IR VERDICT: EPHEMERAL is the story of a woman’s journey of self-discovery, healing, and love. When Clarissa takes up horseback riding as research for a screenplay she’s writing, she finds…

IR VERDICT: If Carrie Bradshaw (of Sex and the City fame) were a middle-aged suburban mother of four she might be like MISS MATCHED AT MIDLIFE, a sweet and sexy…

IR VERDICT: CHARIOT 3 CONCEPTION describes the adventures of four individuals and their increasingly sentient ship interface as they waylay the prophet Ezekiel, get chased by a fleet of alien…

IR VERDICT: Raedene Jeannette Melin hits the jungle ground running from the first page of LAS HERMANAS, a promising young adult tale about a sister and brother struggling to survive…

IR VERDICT: Sometimes fables and stories are better at explaining more complex business ideas than straight narratives. Such is the case in CADENCE: A TALE OF FAST BUSINESS GROWTH, Australian…

IR VERDICT: Written with style and flair, RIVER'S CHILD tells a remarkably original story of a far distant future where magic and mystery meet ecological disaster. It's sure to be…

IR VERDICT: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF TRIPI THE FLY is a picture book about a fly who can’t, but still dreams of adventure. Tripi discovers his local library, and the…

IR VERDICT: AGING OUT is a perfect Young Adult slice-of-life novel—the journey of two wildly different groups of people separated by age but joined in a common goal by the…

IR VERDICT: A cute, clever reworking of traditional myths, Little Yaga's story will appeal to preteen readers looking for an adventurous fantasy with relatable characters. Amusing culture clashes and a…

IR VERDICT: When a womanizing real estate agent living in a mobile home park goes AWOL in the underbelly of Southern California, a team of astute homicide detectives led by…

IR VERDICT: FRANCE'S WORLD HERITAGE SITES provides readers with useful information about the UNESCO sites, including Chartres Cathedral, Mont-Saint-Michel, prehistoric sites and Caves of the Vézère Valley. This travel guide also highlights interesting…

IR VERDICT: SECRET KEEPER is the story about a girl with a traumatic and heartbreaking past, and the ways in which the life she’s carefully crafted for herself begins to…

IR  VERDICT: There’s no sure way to create and build a company until the work begins.  On the other hand, why not learn from a successful entrepreneur who’s been there,…

IR VERDICT: Despite their brevity, the nine stories in A PECULIAR DILEMMA pack a lot of moral heat: they deal with topics both material and mystical, from mischief to murder, all…

IR VERDICT: TEACHINGS OF A SHAMAN is an emotional tale about redemption and self-discovery that portrays the horrible reality of addiction. Though there is some cultural appropriation, and a dash…

IR VERDICT: Narrator and university freshman Hotshot is a mix of Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield and 21st century angst, existing on intellectual vibes, drink, and drugs.  As a…

IR VERDICT: Consider THE POSTWOMAN a “faction,” mixing facts with just a bit of embellishment around characters and motivations.  As a witness to the beginnings of World War II and…

IR VERDICT: STRUTTING AND FRETTING is a compelling and well-written debut about life, self-esteem (or the lack thereof), and the choices that will either make or break a person. Set…

IR VERDICT: CITY OF GODS II: HORSEMAN continues the journey of the four would-be Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with each man--each engaging and likable in distinct ways--sent to a different…