John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Yin and Yang of an Electrical Conductor by Jose Scaramanga

The Yin and Yang of an Electrical Conductor by Jose Scaramanga

A wild, mind-bending tale, The Yin and Yang of an Electrical Conductor proposes a fascinating world where one can have a chat with an eminent scholar from the Age of Reason, or a holy man from thousands of years ago. While the title of the novel might sound like it belongs to a daunting textbook, this is actually a wildly imaginative sci-fi novella that eliminates the boundaries of space and time in search of existential truth, and shares a good bit of knowledge about physics along the way.

In this oddly charming adventure, readers are taken from Neolithic times to […]

Shifting Sands (A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story) by Ray Keating

Shifting Sands by Ray Keating

Pastor Steven Grant always manages to find himself in the middle of a thriller, and author Ray Keating has created yet another complicated plot for his favorite protagonist in Shifting Sands.

Although considerably shorter than many of this series’ full-length novels, this quick read features Pastor Grant and a cadre of his old friends taking in the sights of an outdoor volleyball tournament with a deadly secret. As is so often the case with Keating’s hero, it isn’t going to be a peaceful getaway for the intrepid holy man, not with a terrorist plot brewing amidst the sun and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-11-28T11:39:43+02:00November 28th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Farewell to Follies by Xingu Fawcett

Farewell to Follies by Xingu Fawcett

Farewell to Follies establishes Xingu Fawcett as a formidable short story writer with a firm finger on the pulse of human nature, as well as the natural world.

These stories vary wildly in their subject matter, but the underlying themes are universal – wrestling with death, balancing nature and the city, exploring unknown places, and the long-term impact of trauma. With an artful, yet sensitive approach to these intense issues, the stories are both harrowing and heartwarming. Fawcett understands the dynamic nature of life, and effortlessly embodies characters from different times, social backgrounds and life paths.

What is immediately noticeable […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T10:30:54+02:00November 20th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: The Departing (The End Time Saga Book 4) by Daniel Greene

The Departing (The End Time Saga Book 4) by Daniel Greene

Having read this series from the beginning, one can expect something approaching greatness in Daniel Greene’s writing, and he does not disappoint with The Departing, the fourth installment of his End Times Saga. The stakes have been consistently raised throughout the course of this series, and the characters have traveled on impressive and well-planned plot arcs, revealing a talented writer and a body of work clearly conceived with a passion for the genre.

The world is still in chaos as the dead mindlessly push back the ranks of the living, threatening to exterminate humanity as we know it. However, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-21T09:36:36+02:00November 19th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Zombie Fiction Book Reviews|

The Unkillables by J. Boyett

Blending genres is a popular approach in modern literature, as these fusions have endless potential for new revelation, so clearly shown in The Unkillables, a surprising dark horse of a novel that pits cavemen against zombies, with a few time travelers thrown in for good measure.

Gash-Eye and Chert stand at the center of this strange story – she a clever Neanderthal prisoner, and he a stubborn Cromagnon ruler, bound by a child and their determination to survive in a rapidly changing world of zombies and death. Romance takes a distant backseat to the action of the tale, but […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-21T09:36:44+02:00November 16th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Zombie Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Demon Heart by David Crane

Demon Heart by David Crane

Thrillers set in far-flung locales hold extra appeal for those readers looking for an exciting escape, and the exotic, unbelievable nature of Demon Heart, a new novel by David Crane, certainly fits that bill. Similar to the author’s earlier work, this novel is an intense, chaotic and brilliantly executed story that dances on the edge of reality.

Naoko Kitamura is a rough-around-the-edges cop on the streets of Osaka with a dark family secret. A creature of Japanese tradition and mythology, she is a demon hybrid, capable of unleashing incredible powers when she needs to. However, she is also half-human, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-09T10:49:12+02:00November 14th, 2018|Categories: Book Excerpt|Tags: Urban Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Raised on Rock by Thomas Drago

Raised on Rock by Thomas Drago

Anyone who has ever set a personal dream aside understands the pain and nagging doubt that can come along with such a decision. Youthful ambition drives us to pursue even our most outlandish hopes, but as the years pass, those old possibilities dwindle and narrow, even if we hate to admit it. In Raised on Rock, a novel by Thomas Drago, this challenging shift in reality is explored in stark detail.

Dante Rose has been enthralled by rock and roll since he was young, and chased that rocker lifestyle for years through small-town North Carolina with his band Thorn[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-03T12:19:40+02:00November 7th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Music Book Reviews|

Undead: A Max Ahlgren Novel (Crucible Book 2) by Ryan A. Aslesen

Undead: A Max Ahlgren Novel Undead, the new novel by Ryan A. Aslesen, and the second in the Crucible series, is a refreshing take on zombie fiction in a crowded genre.

Max Alghren narrowly escaped in Alaska when he first crossed paths with the alien life form that could threaten all of humanity. When he is presented with a way to uncover the truth about his painful past, he once again puts his life on the line and leaps into the alien fray, this time in North Korea, with even higher stakes and more unbelievable monsters.

With graphic and gruesome descriptions, terrifying creatures, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-21T11:30:48+02:00November 2nd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Zombie Fiction Book Reviews|