Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Sick as Our Secrets by Jim Christopher

The second title in the Utopian Testament series, Jim Christopher’s Sick as Our Secrets is an action-packed, white-knuckle blend of thriller and fantasy about an epic fight for the life of a boy with supernatural powers.

Hawk is a restrained and mysterious man, employed at Utopia Farms in the rural Texas countryside, a marijuana dispensary, which may be doing something shadier under the table. Hawk does what he can to keep the farm running smoothly, despite having to deal with inexperienced employees who are only in charge due to nepotism. Nearby, a strange woman named Irene and her disabled landlord, […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-02-15T07:52:53+02:00February 15th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: The Ferryman’s Toll (Hourglass Book 2) by Daniel James

Diving even deeper into an elite criminal echelon of New York City, as well as the dubious powers of a shadowy government agency tasked to deal with supernatural threats, The Ferryman’s Toll by Daniel James is a raucous and action-fueled sequel to Hourglass.

Rose Hadfield’s Intensive Scare Unit and the rest of the Hourglass gang once again come to blows with the Cairnwood Society and their devilish ambitions. The creepy cabal isn’t snatching souls from the realms of Erebus this time around, but they are creating a murderous battalion of super-powered assassins, which sets the stage for some epic […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-08T10:23:36+02:00February 7th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Daniel James, Paranormal, Science Fiction|

Review: Love Is… by Katharine M. Sweet

A refreshingly realistic and down-to-earth romance novel about a complicated pregnancy, Katharine M. Sweet’s debut book Love Is… is the compelling first title in an anticipated series about the Goodroe brothers.

Mat Goodroe is used to putting up with a lot from his ex-wife Natalie, but her most recent antics really take the cake. After an inappropriate one-night stand, Natalie attempts to get pregnant with Mat’s donation to a fertility clinic without his permission. Unfortunately, a frustrating mix-up at the clinic means that another woman is inseminated and pregnant with Mat’s baby – and not just any woman: Kassarah “Kass” […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-12-30T12:48:21+02:00February 4th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Katharine M. Sweet, Romance|

Review: Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation by Alice McVeigh

Harriet Smith boldly catapults herself into the delicate world of high society in Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation, another masterfully penned homage by Alice McVeigh. Youthful passions, fanciful romance, and shifting social dynamics make this an entertaining drama, a peek into the past, and a subtly modern treat.

Casting herself in the role of Emma Woodhouse’s protege, or live-in pet project, in an effort to move herself into a new sphere of society, Harriet cuts a strong, fearless, and authentic figure. Austen fans will be familiar with Emma’s character, from the novel of the same name, but this variation […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-03T05:42:59+02:00February 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Alice McVeigh, Historical Fiction|

Review: Amerlee and the Green Void by George Hudoba

Author George Hudoba holds nothing back in the chaotic cosmic opera, Amerlee and the Green Void, his latest novel from The Monarch in the Milky Way series. Captain Aa, Tata Crubon, Azure, Agent Sasha, Smith the immortal Emperor, the Toxic, and more return for this light-speed sequel to Agent Sasha, the first installation of the alternate reality sci-fi saga.

Picking up where the first book left off, readers are plunged right back into the action, as an elaborate two-pronged bank heist is executed to retrieve precious goods stolen by the Trust from the UNHL (United Nations of Humanlike […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-03T05:52:03+02:00February 2nd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction|

Review: Black, White, and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds

A riveting and eye-opening read for every American, Black, White, and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds is a powerful story of family, struggle, redemption, and resilience as a black police officer on the mean streets of Compton.

Recounting his life in emotional detail in the opening chapters, the author’s roots are revealed, as are the early struggles that led him towards a career in law enforcement. The majority of the book then details his decades on the force, delving into the nitty-gritty history of Compton street gangs and power structures, as well as the near-constant war being waged […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-27T04:41:58+02:00January 26th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Frederick Douglass Reynolds, Memoir|

Review: Bird of Passage by Dr. Nooshie Motaref

Bird of Passage by author Dr. Nooshie Motaref is a fascinating account of a woman born in Iran who moves through the world looking for love, spiritual healing, and an understanding of what has happened to her homeland.

Wherever Mitra goes, she finds adventure, insecurity, romance, danger and, at times, disappointment. Yet her inner strength remains honed to the tasks that face her. Her namesake, from Indo-Persian mythology, is a wise woman who speaks truth, “with a thousand ears…ten thousand eyes.” This fortitude will be especially needed, as when following the ascension to power of the Khomeini regime in Iran, […]

SPR2022-01-24T05:41:58+02:00January 23rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Dr. Nooshie Motaref, International Fiction|

Review: Hourglass by Daniel James

A genre-busting thriller from author Daniel James, Hourglass is an occult masterwork of tension and grit, layered with shadowy government agencies, demonic villains, baggage-laden ghosts, and an unlikely pair of comic book heroes.

Clyde Williams is holding it together as best he can, despite struggling to finish his comic book, wrestling with the recent murder of his roommate Kev, and then navigating Kev’s ghostly return to the apartment from beyond the grave. However, when an Hourglass agent shows up at his door, inviting them both to join a nebulous government cell dealing with “post-life entities,” it’s clear that life is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-20T07:14:31+02:00January 19th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Paranormal, Thriller|