Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Mundanity by Jonathan Carreau

Author Jonathan Carreau sends readers on an over-the-top journey into madness in his novel, Mundanity, an alien satire of human life as we know it.

When green-skinned Vince Patelo moves to the city of Mundanity for a new job, he isn’t expecting so much drama in such a dully named town, but such is the price of survival. While he blindly toils as an anonymous tool for an evil corporation, protesters rail against quadlithium mining, in an effort to save the environment, and a grifter politician in town is tapping into the power of social media to stir up […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-07-06T08:55:26+02:00July 6th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Satire, Science Fiction|

Review: Blood for the Fisher King by Endy Wright

Author Endy Wright unleashes his imagination and narrative sensitivity in Blood for the Fisher King, a continuing tale of his fascinating work of science fiction, The Omicron Six.

Following the harrowing revelations at Deep Woods Academy from the preceding book, Cooper and Coupe attempt to return to a normal life, but the truth, scope, and origins of their powers are hard to ignore. Coupe has begun to flex his impressive intellectual muscles for the first time, while Cooper continues to explore his shocking physical gifts, but their newfound skills aren’t going unnoticed, particularly by the black SUV following […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-28T03:56:56+02:00June 27th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction, YA Fantasy, Young Adult|

Review: Person to Person by Joeri Torfs and Pim Ampe with Greta Myers

Authors Joeri Torfs and Pim Ampe with Greta Myers delve into a possible better path forward for our world in Person to Person: Change Your Life and Fix the World.

Examining the present day through a sparkling lens of technological knowledge, sociological insight, and philosophical foundations, these authors ask cutting-edge existential questions that are relevant for everyone. Partially inspired by a rare opportunity to breathe new life into an old space in southern France, this book blends a quartet of fictional characters with the speculative yet sober dreams of the authors.

Driven by the idea of creating a “heterotopia,” they […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-13T06:36:14+02:00June 12th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Social Science|

Review: Stained Echoes by Jon Ring, Illustrated by Vinessa Sanford

Crafting myriad worlds in a tightly penned collection of stories, Stained Echoes: Tales of the Mysterious and the Macabre by Jon Ring is an enchanting work of old-fashioned horror for readers who love to be spooked. Presenting a wide and weird variety of disturbing yarns, from ancient battlefield hauntings to the demons held deepest in our hearts, this book exhibits a mastery of the style.

A unique and impressive homage to the macabre pacing of Poe, the collection hums with sinister tension, often delaying its twisted payoffs until the very end of the story. The opening piece especially, “The Secret […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-09T03:51:58+02:00June 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Horror, Jon Ring, Short Stories|

Review: The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

Author Marc Remus sends readers on a surprising and symbolic ride through the magical land of Foodtopia in his delectable children’s book, The Chocolate Clouds.

Henry’s family rose to wealth and prominence by securing the chocolate clouds and harvesting their bounty, ensuring plenty of food for Choco-Locoville and Sugarland. However, when the clouds suddenly disappear from his family’s property, Henry’s “normal” life melts away, so this health-conscious adventurer and his beloved cat embark on a grand quest to find them.

Daring to cross the Monster Mountains in search of his family’s most prized possessions, Henry learns the proper history […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-05-31T08:13:45+02:00May 30th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Books, Marc Remus, Middle Grade Fiction|

Review: Heretic (The Helios Rising Trilogy Book 1) by Chris Mayne

A dark magical adventure into the far-flung future of humanity, Heretic by Chris Mayne is a bold, creative mixture of dark fantasy and dystopian fiction.

An explosive disaster rocks the city of New Tartarus, leaving countless dead in its wake, except for one man found in the center of the blast crater with glowing runes on his body. At first glance, Arlex is nothing but a young sapien underminer, a low-level laborer, but he is also a vortex of magical phenomena, displaying more raw potential than even the most powerful priests and magick-users of the Order.

Viktor, an acolyte healer […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-05-04T08:58:04+02:00May 4th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

An invitation to a more elevated form of living, The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung Nguyen is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and encouraging collection for those seeking change.

Composed of more than a decade of blog posts, and curated with an intuitive flow of ideas, this collection is full of uplifting and inspiring prose. As the author states in the foreword, the purpose of this book, and the entirety of their work, is “to inspire everyone to have a positive, well-rounded, peaceful, meaningful, fulfilled, energetic, and intense life.” The subsequent essays explore the tools and pathways to achieve such a life, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-11T18:31:05+02:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help|

Review: Tell Me More by David W. Kolakowski

Taking the terror out of public speaking through logic, preparation, and practice, Tell Me More: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting & Delivering Inspiring Presentations Fearlessly by David W. Kolakowski is a refreshing, real-world primer for anyone who gets nervous before getting behind a mic. In a book about perfecting and delivering top-tier presentations, the author cannot fail to meaningfully engage readers from the first page, or few readers would make it to the second chapter, but that is far from the case here.

The author is humble, yet meticulously knowledgeable, both in the physical act of delivering a great speech, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-21T05:21:35+02:00April 20th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Business, Self-Help|