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.

Jane Austen Time Traveler by Rachel Dacus

Jane Austen Time Traveler by Rachel DacusCapturing the elegant yet tongue-in-cheek storytelling of the titular author herself, Jane Austen Time Traveler by Rachel Dacus is an enormously entertaining installment of the century-hopping Timegathering Series.

The manipulative and artist-eliminating Optimalists are at it again, this time attempting to rip out a key root of the feminist movement by erasing a legendary female writer from the canon. Thankfully, George St. James – gifted protector of the past – steps in to ensure that the world knows Jane Austen’s name, catapulting the aspiring writer two centuries into the future. A young Jane comes face to face with her […]

Review: Jitters by Chris Harmon

Jitters by Chris Harmon

Sampling from the truly strange world of Chris Harmon’s imagination, Jitters is an aptly named spook-fest of tales from a promising young writer.

A scary series of gritty snapshots and long-form stories, this is a collection that feels like it could be read around a campfire. From zombies in the basement and ravenous tigers to dangerously depressed wizards and cannibalistic substitute teachers, these fast-moving stories take childhood fears and blow them into extraordinary and entertaining proportions.

The frustrations, irritations, stressors, and paranoid delusions of teenagers are on proud display, along with a dastardly catalog of axe murderers, aliens, terrifying ice […]

2023-03-17T16:17:04+02:00February 2nd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Age of Conflict: Innocence Lost by Eric Lindsey

Age of Conflict: Innocence Lost by Eric M. Lindsey

A powerfully penned portrait of the past brought to life through the eyes of a remarkable young boy, Age of Conflict: Innocence Lost by Eric Lindsey is a striking glimpse into America’s scarred history. Wrestling with his own physical and emotional demons, Garit is a life-toughened but tender protagonist with youthful desires for an exciting future, but as the book’s title implies, innocence has little chance of survival in 1860s Virginia, as the fires of war began to burn. Written with meticulously crafted prose and dialogue that reveals class, culture, and character, this first installment of Lindsey’s ambitious series is […]

2023-02-01T13:44:32+02:00February 1st, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Rise (The Iron Fists Book 1) by Margot de Klerk

Rise by Margot de Klerk

A gritty and steamy post-apocalyptic novel where violence is king and trust is the rarest currency, Rise by Margot de Kerk is a hard-nosed opening to The Iron Fists series. Harley is a tough-as-nails bartender at the only hotel in a burned-out town, but when a charming and mysterious construction trader arrives, it doesn’t take long for the gossip to start flying. The chances for actual romance amidst societal collapse and a minefield of gang rivalries are far from good, but Harley is not one to back down from a challenge. Written with an intentionally rough and raw pen, where […]

2023-01-31T18:35:11+02:00January 31st, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Ties That Bind by Susan L. Markloff

The Ties That Bind by Susan L. Markloff

A riveting YA ride, The Ties That Bind by Susan L. Markloff is the globe-spanning second chapter of her Human-Born Era series. After defeating Cregorous with an ominous prophecy and seizing her foretold destiny, Jen must now connect with the other Human-Born hybrids scattered around the globe. However, the US government is hot on her trail, the ultimate motives of the mysterious Agerians remain suspect, and Jen still hasn’t tapped into the full depths of her power. With fast-moving action scenes and a colorful array of heroic young characters on bumpy journeys of self-discovery, this is an endlessly creative and […]

2023-01-24T16:21:41+02:00January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Fate (Karma and Fate Duet Book 2) by T. Kennington & C. Roth

Fate (Karma and Fate Duet Book 2) by T. Kennington and C. Roth

A gritty tale of revenge, lust, and the fight for freedom, Fate by T. Kennington and C. Roth is the enrapturing second piece of their Karma and Fate Duet. Rowan and Micah are done running after finding something worth fighting for in the sultry embrace of LA, setting the stage for a traumatic face-off with their respective demons. However, Micah knows very well how dangerous her past can be for those she loves, and as the circle of retribution closes, it’s only a matter of time before more blood is spilled. Despite some awkward dialogue and plot twists that […]

2023-01-20T11:53:43+02:00January 20th, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Energy Wars by Lionel Lazarus

Energy Wars by Lionel Lazarus

Intergalactic power struggles and a universe driven by the hunt for precious fuel, Lionel Lazarus dazzles readers with Energy Wars, the second and third parts of his Energy Exchange series.

Immensely powerful and ageless, but still able to be surprised, The Eight is returning to his home galaxy onboard the Hela, but finds that an unthinkable coup has occurred. His beloved companion, the supreme leader of the Overlords, is gone, and now The Sixth threatens the historic peace the Overlords had worked to achieve.

Having learned from past battles, The Eight knows to rely on brains, rather than brawn, […]

2023-01-23T17:51:04+02:00January 19th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Athens Ophelia The Partitioner: The Catalyst Lyrics by Zachary Aneiress

The Catalyst Lyrics by Zachary Aneiress

The perennially empowering hero for a new generation returns for another adventure in Athens Ophelia The Partitioner: The Catalyst Lyrics by Zachary Aneiress. After years of searching, Athens has finally found his tribe, a truly eclectic team of heroes, but amassing those forces of good only seems to encourage ghosts from the past to start hunting for revenge. Watching the Guardians of the Cosmos crystallize into a more functional team, rather than Athens always battling solo, makes for a nice shift in the series, and adds valuable depth to the lineup of characters. However, there is a consistent lack of […]

2023-01-18T16:01:45+02:00January 18th, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|
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