Blog Archives
Burn Everything…Then Forget It
Burn Everything…Then Forget It delivers a visceral plunge into the dark underbelly of mid-century New York, seamlessly blending historical unrest with a gritty, character-driven narrative. Set against the backdrop of a changing Bronx shifting from the late 1950s to the volatile mid-1960s, the story captures an era defined by social insurrection, the Vietnam War, and deep internal fractures. It’s a gripping piece of historical noir fiction that hooks you from its opening car bomb explosion and refuses to let go. The atmosphere is thick with the scent of cheap cigarettes, grimy subway cars, and the underlying tension of a society on the brink of structural self-destruction.
At the heart of the narrative is Bill Castle, a young man haunted by the brutal 1957 subway murder of his mother, and Viola Dash, a sharp, independent woman returning home after years of schooling in Europe. As their intense romance sparks, they find themselves digging into a murky web of government conspiracies, illegal mind-control experiments, and clandestine operations. What makes this political crime thriller so compelling is how intimately the grand scale of national corruption ties directly into their own families. Their respective guardians turn out to be the state’s hidden cleanup crew, throwing the younger generation into a desperate, high-stakes fight to break free from a toxic familial legacy.
Teran handles the pacing beautifully, interweaving cinematic action with a rhythmic, pop-culture-infused backdrop. The characters navigate their dangerous world to the soundtrack of the British Invasion and classic Motown, creating a poignant contrast between the vibrant youth culture of the 1960s and the grim reality of state-sanctioned violence. The dialogue is sharp, street-smart, and unapologetically raw. Instead of relying on standard plot formulas, the book leans heavily into the psychological weight of shared trauma, showing exactly how violence echoes across decades and leaves its survivors to sort through the wreckage.
The book stands out as a haunting, atmospheric reflection on a turbulent chapter in the American psyche. It’s a story where the lines between justice and personal revenge blur completely into a dark, unforgettable climax. The recurring motif of a fractured nation summarizes a deeper, timeless truth about power, accountability, and the heavy price of truth. For readers looking for a hard-boiled mystery novel that offers both immediate tension and profound thematic depth, Teran’s work delivers a powerful and memorable journey.
Pages: 288 | ISBN: 1567030181
Writing helped me process.
The Marigold Bridge follows a wealthy young woman whose life is turned upside down after her father is presumed dead and a dangerous family seizes control of her home. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration stemmed from the grief and trauma of losing a friend to suicide and my own mediumship abilities. I struggled for a long time and found myself in a really dark place. Writing helped me process. I have an article posted on Substack if anyone is interested in the full story. It can be a bit triggering to some.
At what point did you know this story would be rooted in El Día de los Muertos?
I wanted the story to center around the connection between the living and the dead. Western cultures do not have any holidays that celebrate relationships beyond the grave. So, I contacted my mentor and friend who lives in Mexico and asked if she would be willing to help me write a story centered around El Dia de los Muertos. It was important for me to get the culture, spanish, and holiday as accurate as possible. She agreed, and Araceli’s story began! I learned so much about Mexico too and can’t wait to take my third trip back there one day. Maybe even visit San Miguel during the Day of the Dead!
Araceli’s gift feels more like a responsibility than a superpower. Why was that important to you?
Because I too understand the weight of being born with a sixth sense that other people don’t seem to fully understand. It often felt like a burden and a responsibility
until I was able to accept it and learn how to work with it. I mirrored my own frustration in her as she grappled with her gifts.
Looking back, what did writing Araceli’s story teach you about courage, family, or healing?
I healed a lot through this novel. While Araceli grew, so did I. Her mantras were many of my own as I was writing. I also learned that healing can be messy and loud. It doesn’t carry a certain aesthetic and having people in your corner who understand that and allow you to be who you are is the real gift.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Forced into servitude for the man responsible, Araceli’s only hope lies in the gift she’d always considered a burden: channeling the ancestors during El Día de los Muertos. Desperate for answers, she attempts to use her abilities to discover the truth, but the ancestors offer only a frantic warning: “Don’t drink the water.”
Aided by her childhood crush, Araceli unearths a conspiracy that runs deeper than her father’s disappearance—one Hector will kill to keep buried. But as bodies begin to fall and Hector closes in, she must bridge the gap between life and death to restore her legacy and free San Miguel from corruption.
Steeped in revenge, ancestral magic, and love, The Marigold Bridge is a spellbinding tale where fortune favors the humble—and the dead refuse to stay silent.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
Blame the Devil by Joe Colicchio
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Nebraska Avenue
Nebraska Avenue follows Vinny Perino, a Brooklyn boy newly transplanted to North Bay Shore, Long Island, during the bicentennial summer of 1976. Lonely, uncertain, and out of step with suburban rhythms, Vinny finds his way into a circle of paperboys, Artie, Wally, Franco, Lenny, Curtis, and Gabby, whose days revolve around Newsday routes, baseball, fireworks, neighborhood codes, and the small but momentous dramas of being thirteen or fourteen. What begins as a story about a new kid learning how to belong becomes a warm, funny coming-of-age tale about friendship, nerve, loyalty, and the strange civic order of childhood.
I was quickly won over by the book’s comic patience. Author Vincent Rubino doesn’t rush past the details; he lingers over milk crates tied to handlebars, grape juice in the fridge, paper shacks, banana-seat bikes, pink suburban houses, and the private laws that govern kid society. That accumulation gives the novel its charm. The humor has a wonderfully local flavor, often built from banter, mock-serious debates, and the ornate logic of boys who think they are businessmen because they collect newspaper money on Saturdays. I especially enjoyed how the novel treats childhood not as a soft-focus postcard but as a bustling republic with its own economy, rituals, grudges, and heroic nonsense.
What surprised me most was how much feeling Rubino draws from ordinary adventures. The book is nostalgic, certainly, but not embalmed in nostalgia. Vinny’s homesickness gives the story a tender undertow, while the friendship that forms around him feels earned rather than preordained. Artie’s quick mouth, Wally’s steadiness, Gabby’s sharp presence, and Mr. Raviola’s role as both boss and neighborhood fixture give the story a generous ensemble feel. By the time the plot turns toward burglaries, suspicion, and a paperboy-led scheme to clear Mr. Raviola’s name, the stakes feel just right: large enough to matter deeply to the kids, small enough to remain true to the world they inhabit.
I think the book is ideal for readers who enjoy coming-of-age fiction, historical fiction, humor, and middle-class suburban Americana. Readers who liked the boyhood camaraderie of Stephen King’s The Body, though with far more sunshine, mischief, and neighborhood comedy than dread, will find a similar affection for the fierce, temporary kingdoms children build together. Nebraska Avenue is a funny and bighearted ride through a vanished summer, where a newspaper route can become a map to courage, friendship, and home.
Pages: 246 | ASIN: B0H1YRFHFH
Mine-Shift
Mine-Shift, by John Kitchen, is a time-slip adventure about Joel Penberthy, a teenage Cornish miner whose life is split between the brutal reality of the eighteenth century and the strange brightness of the twenty-first. Joel first stumbles into the future through an old mine passage, carrying with him fear, guilt, superstition, and a fierce loyalty to his injured father. His first clear reaction says a lot about the book’s heart: “I don’t belong here.” That feeling of being out of place drives the story, but so does Joel’s growing sense that belonging can change.
The novel is especially strong when it keeps Joel close to the physical world he knows. The mine is hot, dangerous, cramped, and full of old beliefs, while modern Cornwall feels almost magical through his eyes, with cars, phones, medicine, surfing, bright shops, and easy friendship. Kitchen gets a lot of mileage out of that contrast. The future isn’t treated as a joke or a simple rescue. It’s confusing, dazzling, and sometimes frightening, and Joel has to learn it piece by piece.
Joel’s friendships with Cass, Karl, and Ewan give the book much of its warmth. Cass is curious, bold, and kind, and her bond with Joel gives the story a tender pull without taking it away from adventure. Karl and Ewan help widen Joel’s world, while Dr Greaves brings practical hope through medicine. What’s nice is that these modern characters don’t just teach Joel things. They give him room to become more himself, and that makes his transformation feel earned.
At the same time, the story keeps one foot firmly in Joel’s old life. His father’s injury, Hab’s anger, the Pellar’s influence, and the suspicion of “black arts” create real pressure around every trip through the portal. Joel isn’t simply choosing between misery and comfort. He loves people on both sides of time, and that makes the ending land with a quiet sadness as well as relief. By the close, when Joel is described as “a twenty-first-century boy,” the line feels less like escape and more like the final shape of a hard choice.
Mine-Shift is a thoughtful adventure about courage, change, and the shock of seeing your own world from the outside. It blends Cornish mining history, folklore, friendship, and time travel into a story that feels accessible for older children while still carrying some emotional weight. Joel is easy to care about because he’s scared, stubborn, decent, and often overwhelmed, which makes his journey feel personal rather than merely fantastical.
Pages: 225 | ASIN : B0FP4C1DDY
Humans Tend to Label People
Trouble at OverTrails Farm follows a group of friends as their day of therapeutic horse riding turns into a murder investigation. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As a psychologist for decades, I worked with many disabled adults who had amazing strengths, sometimes hidden, despite having physical and/or intellectual difficulties. Therapeutic riding addresses physical, attentional, and emotional difficulties, and the program fits nicely into the horse country of central Virginia. The young friends are physically active and emotionally engaged, and I wanted to showcase Alex’s special strength of attunement with animals, especially the horses at OverTrails Farm.
What made this setting the right backdrop for a story about justice and friendship?
Humans tend to label people, problems, and things, including those who differ from the norm. Labels are broad, “convenient” categories that miss the fine details of individual differences and often portray the negative aspects of a group. Using common labels provides an opportunity to blame scapegoats for wrongdoing. While this tendency is common, there is incredible power in friendship and loyalty, along with the strength of a supportive community.
How did you construct the mystery without losing sight of the emotional stakes?
I began with the outline of showcasing Alex’s strength of loyalty to his friend and neighbor, Nina. (This was first described in my first novel of this “journey” series, in which they each protected one another from a local bully.) The initial outline included Alex’s development from a recipient of riding instruction to a volunteer support person for other students. My belief is that Alex is going to become a valued member of his community. With that idea as the premise, I inserted the stories of other troubled individuals who fall prey to their own mistakes, ultimately casting blame on Alex, a presumed easy target
What conversations did you hope Alex’s storyline would inspire among readers?
How do we miss attending to the whole person in our relationships?
How do we provide genuine loyalty and support to those around us?
What assumptions have we made about others in the past that were faulty and premature?
What do we assume about our own weaknesses, and what do we need to do to focus on and develop our strengths?
How do we become the hero of our own story?
Author Links: Website | Amazon
OverTrails Farm is meant to be a place of healing. The therapeutic riding stable in rural central Virginia offers confidence, connection, and calm—until the sudden death of a young employee shatters its sense of safety.
When suspicion falls on a disabled volunteer and former student of the program, a close-knit group of teens who ride and volunteer at the farm are unwilling to accept this theory.
Determined to uncover the truth, they begin their own quiet investigation. As they piece together overlooked details, they confront family tensions, unspoken fears, and the subtle ways bias shapes how others see—and misjudge—those who are different.
Their search tests their courage, their loyalty, and their willingness to examine their own assumptions. In challenging the easy story everyone is ready to believe, they help their community move toward a new understanding of responsibility, fairness, and the dignity of every person.
Set against the charm of small-town Virginia, the healing world of therapeutic riding, and the bond between humans and horses, Trouble at OverTrails Farm is a clean cozy mystery filled with heart, hope, and the enduring power of friendship. It is a story about seeing beyond labels, fighting for those who can’t fight alone, and discovering the strength of community when it matters most. This is a story for readers who believe kindness and truth still matter.
He Is Intensely Complex
Keep Close follows a group of survivors navigating life after meteorites crash to Earth, unleashing creatures that hunt humans. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The story was actually inspired by COVID and the toll it took on mental health. The 6 foot tether law in this devastated world is an inverse to the 6 foot distance rules during COVID. I’ve always been a fan of post-apocalyptic stories. Originally a screenplay, ‘Keep Close’ was also inspired by movies such as ‘A Quiet Place’ and ‘Signs’.
Which character surprised you the most during the writing process?
Fitz for sure. He is intensely complex villain. With each of his scenes I tried to reveal glimpses of the good in him. All of my characters have good and bad qualities to them, which is what makes them so realistic and easy to identify with.
What were the biggest challenges in designing the creatures without revealing too much too soon?
My goal was to keep the threat a mystery to the reader until Ren witnesses it herself. Since that’s not until well into the book, I had to fill the beginning with a lot of ominous signs and one chaotic attack even Lee can’t fully witness. After this, the focus is back at sea with Ren while society adapts to this terrifying reality. When she finally comes ashore, civilization has completely changed and the predator danger is everywhere. This allows the reader to feel the same confusion and alarm that our protagonist does.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
‘Keep Close’ is the first of a three-part series, and I’m currently working on book 2. I also have a true-crime murder mystery researched and outlined, and 5 children’s book manuscripts that need illustrating. It’s a busy time!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
You stay close. You stay alive.
In this breakthrough thriller, Ren, a haunted but brilliant 17-year-old, is thrust into a fight for her life when a catastrophic meteor shower leaves her family stranded at sea.
Rescued after months adrift, they return to shore far from home, only to confront the terrifying presence of banshees— phantom creatures that prey on anyone caught alone. With survival hinging on safety in numbers, Ren must use her wits as she embarks on a twisty and suspenseful journey to get to the key to her family’s survival. Along the way, deep feelings ignite between Ren and a courageous Australian ally, further complicating her mission.
As Ren’s path is threatened by a desperate gang, she must navigate a treacherous wilderness where trust is fragile and loyalties are tested. In this unpredictable new world, can Ren overcome her emotional scars, the weight of leadership, and a tumultuous first love to lead her family safely back home?
Mari’s Light Burning Bright
Kaitlyn Marquart’s Mari’s Light Burning Bright is a young adult contemporary fiction novel about Mari, a teenage girl trying to live with memories of childhood abuse, self-harm, a family move, and the fear that she may never feel whole again. As the sequel to Amber Luna My Bright Light, the book follows Mari after Camp Evergreen as she enters Northstar Wellness Center, meets other young people carrying their own pain, and slowly begins to understand that healing is not a straight path. It is messy. It is brave. And sometimes it starts with simply letting someone sit beside you.
Mari’s voice is raw without feeling forced, and Marquart gives her room to be angry, funny, scared, judgmental, tender, and wrong. I appreciated that. Teenagers are not tidy people, especially teenagers in crisis, and the book does not try to polish Mari into someone instantly inspirational. Her thoughts loop, flare, retreat, and return. That rhythm felt honest to me. The scenes at Northstar could have easily become heavy in a flat way, but the author balances them with small flashes of humor and human detail, like Scrabble games, awkward meals, and characters who are much more than the reasons they are there.
I also found myself thinking a lot about the author’s choices around faith, family, and recovery. Mari’s Mormon background is not treated as a simple answer or a simple problem, which makes the story more interesting. Her family loves her, but they often miss what she is trying to say. That hurt to read because it felt real. People can care and still fail to understand. The book is candid about pain, but it is careful with it. It doesn’t turn Mari’s suffering into a spectacle. Instead, it keeps asking a quieter question: what does it take for someone to believe she is worth saving when shame has been speaking louder than everyone else? The answer comes slowly, through therapy, friendship, memory, music, and the fragile courage to try again.
I would recommend Mari’s Light Burning Bright to readers who appreciate reflective young adult fiction with emotional depth, especially stories about mental health, trauma recovery, friendship, and finding a voice after silence. It’s not a light read, and readers sensitive to self-harm or childhood abuse should approach it with care. But for those who value hopeful, character-driven fiction that understands healing as a long walk rather than a sudden rescue, this book has a steady glow.
Pages: 153 | ASIN : B0H56ZX1V8
