Blog Archives
Blending Adventure With Science
Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky follows a pair of curious siblings and Dr. K and her magical time portal, who travel back to Renaissance Italy to meet Galileo and experience firsthand the wonder of his telescope and discoveries. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from my desire to make science and history feel alive for children. Galileo’s discoveries changed how we understand the universe, yet for many young readers, history can feel distant or abstract. By introducing a magical time portal and pairing the story with two inquisitive siblings, I wanted to create a bridge between today’s readers and the past. The setup allows children to see history not as dusty facts in a textbook but as living experiences full of curiosity, wonder, and adventure.
I enjoyed your characters, especially Dr. K. What was your favorite character to write for and why?
Dr. K was certainly the most rewarding character to write. She is both a guide and a fellow traveler, modeling how to ask questions, nurture curiosity, and balance seriousness with a sense of wonder.
Through her, I was able to weave together elements of science, history, and imagination.
She is not only a mentor to the children in the story but also a representation of my own lifelong passion for encouraging young minds to explore the world around them.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
I wanted to emphasize both Galileo’s scientific process and the cultural context of his discoveries.
Children learn not only that Galileo built a telescope and observed the moons of Jupiter, but also that these observations challenged established beliefs of the time.
The book highlights critical thinking, perseverance, and the courage to question accepted truths.
I also included a “Science Primer” at the back of the book to give readers and educators additional resources, ensuring that the story supports learning in both classrooms and homes.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Dr. K and the direction of the second book?
The second book, Marie Curie’s Radiant Quest, transports readers to Paris at the turn of the 20th century.
In this story, Dr. K and the siblings meet Marie Curie and learn about her groundbreaking work with radioactivity.
The narrative continues to blend adventure with science, showing not only Curie’s discoveries but also her perseverance in the face of challenges as a woman in science.
The series as a whole will continue to introduce children to great scientists across time, always with an emphasis on curiosity, resilience, and the wonder of discovery.
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In the awarding-winning Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky, the first book of the captivating Dr. K’s Portal Through Time series, Jennifer, a vivacious 10-year-old, and her intellectually curious 8-year-old brother, Daniel, embark on an exceptional voyage through the annals of time. Guided by the enigmatic and brilliant scientist, Dr. K, they are transported to the heyday of Renaissance Italy, straight into the workshop of the iconic astronomer, Galileo Galilei.
As they traverse the time portal, Jennifer and Daniel experience firsthand Galileo’s groundbreaking observations of the celestial expanse through his innovative telescope. They are enlightened about the significance of questioning established norms and the audacity needed to defy the status quo. The siblings witness Galileo’s unveiling of the cosmos’s wonders and his revolutionary proposition that our Earth is not the center of the universe.
Throughout their journey, Jennifer and Daniel support Galileo in chronicling his pioneering discoveries. They confront challenges that enhance their problem-solving abilities and deepen their grasp of the scientific method. Their adventure cultivates an appreciation for the quest for knowledge and the potency of curiosity.
This enthralling tale seamlessly blends history, science, and adventure. It offers young readers a captivating, educational narrative, introducing them to the mesmerizing world of astronomy and the enduring contributions of one of history’s most illustrious scientists. The story of Jennifer and Daniel will inspire the readers to question, explore, and cherish the pursuit of knowledge, just like Galileo did. The book, while being a thrilling read, also helps foster a love for STEM disciplines in young, inquisitive minds, making it a perfect addition to any child’s reading list.
At the end of Book 1 is a QR code for the Science Primer, a comprehensive, free downloadable guide over 100 pages long, written specifically for parents and teachers. It also includes a complete Teacher’s Guide with detailed lesson plans, a glossary of terms, and an extensive list of resources such as books, videos, websites, and other online Resources for teaching about Galileo and his discoveries. The primer is designed to make science education engaging and accessible. Each of the books written for the series will feature its own tailored Science Primer. Book 1 itself also includes a glossary of terms and resources designed specifically for children ages 8-12, complementing the exciting adventures of Jennifer and Daniel.
The Friend from the Future: The Spark of Friendship
Luna is a curious girl stuck on a rainy day with homework and no help from her sick friend. Out of nowhere, a glowing robot named Nova lands in her backyard-from the future! Using his futuristic technology, he helps Luna with her tasks, while she teaches him about friendship, kindness, and feelings. Together, they help Luna’s friend Mia, discover the meaning of joy and gratitude, and share a sweet bond that crosses time. The story ends with Nova returning to his own time, leaving Luna hopeful for their next adventure.
I loved how simple yet meaningful the story felt. The rhyme flows smoothly, like a lullaby, and the rhythm keeps you turning pages without realizing it. It’s got that cozy mix of sci-fi and warmth that feels rare in children’s books. I liked Luna’s kindness most of all, she never hesitates to help. And Nova’s curiosity about emotions hit me in a soft spot. It’s sweet watching a robot learn that friendship can’t be programmed. The message about kindness and helping others felt real, not forced. It reminded me of how kids can be both logical and tender at the same time.
The writing is gentle and clear, perfect for young readers or parents reading aloud. It made me smile and feel that small spark of wonder that good children’s stories always give. The illustrations are beautifully rendered digital illustrations. The character designs are polished and appealing. The use of light and color is particularly masterful, with the warm, dreamlike palette working together to create magical and atmospheric scenes. It feels like a Disney or Pixar cartoon, which I’m sure children will love.
I’d recommend The Friend from the Future to kids around five to ten years old, or to anyone who loves stories about friendship and a touch of magic. It’s great for bedtime, classrooms, or quiet afternoons. It’s a story about kindness, learning feelings, and how even a robot can understand the power of love and helping others.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0F76TW1DC
My Twelve-Year-Old Wife
My Twelve-Year Old Wife is a dark, time-bending thriller about love, grief, and the unrelenting pull of fate. It follows Dan Fox, a husband desperate to find his missing wife, Celia, only to have a twelve-year-old girl appear at his door claiming to be her. What begins as a mystery about disappearance spirals into something stranger, a story that slips between timelines and emotions, showing how trauma, memory, and devotion can warp across the years. The book plays with horror and science fiction but stays grounded in its aching humanity. Each chapter peels back another layer of the impossible, until the reader is as disoriented and haunted as Dan himself.
The writing is cinematic and unnerving, full of tight, fast sentences and moments that hit like a punch. I could feel Dan’s confusion and fear, his disbelief when he’s confronted with a version of his wife that shouldn’t exist. The story toys with logic but never loses its emotional truth. The prose has this eerie stillness, a rhythm that feels like breathing in the dark, and the pacing moves between slow dread and heart-hammering tension. I caught myself whispering “what?” out loud more than once, which almost never happens when I read. The author’s control over mood and momentum is impressive. Even when scenes leaned into the surreal, the characters kept me anchored.
But what hit me hardest wasn’t the time travel or the mystery, it was the loneliness. Beneath the weirdness, this is a love story about guilt and obsession. Dan’s desperation feels raw and a little ugly, and Celia’s time-fractured existence is both tragic and strange. Their connection stretches and twists, but it never breaks. I could sense how much the author wanted to explore what happens when love is stronger than reality itself. At times, the dialogue can feel blunt, but it works here, it fits people who are terrified and grasping for sense in the middle of madness.
My Twelve-Year Old Wife is for readers who like their stories unsettling, who don’t mind questioning what’s real and what’s imagined. If you liked Dark, Arrival, or The Time Traveler’s Wife but wished they were more psychological and eerie, this book is for you. It’s weird, bold, and relatable.
Pages: 194 | ASIN : B0FD87Y85R
The Magnificent Legend of the Steampunk Warrior
From the first page, The Magnificent Legend of the Steampunk Warrior feels like diving headfirst into a swirl of brass gears, magic dust, and heartbreak. It’s a strange and beautiful mix of time travel, friendship, and redemption. The story follows Thaddeus Might, a self-proclaimed Time Magician, along with Clyde, Arnold, Karl, and others as they tumble through centuries and worlds chasing after fragments of the fabled Golden Lion. The book blends steampunk invention with mystical lore and even a touch of science fiction, all while threading through themes of loss and second chances. It’s a wild, cinematic journey, jumping from Victorian England to alien worlds, filled with wit, wonder, and a surprising amount of emotion.
The writing is lush, full of rhythm and melody, almost poetic at times. Author M. Scott Smallwood clearly delights in language, spinning dialogue that feels both archaic and alive. Sentences twist and turn like clockwork spirals, sometimes dazzling, sometimes dizzying. Still, the characters kept me grounded. Clyde’s weariness and Arnold’s loyalty hit close to home. Thaddeus, with his tragic backstory and impossible hope, stood out the most. He’s eccentric and endearing, the kind of character who makes you smile even when he’s rambling about time’s cruel logic. What I liked most was how human it all felt beneath the fantasy, people clinging to purpose, trying to fix what can’t quite be fixed.
At times, I caught myself grinning. Other times, I found myself working to keep up with the story’s many threads. Yet, I never wanted to stop reading. There’s something earnest in the storytelling, something old-fashioned and heartfelt. You can feel the author’s joy and pain in every page, the same way you can hear a musician’s soul in the flaws of a live song. The mix of humor and heartbreak worked for me, especially when the story leaned into its quieter moments, those small pauses between battles where the characters actually breathe. That’s when the book shone brightest.
The Magnificent Legend of the Steampunk Warrior is an ambitious and oddly touching ride. I’d recommend it to readers who love sprawling adventures, old-school fantasy, and stories that aren’t afraid to get weird and sentimental. It’s messy, it’s moving, and it’s magnificent in its own peculiar way.
Pages: 268 | ASIN : B0FR2PMMPD
The Visitors
A few years from now, Earth faces total annihilation, unless two determined aliens can rewrite its fate. Bjorn and Zorn, shapeshifting observers of our troubled planet, are horrified by what they see. Determined to save humanity from itself, they leap back through time to intervene. Their unlikely allies? A ragtag band of cynical animals: Dax, a chicken-nugget-loving Maine Coon; Penelope, an irreverent Adélie penguin; Florence, a thoughtful cow; and Ptoni, a prehistoric Pteranodon with attitude. Saving the world is serious business, but with this crew, chaos comes laced with comedy.
The Visitors by Andrew Cahill-Lloyd targets a young adult audience, though its wit and inventiveness easily appeal to older readers as well. Fans of Artemis Fowl will recognize the quick pacing and mischievous tone, while admirers of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett will find familiar notes of absurdity and satire.
Cahill-Lloyd excels at weaving eccentric characters and outrageous scenarios into a cohesive, fast-moving narrative. Beneath the laughter, however, pulse weightier themes, homophobia, racism, and the perils of blind faith. These serious undertones are handled deftly, introduced with humor and humanity rather than heaviness.
Each brisk chapter feels like an episode from a gleefully bizarre television series. The jokes land fast, the dialogue crackles, and amid the hilarity, flashes of insight remind us what’s at stake. Bjorn and Zorn’s advanced technology allows for wild journeys through time and space, yet it also highlights a sobering truth: humans, given such power, might not use it for good.
For all its zany energy, The Visitors is more than intergalactic farce. It’s sharp, funny, and oddly poignant, a whirlwind of wit and wonder that never overstays its welcome. Cahill-Lloyd writes with the kind of gleeful abandon that invites readers to laugh, think, and maybe cringe a little at their own species.
Pages: 264 | ASIN : B0FS6Y7YDK
The Admiral’s Gamble
The Admiral’s Gamble unfolds like a cinematic naval epic mixed with the intrigue of a sci-fi thriller. It follows Admiral James Harrington, a decorated officer at the end of his long career, who stumbles upon a mysterious device capable of altering time. The story begins at his retirement party and spirals into a tense, emotional journey through duty, destiny, and moral conflict. What starts as a quiet reflection on legacy turns into a race against fate, as Harrington must decide whether to sacrifice everything he knows to prevent a future catastrophe.
Reading this book felt like stepping into an old-school war movie that suddenly turns futuristic. The writing is vivid and grounded in military realism, yet it slides seamlessly into moments of eerie wonder. Author Nick Malara writes with a strong sense of rhythm; his scenes move with a cinematic flow that keeps the tension alive even in the quiet moments. A few pages linger long on scenery when the story’s emotional punch could have carried itself. But the heart of the book, the internal struggle of a man torn between heroism and self-preservation, shines bright and feels honest.
I found myself really drawn to Harrington as a character. He’s gruff, tired, and haunted by the weight of command. The dialogue feels old-school and clipped, full of restraint, like the man himself. Yet beneath that hardened shell is a depth of conscience that makes him compelling. The time-travel element, though wild, serves more as a mirror for his soul than a trick of plot. It forces him, and the reader, to ask: what’s the cost of doing the right thing when it erases the life you’ve built? There were moments that hit hard, moments that made me pause and think about sacrifice, legacy, and the strange way duty can both define and destroy a person.
I’d recommend The Admiral’s Gamble to readers who like military fiction with a twist of science fiction, or stories about aging heroes facing their past. It’s ideal for people who enjoy introspection mixed with high-stakes action. The story’s emotional weight and moral questions make it worth the ride. If you like tales that mix grit, heart, and a touch of the unknown, this one’s a good bet.
Pages: 178 | ASIN : B0FH77C97Z
A Chance For Redemption
Whispering Shadows follows a man with a terminal illness who keeps this information from his wife, only to die in a tragic accident and awaken in a world between life and death, with a need to find redemption. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Many years ago I was told of a man who had been diagnosed with Terminal Cancer, and that he would be fortunate to see the year out. Unfortunately, not the most uncommon of revelations, except that he not only refused any form of treatment but also decided in his ‘wisdom’ to withhold the diagnosis from his wife, at least until he felt the time was right! One Winter’s night a few months later he died in a high speed car crash, quite alone, with no other persons or vehicles involved. The effect on his partner was naturally immense, but equally, the discovery of his diagnosis, along with the projected time left to live, and something she could not forgive. Was it suicide or an accident? The fact that he could not bring himself to confide in the one person who should have been at the head of the list was something that has stay with me. Perhaps something he would have attempted to rectify should there be an afterlife, a chance for redemption.
Ethan’s journey in the afterlife takes readers on a complex journey of love and loss as he tries to find forgiveness. What do you think were some of the defining moments in Ethan’s development?
Ethan’s discovery that an afterlife exists, his wife believing he committed suicide, and subsequent determination to prove that it really was an unfortunate accident, along with an overpowering need to explain what took place on that snow-laden day and obtain her forgiveness for his deception. The rare permission granted to revisit earth and seek out the person now imbued with Gen’s life force and the people and places it would lead him to.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I think the paths that different people take throughout their lives, and the realisation that so much is destiny or at least outside of our control, the idiom ‘what will be will be’ comes to mind. Also the good that resides in everyone, the need to love and be loved, however deep it might be hidden. It never fails to amaze at how couples first meet, often by the slender of chances, only to spend a lifetime together accepting the other as their predetermined soulmate.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
The story of an RAF pilot in the Second World War who inadvertently saves the life of another, a German pilot, albeit seriously injured, and the bizarre happenings that follow their lives from that moment forward. Inspired by a true story, one that results in a friendship that survives the terrible events of the war and is rekindled by a chance magazine article followed by a phone call that would reunite both the men and their families in their later years. A book that will hopefully be completed early 2026.
What if death wasn’t the end of your story, but the beginning of a greater search – for truth, for forgiveness, and for the soul you lost?
Ethan Turing wakes to a world forever changed. A routine medical appointment delivers a devastating diagnosis: he has only months to live. Reeling from the news, Ethan keeps it from his beloved wife, Gen, intending to shield her from the pain. But fate intervenes when a tragic accident on a snow-covered London street leads to his untimely death.
Presumed a suicide, Ethan’s demise leaves Gen in anguish, unaware of his terminal illness. As she grapples with grief, she discovers she is carrying their child – a son she names after Ethan. Tragically, complications during childbirth claim her life, leaving their newborn orphaned.
Yet, Ethan’s journey doesn’t end with death. His soul is intercepted by enigmatic beings who recognize his potent life force. Offered a chance to transcend his fate, Ethan embarks on a quest to find Gen’s reincarnated soul. Granted the opportunity to return to Earth, he must identify her among six individuals scattered across the globe. Only by looking into their eyes can he discern her true identity and seek the forgiveness he so desperately craves.
Whispering Shadows is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the enduring bonds that transcend time and space. Paul Flintham weaves a tale that challenges the boundaries of life and death, asking: can love truly conquer all?
WHISPERING SHADOWS: A Search for Redemption
Whispering Shadows begins on a snowy London afternoon with Ethan Turing, a man lost in thought and regret. After a freak accident, he wakes in a candlelit world between life and death, guided by two mysterious figures named Bartholomew and Augustus. From there, the story drifts between the physical and spiritual, weaving together Ethan’s memories, his marriage, and his search for redemption. What starts as tragedy becomes an exploration of love, loss, and what might wait beyond.
The opening café scene in the snow is vivid; I could hear the wind and feel the cold sting of the air. When Ethan’s photo slips from his hand and fate takes over, the shift from realism to mystery is seamless. Flintham’s pacing is confident; he lets the tension breathe before pulling the floor out from under you. The candlelit awakening that follows feels eerie and tender at once, almost like a ghost story that doesn’t know it’s one.
The heart of the novel, though, lies in Ethan’s relationship with his wife, Gen. Their easy banter about “saudade,” a word for the love that remains after loss, is beautiful and bittersweet. When Ethan learns his diagnosis, the story slows down and deepens. His silence, his attempt to protect Gen from his illness, feels painfully human. The scene with Dr. Fabrice is brutal in its quiet honesty; you can almost hear the clock ticking in that room.
Flintham blends realism and spirituality with surprising grace. The otherworldly setting never feels far from home, more like an extension of Ethan’s conscience. Bartholomew and Augustus aren’t saints or angels so much as echoes of moral reckoning. The dialogue sometimes flirts with the abstract, but it stays grounded in emotion. By the final chapters, I wasn’t reading for answers; I just wanted Ethan to find peace.
By the end, Whispering Shadows left me heavy-hearted but oddly comforted. The prose lingers on small details, snowflakes, candlelight, fleeting glances, and somehow turns grief into something luminous. It’s not a flawless book, but it’s an honest one. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys emotional, reflective fiction, stories that ask life’s biggest questions without pretending to have the answers.
Pages: 349 | ASIN : B0F8XWP4F9
LITERARY TITAN 