Reviews
So you’ve written and published a book. Congratulations – you’re a pioneer in the indie-publishing field. You’ve put blood sweat and tears into your book when many thought it couldn’t be done. Now answer the question, why did you self-publish? Because you’re a pragmatist. You looked at the inaccessibility of the traditional publishing industry and thought your book deserved better than to grovel for scraps, hoping and wishing to win the lottery of even getting an agent, let alone published,
You didn’t want to suck up so you gut up instead.
Now comes the part of getting past the stage where only your friends and family think your book worth reading. Your book is better than the child’s drawing on the refrigerator only placed there because your mother loved you. Now you have to prove it.
Review – Michelle Medhat’s The Trusted
Michelle Medhat’s The Trusted is the first of five planned books in her Trusted series. The first book is an …
Gwendolyn Pendraig’s Dancing in the Dust
Gwendolyn Pendraig’s Dancing in the Dust is a brutal, graphic take on a harsh post-apocalyptic future. A dust-born plague has …
Review – Susan Moore Jordan’s Memories of Jake
Memories of Jake, from Susan Moore Jordan, is the story of two brothers. A family tragedy in their youth brings …
Review – Doris-Maria Heilmann’s 111 Tips to Get FREE Book Reviews
Up to 3500 books are published in the US each day. So, how do you get noticed? Book reviews give …
Review – Richard Smith’s The Darziods’ Stone
The Darziods’ Stone is a very intriguing story about a small group of teenagers, following their travels and battles against …
Review – Kyle M. Perkins’ Day of Reckoning
The adventure continues when a mysterious figure appears at the cliffside where Niko and Kitsune chased Chisai, up to the …
Review: Tom O’Donnell’s The Last Plutarch
A Fog Of Lies. In the city of Panchaea, society’s elite are given godlike powers by a “fog” of microscopic …
Review: A.B. Patterson’s Harry’s World
Harry’s World is the debut novel from Australian author A.B. Patterson. It centers round Private Investigator Harry Kenmare. Kenmare is …
Review: Jordan P.T. Mock’s Obsidian Dawn: From the Cold Light of Day
Obsidian Dawn: From the Cold Light of Day is a high fantasy about a young woman struggling to take revenge …
Review: Susan Moore Jordan’s Eli’s Heart
Eli Levin is a musical prodigy. Albeit one born with a serious heart defect that means he may not live …
Review: Stephen Roffe’s Beyond Hercules: An inside story of the Moroccan hash trade
The history of the cannabis plant is ancient and glorious; its global vilification has been less than a hundred years …
Review: Max Allan’s Hunger
There’s a water-borne parasite, that originated in South America, slowly making its way up through the United States, turning everyone …
Review – Jeffrey Bolden’s Lucid
A short story about a thuggish, murdering, drug dealer is, well, a short story about a thuggish, murdering, drug dealer …
Review: Alison Gray’s Out of the Tower
Earlier in the year I reviewed Hibiscus Fruit, a detective novel by Alison Gray that I had a small issue …
Review: Nick Christofides’ The Border Reiver
Before I start this review I feel I need to tell you two things. Firstly, as a Scot, I am …
Review: Darcy Conroy’s As Long As She Lives
Surviving African genocide doesn’t often make the backbone of a “romance” novel but this is no ordinary sweep-you-off-your-feet relationship novel …
Review: David Ross Wood’s Horns of the Minotaur
In an attempt to halt the rapidly escalating attacks on Minotaur Resource assets, the CEO of the company, George Pollard, …
Review: Frank Galli’s Immortal Vigil – Keiko and the Pill Box Murders
Kaiver Sin is the lead detective of the last non-corrupt police squad in the city of Pandora. They are the …
Review: Steve Conoboy’s Macadamian Pliers
Macadamian Pliers is an unpleasant man with a hideous plan. He’s just sold a house to Emmet’s Peak’s newest family, …
Review: Charlotte Hains’ Introducing Charlotte
When Charlotte bumps into her old friend Anthony she is at her lowest… Shocked by the revelation of her escape …
Review: Jeff Dawson’s Love’s True Second Chance
This is a simple story of boy meets girl. She was 16, he was 17. They were both going out …
Review: Bill Bolton’s In Search of Piétons: a photo documentary
Photographs of pedestrian crossing signs in France is not my usual book. I am not a photographer and nor am …
Review: Alison Gray’s Hibiscus Fruit
On leave from her job in Newcastle upon Tyne, following the death of her lover, DS Abby Foulkes is on …
Review: Hans M Hirschi’s Willem of the Tafel
When I first picked up the book, Hans M Hirschi’s Willem of the Tafel, I realised that I had already …
Review: D.A. Lascelles’ Lurking Miscellany
Lurking Miscellany is a collection of short stories by D A Lascelles with a difference. Not many authors let the …
Review: Jimmy Newell’s A Bronx Boy’s Tale
When I was a small child something happened, I don’t know what, television probably, and I became obsessed with the …
Review: Terry John Barto’s Gollywood, Here I Come!
Gollywood, Here I Come! Is an illustrated children’s book. Written by Terry John Barto, and beautifully illustrated by Mattia Cerato, …
Review – Kyle M. Perkins’ Night Blade: Dawn of Discovery
Buy this book – it has Japanese Cat Demons! What? You want a better reason? OK. Teenager Niko Sakuna is …
Review – Sheryl Sorrentino’s Stop & Frisk
As bouncer, it’s Paulie’s job to protect pole dancers, break up brawls, and pat down the illegal farm workers and …
Review – Drew Bankston’s The Eyes of Tokorel: The Color of Emotion
Permac Sude and Linsora Anselm come from different planets and, because of a historic event that both sides believe a …
Review- Cybele Loening’s Dead Lies
Former NYPD cop Anna Valentine just landed her first homicide case—the grisly double murder of a wealthy young couple. But …
Review – M.L.S. Weech’s The Journals Of Bob Drifter
Bob Drifter is a teacher from Arizona but he is also over three hundred years old and a Journeyman, tasked …
Review – J. Bradley Van Tighem’s PUHA
I am a bit of a history buff and I really enjoy Celtic folk tales and Norse sagas, so was …
Review – Mark Binmore’s A Life of Parties
This is the biography of Agatha Dewsbury. Born in the early part of the twentieth century, Agatha was a moderately …
Review – Jim Money’s The Conflict That Was A War
I’ve read a lot of books on war, conflict, the political fallout and accounts of the mental health issues that …
Review – Lee French’s The Fallen
Chavali is a seer. The latest in a long line, she and her Blaukenev clan take a carnival across Tilzam …
Review – Kevin J. Villeneuve’s The Adventures of Nick and O-Zone: Protectors of the Universe
The Adventures of Nick and O-Zone: Protectors of the Universe is the debut release from author Kevin J. Villeneuve. The …
Review – Davis Ashura’s A Warrior’s Knowledge
A Warrior’s Knowledge is the second part in the Castes and Outcastes trilogy by Davis Ashura. I greatly enjoyed the …
Review – Elizabeth Loraine’s Katrina: The Beginning – The Royal Blood Chronicles Book 1
This, the first in the Royal Blood Chronicles from Elizabeth Loraine, tells the story of Katrina von Dracek, a vampire …
Review – Sergeant Clyde Hoch’s Tracks: Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran
Sergeant Clyde Hoch’s Tracks: Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran is a stunning read. Stunning in its honesty. Stunning in its …
Review – Susan O’Neill’s Don’t Mean Nothing
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of discovering Susan O’Neill via her collection of essays in Calling New …
Review – Tracey Lynn Tobin’s Nowhere To Hide
The only thing that Nancy King has worried about since her grandmother passed away is figuring out what to do …
Review – Worse Than Dead from Stephen Puleston
A ferry leaves Dublin…The chief engineer lies dead on the car deck …There’s a killer on board… Inspector Drake is …
Review: Susan O’Neill’s Calling New Dehli For Free
There really is something quite beautiful in knowing that someone can find humour in this dark world of ours, and …
Review – G.A. Taylor’s Return To Brude
Annie McBride is twelve and lives in a little cottage in Glendowf with her two aunts, Maggie and Peg, and …
Review – Faith Cotter’s Paper Dragons
Paper Dragons is a powerful and moving story that takes us into the mind of a young girl as she …
Review – Michael Wessel’s The Singular Illusion
The Singular Illusion is a psychological fantasy thriller in a very literal sense in that it uses the brain as …
Review – J.P. Leck’s The Merely Mortal
If you are one who has ever suspected, even in part, that there are, truly, monsters of both human and …
Review – David Wolf’s Mindclone
How would you react to meeting yourself? To seeing yourself on a computer screen and interacting with someone you knew …
Review – Bridie Blake’s The Jewel of Kamara
*Contains Spoilers Following the story of Tempani of Amarill a mixed race noblewoman trapped between two worlds, The Jewel of …
Review – Steve Dullum’s The Spiral
Alan Geffen thinks he may have finally got his life together; a small town home, a beautiful girlfriend, a good …
Review – Marc Nash’s 28 Far Cries
The phrase ‘a far cry’ means something that isn’t quite as you expected it, that a once familiar thing has …
Review – Howard Smith’s Diary Of A Sinner
The debut work of poet Howard Smith is a well-balanced mixture of rhyming poetry (with a definite rap feel), touching …
Review – Gene DeRosa’s 6-13 A Friday the 13th Movie Trivia Book
I approached reviewing this trivia guide with some hesitation. The trouble with books of this type is they often preach …
Review – Gino Arcaro’s 4th and Hell
It’s a classic story of the underdog. A Canadian club Football team, the Niagara X-Men, crosses the border for a …
Review – David H. Millar’s Conall: Rinn-Iru
Mr. Millar’s belief that Gaelic was a language to be sung and an extensive list of Gaelic pronunciations make it …
Review – Hans M. Hirschi’s The Fallen Angels of Karnataka
I looked at the title of this book, not knowing anything about it, and expected an “angels and demons” fantasy …
Review – S.N Pearse’s Finding Jane
Months of constant rain and bad weather have lead to a landslip in the shadows of Whitby’s iconic Abbey, unearthing …
Review – The Forty First Wink by James Walley
Marty is having a bad morning. Roused from slumber by a gang of polo mallet-wielding monkeys and a mysterious voice …
Review – David Edwards’ The Black Hand Gang
A book about how Facebook has taken over the world that isn’t actually non-fiction? Colour me intrigued. What you actually …
Review – J.S. Snow’s Redemption: Metal Prodigy Series, Book I
I have stated before that art in any form should challenge you. It shouldn’t be easy to look at, listen …
Review – David Allan Sturman’s The Broken Son
There is a line in the “About the Author” section of The Broken Son that, once you’ve read book, will …
Review – Amber Cavalier Spiler’s THE SECRET OF BLACKWATCH
This is a delightful read for horse-lovers of all ages. Aimed at an audience between approximately 8 to 12 years …
Review – J.M. Preston’s The Great Poem Book
I’m a big poetry fan and am always interested to try new writers as I come across them so the …
Review – Mark Binmore’s Now Is Not The Time For Trumpets
The synopsis for this book starts off – “Stephen Wallingford died intestate in 1990, aged 86, and has in recent …
Review – Stephen Puleston’s Brass In Pocket
The concept of a criminal using song lyrics really appealed to me so I read Stephen Puleston’s first Inspector Drake …
Review – Robert Lee’s The Not So Beautiful Game
I am a huge football fan. For nine months of the year my weekend revolves around how well my fantasy …
Review – Jonathan Lynch’s Dead Business
I recently had the chance to review Jonathan Lynch’s writing as I read The Gift, which was a new take …
Review – Jonathan Lynch’s The Gift
Jonathan Lynch is a new author to me and I’ll be honest from the outset – I was expecting a …
Review – A new perspective on Clayton Smith’s Apocalypticon
What is it about life in a world devastated by the apocalypse that’s just so damnably interesting? I mean, really …
Review – Andrew Chapin’s From Tragedy to Triumph: The story of John Tartaglio
John Tartaglio was a young man who contracted a very rare type of bacterial virus and, within 24 of becoming …
Review – Matthew Berlin’s Legends of Lustria
The Empire had won the war against Brutanians and Elouan, 17 year old son of the new Emperor, is bored. …
Review – Doyle Duke’s Extended Vacation
Extended Vacation is a story of rage, bigotry, fear, suffering, perseverance, secrets and a friendship that is tested to the …
Review – Delia Strange’s Femme
A science fantasy with a touch of romance. A utopian world with a touch of slavery. Kaley Blackburn is sent …
Review – Danielle Real’s Last Name Unknown
Addison Walker is a bit clumsy and accident prone. From tripping over to walking into things, she is forever recovering …
Review – James Collins’ The Judas Inheritance
Wow. What a story! I read this book over one weekend and just couldn’t put it down. Christopher is a …
Review – Faith Cotter’s Paper Dragons
Paper Dragons by Faith Cotter is a remarkable short story about coping with a family member’s illness. The story starts …
Review: Kyle Freelander’s Facing The Tide
Seventeen year old Becca and her best friend Lanie did everything together, typical teenagers with a shared adoration of horse-riding …
Review – Mary Burton King’s Beatrice Belladonna’s Black Magic Web
13 years ago Beatrice Belladonna Joyce Watley Harlow was convicted of seven counts of murder. However four years into her …
Review – Erika Dakin’s The Conspiracy
There is no room for love at the royal court. There is only intrigue and political manoeuvring. For Veysita, a …
Review – Robert Parker’s Apex
Apex is an old school spy/adventure novel by self published author Robert Parker and, once you start reading, you just …
Review – Suzanne Whitfield Vince’s The Many Lives Of June Crandall
The debut novel from Suzanne Whitfield Vince is the story of Grace Adams. We follow her journey from being abandoned …
Review – Adriano Bulla’s The Road To London
There is something so very special about the debut novel from Italian author Adriano Bulla. The story itself is certainly …
Review: Christopher Stokes’ The Distant Glimmer
In 1962 a glimmer in the sky was spotted by a British research facility and a team of 6 men, …
Review: Morgan Bell’s Sniggerless Boundulations
Sniggerless Boundulations is the debut short story collection by Morgan Bell. With titles like The Tunnel, It Had to Be …
Review: R.M. Grace’s Fall of Hope
Fall of Hope is a thrilling story that draws its readers into a world of confusion, raising questions about whether …
Review: Jane Davis’s An Unchoreographed Life
When I picked up a copy of the latest book from award winning author Jane Davis I really didn’t know …
Review: Vicki Case’s Forever Love
Forever Love by Vicki Case is the fourth of her poetry collections written for Eros, the man she loved and …
Review – Gary Sheard’s Awful Management
Awful Management chronicles the business experiences of Gary Sheard from junior pea picker to the chairman of a plc. Along …
Review – Kneel Downe’s SPORADIC
I first came across the work of Kneel Downe when upon a friend’s recommendation I purchased Amelia’s Song, a fairy …
Review: Patrick Andendall’s Stupid Party: Math Versus Myth
To date, I’ve only reviewed fiction, so it was a refreshing change to review something of an altogether different bent. …
Review – R.J. Brousseau’s Battle For Honor: Gates
Three thousand years ago, Agora was brought to the brink of annihilation by the Third Great War. Since then, all …
Review – T.A. Uner’s Doctor Mars
Doctor Mars is a short science-fiction story written by T.A. Uner. Set – as one might have guessed – on …
Review: Carrie Lane’s Before Cate (Cat Haus)
Book contains scenes of a sexual nature Two years after a great tragedy in his life, John Hamilton thinks he …
Review: DC Mahoney’s Ageless Spy
In 1939 Carl Coles, a mid twenties merchant seaman, happens across a young waitress in Nova Scotia whilst he docked …
Review: Mark Gray’s Deny
Meet Cassie Isabel Moore – three names are important she has been told. She’s 17, doesn’t care about anyone or …
Review: Robert Geoffrey’s A Letter To My Son
As someone who has experienced an awful amount of loss in my life, I am now quite hardened to the …
Review – Drew Bankston’s Lines of Force
Travelling back in time and changing history is not a new concept. It is a well travelled road for science …
Review – Leandra Martin’s Dark One Rising
When you review for a successful site like The Self Publisher’s Showcase which has so many fantastic authors and titles, …
Review – Anne Riley’s Elusive Little Sucker: My Entirely Too Long and Totally Circuitous Search for Happiness
Here we have a short but funny, insightful, trenchant memoir type anecdotally oriented travelogue-ish book that masquerades as a guide …
Review – Ava Morgan’s Uprooted
Ava Morgan’s “Uprooted” is a tale of fantasy and teenage love, not something I would usually reach for. However, I …
Review – A.J. Walters’ A Constant Attraction
The second book in the Attraction series serves us a strong sequel to ‘An Acute Attraction’. After finishing up the …
Review – James Calbraith’s The Chrysanthemum Seal
The Chrysanthemum Seal by James Calbraith is the fifth in the Year of the Dragon series. Set in a world …
Review – Carla J. Hanna’s Starlet’s Web
Starlet’s Web is the first in a series of coming-of-age books by Carla J Hanna, about the life of Liana …
Review – Mitch Davies’s The Inn of Fallen Leaves
There are some times in a reviewer’s life when terrible flashbacks occur and this one of those occasions. I never …
Review – Calvin Bland’s Thoughts of a Pure Mind
This is a book of poems by Calvin Bland, covering many aspects of human emotion from a very personal viewpoint. …
Review – Tim Bedford’s RED
In a small, normally cold, village amidst the forests and mountains, things are hotting up. It seems that it’s going …
Review – Clayton Smith’s Apocalypticon
With so many post apocalypse novels on the market it is hard to find something a bit different but Clayton …
Review – Caroine Jones Lewis’s Monday’s Child
The Swinging Sixties. A decade of change for everyone and the setting for Monday’s Child. The story centres around London …
Review – Clive Endive Ogive IV’s Private Clubs in America and Around the World…
Between the length of the title and the author’s name I thought I would really struggle with this work of …
Review – James Walley’s The Forty First Wink
The Forty First Wink is the debut release from British writer, James Walley. The story centers around Marty, who after …
Review – Steve Justice’s The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul
I have to say before I go any further that some books that are published by the author themselves come …
Review – Janes Davis’ Funeral For An Owl
A Funeral for an Owl is a timely work that gives us insight into the world of teenage gangs and …
Review – Debbie White’s Salty Dog
Libby is a San Francisco city girl at heart, so when Luke, her marketing executive husband suggests they just sell …
Review – A Warrior’s Path by Davis Ashura
A Warrior’s Path was intriguing right from the start. A young warrior from a city state, Ashoka, beset by Chimera …
Review – The Ritual by Erica Dakin
It is often a surprise to many that the fantasy genre continues to be so popular – after all, isn’t …
Review – A Year of Being Me by Whitney Wellcroft
Tiffany Bains, blonde and beautiful, lives in San Francisco and is a divorcee. Having been separated from controlling husband Eric …
Review – Taste of Poison by Terry don Foley
A tale of betrayal in South America, told over several decades and involving drug cartels, bombs and lots of attractive …
Review – The Death of Rock ‘n’ Roll, The Impossibility of Time Travel and Other Lies by Duncan Milne
“Sid Itious” runs a late night radio show in small town America. He is also best mates with a guy …
Review – Head Traumas by James Knight
How to describe the indescribable? Head Traumas is the new book by James Knight – an eclectic collection of his …
Michelle Medhat – Connected: The Shift
Take the largest terrorist collective the world has ever seen, and add in the fact that they have their hands …
Review – New Visions by Steven Harris
It was quite usual for Holmes to be sat by the fire, reading, but it was the tome he held …
Review – Time Trap by Richard Smith
Richard Smith’s Time Trap is a story of adventure, time-travel and survival in 1860s fog-bound London. The story commences as …
Review – Echoes of Paradise by Deanna Kahler
Romances are not my first choice for reading but I was intrigued by the paranormal angle promised by Echoes of …
Review – Dämoren by Seth Skorkowsky
“Fourteen years ago a pack of wendigos killed Matt Hollis’ family and damned his soul. Now, Matt is a demon …
Alison Vidotto – 22 Leadership Fundamentals – the Door to Success says Push!
As the title suggests, this is a self help book aimed at helping people build on their strengths and identify …
Review – Time After Time by Marc Nash
You should never base your approach to a book solely on reviews. Otherwise you may miss out on something unique. …
Review – An Acute Attraction by A.J. Walters
A J Walters is a new contemporary romance author who has just made her first appearance on to the indie …
Review – The Money Tree by Helen Yeomans
It’s a dictum that has been passed down through the ages, often in moments of exasperation, from parent to child, …
Review – Tisarian’s Treasure by J.M. Martin
The start seems as good a place as any to drop in the line “This wasn’t exactly what I was …
Review – An Eye for an Eye for an Eye by Marc Nash
It’s not too difficult to see the world that we live in falling into a quagmire of warring factions, where …
Review – The Call of the Siren by Mark Fleming
It’s a pity other reviewers have made clichés of words such as chilling, thriller, and page-turner, for Mark Fleming’s The …
Review: Lady of the Helm by T.O. Munro
Ever since a certain George R.R. decided to separate a lead protagonist’s head from his shoulders there seems to be …
Review – The Breadwinner by Stevie Kopas
It’s actually refreshing to know, that a Zombie novel doesn’t have to be a gore-fest. Don’t get me wrong, there …
Review – Talonfall by S.G. Night
I have already eulogised about Attrition, the first book in the Penance trilogy by S.G.Night. And now, here we have …
Michelle Medhat – Connected: The Call
Michelle Medhat’s debut novel, the thriller Connected: The Call is a sophisticatedly woven tale of Desperate Governments, Terrorist collectives, Nano-technology …
Review – Nameless: The Darkness Comes by Mercedes M. Yardley
Sometimes you can hear talk of an author, and everything you hear is so very, very encouraging – But, it …
Review – Books I and II of the Aeneid Cycle by Michael G. Munz
A Shadow in the Flames (Book One of the Aeneid Cycle) A Memory in the Black (Book Two of the …
Review – Pearseus Year 18: The Schism by Nicholas Rossis
Rossis’ Pearseus Year 18 – The Schism begins upon the spacecraft UES Pearseus, as those aboard – celebrities and dignitaries …
Review – Crossline by Russ Colchamiro
Sitting down with Colchamiro’s Crossline I was expecting a rollicking Sci-Fi adventure. In reality Crossline is more than that. Yes, …
Denial, Deceit, Discovery by J.James
Written in a wonderfully, clean and effortless style, Denial, Deceit, Discovery from J.James is a frank, open and honest journey …
Review – The Fallen (The Paesian Prologues) by Jae V. Reece
It’s always a little step into the unknown when you pick up the debut work of any author. When the …
Review – VirulentBlurb:Reflections by Kneel Downe
To me, reading this book was similar to a religious experience. Such was this opus that it affected me like …
Review: Destiny Gardens by John Harrison
As soon as you set foot inside Destiny Gardens, an abandoned old hall now home to a separate group of …
Review – Four Florins by Valeria Wilson
Set over a period of around seven years from the beginning of the Great War through to the start of …
Kneel Downe – Amelia’s Song
I first came across the author Kneel Downe about a year ago. Bored with reading the same old adventures in …
Review – Attrition: The First Act of Penance by S.G. Night
I have to admit that I have been a fan of the fantasy genre ever since I picked up Pawn …
Review – Love Unfeigned by Nadine Keels
From the first time Lorraine, a plucky and competitive girl, contends on the playground against Isaiah, an impish boy whose …
Review – Stowaway to the Stars by Graham Keeler
It’s always nice to read an author trying something different. I always like to make tortured food analogies when reviewing …
Review – A Prescription for Delirium by Noree Cosper
Book One of a promised series called the Van Helsing Organization, Noree Cosper’s Prescription for Delirium is a pretty fun …
Review – Intergalactic Terrorist, by Joseph Monahan
Reviewers should always be wary of making comparisons between authors: all too often it can instantly pigeon-hole the author you …
Review – POOJAMMA: The Woman who Redefined Womanhood, by M C Raj
Poojamma by M C Raj Nina is traveling back to India for the funeral of a singular woman. Poojamma has …
Review – Shadow of the Drill, by Rhani D’Chae
If you need a badass call Decker. Pour a tall glass of Steve McQueen’s Bullitt into the body of Sly …
Review – GUIAMO by Marshall Best
Behold the son of Mars comes! In 60 B.C., ten-year-old Guiamo Durmius Stolo, an exceptionally gifted Roman orphan, is abandoned …