John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Epiphany’s Gift by Mallory M. O’Connor

Epiphany's Gift by Mallory M. O'Connor

Any reader of popular fiction knows that underestimating the unlikely heroine is never a good idea, and this is poignantly restated in Epiphany’s Gift, a timely thriller by Mallory M. O’Connor.

Epiphany Mayall stands in the center of this story, while a storm of corporate corruption, spiritual energy, betrayal, climate change and grief swirl around her. Returning to Ohio to see her nonagenarian mother, Epiphany must face the difficult past she left behind so long ago, but this time with the wisdom of age.

Epiphany has known she was special since birth – always able to read the energies […]

On the Occasion of a Wedding by Ollie Bowen

On the Occasion of a Wedding is a love-infused collection of poetry written by Ollie Bowen for two of her friends, as the title implies, on the occasion of their wedding. Broken up into four parts, this is an exquisite exploration of love and pain, fear for the future, and recycling of the past.

A heartfelt and subtly tender collection, there is a sense of intimacy behind every word. “Quanta Qualia” is a particularly haunting meditation on reality after love that must be read twice, while “Tears of the Poet” expresses the act of love between artists in a way […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-08T05:33:31+02:00May 7th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: The Fractured Mind by Ottavio Lepore

The Fractured Mind by Ottavio Lepore

As the old saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Ryan Stark learns that in the hardest way possible in The Fractured Mind, a tense and gripping new novel by Ottavio Lepore.

What begins as a harmless getaway spirals into a desperate fight for survival and sanity as Ryan discovers that not every good samaritan wants nothing in return. A tragic car accident sends him and his partner from the throes of a weekend trip into the intensive care unit, and Ryan’s life is turned upside down in an instant.

Facing a long […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-07T09:49:40+02:00May 4th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

High Flying by Kaylin McFarren

High Flying, the bold novel by acclaimed author Kaylin McFarren, elevates the time travel genre to new heights – literally. It boasts an instantly engaging protagonist in the persona of Skylar Haines, a volatile powerhouse of a character with an adrenaline addiction and a dark, troubled past.

While flying a plane in one of her daredevil acts, Skylar Haines barely manages to make a safe landing during a terrifying storm, but soon realizes she has somehow slipped back in time. Faced with the prospect of being able to change her family’s past, Skylar must reckon with the timeless conundrum […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-31T04:30:58+02:00May 2nd, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews, Time Travel Book Reviews|

Strange Days by Sharon Mikeworth

A grim, compelling tale of survival, Strange Days by Sharon Mikeworth takes a fresh angle on apocalyptic fiction.

When a mysterious illness springs up and tears across America, young Skye Cassidy’s life begins to crumble around her. Her parents fall victim to the disease, as do her various other short-lived allies and friends – Charlene, Liz and Chris – leaving her truly alone, teetering on the edge of suicidal thoughts and deep existential depression. However, her determination to live is rekindled, even if her sanity hangs by a thread.

This is a book highlighting the loneliness of the human experience, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-02T07:42:19+02:00May 1st, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Enemy Immortal by Jim Meeks-Johnson

Enemy Immortal by Jim Meeks-Johnson

Two centuries in the future, our world will look very different, but hopefully it won’t turn out anything like the vision Jim Meeks-Johnson’s presents in Enemy Immortal, his debut work of science fiction.

Two alien empires – the Entanglement and the Immoral Ascendency – are vying for control of the galaxy, and the fate of Earth may hang in the balance. Lieutenant Jade Mahelona works for the Solar Defense Force, and is tasked with investigating a lost colony on a distant world with a motley crew of bizarre companions. Little do any of them know that they are placing […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-09-14T07:29:22+02:00April 30th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Space Opera Book Reviews|

Broken Monarch by Tom Schneider

There are countless novels inspired by government conspiracy theories, and the most famous may be MK-Ultra, a CIA program that created highly trained sleeper agents. Tom Schneider, author of Broken Monarch, writes with the passion of a true believer as he welcomes readers into a world of deception and assassination.

Glen, an unassuming chef, is also missing chunks of time in his memory, and it quickly becomes clear that his life has been tied up in a much larger conspiracy. With the imminent arrival of the First Lady of the United States, Glen must wrestle with the new revelation […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-10T06:00:32+02:00April 26th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|

The Persistence of Memory Book 3: The Beginning of Always by Karen Janowsky

The Persistence of Memory Book 3: The Beginning of Always by Karen Janowsky In Persistence of Memory Book 3: The Beginning of Always, Karen Janowsky delivers an unforgettable conclusion to what has been a tumultuous and entertaining series.

Daniel and Nina, fresh off their recent victory over the Concordance Group, are facing a lot of difficult new truths. Nina’s powers have been fully revealed, Daniel is wrestling with feelings of betrayal, and as their professional futures at WISE come into question, neither realize that their greatest challenge still lies ahead.

While the timelines of these two protagonists have been dancing around one another for two books, their pasts are set on a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-04-17T10:34:41+02:00April 16th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews, Superhero Book Reviews|