Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Love, Time is Gone by Joseph Bartley Haltom III

In Love, Time is Gone, a new collection of poetry by Joseph Bartley Haltom III, loneliness and heartbreak are encapsulated in raw and powerful verse. Written for a long-lost love, April, a woman whom he has not encountered for many years, this book is weighted down by pain and regret, yet there are also some moments of hope that sporadically push through.

Saudade is a Portuguese word, commonly used in Brazil, that represents the feeling of nostalgia, longing, or desire for something that has been lost. There is no direct translation of this word in English, nor does it appear […]

SPR2019-03-11T12:28:13+02:00January 15th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry|

Review: Unlocking the Natural-Born Leader’s Abilities by Salar A. Khan, MD, MBA

A successful example of what he wishes to convey, award-winning author Salar Khan uses his own life as an illustration of what constitutes leadership in Unlocking the Natural-Born Leader’s Abilities: An Autobiographical Exposé. Carefully presenting an objective picture, Khan shares his own memories to demonstrate the sorts of qualities a natural-born leader (NBL) would have, both innately and from training and experience.

Khan’s early life was rigorous: His parents were forced to migrate from India to Pakistan a few years before he was born, and six of his eleven siblings died by the age of four. When he was […]

SPR2019-01-22T10:28:25+02:00January 8th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Business, Leadership, Non-Fiction, Salar A. Khan|

Review: Butterfly Hill (A Matthys Rossouw Pursuit Book 2) by Brendan Le Grange

Combining global conspiracies, powerful ancient weapons and complex, unknowable motives, Butterfly Hill is a skillfully penned piece of suspense from Brendan Le Grange. Following on from his debut book, Drachen, this second installment can stand alone, although reading the first book will provide quite a bit more character backstory for the key players, including Hiko, Matthys and Gu.

Unlike many other “good cop chases bad guy” stories, the lines of morality are far from clear in this novel, and in fact, it’s difficult not to like the bad guy, despite his psychopathic tendencies. Hiko Shimuzu may be the antagonist, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T10:29:03+02:00December 18th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller|

Review: Practicing Mindful Living by Dr. Debra Webb

In Practicing Mindful Living: A 365-Day Workbook for Mindfulness Practitioners, Dr. Debra Webb offers poetry, meditations and consultation to foster awareness each day of the calendar year.

A blend of self study and sage advice, Webb’s book presents a special, intentional guide to activities and concepts that can aid the thoughtful reader determining the overall tenor of his or her day. The entries begin with a short, directed poem. Here is an example, the entry for February 19th:

Wobbling down the sidewalk,
Ponytail flying behind her
Determined to master
Peddling and steering
Together
Fall after fall
She asks for

[…]

SPR2019-01-22T10:29:31+02:00December 17th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry, Self-Help|

Review: The Bible in a Nutshell by Dele Babalola

A scientist and a Christian, Dele Babalola has composed a book of Biblical analysis directed towards those of his faith and any others who want to share in the blessings of the coming end times in his treatise The Bible in a Nutshell: An Invaluable Aid to Understanding Creation, Life, The Rapture, End Times, Death and The Afterlife.

Beginning at the creation of all life, Babalola points out correctly that science is still baffled over the precise way the universe came into being. He examines the many theories – Big Bang, primordial soup – yet none of these show […]

SPR2019-01-22T10:30:00+02:00December 14th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Dele Babalola, Religion|

Review: Devel Django: A Dark Wave Journey by D.S. Quinton

Seeking the ultimate answers to where we came from and why life exists can set a brilliant foundation for any suspenseful novel, and author D.S. Quinton does just that with Devel Django: A Dark Wave Journey. Brilliantly melding elements of sci-fi futurism with ancient significance, alien life and the evolution of humanity, this book is difficult to put down in a way that will stay with you long after reading.

When a meteor storm strikes in the mountains of Italy, the unfortunately named Dr. Brad Bradley, happens to be in the right place at the right time. As a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-12-05T12:12:38+02:00December 3rd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction|

Review: Farewell to Follies by Xingu Fawcett

Farewell to Follies establishes Xingu Fawcett as a formidable short story writer with a firm finger on the pulse of human nature, as well as the natural world.

These stories vary wildly in their subject matter, but the underlying themes are universal – wrestling with death, balancing nature and the city, exploring unknown places, and the long-term impact of trauma. With an artful, yet sensitive approach to these intense issues, the stories are both harrowing and heartwarming. Fawcett understands the dynamic nature of life, and effortlessly embodies characters from different times, social backgrounds and life paths.

What is immediately noticeable […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T10:30:54+02:00November 20th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Short Stories|

Review: The Way of the Dog: The Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva A. MacDonnell

The Way of the Dog: The Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva A. MacDonnell is a refreshing story about Eros, a puppy new to this world and his experiences, told from his unique perspective. A surprisingly insightful read, MacDonnell’s book will make the reader think about their relationship with not just dogs, but all animals and humans alike. The innocence, wisdom, love, and instruction that resides within the pages of the book will shift how you look at the world.

MacDonnell paints a picture with the dialogue between the characters; when Eros is speaking to his mother, […]