Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Chanting the Feminine Down by James C. McCullagh

Religion and history are the driving forces behind Chanting the Feminine Down, a novel of psychological awakening by James McCullagh with Roy McCullagh.

Colette McGovern is an intelligent graduate student with a secret. She’s committed a mortal sin in the eyes of God and now she’s plagued by stark, dramatic and disturbing “tumbleweed dreams,” as she calls them. One of them, about the late Pope John Paul II, wearing lace – who slowly sinks into the ground, no less – is particularly powerful and vivid. Colette records all her dreams in her journal, even going so far as to […]

Review: Widow Walk (The Widow Walk Saga Book 1) by Gar LaSalle

Peeking into the past can provide valuable insight about the present, even if the two time periods and places seem like very different worlds. In Widow Walk by Gar LaSalle, readers are transported into the lives of bold settlers in the Pacific Northwest, determined survivors in the wilderness, who must face seemingly endless trials in their bid to make that land a home.

The brilliant component of this novel is that it doesn’t come across as distant historical fiction for the sake of escapism or novelty – it is packed with timeless life experiences, existential crises, and subjects of sovereignty […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-25T12:59:07+02:00June 5th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Girl from the Moon (The Elemental Tides Book 1) by Maria Beta

When modern authors peer into the future, it often seems that humanity’s destiny is bleak. The Girl from the Moon, the new novel by Maria Beta, is no exception to this trend. After the ozone layer collapses and global society begins to crumble under the weight of human neglect, science must step in to save the species. Constructing a massive artificial shield to block the earth and mimic an atmosphere is a bandage for a bullet wound, however, and life is far from serene.

Cate and Victoria Weelah, the daughters of the scientist who originally created Earth’s protective layer […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-06-08T10:08:31+02:00June 4th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Wheels Up: A Novel of Drugs, Cartels and Survival by Jeanine Kitchel

When Layla takes over as head of the Culiacan Cartel with her uncle in prison, she strikes her first drug deal to prove her mettle in the machismo world of the cartels. Things go sideways fast: planes crash, bodyguards die, and a Mariachi band unwittingly fronts for an assassin. Her Canadian partner, Clay, sticks by her side as they face down Guatemalan kingpin Don Guillermo and her uncle’s slimy business partner.

Smart and beautiful Layla tangles with a cast of characters as she and Clay plot their deal, trample through a jungle, and seek revenge on Guillermo. In Mexico, the […]

Greg Rideout2018-07-05T11:52:37+02:00June 4th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Crime Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Divine Dream by Christopher Schmitt

In The Divine Dream, author Christopher Schmitt finds a new – and quite brilliant – take on life and death. The novel explores the breaking point between science and faith, while also offering the author’s personal reconciliation between these two complex, dynamic subjects.

After suffering from an inexplicable collapse and tragically dying, young Apollo, the spiritual protagonist of this story, enters a strange realm between life and death, where souls and spirits mix and mingle – a waiting room after leaving the world of the living, which also acts as a time-bending training ground. While years of spiritual enlightenment […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-05-30T12:10:35+02:00May 29th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Space Fandango: Backstabber’s Blues by Henry Mosquera

On the scorching, misfit-filled planet Abraxias, an enigmatic doctor assembles a crew of brawlers, outcasts, and outlaws to deliver a stolen, dangerous payload to the other side of an area known as Freespace. Cops, assassins and criminals give chase, while the crew of the Acheron participate in bar-fighting, starring in a murderous reality show, and competing in brawl ball, the number one sport in the universe.

In Space Fandango: Backstabber’s Blues, an incredibly wild and entertaining novel, author Henry Mosquera conjures up an array of beings for readers to fascinate over, making each character as page-turning as the story […]

Greg Rideout2018-07-05T11:52:22+02:00May 17th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Space Opera Book Reviews|

Review: The Final Departure by Epp Marsh III

Partially based on real history, The Final Departure by Epp Marsh III tells an alternate history where Marcus Garvey’s Greater Liberia Act is put into widespread effect. In 1929, Civil Rights pioneer Marcus Garvey strikes a devil’s bargain with the Ku Klux Klan to turn the United States into an all-white nation. Congress enacts the Greater Liberia Act, arranging passage for every black American to Africa, while leaving unprotected any black citizen who choose to stay behind.

The novel tells the story of Ruth Gaines who remains in the U.S. with her true love Lance Wainwright, the eldest son of […]

Greg Rideout2019-01-22T10:54:59+02:00May 16th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Jake, Lucid Dreamer by David J. Naiman

Jake, Lucid Dreamer by David J. Naiman is a charming look at a middle-schooler’s struggle to navigate grief and acceptance. With a touch of the surreal, Naiman has woven a fantastical tale with a powerful message about learning to face your demons, traversing the tricky plains of middle school, and how important compassion is in the face of adversity.

Jake wakes on his birthday after one of his lucid dreams. We see his life, a typical, moody teenager – his family, a darling little sister, and a father with patience to spare. They serve as a grounding force for Jake, […]

SPR2019-01-22T11:02:56+02:00May 12th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews|