Blog Archives
Enthusiasm To Imagine Stories
The Red Eyes & The Curse is a fascinating collection of supernatural stories for middle-grade readers. What was the inspiration for the setup of your stories?
I got the inspiration from having the enthusiasm to imagine stories which belong to the supernatural genre. I have always wanted to write stories which can intrigue middle-grade readers by letting them feel immersed in the fiction of supernatural world where things are mystical. I like to keep young readers continuously enthralled by the things that cannot be explained by natural causes or the sciences, and also by the suspense at the very end of each chapters that hook them to go on to the next chapter.
The characters in both stories were interesting. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The characters in the stories are both very young, and yet, they possess the boldness of soaring eagles and the determination of charging bulls. In these stories, the characters start off by being pure and innocent, and it is not until the strange things have happened as the stories flow that the characters begin to challenge their limits. I intend to let the readers savour the radical transition of the development of such characters as the stories unfold, and to let middle-grade readers feel inspired by the courage of such characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in these stories?
The plot twists and the captivating ending of every chapters in the stories are the uniqueness of the book. The stories are laid upon the foundation that there are myriads of suspense and mysteries that make the readers want to explore more as the stories unfold. The themes of the story revolve around the supernatural happenings that transpire in every chapter, and they let the readers continuously wonder what is going to happen next. Other things that revolve around the themes are freshness, creativity, and dynamism.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Currently, I am not yet working on the next book, but I have already published 7 books. All these books can be found in my social media such as Facebook, Website, Instagram, and Amazon Author Central Page.
Author Links: Facebook | Website | Instagram | Amazon
You Are a Bird
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a caged bird? In You Are a Bird you will experience the longing, hope and frustration of a bird that desires more than its metal confines. This is a thought-provoking novella with a unique concept. It is written in the second person and the writing transports you into a world we think little about, despite being surprisingly similar to our own in many ways. Throughout the book, the reader feels what the bird feels as it observes its unnatural environment and fights to live as it was intended- to spread its wings and be free.
What seems like a simple book at first, contains so many different angles. First of all, it is an eye-opener for anyone considering owning a pet bird. As humans, we often think we are caring for our pets when, in fact, we are doing the exact opposite. We laugh at our pets’ funny habits, not knowing the real message they are trying to convey.
You Are a Bird also serves as a metaphor for our lives and as inspiration to never give up hope of realizing our dreams. No matter how low or out of touch with reality we feel, we must maintain optimism. Author Breezy Van Lit cleverly ties everything into a simple, yet highly emotional book. Some parts of the story are upsetting, but these are also stark reminders of the damage we are capable of inflicting upon others.
You Are a Bird is unlike any other book I have read before. This evocative novella had so many different layers to it, that I wouldn’t hesitate to heartily recommend it. The ending of the book is beautiful and left me with a strong motivational feeling. I would urge readers to overlook any initial doubts about the unconventionality of the story, as this is certainly worth the read.
Pages: 159 | ASIN: B0B5PHYY19
Music from a Strange Planet
Music from a Strange Planet is a visionary collection of short stories that explores thoughts and emotions that will work their way into your mind and your soul. Each short work of art gives the reader a glimpse into another world, some human, some insect, some a dreamlike state that cannot be contained in a physical form. To the attentive reader, the profound meaning of each story will give them an opportunity to reflect and ponder their own vulnerabilities.
This is a collection of thought-provoking short stories. Each is different in plot but similar in their well-crafted narrative and thoughtful commentary on life. From the first story, “Mastering Surface Tension,” to the last, “The Sheen of Ice On Snow.” Several have titles that give a hint as to what they are about, like “ Night People.” Other titles make you wonder what the short story will be about. Each one gives a different creative perspective on several issues that many people will be able to relate to. The stories cover several genres, including romance and horror.
This is a fascinating and memorable collection of stories that makes it difficult to pick a favorite. Two stories that stood out to me were, “Music From a Strange Planet” and “So Sorry For Your Loss.” The first is about a girl named Lucky Bee and her peculiar talents and gifts of prophecy. I loved how she used her talents to help those around her and the general feel-good vibes it gave. The second story contains an alluring mystery and is brimming with intrigue. I love a good thriller and I felt this one was perfectly executed.
Music from a Strange Planet is a collection of captivating short stories that range from light-hearted stories to gripping thrillers, while others touched on deeper subjects. Going from one to the other makes it so readers are kept on edge, unsure of what author Barbara Black has in store next.
Pages: 183 | ASIN : B0B1L11BD6
A Deep Personal Journey
Capricorn, Utopia & Days Gone By is a collection of novellas that incorporates philosophical meaning into three different but highly entertaining stories. Was it intentional to write stories with a moral message or did it happen organically?
I had a good idea how each story was going to end before I started writing, but the roadmap was fluid, and not set in stone.
The main characters are flawed in various ways. Their shortcomings had to carry a lot of weight and their triumphs had to be powerful. My goal was to show hopelessness in such a way that it brought hope to my audience. Yes, things are bad, but in the end, there is something to take away. Sometimes tragedy is capable of bringing the best out of people.
Utopia stood out as my favorite story from this volume. Do you have a story that you personally enjoy more out of the three?
I think Capricorn resonates with me the most. This isn’t just a story to save a loved one, but one that contains a deep personal journey into one’s own salvation. Montague is surrounded by evil, and he believes the only way to combat it is to become it. He becomes lost to it while admitting his views in dark, poetic soliloquies. In his mind everyone is guilty, and humanity is not worth saving until finding one who was never part of it. This pure innocence begins to shift the way he thinks.
Did you write these stories for this collection or did you write them over time and then combined them?
Each story was written years apart as separate screenplays before being published individually. After rewriting and extending these stories I decided to combine them into a 2-volume novella set to make the books cost effective.
Do you have plans to write more novellas through other outlets, like Kindle Vella?
I had considered using Kindle Vella for Apocalypsia, but now that I have all my titles published, I’ll continue working on promoting my books over trying to break into another area where I will either need a new story or try to market to a different audience. Although, I hope to one day have my stories reach more people, so I’m not closed to the concept just yet.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
The City is a Cancer. They are the Cure .
In the aftermath of a civil war the city is in ruins and without order. Montague administers his idea of justice with his black steel sword until he discovers Capricorn. He becomes drawn to her and vows to protect her, but this is challenged when a group of thugs kidnap her.
Montague is sent on a determined rescue mission, but in order to succeed he must battle the thugs of the city and their leader. Montague then finds himself on a path of seven trials in order to gain entry into Mammon’s domain to save the one he loves.
UTOPIA
Sometimes perfect comes with fine print.
Brian Troth is a defense attorney, who after being shot in the head, awakes from a coma thirty years later. He is told that the world is now perfect where everything is provided. He is given a new job, a posh apartment and, to his surprise, the perfect romantic match.
However, when he questions the sudden disappearance of a colleague and stumbles upon a concealed government secret; he and his loved one become targeted for a swift removal.
DAYS GONE BY
Hope.
Three days after Christmas an auto accident left Caleb partially disabled and took the life of his five-year-old nephew. Now on the anniversary, four years later, Caleb is afraid to leave his house; even to attend his brother’s upcoming wedding.
Soon past friends and deceased relatives mysteriously begin showing up in his home to deliver their messages and help him through his phobia by showing him glimpses of his past, present and possible future.
The Stakes Were Not High Enough
Into the Night and The Glass Demon are two different stories in an immersive paranormal collection. What were some sources that informed the development of these stories?
I’ve always been fascinated with vampires, and they remain a popular movie monster to this day, some of them are even portrayed as heroes. Samuel has the same lure to these beings without really understanding how much danger he’s in. I felt the stakes were not high enough to craft another vampire story, so I made it happen at the same time as a barbarian invasion. It’s not meant to be historically accurate, I thought of it as Underworld meets Braveheart.
The Glass Demon is fictional, but I wanted it to feel like it could be true. Even to this day I enjoy watching Ghost Adventures, Paranormal Caught on Tape, A Haunting, and movies like The Rite. I also read The Encyclopedia of Demons & Demonology by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. My inspiration came from true experiences, but I wanted the human element to be stronger than the horror aspect. William is damaged, but I still wanted my readers to feel for him. This is more of his challenge than it is about a supernatural, paranormal Exorcist-type story.
What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this set?
The most important thing I strived for was preventing my characters from fading into the background. I wanted action, but I didn’t want it to become action-driven over character-driven. These are tales of some people in impossible situations, and they could’ve given up at any time—but they didn’t.
What draws you to the paranormal genre and makes it ripe for you to write in?
I subscribe to Discovery+ so I watch a lot of paranormal shows. I’ve had a few minor experiences myself while growing up, from hearing whispers to seeing forms that slowly fade away. None of that happens to me anymore, but it still left its mark on me. If we rely on only the things we physically see, then we see nothing at all. It doesn’t matter if you believe in the supernatural, but the concept should at least be considered.
Do you have more novellas planned for this world you’ve created?
I had thought of doing sequels at one time. I tried to make it feel like both stories could continue. Into The Night could continue to Ireland where Gavin and his family escaped, and something in The Glass Demon world could trigger William to reunite with Victor and Mikael. At the moment I’m not active in either, but the possibility is there.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
They will never stop hunting you.
In the autumn of 1325 an army of barbarians invade the south-western region of England. A drifter named, Samuel and a strong-willed woman named, Valencia journey north to Ashborough to seek the aid of the steward’s army.
While on their mission they realize the barbarians aren’t their only threat. Two vampire matriarchs, and their vampire horde, stalk them relentlessly. They find themselves in the midst of two wars as they fight northward on, what seems to be, a Sisyphean task.
THE GLASS DEMON
There is much unrest here-
William Corgel is a clairvoyant medium who is hubris, doubts his faith and a heavy drinker who finds comfort in pills. Believing there is nothing he can’t handle he soon finds himself in a home with a demonic presence and the possession of a teenage girl. The demon continually taunts and attacks him while claiming to know William’s suppressed childhood memory centered on his mother.
Tales Untold
In Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World, a collection of short stories, readers will travel around the world. With the compiled works of 15 authors, readers will adventure through small towns, jungles, oceans, ancient history, space, and exotic locales of many kinds. The stories take us through myths and legends, touching on the very core of what makes us human. Each story will teach lessons, each story will take you to another world, and each story will end leaving you feeling more complete than before you started. Readers of all kinds will find their genre represented in this fascinating collection of short stories.
Janie Kang et al. took their passion for myths, legends, and culture and turned it into a beautiful collection of stories. Each story stirred me in different ways, whether it was a lesson to be learned or a short horror story that brought a visceral reaction. There was never a lack of twists and turns, and I didn’t have a chance to put down the book down as each story begs to be completed in one sitting.
Each story brought me to a new location, full of stories of its own, a whole world with new feelings and rules that they follow. I found myself trapped in a painting watching the stories unfold and gaining insight into how the world functions. This fictional retelling helps address grief and loss, showing us that loved ones can be found.
Character development was wonderful and the stories themselves were great, there were just a few that I felt didn’t resonate as strong as the others, but that’s just personal preference. Anyone who is looking for a compelling and unique collection of short stories will find something to love in Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World.
Pages: 302 | ASIN: B0BL3FCCP4
What Draws People To Each Other?
From Where I Sit: A Collection of Short Fiction follows the lives of different characters showcasing the consequences of the choices people make in life. Where did the idea for this collection of stories come from?
During COVID I was teaching multiple online writing classes and having so much fun with short stories that I returned to my collection of over two dozen from over the years. Some of the finished ones were even contest winners from years earlier. Most were in various stages of development, but I was able to split the stories up into three collections based on genre: science fiction, horror, and general fiction. I selected the best five for each to edit or finish and was especially excited to challenge myself with the general fiction stories because they were unlike anything I ever fully fleshed out before.
What things do you find interesting about the human condition that makes for great fiction?
Most of the creative writing I’ve dabbled in has been science fiction or horror. The search to find one’s place in the world, their purpose, were at the heart of those earlier stories. In those tales, the characters deal with hyperbolized conflicts that act as metaphors for what readers struggle through in their daily lives. In this collection, however, the human condition is front and center. It’s raw. Exposed. I wanted to explore the complexities and ambiguities that make up an individual’s character. The same with relationships and their connective tissue. What draws people to each other? Why are some animals more deeply connected to certain humans than others? What part do they play in how someone approaches life and its challenges? Then there are those who grow tired of adhering to the mold society has forced on them. Is it a midlife crisis if someone finally gains clarity and wants change? Is there something to be gained by going to what some may perceive as extremes? What defines an extreme? How does one go about discovering—and trusting—their authentic self? And while conflicts are introduced and resolved, I wanted these characters to be complex and interesting enough to feel as if their story was only a snapshot—a chapter, if you will—of a much larger narrative.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Like any writer, there’s always a bit of me in everything that I write. This collection, however, was the most personal. As such, it was also the most cathartic. If one takes to heart what it means to write what one knows, the authenticity of that act makes for some very emotional content. It’s not manipulative; it’s not forced. So, yes, parts of my life are in all the characters, but three of the five stories were the most reflective of my own life experiences and emotions than anything written in the past.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Last month an independent study skills workbook for young learners in grades 6-12, Essential Study Skills: A Holistic Approach to Learning, was published. Only the Kindle version is available, but the paperback will be released in a couple of weeks. I’m currently wrapping up a coaching book titled Who Are You, Really? The Search for Authenticity, which is due to be released on the 16th of December.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
LITERARY TITAN 