Editorial Reviews

An inventive and sharply written erotic thriller, Royal Caleva: Gabriel by Nancy Herkness is driven forward by a real sense of emotional truth in a wholly imaginative setting. Gabriel, Duke of Belancor in the fictional island nation of Caleva, has suffered a double trauma: being kidnapped and losing the sense of hearing necessary for his skill as a flamenco guitarist. However, meeting Quinn, the American woman responsible for tracing his abductors, is going to change both of their lives unexpectedly. Bringing to life a world of romance, intrigue, and believable characters with genuine personal stakes at play, this first installment […]

A wickedly smart story of a mother losing patience and a son finding direction in the most unusual way possible, Thar She Blows by Susan Emshwiller is a deep dive into the tenderness and tension of mothers and sons. Pushing the literary boundaries of magical realism, this one-of-a-kind novel is a bizarre tale of losing, seeking, and finding…inside the belly of a whale. The tongue-in-cheek prose offsets the serious issues at hand, while the premise of a booze cruise gone ridiculously awry teeters perfectly on the brink of allegory, parable, and farce. With whip-smart characters, exceptional comedic timing, and high […]

A fascinating take on Christian myths that engages both the head and the heart, A Divine Invite by Maggie Havoc is a highly original work of spiritual fantasy. Ellie is a trainee police officer struggling with her weight and her self-esteem whose life is forever changed by an encounter with the divine, allowing her to see supernatural beings and the battle between light and dark that is all around us, and sending her on a quest to understand her birthright before she is dragged down to hell forever. Breezily and thoughtfully written, the novel takes good-against-evil fantasy into decidedly dark […]

Author W. Royce Adams delivers a unique and intimately drawn reflection on a fictional life well-lived in As Time Goes By. The protagonist named Old, with wisdom to match his name, invites readers into his philosophy-forward memoir, laced with humor and potential answers to some of the biggest questions we face, propelled forward by Adams’ engaging narrative voice. The writing is thought-provoking throughout, the author’s powers of description are impressive, and Old is a fascinating lead character and storyteller; his eventful life and perspective are engrossing, and despite being a fictional memoir, his continual insight resonates as deeply as […]

Doug Osborne Does Not Quit by Doug Osborne is a charming and heartfelt memoir about achieving your dreams, no matter the obstacles. Osborne was a successful software developer until he found his life grounded to a halt by autism and depression, following a move to Chicago. Admirably persistent, he was able to turn his life around, renovate his career, and get his dream house, displaying his success for all to see on his porch, gaining some notoriety in the process. Written with an endearing sense of pride and well-earned accomplishment, this is an inspiring memoir about the challenges and triumphs […]

Storked! Adoption Secrecy and the Search for Identity by K.C. Sanford is a profound meditation on adoption that is part mystery and part David and Goliath story, and an original combination of memoir and autofiction. When Kacie was very young, her father told her the earth-shattering truth that she was in fact adopted, and her birth parents had to give her up as they were too young to be parents. Driven to find her origins later in life, she comes up against a system that makes this virtually impossible, but her steadfast determination makes one eagerly turn the pages, alternately […]

A relentless, character-driven thriller set on the unforgiving streets of Chicago, The Rebirth by V.P. Evans is an unpredictable spree of vengeance, brotherhood, and justice. Ten years after being forced to bury a foul secret about a sprawling global organization, Jason Roneros knows his time is running out, but he won’t go down without exposing their scandalous evil once and for all. Haunted by a decade of demons and grief, Mark Gilliam is forced to revisit his painful past and join Jason in a frantic race for retribution, even as the monsters close in to silence them both for good. […]

Author Robert J. Dornan spins a fairy-tale yarn that blurs reality in the undeniably original and entertaining fantasy, Gwydion. A princess besieged by dull suitors in a castle that feels more like a prison, Poppi is eager for anything to remedy her lonely life. However, when the enemy arrives at the royal gates, Poppi becomes a hunted leader overnight, and must use her newfound magical talisman to protect those in her care. More than three centuries later, that same princess shares her story with a skeptical reporter, bringing more than a touch of magic into his decidedly non-magical life. […]