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: Side Steps Terrorizing Sound Bites by Amy Jean

Side Steps Terrorizing Sound Bites by Amy Jean

A poetic guide for choosing an authentic life against a global backdrop of injustice, Side Steps Terrorizing Sound Bites by Amy Jean is a creative and powerful collection, accompanied beautifully by illustrations from Eric Savage.

With the underlying theme of taking control of one’s life, rather than being swept along with the systems in place, these poems are empowering, accusatory, curious, and fearless. The subject matter of these lyrical passages varies wildly, from the wonders of the natural world to inequality of all kinds, yet each of the poems in this extended “chime” feel carefully constructed, without wasting words.

Jean […]

2020-12-02T09:24:22+02:00October 26th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Strange Deaths of the Last Romantic by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev

Strange Deaths of the Last Romantic by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev

From the troubled and tragically hopeful mind of a truly hopeless romantic comes Strange Deaths of the Last Romantic by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev. Simmering with dark comedy and questioning the boundaries between magic and physics, this is a crafty novel that can easily make a reader forget it’s fiction. From existential questions about reincarnation to the cutting-edge frontiers of regenerative biology, this novel is a heady dive into mortality, conspiracy, personal identity, and a fatal penchant for love. The writing is smart and confident, and though the first-person narration can get redundant, the relationships feel real, as does the mounting […]

2020-10-27T08:22:09+02:00October 26th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Life Beyond the Pandemic by Oreste J. D’Aversa

Life Beyond the Pandemic by Oreste J. D'Aversa

Author Oreste J. D’Aversa outlines a positive path forward through these unprecedented, painful, and dynamic times in Life Beyond the Pandemic. Taking a comprehensive look at how recent events have changed all of us in both unique and universal ways, this book breaks down the work that must be done in our emotional heart, body, and mind as the next chapter of the world begins. The positive tone, step-by-step approach, and underlying goal of greater prosperity and happiness make this an enjoyable read, despite the subject. Some of the language is a bit too informal, and certain sections veer […]

2020-10-26T07:12:28+02:00October 25th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Preons: Alpha by Frederik T. Stevens

Preons: Alpha by Frederik T. Stevens

An expansive and daring sci-fi drama, Preons: Alpha is the first installment of a high-octane series by author Frederik T. Stevens. This endlessly creative novel is a coming-of-age story and a galactic thriller, founded on impressive world-building and complex, wounded characters, particularly David, the vengeful protagonist who fuels this violent tale. Dropping readers into this universe without an excess of exposition can feel jarring, but it also makes every detail, reference, and description important – scattered pieces to a fascinating puzzle. The narration is overly declarative at times, rather than visceral or suggestive, but the non-stop action of this cosmic […]

2020-10-26T02:48:52+02:00October 24th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: K3+ by Erasmo Acosta with Gala Stevenson

K3+ by Erasmo Acosta

K3+ by Erasmo Acosta with Gala Stevenson is a stunning piece of futurist sci-fi – a visionary story that proposes the shape of mankind’s destiny in the universe.

A wildly creative futuristic vision, this novel tracks the origins of the fictional Space Initiative and its first nascent steps among the stars, led by its unlikely and uncompromising leader, Federico. As an added twist, readers are also given a glimpse far into the future – a billion years – to the intergalactic evolution of the human race, with its population in the nonillions and energy-capturing megastructures placed around billions of stars.[…]

2020-12-01T07:30:33+02:00October 24th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

The Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy Journey

The Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy JourneyThe Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy Journey is a dazzling, globe-spanning tale of two interconnected lives, bound in an unlikely way, but forever changed by the connection.

From a simple lost notebook comes an unusual storybook romance, a tale of growing up and seeing the world, of saying goodbye and remembering lost things. Luna and Lucien are the star-crossed protagonists whose lives are dissected with intimate, in-depth character studies, making their unpredictable bond a pleasure to unravel.

Lucien’s discovery of Luna’s journal, and the eventual crossing of their paths, feels like the plot of a familiar romance, but […]

’53 on 35th by J. Conran Meyer

'53 on 35th by J. Conran Meyer A charming and unique reflection on childhood, ’53 on 35th: A Silent Boomer’s Recollections by J. Conran Meyer may be set nearly 70 years in the past, but its innocent wisdom is truly timeless.

This pseudo-memoir follows the exploits of a neighborhood of young boys/Knights as they discover adventure, freedom, and the mysteries that will be revealed after “kidhood.” As the author explains, this story explores the memories we cherish and those we create, the uncertainty of our rose-colored glasses, and the seminal events that shape our view of the world.

Peppered with anachronistic bits of Americana, which gives the […]

2022-10-21T16:27:48+02:00October 23rd, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Black River Lantern by Alex Grass

Black River Lantern by Alex Grass

A surreal carnival of horrors, Black River Lantern by Alex Grass is a genre-spanning novel of dangerous powers, cruel fathers, and the secrets that shape our lives.

The Maravicos Carnival is a legendary institution in the town of Kayjigville, but so is the temper and ambition of Papa Maravicos, who will do anything to keep the family business thriving. After escaping from his father’s never-ending cycle of abuse and pain, Eddie Maravicos is dragged back to this torturous circus, armed with the surprising new power to read minds. It doesn’t take long for his father to capitalize on this new […]

2020-10-23T07:13:13+02:00October 23rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |
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