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.

Children of the Gods by Konrad Koenigsmann

Children of the Gods by Konrad KoenigsmannA clever and creative origin story, Children of the Gods by Konrad Koenigsmann presents another potential explanation for humanity’s origins in an expansive and erudite work of fiction.

After popping from a timeless void, a greater being bred his assistants, gods in all but name, who in turn designed humanity as one of many experiments. However, when those humans manage to escape into reality, they must wrestle with the philosophical weight of existence, as well as the knowledge that they were never meant to be real.

Koenigsmann takes a new angle on ancient mythology, with unruly children eventually betraying their […]

Review: The Divine Dream by Christopher Schmitt

The Divine Dream by Christopher Schmitt

In The Divine Dream, author Christopher Schmitt finds a new – and quite brilliant – take on life and death. The novel explores the breaking point between science and faith, while also offering the author’s personal reconciliation between these two complex, dynamic subjects.

After suffering from an inexplicable collapse and tragically dying, young Apollo, the spiritual protagonist of this story, enters a strange realm between life and death, where souls and spirits mix and mingle – a waiting room after leaving the world of the living, which also acts as a time-bending training ground. While years of spiritual enlightenment […]

2018-05-30T12:10:35+02:00May 29th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Interflow of Things by Dave Dröge

Interflow of Things by Dave Dröge

In Interflow of Things, the new novel by Dave Dröge, humanity’s self-destructive tendencies are kept in check by a hyper-intelligent AI overlord, X.yy, for a frightening vision of a possible future.

By dividing up society into four categories – leaders, hard workers, creatives, and useless members of society – artificial intelligence has designed an ideal reality for saving humans from themselves. However, as one can imagine, there are those who rebel against this robotic domination, and want desperately to unplug from the façade all around them.

While some elements seem derived from “The Matrix” and other popular sci-fi stories, […]

2018-10-11T10:53:39+02:00May 9th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Recall by R. Lawson

Recall by R. Lawson

The Vietnam War remains one of the most controversial and tumultuous times in American history, leaving a shadowy legacy that affects politics, culture, entertainment and art to this day. Author R. Lawson takes readers back into those confusing times in his new novel, Recall, which falls into the historical fiction genre, but is also deeply influenced by his own experiences in the war.

As with many novels and films about this period in history, the human element is the most engaging and heartbreaking aspect of the story, as readers are shown the devastating effects that war can have on […]

Review: Panther Across the Stars by Lon Brett Coon

Panther Across the Stars by Lon Brett Coon

The travesty of Native American history in the United States is well known, and is a common topic for authors and artists who seek literary – if not literal – justice for the past. In Panther Across the Stars, the debut novel by author Lon Brett Coon, this shadowy and shameful chunk of American history is depicted in a decidedly new way.

While Native American culture and lore overflows with mysticism and spirituality, Coon’s angle leans deeper into the science fiction genre. This novel tells the tale of one young Red Indian brave befriending three otherworldly visitors, and their […]

2018-05-09T10:46:28+02:00April 17th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Masculinity is Our Future by Tim Patten

Masculinity Is Our Future

In his new book, Masculinity is our Future, Tim Patten argues that the most fundamental ideas of being “a real man” remain critical to the future of society, but must also be dynamic and progressive. This book digs into the cultural and traditional definitions of masculinity, pointing out the toxic elements, but also reminding readers of its importance, for a well-rounded and provocative examination of gender dynamics.

Patten is not ashamed to be a man – far from it – and appreciates that many masculine traits have driven progress and success for thousands of years. That being said, he […]

2018-04-16T11:38:55+02:00April 15th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

The First Conception: Rise of Eris by Nesly Clerge

The First Conception: Rise of Eris

Envisioning the end of the world seems like a common pastime for modern writers, but Nesly Clerge takes a very different approach in his new novel, The First Conception: Rise of Eris. Humanity hasn’t been subjected to a zombie outbreak or devastating climate change, but rather the inability to reproduce – not so much as a mysterious malady, but as an act of revenge.

After a lifetime of being abused and disrespected – physically, emotionally, mentally, and professionally – and seeing it happen to other women across the world, Dr. Katherine Eris Barnes decides to take matters into her […]

2018-04-16T10:08:37+02:00April 14th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Lunacy and Death by Tom Dombrock

Lunacy and Death by Tom Dombrock

Outside of a personal tragedy or affliction, the average person rarely gets a deep look into the complexities of mortality and mental illness. However, in Lunacy and Death, the insightful new book Tom Dombrock, readers are welcomed into the author’s world, which has been defined by these challenging topics for decades.

As both a Psych Aide in a locked psychiatric ward and a technician in a Medical Examiner’s Office, Dombrock has seen more shattered realities than most people could ever imagine. This book is not a flashy or dramatic vision of a psych ward, à la One Flew Over […]

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