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.

Review: The Push Back by Lawrence Clayton

The Push Back by Lawrence Clayton

Boldly addressing hot-button issues that have long divided America, The Push Back by Lawrence Clayton offers a clarion call for the rejection of recent shifts in political, social, biological, and ethical thought. A starkly partisan collection of contemporary essays, this grouping of unabashed op-eds tackles everything from critical race theory and liberal media bias to white fragility, affirmative action, and cancel culture.

While claiming the title of academic and historian might suggest an impartiality in the reporting of facts, the author’s biases are immediate, relentless, and fully embraced. Not only does this text attempt to rewrite, whitewash, reframe, or eradicate […]

2023-03-20T17:18:55+02:00February 7th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

The Serpent Underneath by Julie A. Fragoules

The Serpent Underneath by Julie A. Fragoules

A frightening novel about America’s potential future, The Serpent Underneath by Julie A. Fragoules is a grim prophecy of societal collapse, and a rough-cut vision of what chaos might follow. Driven by a three-dimensional cast of familiar characters – selfless social warriors, manipulative power-mongers, incompetent politicians, and bedfellows of desperation – the post-apocalyptic narrative borders on allegorical, for a powerfully written literary warning. Further strengthening the prose is Fragoules’ masterful ear for dialogue, as well as her clear fluency in social, political, ecological, and philosophical issues, both current and imminent, resulting in a prescient and engrossing work of speculative fiction.[…]

2023-02-07T14:06:43+02:00February 7th, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: This May Be Difficult to Read by Claire N. Rubman, PhD

This May Be Difficult to Read by Claire N. Rubman

Author Claire N. Rubman, PhD presents a revolutionary new take on a fundamental facet of childhood development in This May Be Difficult to Read: But You Really Should (for your child’s sake). The shocking fact that 42 million Americans are functionally illiterate in 2023 means that this book is more critical than ever, especially for those with the responsibility to teach.

As Rubman quickly explains, learning to read and learning to comprehend are two very different things, though they are often grouped together. She astutely separates these ideas, highlighting the reasons behind the growing rift between them, and offers […]

2023-02-07T14:36:41+02:00February 7th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

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|
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