John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A derring-do journalist with Radio Free Europe leaps across geographic and professional borders in Byline Budapest by Diane Wagner, a deeply compelling Cold War thriller that probes the political and social divides of that tumultuous era. In 1956, when Hungarian freedom fighters attempt to liberate their nation from Kremlin control, the Soviet Union responds violently, catching intrepid reporter Charlie Atkins in the crossfire as she chronicles history in the making. With the hint of a new Cold War peppering contemporary headlines, and cutting-edge propaganda that is even more insidious than the past, this novel is especially timely, even as historical […]

An unapologetic and darkly humorous memoir with a hit parade of a soundtrack, Life and How to Live It by Chaz Holesworth reminds readers that life at any age is rarely easy. Raised in a home fractured by addiction, the dark side of faith, and a shocking lack of communication, the author escapes into music as his guiding light, letting it lead him through a painful adolescence. This raw coming-of-age story is his unvarnished plunge into memory – an anecdotal flood of emotional confessions, casual reviews of iconic albums, and frank accounts of youthful resilience in the face of overwhelming […]

Potent prose, layered characters, nuanced emotion, and smoldering chemistry elevate Cypress Grace by Jeff Bartrom above the crowded and too-often predictable romance genre. Alex is a trauma-scarred “soldier without a battlefield,” while Olivia is a brooding artist channeling her persistent pain onto the canvas. The stormy connection of their melancholy souls in the sultry South is intense and irresistible, for both the characters and the reader. Unfurled in lyrical prose that is uniquely expressive and contemplative for romance, which confidently captures the cautious nature of embattled hearts, this novel is an affecting exploration of creation, identity, sacrifice, and redemption.

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A wildly imaginative collection of cosmic tales, Those Alien Skies by Clayton Graham is an ominous but entertaining vision of humanity’s future. A planet-leaping mission to confront a corrupted mentor, a search for missing children on an uncharted alien world, and a tense standoff against extraterrestrial masters of illusion, this tangled trio of novellas is alight with tension, drama, and ingenuity. From murderous impersonations and desperate lunar escapes to multi-universal spies, human hybrids, and secret peacekeeping incursions, these vibrantly spun stories are as immersive as they are unique, highlighted by meticulous detail and palpable emotional stakes. Extrapolating a wild future […]