Contemporary Fiction

Journey to the Heartland by Xiaolong Huang

Journey to the Heartland by Xiaolong Huang A sprawling but delicate story of personal evolution, Journey to the Heartland by Xiaolong Huang expertly navigates the fine line between heartbreaking and inspiring.

Unpacking an abusive childhood as he strives for acceptance and perfection, Hanwei’s long journey away from innocence is remarkable in its stark detail. Juxtaposing the aspirational Chinese mindset of his youth with the free-thinking exploration of ideas in the west, this story is woven together on multiple levels, with themes of sexuality, cultural pressure, academia, and personal exodus, for a poignant meditation on freedom.

Examining whether we can ever truly be free of our past, Huang […]

2022-07-22T03:15:15+02:00July 21st, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

A Full Quiver by D.A. Callahan

A Full Quiver by D.A. Callahan A childless couple ends up taking in four youngsters in D.A. Callahan’s A Full Quiver, an affecting, poignant story about how parenting doesn’t have to be perfect.

Steve and Jennifer Mei Griffin run a security firm for the rich and famous in Washington, DC. They become guardians to their goddaughter after her parents’ untimely death, and through a strange series of circumstances, they end up housing three more kids over the next few months. Over the course of the story, the Griffins form a close-knit, unconventional family unit and must band together to fend off dangerous threats from the […]

2022-07-11T06:19:30+02:00July 8th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Revolution by David Dorrough

Revealing how everyday lives can be extraordinary in countless ways, Revolution by David Dorrough is a deep dive into a Southern California social bubble with a cadre of well-drawn characters and drama aplenty. A commentary on the epic level to which we raise the banalities of our own lives, and the struggle to achieve or feel contentment in the modern world, this book cuts deep into our current culture.

Each player in this drama represents some small and strange slice of California dreaming – seeking something better, newer, faster, sexier, but ultimately finding their hopes dashed, or their expectations unmet. […]

2022-07-25T07:16:25+02:00June 14th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: 2359 Hours by Jack B.S. North

2359 Hours by Jack B.S. North

Immersing readers in the mind of a conflicted soldier desperately seeking inner peace, 2359 Hours by Jack B.S. North is a timely reflection on war, trauma, and the myriad roads to redemption.

Archie has attempted to overcome his devastating experiences in Afghanistan by moving to Canada, near his wartime comrades, but has found that all the ghosts of his past came along for the journey. Embarking in a new direction after being forged in a crucible of war is never easy, as this gritty and relentless story shows. The twist of this narrative, however, is that the novel takes place […]

2022-07-21T01:24:40+02:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Public Opinion by Nathan Pettijohn

Public Opinion by Nathan Pettijohn Part exposé about the seedy underbelly of Hollywood public relations, part history of private investigations and hacking techniques, Nathan Pettijohn’s slick and bawdy novel Public Opinion tells the story of a morally gray protagonist who blackmails the stars.

Melvin Ritkin bills himself as an IT professional who serves the rich and famous of Los Angeles. In reality, he’s a fleecing grifter who uses countless online personas to spread fake news and influence popular perceptions about clients. After starting a tempestuous relationship with an adult film star and agreeing to manipulate the reputation of an abusive director, Melvin will have to […]

2022-06-02T06:49:04+02:00June 1st, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: What Happens on Outlook by D.F. Nightshade

What Happens on Outlook by D.F. Nightshade

Examining human nature under a thrilling magnifying glass, D.F. Nightshade has constructed an incisive and powerful read in What Happens on Outlook. Peering into the lives of seven eccentric characters living on Outlook Street, each with a potential bullseye on their back, this slow-burning thriller is both entertaining and far outside the box.

Birdy is a new-age guru with an inexplicably smelly apartment and a lifestyle deemed too “rainbow” by the uptight members of the Committee. Sakamoto is an honest shopkeeper on Outlook Street with a remarkably even temper, despite being forced out of his space by ugly, unfair, and […]

2022-06-17T09:00:49+02:00May 25th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Uncanny Redemption of Philip E. Loeser by Robert T. Krantz

The Uncanny Redemption of Philip E. Loeser by Robert T. Krantz

Honestly told and deep in its wisdom, The Uncanny Redemption of Philip E. Loeser by Robert T. Krantz is a clever slice of character-driven drama.

Phil Loeser has been bouncing from one fight to another since childhood, and while he self-identifies as a good guy who never starts a fight, he certainly knows how to finish them. When his temper and fists get him into deeper trouble than usual, unexpected sources of hope appear before him – genuine chances to turn things around, if he can only manage to keep his head on straight.

First, there is the angelic face […]

2022-05-27T03:27:54+02:00May 6th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba

Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba

A short but evocative novella that explores loss, forgiveness, and righteous revenge, Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba is a stark and stunning read.

After discovering that what she knows of her past is far from the whole truth, Amy embarks on a dangerous plan to right the wrongs of her sinister stepmother, Tammy. On the night of their 18th wedding anniversary, Amy testifies to the years of psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Tammy, escalating the war that has been brewing for years.

Amy finds allies in unlikely places, among those still loyal to […]

2022-05-16T02:43:24+02:00April 18th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |
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