John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

About John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Providing exceptional writing, editing and publishing services to hundreds of international clients, ranging from nutritional copywriting and long-form ghostwriting to substantive editing, assessment/analysis of academic texts and structural/content editing for bestselling novels.

Review: The Adopted Son by Claude Renaud

The Adopted Son by Claude Renaud

Unbreakable ties across time and a brilliant snapshot of untold history make The Adopted Son by Claude Renaud a gripping, perspective-shifting thrill.

A mysterious figure from Paul Quinn’s past appears in Sydney two decades after their fateful encounter in the days leading up to the fall of Saigon. After hearing Hao Tran’s story of struggle, and feeling sympathetic to the plight of Eric, her son, whose father was one of Quinn’s fallen military comrades, this retired spy’s quiet life turns upside down, and long-buried heroism bubbles to the surface.

Not only does he adopt a fatherly approach to this unexpected […]

Review: Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh

Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh

Fans of Jane Austen and Victorian literature will be easily enraptured by Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh. Honoring the original voice of characters more than two centuries old, and capturing the subtle tension and emotional complexity of youthful independence, this stylistic gem is an ambitious and memorable homage.

The novel delves into the untold story of one of Austen’s most original antagonists – Lady Susan – in her early years as a disruptive force. After her insolence gets her kicked out of a boarding school, it is decided that she will be sent away to become more […]

2022-01-24T08:04:13+02:00June 15th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

A Destiny to Die For by Rik Stone

A Destiny to Die For by Rik Stone

Capturing the energy, pace, and vibrancy of life in Brazil, Rik Stone delivers a thrilling underworld adventure in A Destiny to Die For. Angelita is a smart and savvy hustler who knows how to survive on the edge of danger, but once she finds a stash of drugs worth a life-changing amount of money, the danger on the wrong side of that edge comes looking for her. Written from Angelita’s colorful perspective, the dialogue and character interactions are believable, while some of the confessional moments feel painfully torn from lived experience. With rich descriptive passages, a vividly depicted setting, […]

2021-06-15T05:31:21+02:00June 14th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Whole Heart by Michelle Felix

Whole Heart by Michelle Felix Author Michelle Felix pours out a lifetime of powerful confessions in her moving memoir Whole Heart: One Woman’s Incredible and Heartbreaking Journey from Africa to America.

Felix’s initial recounting of her childhood in South Africa is both charming and compelling, as she weaves the painful tale of her humble family with early attempts at self-analysis and deeper understanding. Following an uprooting, however, that family life begins to crack and crumble, and her parents’ marriage falls apart. Readers are pulled into the psyche of the author as a vulnerable young girl trying to navigate the complexity of relationships, parenting, depression, […]

2021-06-14T09:03:11+02:00June 14th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Change. Self Heal. One Day It Just Clicks by Minii Begum

Change. Self Heal. One Day It Just Clicks by Minii Begum

A powerful and philosophic approach to self-improvement, overcoming trauma, and finding new direction after disappointment, Change. Self Heal. One Day It Just Clicks by Minii Begum is the kind of book that everyone needs at some point in their lives. Part self-help book and part spiritual reprogramming guide, the wisdom contained in this read is straightforward, but there is also greater depth and meaning that could take readers years to fully understand their complexity. As is true of the title, there is some awkwardness in the prose, as well as repetitive sentence structures and occasionally redundant or restated ideas. On […]

2021-06-14T07:03:59+02:00June 14th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Generation AI by Katerina Thomas PhD

Generation AI by Katerina Thomas

Delivery a hard dose of reality, and a realistic path forward, author Katerina Thomas neatly outlines the monumental changes coming to our world in the form of artificial intelligence – and how it will affect all of life as we know it – in Generation AI: The Rise of the Resilient Entrepreneur.

Many may be vaguely aware of the AI storm brewing on the horizon – one that will make millions of jobs obsolete as they are done more efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively by hyper-precise machines, or executed expertly by intelligent algorithms. Like so many other looming crises in […]

Sardinian Days and Italian Nights by Steve Amoia

Sardinian Days and Italian Nights by Steve Amoia

Digging back through a lifetime to his transformative travels as a young man, author Steve Amoia transports readers to a different age in Sardinian Days and Italian Nights. An impressively detailed look back at the history-drenched Italian landscape and the legendary realm of Sardinia, readers will be able to immerse themselves in the vivid descriptions of the sea, the aromas, the emotions, and much more. A coming-of-age story told from the wisened perspective of hindsight, this travel memoir is self-reflective, but the memories themselves don’t feel edited or embellished. Far more than just a travelogue, Amoia subtly philosophizes on […]

2021-06-21T03:01:09+02:00June 13th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Return of Dragons (Protector of Dragons Book 1)by R.R. Harper

The Return of Dragons (Protector of Dragons Book 1)by R.R. Harper

A spiraling thrill from start to finish, The Return of Dragons by R.R. Harper is an imaginative YA adventure that will be a hit with high-fantasy fans. After more than eight centuries, dragons have returned to Narow, sparking chaos and power struggles across the land, as one young man with a magical bond to these legendary beasts begins the search for his destiny. Despite the classic premise, this coming-of-age story is wildly unique, with a creative magical history, richly developed protagonists (and villains), an unpredictable storyline, and a patient storytelling voice. All told, this world-building debut has laid impressive groundwork […]

2021-06-14T08:10:47+02:00June 13th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|
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