Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Toxic Minds by Anthony Lee

An ominous and timely collision of medicine and murder, Toxic Minds by Anthony Lee exposes a shadowy side of alternative healing and the deadly power of disinformation.

Just hours after an appointment with a young pregnant mother, Dr. Mark Lin is an unwilling witness to her murder at the hands of a suicide bomber. While initial clues and assumptions point to an anti-abortion extremist group, Mark was uniquely privy to the bomber’s chilling last words: “Purity is Mine.” Recognizing the ominous phrase from some of his patients who had been treated by a secretive healing cult called the Path of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-07T12:20:27+02:00May 6th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Errors of Mankind by Curt A. Canfield

Timely in its message and poignantly packed with revelations, The Errors of Mankind by Curt A. Canfield is an essential historical critique framed as a fictional reunion.

While exploring the sprawling roots of his family tree, ex-US Marine Will discovers that a distant relative not only lives a short drive away, but also fought in World War II on both the eastern and western fronts – on the side of Nazi Germany. Will (“Willi”) is initially repulsed by Johann’s biography, but that initial reaction is tempered by curiosity, compassion, and lingering doubts about his own righteousness, attempting to draw similarities […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-04-16T16:24:08+02:00April 15th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Military Book Reviews|

Review: Magda Revealed by Ursula Werner

Setting the record straight on the life and legacy of Jesus Christ through the words of his truest companion, Magda Revealed by Ursula Werner is a revelatory work of fiction.

After two thousand years of watching Christianity morph into a carnival mirror version of itself, Yeshua tasks his most faithful follower with revealing the truth to the world. With that mission in mind, Mary of Magdala details her life-changing journey at Yeshua’s side, clarifying murky points of history around the disciples’ true colors, the ulterior motives behind the severely edited Gospels, and the eradication of the feminine legacy at the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-03-26T13:04:53+02:00March 25th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Religious Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Hodie Mihi, Cras Tibi by Nasser Khadjenoori

A haunting visual journey through buried stories around the world, Hodie Mihi, Cras Tibi by Nasser Khadjenoori is a reverent and revealing book about the unbreakable bond between life and death. Taking readers on a poetic and photographic travelogue through final resting places from El Paso and Salem to Budapest and Buenos Aires, the creation of this book is a sociological and emotional endeavor.

The author and photographer focuses on the unique aspect of cemeteries as a place where life and death meet, where transitioning and transformation occur beneath our feet, and during active grief. Cemeteries act as a connection […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-03-24T13:51:03+02:00March 23rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Photography Book Reviews|

Review: Emotional Intelligence by Anna K. Sergio

Exploring the fascinating depths of an overlooked side to human intellect, Emotional Intelligence: Your Ultimate Hands-On Guide – Mastering Self-Awareness, Empathy, and Relationships by Anna K. Sergio is an accessible and essential read for anyone searching for greater clarity, stability, and happiness.

Patiently breaking down elements of human emotion, behavior, anatomy, psychology, and intelligence, Sergio’s book attempts to explain why we feel the way we do, ways to navigate those feelings, and how to best engage with the feelings and actions of others. Perhaps you struggle to make hard decisions, or fail to regulate your emotions in moments of anxiety. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-03-04T12:35:01+02:00March 3rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: The Eye of Farem by Ron Blacksmith

An epic adventure beyond the known cosmos, The Eye of Farem by Ron Blacksmith is a bold first piece in his Rangers of the Realm series.

Thousands of years in the future, humanity has spread amongst the stars, along with Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and a kaleidoscope of otherworldly beings and bots. Guided and protected by the noble and legendary Wardens, the Realm of Planets is a thriving and diverse ecosystem born from the wise and daring population of Earth.

When Captain Mik Rogan and his crew of Rangers aboard the Rockne receive orders to retrieve an ancient artifact with galactic […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-03T13:18:42+02:00February 18th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: First Elite by Emmanuel M Arriaga

A vengeance-fueled revelation that will shake the Huzien Empire and its exalted heroes to the core, First Elite by Emmanuel M Arriaga is a stellar third and final installment of the Foundra series.

As Neven Kenk wrestles with the gut-wrenching loss of his wife and unborn child, their murderer continues to ravage the Twin Galaxies and twist the knife in the side of the Founder’s Elites. Despite his unstable state, Neven is determined to find and kill Entradis, the merciless butcher responsible for his mourning, no matter the cost. He launches himself into the hunt with Ellipse and Tashanira, a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-02-14T15:19:47+02:00February 13th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean by Dan E. Hendrickson

A high-seas drama packed with pirate power struggles and bloody betrayals, Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean by Dan E. Hendrickson is the second swashbuckling chapter of his Pirate Princess Saga.

Brandy and Captain John Edwards have carved out their piece of the azure Caribbean in recent years, battling the slave trade aboard The Morning Star and raising their children in paradise, but their idyll can’t last forever. Zhang Yong, Brandy’s dear friend and ally, abruptly leaves his chosen family in Jamaica to track down his niece – a notorious pirate queen of the South China Sea named the Jaded […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-02-12T14:26:31+02:00February 11th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews|