John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

About John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Providing exceptional writing, editing and publishing services to hundreds of international clients, ranging from nutritional copywriting and long-form ghostwriting to substantive editing, assessment/analysis of academic texts and structural/content editing for bestselling novels.

Red Demon by Sill Bihagia

Red Demon by Sill BihagiaAn unflinching and epic work of sci-fi/fantasy, Red Demon by Sill Bihagia is the genre-blending debut of what portends to be a masterful series.

After discovering that his town has been wiped out by a mysterious bioweapon, and witnessing an immortal warrior named the Red Demon mercilessly cut down his brothers, a traumatized Jesse swears vengeance, provided he can survive the night. In a tense world where two strains of humans exist – the “magical” Asri natives and the “modified” Chaeten refugees – Jesse starts rebuilding a different life with loyal companions and fellow crafters, but the bitterness never fully […]

2025-07-21T12:35:53+02:00July 21st, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

The Magician Killer by Diane Merrill Wigginton

The Magician Killer by Diane Merrill-WiggintonA macabre and suspenseful thriller that uncovers the pain of permanent scars, The Magician Killer by Diane Merrill Wigginton is a sprawling police procedural tied together with a riveting personal drama.

Years after narrowly escaping the clutches of a murderous maniac, Special Agent Sam Stevens – a prodigious investigative profiler – finds herself begrudgingly hunting that same twisted killer through her home state of Alaska. Teaming up with the charming Agent Nicholas McElroy and his four-legged partner, the trio connect the dots of more than a dozen missing waitresses who have seemingly vanished without a trace. Haunted by the memory […]

2025-07-18T15:22:26+02:00July 18th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Smoke on the Wind by Syvila Weatherford

Smoke on the Wind by Syvila WeatherfordAn exceptional sequel to Blessings from the Four Winds, which asks timeless questions about our sense of belonging and the many risks we take for family, Smoke on the Wind by Syvila Weatherford is a riveting trip into the past.

Life on the Applegate Ranch settles into some kind of normalcy for the new couple, but with a baby on the way, and shared feelings of separation from sacred traditions, emotions are running high. As the country continues to rapidly evolve, conflicts bubble over into everyday life, and Niabi makes the decision to bring her family back together in […]

2025-07-18T11:56:16+02:00July 18th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Torn by Richard Snodgrass

Torn by Richard Snodgrass

A novel about the challenges of homecoming and the hopeful pursuit of second chances, Torn by Richard Snodgrass is a visceral story of love, loss, and legacy.

John Lincoln Lyle returns to his hometown of Furnass after twenty years in the Army, but his time away was transformative and unforgiving. After years of experimental surgeries on his face following a devastating accident, he conceals the ghastly wounds with a mask, but his family name won’t let him hide for long. Navigating the perils of public life for the first time in two decades, investigating the tangled state of his family’s […]

A Home Without a Home by Cizar Thamaru

A Home Without a Home by Cizar Thamaru

A post-apocalyptic journey to find meaning and community in a blasted world, A Home Without a Home: Home is Never Far from the Heart! by Cizar Thamaru is a blunt portrait of existence in a terribly grim future.

In the 31st century, a young man left behind by most of humanity embarks on a quest to the eastern world to find the potential remnants of civilization. Gathering a crew of eccentric friends and allies along the way, he winds through desolate lands and encounters desperate souls, eventually attempting to drive across the empty ocean in search of salvation. Overcoming […]

2025-07-17T11:18:12+02:00July 17th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Charlie’s Bubble by Beka Flynn

Charlie's Bubble by Beka FlynnA twisting exploration of memory, mathematics, and the complicated nature of emotional connection, Charlie’s Bubble by Beka Flynn is an imaginative sci-fi story, focused on eternal love, cosmic luck, and the secrets of space-time.

An underwater rift in reality transports Charlie from a Cuban scuba-diving escape to a historical benchmark in Beijing, where he briefly meets Yinyi, a captivating young woman he never wants to forget, particularly when he returns to his lackluster life in Louisiana. His fascination with timeline curves, magnetic fields, and the quantum realm becomes an obsession, pushing him towards another leap through the rose-hued bubble, so […]

Review: Cheap Talk, Big Gains in Education by Dr. Matthew Weinberg

Cheap Talk, Big Gains in Education by Dr. Matthew Weinberg

Boldly reimagining education in a comprehensive, compassionate, and inclusive way, Cheap Talk, Big Gains in Education by Dr. Matthew Weinberg presents an innovative approach that is desperately needed in our modern paradigm of knowledge distribution and retention. Promoting principles of collective effort and collaboration, rather than the hyper-individualization of Western culture, this meticulously organized book offers an ambitious and potentially controversial vision for the future, one that will require commitment and participation on an international scale.

Driven by the neurological disorder and subsequent struggles of his own daughter, the author spent years researching, exploring, testing, and adapting a more representative […]

2025-07-14T16:35:16+02:00July 14th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do by Robert Okine

USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do by Robert Okine

With a playful philosophy and unabashed reporting on the state of the union, USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do by Robert Okine is an observant romp through America, with amusing evidence provided through the lives and luxuries of man’s best friend.

An alphabetical journey like no other, this whimsical travelogue takes readers from the glorified sled dogs of Alaska and the penthouse pups of New York City to dog-friendly real estate in Delaware and two-stepping hounds from Tennessee. With a keen eye for easily overlooked facets of the country, Okine gives an entertaining and frequently tongue-in-cheek overview […]

2025-08-13T11:49:58+02:00July 14th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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