Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

The 2022 Global Thriller Book Awards Short List for High Stakes Suspense
The Global Thriller Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in High Stakes Thriller Fiction. The Global Thriller Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling stories that put the balance of world power or that will end the world as we know it. We include with Global Thrillers the Lab Lit genre. Lab Lit is when Fiction Meets Real Science and Research or stories that are based on real science and research up to a certain “what if” point.

For other Mystery Divisions see our Clue Awards for Suspense/Thriller Novels and our M&M Awards for Cozy-and-not-so-Cozy Novels.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Global Thriller High Stakes Fiction Long List to the 2022 Global Thriller Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Global Thriller Book Awards novel competition for High Stakes Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.
- Lucien Telford – The Sequence
- Timothy S. Johnston – The Shadow of War
- Timothy S. Johnston – An Island of Light
- Kevin Kuhens – Terror’s Sword – A Kyle McEwan Novel
- Lloyd Jeffries – A Portion of Malice (Ages of Malice, Book I)
- R. Barber Anderson – Jumeau
- Charles Ross – The Future is a Memory
- RP Grant – Gray Matter
- David Tunno – Intrepid Spirit
- Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Major Jake Fortina and the Tier One Threat
- E. A. Smiroldo – The Silent Count
- R. T. Epling – Cocoa Cara Mia
- Daniel Greene – Northern Shadows (Northern Wolf Series Book 5)
- William McGinnis – Slay the Dragon: An Adam Weldon Thriller
- Amy Sommers – Rumors From Shanghai
- Randall Krzak – Revenge
- C. Ross Dutton – The Making of Evil
- Kristie Clark – Dragon Clan
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:

The Chameleon

Ron McManus
The 2022 GLOBAL THRILLER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 10 year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Book Awards are open until the end of September. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 11, 2023
The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Short List for Early Readers & Picture Books
The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2022 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Little Peeps Early Readers Long List to the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards novel competition for Early Readers!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.
- Beth Bacon – The Panda Cub Swap
- Philippa Rae – Harold Goes To School
- Sara Tabibzadeh – Two Cherries
- Ghazal Mousavi – I’m Scared Too!
- Masoud Malekyari – Being the Best
- David Rodriguez III – The Many Adventures of Bruiser The Jack Russell Terrier MVP: Most Valuable Pup
- Ruthie Godfrey – God Made It All
- Anthony C. Delauney – Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work
- Cynthia Kern OBrien – Marky the Magnificent Fairy
- Travis D. Peterson – Ada and the Helpers
- Fragile Tossa – Climate Change Team
- Helen M. Waters – A Story About Sprout
- Micai Reigo Nethercott – Buddy and Bailey’s Alaskan Adventure
- Richard Ceasor – Grandma I Don’t Want To Go To Sleep: A Forever Love Tale
- Susan Conrad – Inside my Sea of Dreams: The Adventures of Kami and Suz
- Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey to the Oceans
- Cynthia C. Huijgens – A Fish Called Andromeda
- C.L. Olsen – Old Crabby Turtle
- Valerie Ramer – Alastair McAllister Goes to School
- Peggy Sullivan – Montana Cats
- Danielle Diestl – Lily May and the Ruby Shoes Blues
- Maggie Bates – Ravens Roost
- Cheryl Denise Bannerman – The Gecko Without An Echo
- Anthony C. Delauney – Dash and Nikki and The Jellybean Game
- Carina Ho, Jesse Byrd – Mighty Mara
- S McMichael – Happenstance Farms Catch That Pony
- David Horn – Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale
- Cindy L. Rodriguez – Three Pockets Full: A story of love, family, and tradition
- Kathy Joy – Will You Hold my Story?
- Abbe Rolnick – Bubbie’s Magical Hair
- Eve Cabanel – Eli and the Mystery of the Hallowshine Dragon
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath

by Andrea Vaughan

See the Full List of 2021 Winners here

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 11, 2023
THE COURTESAN’S DAUGHTER by Susanne Dunlap – Historical Fiction, 20th Century, Family Life Fiction

The Courtesan’s Daughter is a blisteringly smart novel of resilience and the pursuit of one’s dreams, the latest offering by Author Susanne Dunlap.

The year is 1910, New York. It has been ten years since Justine, a French immigrant, fled from her home country with her daughter Sylvie to seek refuge in the United States. As a seventeen-year-old, Sylvie has passionate dreams: to be a star in the new moving pictures just like the Vitagraph girl she admires. However, her mother hopes that she will become a teacher and pull them out of their impoverished life. As Justine ekes out a living as a seamstress on the Lower East Side, Sylvie discreetly weaves a plan to follow her dreams after meeting an Italian boy, Paulo, who encourages her to follow her ambitions.

A man from Justine’s past tries to shatter her hope for a comfortable life.

He haunts her with threats of spilling a secret that involves her previous work as a courtesan, and the crime that forced her to flee. Justine knows that such delicate information could see her sent to prison and even tear apart the fabric of Sylvie’s life.

When Sylvie finds out about her mother’s supposed betrayal, she runs away from home believing it is no longer safe. The glassy perfection and quiet reserve she had long held of her mother is shattered into a million pieces. Endurance, determination, and unusual pacts take center stage in Justine and Sylvie’s lives as they fight for love, which comes at a precious cost.

Susanne Dunlap weaves an impressive duality between two different women and their journey as a family.

Justine’s and Sylvie’s emotional odysseys become progressively aligned, bridging the past and the present. Dunlap offers a bird’s eye view of her two protagonists, showing their thoughts, emotions, and the consequences of their decisions. The book’s neat and lucid prose creates a sense of poise and shows off Dunlap’s mastery as a wordsmith.

At turns poignant and bleak, and at other times pleasant and vibrant, The Courtesan’s Daughter is a triumph both in its construction and content.

The author deftly presents a unique period through rich and vivid descriptions, evoking the mood and atmosphere of this time. She adds an extra repast across the pages that informs in striking ways. Powerful and imaginative, Dunlap’s work is one of optimism that reveals the fortitude of humans to stay afloat even in the starkest circumstances.

The Courtesan’s Daughter draws readers in from the first page with its beguiling beginning. As it hurtles ahead, it holds you rapt up to the last page. Undoubtedly, this story is a tour de force from an author with absolute command of the genre.

January 11, 2023
The 2022 Short List JOURNEY Book Awards for Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction
The Journey Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Journey Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences, travel, personal journeys, global enlightenment, and more. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here.

These titles have moved forward in the Long List Journey Non-Fiction entries to the 2022 Journey Book Awards SHORT LIST. Entries below are now in competition for 2022 Journey Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALIST of the 2022 Journey Book Awards novel competition for Overcoming Adversity in Non-Fiction!

Join us in celebrating the ShortList authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.
- Ian Gregory – On Insanity
- Sandi Paris – Catching Rain
- Michael Wohl – In Herschel’s Wake
- Ashe and Magdalena Stevens – Lost in Beirut: A True Story of Love, Loss and War
- Norris Comer – Salmon in the Seine: Alaskan Memories of Life, Death, & Everything In-Between
- Laura Whitfield – Untethered: Faith, Failure, and Finding Solid Ground
- Nicholas Chittick – A PRISONER’S FIGHT: The Pandemic as Seen From Inside the Illinois Department of Corrections
- Linda Murphy Marshall – Ivy Lodge: A Memoir of Translation and Discovery
- Kim Fairley – Swimming for My Life
- Kyomi O’Connor – A Sky of Infinite Blue- A Japanese Immigrant’s Search for Home and Self
- Roselle Madrone, Robin Detmer, & Kris Dutter – The Open Book: A Family Memoir of Adventure, Trauma, and Resilience
- D. Terrence Foster, MD – The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life
- Mark Berridge – A Fraction Stronger
- Joseph G. Krygier with Victor Breitburg – A Rage To Live: Surviving The Holocaust So Hitler Would Not Win
- Katherine Caire – Accidental Sisters
- Donna McCart Welser – Rue’s Butterfly
- Lyn Barrett – Crazy: Reclaiming Life from the Shadow of Traumatic Memory
- Simone Yemm – Stalked by Demons, Guarded by Angels: The Girl with the Eating Disorder
- Philip Lister – A Short Good Life: Her Father Tells Liza’s Story of Facing Death
- M. E. Schuman – The Understory: A Female Environmentalist in the Land of the Midnight Sun
- Meredith O’Brien – Opening The Door: My Journey Through Anorexia To Full Recovery
- Susan Frances Morris – The Sensitive One
- Stuart Nagero – Truth is Indestructible
- Amelia Zachry – Enough – A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood
- Carolyn DiPasquale – Reckless Grace: A Mother’s Crash Course in Mental Illness
- Jackie Carol Haines – Pinball, the Stray I Needed
- Benjamin Plumb – The Satisfied Introvert: A Memoir About Finding Safety in an Extroverted World
- Mike Coleman – The Way from Me to Us
- Gabriel Bron – The Journey Home: Portraits of Healing
- Catherine Ehrlich – Irma’s Passport: One Woman, Two World Wars, and a Legacy of Courage
- Melissa Harris – One Pound, Twelve Ounces
- Denise Collins – What Happened to John
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 JOURNEY Awards is:

Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days

Andrea Wilson Woods

The 2022 JOURNEY Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 10 year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 JOURNEY Book Awards are open until the end of July. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 10, 2023
The CIBAs 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Short List
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Long List to the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

The 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Short List
- Joy A. Burke – Surviving Christmas
- Cicek Bricault – KyRose Takes A Leap
- Ketevan Alexander – Two Days with Zio
- Sam Hooker & Lindy Ryan – Hemlock N Glitter
- S.P. O’Farrell – Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London
- J.K.Pinsel – KAZI
- L.K. Keenan – Seb Artigas Gone Wrong
- Barbara Hills – The Sun and the Starlings
- Alex Paul – The King’s Armada: Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, Book 6
- Alan Frost – Time Travelers of the Caribbean
- Bo Gannon – Rabbit Tracks – The Trail to Gettysburg
- Ana Cortes – Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Fútbol Tryouts
- Anthony Feinman – I’M FAT! A Critters Adventure
- Ben Gartner – People of the Sun
- PJ McIlvaine – Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet
- Jon & Di Nelson – Spooky Stuff – Back Pocket Summer Camp Tales
- Didem Saracel – Story of Universe
- Christian A. Shane – Salmon Survivor
- Andres Leopoldo Faza – Pomme’s Wondrous Journey
- Jason Colpitts – Corrine and the Underground Province
- Ted Neill & Suzi Spooner – Mystery Force Volume 1: Books 1-3 of the Mystery Force Series
- Ellen Dee Davidson – WIND
- Tamra Andrews – Mirror Child: Book One: The Woolgatherer
- U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
- Marc Remus – The Chocolate clouds
- JK Noble – HALE: The Rise of the Griffins
- Wilson Whitlow – Mystery of the Khar Chuluu
- J. B. Spector – The Amethyst Tower, Book 2 of The Mer-Prince Adventures
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards was:

Fishing for Luck

by Murray Richter

The 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 11-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 10, 2023
The 2022 CLUE Book Awards for Suspense/Thrillers – CIBAs Short List
The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Clue Suspense/Thriller Fiction Long List to the 2022 Clue Book Awards SHORT LIST. Entries below are now in competition for 2022 Clue Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Thriller/Suspense Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following Short List authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.
- Marie Sutro – Dark Obsessions
- Leah Angstman – Falcon in the Dive
- Kenneth Arbogast – Coast Guard Blues
- D.V. Chernov – Severed Echoes
- Craig H. Bowlsby – Requiem for a Lotus
- Chris Norbury – Dangerous Straits
- Steve Mullaney – Twisted
- J.J. Clarke – Dared to Dream
- Martin Roy Hill – Upriver
- Kevin Kuhens – Terror’s Sword – A Kyle McEwan Novel
- Elizabeth Crowens – Hollywood Holmes, a Babs Norman Mystery
- J. Luke Bennecke – Waterborne
- Lo Monaco – Suddenly Deadly
- Chuck Morgan – Crime Spree, A Buck Taylor Novel
- Gerard Shirar – The China Paradox
- Kevin G. Chapman – Dead Winner
- Michael Stockham – Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer
- Michael Pronko – Azabu Getaway
- Saralyn Richard – Bad Blood Sisters
- Bryan Cassiday – Knot of Fear
- Craig W. Fisher – Baker Street Irregular
- Danielle M. Wong – Last Liar Standing
- Michelle Cox – A Spying Eye
- Arthur Herbert – The Bones of Amoret
- Britt Lind – Malevolence – A Hollywood Mystery
- Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Major Jake Fortina and the Tier One Threat
- D.V. Chernov – Severed Echoes
- Kenneth Arbogast – Coast Guard Blues
- Paul Attaway – Eli’s Redemption
- Paul Attaway – Blood in the Low Country
- Justin M. Kiska – Vice & Virtue
- Paul Alexander Sangillo – The Golden Prison
- Susan Wingate – When You Leave Me
- Jodé Millman – Hooker Avenue
- Charlie Robinson – Hybrid Hysteria – A Novel of Corporate Intrigue Both Holy and Diabolical
- R.U. Randy – Astraphobia
- Carolyn M. Bowen – The Death of Me
- Cathi Stoler – Straight Up A Murder On The Rocks Mystery
- Brian Cuban – The Ambulance Chaser
- Lisa Towles – Ninety-Five
- Alexandrea Weis – Have You Seen Me?
- John J. Valentino, Chief John J. Mandeville – Old Dark and Dangerous
- Chuck Morgan – Crime Exploded, A Buck Taylor Novel
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CLUE Awards was:

The Vines

by Shelley Nolden

See the full list of 2021 winners here!

The 2022 CLUE Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 11-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 CLUE Book Awards are open until the end of July. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 10, 2023
THE CLAIMING by J.A. Nielsen – Young Adult, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

The illegitimate son of a human king accidentally binds himself to a Fae princess in J.A. Nielsen’s YA adventure, The Claiming. As war bears down on the kingdom of Telridge, can the two of them break the spell in time?

Lord Ferrous, ruler of Telridge, smells conflict coming for his people. Even so, he denies a mysterious request from the king of the Winter Fae, and sets his sons to prepare their land for war. His eldest, Prince Dirk, gathers his knights and begins to evacuate the common people to the protection of Telridge castle. His younger son Spense, born out of wedlock to the castle’s head cook, uses his finicky magic to Claim a bridge over a powerful river. If he succeeds, the passing will be barred to their enemies. But he fails to realize that the powerful living force he encounters isn’t the bridge at all.

Dewy, crown princess of the Summer Fae, is Claimed instead of the bridge. Her aunt, Lady Radiant, must exile her from their lands. While Dewy’s careless spirit chafed under Radiant’s authority, she grieves for her lost home.

Spense resolves to break the Claiming, no matter what it takes.

The two of them journey on a diplomatic mission to the Fae, while Dirk and his knights begin to fight against an army of both humans, from the kingdom of Verden, and Winter Fae. Spense seeks both an alliance with Lady Radiant, and the means to free Dewy of the bonds he put on her. But this journey will ask more of him and Dewy than they know.

Nielsen brings her characters to full and vibrant life.

Dewy and Spense both feel that they’re different from those around them, unsure of their place in the world. Though they’re initially brought together by magic, they begin to form a genuine bond and bring out positive change in one another. They find confidence in their abilities and, as they come to understand each other, share their fears and sorrows.

Even antagonistic characters show their complexity. Lady Radiant, though reserved and steely in diplomatic talks, wants desperately to help her niece. Prince Dirk fights courageously and sees past the social standing of Flora, a farm girl, to realize that she could help his knights to save Telridge. The king of winter himself, Lumine, is driven by an understandable need, even if he keeps his secrets closely guarded.

The battles, both emotional and literal, keep a gripping pace.

Faerie magic, fire-tipped arrows, gunpowder, and even failed alchemy experiments clash in the battle for Telridge. Dewy wields phenomenal elemental power, Spense offers his clever inventions, and Dirk and Flora must devise creative strategies to hold back the army arrayed against them. Exciting, tense scenes play out as knights and faeries fight. All the while, the characters try to weather the mental toll of waging war.

Spense bears responsibility for all of his people as he becomes Telridge’s diplomat to the Fae courts.

Throughout Nielsen’s luminous, intricately-described Fey lands, Spense grapples with the guilt of what he’s done to Dewy, while Dewy herself contemplates what she feels for him, how much of her fondness can be true with the Claiming upon her. The two risk life, limb, and even more for each other as a curious, subtle mystery forms around their meetings with the Winter Fae.

The Claiming is a story of courage, connection, and the responsibility of a person to care for those around them. Fans of fantasy and faeries will love this fast-paced adventure.

January 9, 2023
The Twelve Days of Christmas! On the Twelfth Day, Chanticleer Brings to me…
Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

Did you know that the Twelfth Day of Christmas is also known as Women’s Christmas in Ireland? Nollaig na mBan in the Gaelic).

On this day in Ireland, men were to take over the household duties or take down the tree and other Christmas decorations, while mothers, sisters, daughters and friends would meet up and share a drink over the last of the Christmas cake.

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent.

Some say that December 25th is the first day of Christmas, but we are going with the medieval date of the 26th because revelry could not take place on the 25th as it was a holy day. And the Twelve Days of Christmas are all about revelry!

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry. Just get it done.

(Note from Kiffer: I still have presents to wrap and cookies to bake, so I will extend the Christmas holidays like the Swedes do until St. Knut’s Day on January 13th. This is the day when the children can eat all the gingerbread decorations on the Christmas tree. Then, they take the tree down and outside and dance around it. We burn our Christmas tree on Summer Solstice.)

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Twelve Drummers Drumming

Eleven Pipers Piping

Ten Lords A-Leaping

Nine Ladies Dancing

Eight Maids A-Milking

Seven Swans A-Swimming

Six Geese A-Laying

Five Golden Rings

Four Calling Birds

Three French hens (Chanticleer’s favorite #justsaying)

Two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree

Twelve Drummers Drumming by Caroline Búzio

Interesting Notes about the Twelve Days of Christmas
- King Richard II of England (1367-1400) organized a tournament that drew knights from across Europe to compete in during the twelve days of Christmas. Each evening after the jousting and sword matches, there would be dancing and feasting. The peasants could watch the matches because they didn’t have to work the fields during the Twelve Days of Christmas.
- It was also custom that the lord provides a feast for all who are working his lands. Of course, the workers were expected to bring gifts of farm produce to the lord’s manor.
- In colonial America, many parties took place during this time where finding romance (or a potential spouse) could happen. Also, many weddings took place during the Twelve Days.
Interesting Notes about the Twelfth Day
- It is considered not the best for good luck in the new year, taking your tree down before January 7th, Epiphany.
- Twelfth Day of Christmas is also the beginning of Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras season is celebrated between Epiphany and Fat Tuesday (the Tuesday before Lent begins).
- Shakespeare wrote the Twelfth Night (first performance Feb. 2, 1602), a comedy mistaken identities that tegins on the twelfth night’s celebration – “If music be the food of love, play on.” Twelfth Night, Act 1 Scene 1
Religious Significance of the Twelfth Day – Epiphany
- The Three Wise Men visit the baby Jesus by following a guiding star aka as Three Kings Day: Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar according to the Gospel of Matthew. Adoration of the Magi
- In many cultures, it is on Three Kings Day that presents are exchanged and opened and feasts are held.
- The Twelfth Day of Christmas is also when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding at Cana (the first miracle of Christ).
- Jesus was baptized by John on the Twelfth Day of Christmas
Dom Prosper Gueranger in his Liturgical Year states that it was the Church’s tradition for many centuries that these three events occurred on the same day, January 6.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Twelve Months of Community

That’s a wrap for us on the Twelve Days of Christmas, but we’re still committed to bringing you excellence in as many forms as we can. Whether that’s our regular blog, with writing tips, our marketing tools like Editorial Book Reviews and the CIBAs, or our competitively priced Editorial Services that keep satisfied writers coming back, we’re here to help you on your Author’s Journey. Whatever it is you need, you can reach out to us at info@ChantiReviews.com and we’ll be there to help!

Our goal is to discover today’s best book, and your book deserves to be discovered! Thanks for sticking with us on this 12 Days of Christmas, and we look forward to keeping up regular writing tips and content in the New Year.

Warmly,

Kiffer, Sharon, David, Scott, Argus, Rochelle, and the whole Chanticleer Team!
January 6, 2023
THE TRUMP DIARIES 2024 by Barry Robbins – Satire, Political Fiction, 2024 Election

Reviewing satire is challenging and so is reviewing diaries. Reviewing a political satire that is written in a diary format is no exception.

However, this reviewer was rewarded for taking on the challenge

The Trump Diaries 2024 by Barry Robbins consists of Donald J. Trump’s Diaries from 2024—the future’s past. The Publisher (a shadowy presence in the book) calls this “The document of the century,” so be sure to read every word from the beginning all the way through the end notes of this unique political satire.

Robbins treats us (particularly those who are not 45 fans) with delicious word twists, double entendre, and not-so-subtle subtext that sings with the sublime. In these 2024 diary entries, The Donald has questions and tries to understand some issues such as the Shakespearean misunderstandings he encounters, etiquette conundrums, and other misadventures with recognizable notables. As you read and digest the “daily diary entries” made by The Donald with the help of his interpreter, The Chronicler-in-Chief, you will find some of The Donald’s entries to be ‘groaners,’ just like this reader’s dear father’s dad puns. And then there are the ones just like the ‘love letter’ from George R.R. Martin to The Donald about the Ice Wall on the northern border of Westeros (of The Game of Thrones fame). Brilliant. Winter is coming.

Just like the ending to It’s a Wonderful Life makes everything better, so does the ending of The Trump Diaries. When The Trump Diaries 2024 comes to the end. Robbins leaves us with feeling good and with the belief that all will end well (at least for a few minutes In Real Life). Nonetheless, just like It’s a Wonderful Life, one must go on the journey to fully appreciate the ending. The insightful and witty Appendices with their wordplay from notable characters should not be overlooked. They are the proverbial icing on the cake that brings it all together in this work.

Robbins gifts readers with the opportunity to snicker and guffaw again and again as points connect through his story, just as they did in this author’s first two works of the four-book The Trump Satire series: Oh Daddy Chronicles, Oh Daddy Chronicles 2: Return of Covfefe, and Scales of Justice: The Trump Trials. You can read these cleverly written, humorous books in any order and still enjoy them.

Political satires and lampoons are often difficult to write. If a work goes too far, it risks its audience’s outright dismissal as nonsense. If it doesn’t go far enough, then you have a milquetoast work. Barry Robbins’s Trump Diaries 2024 brilliantly crafts the voice of The Donald in a genuinely unique manner that captures overtones, challenges, delusions, and his (Trump’s) inner mind workings and perceptions. This zeitgeist can be hysterical and sometimes chillingly scarily on target in its own absurd way which is hard to do when the In-Real-Life Donald Trump makes himself so hard to parody. Just like Sarah Cooper, who did a great job mocking Trump only using his own words and his own voice, or James Austin Johnson’s impersonation of Trump on SNL that reflects who Trump really is, Robbins seems to have some how gotten inside The Donald’s mind to come up with these hilarious parody diary entries from the future that have a bona fide ludicrous ring to them. Enjoy and remember to read to the very end.

January 6, 2023
The Twelve Days of Christmas! On the Eleventh Day, Chanticleer Brings to me…

Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent.

Some say that December 25th is the first day of Christmas, but we are going with the medieval date of the 26th because revelry could not take place on the 25th as it was a holy day. And the Twelve Days of Christmas is about revelry!

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra day!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the Eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Eleven Pipers Piping

Ten Lords A-Leaping

Nine Ladies Dancing

Eight Maids A-Milking

Seven Swans A-Swimming

Six Geese A-Laying

Five Golden Rings

Four Calling Birds

Three French hens (Chanticleer’s favorite #justsaying)

Two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Eleven Authors Conferences

CAC23 – Turn it up to 11! April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

We’re thrilled to be hosting our 11th Annual Authors Conference. This is the best time to meet with new authors and publishing professionals. We also have the extraordinary pleasure of recognizing the CIBA Winners and Finalists at the Authors Conference.

January 5, 2023