John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Bargaining Chip by Jim Parker

Putting a fictional spin on a real-world conflict, Bargaining Chip by Jim Parker is a bold and nuanced reimagining of Putin’s war against Ukraine, resulting in a tense and timely thriller.

In this slightly tweaked reality, the Russian superpower has found the scrappy Ukrainian military to be a surprisingly resilient enemy, and while victories and losses have been traded by both sides, the Ukrainian president knows that NATO and American support may not last forever. In a desperate attempt to turn the tide of war and take the fight to Russia, a daring counteroffensive is planned – one that will […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-05-03T15:25:00+02:00March 25th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller, War|

Tribal Logic by Stella Atrium

Stella Atrium delivers the resounding final chapter of The Tribal Wars series with Tribal Logic, an electrifying conclusion to her speculative fiction saga.

Jesse Hartley is desperate to return to Dolvia to be with her father for the release of an imprisoned rebel, but a sinister scheme rockets her into even more danger. Relentlessly battling for trade alliances and dignity for tribal life after undergoing her own horrific violations in captivity, Brianna Miller is broken but not beaten. Navigating coups, wormholes, and vicious slavers, Hershel Henry is sent into the belly of the beast, but heroism requires sacrifice.

Deftly exploring […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-03-25T13:38:24+02:00March 25th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction, Stella Atrium|

Review: How to Get a Job and Keep a Job by Keith Calhoun-Senghor

Dissecting the intricacies of professional success and sharing strategies to rise above organizational chaos, How to Get a Job and Keep a Job: The Fundamentals of Organizational Politics by Keith Calhoun-Senghor is a practical collection of savvy wisdom. With the first few chapters focusing on the skills one needs to get a job, and the second half of the book explaining how to keep it, the book can help you move forward no matter where you’re at in your career.

For those readers unfamiliar with the term, “Organizational Politics” are “the dynamics, processes, and techniques by which power is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-05-02T15:50:36+02:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Business, Self-Help|

Review: The Buddha and the Bee by Cory Mortensen

Inviting readers on a wild ride from Minnesota to California, The Buddha and the Bee: Biking through America’s Forgotten Roadways on an Accidental Journey of Discovery by Cory Mortensen is an atypical adventure for wanderers and workplace dreamers alike. Part road guide and part diary, biking lovers can follow the well-laid route on these pages, learn to sidestep critical unpleasant lessons, and gain the confidence to take their own big swings of adventure without fear.

Pedaling through the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the unforgiving Southwest desert, and the Sierra Nevadas, this is far from a casual trek, particularly given […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-03-19T14:27:08+02:00March 18th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir, Sports, Travel|

Review: Deferred Redemptions by G.E. Russell

A stark and intimate collection of four stories that explore the bonds of loyalty and the complex relationships humans have with change, Deferred Redemptions by G.E. Russell is an unassuming but powerful work of contemporary writing.

“Somewhere Sister” is the novella of the collection, detailing the lives of Esmeralda and Esperanza, two sisters living in Yuma with their mother and abuela, navigating the shifting sands of the border as they try to find love and keep their families safe. In a land where wives are quickly made into widows, Esperanza captures the heart of a charming Border Patrol agent, even […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-03-18T12:01:17+02:00March 17th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Short Stories|

The Bench by Frank C. Senia

Delivering an emotional reflection on connection, loss, and second chances, The Bench by Frank C. Senia is an uplifting portrait of love amidst graceful aging. Tenderly detailing the sunset memoir of Willy, who experiences a rekindled passion for life after reconnecting with an old crush, this touching story provides a perspective on intimacy that contemporary readers are rarely given. As revelations continue to shake the couple’s lives, the unlikely pair lean on one another for catharsis and comfort that only trusting companionship can provide. While more attention to dialogue authenticity and descriptive scene-setting would help pull readers even deeper into […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-03-14T11:40:40+02:00March 14th, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Professor Hex vs. Texas Men by Melanie Sovran Wolfe

A satire that is both empowering and surreal, Professor Hex vs. Texas Men by Melanie Sovran Wolfe is a deliciously twisted take on the gender inequalities still plaguing a supposedly modern America. When a Texas woman is put on trial for the “crime” of a miscarriage, a righteously angry Godhead in disguise delivers an ironic brand of justice for the patriarchal powers that be: pregnancy for the city’s men. Mythology and modern crises collide in this political parody, taking well-deserved shots at the perennial misogyny of contemporary society. With a searingly incisive cast of characters, a host of hot-button issues […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-03-13T20:22:34+02:00March 13th, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow by Flo Dombey

Unexpected romance, deadly betrayals, and the perils of complex families swirl madly together in Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow by Flo Dombey, the second emotional installment of The Willow Chronicle.

Willow’s life has been turned upside-down by the reappearance of a biological father she thought long dead, making every decision feel unsteady for the headstrong 17-year-old, despite having some of the best sea legs in Port Townsend, WA. The mysterious suicide of her wealthy stepfather adds another devastating blow, further distancing Billie from her mother, whom she blames for the lifetime of secrets that led to this tragic collision of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-29T20:19:17+02:00March 13th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Young Adult|