pure, and productive love. It is also a clarion call to return to the traditions of marriage, large families, and genteel society.
Judging Athena
Judging Athena is a slow-burning and intense romantic tale wrapped in layers of faith, wonder, and philosophical exploration. The novel follows Josh, a humble and kindhearted research assistant with a troubled past, as he meets the mesmerizing Athena, a seemingly otherworldly curator at an art gallery. What begins as a chance encounter over a necklace for a young girl’s birthday unfurls into a deep and poetic romance. But the book is far more than a love story. It is a meditation on grace, providence, redemption, and the mysterious forces that shape our connections with others. Lovett weaves Christian themes and classical imagery into a narrative that’s both gentle and spiritually charged.
Reading this book was like watching a candle flicker in a dark room—it’s quiet, but it draws you in with its warmth. Lovett’s prose is clean, sometimes florid, and undeniably heartfelt. He leans heavily into emotional introspection, and there’s a timelessness in how the characters speak and behave. I found Josh’s sincerity almost disarming. His faith isn’t just tacked on; it’s baked into the bones of who he is. Likewise, Athena, with her mythic presence and veiled depth, feels like a figure out of legend—yet she’s also relatable. Sometimes the writing feels deliberately old-fashioned, almost theatrical, but it works here. It feels earnest, not forced. There were scenes—particularly Josh’s interactions with the orphaned children—that made me tear up. This book is tender and idealistic, and that’s its charm.
Judging Athena won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Some readers might find the pacing slow or the emotional tone a bit too syrupy. There’s also an idealization of the romantic female figure. Personally, I didn’t mind that. The mythic vibe—the goddess-like presence of Athena—is part of the book’s fabric. Still, it’s good to know what you’re walking into. I also appreciated how the novel wrestled with ideas of spiritual identity and belonging without sounding preachy. Lovett trusts the reader to wrestle alongside the characters. And for a book grounded in religious themes, that kind of subtlety is rare.
I’d recommend Judging Athena to readers who are believers in second chances, hopeless romantics, and anyone who finds beauty in the quiet corners of life. If you like books that wear their heart on their sleeve and aren’t afraid to slow down and feel deeply, this one’s worth your time. It is full of love for people, for faith, for redemption.
Pages: 330 | ASIN : B0F6KQ6C9S
The End: Omicron
Aaron Ryan’s The End: Omicron is a breathless and gut-wrenching continuation of a harrowing dystopian saga. Picking up in a devastated future where a tyrannical leader named Nero hunts down Christians marked by a branded scar, the story follows young Sage Maddox and a ragtag group of survivors struggling against a monstrous regime of mechanoids and propaganda. Meanwhile, former High Vassal Maximillian—reborn as Darius Antone Forrester—defects and seeks redemption, setting the stage for spiritual warfare, betrayal, personal transformation, and rebellion. The world is brutal, the stakes are high, and the faith of every character is tested in fire.
Reading this book was like being pulled behind a speeding train. The pacing is relentless, the emotion runs raw, and the characters are utterly drenched in pain, doubt, and hope. Ryan’s writing is often visceral and unfiltered—sometimes jarringly so—but it’s always from the gut. You feel Sage’s grief claw at your chest. You feel Maximillian’s shame and longing for a second chance. It’s not polished in a traditional literary sense, but that’s exactly what makes it powerful. It’s not trying to be subtle or slick—it’s just honest. And in that honesty, it punches hard. Some of the dialogue feels intentionally unrefined, like real people speaking in the worst moments of their lives. I respected that.
On the flip side, the writing leans heavily into its message. Ryan is unapologetically Christian in theme and tone—this is not a book that hides its worldview. That might throw off some readers looking for a more ambiguous or secular apocalypse. But if you go in knowing that, it delivers with sincerity. I found myself torn between frustration and admiration at times—the moral dilemmas, the extreme stakes, the black-and-white battle between faith and evil. It’s not subtle storytelling, but it is bold. And sometimes bold is exactly what a story needs to break through the noise.
If you’re a fan of Christian dystopian fiction, if you like stories about persecution, faith, rebellion, and endurance under fire, this one’s for you. I’d recommend it for readers who want more soul in their sci-fi, and more fire in their faith. If I had to put The End: Omicron on a shelf with other books, it would sit somewhere between the Left Behind series and The Hunger Games, with a dash of 1984 and This Present Darkness. It’s got that same blend of high-stakes rebellion, faith under fire, and a world cracking under tyranny.
Pages: 263 | ASIN : B0F6VWDM2H
Good For The Soul
Philip Rennett’s Good For The Soul is an ambitious, genre-blending novel that tosses political satire, spiritual conflict, and small-town Irish charm into a single, messy but compelling stew. At its core, the book follows Andrew Blackwell, a former UK prime minister, now a reluctant recluse, as he’s dragged back into the world of global influence through a secretive “Global Conclave.” Meanwhile, in the quiet Irish town of Clonbrinny, a troubled priest is caught in the moral chokehold of a criminal syndicate. It’s a story about power, guilt, reinvention, and the weird, awkward humanity that binds it all together.
What grabbed me first was how effortlessly Rennett shifts tone. One moment, you’re in a confessional booth listening to Margaret Doyle deliver an outrageously inappropriate dream confession about cassocks and spanking. Next, you’re in the thick of Blackwell’s emotional unraveling or sitting in a church watching Declan Kelly, a violent gangster, toy with religion like it’s a game of poker. These tonal shifts shouldn’t work. But they do, mainly because Rennett has a wicked sense of humor and a sharp ear for dialogue. Margaret’s appearances, especially in the “Confession” chapter, had me laughing out loud, while Father Aidan’s slow disintegration genuinely broke my heart.
What surprised me most was how Good For The Soul uses the setting almost like a character. Clonbrinny feels lived in, grimy, rain-soaked, and steeped in secrets. Peace Castle, where the elite gather to decide the world’s fate, is jaw-dropping in its opulence, but it feels hollow, too. There’s a beautiful contrast between those two worlds, and Rennett plays them against each other masterfully. When Blackwell stands before the Conclave in “The Opening Statement,” what he says feels honest, even raw, not just because of what he reveals, but because we’ve seen him wrestle with it. I didn’t expect to feel sympathy for a politician on the brink of a second act, but here I am.
The writing itself is tight and conversational, but it’s never dumbed down. I loved how Rennett injects intelligence without arrogance. He keeps the language accessible, even when the stakes are philosophical. There’s also a lot of heart under all the satire. One of my favorite moments was in “Help Me,” when Father Aidan, drunk and broken, finally whispers, “Help me.” That wrecked me.
Good For The Soul feels like a modern-day parable, soaked in Guinness, lit by lightning over crumbling churches, and filtered through the lens of people just trying to figure out what the hell matters anymore. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes their fiction smart, funny, and a little unhinged. Especially if you’re into layered plots, Irish settings, and characters that make you feel something, even when they’re being completely ridiculous.
Pages: 369 | ASIN : B0F44DQKCK
Myth or Reality
Pope Joan follows a woman who defies all odds when she disguises herself as a man and rises through the ranks in the Catholic church and secures the position of Pope. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
I came across an article about the myth or reality of a female who became pope. Her real identity as a woman was revealed when her water broke in public, and she began to deliver a baby. According to the legend, she was stoned to death as she was about to enter one of the churches in Rome. I started to imagine how a woman back in those days, when a woman was heavily restricted, could climb the ladder through the church to become pope. What was her back story? My curiosity soon took over, and I did extensive research on the times in which she lived and the struggles she had to endure to succeed and become Pope Joan.
Can you share a little about the research that went into putting your book together?
The Internet offered a wide range of great resources to help me locate specific materials: timelines, biographies of people who lived during the age that I was interested in, places that housed certain religious orders, and the ongoing conflicts of the age. Generally speaking, I have had a fascination with the Middle Ages and now have a small reference library dedicated to the Crusades and the Reconquista.
What was your favorite moment in Joan’s story? Is there one scene that resonates with you?
I was most touched by Joan’s time in prison when she was awaiting execution. What was going through her mind? Surely, the uncertainty of being executed or not weighed heavily and gave her a feeling of dread. But also she thought about the safety and well-being of her child. No matter how old children are, their parents want to know they are safe.
Will your next book be historical fiction? What are you currently preparing for your fans?
I have written and my editor is currently finalizing my next historical fiction novel, Kitty Schmidt: My Life as a Prostitute. Kitty managed the Gestapo’s brothel during World War II. How did she find herself in this position? Did she have a family? What happened to her during the bombing of Berlin and the subsequent Russian invasion of the city? I wanted to explore all of these aspects of her life.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
While Andrew pursues the world of numbers and accounting, Joan becomes an avid student, learning to love reading and acquiring knowledge, eventually – through a string of circumstances – propelling her to higher and higher offices within the church and finally becoming the first and only female pope.
How long does Pope Joan keep her gender a secret?
LITERARY TITAN 