The Haunted Assassin by Allen Wittenborn

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Kim Yeong Hwa has been raised since birth by the state apparatus, the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, to produce a human instrument, a supremo agent who willingly follows every command without question, a human robot. Her lifelong indoctrination is insidious and relentless, a constant psychological drumbeat even to the point that the Party and its leaders supplant her true biological family.
Kim reaches the pinnacle of success by bombing an airplane in flight killing all aboard, an event that has little impact on her moral fiber. But as she continues to obey orders, she faces a series of tragedies that threaten to shake her deepest convictions. Ingrained beliefs wear thin until a cathartic jolt reveals to her how she’s been molded and used. Her discovery compels her to face a dilemma she never expected to happen—to fight the grip on her mind and escape from who and what she is: a haunted assassin.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 402 / 114,075

One Death Too Far by Dennis Koller

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Author's Synopsis

When DEA Special Agent Walt McArthur is assassinated in a fiery plane explosion orchestrated by a ruthless Mexican drug cartel, his son, Ken "Mac" McArthur—a recently retired Navy SEAL and leader of the elite Red Squadron Security Agency—returns home to bury his father…and unleash hell.

Fueled by grief and vengeance, Mac reactivates his covert team of operatives to hunt down those responsible. But cartel boss Victor Serna, a man known for silencing threats before they rise, issues a kill order on Mac—knowing full well that blood ties ignite vendettas.

Mac accepts a shadowy DEA mission—Operation Snow Plow—a sweeping plan to dismantle the cartels once and for all. But as the body count rises, he begins to question who’s really pulling the strings.
What starts as a black ops mission spirals into something far darker. Mac uncovers a treacherous conspiracy within the very agency he’s working for—one that reaches into the heart of Washington power and puts his entire team in the crosshairs.

Now hunted by both the cartel and those he thought were allies, Mac must navigate a deadly web of deception, betrayal, and moral ambiguity…before he becomes the next casualty in a war where no one is clean—and nothing is as it seems.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 319 / 73,000

The Art of Leadership by David Ocheltree

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Author's Synopsis

Have you ever been told you will be a leader, but no one actually gave you the training? You may have reviewed different websites, watched podcasts or even consulted with other people on leadership. Your search is finally over. "The Art of Leadership" gives you the tools to deal with some of the most complex issues that leaders face on a daily basis. Some of those issues like: How to Have a Difficult Conversation; The Difference Between Manipulation and Leadership; Why Is Humility the Cornerstone in Leadership; and many, many more. If you are a leader now, or maybe you wish to be one in the future, this book is for you. If you are a stay-at-home mom or a successful business owner–here is something for everyone. The key is if you want personal and professional growth! This book will help you on your journey. Don’t take my word for it. This is what other people have said:

“This is the kind of work that belongs on the desks and bookshelves of those who lead—whether in uniform, in business, or in the community. It reminds us not just how to lead, but why we lead.” -Bobby Baker, Captain, U.S. Navy (Retired)

“'In The Art of Leadership,' David matches stories to core qualities of bravery, morality, intuition and faith. It is my honor to help bring to the American public these cherished values so skillfully designed in the course work.” -Cindy McGrew, Founder and CEO of Operation Second Chance, Inc. (illus. Masthof Press, 2026.)

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business
Pages/Word count: 352 / 75,246

A Walk Among Heroes by James McDevitt

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Author's Synopsis

Through TJ and Smitty — a World War I aviator scarred by his past — the novel weaves a sweeping story of two wars, two men, and one enduring love that binds generations. It is a deeply moving reflection on duty, sacrifice, and the price paid by those who return home forever changed.

An incredible story of two wars that seamlessly come together through the eyes of two veterans.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 370 / 77,000

Dances with Arrows by Steve Stratton

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Author's Synopsis

The Russians and Chinese need our crops. They believe America is broken and attack.

In Wyoming, they will find out what unbreakable means. Brigadier General Lance Bear Wolf and his team form the Wyoming Army of Resistance. The very survival of America is at stake… and Wolf will not let it die.

From the wind-swept plains with their ICBM silos to the blood-soaked snow of occupied Cheyenne, Wolf ignites a rebellion that spreads across the Rockies. Every strike risks annihilation. Every decision is a fight between his principles and a primeval need to avenge the staggering losses America has suffered.

Written in the Mark Sibley Mongol Moon universe—where World War III is not a nightmare but a brutal reality—Dances With Arrows is a raw, relentless story of sacrifice and resistance in America’s darkest hour.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 328 / 91,000

Kick the Tires and Light the Fires: My Life as a Naval Aviator, FAA Test Pilot & Aviation Consultant by David Paul West with Ron Martz

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Author's Synopsis

This memoir covers the author's life from his childhood in the 1940s and 1950s in Ironwood, Michigan; his education at the U.S. Naval Academy and subsequent training as a carrier pilot; tour of duty during the Vietnam War; attending the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School; serving as a test pilot for Northrop Aviation and the Federal Aviation Administration, where he served on the team that developed the TCAS II; and completing his career in aviation as a Designated Engineering Representative and aviation consultant.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 298 / 74,500

Platonic Surrealism: The Front Porch Dialogues by Kevin Cann

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Author's Synopsis

Learn to Feel Free and Content with Who You Really Are

Jeb is tired. Not just "long day at work" tired, but "soul-bruised and white-knuckling through life" tired. He’s spent years bracing for impact, scanning the horizon for catastrophes that never arrive, and losing the war with the "Internal Raccoons" in his head.

He isn’t broken—he’s just compressed by a world that feels too loud and a past that won't stop whispering.

Enter Kev.
A retired Navy nuclear engineer, Kev prefers his back porch to a pulpit and "emotional support pie" to spiritual clichés. What follows is not a series of mystical lectures, but a sequence of real, gritty, and often hilarious conversations over coffee and sunlit grass.

“Inspiration: 1/3 Douglas Adams' wit, 1/3 Richard Bach’s soul-searching, and 1/3 Plato’s timeless wisdom.”

Through the "Joyous Fiction" of Jeb and Kev, you will witness a functional demonstration of Platonic Surrealism (PS)—a framework that treats reality not as a cold machine, but as a symbolic, co-authored conversation.

Format(s) for review: Kindle or Paper
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 140 / 24,586

The Long Blue Shadow by Heather P. Shreve

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Author's Synopsis

Three wars. Two hearts. One unforgettable couple.

A love forged in the army’s shadow…

he aspired to stardust; she fought to be steel. 

His service and her secret would take them to the edge of both.  

A breathtaking saga begins…when a young pilot, LT Arthur Lee Shreve, becomes torn between family and reenlisting after the Great War, he defaults to the army, convinced that good men serve conspicuously ‘in the sun’―a path that will lead to the exciting but complex love of his life.  

In Hawaii, he meets Julia who challenges all former beliefs about sex, service, and even love itself.  Cast in stardust, theirs is tested by the grit and glamour of the Interwar years which shakes and tests their romance as they move from pillar to post―from Hawaii to Fort Leavenworth―and beyond.

Where Arthur finds passion and purpose, compelled to rise with the iridescent era, his wife is fiercely driven by demons and a former female lover―secrets she conceals in the relentless shadow of the army. 

Through the challenges and paradoxes of military life, they battle between duty and identity To arrive and celebrate Arthur’s 20 years of service, leaving Julia wondering whether her contributions matter at all, or even if love itself is enough …and careens towards personal crisis. 

As the world drifts toward war, they enjoy the last halcyon days with supportive family and loyal officers Uncertain of what lies ahead and whether they will have to find their heroic impulse once again. 

Fans of the Nightingale and The Great Alone by Kristin Hanna will enjoy the emotional depth of The Long Blue Shadow―love tested by global conflict and history―while readers of The Paris Wife by Paula McClain will love the same atmospheric 1920s and tension between identity and partnership. Fans of Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway will love the human cost of duty, love, and history–all a good preview for Book II that will ring true with fans of The Women, also by Hanna.  

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 315 / 88,000

When Heroes Flew: Black Thursday by H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

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Author's Synopsis

Colonel Matt Barrington knows the cold calculus of WWII strategic bombing. As one of the masterminds behind the US 8th Air Force's daring raids into Nazi Germany, he's accustomed to making decisions that send men to their deaths. But when a mission goes terribly wrong, resulting in the loss of 60 bombers, the weight of command threatens to crush him.

Seeking solace from his guilt-ridden insomnia, Matt finds unexpected comfort in the arms of Charlotte, an English widow, who understands the true cost of the war. Their budding romance offers a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of conflict. But as the casualties mount, Matt realizes he can no longer lead from behind a desk. Determined to share in the risks his men face, Matt volunteers for a dangerous bombing raid, returning to the skies alongside the soldiers he sends into battle. But surviving one mission only deepens the weight of his guilt.

Haunted by loss and driven by an unyielding sense of duty, Matt defies direct orders and enters the cockpit once more. In a heart-stopping raid high above occupied Europe, he faces not only the lethal forces of the Luftwaffe and their deadly new weapons but also the demons that have long plagued him—and his last chance at a future with Charlotte. As flak bursts around his B-17 and enemy fighters close in, Matt must confront the ultimate question: In the crucible of war, can one man's actions truly make a difference?

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 244 / 70,000

Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic by Michael Plotkowski

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Author's Synopsis

Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic is a raw, darkly funny, and unflinchingly honest narrative that follows Joe's unlikely transformation from a wayward teenager into a soldier and army physician assistant forged in the chaos of three deployments.

What begins as a desperate courtroom gamble, spirals into a wild, unpredictable journey through the chaos and cruelty of basic training, the reckless escapades and misadventures of Fort Bliss, and the bizarre, often darkly comic theater of military life. Kosovo awakens Joe's curiosity for the world; medical training initiates him in the crude and intense; Iraq baptizes him in blood, trauma, and loss; and Afghanistan forces him to confront himself amid war's contradictions.

Through black humor, medical grit, and reckless choices, Joe stumbles toward purpose. He learns to laugh at the insanity and carry scars that don't fade. This isn't a flag-waving war story - it's a brutally human one: messy, vulgar, hilarious, and profound.

In the end, Joe doesn't find glory. He finds perspective. Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic is the unforgettable story of a man who learns to own every absurd, appalling, and incredible piece of his past, findings unexpected purpose in the journey.

Raw, hilarious, and deeply human, Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic will make you laugh, wince, and rethink everything you thought you knew about life in uniform.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction
Pages/Word count: 202 / 82,000

Always On My Mind by Bob Every

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Author's Synopsis

Emmett McDonald never planned to start a war. He just wanted a beer on a Sunday in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania.

Janice Wilson never planned a five-million-step quest through the wilderness—the Appalachian Trail. But it's not Mount Katahdin she's aiming for. It's Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, an insignificant town of under three hundred people.

Brace yourself—Emmett McDonald, a battle-hardened veteran of three wars, is now in a struggle a lot bigger than a closed bar on a Sunday. It's about who makes the rules - and who has the grit to stand up to them.

Can an irascible Irishman with street smarts, scars, and an inconvenient conscience take on the people who run everything? And what happens when Janice finally reaches Port Clinton?

Do you believe street smarts can win over organized power? Does the quest of Don Quixote of La Mancha inspire you? Am I a good enough writer to pull it off?

Clicking the sample bar suffices. The decision is yours.

Format(s) for review: Kindle & paper
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 273 / 70,000

Sirens in the Loop - A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago by Paul Zimbrakos / James Elsener

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Author's Synopsis

“Sirens in the Loop” traces the rise and legacy of the City News Bureau of Chicago, the legendary news wire service that shaped generations of reporters and defined the city’s gritty journalistic identity.
Through vivid storytelling, the book explores its founding, its relentless “If your mother says she loves you, check it out” ethos, and the countless scoops, scandals, and characters forged in its chaotic newsroom. From crime scenes to city hall, it chronicles how the bureau’s demanding culture sharpened young reporters’ instincts and left an enduring imprint on American journalism.
“Co-authored by veteran editors Paul Zimbrakos and James Elsener, the narrative traces the agency’s evolution from its founding in 1890 to its “final” closure 115 years later. It offers a front-row seat to Chicago’s most harrowing headlines, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the Our Lady of the Angels fire, and the Tylenol murders. Beyond the hard news, the book captures the "Chicago style" of reporting through hundreds of anecdotes from alumni luminaries like Mike Royko, Kurt Vonnegut, and Seymour Hersh.
The title refers to the "Sirens in the Loop" BULLETINS that signaled immediate breaking news to the city’s media outlets. From the clatter of manual typewriters and pneumatic delivery tubes to the digital age, this book stands as a testament to a bygone era of street-smart, high-stakes reporting that shaped the landscape of American journalism.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 272 / 75,000

Unlearning What Worked by Matthew West-James

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Author's Synopsis

Unlearning What Worked is a collection of lived stories about trying to be a successful human in a world that keeps changing the rules.

For much of my life, I relied on the tools that once kept me safe: staying invisible, avoiding risk, following the rules, and doing what was expected. On paper, those strategies worked. The career progressed. The responsibilities grew. From the outside, things looked successful.

But over time, those same tools stopped working. Growth slowed. Satisfaction faded. The paths that once felt reliable began to feel constraining instead of protective.

These essays trace moments from my life where progress required letting go of what had previously worked, and learning to adapt without a clear playbook. They are stories about leadership, failure, stagnation, and change. About discovering that success does not always come with fulfillment. And about becoming more intentional, honest, and present in the life I was building.

This is not a guidebook or a set of prescriptions. It is a reflective collection for readers who find themselves between versions of who they were and who they are becoming, and who are learning that growth sometimes begins by unlearning.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 81 / 14,980

Wooftastic and Mr. Wonderful by Circe Olson Woessner

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Author's Synopsis

This easy-to-read chapter book tells the story of Danny, also known as WOOFTASTIC, in his own words. Danny is part of a service family that goes wherever Uncle Sam sends them. Danny is loyal, opinionated, and imaginative. He loves his family and keeps them organized and safe. His main jobs are to guard his family from stress and very big monsters, and to keep them from getting lost in the woods. He loves Daddy first, and then it's a hard choice between Grandma and Mommy. Grandma cooks better, so that makes it a little easier to pick her.

Danny is a real dog, and his real 95-year-old grandma drew the pictures in this book to accompany his real and made-up adventures. Young readers will appreciate the stories as told in dog speak, and adults can imagine how their dogs would react if they were dropped into Danny’s/WOOFTASTIC’s adventures.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Children's Chapter Book
Pages/Word count: 102 / 20,161

The Gotland Deception by James Rosone

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Author's Synopsis

The world was on fire.
It didn’t matter who started it…
…only who ended it.

In the 2030s, the era of Putin and Xi ended, not with a bang, but in a poisoned whisper. In their place, new leaders emerged—charismatic, technocratic, and unflinchingly bold. As Russia and China purged their past, crushing the oligarchy, an alliance for future control emerged.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 357 / 102,000

Last Gunship Dial M for Mullinnix by Frank A. Wood

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Author's Synopsis

War kills everything! What could be worse? A boiler room explosion and fire, a putrefied body in the bilges, a reefer dedicated to body bags, and the unimaginable – a possible murderer aboard ship!
Wood captures the psychological & emotional reality of serving during Vietnam with unflinching detail and authenticity. Raw. Real. Vivid. Disillusionment. Its humanity laid bare. A powerful account of the camaraderie and haunting aftermath of sailors that served on the Vietnam Gunline in the mid-1960s.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 313 / 56,346

Paddy and the Banshee: A Mythical Memoir Unlike Any Other by Marty Martin

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Author's Synopsis

The story began as a fantasy based on a childhood memory about a Banshee in Ireland. As repressed memories surfaced, the story evolved into a memoir unlike any other. The story blends imagination with the true story about six-year-old Paddy in the 1960s and his life in New York City, to rural Kilkenny County in Ireland, and back to New York, and how he learned that Banshees are real while also managing to navigate and survive a broken home and a variety of other early-life challenges. The boy’s name may not really be Paddy, but to tell this story, a hint of Irishness and anonymity may be necessary.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 196 / 35,992

Coherent Chaos: The Unity Paradox... by A. Quinn Stanley, Ph.D.

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Author's Synopsis

What if conflict could be your greatest teacher-and your pathway to peace? In Coherent Chaos, educator, veteran, and "blue-collar philosopher" A. Quinn Stanley draws from a lifetime of paradoxes-military and ministry, science and faith, rebellion and redemption-to explore one unifying question: How do we connect through the very chaos that divides us? Blending riveting personal narratives with deep neurological, psychological, and theological insight, Stanley proposes a daring thesis: conflict, when handled with wisdom, can actually foster healing, clarity, and unity. Whether it's reconciling science and religion, understanding the subconscious triggers behind our behavior, or simply learning to listen across differences, Coherent Chaos is both a memoir and a manual for turning turmoil into transformation. This intellectual journey defies genre-part auto ethnography, part spiritual reflection, part social science. Ultimately, it is a hope-filled invitation to find harmony within the dissonance of modern life.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Other—Religious/Spiritual
Pages/Word count: 316 / 117,015

My Father and My Uncles by Jim Hodge

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Author's Synopsis

From the building of the Ledo Road into China, to the battlefields of Guadalcanal, New Guinea, the Philippines, and the air and ground war on continental Europe, the author's father and uncles relate their World War II timelines and experiences.
Through interviews and correspondence with each of these six men before their passings, the pattern of young men being transitioned from the Depression into a wartime footing is not only a precious family history, but a chronology that reflects on all those who served in those years. In total, these young men were spread out across six of the earth's seven continents. Included is a recently discovered handwritten journal of one of the men's bombing missions over Eastern Europe.
Praise God that they each came home to create the extended family that the author has been privileged to be part of.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 217 / 22,427

College Finances for Military Families by Kate Horrell

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Author's Synopsis

College Funding for Military Families is a simple yet comprehensive guide designed to help service members, veterans, and their families make smart, informed decisions about paying for higher education. With clear explanations and practical information, this book walks readers through the entire planning process―from understanding the education benefits earned through military service to learning how to coordinate those resources with other forms of financial aid. When you're done reading, you'll have a clear view of how to build a college financial plan that supports the education goals of the entire family.

Whether you're navigating your first duty station or left the service years ago, this guide demystifies the complex landscape of military education benefits. It provides straightforward information about the most widely used programs, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, and the Yellow Ribbon Program. It also breaks down how and when to transfer GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child, what happens when eligibility changes, and how to ensure that those benefits are used efficiently and strategically. In addition to federal programs, College Funding for Military Families shines a light on state-level programs for military dependents, outside scholarships, and the implications of military life on in-state tuition.

Military families will see how to layer military-connected education benefits with civilian financial tools such as 529 college savings plans, federal student aid (including the FAFSA and Pell Grant), and private scholarships and grants. You'll learn how prioritize all these resources to build a strategic college funding plan that stretches resources for multiple children or degrees. This guide also addresses the realities of military life that affect educational planning―frequent moves, deployment cycles, unpredictable orders, and the transition to civilian life. You'll find tips on how to maintain eligibility through these challenges, how to choose flexible or military-friendly schools, and how to spot red flags in schools that aggressively market to military families.

Written by a financial educator with deep expertise in both college funding strategies and military benefit systems, this book is packed with real-life examples, timelines, and plain-English explanations that help military households avoid costly mistakes. It's not a textbook―it's a practical resource you can refer to again and again as your family's education needs evolve.

Whether your goal is a four-year university, a trade school, a graduate degree, or professional certification, College Funding for Military Families will help you unlock the full value of your benefits and build a cost-effective plan that works for your family. It's a must-read for any military household thinking about higher education―whether you're planning years in advance or scrambling to meet next semester's deadlines.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business
Pages/Word count: 100 / 24,595