Helen Chenaf | Self-Publishing Review

Review: When It Rained at Hembry Castle by Meredith Allard

★★★★★

Meredith Allard describes her usual style as “Historical Fiction with a Twist.” This should give any readers new to her work a good clue as to what to expect from her latest novel, When It Rained at Hembry Castle.

Set in Victorian England, the story follows the fortunes of an aristocratic family who are left holding the fort when the 8th Earl of Staton dies. In contrast to them, Edward Ellis – the unlikely hero of the story – is an aspiring writer in the mold of a young Charles Dickens (and incidentally his grandparents happen to be […]

Helen Chenaf2016-04-27T04:00:17+02:00April 6th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction|

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: Essays, Humor, Pamela Capone|

Review: The World We Left Behind by John R. Morris

John Morris needs a change in his life. His relationship ends, and his job bores him witless. He is searching for something to fill the gap. Could a life-affirming hike along the Appalachian Trail’s 2000-plus miles be the answer? Inspired by his father’s experience of having hiked a stretch of the now legendary trail (and wanting to achieve something he felt his father would be proud of), he sets off with all the necessary – and unnecessary – equipment. The result is an exhilarating experience that begins in Volume One of his account of a personal journey: The World We […]

Helen Chenaf2019-02-11T09:55:06+02:00March 7th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir, Travel|

Review: Fixed by Doug Piotter

★★★★

Doug Piotter’s memoir, Fixed: dope sacks, dye packs and the long welcome back, is an eye-opening account of the author’s dysfunctional and seemingly hopeless existence as a young man. Fueled by almost every illegal substance known to man, he stumbles through bank robberies, drug rehab, and has many encounters with a whole host of crazy characters. When he starts his “long welcome back,” his tale turns into a positive one and he embarks on the beginning of a life of hope and productivity.

With no conventional parental guidance to speak of, Piotter quickly slides down a very slippery […]

Helen Chenaf2016-03-24T07:51:08+02:00February 29th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Addiction, Memoir, Non-Fiction|

Review: Everyone Versus Everyone by Arthur Jay

★★★★

Welcome to the world of courtroom drama with a difference – Arthur Jay takes on the state of modern life in his satirical novella Everyone Versus Everyone. In this thought-provoking and humorous tale, Jay ponders the question: if everyone was on trial for making a mess of the world, what would happen? If everyone took on everyone in court, how could things possibly be resolved – and would the trial make a difference? Diverse members of the public are plucked from their everyday pursuits to appear on the witness stand for the prosecution or sit on the jury, and […]

Helen Chenaf2019-01-22T15:36:48+02:00February 27th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Satire|

Review: Soundscape by Royce Flippin

★★★★½

Soundscape by Royce Flippin is a smart fast-paced thriller, set against an unlikely backdrop of great rock music and shifting political tension. Homeland Security and the Culture Hygiene Police bring to mind George Orwell’s legendary dystopian world. However, the year is not 1984 but 2024, and here you can be arrested simply for possessing illegal rock music recordings. The threat of nuclear war has enabled a corrupt government to take hold, and the future appears to rest on the shoulders of physicist Blake Hawkes and his allies.

From the get-go, Flippin grabs the reader’s attention, with a flowing written […]

Helen Chenaf2016-03-04T06:15:17+02:00February 16th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Music, Science Fiction|

Review: Stealing from Isis by Erik Mackenzie

★★★½

Erik Mackenzie’s fictional short story Stealing from Isis tells of ex-SAS Brit Richard’s adventure in wartorn Northern Iraq. He is hired to locate ancient Persian treasures that have been hidden underground for over a thousand years. His mission takes him deep into ISIS territory, using his drone ‘Hornet’ to recover the treasure and keep it safe. Richard, a self proclaimed ‘action junkie,’ is aided by French comrade Charles, and the Kurdish warriors Diyako and his daughter Jiyan. But the mission is not all it seems, and they are double-crossed.

The story gets off to an interesting start – the […]

Helen Chenaf2016-03-04T03:43:16+02:00February 8th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Short Stories|