Tag Archives: Self-Published

August 13, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Seed

Title: Seed

Author: P.B. Cannon

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: November 2o, 2012

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Historical

Length: About 137 pages.

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Abandoned on an alien planet, Second must learn to co-exist with a group of primitives in order to survive. A tale of the acceptance of differences and of unconditional love.

Content Warning: Polyamory, sex scenes, pregnancy, birth, and bullying for physical disabilities and differences.

Review:

Love comes in many different forms.

I enjoyed seeing how much trust the author put into assuming readers would figure out some things on our own. Not every aspect of these characters’ lives was spelled out plainly, and a few of them could only be uncovered by taking note of subtle clues that fit together in specific ways once one was well into Second’s adventures. There’s something to be said for believing that one’s audience is intelligent and patient enough to do such things, and it’s one of the reasons why I keep returning to Ms. Cannon’s work over and over again.

While physiological differences between Second and the people they met on the alien planet they visited were described in detail, I would have liked to see a little more attention paid to the world building as well, particularly as it related to culture and religion. Second had grown up with certain assumptions about how society worked that weren’t always well fleshed out but that did have a heavy impact on how they interacted with nomadic people they met on their travels. This could have easily been a five-star reading for me if more time had been spent on such things.

The romances were handled nicely and I thought they contributed a lot of character development to this novella. This is something I’m saying as a reader who only occasionally dips my toes into this genre and is not easily impressed, but the author put in all of the work that was required in order to make these subplots flow smoothly with the main storyline. They were ultimately well done.

This is a prequel to a series, but it also can be read as a standalone work.

Seed was heartwarming.

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Tagged as 2010s, Aliens, Book Reviews, Novella, P.B. Cannon, Science Fiction, Self-Published

July 30, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Outopos

Title: Outpos

Author: Rudolph Kohn

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: April 26, 2023

Genres: Science Fiction

Length: 9 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb:

The war between artificial intelligence and mankind is almost over. VeeTwo agreed to finish the war in exchange for a plot of land with abundant resources, but a strange intruder with a cryptic message interrupts her plans.

Content Warning: Brief references to war.

Review:

Every battle must eventually end.

There was a philosophical bent to this tale that I found intriguing. This is something I’m saying as a reader who is only an occasional visit to this corner of the literary realm, so it’s a rare compliment from me. Those of you who regularly read this sort of stuff may be even more into it than I was despite my stellar rating as there very well could be moments I missed that fans would pick up on more easily. VeeTwo, the protagonist, was a thoughtful and kind robot who I’m glad I got to know, especially once their life became much less predictable after they arrived home from the war. Few things are as satisfying as seeing a character you feel connected to experience something that tests their value system in all sorts of unexpected way.

War isn’t generally a topic I enjoy reading about, either but I liked the way Mr. Kohn veered around the bloody aspects of it to explore what happens when one side has won and there are no more battles to fight. This is generally something that’s saved for the final scene or maybe not even discussed at all, so it was amusing to see it become the main focal point of a short story for once. What a creative way to explore what it means to live a good life, and not to mention an author grabbing my attention with two topics that are a little outside of my comfort zone. Bravo!

The ending was what convinced me to give this a full five-star rating. It wasn’t quite a plot twist due to some subtle foreshadowing earlier on, but it did fit the themes of this piece beautifully and gave me everything I was hoping to find from the characters. I especially loved how it not only resolved the main conflict but also left space for a sequel if the author ever decides to write one. Regardless of whether or not that happens, I’ll be thinking about these characters and their society for a long time.

Outpost was a wild and immensely satisfying ride.

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Tagged as 2020s, Book Reviews, Rudolph Kohn, Science Fiction, Self-Published, Xenofiction

July 2, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of A Hundred Julys

Title: A Hundred Julys

Author: Holly Schindler

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: June 29, 2016

Genres:Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary

Length: About 35 pages.

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 3 Stars

Blurb:

Forever Finley Episode / Short Story #8: Mysterious sightings—and a legend of unrequited love—draws Finley’s newest resident into the midst of the folklore surrounding the town.

Norma Johnson, owner of Finley’s only antique store, has always felt she was mysteriously drawn to the small town. Forced to host the July vintage car show, she bumps headlong into the legend that has surrounded Finley for a century—and in so doing, gains a new perspective on the far-reaching effects of love…

A Hundred Julys is part of Forever Finley, a series of stand-alone episodes or short stories that released once a month throughout 2016. Previous releases include: Come December, January Thaw, Forget February, Dearest March…, April’s Promise, Mayday Mayday Mayday, and Chasing June. Stories following A Hundred Julys include Under the August Moon, Song for September, October Omen, and the Forever Finley Finale (Pale November / December Bells). Stories can be purchased individually, or readers can purchase all installments in Forever Finley: An Episodic Novel.

Content Warning: Grief.

Review:

The past and present can have more in common than you might think!

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that compared Norma with Amos, the ghost who had been haunting Finley for well over a century. Both of these characters had lost romantic partners and never quite moved on from that loss. While I can’t go into much more detail about this without sharing spoilers, I thought it was a marvellous way to connect the past to the present and help to explain why Amos hadn’t found peace in the afterlife yet.

I would have liked to see more plot development in this tale. There was so much more the author could have done with Norma as a character, especially given the many similarities between her and Amos despite the very different eras and cultures they came from. Had a few more pages been added to explore these themes, I would have easily chosen a much higher rating given how much I’ve come to love these characters and this setting over the past eleven months.

The romantic subplot was handled nicely. I enjoy the foreshadowing of it that appeared quite early on and looked forward to discovering how it would unfold as the characters who were involved in it slowly realized the newest possibilities in their lives. There’s something to be said for a slow burn like this, especially for individuals who aren’t even entirely sure that they’re open to falling in love at that point in their lives.

A Hundred Julys was romantic and just a little otherworldly.

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Tagged as 2010s, Book Reviews, Contemporary, Holly Schindler, Paranormal, Romance, Self-Published, Short Story

June 25, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of The Parched Lands

Title: The Parched Lands

Author: N.A. Ratnayake

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: May 14, 2018

Genres: Science Fiction

Length: About 18 pages.

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Amanthi is a teenage student in a not-so-distant future school system of hyper-testing and top-down control. In this world, creativity is a liability — but Amanthi is not deterred from dreaming. THE PARCHED LANDS delves into the tangled issues of race, tracking, high-stakes testing, and creativity starvation that run through America’s public school systems. This short story was published as a part of Crossed Genres Magazine 2.0, Issue 7: Expectations.

Review:

Knowledge is power.

Amanthi was a brave and likeable protagonist who I wish I could have spent more time with. It takes courage to stand up against a system that one has never lived outside of, especially for a teenager who also wishes to fit in with her peers and reach her academic goals. Some of my favourite scenes involving her were the ones that showed what she was like when she wasn’t trying to remain at the top of her class. While academics are important, they are only one piece of the puzzle that can be used to describe what someone is like, and they cannot be used to explain someone’s heart and soul.

I found myself wishing for more levels of meaning in this short story. The premise was straightforward, and its criticisms of modern educational culture, while completely justified in my opinion, followed that same path. This could have easily been a five-star read for me if the author had dug more deeply into the themes to reach the centre of what is wrong with things like large language models and the incessant focus on testing at the expense of creativity and lifelong learning in many schools.

Despite this, I did enjoy the world building in this piece. The educational system in this vision of the future was so focused on pushing up grade point averages and test results that it was overlooking the many other ways someone can find success not only in life but also in their personal development. I nodded along as I read the descriptions of the body modifications that students underwent in order to get as much out of them as possible in the classroom. While it was obviously an exaggeration of what actually happens in the classroom, the emotions connected to the commodification of learning were eerily similar in real life and in fiction.

The Parched Lands made me wish for a sequel.

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Tagged as 2010s, Book Reviews, N.A. Ratnayake, Science Fiction, Self-Published, Short Story

June 4, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Chasing June

Book cover for Chasing June by Holly Schindler. Image on cover shows a straw hat with a red ribbon on it. The hat is lying on top of a little bouquet of white wild flowers that is itself lying on an old leather book.

Title: Chasing June

Author: Holly Schindler

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: May 30, 2016

Genres: Romance, Paranormal

Length: 29 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 3 Stars

Blurb:

Forever Finley Episode / Short Story #7: What do we discover when we dig deep into our past?

Annie Ames returns to her childhood hometown to begin a project with her lifelong friend, Justin: a book documenting the romantic folklore surrounding the legend of Amos Hargrove, the town founder. But no one likes the fact that she’s rifling through old memories and a more than century-old legend. When Annie visits Mary, the town’s oldest resident, she opens an old trunk—and along with a treasured antique wedding shawl, discovers life-altering truths about her feelings for her closest friend…and about the legend of Amos Hargrove and his sweetheart, Finley.

Chasing June is part of Forever Finley, a series of stand-alone episodes or short stories that released once a month throughout 2016. Previous releases include: Come December, January Thaw, Forget February, Dearest March…, April’s Promise, and Mayday Mayday Mayday. Subsequent releases include: A Hundred Julys, Under the August Moon, Song for September, October Omen, and the Forever Finley Finale (Pale November / December Bells). Stories can be purchased individually, or readers can purchase all installments in Forever Finley: An Episodic Novel.

Content Warning: Reference to a death from pleurisy.

Review:

Folklore is for everyone.

Some of the most memorable scenes in my opinion were the ones that explored how differently people in a small town behave when they’re around folks they’ve known for their entire lives versus a relative newcomer to the community. Even the main characters exhibited this change of emotions which I thought was interesting as they were otherwise pretty warm and friendly folks. As someone who moved to a rural community that was not particularly kind and accepting to outsiders when I was a kid, I always appreciate seeing this topic broached in fiction and wonder whether this will be of equal interest to people who have lived in small towns for their entire lives and have maybe never experienced this phenomenon.

I would have liked to see more time spent exploring who Finley was as a person. There were some tantalizing details mentioned, including a shawl she created, but given how important this character is to the Finding Finley series as a whole I was a little disappointed by how the instalment that was meant to dive more deeply into her life was written. While I expected something romantic and whimsical as usual, I was also hoping for at least a few anecdotes about what she was like when she was alive. Was her personality playful or serious? What was her favourite subject in school? How did she spend her free time as a child and young woman? There was so much more they could have done with her, and I would have happily gone for a much higher rating if they did.

With that being said, this short story felt like the month of June in some lovely ways. Certain characters have just finished their studies and so have the summer before them to relax and shrug off the stress of writing papers and cramming for exams. The weather during this month of the year is beautiful in many places as well, including the town of Finley, and so everyone can spend plenty of time outside enjoying the flowers before the heat and humidity of the rest of the summer arrives. I haven’t read many authors who pay this much attention to how the seasons can affect the way their characters feel, so kudos to Ms. Schindler for including it.

Chasing June was lighthearted.

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Tagged as 2010s, Book Reviews, Holly Schindler, Paranormal, Romance, Self-Published, Short Story

May 14, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Beach House on the Moon

Title: Beach House on the Moon

Author: Leigh Kimmel

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Genres: Science Fiction

Length: 13 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 3 Stars

Blurb:

The Moon is a dead world, airless and desolate. Emmaline Waite has known this fact since childhood, when she watched the Apollo landings. But here she sits on the shores of the Sea of Tranquillity, looking up at the gibbous Earth as the waves roll in. What madness can this be? She gets no time to contemplate that question, for she is not alone. She is about to enter a realm of love and fear, of mindbending secrets that change her understanding of human history, and of self-sacrifice. Her life will never be the same.

Review:

A little science goes a long way.

The dreamlike themes made me wonder what would happen next. Ms. Kimmel did a good job of capturing what it feels like to not be sure if you’re dreaming or if something incredible has just happened. This was particularly true as one scene would drift slowly into the next one without always explaining what had happened in the intervening moments. That’s not an easy mental state to portray with the written word, so kudos to her for accomplishing it so nicely. Truly, I could not have predicted the ending.

I struggled with the plot holes, especially as they pertained to Emmaline’s relationship with someone she met on the moon. Sometimes it felt like those scenes were an outline of something that hadn’t been fully written yet instead of the finished product due to how quickly everything happened and how some key details were glossed over. As much as I wanted to give this a higher rating, my confusion about what was going on there prevented me from doing that.

There aren’t enough science fiction or other types out tales set on the moon these days. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read one that included an ocean there, so exploring how that came to be was of high interest to me. While I don’t want to give away any spoilers in this review, I can say that these descriptions were nicely written and made me want to learn more about what was going on there.

Beach House on the Moon piqued my curiosity.

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Tagged as 2020s, Book Reviews, Leigh Kimmel, Science Fiction, Self-Published, Short Story

May 7, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Mayday Mayday Mayday

Title: Mayday Mayday Mayday

Author: Holly Schindler

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: December 7, 2022

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary

Length: About 21 pages.

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb:

Forever Finley Episode / Short Story #6: A tale that explores how holiday magic can carry forward into the rest of the year, featuring Natalie and the mysterious George from “Come December.”

Engagement should be a happy time in a young woman’s life, but for Natalie, it’s plagued with doubts. She’d only known Damien four months when she accepted his proposal, and now, when the two are together, she hears a distinct Mayday distress call. Where is the voice coming from? Does it have anything to do with the enigmatic figure she encountered in the cemetery last winter? Or is Natalie finding a way to tell herself she thinks she’s about to go down in flames?

Mayday Mayday Mayday is part of Forever Finley, a series of stand-alone episodes or short stories that released once a month throughout 2016. Previous releases include Come December, January Thaw, Forget February, Dearest March…, and April’s Promise. Stories following Mayday Mayday Mayday include Chasing June, A Hundred Julys, Under the August Moon, Song for September, October Omen, and the Forever Finley Finale (Pale November / December Bells). Stories can be purchased individually, or readers can purchase all installments in Forever Finley: An Episodic Novel.

Content Warning: World War I, a plane crash, and a dangerous accident on a balcony. I will be briefly referencing the first two topics in my review.

Review:

This is one of those rare series that only gets better over time.

There was the perfect amount of conflict in this short story, and I’m saying that as a reviewer who previously had constructive criticism about this topic when I was first introduced to this universe in Under the August Moon. It’s important to acknowledge growth when it happens, and I loved the direction Ms. Schindler took her tale for the May instalment of it. Yes, the core of it remained whimsical and romantic, just as I’d expect from this setting, but the inclusion of higher-stakes moments as well kept my interest levels high.

As someone who doesn’t read much romance, I appreciated how that genre was woven into Natalie’s life as she adjusted to living in a new community and dealt with a mysterious figure she’d recently met in the local cemetery. The themes fit together naturally which is always something I enjoy discovering in books that dip their toes into more than one genre. This was an excellent example of how to do just that while satisfying both readers who may not be well-versed in romance or paranormal fiction as well as those who already know they like those types of stories. I love it when authors create these seamless pathways to discovering new genres!

World War I isn’t as common referenced as World War II is in a lot of modern fiction, so my ears perk up when a blurb mentions references to the First World War. There were no graphic descriptions of war included, but there were a few scenes that mentioned a plane crash from that era. I found them tastefully written yet also heartbreaking given the subject matter involved. These moments also added layers of depth not only to the storyline itself but also to Natalie’s personality as she figured out who was calling for May Day and why.

Mayday Mayday Mayday made me yearn for more.

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Tagged as 2020s, Book Reviews, Contemporary, Holly Schindler, Paranormal, Romance, Self-Published, Short Story, World War I

April 30, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Technosphere

Title: Technosphere

Author: George Saoulidis

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: November 6, 2019

Genres: Science Fiction

Length: 5 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb:

A hoarder planet is not feeling so well. Must have been something it collected. Will the AI tasked to repair the technosphere manage to find what’s causing the quakes?

Content Warning: Hoarding, but portrayed in a funny way.

Review:

A little spring cleaning goes a long way.

I loved the humour in this short story. So much of the science fiction I’ve read these past few years has contained dark themes that I really needed to switch things up a bit and be reminded of the lighthearted possibilities in this genre. While I can’t go into much detail about what, exactly, was funny about a planet that was hoarding resources without giving away spoilers, it was important to keep a playful approach to the characters as they revealed what they’d been up to.

There were a few fantastic references to other science fiction universes here that made me smile as well. The storyline did still make sense without them, but readers who know what the author is talking about will have some wonderful Easter Eggs to look forward to. That is exactly how these things should be written in my opinion as it leaves room for everyone to enjoy what is happening instead of closing certain passages off to those who might have not read certain older works yet.

The last page or two was what convinced me to give this a full five-star rating due to how Mr. Saoulidis struck the right balance between answering some of the reader’s questions while leaving other ones up to our imaginations. Would I have loved to have even more closure? Yes, of of course, but I was left with enough information to imagine what would probably happen next as well as having a decent understanding of how this planet ended up in such a predicament in the first place.

Technosphere was a refreshing break from the serious matters in life.

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Tagged as 2010s, Book Reviews, George Saoulidis, Science Fiction, Self-Published, Short Story, Xenofiction

April 23, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Interruptions

Title: Interruptions

Author: P.B. Cannon

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: February 16, 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary

Length: 20 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Cady and Sam don’t like excitement. So, they have good reason to love their lifestyle in the small town of Matthews, N.C. They’ve got a cute kid, good jobs, great neighbors, and their home beats the wheels off their last address. Unfortunately, interruption rears its head when it’s least expected, leading to that unwanted unrest they’ve been avoiding. What’s a couple of homebody werewolves to do?

Content Warning: Brief references to sexual harassment and humans being attacked by fantasy creatures.

Review:

Werewolves need to rest, too.

Cady’s character development was quite well done. Her relationships with her husband and child were explored in depth as well as her feelings on a variety of topics ranging from race to European beauty standards to why she so desperately wanted her neighbourhood to remain a quiet and peaceful place to live. She was the sort of protagonist I’d love to invite out for a cup of coffee so I could get to know her better as what I learned about her from this piece only made me more curious about who she was as a person.

The ending felt abrupt to me. I should note that this is part of a serial, a type of tale that is well known for ending on cliffhangers, so do keep those facts in mind while reading. Even when including them, though, I wished more attention would have been paid to developing that final scene. The way it was written felt more like the end of a chapter in a book than a short story. In my opinion, serials work better when each instalment in them stands alone as a fully formed tale, and I did not feel like this quite met that standard even though I deeply enjoyed reading it otherwise.

This was a good example of how to write an exciting fantasy story in a suburban setting. Most modern fantasy that I’ve read has either been set in rural or urban areas, so it was refreshing to see a different sort of setting being utilized. I especially liked the brief moments where Cady talked about simple aspects of living in the suburbs like finding a good parking spot or maintaining positive relationships with the neighbours. Yes, both of these topics were relevant to her adventures on this particular night, but I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover why.

Interruptions was exciting.

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Tagged as 2010s, Book Reviews, Contemporary, Fantasy, P.B. Cannon, Self-Published, Short Story, Werewolves

April 16, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Cosmophobia

Title: Cosmophobia

Author: George Saoulidis

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: December 26, 2018

Genres: Science Fiction

Length: 24 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Who is watching the stars, every second of every day, so we can better understand the universe? This short story was awarded the 2nd place in the Science Fiction category, in the Athens Fantasticon 2016 competition. Inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope which will be launched and deployed in 2020. It will hopefully be as invaluable as Hubble was, opening our eyes to the cosmos.

Review:

Eternity is a matter of perspective.

The first scene was momentarily confusing, but as soon as I figured out what was going on I was hooked on the storyline. There’s definitely something to be said for playing around with the audience’s expectations in any genre, and this was a good example of how to do just that. I’d recommend other readers avoid spoilers as much as they possibly can so that they, too, can have the chance to be surprised about exactly what was going on here.

I would have loved to see the last scene expanded by a page or two. The twist in it was what really brought everything together for this reader, and it would have been even better had it been given more time to develop. It’s difficult to go into detail here without sharing exactly what it was, but it made me smile and wish I could keep reading about this universe. This is a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise well done.

Stargazing is something I like to do on occassion, and I was intrigued by how this topic could be turned into a science fiction story. There were elements of hard science fiction here that I found intriguing and would have loved to read more about. With that being said, I also liked the creative flair the author added to it and had plenty of questions about how that change happened and what a sequel might entail if such a thing were ever written.

Cosmophobia made me want to go observe the stars again.

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Filed under Science Fiction and Fantasy

Tagged as 2010s, Book Reviews, George Saoulidis, Science Fiction, Self-Published, Short Story, Xenofiction

Tag Archives: Self-Published

A Review of Seed

A Review of Outopos

A Review of A Hundred Julys

A Review of The Parched Lands

A Review of Chasing June

A Review of Beach House on the Moon

A Review of Mayday Mayday Mayday

A Review of Technosphere

A Review of Interruptions

A Review of Cosmophobia

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