John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Audiobook Review: The Leaves of Fate by George Robert Minkoff

The Leaves of Fate by George Robert Minkoff

Author George Robert Minkoff has solidified his place as a brilliant author of historical fiction with The Leaves of Fate, the third and final installment of the In the Land of Whispers series, which details the trials and tribulations of the Jamestown colony, as well as its heroic leader. This epic end to Captain John Smith’s legendary journey is unraveled in unpredictable detail and explores a critical period in history from a unique and captivating perspective.

Following on from the fever dreams and expansive storytelling of Book 2, The Leaves of Fate brings readers back across the mighty ocean, […]

Ivory Tower by Grant Matthew Jenkins

Timely and fearless, Ivory Tower by Grant Matthew Jenkins is a resonant meditation on power, family, and sexual predation that rings particularly poignant in today’s social climate.

Margolis Santos is a woman who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. As a respected film professor, a protective mother, and wife to the head football coach of Athens University, she is used to her voice being heard. However, when she chooses to raise it in defense of young women being taken advantage of on campus, she becomes embroiled in a vicious battle against tradition, money, and character assassination. When Margolis’ own sexual exploits […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-11-12T10:45:12+02:00November 11th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Point to Counterpoint by Mel D. Gill

Point to Counterpoint by Mel D. Gill

With thoughtful grace and the sage wisdom of a life well-lived, Point to Counterpoint: Poetic Reflections on Life, Love and Passion by poet Mel D. Gill is a remarkable collection of poems spanning a dizzying array of subjects. With a unique structure and intentional interaction with the reader, this book boasts an original presentation from a clearly practiced poet.

Divided into eleven themed chapters, this is not merely a collection of poetry, but also contains small, powerful essays and musings, often supported and bolstered by the wise words of others. In so many collections, poets simply present their work, leaving […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-11-13T11:08:35+02:00November 11th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Shadow Eclipse: Voyage by E.M. Gale

A tantalizing mixture of space opera and vampire fiction, Shadow Eclipse: Voyage is a mind-bending trip through space and time. Protagonist Florentina Clarke is an electric heroine upon which to build a series, and Gale never takes her bizarre odyssey too seriously. Not only has Clarke been catapulted forward in time when a friend’s lab experiment goes wrong, but she’s also dealing with the symptoms of her one-night stand with a vampire, not to mention space pirates. Reality is definitely up for grabs in this raucous, cerebral, and fast-paced novel that will keep you guessing throughout.

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John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-11-07T08:35:44+02:00November 7th, 2019|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: All Roads Lead to Lawrence by Craig Leener

All Roads Lead to Lawrence by Craig Leener

Readers are welcomed back into the strange world of Zeke and the Seventh Dimension in the wild and wise All Roads Lead to Lawrence by Craig Leener.

A sequel to the acclaimed This Was Never About Basketball, our protagonist is a bit older and wiser, but his heart still beats with every bounce of the basketball. Now the point guard for his college team, he may think he’s done with his extra-dimensional adventures, but his journey is only beginning.

Upon the death of his brother, Zeke’s reality begins coming apart at the seams, and it doesn’t help that not […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-12-20T08:11:58+02:00November 4th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Shackles and More Gripping Tales by James Hanna

Shackles and More Gripping Tales by James Hanna Digging into the intimacies of life, with an authentic and striking voice, author James Hanna has curated an excellent collection of tightly edited stories in Shackles and More Gripping Tales. Cutting into the heart of the American experience, ranging from teenage angst to the pain of losing those you have loved, these stories swing from heart-wrenching to inspiring, demonstrating his great flexibility and empathy as a writer.

Set in different times and places, this collection moves at a quick pace, and each story is distinctly separate. Some stories tackle social issues from a more philosophical angle, such as “USA,” […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-11-04T07:15:55+02:00November 3rd, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Corporate Undertaker by Domenic Aversa

Corporate Undertaker by Domenic Aversa

For those readers seeking an inside look at the downfall of business giants, as well as the slow fizzle of smaller companies, Corporate Undertaker: Business Lessons from the Dead and Dying by author and crisis manager Domenic Aversa offers a savage peek behind the corporate curtain.

With big business taking such center stage in the power dynamics of politics and the daily news, it is easy to forget that the majority of businesses still fail, a point that the author makes early on in the book. More than 50% of businesses fail in the first five years, while 70% are […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-06T09:56:54+02:00November 3rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Business Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: After Olympus by Santiago Xaman

After Olympus by Santiago Xaman

Dabbling in mysticism, quasi-fiction, conspiracy theories, shadowy geopolitics and a healthy dose of mystery, After Olympus by author Santiago Xaman spans a broad and bizarre gamut of genres, making this an undeniably unique read in an age of carbon-copy thrillers.

The book is largely told directly from the mind of the apparent author, Santiago Xaman, with the novel presented as unearthed journal entries and scraps of memory. A screed of truth from a time in the past, these pages bear a secret that stretches from the 1960s to the modern day and beyond.

A downed Soviet spycraft bearing three mysterious […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-12-11T08:49:10+02:00October 31st, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|