John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Women of Wolfram Camp by Jenny Kroonstuiver

A wartime drama featuring a stunning quintet of protagonists, Women of Wolfram Camp by Jenny Kroonstuiver is a remarkable tale of fortitude and community solidarity in wartime.

Freshly widowed Felicity, seeking stability in a world suddenly turned upside down, answers a wanted ad for a waitress at Wolfram Camp, a mining camp on the northeast coast of Queensland. Matilda, liberated from the oppression of her husband who’s away in the conflagration of World War I, becomes an even more respected figure as the owner of a bustling guest house. Bringing what is today a ghost town back to gritty and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-08T18:17:16+02:00November 8th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction|

Review: The Soul’s Awakening by Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy

A metaphysical afterlife adventure that will have readers questioning the meaning of life and the permanence of death, The Soul’s Awakening by Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy is a thought-provoking musing on mortality.

Facing a future of chronic disease and pain, Charlotte Elisabeth seeks out a dignified death from Dr. Veritas, who promises a final release and endless peace. However, immediately after the euthanasia takes hold, she discovers that death isn’t the end of consciousness, nor memory, nor the uncertainty and confusion of being human.

Navigating a hallucination that never seems to end, she is exposed to the Darkness of solitude, the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-08T15:34:08+02:00November 8th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Visionary Fiction|

Inner Wealth by Ivo Ngassa

A concise and thought-provoking guide to personal improvement through spirituality and self-motivation, Inner Wealth: Success is Closer Than You Think by Ivo Ngassa reminds readers that everything they need for a successful life is already within their grasp. Drawing from critical aspects of science, religion, philosophy, language, and human cognition, Ngassa’s tome offers new perspectives on how to think, how to react to those thoughts, and then channel subsequent experiences into positive results. Despite its short length, the book contains a wide number of prescriptions, whether its changing key habits, committing to spiritual practice, embracing gratitude, or applying knowledge in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-07T18:30:23+02:00November 6th, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: The Maredian by Susan B. Iris

A futuristic sci-fi thriller with a wildly unique hook, The Maredian by Susan B. Iris delivers a riveting dive into human identity and the powerful threads that connect all life in the universe.

When Gracie Pinto goes out for a last-minute 80s-themed birthday celebration, little does she know that reality on Earth is about to irrevocably change. The Maredian, an advanced alien civilization, makes first contact that same night in a cataclysm of fire and destruction, killing billions outright and capturing countless others, including Gracie.

Onboard the alien megaship of mangled prisoners, torture, enslavement, and death, Gracie miraculously finds a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-12-05T12:46:04+02:00November 6th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

The Clock in My Head Never Stops by Daniel Rush

A raw account of a teenage boy battling the relentless weight of anxiety, The Clock in My Head Never Stops by Daniel Rush is a relatable and detailed portrait of silent struggle.

Readers follow Billy’s steps through a typical day of high school, where he overthinks every step of the way, from nerve-wracking moments of class participation and awkward upperclassmen crushes to the self-doubt of team sports and emotional disconnection from seemingly oblivious parents. His unwanted and obsessive focus on time, expectations, potential disappointments, failures, or embarrassment goes beyond the typical worries of most teenagers, crossing into the realm of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-05T13:13:18+02:00November 5th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: A Life’s Journey by Robert Furmaga

Paging through the chapters of his own adventurous existence, Robert Furmaga delivers a thoughtful and nostalgia-heavy memoir in A Life’s Journey: Choice and Circumstance.

Revealing the seminal moments and unforgettable events that shaped him, this is a compelling anthology of essays and treasured memories, combined neatly with professional achievements and personal accolades. From even the author’s earliest years of life, he recounts clear-eyed scenes and nuanced details of his successes, failures, and hard-won lessons, from terrifying tumbles out of bed and touching instances of parental bonding to the overindulgences of his teenage years and those first stumbling errors of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-12-03T14:28:38+02:00November 4th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

An Advent for Religious Liberty by Ray Keating

A radical surge of secularism in New York City threatens a critical foundation of American freedoms in An Advent for Religious Liberty by Ray Keating. Fresh off his landslide victory, the liberal mayor of NYC takes aim at removing religion from the public square, fueling the massive political and cultural divide of the city. Channeling contemporary fears and crises into a compelling story, Keating raises the political stakes for Pastor Grant in this installment, with the pastor righteously battling for his beliefs, his community, and the freedoms he holds dear. This headline-inspired novel is more politically focused than other installments […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-04T18:49:17+02:00November 4th, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Tales for Tra-La-La Day by Steve Michael Reedy, Illustrated by Tom Fee

A fanciful collection of short stories centered around an imaginative fictional holiday, Tales for Tra-La-La Day by Steve Michael Reedy is a magical anthology of festive fables.

From stories about the origins of a sacred song to dire parables about overconsumption and greed, each story adds a new and intriguing facet to this tall tale of a town, bursting with the energy of a beloved fairy tale realm in the making. “The Iceling Queen” is one of the most touching pieces in the collection, providing a compelling backstory for the creative holiday, but each story has the gleam of brilliance […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-04T16:24:14+02:00November 4th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|