New Releases

SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books

Witches of the Mount 1730 by Tom Schneider

Witches of the Mount by Tom SchneiderAn intrepid young writer is sent by Ben Franklin to chase down a wild and deadly story in Witches of the Mount 1730 by Tom Schneider, a dark and enchanted historical thrill.

Blending historical fact and fiction, the protagonist takes one wrong turn after another in his quixotic search for either madness or magic in the mysterious village of Mount Holly. Tapping into some classic tropes of witch trial fiction, Schneider creates a vividly envisioned world, in a spiraling story that moves quickly, blurring the line of reality, fear, expectation, and legend.

The novel certainly has a spooky and sinister […]

2021-04-19T07:08:48+02:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

FoxHide by John C. Hill

FoxHide by John C. Hill FoxHide: From HillCountry Farm by John C. Hill is a sugar-rush of a novel told through the eyes of an energetic young fox as he grows up wild and free, and learns about life – both the good and the bad.

Exploring the nuances of brotherly affection, risky adventure, hard lessons, and the pain of disappointment, this allegorical story is well-penned and strong in its messaging for young readers. There are long passages of lovely descriptions, and exciting bursts of action, coupled with the constant charm of Pawz, Boomboom, and Strike – characters it is decidedly hard not to love.[…]

2021-04-16T06:23:48+02:00April 16th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani

Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani Bridging ideas of science, spirituality, depression, friendship, violence, love for humanity, and much more, Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani is a wide-ranging collection of poetry.

Osmani’s poetry addresses some of the biggest questions and most unifying elements of life, examining these topics with almost clinical attention. There is curiosity and uncertainty as well – a humility that makes the verses pleasant, comforting, and authoritative, all at the same time. The modern, free-verse approach allows Osmani to let his thoughts stream without obstacle, and while most of the pieces are quite short, a great deal of intention is packed […]

2021-04-13T09:42:49+02:00April 9th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Cessation by Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas

Cessation by Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas dissects the perils of business, friendship, romance, failure, and America’s hollow dream in his thought-provoking novel, Cessation.

A gripping and emotional confession, this novel is also an artful vivisection of modern life, analyzing both the glitches in the matrix and the existential crises brought on by capitalism. The narrator, Aaron, is both in the machine and a self-aware critic of the system, trapped between the need for survival and the search for meaning. After his lowest point, with his business on the brink of collapse, he forms an inexplicable connection with Walker, a wanderer disconnected from the […]

2021-04-01T10:30:39+02:00April 1st, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Destiny Control by David Garrahan

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 – […]

2021-04-01T05:21:17+02:00March 31st, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

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, […]

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

Museum Exhibit by Tom Brown

Museum Exhibit by Tom BrownExperimenting 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 […]

2021-03-09T05:29:27+02:00March 9th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Nick’s New Heart by Susan May

Nick's New Heart by Susan MayAuthor 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 […]

2021-03-05T09:17:18+02:00March 4th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |
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