Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

Review: I Punched Myself in the Eye by Pamela Capone

Any readers out there who need a good belly laugh? Pamela Capone’s latest work I Punched Myself in the Eye is just the tonic for any reader looking for a fun book to pick up. This is a sparky collection of sketches drawn from everyday life: by turns hilarious, familiar, heart-warming and heart-rending. It’s a book the reader can dip into at leisure, enjoying the bite-sized chapters in any order. This is observational comedy in a very human style, and the reader (be they male or female) will surely find themselves laughing or crying out loud along with the author […]

Helen Chenaf2019-02-11T09:26:06+02:00March 7th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Humor|

Review: Happy Chasing Happy by Jerome Jay Isip

★★★★½ Happy Chasing Happy by Jerome Jay Isip

A vicious piece of prose – unique and powerful.

At the outset of this brutal and honestly painful story, the name of this book may seem misleading, to say the least. But the further along into the novel you dig, the title begins to make more sense. From the darkest depths of drug addiction, self-loathing, and listless living to the incredible heights of physical perfection, mental clarity, and self-fulfillment, this book is a true knockout, written with the patience and precision one would expect from a veteran novelist.

The intricacies of the professional MMA world may be a mystery […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-03-10T09:59:40+02:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Accidental Dad by Joshua McDowell

★★★★½ Accidental Dad by Joshua McDowell

A deeply personal and thorough perspective on life as a single father.

Every established system has its persistent flaws, regardless of how often or eagerly they’re pointed out. In Accidental Dad, Joshua McDowell presents his case against the treatment of single fathers in a tangled system seemingly designed to make them fail. McDowell takes readers through his story from start to finish, where he successfully joined the small percentage (6-11%) of single fathers who fought for custody and actually won. He offers this unique perspective in an unadulterated form, revealing his intimate details of teenage fatherhood, the pain of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-03-10T09:59:20+02:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews, Parenting Book Reviews|

Review: What Casts the Shadow? by Seth Mullins

★★★★½ Seth Mullins

What Casts the Shadow? (The Edge of the Known Book 1) by Seth Mullins is an introspective novel about Brandon Crane, a metal musician with a lot of hope for the future, but facing demons and darkness he must overcome. His band “Edge of the Known” are forging ahead, but Brandon’s negative thoughts, spurred on by an abusive father, threatens to make everything come crashing down, as the violent part of him is threatening to overtake his life. When Brandon meets a wise mentor, Saul, he might finally be able to put his life together.

What makes What Casts […]

Henry Baum2019-01-22T15:28:22+02:00February 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Men's Fiction Book Reviews, Music Book Reviews|

Review: Project Anan by Lionel Lazarus

★★★★

Project Anan by Lionel Lazarus is a compelling work of science fiction about two planets facing a crisis. On the one hand, the aliens called are facing an energy crisis of their own, while humans are facing an ecological crisis on Earth. The Anan are more than an alien race: they engineered the human race and so want to save us as well, and the question becomes if humans have enough sense of self-preservation to be able to work with creatures from another planet. Leaving Earth on a beat-up ship in search for a more hospitable home, humans may […]

Henry Baum2023-01-18T16:03:39+02:00February 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Devil’s Eye: Inception (Devil’s Eye Book 1) by James Bulu

★★★★

Devil’s Eye by James Bulu is a sci-fi story told through the retrospective narration of Josh, for reasons that the reader comes to know as the tale progresses. The youngest son of a mixed family, caught in the throes of religious inclination and familial expectations, the young Josh is gifted with an immense and confusing ability from a moment of great stress. When his hidden abilities are revealed to a friendly professor, Josh is enlisted in a secret government program in an effort to propel humanity into the stars. But Josh’s ability has seemingly more drawbacks than anything, and […]

Henry Baum2016-03-04T02:38:46+02:00February 22nd, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Labyrinth of Extremes: The Cam Gordon Chronicles by R.M. Gibson

★★★★ Labyrinth of Extremes

Labyrinth of Extremes: The Cam Gordon Chronicles, by R. M. Gibson, is a heartfelt story about life, love, and loss told from the perspective of a single father.

The Sixties are nearly over and Cam Gordon is on the precipice of some major life changes. Cam, a single father of two teenage boys, wants to find a wife and mom for his kids. But the divorced man isn’t willing to settle down with just any woman. He wants to find the perfect mate who’ll love him, take care of his boys, and not leave. But relationships aren’t the […]

T B Markinson2016-03-04T02:39:22+02:00February 22nd, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Romance Book Reviews|

Review: The House Guest by Deborah L. Norris

★★★★ The House Guest by Deborah L. Norris

The House Guest by Deborah L. Norris follows the life of Maggie Davis, a middle-aged widow living in a large Victorian home in 1950’s Nebraska with her daughter. The house also doubles as a bed and breakfast, so new boarders come in and out who gather around Maggie’s kitchen table for conversations about life and the latest gossip. As Maggie is still recovering from her husband’s tragic death, she has a lot to contend with in her own life, but she’s also a keen observer of her visitors. A scheme to swindle Maggie out of her property leads to […]