Interview with Literary Titan

 Hello Readers,

If you're interested here's my latest author interview with Literary Titan!

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

May 17

Posted by Literary Titan

Lauren Ennis Author Interview

A Boy’s Best Comrade follows a loyal dog in Stalin-era Moscow, as she protects the boy she loves through arrest, hunger, homelessness, and betrayal in a world where devotion itself becomes an act of courage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I’ve always adored animals and possess a fascination with history, particularly Russian history. When I read about the packs of stray dogs that have taught themselves to navigate Moscow’s subway system, I saw a way to combine my love of animals and passion for history. Once I started writing I looked to my favorite childhood books and movies, especially Don Bluth’s animated movies, for even more inspiration.

How did you balance Sasha’s animal instincts with the emotional depth needed to carry the novel?​

Sasha is based off and named for my dog. When writing Sasha’s character, I imbued her with my Sasha’s personality and mannerisms to lend her authenticity and make her feel like a ‘real’ dog. To ensure that she was humanized in the story I turned to Mrs. Brisby from The Secret of NIMH and other characters who possessed the nurturing, maternal, characteristics that I wanted Sasha to possess for inspiration. Throughout the novel I tried to maintain a balance between conveying human emotions through Sasha while ensuring that she still behaved like a dog.

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

The most crucial themes in the book are resilience in the face of adversity, the horrors of authoritarianism, and the importance of loyalty in a world of distrust. While these themes were particularly relevant in Stalinist Russia, I believe that they are universal and would resonate with readers across generations and cultures.

What kind of research shaped your portrayal of Moscow’s streets, metro stations, and stray-dog packs?​

The research was absolutely the most difficult aspect of writing A Boy’s Best Comrade. I was fortunate enough to be able to view documentaries about the real-life Moscow subway dogs and strays in general. The research about the streets and metro was more difficult due to all the changes to the city over the course of several decades and the language barrier. I used a combination of written sources from the 1930’s along with maps and photos of the city and metro to try and create an accurate depiction of 1930’s Moscow.

A Boy's Best Comrade Trailer!

 Lights, camera, and action!

Classics: A Review of Smokey and the Bandit By Lauren Ennis

 Two truckers, a runaway bride, a vengeful sheriff and four-hundred cases of Coors adds up to one of the wildest rides in cinema. Blending thrilling stunts with slapstick humor 1977's Smokey and the Bandit took a simple premise and turned it into cinematic gold. At once a loving homage to the American road-trip and a glimpse into the gritty 1970's the film is certain to leave viewers riding on the edge of their seats. For the trip of a lifetime hit the road with Smokey and the Bandit.

The story begins with father and son Texas businessmen "Big Enos" and "Little Enos" Burdette arriving at a local truck rodeo. They then place a bet on local trucking legends Bo "the Bandit" Darville and Cledus "the Snowman" to illegally deliver 400 cases of Coors from Texas to Atlanta in 28 hours. While Cledus is hesitant the Bandit happily accepts. The two then set off with Cledus transporting the beer in his truck while the Bandit acts as a decoy in his Pontiac Trans Am. Along the way the Bandit encounters exotic dancer turned runaway bride Carrie. He picks the stranded would-be newly-wed up, and soon finds himself targeted by her scorned fiancée and his father, Texas sheriff Buford T. Justus. The film then launches into a madcap trip across the South the likes of which many have imitated but none have replicated.

Smokey and the Bandit captures the anarchic spirit of both the 1970's and the all-American road trip like no other. While the plot seemingly rests upon the transport of Coors over state lines the real heart of the story is the liberation of the open road and the free spirits of those who call it home. Through its depiction of the Bandit's carefree pursuit of the latest thrill, the camaraderie of his fellow truckers, and his blatant, "complete lack of respect for the law" the film offers loving tribute to the outsiders who populate America's highways. Through its depiction of an array of very different characters the film also playfully explores the rapid social changes of the 1970's. For example, the film offers a decidedly complex and modern depiction of womanhood in its portrayal of witty dancer Carrie's refusal to resign herself to a traditional, married, life. Similarly, the film's portrayal of old fashioned lawman Sheriff Justus' flailing efforts to keep up in a modern world is nothing short of side-splitting. Through its loving depiction of the misadventures of America's misfits, bandits, and everyone in between Smokey and the Bandit remains a loving tribute to the open road and all-American fun.

The film brings its whimsical world of wacky characters to life thanks the stellar work of its cast. Pat McCormick and Paul Williams lend plenty of deadpan humor to their brief turns as Big Enos and Little Enos. Jerry Reed infuses Cledus with boy next door charm. Sally Field shows off her comedic chops in her hilarious turn as neurotic dancer, Carrie. Jackie Gleason steals each scene in which he appears as the hapless Sheriff Justus. Burt Reynolds turns in arguably the best performance of his career with a winning blend of comedy and roguish charm that ensures that the Bandit is nothing short of iconic.

In its ninety-six minute run time Smokey and the Bandit perfectly captures the anarchic spirit of the 1970's. The script balances stunts with slapstick to maximum effect for a viewing experience that is never less than thrilling. The performances bring what easily could have been one-note characters to hilarious, infectious life. For ninety-six minutes of good old American life, glory, and fun get behind the wheel with Smokey and the Bandit.

5-Star Review from Literary Titan

 Hello readers,

I couldn't resist sharing the latest editorial review of A Boy's Best Comrade. So grateful and thrilled for such a stellar review!

A Boy’s Best Comrade

May 5

Posted by Literary Titan

In A Boy’s Best Comrade, Lauren Ennis tells the story of Sasha, a loyal dog in Stalin-era Moscow whose life is repeatedly shattered by the machinery of fear, suspicion, and state violence. After losing Mikhail and Sofia to the NKVD, Sasha is taken in by Andrei, Tania, and their son Yuri, only to watch that family broken apart too. What follows is part historical survival story, part animal adventure, and part aching portrait of devotion, as Sasha and Yuri navigate hunger, homelessness, the Moscow metro, a stray-dog pack, and the dangerous kindness of people like Vanya while trying to stay one step ahead of betrayal and arrest.

I was most moved by how sincerely the book treats loyalty. Sasha’s love never feels cute in a shallow way. It feels bodily, instinctive, almost sacred. The early scene with the New Year’s tree begins with such domestic warmth, Sasha puzzling over the strange spruce in the apartment, Sofia trying to create a little “winter fairyland,” and then that warmth is cracked open by the knock at the door. I liked that the book keeps returning to that emotional pattern: a small, tender human moment, then the cold hand of history pressing against it. Andrei naming Sasha “protector and friend” stayed with me because the whole novel keeps testing whether love can survive when every institution is designed to make people suspicious, selfish, and afraid. Sasha, in her wonderfully stubborn dog way, keeps answering yes.

The writing has a big-hearted, old-fashioned sweep to it, and I mean that affectionately. It leans into feeling. But more often than not, that earnestness works because the story itself is so emotionally direct. I loved the texture of Moscow seen from low to the ground: alleys, stoops, station platforms, scraps of food, damp fur, boots, crowds, the underground geography known by dogs better than humans. Mishka and the pack bring a welcome snap of humor and grit, and the ending, with Sasha forcing Yuri onto the train and then being invited into a new pack, hurt in exactly the right way. It doesn’t give her everything. It gives her purpose, which feels truer.

I felt that A Boy’s Best Comrade is really about chosen family under impossible pressure, and about the quiet heroism of staying tender when the world keeps rewarding hardness. Its ideas are strongest when embodied in action: Sasha biting, guarding, smuggling, waiting, refusing to understand love as temporary. The book would be especially good for readers who like historical fiction with an animal narrator, emotionally sincere adventure stories, and tales of courage that don’t pretend survival comes without grief.

Pages: 269 | ASIN: B0FTWM9BB3