Blog Archives
The Buzz Boys
![The Buzz Boys by [Edward Izzi]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51IfU7nQNSL.jpg)
The Buzz Boys is the tragic and haunting tale of the lives and losses of the self-proclaimed Buzz Boys. Told predominantly from the perspective of Robby Mazzara, the reader witnesses the horrifying events that occur and the dire choices the characters make. The story gets progressively more haunting and tragic as the boys grow up and are unable to reconcile their past abuse and disappointment. The reader’s heart will surely ache for the boys and their loved ones who all struggle as a result of both the boys’ past and their inability to come to terms with it.
The Buzz Boys is written with such care and dedication that readers will feel as though they are watching a movie with incredible detail and precision. The writing is detailed and tasteful despite the horrific and brutal events and subjects discussed. Small details and peeks into the thoughts of the characters will help readers understand the seeming explosion of events that culminates in a series of deaths and suicides. The author also captures the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood very well. The children and their idiosyncrasies and immature beliefs are well-done and draw the reader into their little world which erodes as they grow up. The voice and tone of the story suits the material well and there are many quick twists and turns that take the reader by surprise. In the voice and tone of the novel, the author also manages to make each Buzz Boy distinct and lovable which makes their downfall all the more distressing.
The Buzz Boys had me hooked from the first page and I felt all of the characters’ pain and despaired with them. It is a tale that reflects a lot of the more upsetting aspects of life and brings awareness to childhood trauma and the far-reaching effects on victims and their families. This book will take readers on an emotional journey both beautiful and full of joy and sorrow. I highly recommend it.
Pages: 339 | ASIN: B091383PC2
A Firecracker of a Character
Someone’s Story follows a teen struggling with depression along with a host of other high school challenges and finds a group of weirdos that save him from the dark depths of his mind. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I went through a rough patch in life and this started as a journal. After about a half-year of reflecting and journaling, I decided to turn it into fiction. I combined many people from my past to get the robust characters we have at the end. I also play with the timeline as all this did not happen inside a year but rather over 5 or 6 years. As an adult, you get older and you fall out of contact with those people from your past. In a way, this was me letting them know I was always paying attention.
Someone is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Originally it was me. The anxiety and the cleverness, combined with the running. I am a deep-thinking introvert and that side of me comes out in Someone for sure. Where the character took flight was when I combined two people from my past with myself. By bringing in their flaws and trauma I was able to create a firecracker of a character. The decision to leave the character named Someone was because I didn’t feel it was fair to make this from my perspective or to call the main character myself. By just leaving them as Someone, I better honor all the people that rolled into this character.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Mental health, friendship, love, loss, pop culture, drug use culture.
I wanted this to read pretty normal for the first 60% so I tried to pull from my past and give genuine heartfelt chapters from my past. I think I also do a good job showing broken homes and “busy” parents. Of course, the ending hits hard and mental health becomes the central theme. Jogging and writing are tools to help with mental health. I am not an expert on mental health in any way but I can say that jogging and writing help balance me. I know when I struggle the most it is because I have let those two things fall off my schedule.
This is a fantastic debut novel. What were some surprising challenges you faced while writing?
I do not have any technical English training. I used a pair of editors to help me with tense and spelling. The editors are critical to my process and both came back to help on my second novel. The plot and characters come naturally to me and I can write 50K words in a few months, then I spend 6+ months going back and forth with the editors. I went down a 2-year rabbit hole learning how to self-publish and then self-market. I had no idea how hard it would be to market a novel. You have to get on social media every single day for years to get steam. My second novel release is going to be so much bigger with all the skills and connections I made along the way though.
Author Links: YouTube | GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Instagram
Littered with music, mental health, friendship, loss, meditation, advice, pop culture, and even inspiring an EP, there is so much nostalgia, inspiration, and depth here it is hard to absorb it all. Cozy up somewhere warm and enjoy!
The Creation of an Anti-hero
One Way In, No Way Out follows an underworld figure who gets mixed up with the DA’s daughter and unwittingly lands in the middle of a dangerous situation. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
There was no true inspiration to this story, other than the story itself. I did my best to think outside of a pre-set step-by-step process; instead, I let it happen organically. To give it a more simplified answer: take four wheels, two axles, stick them on a crate, jump in at the top of a large hill, and see what happens next!
Mann Walker is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The creation of an anti-hero: Mann Walker is NOT the usual suspect. He is not the ‘good guy’ as easily identified in most novels. Mann Walker knows who he is and the dangers of his profession. All he wants is to make money and to stay alive while doing it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
That the line that separates ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ isn’t as solid, as thick, or as clearly black or white as people think. In this novel, sometimes your best friend can be your worst enemy, and this is applicable to Mann’s businesses, his people interactions, and how the characters and individuals treat themselves.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
As an author, I’m having fun with the fictional life that the story has created! Book Two of the Mann Walker trilogy is “Mann In The Middle,” which is currently available on the http://www.MannWalker.com website, as well as at http://www.Three-LeggedElephant.com, and on Kindle in e-book format.
I am currently wrapping up Book Three of the Mann Walker trilogy, “Good Night, Bad Day”, and it is slated for an early Summer 2021 release.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Whole Lot of Hullabaloo: A Twenty-First Century Campus Phantasmagoria
![Whole Lot of Hullabaloo: A Twenty-First Century Campus Phantasmagoria by [Christopher Fried]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qvu2FD5JL.jpg)
President Sam Castle dreams of making his third year in charge at Central Ohio University the best yet. But right off the bat, he’s hit by a flurry of events that threaten to sink his boat before it sails on its third voyage. His trials begin with his risky decision to take on a new faculty member laden with controversies. As he tries to defend his decision before the College Board of trustees, he feels relations fraying with his wife, who is away in Tokyo. He’s soon faced with another dicey situation that looks to mar his tenure. Ian, a free-spirited sophomore, dons a Halloween costume that lands him in hot water with the school’s black community and its outside allies. It seems Castle has to make an example out of the boy or risk ruining the school’s reputation. This is not the third year he envisaged. It’s left to be seen if Castle will come out of this in one piece and with the college still standing.
Christopher Fried’s Whole Lot of Hullabaloo is true to its name. It’s a journey into campus life marked by the raucous you’d expect in a relationship between pompous academics, politicking admins, exuberant youth, and the sometimes meddlesome outside world.
The emotional rollercoaster Fried takes readers on keeps things interesting. One moment you’re feeling sorry for someone, the next, you’re shaking your fists at another character’s action in righteous indignation. There’s also a nice dose of silliness that will make you chuckle from time to time.
I liked how Fried wraps his thoughts in an amusing tale. His serious themes shine through alright. But instead of weighing you down, they give you critical things to mull over.
The book touches on issues like some people using societal checks and balances to exert injustice and weaponizing public uproar for their selfish interests. Maybe this would be a lot harder if the public wasn’t so inclined to lynch reported culprits of social injustices without first doing its due diligence. But that’s just me thinking out loud.
Fried also addresses our tendency to lean into extremes. On the one hand, we can be so lax about social issues like racism that they go unchecked. On the other hand, we can blow them out of proportion and try to trace every societal ill to them somehow. Fried’s issue is with the latter.
Whole Lot of Hullabaloo is a quick and easy read that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
Pages: 198 | ASIN: B08LBT4FB3
Someone’s Story
![Someone's Story by [B.A. Bellec, Sheila Harris]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514IpJpl0BL.jpg)
Someone’s Story by award winning author B.A. Bellec follows a seventeen-year-old teenager who wants to be referred to as “Someone”. When young, naive, and inherently “weird” Someone moves to a new town and is suddenly faced with the grueling challenges of adapting in high school; academics, crushes, bullying, and making friends in an environment not suited for many personality types, especially introverts. As Someone navigates through the complexities of high school life, he struggles with the feeling of not belonging, friends who don’t really want the best for him, friends who do, and the most daunting of all; mental illness. And so as he goes through all these seemingly normal activities, Someone is dealing with an internal struggle which leads to a couple of surprising plot twists and a mind-blowing finale.
This book is written in a poetic narrative using short and simple sentences which is similar to the way actual modern day teenagers speak. The writing style is unorthodox, but it makes for a wonderful literary treat. The pacing is somewhat slow at the beginning, and it feels like the plot is just random occurrences happening to the main character. However as the story progresses, these connect with each other to form the plot as a whole. Also, what at first seems like a mundane high school story – typical mean popular kids, the outcasts, and inspirational teachers- evolves into a series of surprising plot twists that keep the story fresh and interesting.
A very important aspect of this book is the way the main character (Someone) is written. It is revealed that he struggles with mental illness. But what really matters is the way it is portrayed. Someone is shown to go to parties, make friends, and do okay academically, which is pretty accurate. People hear depression and expect the character to be bed-ridden and unable to complete basic daily life tasks but that is not usually the case, and it’s beautiful how this book shows that mental illness can come in many shapes and sizes and could be happening to anyone.
Someone’s Story is a uniquely thoughtful young adult novel that accurately portrays what mental illness can feel like both for the person who struggles with it and the people around them. This is an impassioned and emotionally resonant story that will stay with you for a long time.
Pages: 330 | ASIN: B086Q2Y41W
Family Gathering: Book One in The Mark Magazinez Series – Book Trailer
Every family has drama. Mark never imagined the depth of his. As a child he watched, listened and learned. Mark knew there was more going on than he was being told. Now an adult, Mark is being pulled into a world he doesn’t understand. A world filled with hidden agendas and secrets that could ruin his life. His dreams become troubled but it is the haunting message of his great aunt that return to guide him. Family Gathering is a story of family and the lengths we go to keep the secrets of the ones we love.
Destiny Love Jones Volume 1. “Sisters and the Plight with Boys,”
![DESTINY LOVE JONES VOL 1. "sisters and the plight with boys" by [N. R. White]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/414hitBbq8L.jpg)
Destiny Love Jones Volume 1. “Sisters and the Plight with Boys,” by N. R. White takes place in the classic ’40s setting and follows three friends Pearl, Augustine, and Holly who carry a whole load of tricks up their sleeves. The three friends have to be cunning in their dealings to help them handle the harsh reality of segregation and black oppression among other political factors during the time. They stick together and their belief in the power of sisterhood helps them fight through some tough obstacles together. But when the girls turn into women they face a whole new set of obstacles in the form of dating and men. Their unique sisterhood bond is once again portrayed in another set of friends Destiny, Olivia, and Tiffany almost half a decade later who face the same challenges as was the case with Pearl and her friends. The stories of each set show the struggle that a young black woman would face in both 1940’s and in contemporary society.
Author N.R. White uses comparison effectively to explain the challenges that young black girls face throughout their lives. She uses fantasy to tell an engaging story that still reflects on the realities of modern society. The smooth transitions within the story helps the reader understand the constant challenges that black women have been facing throughout the 20th century.
The themes of loyalty, friendship, resilience, and sisterhood are embedded throughout this impassioned novel. They are all portrayed in realistic and interesting ways within the story. The plot is filled with endless challenges that the characters face throughout the book, making a story that is both riveting and thought-provoking. I also love how author N.R. White uplifts women and shows the strength within despite the oppression women have been facing across centuries. The characters show a resilience that is both heartening and memorable.
Destiny Love Jones Volume 1. “Sisters and the Plight with Boys,” by N. R. White is an emotionally-charged urban fantasy novel that that knows how to build up intriguing characters and make readers empathize with them.
Pages: 519 | ASIN: B08WHD1MJX
Discover Something New
Wynsome Peters Author Interview
Unlikely follows two friends who investigate mysterious activities in an abandoned house and uncover something unexpected. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The inspiration was to write a story about people who live in a smaller community. Where life goes at a slower pace. Where if everyone does not know each other, they know of the person. Where everything happens the same. So, when the two friends discover something unusual it gives one friend the opportunity to branch out and discover something new.
Nate and Zachary are intriguing characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted personalities that were opposite but able to get along; to show how a sense of adventure versus a sense of logic complement each other. As the story progresses the roles of adventure and logic are sometimes swapped.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
You should be able to guess one if you have already read the book. Friendship, the other one is the pressure of pleasing your father.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is a YA called Watchers Eye and comes out the summer of 2021.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Slowly as the earth turns, this city is being swept away into living life in an unharmonious way. New buildings, mostly banks are being built for the homes where the newcomers are coming; although they are on the outskirts.
One new arrival is the new school system, no longer are they going to buck the system and have 6th grade remain elementary.
The kids go with the flow, while the parents can see a hint of the conformity and being puppeteered.
One norm that no one wants to discuss is one vacant solitary building that looks eyeless. It’s the only reminder and remainder of what used to be.
Two main characters Hiccup and Pontmus happen to be traveling past the “used to be” when movement catches one of their eyes.
It’s from that one shadow that the sleuthing begins. One boy is going to uncover whatever is going on; while the other rather have the police handle it.
Why he is so determined to find out can be unearthed by checking out his family. Being the middle child has neither the perks of being the leader or being the spoiled. The dad has a job that places a demand to find things out that once was thought impossible
This gene of discovering has lain dormant in him since where he lives is so tame but things are about to go from normal to un.
The personality that wins out causes more sleuthing which uncovers very little until happenstance collides with reality.
One of the new families to move in, breaching the solitude of the city has a child who is so oddly articulate, it’s cool.
He becomes an unknowing accomplice in whatever is going on.
Sleuth boy gets his chance to really find out what is happening when he takes over a temporary job offered. Right now, all he has is his assumptions and imagination.
He is not trying to get caught; in fact, he doesn’t believe he will. He is so caught up that he doesn’t see the signs that show that the table has been turned and he is no longer the only spy.
Capture is imminent, but not only does he get ensnared, his friend, who had a moment of bravery is also entrapped.
Now what can they do?
These people are adults, bigger, stronger smarter. Hiccup notices that the smart gene may have passed on them. While he tries to play on that notion, his friend fades into despair.
Still leading, Hiccup’s brain is swirling with ideas on escape. Each one does not produce the wanted effect.
Will they ever be found?
This author writes her debut novel under a sobriquet. Some facts are that her real name can be pronounced in every country. She writes with a passion of telling an Unlikely story with funny parts if you have the type of humor to appreciate it. Holding a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, writing has always held a torch. This book shows the light at the end.
LITERARY TITAN 