Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day, and what better way to find yourself than curling up with a good book and a warm drink. But, with the advent of romance, we thought we’d give you the chance to “date” a few of the many excellent books Chanticleer has reviewed.
Of course, now is the time that most people think about romance for Valentine’s Day like our Chatelaine Authors. Like with dating sites, the best way to improve your book’s dating profile is by submitting it for Reviews and Awards — and we have some great ones for you to look over here!
As the adage goes, don’t judge a book by it’s cover!
What we’re doing for this is just providing you some images and part of the review associated with the book, but not the book itself. If you think you’d be interested in giving it a read, feel free to click the “see more” button at the end of our review excerpt.
We do have to give a special thanks to Village Books and Paper Dreams right here in Whatcom County for inspiring us with their idea for “Blind Date with a Book,” where customers buy a book based on a review rather than knowing what it is.
Let’s look at some of the books for Valentine’s Day:
Do you like Paranormal Romance wrapped in Mystery and Family Relationships?
At first, Aura hopes that Natalie just went off with friends and didn’t bother to call. But the silence continues for more than a week. Aura jumps in her truck to search the last place Natalie’s cell phone had been used, a mountain near Somers, Montana, behind a place called the Diamond Ranch. Before she can get onto the mountain to search, Aura becomes embroiled in a darker mystery when she finds a mutilated hand near where Natalie had been staying. With the gruesome discovery, she fears that Natalie ran into more serious trouble than she had first suspected.
When a handsome sheriff’s deputy questions her, Aura feels a stirring she hasn’t ever experienced.
Dane Burke, a no-nonsense lawman, has a case to solve. He shouldn’t be thinking about the mysterious, beautiful drifter in any way except as a possible suspect. With one failed marriage and a non-existent relationship with his estranged brother, he can’t allow himself to feel anything, not even lust. Little does he know, Aura feels much the same, but for very different reasons. Aura keeps her true identity hidden: a shape-shifting nymph. As part of her supernatural nature, any man who loves her or that she loves will die. The two delve deeper into the mystery and the search for Natalie, and their feelings become impossible to deny.
Do you like Women’s Fiction that has Divorce, Romance with a splash of Literary Fiction?
In 1966, Jenny, a Mud Angel, dropped everything to fly to Florence, Italy, in search of treasures buried in mud and water after the Arno flooded. She worked tirelessly alongside her fellow Mud Angels to rescue these priceless works of art and ancient books.
For all of Lyn’s life, she heard her mother’s stories until they became mundane and commonplace. But before Jenny passe away, she gave Lyn instructions on where to find her precious journal from her time in Italy. She left a cryptic message, so when Lyn, an up-and-coming writer, has a chance to teach at a writer’s retreat in the city her mother loved, she jumps at the opportunity. Three years later, she still journeys there yearly for one month to explore Florence. With her latest book under her belt, Lyn decides to tell her mother’s story.
Do you like Historical Renaissance Fiction with a Literary Twist?
Vittoria Colonna, an Italian noblewoman and poet born in 1490, lives with grief and isolation. As an adult, she meets and forms a deep friendship with the revered painter and poet Michelangelo. This meeting forms the center point of the novel that takes readers back and forth through time. The story traces Vittoria’s life from her childhood and betrothal to her future husband Ferrante, to her later years with Michelangelo.
As a child, Vittoria leaves home for the island of Ischia. There, she lives with her betrothed Ferrante and his aunt Costanza d’Avalos.
Vittoria and Ferrante’s future union will strengthen political alliances. But will Vittoria and Ferrante happily fall in love?
Later, Vittoria becomes a widow and withdraws from public life for several years. One day, she meets Michelangelo, while he paints The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. Their friendship changes each other’s lives forever.
Do you like Medieval Historical Fiction steeped in Alternate Religions with a nod to Ancient Civilizations?
Nonbelievers of the Great Mother Goddess threaten certain persecution. But Herrwn has maintained the traditional practices passed to him by his own father. As an orator in charge of repeating the legends and beliefs of his people, he knows the importance and the heavy responsibility required by his sacred office. With the decrease in believers outside of the valley, he understands the precarious position of the community and the difficult balance he must maintain.
Over the course of his long life, he has come to rely on his cousins, Olyrrwd, Chief Healer, and Ossiam, Chief Oracle, but as the years pass, his loyalties become torn when what starts as simple gibes between the two priests morphs into unspoken fear of what the other might do to gain favor with the various priestesses chosen as the Goddess Incarnate. Having lost his beloved wife and young child, Herrwn grows closer to Olyrrwd, and becomes the peacekeeper between the priests to keep what remaining family he has left.
Jack Volant, an aspiring painter and Union cavalry officer, wounded at Gettysburg, travels to Paris following the war to become a more accomplished artist. It is there that he begins a tumultuous relationship with Charlotte, a sculptor who sells her work to Empress Eugenie, wife of the Emperor, and a noted art patroness.
Jack’s younger brother Steven, while still in America, becomes embroiled in an affair with a professor’s wife. When the professor, an expert shot, learns of it, he challenges the young man to a duel. Fearing for his life, Steven changes his name and flees to Paris where he engages in the eerie occupation of unwrapping mummies in the salons attended by the elite.
All these dynamic characters, many involved in intrigue and murder, will interact in the decadent City of Light. They enjoy its ambience for only a short time, however, before war finds them once again. In 1870, the influence of the Empress, Prussian militarism and national rivalry will lead to disaster for France in the Franco Prussian war, the siege of Paris. In the chaos, Charlotte, deeply in love with Jack, waits anxiously as he attempts to save his brother and Jerome from the Prussian onslaught.
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.
Laura Parker struggles to take responsibility over her life after the death of her husband in Peggy Patrick’s romance novel, Surrendered II: Pride.
Since her husband Matt died last year, Laura Parker can’t move on. He made every important decision for her and their five-year-old son, Andy. When Laura finds a brochure for Wyoming’s High Point Dude Ranch among her husband’s things, she takes a chance. Laura books a trip for her and Andy in the hopes that some time in the wild will begin restoring her son’s joy.
Andy quickly takes a shine to the ranch ramrod, Jesse Brandon, who doesn’t seem to mind letting the boy tag along. But he surprises Laura with his rude, confrontational attitude. When he kisses her, Laura’s pain turns to utter confusion. She begins to question everything she thought she knew about her marriage and herself, and she has to choose whether to draw closer to Jesse or to escape.
Jesse has more than one secret, and little does Laura know, he’s about to turn her world upside-down.
Laura searches for her own identity. Having married at eighteen, she has experienced very little of the world on her own. She saw Matt as the savior who rescued her from extreme poverty and emotional abuse, and gave her the middle-class life she always wanted. However, over the course of the book, Laura realizes that Matt wasn’t “taking good care of her,” but keeping her trapped in a much darker relationship. Laura comes to terms with this reality in a journey that, unfortunately, many women will find all too real.
Simply driving to the ranch opens Laura’s eyes to how much her sheltered life has taken away her freedom. But Jesse has a much bigger impact on her, forcing Laura to face the hard truths beneath the surface. She had stopped really living even before Matt’s death. Jesse helps her wake up, and though his manner is sometimes harsh, Laura starts to to understand how much she has missed, and how much more her life–and Andy’s life–can be.
Laura and Jesse develop a complicated and dynamic relationship.
Jesse’s early hostility shocks her to the point of crying more than once, but he dances between harsh and distant to gentle and attentive in the span of minutes. He even accuses her of being a bad mother, and trying to seduce his younger brother as a replacement father for Andy. Will Jesse’s harsh treatment push Laura to see that she’s hurting Andy and herself by allowing fear and grief to consume her? His dedication to showing Laura a life beyond survival makes their eventual love story even more endearing.
Faith plays a major role in Laura’s journey.
Jesse has spent the past three years forming a strong bond with God, but his ranch’s financial struggles test that faith. With Laura’s arrival, his long-suppressed physical needs are fighting what little control he has left. They clash on the idea of faith; Jesse sees God in every facet of his life, but Laura is a self-proclaimed atheist. She refuses his beliefs from the outset, and Jesse cannot understand why God would bring Laura into his life and give him such strong feelings for her. However, when Laura witnesses a true miracle, she must come to terms with this new idea that God might, in fact, be real.
Aura Montgarten needs to find her sister, Natalie, in Danica Winters’ paranormal romance, Montana Mustangs.
At first, Aura hopes that Natalie just went off with friends and didn’t bother to call. But the silence continues for more than a week. Aura jumps in her truck to search the last place Natalie’s cell phone had been used, a mountain near Somers, Montana, behind a place called the Diamond Ranch. Before she can get onto the mountain to search, Aura becomes embroiled in a darker mystery when she finds a mutilated hand near where Natalie had been staying. With the gruesome discovery, she fears that Natalie ran into more serious trouble than she had first suspected.
When a handsome sheriff’s deputy questions her, Aura feels a stirring she hasn’t ever experienced.
Dane Burke, a no-nonsense lawman, has a case to solve. He shouldn’t be thinking about the mysterious, beautiful drifter in any way except as a possible suspect. With one failed marriage and a non-existent relationship with his estranged brother, he can’t allow himself to feel anything, not even lust. Little does he know, Aura feels much the same, but for very different reasons. Aura keeps her true identity hidden: a shape-shifting nymph. As part of her supernatural nature, any man who loves her or that she loves will die. The two delve deeper into the mystery and the search for Natalie, and their feelings become impossible to deny.
Dane and Aura have juxtaposing relationships with their respective siblings.
Aura and Natalie couldn’t be closer. As demigods, the two nymphs have lived for over five hundred years. They share the same curse, connecting them by something else–the need, but inability, to love. Because they cannot allow themselves to find love in a mate, they only have each other. Though Natalie has often “gone wild” and let her Mustang side free for days or weeks at a time, she always returns to her sister who hasn’t shifted in many years. In fact, the two have never gone seven days without speaking before. Aura will do anything to find her sister, even if it means using her nymph powers of seduction to force Dane to help her.
Dane and his brother, Zeb, couldn’t be further apart. For over twenty years, Dane has stayed away from the Diamond Ranch, once his childhood home and owned now by Zeb. Dane vowed to never return to the ranch when he caught his wife in the arms of his brother. Absence has not made their hearts grow fonder. When Dane shows up at the ranch to question his brother, Zeb meets him with a shotgun, and when Dane releases Zeb from custody, the two brawl in a parking lot. Aura can’t understand their interactions because of her closeness with Natalie.
Aura and Dane must both face their fear of love.
Dane was hurt before, however Aura knows that for her, life and death hang in the balance of her love. She wants to protect Dane from her curse. This presents an ironic twist considering Dane, the consummate protector, has sworn to save lives even at the cost of his own. Aura seems fearless, but in truth her fear of love controls her to the point she has never shared her secrets with any man. She uses her hundreds of years of watching humans cruelly hurt animals as part of her excuse—how could she possibly love them?
Despite her fear, Aura can’t deny she actually enjoys Dane’s controlling nature, the predator and prey feelings that excite her nymph nature. Her feelings go beyond lust, though, coming from “somewhere hidden,” a place no man has ever touched. These new feelings make her consider allowing herself to love and be loved. Though she has always prided herself on being free, she knows she has never truly been so because of her fear of love. Dane’s love becomes the very thing to break her from the bonds of that fear.
Two private investigators find themselves reluctant but effective partners in Lisa Towles’ fast-paced psychological thriller, Hot House, Book 1 of the new E & A Thriller Series.
Two separate cases start to merge in a very murky middle. Mari Ellwyn unravels an attempt to blackmail a federal appellate court judge. Derek Abernathy looks into the mysterious death of a college student. He also investigates the death and disappearance of two of the reporters covering her case.
The reporters pursued the trail of a story involving the judge with whom Mari works. It seems the judge had a connection to the dead college student in Derek’s case. As they dig deeper into the joined cases, threats against Mari start to come from all sides, even from her former handlers at the CIA.
But the secret buried, literally, at the heart of this case comes with a shock. Because the victim was not who she seemed. At least not all of the time.
Hot House delivers a dark, edge-of-the-seat thriller. It begins as a relatively straightforward investigation into seemingly unrelated mysteries. But as the story follows the investigation, especially Mari Ellwyn, two levels of mystery open up.
On the surface, Ellwyn and Abernathy are dogged and determined investigators who mostly follow the rules, if only because they want to make sure that the case will hold up for their mutual frenemy, Ellwyn’s ex-lover and Abernathy’s former boss, Ivan Dent, Chief of Detectives for the LAPD.
Not that they don’t play a bit fast and loose at the edges of those rules. After all, sometimes in the pursuit of truth, the investigators have to step outside the lines.
Everyone involved in this mystery seems to have deep, dark and often deadly secrets. It’s clear from this new investigation that Dent’s detectives missed way too much in that initial search. Abernathy won’t talk about his firing from the LAPD. Ellwyn keeps her real motive for pursuing this investigation under wraps.
But Sascha Sophie Michaud had the most secrets of all – some of which she kept even from herself. And Michaud’s secrets provide the threat to the investigators – along with making the case so difficult to solve.
Readers will easily put themselves in Mari Ellwyn’s shoes.
She loves her dog, she’s not so sure about relationships – she even has a strained one with her family. But her few friends will ride or die with her. As capable as she is – and she is very capable – readers will shake in their shoes as this mystery threatens Mari’s life.
The resolution of the case is marvelously done, managing to be both expected and unexpected at the same time. Not that the reader will see any of it coming.
In the final pages, while the disparate cases that Ellwyn and Abernathy began with have wrapped up very satisfactorily, it’s clear that Mari Ellwyn has just pulled another thread on a case she’s been following for over a year. Hot House ends with the sense that there’s more for Mari to uncover in her own personal quest.
Readers will be left hoping and looking forward to Mari Ellwyn’s future investigations.
Thirty-five-year-old Lyn Bennett explores the life of her late mother before she was married, in Jule Selbo’s romance novel, Find Me in Florence.
In 1966, Jenny, a Mud Angel, dropped everything to fly to Florence, Italy, in search of treasures buried in mud and water after the Arno flooded. She worked tirelessly alongside her fellow Mud Angels to rescue these priceless works of art and ancient books.
For all of Lyn’s life, she heard her mother’s stories until they became mundane and commonplace. But before Jenny passed away, she gave Lyn instructions on where to find her precious journal from her time in Italy. She left the cryptic message “Find me in Florence,” so when Lyn, an up-and-coming writer, has a chance to teach at a writer’s retreat in the city her mother loved, she jumps at the opportunity. Three years later, she still journeys there yearly for one month to explore Florence. With her latest book under her belt, Lyn decides to tell her mother’s story.
Lyn’s life shifts dramatically, and she soon searches for more than her mother’s history.
When she arrives in Florence, Lyn’s life seems on the upward swing. She put her writing back on track after the death of both of her parents, married a successful lawyer, and hopes to begin a family soon. However, all of that vanishes when Stan, her husband, surprises her not long after her seminar in Florence begins. Stan and Susie, Lyn’s best friend since junior high school, had an affair. The two followed Lyn to Florence to deliver the news in person, thinking her love of the city might lessen the blow of utter betrayal. Lyn’s true journey begins with this revelation. Suddenly, Lyn loses her hope as the people of Florence must have lost when her mother volunteered fifty years ago. But like the city, Lyn must endure.
Soon following the bombshell announcement, Lyn struggles between what she “should” do and what she “wants” to do.
She should accept this betrayal like an adult, negotiate reasonably with her cheating husband, forgive her BFF, and move past all of her pain. But surrounded by Florence, a city that called to her mother to leave her normal life, Lyn learns not to follow “the should” but to chase after “the want.” The vitality and passion of the Florentines give Lyn the strength she needs to “shed [her] skin.” Lyn rids herself of a life lived in fear of taking chances. Her mother’s own rash decision to become a Mud Angel and experience the adventure of a lifetime propels Lyn to stop accepting the expectations of everyone else. Perhaps Jenny meant for her daughter to learn this very lesson. As Lyn explores her fledgling confidence, she begins to realize all her mother gave up by returning to the US to fulfill her promise to marry Lyn’s father. She feels the life her mother could’ve lived if she had followed the “want” rather than the “should.”
This clash of responsibility and desire extends beyond Lyn’s story. Matteo, a man Lyn grows to care for over the course of the novel, wrestles with his wants as well. His responsibilities weigh on him, coming from a proud Italian family with a lineage and family home dating back four hundred years. They hope–expect–him to marry a woman closely connected to the family business. But after a chance meeting, he draws closer to the American with the broken heart. He should stay away, give her time to mourn the loss of her marriage and best friend, but he wants more from her. Though Matteo should pursue the woman his family has chosen, he wants the woman he shouldn’t, and like Lyn, he will have to decide whether to follow his heart or his head.
This novel celebrates Florence, its people, and its customs.
Any lover of Italy will enjoy the history included in Lyn’s story. With the detailed descriptions, readers come along on the journey to this beautiful city, eating at its most celebrated restaurants, and walking its ancient streets. Florence shows Lyn her innermost feelings and surrounds her with passion and acceptance. Embracing and appreciating Florence makes Jenny’s story alive, rather than just a dusty story from half a century ago.
Linda Cardillo debuts triumphantly into historical fiction with her novel, Love That Moves the Sun.
Vittoria Colonna, an Italian noblewoman and poet born in 1490, lives with grief and isolation. As an adult, she meets and forms a deep friendship with the revered painter and poet Michelangelo. This meeting forms the center point of the novel that takes readers back and forth through time. The story traces Vittoria’s life from her childhood and betrothal to her future husband Ferrante, to her later years with Michelangelo.
As a child, Vittoria leaves home for the island of Ischia. There, she lives with her betrothed Ferrante and his aunt Costanza d’Avalos.
Vittoria and Ferrante’s future union will strengthen political alliances. Later, Vittoria becomes a widow and withdraws from public life for several years. One day, she meets Michelangelo, while he paints The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel. Their friendship changes each other’s lives forever.
Cardillo takes great care with the novel’s front matter. She includes lots of material to help the reading experience.
In the front sections of the book, readers will find a timeline, to help as the novel shifts around. The author also provides a list of historical figures, and fictional characters added for entertainment value. In her author’s note, Cardillo adds that while she followed facts as much as possible, she filled in the gaps with fiction. This shows respect to the life of Vittoria Colonna. Cardillos brings her to life in fiction as Vittoria did for her husband in poetry.
A theme of polarity shapes Love That Moves the Sun.
Michelangelo, an artist of paint and of words, “Sees humanity’s secrets and brings them to life on the page.” But the unwavering expectations of the public burden him. Vittoria struggles between staying in her self-imposed seclusion to pray and write, and the powerful pull towards rejoining society and her bond with Michelangelo. The events of the past and present also mirror each other. Events have a subtle organization that sees them building off the context of what happened before. As the past meets with the present, the gaps in Vittoria’s story come together. Readers get the full picture of her life and feel like they know her strongly.
Linda Cardillo’s Love That Moves the Sun keeps alive the memory of Vittoria Colonna’s life and work, as a woman who struggled between being a woman of God and a woman in love. Readers of historical fiction and romance should not miss Love That Moves the Sun.
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 Long List to the 2021 Goethe 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 (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 Semi-Finals 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.
J.G. Schwartz –The Curious Spell of Madam Genova
Andrew Schafer, M.D. –Unclean Hands
Leah Angstman –Falcon in the Dive
Margaret Rodenberg –Finding Napoleon: A Novel
Anna Bullock –The Companion
Margaret Porter –The Limits of Limelight
Pamela Nowak –Never Let Go
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
S. Lee Fisher –Becoming Olive W. – The Women of Campbell County: Family Saga: Book 1
Drema Drudge –Victorine
Sophia Alexander –Silk: Caroline’s Story
Lorelei Brush –Chasing the American Dream
Lee Hutch –Molly’s Song
Orna Ross –After the Rising
Alfred Nicols –Lost Love’s Return
Glen Craney –The Cotillion Brigade: A Novel of the Civil War and the Most Famous Female Militia in American History
Bryan Ney –Absaroka War Chief
Jenni L. Walsh– A Betting Woman: A Novel of Madame Moustache
Dana Mack –All Things That Deserve to Perish
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
J. E. Dyer –Barons
Judith Berlowitz –Home So Far Away
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.
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.
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.
The Ozma Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Fantasy Fiction. The Ozma Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards discovers the best books in the Ozma Awards featuring magic, the supernatural, imaginary worlds, fantastical creatures, legendary beasts, mythical beings, or inventions of fancy that author imaginations dream up without a basis in science as we know it. Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dragons, Unicorns, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Gaslight Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, or other out-of-this-world fiction. These books have advanced to the Long List in the 2021 CIBAs OZMA division.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2021 Ozma Fantasy Fiction Long List to the 2021 Ozma Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the FINALIST positions. Finalists will be selected from the Short List. 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–whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person.
These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2021 Ozma Book Awards novel competition for Fantasy Fiction!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
Joseph Riddle –The Seventh Talent
Susannah Dawn –Battle for the Armor of God
Jenn Lees –The Crossing. Arlan’s Pledge Book 1
Susan Chapek –The Scarlet Mantle
P.H.C. Marchesi –Florissant
David Fitz-Gerald –Waking Up Lost
PJ Devlin – The Chamber
Laurel Anne Hill –Plague of Flies: Revolt of the Spirits, 1846
Mark A. Alvarez II –Dutybound: Light Wings Epic Vol. 1
Susan Faw –Heart of Tunise
Taylor Fenner –Monsters & Mist
S.J. Hartland –The Last Seer King
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.
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.
Herrwn, Chief Priest of a secret Druid community, has spent his entire, privileged life in Llwddawanden, a secluded valley kept separate from the spread of Christianity from both Saxon and Celt alike, in A.M. Linden’s The Valley (The Druid Chronicles, Book Two).
Nonbelievers of the Great Mother Goddess threaten inevitable persecution. But Herrwn has maintained the traditional practices passed to him by his own father. As an orator in charge of repeating the legends and beliefs of his people, he knows the importance and the heavy responsibility required by his sacred office. With the decrease in believers outside of the valley, he understands the precarious position of the community and the difficult balance he must maintain.
Over the course of his long life, he has come to rely on his cousins, Olyrrwd (Chief Healer) and Ossiam (Chief Oracle). Still, as the years pass, his loyalties become torn when what starts as simple gibes between the two priests morphs into unspoken fear of what the other might do to gain favor with the various priestesses chosen as the Goddess Incarnate. Having lost his beloved wife and young child, Herrwn grows closer to Olyrrwd and becomes the peacekeeper between the priests to keep what remaining family he has left.
When a promising young man, Caelym, the son of a former Goddess Incarnate, becomes the sole priest-in-training, the cousins further divide on the right course of action for the clan. At each turn, dissension and sedition threaten every belief and tradition that holds the people together, and Herrwn will have to make decisions that could change the course of his community forever.
One notable strength of this prequel lies in Linden’s character development.
Herrwn becomes real as his life story unfolds. The tragic loss of both Lothwen, his consort, and Lillywen, his young daughter, forge him into a contemplative and thoughtful character. The reader will feel his grief through his shared memories of their time together and the depth of the love that ran deep enough to keep him from ever becoming the consort of any other woman nor the father of any more children.
The remembrance of his doting and proud father’s advice and the love of a mother long gone will resonate with readers. We witness his strength and forethought as he tries to soothe the growing tensions and tread the choppy waters of change surging through his once-tranquil life. However, Herrwn is only one of many such characters so well developed that they seem to leap from the pages into real life.
Olyrrwd, the physician combining herbal and ritual healing, is another such character.
His charm and humor will make him a reader-favorite with his sarcastic, albeit pithy comments. As the novel continues, the two become closer than just their familial bonds of cousins. Each is a sounding board for the other, and their relationship is reminiscent of that one friend every person has–the one who understands without words and knows us better than we know ourselves.
However, the mixture isn’t complete without a bit of chaos, and that is where their cousin Ossiam takes the stage.
The reader will love to hate him as much as Olyrrwd does in that classic villain way, second-guessing his every move and questioning his every motive. With his charismatic control over the young Goddess Incarnate and his scheming to gain more than her favor, he is a perfect catalyst to the majority of the boat-rocking that disturbs both cousins’ lives. This collision of values causes Herrwn’s peacemaker qualities to emerge.
The ongoing battles between Olyrrwd and Ossiam create a palatable tension and serve to drive the force within the plot itself. It also reminds the reader that although millennia separate Herrwn, Ossiam, and Olyrrwd from the modern world, people are essentially the same. Fear, anger, love, hate–the emotions that make us human are the same as those of every human, creating a surprising connection to these pagan Druids.
A theme within this frame story prequel revolves around change and its impact on human relationships and cultures.
Right from the start, the Druid clan fights a dramatic shift within the Saxon kingdoms surrounding their valley. Set during the spread of Christianity and the turning away from pagan gods and goddesses, the sacred shrines and villages retreated into an even more secluded region.
For many years, their isolation kept away the influences brought by Roman occupation; however, as more and more Saxons converted, the worshipers of the Mother Goddess began to follow suit, including members of Herrwn’s own family. Believers begin to defect and lose faith.
For a Chief Priest set to educate future priests to pass on their very heritage, these changes literally show the end of an ancient religion. He must watch the foundation of his life shift and begin to crumble.
Every choice and every thought is consumed with rituals that are fast becoming meaningless. Reconciling–much less accepting–these changes will cost Herrwn more than a sleepless night. Not only is the clan facing a loss of faith, but the mature priest must also learn to live with a younger generation that seems to disregard many of the traditions he is fighting so hard to save.
From a Goddess Incarnate chosen for her beauty rather than wisdom to her blood-thirsty consort challenging better trained and better equipped Saxon enemies, the generation set to lead poses a change to the somber, thoughtful people of Herrwn’s youth.
With the attention to detail, explanation of ancient rituals, and the mythology within the clan’s legends, this novel builds a community, exploring a people about which little is actually known. It’s an extraordinary portrayal, breathing life into a long-dead civilization. Readers feel Herrwn struggle as he endeavors to keep a secret Druid community alive, fracturing from within, persecuted from without by the spreading Christian church. Highly recommended!
Lunar New Year celebrates the first signs that Spring is approaching. It is the most important and festive holiday in Asian countries with billions of people celebrating it. It has been celebrated for thousands of years. In China, it is known as Chinese New Year. However, Lunar New Year has different names in different countries, but still is known as Lunar New Year. And some say that Spring Festival may be more “correct.” No matter. It is a day of new beginnings with new prospects and new opportunities. The festival begins on February 1st and continues for sixteen days culminating with the Lantern Festival.
Lantern Festival is 5 days long and is the equivalent of Valentine’s Day
Interesting Facts to Know about the Lunar New Year
Preparations begin a month in advance
People in China get 7 days off from work (January 31st – February 6th)
Some people get another additional 7 days off from work
Lunar New Year is celebrated by more than three billion people
More than 3.5 billion journeys in China are made during the Lunar New Year celebration
Little Year: Takes place a week before Lunar New Year Day. It is a time for remembrance
Lunar New Year’s Eve is a day of gift-giving (Red Envelopes!)
Spring Festival begins with Lunar New Year’s Day — time for feasting, celebrating, and family
Lantern Festival ( the last five days) also known as “the Friends and Sweetheart’s Time”
Trafalger Square in London hosts one the largest parties outside of China itself for Lunar New Year
Here on the west coast of North America, large celebrations take place in Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, San Francisco, and others. (Although, many are cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, but online activities are available.)
Trafalgar Square – London, England Lunar New Year Parade
This is the Year of the TIGER!
The Year of the TIGER for writers is believed to be a year of opportunity and triumph in the face of these past few challenging years. The Year of the Tiger may be your biggest year yet in your writing career. The Year of the Tiger is the year to be daring! Tiger Years are said to be years of taking chances and new pathways because the Tiger can go around any obstacles and not lose its way way.
Auspicious Traditions for the Lunar New Year
Clean and organize your writing space (prior to Monday’s New Year’s Day). If you can’t complete cleaning ( I know I won’t be able to), you may continue to clean and organize after three full days. It is said that one should refrain from cleaning on Lunar New Year’s Day as it could be seen as sweeping away your good fortune (or writing mojo).
Place a bowl of oranges, mandarins, or tangerines in your writing lair to promote positive energy.
Wear new clothes on the Lunar New Year – Monday, Feb. 1st, 2022. Red and bright colors are advised. It is advised not to wear black or white clothing.
Enjoy something sweet to ensure a sweet new year!
Open windows and doors in your writing lair on New Lunar Year’s Day to bring in the new luck and fortune of the New Year.
For those who play board games, it is considered lucky to play to stay awake on New Year’s Eve until the New Lunar Year arrives.
Eat almonds and cookies/cakes made from almonds to bring on a strong and bright future (that is if you’re not allergic to almonds).
Green (for healing power, prosperity, growth, and good beginnings)
Are You Wondering How to Determine Your Chinese Zodiac Sign?
Use the handy table below to find your birth year and Chinese Zodiac Sign:
Below are the 2022 Chinese Horoscope Forecasts for Those Who Live the Writing Life – Enjoy
Note from Kiffer Brown: Chanticleer believes that we each make our own destiny by being optimistic and positive, by being kind and loving, by dreaming and inspiring, by being bold and doing, by helping and enriching others, by appreciating and being grateful, and by expanding our awareness of the Universe. Enjoy and have fun! Happy 2022!
If your sign is a Tiger
(Tigers are passionate and have courage. They are known for their enthusiasm, courage, ambition, leadership, confidence, charisma. )
2022 is a great year to start new works. This is your time to promote because it is your time to shine. If you do, expect your readership to grow. Be sure to keep communications open with your editor. Sharing your thoughts will improve insight often improving your works. This is also the year to focus on writing craft and expand your writing craft tools. Be very careful whose works you endorse as the endorsements reflect on you. Be sure to make good on collaboration promises with other writers in social media and book promotions. This is a good year to schedule your book promotion plans and create a budget. What you do early in the year will effect your success in the second half of the year. Focus on your goals for writing, for promotion, for your health.
If your sign is a Rabbit
(Trustworthiness, empathy, modesty, diplomacy, sincerity, sociability are what Rabbits are known for along with being friendly and possessing great common sense)
2022 may be the year that your hard work will be recognized. Be sure to research any new ventures or signing any contracts. Take time to take a step back and relax when you feel overwhelmed. You appreciate fine writing craft and well-written turns of phrases, but remember to not let your story get bogged down. Work on those well-framed sentences after you get your story out of your mind-film. Try to network as much as possible so you can meet the right people to help you reach your publishing goals. Speak up at Zoom meetings. Participate in conversations, ask questions of panels, and network at conferences. Enlarge your sphere of influence. In your writing, you will have imagination and creativity that will help your works achieve success.
If your sign is a Dragon
(They are known to be passionate and quick-witted along with having the following traits: Luckiness, flexibility, eccentricity, imagination, artistry, spirituality, charisma. )
Be smart and do your research, and plan your marketing budget well. Perhaps adopting a conservative approach and look into collaborating with other authors. Be sure to keep communications open with your editors and beta readers. Sometimes dragons do not feel the need to explain yourself to others. But doing so will help resolve misunderstandings. Proper communication is the key! This is time to move forward with your works. Gifted with innate courage, tenacity, and intelligence, Dragons are enthusiastic and confident. They are not afraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. However, keep an open mind and be aware of the challenges you’ll be facing. Don’t react first but contemplate on it to gain better judgment and make the right decisions. Your optimistic attitude will help you and influence your colleagues.
If your sign is a Snake
(The wise and almost mystical Snake is philosophical, organized, intelligent, intuitive, elegant, attentive, and decisive.)
Auspicious players are at work. Goethe’s saying, “Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” This should be your motto for 2022. You have high ambitions and you will work hard in 2022 to achieve them. This is not the time to covet other writers’ word counts or books published. Keep your eyes on the prize – your work-in-progress. When dealing with deadlines and stress, be sure to take time for yourself to exercise and to eat well. Be sure to quiet your mind before retiring for the day. Though you may have some tough writing days ahead, tools and tips from other writers and editors can help you achieve your publishing goals. Finally, be sure to make time for reading new books! This is your year for success!
If your sign is a Horse
(Independent and high-spirited, the Horse is adaptable, loyal, courageous, ambitious, intelligent, adventurous, strong.)
This is your year for creative and magical ideas! Be sure to keep a note-keeping system on hand at all times and on your bedside table. Your back list will payoff. Keep adding to it. This is the year to increase your circle of writer colleagues and your readership base! If you have a work-in-progress be sure to listen to what your editors are saying to you. Your work and writing career will benefit. In this creative year, be sure to start writing down concepts for new works. However, do not lose track of the work at hand. Stay on track and do not lose focus. Your challenge is to complete your work-in-progress while experiencing this creative, magical time. Write Fast. Edit Slow. And, keep track of the inspiration that the writing muse will send to you in 2022.
If your sign is a Goat
(The artistic and compassionate Goat is tasteful, crafty, warm, elegant, charming, intuitive, sensitive, calm.)
If you are wavering about writing a new book, you should make the decision. Go or No Go. Then move on or Write Fast. If you decide to write the work, then immerse yourself. Stay true to yourself. Work hard and consistently as your efforts will be noticed. As much as you like to work alone, this may be the year to meet more writers to form future collaborations. This will be easy for you to do this year as you will have many admirers. However, set a schedule for writing, as you tend to do your best when following a routine. Be sure to take walks where there is fresh air, trees, and flora. This will invigorate you and keep you in good spirits and creative! Expand your mailing list and followers to gain new readers. Research how to do this yourself without spending a lot of money. There are colleagues in your writer community who would be willing to help you to this. It will be easier than you think! Also, find a way to contribute more to your writer community. You will gain allies and gain access to cross-promotion and learn more about selling platforms for your works.
If your sign is a Monkey
(Confident and innovative, the Monkey is quick-witted, charming, lucky, adaptable, bright, versatile, lively, smart.)
You know how to hammer away at “Writer’s Block.” Once you do, you have found that the “muse” descends upon you. 2022 will be a good year for your writing career. However, you will need to pay close attention to the details of your stories. “Good enough” will not due. You works will need to be well-edited. Strive for perfection. If you are having problems focusing on your work-in-progress, then perhaps put it in a drawer and start on a story that you can fully immerse yourself in. You can go back to the story in the drawer later—if you want to. Your propensity to hammer away puts words on the page, but perhaps listen to what your writer’s muse is trying to convey to you in 2022. If you have works that are published, this may be the year to seek international marketing platforms or international representation. It may be difficult to begin with, but your “hammering away” nature will come in handy for figuring out how to expand into international markets.
If your sign is a Rooster
(Roosters are progressive thinkers and doers and unafraid to be different. They are known to be honest, energetic, intelligent, flamboyant, flexible, diverse, confident. You are known for your fierce loyalty.) (Chanticleer’s sign)
Roosters are known for their uncanny intuition and ability to correctly access situations. Many think you can read minds, which allows you to create compelling characters in your works. The hardest part of writing for you is sitting still enough to write. However, your writing career will make great strides if you do make yourself sit down consistently and write. Writing is hard for Roosters to do if it is not their career job. This hard work will begin to pay off for you in by the end of 2022 and more so in 2023. Although scheduling writing time will be challenging because you will encounter many pleasant surprises and opportunities to take advantage of. Perhaps investing in a time planner would be advised to tract goals while remaining flexible to take advantage of what 2022 will have to offer. In this busy year—even more so for Roosters—make time for your spouses/partners. You tend to put more energy into work than home life. This also carries over to self-care. Be sure to exercise. Schedule it in. Take care of yourself as you take care of work issues. Walk every day. Keep a healthy diet. Begin doing this early in the New Year. Nevertheless, 2022 is a fortuitous year for Roosters! You just have to pace yourself.
If your sign is a Dog
(The honest and hardworking Dog is loyal, sociable, courageous, diligent, steady, lively, adaptable, smart. They have a sense of justice and very easy to get along with.)
Hard work is the key to your success in 2022. You may feel adrift sometimes, but that will pass. This is the year to call people or meet with them rather texting or messaging. Connecting and taking the initiative will create positive energy for you. There will be advancement in your writing career. So, flex those creative muscles. If you feel frustrated about your writing, be sure to connect with other writers and readers. They will help lift your spirits with their camaraderie. 2022 is the year that you will discover more about your writing style and voice. If possible, this is a good year to travel and explore new horizons. This is your lucky year to achieve your writing goals. You will have many inspirational moments this year. Keep a pen and paper nearby or a recording device. These inspirational moments will make your work shine.
If your sign is a Pig
(Kind, friendly, and curious, the PIG is honorable, philanthropic, determined, optimistic, sincere, sociable.)
You are highly focused on your writing and your publishing goals. You finish your works-in-progress since you work on them steadily. However, this is the year that if you want to change genres, you should give it a try. Big changes will bring you luck as you bring perspectives from your previous genres to a new one. Discovering new places and traveling will also give your writing new perspective. For the Pig, 2022 is the time to assist others—perhaps share new skills or teach a class. You will have a greater sense of purpose and will realize that it isn’t about the work itself but the message that creates relationships and bonds you have formed with your readers. 2022 will be a year of renewed energy for you! Take advantage of opportunities to network and connect with other writers. You will gain new wisdom from these relationships.
If your sign is a Rat
(Along with being amiable and creative, Rats are known for their intelligence, adaptability, quick-wit, charm, artistry, gregariousness.)
Give yourself permission to relax and bring more balance into your life in 2022. You have a great idea, but something maybe holding you back. Perhaps you are too stressed. Relaxing a bit and enjoying yourself may allow you to boost your creativity. This is a great year for Rats to promote their books. You should have yours on several selling platforms along with participating in author events, book clubs, book fairs. You will find that you will be able to sell your books at these events better than you ever have before as you have great powers of persuasion now. Dress the part of your brand. If you don’t have a brand, this is the time to create one. Your brand will help your readers to find you. Your strength is your organizational skills. The key to your success is determining what is essential and what is a distraction. This will allow you to focus your energy and resources in 2022. Enhance the “under the hood” technologies of your book listings, website, and anything digital. Replenish yourself with listening to your favorite music and perhaps take up a tactile hobby such as painting, knitting, wood working, gardening, flower arranging—something that involves physical sensations.
If your sign is an Ox
(Oxen are known to be leaders and loyal friends. They are also known for their reliability, thoroughness, strength, reason-ability, steadiness, and determination.)
Since you are such a hard worker and you bear stress and tension without sharing your duress with others, you may find short trips and proper relaxation (perhaps a manicure, a trip to the spa, a night out with friends) will benefit you. You have no problem sitting down and writing. 2022 is predicted to be a very lucky year for the Ox writing and publishing goals. However, be cautious in entering into contracts or outlaying large amounts of cash for a service. This is a great year to expand your network and to increase your readership. Your readers will rave about your books. It will behoove you to go against your natural instinct of being a homebody and shy in 2022 as being more outgoing and visible will increase your readership and your brand. You are more likeable and charismatic than you think you are. The forecasters predict you will have an amazing year ahead!
We hope that you enjoyed this fun blog post that is meant as a way of thinking about new perspectives for your writing life.
Chanticleer believes that we each make our own destiny by being optimistic and positive, being kind and loving, by dreaming and inspiring, being bold and doing, by appreciating and being grateful, and by expanding our awareness of the Universe.
Happy Chinese New Year 2022! – Year of the Tiger!
We wish you an AWESOME New Year of Good Fortune, Good Health, and Many Book Sales and an Increased Readership!
May the 2022 New Lunar Year bring you peace, joy, prosperity, and health!
Laura Parker struggles to take responsibility over her life after the death of her husband in Peggy Patrick’s romance novel, Surrendered II: Pride.
Linda Cardillo debuts triumphantly into historical fiction with her novel, Love That Moves the Sun.
If your sign is a Rabbit
If your sign is a Dragon
If your sign is a Snake
If your sign is a Horse
If your sign is a Goat
If your sign is a Monkey
If your sign is a Rooster
If your sign is a Pig
If your sign is a Rat 
If your sign is an Ox