Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

The 2021 MIND and SPIRIT Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction – CIBAs Finalist List 2021
Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction

The Mind and Spirit Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Mind and Spirit 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 enlightenment, motivational/self-help, spirituality, mindfulness, well-being, meditation, and energy. 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 judging rounds from the 2021 Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Short List to the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards Finalists! All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards novel competition for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Mike Lutz – Jesus Speaking
- Tammy Green – Living Without Skin: Everything I Never Knew About Fierce Vulnerability
- Beth Gibbs – Enlighten Up!
- Starr Regan DiCiurcio – Divine Sparks: Interfaith Wisdom for a Postmodern World
- Randi Benator – Awaken to Your Calling
- George Marino , CPA, CFP – Beyond Balancing the Books: Sheer Mindfulness for Professionals in Work and Life
- Bedri Cag Cetin Ph.D. – Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness
- Reagan J. Pasternak – Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet With No Apologies
- Carlo Pietro Sanfilippo – AfterLIFE, Waking up from My American Dream
- Ramzi Najjar – The YOU beyond you: The knowledge of the willing
- Judith Briles – When God Says NO – Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present
- Meg Nocero – Butterfly Awakens: A Memoir of Transformation Through Grief
- Richard Lui – Enough About Me
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. FB rules — not ours.

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the 2020 Mind and Spirit Awards is Dr. Donna Marks for Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure

Click here to see the 2020 Mind and Spirit Book Award Winners

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Mind and Spirit Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction & Memoir. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

See our Full List of Non-Fiction Divisions here!

Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 7, 2022
The PERFECT PREDATOR: A Memoir by Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson – Memoirs, Medical, Microbiology

The Perfect Predator is just the kind of edge-of-the-seat scientific/medical thriller that Robin Cook and Michael Crichton used to write, that nail-biting search to find the right treatment in the nick of time to prevent a pandemic from sweeping the world.

The difference here is that The Perfect Predator is a true story, and the pandemic that epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee fights on behalf of her husband is one that scientists have been warning about for decades. Her husband wasn’t even the first to be struck down by it – but he was the first to receive a cure that could save many others. If only the world heeds the warning made so clear in this spellbinding book.

On vacation in Egypt in late 2015, Strathdee’s husband contracted a stomach bug. Nothing he hadn’t had before and shrugged off, but this time was different. Somewhere along the way from the pyramids to the clinic to the first of several medevac flights, Thomas Patterson came into contact with one of the deadly, antibiotic resistant virus strains known as “superbugs” – and it decided he’d make an excellent host. At least until it killed him.

And it tried. Over and over again. From Egypt to Frankfurt Germany to the world-class medical center at UC San Diego, where the couple both worked. Where they had contacts in just the fields that they’d need in order for Steffanie to cobble together the ultimate “Hail Mary” pass. That it would be possible to send a killer, a virus killer, into Tom’s body to eliminate the deadly virus that would otherwise eradicate Tom Patterson’s life.

If it worked, it would be a miracle. But also a clarion call to whoever reads this book that a century of use and overuse of antibiotics has created these superbugs that can no longer be vanquished by what was once a miracle drug. And that if the research and medical establishments don’t get a handle on the problem and find methods of treatment that do not rely on antibiotics, the 1.2 million people who died from antibiotic resistant bugs in 2019 is only going to be the tip of a very large and deadly iceberg.

The Perfect Predator is a compelling story of scientific research that has a very human-centric story at its beating heart.

Steffanie’s memoir of what happened, to her husband, to her family, to her colleagues and to herself is beautifully written. It is also a story that is absolutely chock-full of the science behind everything she does. Not to worry! Steffanie’s writing style thoroughly explains the science without ever getting bogged down – and while making it accessible to any non-scientist reading this account.

And she never loses sight of the human face on all those details, not just what she is going through personally. While she needs to separate “Wife Steffanie” from “Scientist Steffanie” in order to get things done. It is very clear how difficult that is. She is also painstaking in giving credit and kudos to all those who made this journey possible.

The Perfect Predator is the story of one woman’s successful quest for a medical miracle. Any reader who enjoys medical and/or scientific thrillers will be right on the edge of their seat every step of the way. But it’s the warning at the center of the story that will chill those same readers to their bones.

The Perfect Predator by Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson won 1st Place in the 2019 CIBA Journey Awards for Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoirs.

May 6, 2022
The 2021 SOMERSET Book Awards for Literary and Contemporary Fiction – The Finalists – CIBAs 2021
The SOMERSET Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Literary and Contemporary Fiction. The Somerset Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring contemporary stories, literary themes, adventure, magical realism, or women and family themes. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2021 Somerset Literary and Contemporary Fiction Semi-Finalists to the 2021 Somerset Book Awards FINALISTS. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are the FINALISTS of the 2021 Somerset Book Awards program for Literary and Contemporary Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Ben Sharpton – The Awakening of Jim Bishop: This Changes Things
- M. J. Simms-Maddox – The Mysterious Affair at the Met
- Anne Pfeffer – Binge
- E. A. Coe – The Other Side Of Good
- Margaret Ann Spence – Joyous Lies
- Kent Politsch – Beebe and Bostelmann, a historical novel
- Teng Rong – Brilliant White Peaks
- Natalie Symons – Lies in Bone
- Dan Schorr – Final Table: A Novel
- Dawn Newton – The Remnants of Summer
- Douglas Green – A Dog of Many Names
- Robert Gwaltney – The Cicada Tree
- Richard C. Brusca – In the Land of the Feathered Serpent
- Judy Keeslar Santamaria – Jetty Cat Palace Café
- Charlie Suisman – Hot Air
- Suzanne Simonetti – The Sound of Wings
- Alex Sirotkin – The Long Desert Road
- John Hansen – Badger Creek
- Sue Phillips – You Oughta Know
- Cara Sue Achterberg – Blind Turn
- Gene Helfman – Beyond the Human Realm
- Barbara Linn Probst – The Sound Between the Notes
These titles and their authors will compete to advance to the FIRST PLACE and GRAND PRIZE Positions of the 2021 Somerset Book Awards for Literary and Contemporary Fiction. Good Luck to All!

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. FB rules — not ours.

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 2020 Somerset Awards is

Gregory Erich Phillips

for A Season in Lights

Click here to see the 2020 Somerset Book Award Winners for Literary and Contemporary Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Somerset Book Awards for Literary and Contemporary Fiction. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 5, 2022
The 2021 GOETHE Book Awards for Post-1750s Historical Fiction – The Finalists – CIBAs 2021
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in post-1750s Historical Fiction. The Goethe Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Goethe Book Awards competition is named for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who was born at the dawn of the new era of enlightenment on August 28, 1749.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Late Period Historical Fiction. Regency, Victorian, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, World and other wars before the 20th century, history of non-western cultures, set after the 1750s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For 20th century Wartime Fiction, see our new Hemingway Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2021 Goethe Late Historical Fiction Semi-Finalists to the 2021 Goethe Book Awards Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are the Finalists of the 2021 Goethe Book Awards novel competition for Post-1750s Historical Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Andrew Schafer, M.D. – Unclean Hands
- Margaret Rodenberg – Finding Napoleon: A Novel
- Margaret Porter – The Limits of Limelight
- Paula Butterfield – The Goddesses of Tenth Street
- Adele Holmes, M.D. – Winter’s Reckoning
- Tammy Pasterick – Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash
- Ron Singerton – The Refused
- Alice McVeigh – Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel
- Jodi Lea Stewart – Triumph, a Novel of the Human Spirit
- Drema Drudge – Victorine
- Lorelei Brush – Chasing the American Dream
- Lee Hutch – Molly’s Song
- Orna Ross – After the Rising
- Glen Craney – The Cotillion Brigade: A Novel of the Civil War and the Most Famous Female Militia in American History
- Pamela Hamilton – Lady Be Good
- Lori McMullen – Among the Beautiful Beasts
- Mike Jordan – The Freedom Song
- Florence Reiss Kraut – How to Make a Life: a novel
- Kathleen Williams Renk – Vindicated: A Novel of Mary Shelley
- Michelle Rene – Maud’s Circus
Good Luck to All in the next rounds that will determine the which titles advance to the FINALISTS Level.

A few entries have been moved to the 2021 Laramie Book Awards as per judges recommendations for Americana, Prairie, and Western literature division.
MORE PROMOTION!

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. FB rules — not ours.

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 the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 Goethe Awards is Linda Ulleseit for The Aloha Spirit

Click here to see the 2020 Goethe Book Award Winners for Late Historical Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Goethe Book Awards for Post-1750s Historical Fiction. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

For our other Historical Fiction Awards, please see the following:
Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 5, 2022
The 2021 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Semi-Finalists – The CIBAs
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 the 2021 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Short List to the 2021 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Announcing the 2021 Gertrude Warner Semi-Finalists for Middle-Grade Readers

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Mary K. Savarese – The Girl in the Toile Wallpaper
- Sean March – Little Wade and Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap
- B.L. Smith – Serious Business on Albatross Lane
- Didem Saracel – Story of Carbon
- K.P. Boardman – The Falling Sisters
- Murray Richter – Fishing for Luck
- J. B. Spector – The Sunlit Curse, Book 1 of The Mer-Prince Adventures
- Sean March – Little Wade and Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap
- Ben Gartner – Sol Invictus
- Esta Lemon – The Loser Blog
- KS Mitchell – The Mystery of the Golden Ball: Pen & Quin International Agents of Intrigue
- McKemie Huston – Return of the Last Prism
- Emmett J Hall – RUNAWAY
- Raea Gragg – Mup
- Moira Siobhan – Dilly Cooper Hat-astrophe
- Laurie Calkhoven – Roosevelt Banks, Good-Kid-in-Training
- Peter Solomon – The Stardust Mystery
- Susan McCormick – The Antidote
- Gloria Two-Feathers – Buck Keeper of the Meadow
- Jay Spenser – The Phantom Airplane Mystery
Good luck to All!
These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2021 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

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. FB rules — not ours.

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 the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is Kelly Oliver for Kassy O’Roarke, Cub Reporter

Click here to see the 2020 Gertrude Warner Book Award Winners for Middle Grade Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

For our other Youth Reader Fiction Awards, please see the following:
- The Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction
- The Little Peeps Awards for Children’s Literature
Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 5, 2022
The 2021 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards for Early Readers & Picture Books – CIBAs Semi-Finalists
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 2021 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 the 2021 Little Peeps Early Readers Short List to the 2021 Little Peeps Book Awards Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2021 Little Peeps Book Awards novel competition for Early Readers!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- David Horn – Eudora Space Kid: The Great Engine Room Takeover
- Brooks Olbrys – Blue Ocean Bob Discovers His Purpose
- Peggy Sullivan – Shadow Walkers, The Secret Lives of the Shy Sisters
- M. Lisa Rinaca – Matt Needs A Werewolf
- Dana Brackob – Molly: A Love Story
- Andrea Vaughan – Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath
- Linda Harkey – The Remarkable Story of Willie the Crow
- Brenda Faatz & Peter Trimarco – Now What?
- Susan Faw – Poppy Ogopogo
- Katy McQuaid – Everybody Loves Grace: An Amazing True Story of How Grace Brings Love to Everyone She Meets
- Vincent Kelly – All People are Beautiful
- Wanda Carter Roush – You Got This – A Tale of Courage
- Denise Ditto – Tooth Fairy Day Celebration
- Avril van der Merwe – I Don’t Want To Be a Hyena
- Stephanie Matolyak & Deborah Bailey – A Farm Animals’ Christmas – No Ordinary Farm
- Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey Through Our Solar System
- Steven Haggard – There’s an Elephant in My Room!
- Cindy A. Bell – I Love You, Fiorella, Flaws and All!
- Rebecca Dwight Bruff – Stars of Wonder
- Lauren Stockly – Be Mindful of Monsters & Mindful Monsters Therapeutic Workbook
- Cynthia Kern O’Brien – I Don’t Want to go to Preschool, the Fairy Queen Calls
- Deborah Serani – Sometimes When I’m Mad
- Zaynab Al-Yassiri – LunchBox Wisdom
- Kyle Poehls – From Nicholas To Christmas
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. FB rules — not ours.

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 the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is Masoud Malekyari for Great As A Button

Click here to see the 2020 Little Peeps Book Award Winners for Early Readers Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards for Children’s Literature. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

For our other Youth Reader Fiction Awards, please see the following:
- The Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction
- The Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction
Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 5, 2022
A SPLINTERED STEP: A Sarah McKinney Mystery by Marian Exall – Mystery, International Crime, Suspense

How does one avoid family at all cost? A change to name and identity? Participate in AA? Use of a drug or alcohol as a coping habit? Live in a trailer home?

Check out Marian Exall’s third book, A Splintered Step, in the Sarah McKinney series to find out what happens with her in Wales!

In the second book, Sarah lands an offer to help her mentor locate his distant daughter, and this adventure takes her to rural Dordogne, France. She also must confront her own inner challenges and dangers. Now, McKinney faces her family fears and the origins of her demons in a heart-stopping and heart-breaking story!

We learn more about a special someone in Sarah’s life who asks her to visit during the time between Christmas and New Year’s Day. She reconnects one evening with a musician named Deke. He ends up being her long-lost brother Shane who is in hiding from their abusive parents and plays covers of Rolling Stones songs. Exall describes all her characters effortlessly, making them lifelike, vivid and dynamic.

Even though the conflict of McKinney’s family is troubling and for some hard to read, her supportive journalist beau Dykstra leads her on a fact-finding mission that is impossible to ignore.

The pair reconnect over a cozy meal, where he surprises her with a lovely and sentimental family heirloom as a gift. They decide haphazardly to travel after attending the funeral of Dykstra’s beloved mentor, whose death came suddenly. While on their travels, they spend the first part of their trek getting to know Sarah’s musician brother, Deke. The two continue and after hours of driving into the white and cold dark winter, the snowbanks pile up and force them to reconsider their choice. As luck would have it, they end up at a bed and breakfast and spend the night, which is the scene for a plot twist!

Sarah’s story and family origins make for good imagery and believable characters with great dialogue. Some transitions didn’t flow effortlessly and seemed out of place such as the bird sanctuary at the B&B, but overall, the story is well crafted and is hard to put down. The chemistry between Dykstra and McKinney uses their professions to their advantage to solve the case: Dykstra is a journalist; McKinney is an international advocate. Dykstra is no fuss and only out to get the next big story, but McKinney loves a good adventure which helps the two balance each other out.

Although the descriptions of Wales as a location are sparse, the dialogue between a local host and his uncle (Uncle Georgie & Michael) give us a clearer understanding of the rural setting.

The love and tenderness that Sarah shows her brother is also a bright light in their dark and abusive family’s past. Plus, the plot-lines pulling on Dykstra and McKinney compel readers to devour this whodunnit page turner.

Readers will enjoy the story with or without the first two books in the Sarah McKinney series. A Splintered Step is a tale not for the faint of heart as there are some violent scenes, but it is worth continuing to see if the two can solve the case. The best audience for this book is someone who likes a good mystery, likes to travel in Europe and enjoys the Rolling Stones.

A Splintered Step by Marian Exall won 1st Place in the 2019 CIBA Clue Awards for Suspense & Thriller Mysteries.

May 4, 2022
RUNEBINDER By Alex R. Kahler – YA Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

Runebinder is a dark post-apocalyptic young adult thriller that follows eighteen-year-old water and earth user Tenn, as he is torn between two opposition sides of a deadly fight for survival.

The discovery of magic caused the old world to disappear forever, leaving a reality where to live is a daily struggle of simply surviving another day. Monsters named Howls roam the world searching for survivors to feast on, but they are nothing compared to the powerful Kin that are waging a violent war against what remains of humanity.

During a food scouting mission, Tenn and his companions become surrounded by Howls. Under orders to not use magic to keep the location of their army secret from the approaching army of necromancers, Tenn’s Water sphere unexpectedly unleashes an unprecedented amount of power, destroying every Howl in the surrounded area instantly. Tenn is confused by how his magic could act on his own, and Tenn is soon sought by the opposing sides in the endless war for survival who both believe Tenn is the key to their success.

The opening installment to The Runebinder Chronicles, Runebinder is a fast-paced action-packed novel that will keep readers wanting to know what happens next.

The world-building descriptions are reminiscent of the quick and drastically changed world of a zombie apocalypse. It has only been a few years since magic reached the point of no return after the creation of the Howls. The decay seems too advanced for the few short years since everything changed, but is believable when considering the power magic has.

Runebinder makes use of the “Chosen One” literary trope, which is arguably an overused plot structure, especially in young adult literature. Perhaps, as the series progresses, Kahler will create a unique take on the “Chosen One” storyline, but in Runebinder alone, it is not. The characters are developed well and quite complex once far enough into the story. The style and tone flow easily, which makes for a quick page-turning experience.

It’s hard not to view Runebinder, which was first published in 2018, differently after living through a global pandemic, but reading it now makes it more accessible and engrossing.

Tenn’s world changed forever in an instant. Magic emerged and grew slowly, but the world Tenn knew died suddenly once it reached a critical point. There’s a theme in Runebinder of the feeling of never feeling safe after losing normalcy. How does one keep going when everything seems hopeless and there is nothing left to fight for? Yet, Tenn keeps fighting to survive and life another day in the smallest hope that a better world will one day be possible.

Runebinder by Alex R. Kahler is a post-apocalyptic young adult story about the power of hope in a world where no hope should exist, yet does despite all odds.

May 2, 2022
The 2021 CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction – The Finalists – CIBAs 2021
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs). We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2021 Chatelaine Romantic Fiction Semi-Finalists to the 2021 Chatelaine Book Awards Finalist Positions.

All Finalists will be recognized at CAC22.

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA division Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25h, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Valerie Taylor – What’s Not Said — A Novel
- Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha – Moments Like This
- Lindy Miller – Aloha With Love
- Alex Sirotkin – The Long Desert Road
- Evie Alexander – Highland Games
- A.D. Brazeau – Love Between the Lines
- Bobbi Groover – Inside the Grey
- Elizabeth St. Michel – Surrender the Storm
- Kana Wu – No Secrets Allowed
- Chris Karlsen – The Ack Ack Girl
- John W. Feist – The Color of Rain
- Edie Cay – The Boxer and the Blacksmith
- Emily A. Myers – The Truth About Unspeakable Things
- Deborah Swenson – Till My Last Breath, Book One in the Desert Hills Trilogy
- Phillip Vega – Searching for Sarah
- Emma Lombard – Discerning Grace
- F. E. Greene – In the Sweet Midwinter
These titles are in the running for the FIRST PLACE and GRAND PRZIE WINNERS of the 2021 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction!

Good Luck to All!

All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).
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. FB rules — not ours.

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 the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 CHATELAINE Awards is Mary Ting for When the Wind Chimes

Click here to see the 2020 Chatelaine Book Award Winners for Romantic Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 1, 2022
The 2021 DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction – CIBAs Finalists
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Named in honor of the British poet & painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti who founded the Pre-Ralphaelite Brotherhood in 1848.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about twelve to eighteen (imaginary or real). Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Romance, Literary, we will put them to the test and choose the best Young Adult Books among them for the winners of the Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction. Looking for middle grade contests? Check out our Gertrude Warner Awards.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2021 Dante Rossetti Young Adult Fiction Semi-Finalists to the 2021 Dante Rossetti Book Awards Finalists! All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- P.H.C. Marchesi – Florissant
- Angela Yeh – A Phoenix Rises
- Shadow Bleak – Riot Shield
- M.J. Evans – The Sand Pounder: Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII
- Dan Rice – Dragons Walk Among Us
- Blue Spruell – TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan
- E.A. Allen – Percy St. John and the Chronicle of Secrets
- Mark Wakely – A Friend Like Filby
- Glen Dahlgren – The Game of War: The Trials of Dantess, Warrior Priest
- Jon Robinson – Sunshine and the Full Moon
- Rektok Ross – Ski Weekend
- Nancy Thorne – The Somewhere I See You Again
- Dennis D. Skirvin – The Treasure of Nonsense Woods
- Kourtney Spadoni – In The Underwood
- Rebecca Danzenbaker – The Color of My Soul
- L. A. Thompson – Isle of Dragons
- Shay Siegel – Fractured
These titles are in the running for the First Place and Grand Prize Winners of the 2021 Dante Rossetti Book Awards novel competition for Young Adult Fiction!

Good Luck to ALL!

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. FB rules — not ours.

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 the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards is Dallas Woodburn for The Best Week That Never Happened

Click here to see the 2020 Dante Rossetti Book Award Winners for Young Adult Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

For our other Youth Reader Fiction Awards, please see the following:
- The Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction
- The Little Peeps Awards for Children’s Literature
Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

VIRTUAL and IN-Person – June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

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 10th annual conference and discover why!

Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.
May 1, 2022