Marta Cheng | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Shipwrecked: Dragon Island by Carey Fessler

A remote, tropical island, “rads” who have mutation magic, and huge, man-eating Varanus dragons…these make a terrifying trifecta in Carey Fessler’s action-packed middle-grade adventure, Shipwrecked: Dragon Island.

Kidnapped by a mutant submarine crew, twelve-year-old Aussie cousins, Emma and Scott, along with sixteen-year-old Harrison, escape their captors by swimming to a remote – and what appears to be – deserted tropical island. Emma becomes separated from the two boys as they search for drinking water but soon finds herself stumbling over Brock, one of the mutant crewman from the submarine from whom they had escaped.

Reluctantly joining forces, the two […]

The Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency: And the Rebel Realm by D.L. Dugger

The Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency: And the Rebel Realm is the first delightful installment in the paranormal fiction series for middle-grade readers by D.L. Dugger.

Billy, Toby and Abby, twelve-year-old sleuths of The Fantastic Phantasmic Detective Agency, help a ghost called Mary find her cherished locket but in pursuing its disappearance, the friends soon find themselves locked in a mortuary run by a shady mortician. After escaping and returning the locket to her, a grateful Mary informs them that her friend needs help finding her missing brother. The three seek the help of a crabby medium, unaware that he’s made […]

Marta Cheng2018-07-31T10:33:32+02:00July 30th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Paranormal Book Reviews|

Review: The Candle Room by Daniel K. Gentile

One of the noblest of professions isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in The Candle Room, a gripping legal thriller by debut author, Daniel K. Gentile.

It doesn’t take long for rookie lawyer, Zachary E. Morgan, Esquire to realize that the gross over-billing practices of his Los Angeles insurance defense firm isn’t something he wants to be a part of – especially after four years of busting his butt in night school to obtain his law degree. So he quits, thinking that going into practice for himself is the better way to go. Convincing his wife, Sasha, isn’t […]

Marta Cheng2019-01-22T11:14:32+02:00July 25th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Legal Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Last April by Belinda Kroll

Split-second decisions have life-changing consequences in The Last April, a gripping and thought-provoking work of YA historical fiction by Belinda Kroll.

It’s April, 1865 and in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, fifteen-year-old Gretchen Miller is in the garden of her family farm in rural Ohio when she’s startled by a Confederate soldier who falls in a dead faint literally steps from her feet. As Gretchen reaches his side, the feverish soldier mutters about his escape from Camp Chase, a training barrack/Confederate prison outside of Columbus. Realizing that the young soldier will die without her help, Gretchen reluctantly […]

Marta Cheng2019-01-22T10:54:07+02:00July 15th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Santa Fe Mojo (Vincent Malone Book 1) by Ted Clifton

Pro athletes, stolen millions and murder make for an irresistible cocktail in Santa Fe Mojo, the first murder mystery in the Vincent Malone series by Ted Clifton.

Former legal investigator, Vincent Malone, is heading to Albuquerque where he’s hoping to live on the cheap until his Social Security benefits kick in. He makes it as far as Santa Fe where he impulsively finds work as a driver for a new bed and breakfast – only to find himself soon mixed up in the murder of a high-profile sports agent.

Charged with the crime is the dead man’s client, a […]

Marta Cheng2018-07-09T12:26:00+02:00July 8th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Crime Fiction Book Reviews, Detective Fiction Book Reviews|

Boys, Bears, and Bubblegum by Carolyn Madero

The challenges of being a young boy are uniquely showcased in Boys, Bears, and Bubblegum, an eclectic collection of short stories and poems for children written by Carolyn Madero and illustrated by Giovanni Munari and Jane Brusetti.

The stories showcase challenges in the form of speech impediments, the terror brought on by nightmares, or the yearning to be seen as responsible – all while teaching valuable life lessons through a mixture of humor, empathy, and graceful prose. Poems like “Would You Like to Hear My Poem?” emphasize a child’s struggle to be heard over the demands of daily life.[…]

Marta Cheng2018-06-28T13:09:08+02:00June 27th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Songs for Lucy by Philip Wilson

Songs for Lucy, a poignant work of women’s fiction by Philip Wilson, conveys the heartfelt message that a death sentence doesn’t mean one should stop living.

Allison “Allie” Connelly has a bright future ahead of her: she’s Valedictorian of her graduating class at Boston Highlands University and has been accepted to Harvard Law. Best of all, she’s also been offered a summer job teaching tennis at a club in Providence, Rhode Island, allowing her to spend the summer with her widowed father.

Then the unimaginable happens. Her father is killed by a drunk driver on his way home from […]

Marta Cheng2019-01-22T11:16:32+02:00June 26th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Women's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Good Fight (The Last Enemy Series Book 1) by Dan E. Hendrickson

Intrigue and adventure abound in The Good Fight, the first installment in the Last Enemy thriller series by Dan E. Hendrickson.

Twenty-five-year-old Danielle Edwards is the heir apparent to Edwards Auto, the thriving family auto business founded by her paternal grandfather. Danielle is still reeling from the recent deaths of her parents and grandmother after their plane had crashed into the Pacific while on their way to Australia. In Danielle’s mind, it should have been her father at the helm of the family business but with his death, it’s now all hers.

However, Danielle isn’t ready to take it […]

Marta Cheng2018-07-24T12:29:11+02:00June 25th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|