Blog Archives
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
Time and Space
Time and Space is a science fiction story wrapped in a very human struggle. It follows Time, a woman on the cusp of turning forty, who is suddenly pulled out of her ordinary Toronto life and thrown into a future where time travel is not just possible but exploited. She encounters arrogant young men from a society built on patriarchal dominance, where women’s roles are reduced and history has been rewritten in chilling ways. The narrative shifts between the claustrophobic experience of being kidnapped, the surreal awe of futuristic landscapes, and the stark reality of oppression disguised as order. It’s a mix of adventure, social critique, and personal awakening, all told through the voice of someone caught completely off guard by forces far bigger than herself.
I enjoyed how raw this book felt. The writing is vivid and sometimes almost abrasive in the way it pulls you into the protagonist’s fear and confusion. I often felt a knot in my stomach while reading, especially in the early chapters where she’s mocked, manipulated, and treated as less than human. The banter of the boys who kidnap her is infuriatingly smug, and Jeejeebhoy captures that dynamic with unsettling accuracy. At the same time, the details of the future world are fascinating, almost cinematic. I could see the gleaming white roads, the seamless suits, the eerie efficiency of a society that values power over compassion. That contrast between wonder and dread kept me turning the pages.
On a personal level, the ideas behind the story really resonated with me. The future Jeejeebhoy imagines is not some far-fetched dystopia, it’s a mirror held up to our present choices and blind spots. The way women’s rights are slowly eroded in the book feels uncomfortably plausible, like a warning wrapped in fiction. I found myself angry at times, and then strangely hopeful, because even in her fear, the protagonist resists in small ways. There’s something incredibly relatable about her longing for home, her disbelief at the world around her, and her stubborn spark of individuality. The writing isn’t polished in a traditional sense, but it has grit, heart, and honesty, and I think that’s what makes it stick.
Time and Space is both a thrilling time travel tale and a sharp commentary on power, gender, and history. I’d recommend it to readers who like their science fiction with a social edge, and to anyone who enjoys stories that make them think uncomfortably about the world we live in. If you enjoyed the unsettling social critique of The Handmaid’s Tale or the time-bending thrills of The Time Traveler’s Wife, then Time and Space will be right up your alley.
Pages: 331 | ASIN : B0FPDQ8FGL
Unique Voices
Winston the Titan Terrier: Adventures in Ancient Egypt follows a superhero dog who unexpectedly travels back in time to ancient Egypt, where he discovers dinosaurs are present and must figure out how they got there and fix history. What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
Mia and I approached the sequel with a clear goal: to deepen the engagement that readers loved in the first book. We focused on three main areas to achieve this.
The Power of Engagement: Puzzles and Fun
First and foremost, we expanded the interactive elements. Both Mia and I share a passion for brain teasers, so we wove numerous puzzles and riddles into the narrative of Book 2. This wasn’t just filler; it was a deliberate strategy to maintain a high level of reader engagement and, as our young audience told us with the first instalment, to genuinely ‘get their minds working.’ We see this as a way to make the reading experience active, not passive.
Weaving in Surprising, Up-to-Date Knowledge
Secondly, we made a point of ‘sprinkling in’ fascinating, recently discovered facts and snippets of knowledge. We didn’t want to rely on old, common knowledge. A great example of this is a scene where we highlight how a domestic cat, like our character Smokestrike, is actually capable of running faster than a fully grown Tyrannosaurus rex at its estimated speed. This is based on new research from fossilised footprints, which suggests that large theropods could only walk or trot due to the mechanical limits of their weight and bone structure.
Another discovery we used was acknowledging that Queen Cleopatra was not Egyptian but Greek, a descendant of Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. These details add unexpected depth and authenticity, correcting common misconceptions for our young readers.
Authentic Detail and Historical Context
Finally, we committed to integrating authentic historical details through our research. For example, we feature ‘biltong,’ the famous South African dried-meat snack, as Winston’s all-time favourite snack. Our research revealed that dried meat was historically very common in ancient Egypt for preservation, as there definitely weren’t any fridges back in those times. So connecting a modern detail to an ancient practice and adding a vivid, believable layer to the narrative, where we learnt something new about ancient Egypt.
Perhaps the most fascinating discovery we wove into the story was the Ahramat Branch, a now-extinct arm of the Nile River that once flowed right past the Giza and other pyramid complexes. This newly identified river branch may explain how the ancient Egyptians transported their massive stones to the pyramids. We featured this detail prominently in our cover artwork and several illustrations.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
Most enjoyable character to write for…
Mia won a reversible yellow octopus at the arcade shortly after our first book was released. It was a yellow reversible super grumpy Octopus, that she instantly nicknamed as “Sadface.” I began speaking to Mia in character as the persona of a friend who used to complain about numerous events and situations on a constant basis, which sparked endless laughter from her.
We both kind of knew this work in the Winston universe and our readers as a formidable yet hilarious antagonist who could inject both chaos and entertainment into future storylines.
Most challenging character to write for…
We found great satisfaction in developing the full range of our characters, and it was rewarding to bring their individual personas and unique voices into the narrative of this book.
Where can your fans expect to find Winston, Diesel, and Teddy next?
Future Storylines and Book 3
One of the most enjoyable parts of the creative process for Mia and myself was the discussions and debates about future storylines. We’re currently mapping out Book 3, and it’s set to be our most ambitious adventure yet.
The Stakes in Ancient Egypt
The first half of Book 3 will address the cliffhanger from the sequel. Our heroes, Teddy and Diesel, are now equipped with their newly discovered superpowers, and they have some unfinished business: they must first save Ancient Egypt from the remaining dinosaurs and successfully retrieve Winston from that ancient timeline. This means facing huge, new dangers, such as the gigantic Mosasaurus lurking in the Nile and any remaining pteranodons still patrolling the skies with powers they haven’t really mastered yet, which could have some hilarious outcomes.
Expanding the Scope: A New Realm of Danger
From there, the scope of the story expands dramatically. Once they return to the future, their main goal will be to track down and battle their persistent foe, Sadface, and other infamous creatures known for destroying large ships. This chase takes them through a new, unpredictable realm filled with hidden dangers and legendary underwater locations that challenge the heroes’ new abilities.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | YouTube | The Chaos King | Amazon
From multiple award-winning storytellers Mia van Dongen and Colin van Dongen comes the next thrilling instalment in the “Winston The Titan Terrier” series!
Get ready for Winston’s new epic journey where futuristic chaos collides with ancient history! In Adventures In Ancient Egypt, our beloved superhero dog, Winston, and his best mate Teddy with his super-hyperactive dad Diesel, find themselves catapulted into more unbelievable new challenges against Smokestrike the naughty ninja cat and new intergalactic villains.
Following their discovery of a secret, magical tunnel system beneath the Bone Shop, Winston and his crew thought they’d seen it all. But when the mischievous alien Disco Duck unleashes a new time-twisting plot, Winston is hurled back to the scorching sands of 51 BC Ancient Egypt, under the reign of Queen Cleopatra herself!
Armed with his incredible Cosmic Bone, a shape shifting, language decoding, enemy outsmarting marvel, and a backpack full of transforming nanotech gadgets. Winston must navigate a world of ancient wonder and dinosaurs?! That’s right! A super grumpy, chaos-loving alien octopus known as Sad Face, is intent on destroying Earth by transporting prehistoric creatures into future timelines, with the help of a modified time twister device!
Can Winston, with the help of ancient allies and a surprise assist from a certain naughty ninja cat, stop Sad Face before he unleashes intergalactic mayhem and turns history into his own personal movie set?
Prepare for a laugh-out-loud, action-packed adventure filled with:
⏳🚀 Time-traveling escapades
🦖👽 Epic action packed chases with prehistoric beasts and alien villains
🧠🧩 Clever riddles and mind-bending challenges
❤️😂 Heart warming friendships and hilarious antics
🐶🐱 And a whole lot of canine and feline courage!
Perfect for young readers aged 6 to 10 years and families who love dogs, cats, dinosaurs, ancient history, and a good dose of intergalactic fun. Join Winston on his wildest adventure yet! From the imagination of a 7 year old.
Grab your copy of Adventures In Ancient Egypt today!
UK Book Band : Brown Level (7+ Year olds)
Year Group 3+
Oxford Reading Level 12
Big Cat Band : Copper
Suitable for shared reading for kids (Ages 5+) that love dinosaurs and adventure with parents and carers
Falling into Shadow
Falling into Shadow follows multiple characters: Kyra, Sophie, Dante, and Renette. Each is grappling with survival, power, and the shifting balance of their world. Kyra’s desperate flight from Shadow Demons sets a brutal tone. Sophie, an Ionian Knight, carries the burden of protecting others while wrestling with betrayal and political intrigue. Dante is caught between family expectations and his own fractured past. Renette navigates the clash between ambition and the pull of her roots. The threads weave together into a sweeping tale of survival, politics, and looming war in a fragile world that feels as real as it is dangerous.
What I loved most was the immediacy of the writing. It feels cinematic, almost like watching a series unfold on screen. The pacing is relentless in places, then slows down just enough to let you breathe, and that kept me hooked. The action scenes hit hard. They’re vivid, raw, and sometimes gruesome in a way that made me flinch. Yet, they’re balanced with quieter moments that reveal doubts, guilt, and flashes of humanity. I found myself rooting for characters even when they made questionable choices. Kyra’s guilt and Sophie’s frustration, Dante’s longing for approval, Renette’s heartbreak; they all felt painfully real.
Still, there were times when the dialogue carried a little too much explanation, almost like it was doing double duty as worldbuilding. It didn’t ruin anything for me, but I noticed it. And some of the big concepts, like the Eidan’s glimpses of the future or the cloaked armies, had such massive implications that I wanted more space to sit with them. The book barrels forward, and part of me wished for more lingering in those big, head-spinning ideas. But then again, that urgency is part of what made it addictive.
Falling into Shadow is a ride worth taking. It’s brutal, imaginative, and packed with heart. I’d recommend it to readers who love fast-paced sci-fi with strong characters and aren’t afraid of a little blood and grit. Reading Falling into Shadow felt like a mix of the gritty survival of The Expanse and the mythic, character-driven drama of Dune, only with a rawer edge and a faster pulse. If you like stories that mix political intrigue with personal stakes, this one will pull you in and not let go.
Pages: 518 | ASIN : B0FB3RZ1DM
Book 1 – Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky (Dr. K’s Portal Through Time)
Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky tells the story of two siblings, Jennifer and Daniel, who, with the help of the mysterious Dr. K, travel back in time to meet Galileo Galilei. Through their journey, they witness Galileo’s discoveries firsthand, from the moons of Jupiter to the phases of Venus. They even help him build a telescope. Along the way, the children learn not just about the science of the universe but also about curiosity, resilience, and the courage it takes to question the world around you. It is part history, part science, and part adventure, written with young readers in mind, and it manages to make centuries-old discoveries feel fresh and exciting.
I found myself charmed by the storytelling in this children’s book. The voice is warm and approachable, and the author makes sure the science never feels heavy. Instead, it comes alive through dialogue and adventure. The way the kids interact with Galileo is delightful, and their wonder mirrors what I imagine any curious child would feel meeting a great mind of the past. I also liked how the book wove in real facts without turning it into a dry lesson.
There were moments where the writing leaned into explanation, and I felt the momentum slow. Still, those small bumps didn’t take away from the bigger experience. The heart of the book is curiosity, and that comes through loud and clear. I also appreciated how the narrative balanced Jennifer’s voice with Daniel’s. It gave the story a sense of shared discovery, which felt true to childhood adventures.
I’d recommend this chapter book to kids who are fascinated by space, science, or history, and also to parents or teachers looking for an engaging way to spark that interest. It’s perfect for middle-grade readers who enjoy a mix of imagination and learning. The story encourages children to ask questions and to see science as an adventure. For me, that’s its greatest success.
Pages: 104 | ASIN : B0F4NQTCNP
Timeless
Anne Hart’s Timeless is a sweeping time-travel spy novel that blends espionage, politics, and personal struggle with a sharp eye for historical detail. At its heart is Anne, a seasoned field agent who slips between eras to manipulate history in ways that serve shadowy powers. The story unfolds across Geneva, Eastern Europe, and shifting political landscapes on the brink of war. Hart threads in rich settings, complex moral dilemmas, and characters caught between loyalty, survival, and personal desire. It is both a taut spy thriller and a meditation on the costs of living outside the normal flow of time.
Hart’s prose is crisp, direct, and atmospheric. I admired the way she captures small gestures and passing moments, the flick of a lighter, the hush of a closing vault door, a careless smile at the wrong time. These details made the story vivid. At times, the dialogue felt a little formal, as if it was doing double duty to explain the world as well as move the story forward. Still, the pacing carried me along. I wanted to know not just what would happen to Anne and Markus, but how Hart would weave together the politics of nations with the intimacy of two people’s lives.
What struck me most was the emotional undercurrent. Anne is a fascinating lead: hard-edged, sharp-tongued, cynical, yet deeply human in her weariness and longing for peace. Her smoking habit, her resistance to being told what to do, her flashes of humor, all of it made her feel alive. There were moments when I felt a kind of ache for her, as if she carried the weight of too many lives, too many timelines, too many compromises. The novel’s treatment of history, like how fragile and malleable it can be, left me unsettled, in the best way. It made me think about power, morality, and the human cost of decisions made in shadows.
Timeless is a book I would recommend to readers who enjoy spy fiction, political thrillers, or alternate history with a touch of melancholy. It will speak most to those who like their stories gritty yet reflective, where action and atmosphere go hand in hand.
Pages: 257 | ASIN : B0FQ1KJB66
Book 1 – Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky (Dr. K’s Portal Through Time)
Dr. Katherine E.A. Korkidis’s Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky is the first book in her Dr. K’s Portal Through Time series, and it’s part history lesson, part science primer, and part adventure story. It follows Jennifer and Daniel, a pair of curious siblings, who stumble upon Dr. K and her magical time portal. Together, they travel back to Renaissance Italy, step into Galileo Galilei’s workshop, and experience firsthand the wonder of his telescope and the audacity of his discoveries. Along the way, the kids not only learn about Jupiter’s moons, the phases of Venus, and the birth of modern astronomy, but they also discover the importance of curiosity, observation, and persistence.
The first thing that caught my attention about this book was how effortlessly it weaves fact with fiction. For instance, the scene where Jennifer helps Galileo build his telescope is not just a charming piece of dialogue; it’s a clever way to introduce kids to optics and focal lengths without feeling like a lecture. I found myself smiling at Jennifer’s excitement when the blurry image sharpened into Jupiter and its moons. That moment carried the same sense of awe I remember from my own first look through a telescope. The science was accurate but approachable, and that balance is hard to pull off in a children’s story.
I also appreciated how personal the narrative felt at times. Jennifer’s relationship with her grandfather in the opening chapter set the tone beautifully. Their bond over stargazing gave the adventure real heart. Later, when Jennifer and Daniel stood side by side at the end, promising to always explore the stars together, it felt earned. The book wasn’t just about Galileo’s discoveries; it was about how science can be shared, passed down, and made meaningful within families. That emotional thread made the whole story more engaging.
Another highlight was the way Dr. Korkidis portrayed Galileo himself. She didn’t make him an intimidating genius, but rather a patient teacher who invited the kids into his world. His explanation of the moons of Jupiter and how he realized they orbited the planet was fascinating, and his gentle encouragement to keep asking questions stuck with me. The inclusion of real historical details, like the Medicean stars and Galileo’s struggles with skepticism, grounded the story while still keeping it light enough for younger readers.
This book left me feeling inspired and a little nostalgic. It reminded me of the first time I realized science could be an adventure. I’d recommend Galileo’s Points of Light in the Night Sky to curious kids around 7–12, but also to parents, grandparents, and teachers who want to spark a love of STEM in children. It’s not just a story about Galileo, it’s a story about why wonder matters, why questions matter, and why we should never stop looking up.
Pages: 104 | ASIN : B0F4NQTCNP
LITERARY TITAN 