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.

Review: I, No Other by Yarrow Paisley

 I, No Other by Yarrow PaisleyA disturbing but entrancing collection of stories, I, No Other by Yarrow Paisley is a post-modern plunge into the psychological fringes of human nature.

The narrative voices in this collection represent a shocking breadth of humanity, and the dark extremes of the psyche – a compendium of obtrusive thoughts made flesh, of dark fantasies and nightmarish realities that most readers would prefer to deny. A leering predator with the silver tongue of a scholar, an obsessed madman mentally escaping the bars that hold him; a man slowly builds himself into a pipe, only to experience a Kafka-esque transformation as he […]

2025-03-27T11:24:29+02:00February 3rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

A Collection of Terrible Things Done by Terrible People by KillJoy

A Collection of Terrible Things Done by Terrible People by KillJoy

A subversive spiral of lurid storytelling, A Collection of Terrible Things Done by Terrible People by the aptly named KillJoy is a grim tour through the ethically parched landscape of our generation. From casual killers and unapologetic adulterers to sadistic mass murderers and violent revolution-mongers, these pages are riddled with entangled stories of carnage and nihilism made flesh. A commentary on the madness of modernity, as seen through the rotten lens of Stockton and its desperate denizens, this is a graphic portrait of contemporary cruelty, forcing readers to face the limits of their own morality and the boundaries of taboo […]

2025-02-03T13:11:26+02:00February 3rd, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Defiant Dominion by Athene Z. Adam

Defiant Dominion by Athene Z. AdamA spectacular third act to the Reign of the North Forest saga, Defiant Dominion by Athene Z. Adam is an off-world allegory in a far-flung future.

The crash landing of a starship and two aliens from Earth has sent a shockwave through the childlike population of Eiyesia. Rather than arriving as a harbinger of a third war with their ancestral planet, Dr. Alex Nymaria and his brilliant mind may be the key to solving the arrested development of the Antisenents. However, not everyone on Eiyesia sees a permanent cure for this “disease” as a good thing, including King Drimys, putting […]

2025-02-03T13:17:16+02:00February 3rd, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: The Third Act by Kathleen Brehony

The Third Act by Kathleen Brehony

A smart and touching tale of taking second chances and finding your people, The Third Act by Kathleen Brehony explores the rich possibilities of great love during a painful season of loss.

Shannon O’Connell is an accomplished and gracefully aging author, but a string of personal heartbreaks has left her in serious need of support. When a long battle with breast cancer claims one of her dearest friends, Linda, the tragedy brings together their decades-old group of girlfriends for a celebration of life at the O’Connell family’s seaside cottage resort.

Elizabeth Matthews may be an award-winning filmmaker, but her ageless […]

2025-03-25T15:08:55+02:00January 31st, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Somatic Exercises For Nervous System Regulation by Julian Apple

Somatic Exercises For Nervous System Regulation by Julian AppleUnraveling the mystery of the mind-body connection and outlining practices to achieve a healthy life balance, Somatic Exercises for Nervous System Regulation: Simple Illustrated Techniques with Expert Led Video Course to Release Trauma, Reduce Tension, And Alleviate Anxiety and Stress by Julian Apple is an eye-opening holistic guide.

Laying a foundation of understanding for both the nervous system and the potential of somatic exercises (connecting exercise to emotions), this book simultaneously educates and empowers readers. In straightforward and accessible terms, the author discusses chronic pain, stress, sensory issues, trauma-related conditions, and other issues, before explaining the mental, physical, and emotional […]

2025-01-31T17:35:12+02:00January 31st, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Rampart by Truscott Jones

Rampart by Truscott JonesAn explosive political thriller that echoes today’s front pages, Rampart by Truscott Jones is a riveting dive into the murky truth and deadly morass of Washington.

When an ex-Secret Service agent commits the ultimate betrayal, the power shakeup at the heart of American empire is felt around the world. What follows is one of the most significant murder trials in the history of the nation, but given the tangled conspiracy to unravel, and the diverse variables that impact the outcome of this high-profile death penalty case, justice may be in the eye of the beholder. Touching on the vast differences […]

2025-01-28T12:14:41+02:00January 28th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

At the Risk of Recovery by Finn Adair Morgan

At The Risk of Recovery by Finn Adair MorganA mind-bending thriller in an eerily familiar future, At the Risk of Recovery by Finn Adair Morgan is a raw vision of psychological distortion, pharmaceutical dependence, and the twisted roots of evil.

Aran Moreau wakes up in the 24th century in a drug-shattered fog, completely lacking memories for the past few days, but his condition appears to be more than simple amnesia. The memories he does possess have apparently been rewritten or replaced, fracturing the reality of both his past and present. As he stumbles through the haze of an existence he barely recognizes, he begins to suspect that his […]

2025-01-27T16:06:11+02:00January 27th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Blame For a Quiet Death by Morgan James

Blame For a Quiet Death by Morgan James

An Appalachian murder mystery and a vulnerable tale of raw resilience, Blame For a Quiet Death by Morgan James is a captivating mystery with a deep emotional core. Still haunted by grief over the death of her spouse, Promise McNeal is pulled back into the gritty sleuthing game when her supportive but crotchety neighbor becomes a prime suspect in a suspicious death. The deceased has left a posthumous puzzle for an intrepid investigator to solve, but as pieces fall into place, Promise must choose to trust her gut or the logical conclusions of the clues. Rich in vivid detail that […]

2025-01-27T17:45:17+02:00January 27th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|
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