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: Zephyr’s Flight by Ray Strong

Zephyr's Flight by Ray Strong

An enchanting tale of epic ambition and destinies that change the world, Zephyr’s Flight: The Dragons’ War by Ray Strong is a female-driven YA adventure and a compelling first chapter in a promising saga.

Astria, a young girl with an uncanny affinity for dragons, dreams to ride them someday and become one of the legendary protectors of her people, just like her missing father. Since he disappeared in service as a Dragon Rider, the chance to train and prove herself has been nearly impossible, but sometimes the wandering dragons of the realm can choose their own partner.

When Astria encounters […]

A Cup of Zen by Kai Tsukimi

A Cup of Zen by Kai Tsukimi

A thought-provoking collection of short stories that also act as enlightening self-help, A Cup of Zen: 21 Short Stories to Calm the Mind, Stop Overthinking, and Find Inner Peace by Kai Tsukimi offers up gleaming pearls of self-knowledge and powerful parables in the Zen tradition. From silent monks and pathless wanderers to unfinished artists and clarity hunters, these simple yet penetrating tales express the essence of Zen – acceptance, contentment, stillness, and the unavoidable paradox of seeking. Tsukimi’s profound drafts of wisdom work best when read slowly, allowing their meaning to be integrated into one’s mindset and movements through the […]

2025-05-27T15:09:23+02:00May 27th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: The Weight of Loyalty by Mike H. Mizrahi

The Weight of Loyalty by Mike Mizrahi

Transportive historical fiction that offers clear and timely wisdom about the present, The Weight of Loyalty by Mike H. Mizrahi is an epic World War II tale of survival, trust, and the resilience of humanity in the face of destruction.

Oliver Graham is a hard-drinking and troubled sailor aboard a British submarine that strikes a mine and sinks to the bottom of the Ionian Sea, leaving him as the sole survivor. Defying death time and time again, Oliver is rescued by a dolphin and brought to the shores of Kefalonia, a Greek island currently under the control of Mussolini and […]

I’ll Fly Away by Marc Sapir

I'll Fly Away by Marc SapirA compassionate combination of end-of-life storytelling and medical reporting, I’ll Fly Away: Stories About Amazing Disabled Elders by Marc Sapir is an affirming collection of stories and essays centered on the myriad experiences of disabled seniors.

The author’s firsthand relationship with these patients as a Medical Director at the Center for Elders’ Independence in Oakland, California provides an uncut glimpse into the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of caring for the elderly and infirm, as he simultaneously participated in and gathered these touching reflections from a unique population too often overlooked or hidden away. From hard-fought victories over illness and the […]

2025-05-23T15:21:49+02:00May 23rd, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

The Memory of a Name by Federico Angel

The Memory of a Name by Federico Angel

Detailing his family’s vibrant history and exploring the power of legacy in shaping our lives, The Memory of a Name by Federico Angel is a touching and unflinchingly honest memoir of a family. From his father’s early days in the Coffee Triangle and becoming a paper baron during WWII to seeking a new life in New York to escape persecution and his complex homecoming to Colombia, this dual biography/autobiography highlights the moments of luck, uncertainty, sadness, and joy that define the roots of every family tree, demonstrating how we are all guided by similar experiences. Embracing the tragic and triumphal […]

2025-05-22T15:33:54+02:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass by R.B. Bunn

Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass by R.B. BunnPoignant and painful in its clarity, Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass: A Voyage Through Grief by R.B. Bunn is a powerful collection of poetry that explores the universal experience of regret and loss.

Writing specifically about his uncle’s death and long struggle with addiction, Bunn’s poems range from deeply personal memories and anecdotal reflections to lyrical abstractions with dense metaphors about emotional processing. Pieces such as “Double-Edged Pill” and “The Price of a Bottle” are unflinching examinations of addiction and self-destruction, while “The Fishing Rod” and “Smoke” tenderly peel back the poet’s life and memory, as though longing for […]

2025-05-22T15:12:22+02:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: The Matrix Opal by Stella Atrium

The Matrix Opal by Stella Atrium

Youthful heroes face the unforgiving burden of duty and legacy in The Matrix Opal by Stella Atrium, a hard-edged coming-of-age story in a sprawling new sci-fi/fantasy realm, setting off The Duchy Wars series in spectacular fashion.

Ariseng, a young and unassuming force of nature, embarks on a risky quest in possession of the titular talisman, along with a ragtag cadre of companions. Shouldering the weight of a legendary responsibility in a time of social unrest, Ariseng must determine friend from foe and outsmart those who would seek to control the mysterious powers of the whispering people. However, Arisent is linked […]

2025-05-20T09:49:55+02:00May 19th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Latest Book Reviews|Tags: |

Hack Rescue by Tom Kranz

Hack Rescue by Tom KranzThe third stellar novel in Tom Kranz’s Earth-Moon Rescue series, Hack Rescue: Chasing A Cyber Killer is a high-stakes hunt for a vengeful cyber-villain determined to bring a young lunar colony to its knees.

Inexplicable system failures are pushing the population of the Dome to a breaking point, and saving the day once again falls to Chairman Rick and his adorably curious android daughter, Peach. From foul waste management crises and explosive terrorist attacks to robotic suicides and hyper-modern malfunctions, time is rapidly running out for the father-daughter team to keep their moon-bound community safe.

The off-world setting is brilliantly […]

2025-05-16T10:36:38+02:00May 15th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
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