New Releases | Self-Publishing Review

Destiny Control by David Garrahan

Evidence that truth is often more incredible than fiction, Destiny Control by David Garrahan is the spectacular memoir of a dauntless, determined, and extraordinary life.

Spanning eight decades, and capturing the atmosphere and energy of generations past, Garrahan vulnerably reveals the riveting details of his challenging childhood on the streets of New York, an identity-forging adolescence, and a truly exceptional adulthood. From the colloquial buzz of Brooklyn to the ring of Russian curses in the Pennsylvania countryside, Garrahan’s tumultuous life is anything but predictable. Chapter breaks peppered with old photographs give readers an even better sense of the author – […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-01T05:21:17+02:00March 31st, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Bodies: A Romantic Bloodbath by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev

Bodies: A Romantic Bloodbath by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev Moses Yuriyvich Mikheye delivers a thrilling and gruesome slice of techno fiction with his newest novel, Bodies: A Romantic Bloodbath.

Driven to the edge of madness by rejection, Vince Nilsson cooks up a deviant and deadly scheme – to clone his ex-lover and genetically tweak her into the perfect partner. This story is like Pygmalion meets American Psycho, and as the scope of this villainous protagonist’s power grows, so too do the ominous undertones of the story. From a twisted high school experiment to a globe-spanning crisis that threatens to topple royal empires, this futuristic thriller is unforgettable, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-19T07:39:48+02:00March 19th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|

Museum Exhibit by Tom Brown

Museum Exhibit by Tom Brown Experimenting with form, content, and emotion, Museum Exhibit by Tom Brown is a surprising, probing collection that runs the gamut from classical odes to modern free verse.

Some of these delicately penned poems resemble snapshot musings of cultures and older times from around the world, flowing smoothly between the Middle East examined in “Pashmina,” to the simple homage of “Philadelphia Highboy,” and the sound of “Virginia’s Violin” in the echoing beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.

Nature, emotion, and philosophy also blend freely in these pieces, as in the poet’s natural worship in “Wildflowers,” with their “exquisite fine art perfuming in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-09T05:29:27+02:00March 9th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Nick’s New Heart by Susan May

Nick's New Heart by Susan May Author Susan May delivers a heartwarming and powerful account of her son’s incredible journey of survival in Nick’s New Heart: 30 Years and Counting…

This stirring memoir is a testament to love, resilience in the face of life’s challenges, and the power of faith that fuels this compelling and compassionate family. The first half of the book largely covers the trauma and perpetual anxiety of Nick’s uncertain first year of life after heart transplantation, painfully penned through the eyes of his watchful mother. Capturing that amount of grief and worry in prose is daunting, but May is fearless in her […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-05T09:17:18+02:00March 4th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Health Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend by Jacob Paul Patchen

Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend by Jacob Paul Patchen Jacob Paul Patchen transports readers to a smoky and unexpected American battlefield in Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend, a bold YA American dystopia.

After the attack came the invasion, when the men, women and teens were scooped up by black-fatigued men and shipped off to prison camps. The children left behind, however, have found a way to survive, and a leader to follow. Young James is not only an excellent storyteller, but also a fierce warrior, a natural survivor, and a pretty good leader, especially because he never expected to be at war as a 12-year-old in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-15T09:55:50+02:00February 15th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

A Collection of Four by Frank C. Senia

A Collection of Four by Frank C. Senia Frank C. Senia presents a quartet of thought-provoking novellas in Collection of Four, a well-balanced and memorable collection. From the insightful observations of a career barman to an old man discovering the existential crisis of age, this collection takes readers on a powerful exploration of life, love, meaning, and mortality.

“The Visions of Antonio” is a kaleidoscopic ride through the alcohol-soaked and story-filled mind of a bartender, one who has lost more than his fair share in life, but is too often stuck on the listening side of the bar. This romantic and heart-wrenching novella ends with a twist […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-07-06T02:52:47+02:00February 14th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Short Stories Book Reviews|

Headless 1776 by Tom Schneider

Headless 1776 by Tom Schneider A haunting origin story, Headless 1776 by Tom Schneider is a wildly imaginative YA novel for those who love a good mix of fact and fiction.

A young boy named Elijah loses his last real connection to family on the way to a new life during the early years of the Revolutionary War. What he encounters in his new home leads to a riveting and unexpectedly good ghost story. This occasionally gory and fast-paced piece of historical fiction is engaging from the first page, as readers are introduced to a savage mercenary who has since become a headless legend, thanks […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-10T08:03:52+02:00February 10th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Horror Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Book Endings by Syntell Smith

Book Endings by Syntell Smith Workplace drama, emotional tragedy, and the winding roads of reconciliation abound in Book Endings: A Call Numbers Novel by Syntell Smith.

Following on the heels of this series’ first installment, readers once again find Robin Walker in the surprisingly dramatic muddle of mid-90s life in New York City. Despite the traditionally quiet atmosphere of a library, Robin’s world is packed with opinionated and argumentative peers who add color, conflict, and energy to this character-driven workplace drama. Managing the emotional exhaustion of his declining grandfather, navigating the patchwork alliances and fleeting loyalties among his colleagues, and even testing the waters of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-08T08:18:12+02:00February 8th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|