Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

Word Nerd – Using the Best Word – the PERFECT Word by Kiffer Brown
Learning another language has always been my portal to understanding the nuances of my own language, American English. Currently, I am trying to learn European Portuguese to add to my faltering French and German. It is a very slow process but still appeals to my word nerdiness that I attribute to my Latin classes in high school.

In reviewing books and many other types of media, my most frequent complaint is when the writers are lazy with their word usage. Not punctuation. Not verb agreement. Not even when the writers are being pedantic. What makes me twitch the most is Lazy Word CHOICE!

Not that the words must be sesquipedalian. (Definition at the end of the post.)

For example, the word PERFECT.

Would any of these words below be a better fit than “perfect” for conveying your thoughts with a more exact meaning?
- impeccable
- without fault
- flawless
- faultless (slightly different than flawless)
- incomparable
- sublime
- ideal
- the best
- shiny new
- perfection
- absolutely
None of the words above are sesquipedalian (ahem), but they do have slightly different connotations to convey your thoughts more exactly, don’t they?

And now, as promised, the definition of sesquipedalia: very long words.

Sesquipedalian: a person who uses big words to sound smart.

Even though Diane Garland and I are lexicomanes, I hope that we do not come across as sesquipedalian. However, no one would accuse me of being pauciloquent.

Lexicomane: lover of dictionaries

Pauciloquent: using few words in speech or conversation

The main point is that as a writer, you do not want to bumfuzzle your readers or listeners.

Bumfuzzle: confuse, perplex, fluster

To bring this diverting (aka fun, I hope) post to a close, I would like to share some words that I read in a business journal that are supposed to make you sound smarter. However, their synonyms might work better in your works. It depends. Right? Right! Or as my friend with whom English is a second language admonishes me to say, “Correct? Correct!” instead of right—especially when giving directions.
- articulate (well-spoken)
- accolades (kudos)
- brevity (concise)
- adulation (excessive flattery)
- anomaly (odd)
- pithy (brief, clever remark)
- lucid (clear and intelligible)
- bespoke (custom-made)
- diatribe (rant)
- vitriolic (nasty, scathing comment or action)
- aplomb (confidence)
- resplendent (shining brilliantly)
Do you have some words that you would love to share or ones that you think should be abolished (scrapped) from the English language? Let me know!

REMINDER to WRITE FAST and EDIT SLOW

And remember to not worry about word choice when you are creating your first or second draft.

WRITE FAST!

Edit Slow!

Handy link to our Write Fast, Edit Slow post with a practice exercise.

Word choice editing comes after you get your story’s first or second draft draft down in words from the “mindfilm” that you experience when you are creating a work.

I do hope that you have enjoyed reading this post at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time,

Keep on Writing! Kiffer

Chanticleer Editorial Services – when you are ready

Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

Tools of the Editing Trade

Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).

If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.

We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top editors on an ongoing basis. Contact us today!

Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions are being held.

A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service: https://test.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/
September 20, 2022
TOO SOON The NIGHT: A Novel of Empress Theodora (The Theodora Duology Book 2) by James Conroyd Martin – Historical Fiction, Eastern Roman Empire, Women Leaders

Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin shows the thrilling heights to which Empress Theodora rose and the crushing depths to which she fell, in the latter half of her life. This story picks up from Fortune’s Child, the first volume of this epic duology.

This half of Theodora’s incredible journey opens at its close – as she succumbs to the cancer that drove her to dictate the record of her life. She left the task of recording her meteoric rise from actress to empress in the hands of the scribe and historian Stephen, even though she imprisoned him for several years out of fear that he would reveal her greatest secrets.

But as much as Stephen should hate her for her cruelty, he has his own axe to grind against the man who would slander Theodora after her death with a scurrilous character assassination disguised as biography. So he takes up his pen and continues his recording of – if not Theodora’s unvarnished truth – at least something closer than whatever her enemies would conjure to blacken her name.

Where Fortune’s Child focused on Theodora’s early years and her rise to power with Emperor Justinian, Too Soon the Night follows her many attempts to consolidate power, protect Justinian, and secure their legacy – even with no direct heir for their throne.

In spite of the chasm of time between the mid-first century A.D. and the early 21st century, Theodora’s drives and fears are easy to empathize with and understand, even as her complex machinations push the story forward.

The story is split between Theodora’s history as she tells it to Stephen, and Stephen’s perspective of Theodora as he carries out her will.

He provides insight into Theodora’s motives and the court and city in which she lives, allowing the reader to see the Empress both as she wants to be seen and as she truly is.

The story’s setting shows people jockeying for positions in Justinian’s court, unrest among the populace, and the Emperor’s unrealistic dreams of turning the Mediterranean back into a Roman sea. These struggles and desires give the story its tension, framing the life of a singular woman, uniquely powerful for her time.

This is a long and complex journey, befitting an equally long and complex saga. Those who start at the epic’s beginning will be rewarded with an utterly compelling immersion in a fascinating life.

Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Chaucer Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.

September 19, 2022
Got a Mystery? Get a Clue! Suspense/Thriller Awards open until the end of September!
Fall into a good book with us this September as we walk down the Chanticleer Clue Book Awards Hall of Fame.

It doesn’t take a sleuth to realize the best way to have your work to be discovered is by submitting it to the Clue Book Awards Program!

Just take a look at some of these incredible authors who have won the past Clue Awards!

The 2021 Grand Prize Winner of the Clue Awards was Shelley Nolden for The Vines

Born and raised in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, Shelley Nolden headed east after matriculating from the University of Minnesota. After living in New York City for five years while working in finance, she and her husband decided they weren’t meant for city life and moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Shelley’s debut novel, The Vines, was released on March 23, 2021. Her obsession with forbidden North Brother Island in New York City’s East River, as well as her personal health history and passion for equality, heavily influenced the creation of this historical fiction thriller.

You can read more about North Brother Island here.

See the full list of 2021 Clue Winners here.

The 2020 Grand Prize Winner of the Clue Awards was Chris Karlsen for A Venomous Love.

Detective Rudyard Bloodstone is facing the most bizarre crime spree of his career as a copper on the Victorian streets of London. Someone is using a poisonous Cape cobra as a weapon.

What begins as a simple robbery scheme turns deadly when a wealthy businessman is killed via cobra attack, the crimes go from strange to deadly. Rudyard (Ruddy) and his partner, Archie Holcomb, have few clues and no idea what would cause such a change in the criminal’s behavior.

Chris Karlsen was born and raised in Chicago. A retired police detective, Karlsen spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. Her desire to write came in my early teens. After retiring, she pursued that dream. She writes three different series: Knights in Time (Paranormal Romance), (Romantic Thriller), and the newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods.

She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and five wild and crazy rescue dogs.

See the full list of 2020 Clue Winners here.

The 2019 Grand Prize Winner of the Clue Awards was Joanne Jaytanie for Salvaging Truth.

Famed marine biologist and researcher Claudia Rawlings is presumed dead. When Claudia’s research vessel goes down, her daughter Riley goes on a desperate search to discover what happened, eventually turning to Dagger Eastin, co-owner of Hunters and Seekers a marine salvage business. Dagger soon realize this isn’t a simple search and reclaim mission when someone takes a shot at him during an exploratory dive with Riley.

Former Navy SEALs, Dagger, and his partners Kaleb LaSalle and Stone Garrison are the definitions of relentless, and they quickly become embroiled in the investigation that has caught the attention of some very influential people, all seeking Claudia’s important research. And while Riley learns that her mother has left behind clues to her missing research, the Hunters and Seekers pull out all the stops to help and protect her. The wild scavenger hunt sends Dagger and Riley on a trip to discover the truth, but Russian spies, big oil cronies, and psychopathic hitmen lurk around every corner.

Joanne was born and raised in Sherburne, New York, a quaint village surrounded by dairy farms and rolling hills. From the moment she could read she wanted to explore the world. During her college years, she slowly crept across the country, stopping along the way in Oklahoma, California, and finally Washington State, which she now proudly calls home. She lives with her husband and Dobermans, in their home located on the Olympic Peninsula with a panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains.

Joanne writes romantic suspense, paranormal, mystery-thriller, supernatural suspense, and contemporary romance. She loves to submerge herself in the world of her characters, to live and breathe their lives and marvel at their decisions and predicaments. She enjoys a wide variety of books including paranormal, suspense, thriller, and of course romance.

See the full list of 2019 Clue Winners here.

The 2018 Grand Prize Winner of the Clue Awards was Timothy Burgess for California Son

California Son, the second installment in the Liam Sol Mystery series by Timothy Burgess, presents another action-packed mystery for protagonist Liam Sol to solve. Honorably discharged after his tour of duty in Vietnam, Liam returns to his primarily Hispanic neighborhood of Baja La Bolsa, a coastal town near LA, California, where trouble finds him.

In his role as a journalist, Liam takes interest in the daily pleas of a Hispanic mother to find her son’s murderer, pleas that the mostly white La Bolsa Police seem to ignore. After an article he writes in hopes of renewing interest in the case appears in La Bolsa Tribune, the mother is found dead in her apartment. No stranger to death or violence, Liam soon finds himself on the personal side of a hunt for the killer of not only the son but also the mother.

Growing up in Southern California, Tim Burgess was always fascinated by the 1960s surf culture. Though he was only a child, he could tell this was not a Beach Blanket Bingo world. Beneath the innocent surface of the sun and the sand lurked a dark and dangerous undercurrent. The setting, he realized, would be perfect for a mystery series. The Never-Ending Swell and California Son are the first two books in the Liam Sol Mystery Series.

Tim grew up in West Covina, CA. and graduated from Cal Poly, Pomona–Go Broncos!

See the full list of 2018 Clue Winners here

And the 2017 Grand Prize Winner of the Clue Awards was Kaylin McFarren for Twisted Threads

Interested in a holiday cruise? Surround yourself with luxury, romance, secrets and multiple murders while traveling through the Caribbean with author Kaylin McFarren in her new sexy, action-packed book, Twisted Threads. There is only one assignment for a Japanese crime lord’s favorite assassin: take out a dastardly couple in less than ten days. But can Akira Hamada complete her mission without losing her head and heart during her most steamy and complicated hit thus far?

It isn’t part of the assignment to fall in love with someone close to murder suspects, Sara and Paul Lyons, but then Akira has never been bound by rules. Devon returns Akira’s feelings with all his being. However, there are notorious secrets between them, and now this surging romance is putting his life at risk as well. With no avenue for escape, multiple disappearances and murders increase the onboard tension. And that’s not all. Descriptions of the steamy scenes behind closed doors are beyond intense, with exhilarating adult situations and language.

Kaylin McFarren has received more than 60 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart Award nomination for Flaherty’s Crossing – a book she and her oldest daughter, New York Times/USA Today best-selling author Kristina McMorris, co-wrote in 2008. Prior to embarking on her writing journey and developing the popular Threads psychological thriller series, she poured her passion for creativity into her work as the director of a fine art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon; she also served as a governor-appointed member of the Oregon Arts Commission.

See the full list of 2017 Clue Winners here

Again, a huge congratulations to Shelley Nolden, the most recent Clue Grand Prize Winner. We are honored to continue to promote and celebrate the winning books of the CIBAs.

Have an excellent Suspense/Thriller? The Clue Awards closes at the end of September! Submit today!

Chanticleerians in the News? We love celebrating our Chanticleer Authors! Anytime you have something to crow about, email us at info@ChantiReviews.com to let us know!
September 16, 2022
Back to School with the Little Peeps Awards that Recognize the Best Early Readers and Picture Books – Chanticleer Hall of Fame!

Start your Early Readers out right with the Winners of the Chanticleer Little Peeps Awards—a Diverse and Imaginative Collection!

Back-to-school books are easier than ever for those who are just learning to read as we can look at the marvelous First Place and Grand Prize Winners of The Little Peeps Awards!

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers with the Little Peeps. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2021 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

The Following our the Little Peeps Grand Prize Winners over the past 5 years!

Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath

by Andrea Vaughan

Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

See the full list of 2021 Winners here.

Great As A Button

By Masoud Malekyari

Masoud Malekyari’s Great As a Button is a delightful children’s book that places a soulful little plastic adornment at center stage in a thought-provoking story that offers up a positive lesson about self-worth.

This tale unfolds from a first person POV as a lonely, black plastic button that falls off a shirt. The button ruminates over its plight of feeling too plain to be noticed, and wishes perhaps to be a sock, a key, or a pair of glasses, i.e., a more important item that the button surmises someone would go out of their way to look for.

Amidst encounters with an inquisitive dog and some playful ants, the button has longings to reside in a big castle while adorning a king’s coat, or to sail across the ocean while attached to a boat captain’s slicker. Fate suggests that the button might be in trouble if snatched up by birds; lucky if used by a seamstress; or forlorn when not chosen like the more ornate accessories in a tailor’s shop. When given to a young boy, surprising opportunities send the button in an unexpected direction where ultimately, he discovers newfound importance on a sunny winter’s day.

See the Full List of 2020 Winners here!

Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie

By Trevor Young & Eleanor Long

In Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie, Eleanor Long & Trevor Young create an interactive animated story that helps children learn about their unique gifts through an imaginative tale and diverse vocabulary.

The first page opens with a poem sharing a personalized gift with the reader. Then, we meet the frog King, and his kingdom Galdovia. His land is “where the wild wind whistles while the songbird sings” and he narrates the story, voiced by Brian Murphy.

The townsfolk of Galdovia move on the page in textured illustrations. They need a hero to undertake an important adventure, with the promise of a gift from the King to whoever completes this quest. Enter four great heroes who start their journeys in the hope of earning the King’s reward.

Tapocketa is pleased and excited to be supported by Creative Enterprise 2022. This support will enable us to explore and build knowledge in the possibilities for our work in combining AR, animation and print media. Visit their site for more information on the interactive journey that is Galdo’s Gift. www.tapocketa.com

See the Full List of 2019 Winners here!

The Tooth Collector Fairies: Home from Decay Valley

By Denise Ditto

The need for good dental care and its effect on the tooth fairies working behind the scenes is colorfully highlighted in this action-packed book for children of all ages.

Author Denise Ditto has created a delightful fantasy realm where fairies — like the prankster Jolene, the dedicated Batina, and proud, fast-flying Lucas — learn to collect and process teeth left for them by children everywhere. Jolene has finally gotten her Tooth Collector credentials and can join friends in their assignments. The story follows Batina into the messy room of a boy named Scooter, whose tooth shows signs of deplorable brushing habits. When she brings the tooth back to Brushelot for inspection, she fears the worst.

Sure enough, Batina is banished to Decay Valley until Scooter learns how to treat his teeth better, based on a letter she will leave for him encouraging better habits. Meanwhile, Jolene, who tried to help Batina by painting the ugly tooth white, is in big trouble with Crown Mistress Molar. Lucas, the fastest flyer, delivers Batina’s note to Scooter. But who will collect Scooter’s next tooth and rescue Batina from Decay Valley?

https://www.toothcollectorfairies.com/ Denise Ditto, a native Texan, is a freelance writer who loves writing for children. She started working on The Tooth Collector Fairies series in 2012. She also enjoys writing about a variety of other topics, often focusing on recollections from her childhood and growing up in Houston. Her short story The Art of Ironing was published in OMG, That Woman!, a woman’s fiction anthology released in April 2013. Her short story City of Angels was published in Tales of Texas Short Stories Volume 2 – 2019.

Denise recently retired her position of Exe Director at Houston Writers House to concentrate on her writing. She is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the American Business Women’s Association – Woven since 2012.

See the Full List of 2018 Winners Here!

Lessons from a Cat: The Moon and Star; Midnight and Moonlight

By Peggy Sullivan, M. Ed.

In Peggy Sullivan’s award-winning book, The Moon and Star: Lessons From a Cat, readers learn how a charming, tiny white cat finds solace in her connection with the Moon as she goes through life’s challenges and changes.

Star lives happily with a tall girl and two other cats. She runs, dances, and hunts for goldfish in a backyard pond. But this mindful cat soon realizes that life is full of unpredictable circumstances. Though she moves to a college town and has new and fun experiences, Star feels sad when she loses a feline friend, even more so when the tall girl goes off on her adventures.

Luckily Star is a cat with an attraction to the Moon. Its magical glow helps the little cat gain a sense of calm. The peacefulness Star feels stays with her, regardless of changes in her life or surroundings. Though Star and the tall girl move many more times, this sensitive cat realizes the light of the Moon offers a unique sense of serenity wherever her journey takes her.

Peggy Sullivan is a licensed mental health counselor (retired), relationship and children’s expert, mother, and lover of cats. She retired from Okanogan County Juvenile Department after serving as the staff guardian ad litem, court services manager and CASA program director. She recently retired from her private mental health counseling practice in Bellingham, Washington. She makes her home in a cozy cottage amidst old growth cedar trees with her two Russian Blue cat sisters.

See the Full List of 2017 Winners Here!

Again, a huge congratulations to Andrea Vaughan, the most recent Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner. We are honored to continue to promote and celebrate the winning books of the CIBAs.

Have a Heartwarming story that kids need to read? The Little Peeps Awards closes at the end of September! Submit today!

Chanticleerians in the News? We love celebrating our Chanticleer Authors! Anytime you have something to crow about, email us at info@ChantiReviews.com to let us know!

2021 Overall Grand Prize Winner’s Book now being performed as a play in California

Nellie Bly Award First Place and Grand Prize Winner featured across the nation

Laramie Grand Prize Winner spotlighted by the Mark Twain House Museum

Grand Prize Winner for the Shorts Collections Awarded Artistic Grant in New York

From Little Peeps and beyond, we’re proud to have you as part of our community!

September 16, 2022
DEAR BOB: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II by Martha Bolton with Linda Hope – WWII History, Letter Collections, Inspirational

During World War II, Bob Hope traveled almost ceaselessly to outposts large and small, entertaining US troops – and inspiring them; Martha Bolton brings the extent of this work to light in Dear Bob.

Writer Martha Bolton worked with and for comedian Bob Hope. Now, with Hope’s daughter Linda, she has gathered and organized the letters written to Bob by the soldiers he helped.

Hope, English born, and born to entertain, once said he could not retire and go fishing because “Fish don’t applaud.” Among his sizzling lines – and there are hundreds recorded here – he told one audience that he’d gotten a wonderful welcome when he arrived at their camp: “I received a 10-gun salute… They told me on the operating table.”

His performances could have been forgotten were it not for the letters from soldiers of every stripe, and those soldiers’ families – who did not forget him.

One such letter recounts to Bob, of his visit to Sicily in 1943, that “It was something more than a show- it seemed to lift us spiritually.” Another soldier tells him, “Your humor leaves a wake behind you which lasts longer than the wake behind a ship.” One man, “merely a lonely Private” sequestered in a hospital after a grenade blew up in his face, heard Bob on his radio show and said that from it he, “derived my only pleasure during my blindness.”

Hope for his part, responded to as many letters as he could, injecting more of his humor for his admirers: “Give all the boys my best and tell them I’ll take care of the girls until their return.” To the folks back home, he praised the soldiers, “We know them as the finest fighting machine and the finest audience in the world.” He would insist on making as many show stops as possible on every tour, diligently hunting out remote camps far from where he was initially invited.

Post-war, he continued his mission to present material in honor of these fighters. President Truman gave him a Citation of Thanks, and President Clinton named him as the first Honorary Veteran.

Hope had indeed served in the armed forces in a way that used his abilities to their best effect. And yet, as many recall, he was also just himself, doing what he knew how to do, and sharing that gift unselfishly with thousands of others.

Bolton offers an in-depth look at Bob’s shows and the people around him.

Dear Bob includes a multitude of photographs and written input from others in Bob’s cast, lists of his singular honors, and the names of organizations and people who worked beside him and behind the scenes to keep these memories safely stored away.

His enthusiastically delivered humor gave hard-working, battle-weary soldiers the few hours of relaxation they needed. Laughter is a medicine, and in that way, Bob Hope was a medic as well as an entertainer. Bolton’s collection will be read by a new generation and by the few fighters left who might have seen him, heard him, and had the impetus to compose a letter beginning with, “Dear Bob…”

Dear Bob by Martha Bolton won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Military and Front Line Book Awards.

September 16, 2022
MISSION: ANGOLA: Xavier Sear Thriller, Book 1 by Randall Krzak – Global Thriller, Action, Suspense

Rescuing the son of an Angolan official turns convoluted and deadly in Krzak’s latest thriller, Mission: Angola.

Peter Mwanga, the son of Angolan cabinet minister Colonel Mwanga, is a doctor at the Christian Aid Mission DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). While he converses with foreign missionaries at a village hospital, a raid nearly overtakes the area, and Congolese Marxist Jonah Alimasi and his rebels kidnap Peter.

Almost four thousand miles north in Lisbon, Portugal, government official João Regaleira calls Xavier Sear—an American ex-CIA operative and the best man in his wedding—inviting him to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. Soon afterward, he receives word from an old friend that Theo Mwanga, Peter’s father, is asking for assistance in negotiating his son’s release. Hours later, the first sign of danger surfaces when João and his wife are accosted by a pair of thugs.

The attackers are apprehended, but the threat is clear. Further conversation with Theo convinces João that he should go to Angola only with Sear by his side.

João heads out first to meet with Theo, and Sear leaves a day later. Each experiences dangerous situations en route to their rendezvous point. Regrouped, the troupe encounters a heinous scene—a sign of more involvement from perilous political factions, including Russians and a diamond mine.

Sear has no choice but to devise an alternative strategy to locate Peter, one that comes with significant risks. He readies the group, outnumbered by their enemies, their chances of survival from the rescue mission slim at best.

Award-winning author Randall Krzak introduces a new thriller series featuring a spunky yet brusque ex-CIA operative.

Mission: Angola opens with sharp contrast as scenes morph from the horrific massacre of a poor village to the serenity of João and his wife discussing plans for their upcoming 20th anniversary in posh surroundings.

Sear’s entrance comes at the invitation of João, and the remaining cast follows. Krzak envelopes his characters by carefully accentuating nuances of culture, food, and political strife. Using appropriate terminology, Krzak captures the sights, sounds, and smells befitting both Portugal’s beauty and Angola’s rough and hot terrain.

Krzak’s writing style is nothing less than sure.

With a cast covering an array of personas—from well-developed to highly elusive characters, Krzak’s storytelling naturally flows to create short, concise, cliffhanging chapters. Chapters identify locations, such as Fortaleza de São Miguel, Luanda, Angola; Lisbon, Portugal; and the rebel camp in the DRC, to name only a few. Those sites provide readers with behind-the-scene segments between the various factions and Sear’s rescue plan, which build unrelenting tension up to the story’s apex and beyond.

Mission: Angola has enough twists, turns, and suspense to satisfy thriller fans and feed their expectations for the next in the Xavier Sear series.

Mission: Angola by Randall Kzark won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Global Thriller Awards for High Stakes Suspense.

September 14, 2022
The CYGNUS 2022 CIBAs Long List for Science Fiction
The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up for the CYGNUS Book Awards division. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, Climate-Fiction, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 CYGNUS Science Fiction entries to the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2022 Cygnus Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC23.

Save the Date! CAC23 is April 27-30, 2023 at the Hotel Bellwether

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards novel competition for Science Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Jay Hartlove – The Insane God
- Timothy S. Johnston – An Island of Light
- Melissa Diyab – Crossing Over
- Charles Ross – The Future is a Memory
- Sebastian Dax – Grasp of Erebus
- J. N. Johnson – Pig
- Annie Williams – Maximized Entropy: Death of the Internet
- Dana Dargos, Said Al Bizri – Einstein in the Attic
- D. H. Ford – Rogue Reborn
- O.E. Tearmann – Deuces Are Wild
- Lou Dischler – Mona’s Odyssey
- Ash Bishop – Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.
- S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian
- S.G. Blaise – True Teryn
- Steven Paul Terry – Star Revelations
- Michael Simon – Extinction
- Nik Frank-Lehrer – Future Show
- Sydney Raeburn-Power – The Sleepers
- Dimple Desai – The Lambda Factor
- Isaac Petrov – The Advent of Dreamtech
- PA Vasey – Harbinger
- Sandra J. Jackson – Dancing in the Wind, Book 3 Escape Series
- Dana Hayward – Entropy
- John J. Spearman – Pike’s Passage
- Steve Ramirez – The Great Migration
- E. R. Harris – Surf the Milky Way
- U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
- Fulmer/Proto Dagg – Terminus
- J. B. Christensen – Dylan McLeod-Vexor City
- Lucien Telford – The Sequence
- Kristopher Clewell – The Penrose Triangle
- Wilson Whitlow – Consent, Vol. 1: Erdos
- Chris Black – NORAD’s Ghost
- Joanna Evans – Sinai Unhinged
- James McGill Jr – The Alien Agenda: The Earth is a Garden
- Prescott Harvey – In Beta
- Alex Usher – The Age Of Obsidian
- Bryn Smith – Magnus Nights: The Helios Incident
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

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Click here to see the 2021 CYGNUS Book Award Winners for Science Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is 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!
September 13, 2022
Stuck in the Middle with You – Defining the Middle-Grade Books Genre | The Gertrude Warner Awards
Just What Makes a Middle-Grade Book Middle-Grade?

While we aren’t actually “Stuck in the Middle” as the Stealers Wheel might say, we can always stand to learn a little more about the genres we write in.

The Stealers Wheel: Decent band? Sure! Middle Grade Authors? Not quite…

As many authors of literature meant for youth know, Middle Grade sits in that small spot between Children’s Literature and Young Adult – quite literally in the middle of these two genres. The target age for this work is 8-12 years old.

We have a couple of key recommendations for creating excellent work that will hold the attention of this tenacious age group.

The Middle Grade Basics

There are guidelines for every genre, and, while they can bend, if you find yourself breaking them regularly, you might need to double-check if you’re actually writing in the genre that’s best for you.

These suggestions will let people know your book fits in the Middle Grade Genre:
- Length of 30,000-50,000 words
- Content is clean with no profanity or sexual activity (crushes and first kisses are okay)
- The age of the main character is close in age to the reader, about 10-14 years old
- The story is immediate; characters may have minor interiority, but reactions to the world at large is the most important
- The story should feature experiences that the pre-teen and tween has experienced in their own lives even if the story is fantasy (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or Percy Jackson and the Olympians) or real-life (Diary of a Wimpy Kid). Examples are: friendships lost and made, school experiences, family circumstances, and learning about the “wide world outside of oneself.”
- Is it a story that the reader (even if older) can place him/her self in? Total immersion.
There are some exceptions to these rules, especially in different genres, like Science Fiction and Fantasy, which both tend to have longer word requirements. However, following the convention of a genre doesn’t just show agents and editors that your work fits with what they can sell, it meets reader expectations.

If you have ever tried to find clothing and or gifts for this “tween” age, you know just how hard it is and how limited the selections are. And how hard it is to find something the tween will like as this is the age when they start to develop their own tastes and preferences.

Treat Your Readers with Respect

No one can spot someone talking down to them better than a Middle Grade Reader. They have a foolproof radar and can tell when authors are overexplaining or, worse, condescending to them.

Don’t put your readers to sleep!

Children ages 8-12 are smart and hungry for excellent writing! They are thoughtful, clever, and it’s worth it to tell them good stories.

This comes to having good beta readers and a solid Manuscript Overview to ensure you have a working plot before you move onto Line Editing and then the final polishing. Respecting your Reader and their time is the golden rule of any writing.

The Story Must Move

Stanley Yelnats in the movie adaptation of Holes is told he must either choose reform camp or jail for a crime he didn’t commit

That last bullet point in the basics section says the story is immediate.

Younger readers love action – your characters need to react and act in response to the world around them. Publisher’s Weekly quotes Scholastic associate publisher Abby McAden on the topic:

“Middle grade is for truly independent, confident readers, whereas chapter books are all about building that confidence. Stories that often revolve around friendship and deeper exploration of themes and emotions. Kids’ abilities to articulate their inner lives develop over time and are at least somewhat built on experiences they have had or are having. There’s a frame of reference a 10-year-old has that a seven-year-old doesn’t yet. Year over year, kids become ready to look around and explore alternate experiences, and I think middle grade is a giant leap forward in that process.”

And good authors will leap with them as those young readers dive into the larger world.

Read from the Best

The best way to begin and continue to excel in a genre is to read, read, read. Several attendees at the Chanticleer Authors Conference mentioned they had started reading the entire Finalist List for their Division, not just for the pure sake of pleasure, but to better understand what their peers where doing and what the competition really looked like.

Our 2021 Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner for Middle Grade Readers was Murray Richter’s book Fishing For Luck.

Read it Here!

Kevin’s awesome life consisted of three things: fantastic fishing, hanging out with his ever-pranking friends, and having fun with the coolest mentor ever. But when the scariest piece of his past resurfaces, his world changes. Will Kevin be able to find his voice and the courage to overcome things too evil to speak of, or will he lose his friends, family, and everything else important to him?

What Chanticleer has to say! Review is forthcoming!

A fast-paced novel of amazing sorts! A great book for young readers that will keep your head spinning and guessing what will happen next!

Need even more reads? See the full list of Gertrude Warner Winners here!

Got a Great Middle Grade Read?

Middle Grade Books
September 30, 2022
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The Gertrude Warner Awards are open through the end of September! Submit today!
September 13, 2022
INNER TREK: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas by Mohan Ranga Rao – Travelogue, Personal Transformation, Spirituality

A disinclined traveler journeys into the heartland of the revered Mount Kalash Parikarma in Tibet. Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao follows a voyage that culminates in self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment.

Mohan Ranga Rao, a retired Indian businessman, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when a ruthless Bangalore mob boss threatens him to sell his land at a throwaway price. The situation escalates when he discovers that his trusted lawyer has joined forces with the enemy. He can only turn to his wife for solace.

With nothing for him to do about his land, Rao vows to trek around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain. This travel memoir traces his and his wife’s journey to the deified Himalayas, the land of Lord Shiva. Rao shares intimate details of his experience, including the spiritual transformation that he went through during his challenging high-altitude trek.

Like a medieval troubadour, the author writes with keen precision and finesse.

Deriving his inspiration to visit the holy mountain from his wife Mamatha, Rao is candid in spelling out the reasons why he was initially reluctant towards prayers and their healing power. In tandem, he deftly careens through the emotions he experienced upon catching sight of the mountain along with the noteworthy aspects of the journey. This swiftly culminates into a very colorful and informative insight.

Further, Rao examines what it is about Mount Kalash that has compelled so many people to take the plunge. He studies why travelers would willingly put themselves through such risk and adversity for the pilgrimage to Tibet. He does not shy away from sharing the sacrifices that they made – financially, emotionally, or otherwise, but does it in a witty and heartening tone. The chapters are a refreshing respite from the monotony of daily routine that at times threatens to envelop us.

Written with emotional lucidity and propped up by his relaxed aura of reporting, Rao’s eyewitness account of the arduous journey is an outstanding win.

Buoyed with remarkable photography, each picture tells a story of its own. This makes Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas a captivating read for both ardent and armchair travelers. Rao shares his indelible account and experiences in a riveting manner that pulls the reader into these mountains.

Every line in this travelogue runs truer than any ornate prose could, creating a well-layered and tightly braided portrait. Some illustrations invite the reader to laugh, apprise, and reflect, while others spur the urge to travel. Far more than an adventure tale, Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao deftly balances escapist entertainment with wisdom as it morphs into a spiritual lesson about human life and the importance of staying true to one’s faith.

September 12, 2022
OPERATION MOM: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man by Reenita Malhotra Hora – YA, Romance, Comedy

Master storyteller Reenita Malhotra Hora’s YA romance Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man takes us on a charming journey through the life of one teen, Ila Isham.

Hora introduces Ila and her best friend Deepali, two boy-crazy teens on a summer quest. Readers will fall in love with the smart, sassy, angst-filled, rebellious Ila. A typical teenage girl, Ila lives in Mumbai with her mom and Sakkubai, their house manager. Ila’s mother calls her obsessed, but that seems unfair. Is she obsessed just because her every waking minute is spent thinking of Ali Zafar, famous pop icon, singer, and heartthrob? Or is she obsessed with fellow classmate Dev?

No, Ila couldn’t be taken with Dev because he’s one of three young men that her best friend Deepali is juggling in her summer experiment of exploring her “feminine mystique.” This turn of phrase becomes just one of many opportunities for Hora’s humor to shine as Ila remarks, “That’s a book by Gloria Steinem . . . no Betty Friedan.” Deepali’s response? “Yaar. Don’t be so literal.” The delightful balance between Ila’s book smarts versus Deepali’s street smarts carries us through Hora’s expertly crafted story.

The two girls decide to help each other conduct their “summer experiments,” but for Ila to achieve her goal of meeting Ali Zafar, they must find a diversion to preoccupy Ila’s mom, Veena, a successful journalist, author, and intellectual.

The way to do that, they both decide, is to introduce her to a man who will sweep her off her feet. So sayeth the boy-crazy girls, and thus begins the antics of Ila and Deepali. Ila trusts and admires her best friend’s knowledge on the subject of romance, which is her biggest mistake, and with Deepali in charge, the two find themselves in constant mix-ups and fantastic situations.

To top it off, Dev, Deepali’s boyfriend “number three,” helps them create a dating app profile for Ila’s mom, but they give her the unlikely moniker “Venus” because no one uses their real names on these apps. When Ila begins fielding replies from prospective suitors, she finds she is out of her league—big time.

Enter Dev to aid and assist our hero. Ila’s attraction to the “unachievable” Dev is an impetus for her attraction to Ali Zafar, a more attainable target according to Ila. But Dev’s physical presence nags on Ila. Dev is there, and Ali is not. Yet, Dev was Deepali’s, so Ila, out of loyalty to her friend, pushes him away. The more he helps her, though, the more difficult that becomes.

Hora’s tale showcases what it is to be seventeen with a protective Punjabi mom – or any mom for that matter.

She captures the sometimes-difficult relationship between mother and daughter, friend and friend, husband and wife, and boy and girl. Her exploration of coming of age in a world filled with imperfect people is both humorous and heartfelt, and from beginning to end, we love her for her innocence, stubbornness, and intelligence.

This book will have you laughing out loud. It will keep you reading into the night to see what life has in store for these lovable characters who leap off the page and capture your heart and your imagination. Reenita Malhotra Hora’s novel, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man, is a highly recommended and delightful five-star read.

September 9, 2022