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.

Book Endings by Syntell Smith

Book Endings by Syntell Smith Workplace drama, emotional tragedy, and the winding roads of reconciliation abound in Book Endings: A Call Numbers Novel by Syntell Smith.

Following on the heels of this series’ first installment, readers once again find Robin Walker in the surprisingly dramatic muddle of mid-90s life in New York City. Despite the traditionally quiet atmosphere of a library, Robin’s world is packed with opinionated and argumentative peers who add color, conflict, and energy to this character-driven workplace drama. Managing the emotional exhaustion of his declining grandfather, navigating the patchwork alliances and fleeting loyalties among his colleagues, and even testing the waters of […]

2021-02-08T08:18:12+02:00February 8th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Element of Reflection by T.C. Elofson

Elements of Reflection by T.C. ElofsonA stunning new fantasy world reveals itself in Element of Reflection, the first visionary installment of The Waterbringer Trilogy by T.C. Elofson.

The mystical realm of Hisan once trembled in the shadow of the old gods, but even as their memory fades, some are still blessed with their elementalist gifts, including Takayo Jin, a fearless teenage pirate. Her ability to masterfully manipulate water – dehydrating an enemy in seconds, or commanding the sea like a weapon – is only one form of these ancient powers of the gods. Suddenly severed from the life she has known for so long, […]

2021-02-08T07:59:43+02:00February 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Athens Ophelia the Partitioner by Zachary Aneiress

Athens Ophelia the Partitioner by Zachary Aneiress

An electrifying new novel of self-discovery, liberation, and radical justice, Athens Ophelia the Partitioner by Zachary Aneiress is a bold and refreshing achievement. With an introspective protagonist facing multiple uphill battles, and a fantasy-driven plot that feels torn from a graphic novel, this fearless tale has attitude, insight, and a raw voice for a younger generation of readers. Drawing from a broad spectrum of genres and wielding an ambitious stream-of-consciousness style, there is a rugged informality to the prose. Some of the narration feels too unpolished to be intentional, but this is a surprisingly profound adventure celebrating diversity, purpose, representation, […]

2021-02-08T07:34:10+02:00February 5th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

As the Road Narrows by James Anhalt

As the Road Narrows by James Anhalt

A rough-edged piece of historical fiction, As the Road Narrows by James Anhalt is a tangled tale of murder, revenge, politics, and finding your own path in life – no matter how strange the road might get. A police procedural and a visceral snapshot of the seventies, this novel winds cleverly between genres, bringing to life quirky characters and ruthless criminals. The prose is informal, but impactful, and the author has a sharp, journalistic style that keeps the pace high and the story engaging. Despite the occasional conveniently closed plot hole that might raise an eyebrow, this colloquial adventure through […]

2021-02-05T04:58:49+02:00February 5th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Waxing Pathetic by M. B. Clark

Waxing Pathetic by M.B. Clark

M. B. Clark plumbs the depths of her own life with dark humor in Waxing Pathetic: My Two Cents, For What They’re Worth. Detailing long-simmering stories from different seminal points in her life, as well as her contemporary thoughts on glass ceilings, self-erected brick walls, technology, and the elusive vapors of youth, this is far from your average memoir.

As the author humorously states in her introduction, this book attempts to “capture more precisely the actual conundrum of the inner workings of my so-called brain,” which is precisely what it proceeds to do. From the dissection of embarrassing childhood […]

Let’s Blow Up The Elite College Admissions Black Box by Terry Connelly

Let's Blow Up The Elite College Admissions Black Box by Terry Connelly Terry Connelly delivers a rousing and unrelenting call to action with Let’s Blow Up The Elite College Admissions Black Box: It’s Roiling Young Lives, Rigged for the Rich, and Wrong for America, a stirring treatise addressing the historical and worsening inequities in America’s college admissions process.

Connelly wields his impressive career experience from the financial and academic worlds like a broadsword, eviscerating common objections and weak arguments in defense of wealth-driven advantages, legacy admissions, and other outdated practices of entrenched institutions. Underpinned by a proposal called the Transparency, Equity and Fairness in College Admissions Act, this book suggests a […]

2021-02-02T08:10:37+02:00February 2nd, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Cruising Interrupted by Paul C. Thornton

Cruising Interrupted by Paul C. Thornton

A timely sequel to Paul C. Thornton’s first love note to luxury sea travel, Cruising Interrupted is a story of the cruise ship industry’s grinding halt in the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. The author, an avid cruiser who deeply believes in the benefits, insights, and opportunities of luxury liner life, deals with his own concerns and expectations for the future of his beloved method of travel. Peppered with real-world accounts of debarkations and heartbreaking trip cancellations, as well as opinions from major travel influencers and destination marketers, this book is both hopeful and realistic. Whether Covid crushed […]

2021-02-02T05:32:36+02:00February 2nd, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

By the Way by Caperton Tissot

By the Way by Caperton Tissot

A diverse, captivating, and unpredictable collection, By the Way by Caperton Tissot is a stylistic scattershot of meticulously penned stories that probe the depths of personality. From pastoral mysteries and down-country dramas to transcontinental thrillers and twist endings, Tissot demonstrates her versatility, while maintaining a patient and powerful style all her own. Largely dialogue-driven, the writing of each tale brings to life an eclectic cast of characters – original figures pursuing their quiet desires, taking chances, falling in love, or bearing the weight of the past. Straightforward and thoughtful, though occasionally playful, this intimate collection summons a dozen different worlds, […]

2021-02-01T09:12:31+02:00February 1st, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|
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