Blog Archives
The Lightning in the Collied Night
David Backman’s Lightning in the Collied Night plunges readers into a near-future world on the brink of collapse. Humanity faces mounting crises brought on by climate change and geopolitical instability, and a group of scientists embarks on a bold mission to harness the power of a newly discovered wormhole, in a desperate bid to secure the survival of the human race.
The novel introduces a diverse ensemble of characters, each wrestling with both the harsh realities of their world and their personal demons. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of advanced physics and space exploration, interwoven with the Hawaiian tradition of ho’oponopono, a spiritual practice offering reconciliation and healing. This unexpected cultural element provides a counterbalance to the cold, scientific ambition driving much of the narrative, creating a unique blend of hope amid the chaos. Backman crafts a vivid and unsettling vision of the future, where the consequences of humanity’s environmental neglect are laid bare in deeply personal ways. His characters are complex and carefully developed, their emotional arcs both moving and relatable as they navigate a world on the edge of ruin. These individuals are the heart of the story, elevating it beyond its dystopian setting into something deeply human. While the novel’s scope is vast and its themes are layered with philosophical depth, it may challenge readers unfamiliar with speculative fiction. Yet, Backman’s talent for intricate character development and his ability to pose profound ethical questions make the story captivating and thought-provoking.
Lightning in the Collied Night transcends its speculative science fiction roots. It offers a powerful meditation on environmental destruction and personal responsibility, with its strongest appeal found in the emotional journeys of its characters. Backman’s ability to weave together complex narrative threads makes this novel an essential read for fans of speculative fiction and those who appreciate thought-provoking storytelling.
Pages: 310 | ASIN : B0DDDYHGJY
The Last Loop
S.G. Adams’ debut novel, The Last Loop, is a captivating and thought-provoking entry into modern science fiction, tackling profound themes of identity, memory, and the absurdity of human existence. Set in a future where Earth has become uninhabitable and humanity is extinct, the novel presents an intriguing twist: humanity, despite its flaws, is essential to the survival of the universe. To fix what has gone wrong, an android named CYNTH is sent back in time to restore the balance. CYNTH’s consciousness is transferred into the body of Evie, a 19-year-old living in 2020. From there, CYNTH must navigate the complex challenge of maintaining her sense of self while inhabiting a human body. Simultaneously, she grapples with the gradual recovery of her lost memories, all while the world teeters on the edge of catastrophe. As CYNTH’s mission unfolds, the line between human and artificial intelligence begins to blur, making the stakes even higher for the future of both species.
Adams has crafted a novel that demands engagement and reflection. It’s a complex story but worth every ounce of effort. The intricate weaving of multiple timelines and perspectives adds depth to the narrative, and Adams masterfully connects these stories in ways that surprise and challenge the reader. The heart of the novel lies in its characters, particularly CYNTH/Evie. Adams delivers a fascinating portrayal of CYNTH’s internal conflict, where her android logic clashes with the messy, emotional reality of human experience. The result is a deeply relatable AI protagonist whose journey raises thought-provoking questions about consciousness, identity, and what it means to be human. The supporting characters are equally well-developed, adding further layers to the philosophical exploration of the novel. As a sci-fi enthusiast, I was particularly impressed by Adams’ world-building. She vividly depicts both the bleak dystopian future and the more familiar past/present, crafting environments that feel immersive and detailed. The concept of time travel and the “Remembering You” program is explained with care, ensuring the technological elements of consciousness transfer feel grounded and believable within the story’s universe. The novel opens with a dense exposition that leans heavily on sci-fi terminology. The complexity of the structure, particularly the interwoven timelines, might overwhelm readers who prefer a more straightforward narrative.
The Last Loop is a rewarding and unique read, especially for fans of cerebral sci-fi. Readers are taken on a journey exploring the question of what it means to be human and treated to a story that lingers long after the final page. Adams has created a memorable and ambitious debut, and I’m eager to see what she writes next.
Pages: 354 | ASIN : B0D96BZDSQ
The Pulse of My Heart (Taken Series #3)
The Pulse of My Heart by E.C. Roderick is a captivating sequel in the Taken series, blending historical fantasy, romance, and time travel. The story follows Sylvie, who has returned to modern-day Los Angeles after being trapped in Colonial Era New England. Although she has reunited with her twin children, Leif and Leila, her heart remains tethered to the past, where she left behind the love of her life, Leif, who is also the father of her children. As she tries to move on, destiny pulls her back when a visitor from the past reignites the possibility of a future with Leif.
Roderick sets the stage for an emotional and engaging narrative as Leif unexpectedly follows Sylvie into the present. The novel explores their efforts to rekindle their romance, despite the time that has passed and the challenges of integrating their lives. Now a mother of two, Sylvie must navigate the complexities of introducing her children to a father they have never known, while Leif faces the disorienting task of adapting to life in the modern world. Much of the story revolves around family dynamics and Leif’s bewilderment as he acclimates to a future far removed from his own time. The chemistry between Sylvie and Leif remains electric, with their intimate moments becoming even more intense than in the previous book, Taken. Roderick shines in crafting the evolving dynamics between these characters, allowing readers to dive deeper into their relationship and their role as parents. The relatively low-stakes plot lets the focus rest on the emotional connections, which brings depth to both the romance and the family storyline. A few minor proofreading errors are noticeable, and at times the dialogue feels overly formal, making certain scenes, especially the more intimate ones, feel stilted or overly technical. Additionally, Roderick’s use of Scottish words and phrases, while adding authenticity to the characters, may leave some readers confused, and a pronunciation or meaning guide could be beneficial.
The Pulse of My Heart is an enjoyable and heartfelt sequel. Roderick’s writing shines in the emotional depth she brings to Sylvie and Leif’s relationship, making this book a treat for fans of romance and historical fantasy. Readers will find themselves fully immersed in this story of love, family, and second chances.
Pages: 480 | ASIN : B0CTPSBZKW
If John Lennon Had Lived
Imagine follows a handyman living in New York City in 1980 who witnesses the murder of John Lennon before being engulfed in an orange ball of light and time-traveling to the year 2023. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from two sources. First, I love Stephen King’s novel 11/22/63 and always wanted to write something similar to it. My second inspiration is my father, who is a huge Beatles/Lennon fan, so this led to my story Imagine being written.
Joe struggles with the changes in society from his time travel and the loss of everything he knew and loved. What things do you find interesting about the human condition that makes for great fiction?
I find the way people can adapt to any situation fascinating. People always think they can’t handle a situation until they have no choice. It shows the power of being human.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore, of course, what the world may look like if John Lennon had lived. I always wanted to explore the bond of family, showing it both through the main character Joe and John Lennon’s family, as well.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it?
I am currently working on another time-traveling story. This time it’s a young adult novel that explores the history of the game of basketball through the main character, Braxton, who has to write a book report on basketball, and pass, or get kicked off the high school basketball team.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Joe Miller was just a regular handyman in New York City, trying to adapt to the city life after moving to The Big Apple from his small town in Pennsylvania.
On the night of December 8, 1980, Joe’s life changed forever. He witnessed the murder of his idol, John Lennon. What happened next was even worse. A strange orange ball of light in the sky surrounded him, rendering him unconscious. When Joe awoke, he was in the year 2023.
Now, Joe is stuck in a strange and unfamiliar world where everything he knows and loves is gone. He must find a way to return to his own time, but how?
The Quantum Effect -Snakes in the House
Nicklois Leonard’s The Quantum Effect-Snakes in the House delves into a speculative narrative surrounding the origins of the COVID-19 virus. In this thought-provoking novel, Leonard weaves a complex tale of time travel, secretive alliances between global organizations like the FDA, the WHO, and major pharmaceutical companies, and the supposed role of the Chinese Ministry of Health. This gripping narrative, rooted in science fiction, brings to light the intricate webs of power and influence that govern our world.
Central to the story is the depiction of the scientists at a Wuhan lab, who find themselves entangled in moral dilemmas, torn between their professional duties and personal ethics. Leonard skillfully portrays the plight of these individuals, notably Dr. Phen, as they navigate a landscape riddled with government pressure and the threat to their loved ones. Leonard’s prowess in blending speculative theories about the pandemic with elements of science fiction creates a cohesive and captivating narrative. He strikes a delicate balance, ensuring the scientific details complement rather than overshadow the human experiences at the heart of the story. This approach allows readers to engage with both the technical intricacies and the emotional depth of the characters’ journeys. While the dialogue in the novel occasionally veers towards a more structured style, it’s an interesting choice that sets it apart. The conversations, though at times methodical, are reflective of the author’s unique voice, presenting a distinctive approach to character interaction that some readers may find refreshing.
The Quantum Effect is a riveting exploration of speculative events linked to the pandemic, wrapped in a science fiction veneer. It will particularly resonate with fans of thrillers and conspiracy fiction, leaving an open path for a potential sequel.
Pages: 252 | ASIN : B0DDF6DRQS
Imagine
Imagine by Titan Frey sends you on a vivid tour of the past, future, and present, all churned up with science fiction, ’80s nostalgia, and the grieving psyche. The story stars Joe Miller, a New York City handyman, whose otherwise uneventful life takes a turn on the night of December 8th, 1980, when he watches his hero, John Lennon, being gunned down. Soon after, an orange light beams down and propels Joe forward through time, precisely 44 years, to 2024. Stranded in a future where nothing is familiar and nothing is as it should be, Joe must figure out how to get home to 1980.
It’s a compelling question. How would he get back to 1980, and what other secrets did this future hold? But, his journey becomes transfixing, harrowing, and disorienting. Joe reels under the shock of the distinctions between now and then, under the loss of so much he once held dear. Frey eloquently communicates Joe’s confusion and emotional pain, and Joe’s quest to return home becomes engrossing. Frey also demonstrates accessibility and immediacy in their style. Joe’s everyman narration and the story’s construction are something apart from the usual practices of science fiction storytelling. They drop us into a 2010 that Joe – and many NYC residents who are older than he is – simply cannot imagine, and the impact of that shock, that 1970 New Yorker’s experience of a 2010 that we see as normal, keeps the science fiction element under control. By the time Joe goes back to change history, the real tragedy is that even if he did achieve his goal, he would no longer have a home for all the people who loved him, including a man named John Lennon – a murder that is referred to at the end of the story. No special effects would have worked as well because Imagine is less an equal paradox of time travel than a tale of how time inevitably ‘fixes’ everything by grinding it into dust. The story’s strength and appeal lie in how it depicts the struggle for adaptation between the past and the future. This is a story about time travel as it is a story of identity and its reflection on memory and loss.
Imagine paves a unique path between science fiction and history and between science fiction and personal drama. It is an unforgettable tale about what it’s like to lose everything one has known and to what extent one man will go to recover it. Imagine reads at times like the Back to the Future trilogy of the 1980s and ’90s but with a much greater ability to philosophically integrate different dimensions of time and personality. Imagine is the kind of time-travel story that fans of the genre will absolutely love and, at the same time, is recommended to anyone interested in exploring the complex physiology between time and identity.
Pages: 315 | ASIN : B0CW2QQJYX
Courage
The Timepiece Legacy is a genre-crossing novel with elements of fantasy, Science Fiction, and romance as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
When writing this novel I planned to have the three elements of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Romance as elements to the story. I felt it would make an exciting story and welcomed the challenge of marrying all three into the themes, which ended up a fun adventure as a writer. Many of the directions the story went developed organically. I’m more a panzer than an outliner and sometimes I don’t know where the story is going until I can visualize it on my internal movie screen, so to speak.
Bodhi realizes all his Gram’s wild stories are actually real once he is thrust into the world of time travel and has to rethink reality and his future. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The ideals that drove Bodhi’s development were his unconditional love for his daughter, Cassie. He’d do anything for her, even sacrifice his own life as any good father would. Bodhi was also devoted to Gram, the only mother he knew, and her welfare and he strived to be a good son. Bodhi believed in being a good and loyal friend. He’s loyal to a fault as we see in his relationship with his ex-wife and his devotion to the new love he discovers in the past. He isn’t perfect but he strives to right a wrong and reconcile his differences with the people in his life and he is fiercely protective of them. Everything is a competition to him, stemming from his background as a former athlete and this causes him to be a bit too reactive at times, straining his personal relationships.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The themes most important to me were family and the complexities of those relationships. Love, and the many forms love takes that lead to sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption. Courage, to make difficult decisions and to face one’s deepest fears, and the courage to let go and start over.
Can you tell us what the second book will be about and when it will be available for fans to purchase?
The second book titled, “The Timepiece Paradox” is currently available on Amazon in eBook, paperback, and audiobook, and on Barnes and Noble in eBook.
SYNOPSIS: Cassie McMullin arrives at Gram’s beach house in northern California nine years after her accidental travels through time with her father, Bodhi McMullin. Still traumatized by the experience and going through a painful divorce, she seeks the solace and peace of Gram’s beach house. A place she loved as a child. A visit to her dad and his wife, Elena, is just the break she needs.
When Cassie searches through Gram’s diary and old love letters, she discovers a disturbing letter from the distant past. When she attempts to use the timepiece to find the answers, it suddenly propels her to terrifying and unknown destinations.
Lost in time, with no way home, she is at the mercy of the ancient relic. But is the timepiece the cursed object Gram describes in her diary, or does it possess divine powers to guide the possessor to discover profound mysteries and hidden truths of the universe and themselves?
Cassie will find the answers soon enough. But the answers may be darker and more dangerous that she could have ever imagined. If Cassie fails to overcome the obstacles that destiny has set before her or solve the paradox of her journey, she will be lost in time forever.
Will Cassie discover the answers she so desperately seeks? Will she find the love her heart has yearned for all of her life? Her fate lies in her own hands and her ability to unravel the enigma of the timepiece and the mysteries of the universe.
The third book in the series title, “The Tempus Glass” will be available in the fall and will tell the story of Elena Lozano, Bodhi’s new love at the end of book one. It will explore her backstory as a spy for the Union army during the Civil War and how she winds up in the early 1920s in Nogales, Arizona, where Bodhi eventually finds her and falls in love with her. Stay tuned.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Gram gifts Bodhi a mysterious and enigmatic timepiece after she drops a bombshell that his grandfather isn’t his biological grandfather. She claims that Bodhi is the grandson of a captain in the Revolutionary War and the timepiece is a mystical device that allows her to traverse through time. As a physician, he questions her mental faculties. But unforeseen events push Bodhi to the brink of his sanity and the possibility that Gram wasn’t crazy after all.
Bodhi finds himself thrust into a whirlwind of uncertainty, where he encounters a rare love that transcends the bounds of time. Yet, in this unfamiliar realm, he’s forced to make heart-wrenching choices that could shatter the lives of those he holds dear. However, a new, unthinkable crisis looms on the horizon: He and Cassie are swallowed and separated in time by the terrifying jaws of a spiraling wormhole. With the clock ticking, Bodhi must embark on a desperate journey to rescue his only child, risking everything in a race against the unforgiving hands of destiny.
The Timepiece Legacy is the first book of a trilogy that sets the stage for a wild and thrilling adventure charged with emotion, romance, and edge-of-your-seat action that will keep the pages turning. It’s the kind of novel fans of Kevin D. Miller have come to expect and thoroughly enjoy.
Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper
Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper by Gary Natoli offers a refreshing blend of humor and adventure, centered around an ordinary yet captivating teen girl named Lizard. Her life takes a dramatic turn when, without warning, her parents pull her out of school, thrusting her into a whirlwind of events that challenge the very fabric of time itself. As Lizard navigates this new reality, she discovers that her parents’ mysterious creation has far-reaching consequences, beyond what anyone could imagine. This sets her on a thrilling race against time to save the universe from a catastrophic collapse.
This novel is an engaging read for all ages, but it particularly resonates with young adult and late middle-grade readers. Natoli’s imaginative storytelling is evident in the plot, which is rich with creative twists and suspenseful build-ups. The story draws readers in from the start, as Lizard’s daily life and unique personality are depicted with a simplicity that gradually unfolds into a complex, time-bending adventure. Natoli’s skill in foreshadowing and use of similes, especially in the early chapters, adds depth to the narrative, keeping readers, especially younger ones, eagerly turning the pages to uncover what happens next. The plot is undeniably captivating, and there’s a strong foundation in the writing that holds great potential. The story is clear and easy to follow, with Lizard’s emotions expressed in a straightforward manner. There’s an opportunity to enhance the narrative even further by adding more descriptive language, which could bring even greater vividness to moments like Lizard’s anxiety. With a bit more “showing” rather than “telling,” the emotional depth of the story could resonate even more powerfully with readers.
Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper is an enjoyable read, brimming with the magic of middle-grade fantasy and science fiction. Gary Natoli’s creative narrative will undoubtedly captivate younger readers, offering them an exciting journey through time that they won’t soon forget.
Pages: 408 | ASIN : B0D2Y4G416
LITERARY TITAN 