SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Melvin Ritkin bills himself as an IT professional who serves the rich and famous of Los Angeles. In reality, he’s a fleecing grifter who uses countless online personas to spread fake news and influence popular perceptions about clients. After starting a tempestuous relationship with an adult film star and agreeing to manipulate the reputation of an abusive director, Melvin will have to […]
This collection is an acknowledgment of struggle, a tour de force of vulnerability, and a celebration of life’s arcing flow. There is a gritty, matter-of-fact feel to Bourne’s early pieces, but the tone matures along with the writer as she moves through her own scattered memoir. From her youthful thieving antics and teenage chambermaid duties to Mexican road trips and cigars on the Mag Mile, the first half of this collection sparks with energy and potential in every direction. The flash […]
A doctor on the edge of a species-changing breakthrough and the twin sister of a Saudi prince are an unlikely pair, and their deviant tryst is doomed from the start. Jordan’s work in the field of genetic manipulation and cloning puts her in bed with Afghani nationalists, and when the crown prince dies under mysterious circumstances, Saleh is forced to take his place in the royal spotlight. Presenting a behind-the-scenes look at the dangerous nexus […]
When their parents abruptly move the family out of state, the siblings’ grand summer plans are ruined. However, they soon meet a pinecone-slinging friend, Kip Yotter, who is eager to find adventure, and maybe a bit of trouble. The new friends find a tree stump that allows them to travel back in time, and the siblings’ lives are shaken up once again, despite their resistance to change. The temptation of living in the rustic past collides with […]
With her incredible power of foresight keeping them one step ahead of anti-magic officers determined to exterminate her kind, Prue and her brother Everett have been on the run for years. Picking up powerful new allies along the way, their journey takes them back to the fiery depths of the Underworld, and into the heart of the Occult’s power, to cut off its sinister […]
Not only focused on giving an expert toast, the easy-to-follow steps in Toast are also aimed at giving a speech to a variety of audiences, including weddings, retirements, birthdays, awards, and promotions. Rice gives the reader a fantastic 7-day writing system that starts with brainstorming, moving on to formatting for the type of speech, rehearsal techniques, and ending with a completed speech, emphasizing that […]
This installment finds the Little Rock CSI protagonist called to a murder scene in a hotel where a note asks for her by name. When she realizes the murder victim is a private investigator she knew seven years back in Jasper when she was attacked, things get very strange. As Parker delves into the evidence, she finds herself being triggered, remembering details of her own experience that might just help with the current case.[…]
Balancing experimental rhyme schemes and free verse poems with traditional patterns and melodic bursts of language, the breadth of Tiess’ technical skill is impressive. Meticulous in his meter and self-imposed structures, it is clear how much curation and editing has gone into every line of this collection. The imagery ranges from predictable and iconic to radically creative and clever, but the rhythmic flow of word choice stands out as the most exceptional element.
Broken into seven […]