INFINITY: Book of Matthew II follows a biracial couple who live in the Civil War era and the things they must do for their family to survive. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

I wanted to write something patriotic. Most writers focus on the Revolutionary War for that but as a black female, I never felt any sense of patriotism regarding the Revolutionary War. The Fourth of July only declared independence for white, land-owning, males. I went with a Civil War theme because that was the historical event that finally set this country on a path of liberty and justice for ALL.

How has character development for the main character changed for you through the series?

Infinity is a reincarnation series so there are massive changes in the main characters from book to book due to the massive changes in their circumstances from lifetime to lifetime. In The Fifth Bride of Pharaoh Matthew is a slave. In A Crown of Golden Leaves he’s the royal heir to the Roman Empire. Sarah is a princess in Quest for the Holy Grail. She’s a slave in Book of Matthew. Their personalities, motivations, and the actions they take are affected by the time period they live in, their stations in life, and the conflicts they endure. I believe we are the sum of our total past experiences. I wrote the Infinity series to reflect that.

What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?

Being excluded from popular culture. Books and film have come a long way but during my impressionable and vulnerable youth, I never saw characters who looked like me in the genres I enjoyed. I like fantasy, historical romance, suspense, and mystery. The main people who say inclusion doesn’t matter are the ones who benefit from such a bias. Naturally they cannot understand the amount of bullying the rest of us endure due to that bias. Even a fun holiday like Halloween used to be a nightmare for children of color. Other students and even adults are telling you what you can’t wear. “Don’t dress as a princess. Everyone knows all the princesses are white.” Because there was no Tiana, no Shuri, no Nakia.

“Don’t dress like an action hero. Everyone knows that action heroes are men.” Because there was no Angelina Jolie, no Charlize Theron, no Uma Thermon. “Don’t dress like a superhero.” Because there was no king T`Challa.

Growing up excluded from popular culture is an existence plagued by unrelenting racism where you are constantly dictated what you can’t wear, what you can’t do, and what you will never be when you grow up. The scariest part is that you would assume I was ninety years old given the lack of diversity I grew up with and the rampant discrimination I faced as a result. I am thirty-nine years old. I refused to allow this to be my daughter’s fate. So I write characters who look like me because every little girl deserves to feel like a princess.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

The newest Infinity is called A Winter Romance. Being in a noble family is nothing like the fairytales. A lavish life of privilege comes at detrimental costs. Villains with deadly intentions plot against Sarah, but Matthew will stop at nothing to protect his one true love in this thrilling winter romance.

This full length romantic suspense was published this week as part of the Déjà vu collection. It is available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B94W93YR

Author Links: Barnes & Noble | BookBub | Website

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/20/a-reincarnation-series/

M.J. And The Big Kitchen Window follows a curious dog who watches animals outside her window and wants to go outside to meet them. What was the inspiration for your story?

The inspiration for writing this book actually came from my dog, name M.J. (short for Mary Jane). She loves to look outside at what’s going on in the world from the big kitchen window. The window faces the front of the house so she can see people, squirrels, birds, and other animals in the yard and on passing by the house.

The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Tania Ramirez Cuevas?

I enjoyed working with my illustrator. She is outstanding at her craft. I sent pictures of what I wanted M.J. to look as well as what the mother to look like and she did her magic! She is awesome!

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

The ideas that I wanted to show to my readers were simple but I hope effective. I wanted to show how it is so easy to enjoy the things of this world. All of the animals mentioned in the book brought happiness to M.J. which is why she would bark so loud. This world is full of people, places, things, even animals that brings us joy.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

The last book that I just completed was released July 28, 2022. It is a Children’s Inspiration Book. I am very proud of this book. It has been receiving favorable reviews since its released. And I am working on a Christmas book to be released for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/20/enjoy-the-things-of-this-world/

Sofia Gama and the Templar’s Prophecy follows a schoolgirl that inherits ancient magic and is part of a plan to save the world from evil. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

The inspiration for this series and, in this case, the first volume “Sofia Gama and the Templar’s Prophecy” came to me during a bus ride from Lisbon to Nazaré, when I was listening to the song “I save the World today” by Eurythmics on the radio, which inspired me for this whole series. During the whole ride I wrote everything on everything I could get my hands on (I always carry a pen and some paper with me), including my checkbook, ruining the remaining 20 checks in the process…

The creation of “Sofia Gama and the Templar’s Prophecy” was very unusual. Curiously, it was all written during night time. I would wake several times to write, in the dark even, fall back asleep and so on and so forth till morning. During the day I’d transcribe my notes into the computer, because if it takes me more than three days to do so I won’t be able to figure out what I have written… I wrote very fast in order to keep up with my imagination and some times even I have a hard time deciphering my own handwriting, which can be a little bit frustrating!… The physical appearance of the character was inspired by my daughter Inês.

Sofia is a young girl that has to discover herself and her destiny. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

The crucial plot is the presence of the Portuguese language in the World, spoken by roughly 260 million people spread out over the five continents. In my young adult books, I always strive to impart information that I deem valuable and enriching, knowledge that stimulate the thought process and which transmit human values that allow for a better development, as better citizens. I care about finding interesting facts related to the place or subject about which I am writing at the time, in order to provide the reader with this pleasure of learning something new. Learning something new while you read is very important to me. If we can associate the pleasure of reading with learning about different subjects, all the better.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The Portuguese Discoveries, the Language, History, friendship, loyalty, courage, camaraderie, imagination. My main goal is to captivate youngsters into reading more and provide fun, adventure, mystery, excitement and suspense to my readers.

Sofia Gama and the Templar’s Prophecy was very special to me since it allowed me to enter a submarine belonging to the Portuguese Navy, since it was impossible to enter the German submarine from World War II that lays sunken in the depths off the shore of Nazaré. Not to mention the amazing experience of being in direct contact with the dolphins in the Lisbon Zoo, since I always visit the places where my books will take place. In addition to that, this book was an amazing hit in Portugal and Brasil, not only among the young, but among grownups as well, for it captivated them too – I received feedback from some amazing cases. From the many readers that read this book multiple times, two readers stand out: an eleven year old Portuguese boy who read it 13 times, and a Brazilian woman who read it 8 times.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I am currently writing my next historical novel, in Portuguese. Later this year, Underline Publishing will release “The Forgotten Treasure”, the second volume of The Port of the Grail trilogy, in succession of “The Quest for the Lost Map”. There will also be a new adventure: “The Adventurers in Underground River”.

Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/20/inspired-by-my-daughter/

The Blood of the Bear is a humorous telling of the classic story of King Arthur and adds in more information than the original telling. What was the inspiration for writing a humorous version of this story?

I love reading books that make me laugh out loud. I love watching comedy on TV or in film. It’s always been very natural for me to want to make others laugh too. I think the humour of The Blood of the Bear exists on a few different levels. First, the lead character of Artos exists in a fairly impoverished world. I think when people grow up in a community where daily life is hard and full of toil, then a natural humour develops to help them cope with their situation. Second, I included some scenes and situations in the book that are just for fun. I’m thinking particularly of the chapter dedicated to a crime scene investigation, which I laughed at while writing, so I hope readers of the book enjoy it too. Third, I tried to create a style of humour that is heavily influenced by the comedy that inspires me; the books of Tom Sharpe, Spike Milligan, and the work of the team that were Monty Python (including the Holy Grail film). I hope if you like any of the above then you’ll also like The Blood of the Bear.

What was your favorite scene in this story?

I think it’s hard to pick one out, but there’s a small scene which is simply a conversation between the Merlin and the leader of the Rheged tribe, Urien. When I wrote it, I was pleased with the tone and the mood and as a result it probably has remained closer to its original draft rather than other scenes.

What is one thing that you hope the reader takes away from The Blood of the Bear?

I simply hope they enjoy the story and that it lightens their day. I hope they grow to love the characters enough to want to join them in future adventures.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available

No big shocks here! The Blood of the Bear volume 2 is being drafted now. I’m aiming to launch it by March 2023, a year after the original book. The story moves further south to an area stretching between Wales and the North Yorkshire Moors, and it will involve dragons!

Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/20/the-comedy-that-inspires-me/

A Bad Place to Be a Hero follows three people who by chance end up together and have to work together to survive, even when they don’t like each other. Where did the idea for this novel come from, and how did it develop over time?

“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is my favorite movie of all time, and I think a lot of those elements show in the book. From the very start, I wanted to create a cast of characters who are “alike in all the wrong ways”, and have to work through their differences as well as their own personal hangups to achieve a common goal. While the events that bring them together are random to an extent (since there wasn’t really another way you could force them to cooperate), I did also want to make it at least partly their own fault─so that all of them can feel like a victim in the situation, but can’t fully claim to be one.

Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?

There’s definitely a lot of me in both Corlis and Lokenn. Thessa is perhaps the farthest from me in temperament, but her conflict with Corlis was a great chance for me to do some reflection. Not sure how much of it stuck, but I do try to say “Thank you” more often.

Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing or did it come out organically as you were writing?

The very first thing I pinned down about the novel was “Unlikely heroes save the world and no one thanks them”. I ended up narrowing the scope to a much more personal scale, but the overall tone is very much the same.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

The direct sequel, A Bad Time to Meet the Family, is already in the works and will hopefully be ready for release in early 2023.

Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/20/alike-in-all-the-wrong-ways/

Five thrillers that kept the Amazon Editors up late

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Build excitement or curb anxiety with these back-to-school picture books

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Best-selling author Beth Macy talks about her new book ‘Raising Lazarus’

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Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light