John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: A Rakista’s 90s Mixtapes by Danna Rose

A Rakista's 90s Mixtapes by Danna Rose

Author Danna Rose delivers a spot-on dive into the struggle of teenage life in the Philippines with her first novel, A Rakista’s 90s Mixtapes. What begins as a youthful fling of garage band aspirations becomes the real deal, with real consequences, record deals, broken hearts, and a surprising number of dramatic twists.

Evie is like many other protagonists of heartfelt coming-of-age novels, but also incredibly unique, accurately referenced as an “odd boy.” The foundational loss of her father shapes her character in countless ways, most obviously her obsession with all things related to music. How that love and loss are […]

Review: A Disturbing Nature by Brian Lebeau

A Disturbing Nature by Brian Lebeau

A deep, character-driven mystery, A Disturbing Nature by Brian LeBeau is a patient maze of a novel, leading readers on a grim journey through suspicion, murder, and obsession.

Mo is a quiet and mysterious young man with a mind that never caught up to his impressive size, and a lifetime of taunts and tragedies that never leave him. Even as he starts a new chapter at Bryant College as a groundskeeper, where for the first time “independence is not equated with exile,” the jagged pieces of his past are impossible to leave behind. Unfortunately, new surroundings don’t mean an end […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-05T05:38:04+02:00August 4th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Perpetual Gloom by Shelah A. Johnson

Perpetual Gloom by Shelah A. Johnson The start of an epic saga of one American family, Perpetual Gloom by Shelah A. Johnson is a vivid portrait of Depression-era history, and the launch pad for The Boloney Trail trilogy.

Detailing the struggles of the Hornbeck family as they navigate treacherous years of poverty and desperation, JC and Martha are the family’s resilient backbone, while Monroe and Wyatt are the wily young ones learning the meaning of survival. From Arkansas, Louisiana, and Denver to Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, the interwoven stories of these characters are snapshots of wandering lifestyles and the sheer willpower to keep going. Peppered […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-04T02:38:32+02:00August 4th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Beating Insomnia by Stephen Altschuler, M.Ed.

Beating Insomnia by Stephen Altschuler Stephen Altschuler, M.Ed. tackles the frustrating topic of insomnia and sleep struggles with his exhaustively researched and compelling new book, Beating Insomnia: A No-Nonsense Way to Natural Sleep.

Part memoir and part sleep guide, Altschuler welcomes readers into the sleepless recesses of his own experience with insomnia as a result of cancer, while also providing a wealth of resources and mental frameworks to address and overcome common sleep issues, whatever the cause. Despite the unique aspect of a memoir, Altschuler’s approaches to addressing his own insomnia could be applied to anyone’s experience, and many elements of the book are […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-02T08:04:44+02:00August 2nd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Health Book Reviews|

No Sanctuary by Camden Mays

A high-stakes extraction thriller with a compelling, freshly haunted hero at the helm, No Sanctuary by Camden Mays is the third gripping installment of the Cole Cameron Thriller series. After returning to the scene of his most recent trauma, it isn’t long before Cole is meeting with Mossad agents, infiltrating hostile territory, dealing out death, and pushing his own limits, both physically and psychologically. Reading like a behind-the-scenes scoop on espionage fieldwork, this is a captivating burst of fiction, penned with the tension of a noir drama, and the fast-paced payoffs of modern revenge thrillers.

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John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-03T04:36:00+02:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Where the River Runs Deep by Lynne Handy

A probing novel with a touch of the paranormal, Where the River Runs Deep by Lynne Handy is a stunning story of violent truths clashing with long-hidden hate, exposing the scarred soul of America, both past and present. Maria is a striking protagonist, blending her deep belief in people, a love of poetry, and a freshly damaged heart. As she digs into the mysteries hidden in the death of her brilliant student, and the lost-in-time town she’s temporarily calling home, Maria finds far more visceral terrors on the outer banks of North Carolina. Handy has a quick and unpredictable style […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-01T09:09:15+02:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Dreamslayers by J.W. Webb

Dreamslayers by J.W. Webb

J.W. Webb weaves a masterful standalone fantasy with Dreamslayers, the newest installment in the expansive Legends of Ansu series. Spinning the worlds of two master warriors into a deadly orbit, this story immerses readers in an unstable world of magic, ever-changing allegiances, power struggles, and the mystical pull of destiny.

When Tulomon Caze suddenly reappears in his daughter’s life, desperate and damaged, the pair must go into hiding from a host of sinister enemies. The powerful Yanturi has eradicated their family and seized their land and possessions. This deadly coup is only the beginning, as there are other powers […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-01T05:24:46+02:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Bravely and Faithfully by Edward M. Hochsmann

Bravely and Faithfully by Edward Hochsmann A third high-seas thriller from the creative mind of Edward M. Hochsmann, Bravely and Faithfully adds stormy new flavor to his Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series.

The fearless crew is tackling another covert mission near the Bahamas, in the aftermath of a violent storm, fresh off another heroic rescue. This time around, there is a new CO at the helm, and Captain Reardon’s introduction is a character shift that shakes up the bonds between crew members to keep the interpersonal dynamic fresh. Whether they are protecting the integrity of NASA rocket launches, intercepting high-payload drug drops, or acting as getaway […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-01T03:35:28+02:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|