Cancer survivor Pete Morrissette wants to spend the remainder of his life relaxing beside the heated pool or strolling through the gardens at the up-scale assisted living retirement community. Instead, he’s “doing time” in FMC Devens, a federal prison hospital.
How did mild, friendly Pete Morrisette end up the scapegoat in a con that duped Massachusetts’s Lottery out of nearly $5,000,000? While everyone in prison claims they are innocent, Pete truly is. Even one of the prosecuting attorneys can see that, but someone has to answer for the dirty deed, and Pete is an easy target.
In Gerard Shirar’s latest suspense legal thriller, eighty-eight-year-old Pete is the perfect everyman. After leading a relatively quiet life, Pete plans on leading a relatively quiet retirement. A father, a husband, and an all-around decent man, nothing exciting or monumental ever happened in Pete’s average, upper-middle-class life. But all that changed when his wife of fifty-three years died. Pete moved to Brook Haven, a retirement home catering to a senior intellectual set, and, as one may expect, he soon became bored.
When Manfred Toomey, a former big-wig businessman, moves into Brook Haven and establishes a gambling club, he befriends Pete. And when Toomey approaches him about organizing a lottery-playing group to raise money for a charity organization, Pete cautiously agrees. Pete is smart – but not smart enough to trust his instincts. His desire to help struggling families quiets his suspicions about the legality of what he’s been asked to do – and his common sense. He wants to help but ends up as a pawn for the Mafioso. Big money walks free while the once hard-working father and husband takes the fall to appease a misplaced need for justice – the appearance of it anyway.
Shirar creates a compelling case in Pete’s story, so neatly fitting together that it’s frightening in its plausibility. He builds a resilient and relatable character in Pete, one who tells his story through an engaging second-person point of view journal from prison. Growing old isn’t for sissies, and through it all, Pete chooses to see his own story as “God’s lottery” and deals with whatever “fate and time” have given him.
Just like Shirar’s other works, readers will find an intricate study of human nature and the vulnerability of those we care most about in this mystery thriller. Pete Morrisette’s story feels as if it could have been ripped from the pages of newspapers today as countless elderly are duped by those who would prey upon them. And that’s what makes The Lottery Game a must-read.
Gerard Shirar is a Finalist in the 2020 Mystery and Mayhem Awards for When the Rules Don’t Apply.
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (#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, and the CIBA judges will evaluate them for the CIBA Levels of Achievement. They will put them to the test and choose the best Young Adult Fiction among them. The CIBAs discover today’s best books!
The 2019 CIBAs received an unprecedented number of entries making this book awards program even more competitive. More entries along with more competitive works make the final rounds of judging even more demanding. The judges have requesteda new level of achievementto be added to the rounds to acknowledge the entries that they deemed should receive a high level of recognition.
We decided that this was the time to incorporate the new level – The FINALISTS – as requested by the CIBA judges. This new level will be incorporated into the 2019 CIBAsLevels of Achievement. The FINALISTS were selected from the entries that advanced to the 2019 Dante Rossetti Book Awards Semi-Finalists.
Congratulations to the 2019 DANTE ROSSETTI FINALISTS
Veronica Myers – Winter’s Progeny
Julieanne Lynch – Beneath the Lighthouse
Jacinta Jade – Change of Darkness
Michelle Rene – Manufactured Witches
Nancy Thorne – Victorian Town
Ted Neill – Jamhuri, Njambi & Fighting Zombies
A. Cort Sinnes – Quicksilver
C.R. Stewart – Britfield and the Lost Crown
Jan Von Schleh – But Not Forever
Susan Brown – Twelve
Sandra L Rostirolla – Cecilia
Zachry Wheeler – Max and the Multiverse
Michael Bialys – The Chronicles of the Virago: Book I The Novus
David Patneaude – Fast Backward
John Middleton – Dillion & The Curse of Arminius
These titles are in the running for the First Place positions of the 2019 DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction.
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
Congratulations to the authors whose works have advanced to the FINALISTS Level of Achievement!
The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions FINALISTS. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, September 5th, 2020 at the luxuriousHotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’Grand Prize Winners and the First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the September 5th at the postponed 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
Grand Prize Ribbons!
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 Dante Rossetti Awards Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is May 31st, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.
STAZR The World of Z: The Dawn of Athir, is the opening of a grand quest into the origin of this world, the history it has suppressed, and most important of all, a journey to open the legendary gates that will lead its people back out into the wider galaxy. Or at least that’s what the powers that be in the city of Trebarad believe when they uncover a prophecy about a “Chozen One” who can open the gate at the heart of the town.
The story begins with the finding of that Chosen One, the scholar Radatat Lael, living in self-imposed isolation far from the city – or anywhere else. Lael seems to be unique among the people of this world. He was born on Arisam and did not merely arrive, adult and ignorant, from the other side of the world. What also makes him unique is he actually had and remembers his childhood. This perspective will give him the insight required to open the mysterious and mystical “gates.”
Lael’s isolation has also given him a sense of wonder about the world that he has explored in books but never seen, as well as a bit of an overinflated sense of his own intelligence and consequence.
On his journey to Treebarad, he experiences wonders and dangers that he’s dreamed about, only to face decisions that mirror his visionary dreams. Disturbing visionary dreams – and far more dangerous.
This story is only the beginning of Radatat Lael’s story. As this opening volume in the series ends, Lael and his companions are on the cusp of moving out into the greater universe – but only after learning that much of what they believed about their world is not entirely true.
Lael’s story is a mix of science fiction and fantasy. Lael’s dreams of the STAZR Maiden, his visions that come true, the prophecy that sets the story in motion, and the saarum that gives the “Greats” of this world power – all read as fantasy. Lael’s journey itself reads like mythmaking and legend – although the legend being created is about himself and told from his first-person perspective. And Lael is just a bit full of himself much of the time.
But this is just the beginning of the STAZR world. Author, Dr. Anay Ayarovu a former Russian national is starting something new, building something rather admirable. She’s inviting all who feel they don’t belong (because, as she says, they are meant to create new ways of being) to contribute art in all forms to add to the expansive universe called Stazr. The book is just the foundation from which gaming, television series, and movies may spring. Authors of all skill levels are also invited to submit their short stories about the STAZR universe for consideration to be included in the series.
STAZR The World of Z: The Dawn of Athir as a whole is a bit of a tease. In Lael’s journey and the people and beings he meets, the reader gets the sense of a fascinating world just waiting to be discovered. Readers should know that this first installment is a chewy read. It takes patience and opens the gates of creativity and development within the reader. In short, the STAZR universe has the very real potential of becoming something far greater than what we see at this moment in time. There is a long list of questions about the fundamentals of this world as the story draws to a close, and given the author’s mission, this perhaps is a very good thing.
A new way of storytelling opens the doors for those with vision and drive to dive in. And what a brilliant way of going about it! Artists and authors alike will want to dig into this universe and explore the possibilities.
Story ideas often come to writers as a fleeting spark of an idea or feeling. Maybe it comes from meeting an interesting stranger. Maybe it comes from a childhood memory or looking back at a life-altering trip. Or perhaps you’re trying to rewrite a difficult situation you’ve always wished you’d handled better. Maybe you spot a person on the street who reminds you of someone from your past. Maybe that person broke your heart. Or bullied you when you were a kid. Or she/he is the one who got away.
Perhaps you have no idea where your story idea came from.
Sometimes a story comes from askingwhat if. What if dad never left us? What if an adult with a family runs away from home? What if I never met ___? What if a corpse is discovered missing its fingerprints? What if someone refused to keep family secrets?
All these ideas have potential….BUT ideas are the easy part of writing.
A spark doesn’t always ignite into a flame. A spark doesn’t always equal a plot.
So you need tools and criteria to judge your ideas. Visual artists have a great advantage over writers because an artist can place his painting in front of a mirror. The mirrored image will be so distinct that the artist will see it anew. Writers, alas, can’t use the mirror trick.
Your friends or critique group can help you discern weak story concepts versus potent story concepts. But over time you’ll need to find ways to judge your own work.
With that in mind, ask yourself these questions:
Does your idea foment or riot within you?
Do your main characters get your heart pumping?
Demand to be heard? Demand to be shaped into a tale?
Can you ‘see’ the story in a series of vivid scenes?
Can you boil down the story into a few vivid sentences?
Can you ‘hear’ the main voice of the story already? Does the voice come naturally or easily as if from some untapped part of you?
Does a major twist come to mind?
Can you imagine the ending?
Can you plot the causality–as in one scene leads to the next, then leads to the next.
Keep asking yourself questions about what comes next or the protagonist’s core traits or how you can complicate things. Perhaps a false accusation or betrayal might help shape the story. Perhaps a lie or secret lies at the heart of things. And what about the themes?
Can you offer fresh insights about human nature?
Create characters your reader has never met or imagined, but always wanted to?
When we learn that Edward the vampire sparkles in the sunlight in “The Twilight Saga” — a new way of imaging vampires…
If your characters don’t feel, neither will your readers because characters are revealed by their emotions. And if emotions don’t lead to further actions, then part of fictional chain is missing.
Character first. Plot is people.
(an encore, but worth repeating)
It’s impossible to write about a main character you don’t care about. And you must care deeply. When I say care, you can actually pity the poor sod {Quoyle inThe Shipping News}, or disagree with his morality as when you write an anti-hero like Scarlett O’Hara or Tyrion Lannister of theGame of Thronesseries. Or Lisbeth Salander in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Or Katness Everdeen in the Hunger Games. Many readers find anti-heroes likable or relatable, but so must the writer/creator. Because fiction writing requires a serious emotional and intimate involvement with the main characters.
Fiction requires a serious emotional and intimate involvement with the main characters. – Jessica Morrell
Katniss with her rallying three-fingered salute!
Ideally you’ll find your protagonist fascinating, indelible, someone you can co-habitat with for at least a year—perhaps longer. Because between first drafts and final revisions it will take at least a year to finish your novel Naturally this can work for short stories too, but the duration of the relationship is often shorter.
And if you are going to commit to a series well, you had better believe that you can go the distance.
Your protagonists and antagonists should be fun to write or intriguing to the point of distraction.
I’ve known writers who have fallenoutof love with their characters and it ain’t pretty. Especially if they created a series character. Typically they discover their creation feels stale or predictable.
Similar to a failing relationship in the real world. Like those glum couples you spot in restaurants not speaking to each other; sitting in slumped misery or apathy. I’ve been noticing these miserable pairings for years.
There is nothing left to say or talk about…
Of course, because I’m a writer that makes me nosy and I am apt to spy on my fellow diners and eavesdrop—an occupational hazard so to speak.
Back to you and your main characters. Think long haul. Lasting commitment, curiosity, oradmiration. Think not being judge-y.
Is your character your new love? Your best friend that you want to hang out with? The friend that always seems to get you in trouble but you don’t really mind?
A few suggestions and/or gentle reminders for you:
Character first. Plot is people.
Create an intricate backstory that will cause motivations.
Give it time. It doesn’t need to be an instant attraction or intimacy, but your character should pique your curiosity.
Discover what in your character’s nature validates his/her humanity.
What about him or her is worthy of your reader’s time. Some of the best protagonists are not immediately sympathetic or understandable. It can take readers time to understand them. But that’s okay. Because there will be tests along the way that reveal his/her true nature. An example is Strider in Lord of the Rings.
Strider aka Ranger of the North aka Aragorn crowned King Elessar
Your protagonist needs traits you admire, even begrudgingly.
Figure in your protagonist’s chief vulnerabilities, then exploit them.
Understand how your character’s triggers, reactions or overreactions under duress.
Consider working outyourdemons through your protagonist and antagonist.
Is he or she insecure?
Will he feel misunderstood? (Professor Snipe in the Harry Potter series)
What about rewriting your awkward adolescent years through your character?
If your characters don’t feel, neither will your readers because characters are revealed by their emotions. And if emotions don’t lead to further actions, then part of fictional chain is missing.
Your Homework
Make a list of who are some of your most favorite and beloved characters and then try to assign traits to them that you find compelling. Conversely, who were their antagonists?
Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart. Jessica
Chanticleer’s next Marketing blog post will address Hashtags and Social Media – Part 4 of How to Increase Online Book Sales.
Our next Editorial blog post will address Opening Paragraphs and Beginnings.
So please stay tuned…
Jessica Page Morrell
Jessica Page Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor for books and screenplays. Her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines. She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examine the technical aspects of writing that emphases layering and subtext. Her books on writing craft are considered “a must have” for any serious writer’s toolkit.
Jessica will teach theMaster Craft Writing Classesat theChanticleer Authors Conferenceon Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020 and will present sessions during the conference. She and Kiffer will also host a fun kaffeeklatch for Word Nerds at CAC20.
Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in theChicago Manual of Style.They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, Macmillan, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, etc.) and award-winning independent presses. If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!
Writer’s Toolbox
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.
We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.
I invite each of you to join us atThe Roost– a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.
We are active onFacebook,Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews
Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!
Here at Chanticleer, we love Children’s literature! There is just something about a truly well-told story that sparks the imagination of the young – and the young at heart.
So, as we celebrate Children’s Book Week – May 4 – 10, 2020, allow us to bring along a few friends and share with you some really good books.
Did you know that 2020 marks the 96th anniversary of the first edition of the first book The Boxcar Children by Gertrude C. Warner?
It’s true! We titled the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) division for middle-grade readers The Gertrude Warner Awards in honor of the author of the well-loved children’s The Boxcar Children Series.
I guess you could say, we’re fans. BIG fans!
We love Gertrude and so many others! Here’s a little list of some of Middle-Grade Children’s authors you probably already know:
Are you interested in seeing how your Middle-Grade book stands up to the competition? Submit them to the Chanticleer International Book Awards and we will choose the best among the entries!
The deadline to submit your book for the Gertrude Warner awards is May 31, 2019. Enter here!
The deadline for 2019 submissions has been extended to June 15, 2019. Grand Prize and First Place Winners for 2019 will be announced on September 5, 2020, at the CIBA Awards Banquet.
Any entries received on or after June 16, 2019, will be entered into the 2020 Gertrude Warner Book Awards.
As our deadline draws near, don’t miss this opportunity to earn the distinction your Middle-Grade Reader deserves! Enter today!
The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards – the CIBAs.
All Finalists and First Place category winners will be recognized, the first-place winners will be whisked up on stage to receive their custom ribbon and wait to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. It’s an exciting evening of dinner, networking, and celebrations!
The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of middle-grade readers, fiction and non-fiction, that compel children to read and explore. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs).
Named in honor of the author of the quintessential children’s series – The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner.
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 eight to twelve. Submit your Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Adventure Middle-Grade stories, and the CIBA judges will evaluate them for the CIBA Levels of Achievement. They will put them to the test and choose the best Middle-Grade Books among them.
The 2019 CIBAs received an unprecedented number of entries making this book awards program even more competitive. More entries along with more competitive works make the final rounds of judging even more demanding. The judges have requesteda new level of achievementto be added to the rounds to acknowledge the entries that they deemed should receive a high level of recognition.
We decided that this was the time to incorporate the new level – The FINALISTS – as requested by the CIBA judges. This new level will be incorporated into the 2019 CIBAsLevels of Achievement. The FINALISTS were selected from the entries that advanced to the 2019 GERTRUDE WARNER Semi-Finalists level.
Congratulations to the FINALISTS of the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers
Amber L. Wyss – Phoenix Rising
M.J. Evans – PINTO!
M.J. Evans – The Stone of Wisdom – Book 4 of the Centaur Chronicles
Beth Stickley – Tarnation’s Gate
Rey Clark – Legends of the Vale
Laura M. Kemp – Burnt Feathers
Alex Paul – The Valley of Death, Book 5, Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals
Joyce Major – The Orangutan Rescue Gang
Trayner Bane – Windhollow and the Axe Breaker (Windhollows, Book 3)
Carolyn Watkins – The Knock…a collection of childhood memories
Liana Gardner – 7th Grade Revolution
Nancy McDonald – Boy from Berlin
Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Tudor Rose
Kit Bakke – Dancing on the Edge
Mobi Warren – The Bee Maker
C.R. Stewart – Britfield and the Lost Crown
B.L. Smith – Bert Mintenko and the Serious Business
These titles are in the running for the First Place positions of the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers.
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions FINALISTS. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, September 5th, 2020 at the luxuriousHotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’Grand Prize Winners and the First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the September 5th at the postponed 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
Grand Prize Ribbons!
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 Gertrude Warner Awards Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is May 31st, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.
Welcome to our SPOTLIGHT on the CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (the CIBAs): the MYSTERY & MAYHEM Awards Deadline is upon us!
We are seeking the best novels featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, romantic suspense, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery. We will put them to the test and discover the best among them. (For thrillers, action suspense, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards)
The APRIL 30th deadline for the Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem Awards (aka M&Ms) has been extended until May 31, 2020 due to many requests for an extension due to these unprecedented times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In just a few short days, we go to work to uncover the hidden secrets, the lost key, the answer to the question, Whodunit?
Congratulations to these authors whose works have advanced to this new achievement level of the Chanticleer International Book Awards in the Mystery and Mayhem Book Awards division.
Is your amateur sleuth suspicious of the little old lady who lives next door? Is there something wrong in Mayberry and your hero is going to find out what it is – no matter the cost? Are the stakes so high for your heroine, she succumbs to the hot, sexy delivery man who happens to be the guy with forty bodies buried in his basement? Is your character’s cat helping him solve the latest crime?
The M & M Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery & Mayhem fiction genre. The Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, not-so-cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, our judges will read them to discover the best! (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction, and more intense mysteries, please visit our Clue Awards page)
The 2019 CIBAs received an unprecedented number of entries making this book awards program even more competitive. More entries along with more competitive works make the final rounds of judging even more demanding. The judges have requested a new level of achievement to be added to the rounds to acknowledge the entries that they deemed should receive a high level of recognition.
We decided that this was the time to incorporate the new level – The FINALISTS – as requested by the CIBA judges. This new level will be incorporated into the 2019 CIBAsLevels of Achievement. The FINALISTS were selected from the entries that advanced to the 2019 M&M Semi-Finalists level.
Congratulations to the 2019 Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards for Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries FINALISTS!
Susan Z. Ritz –A Dream to Die For
Michelle Cox –A Veil Removed
Lucy Carol –Hit That, Madison Cruz – Mystery 4
MJ O’Neill –The Corpse Wore Stilettos
JL Oakley –Hilo Bay Mystery Collection
Henry G. Brinton –City of Peace
Kaylin McFarren –High Flying
Janet K. Shawgo –Legacy of Lies
Kari Bovee –Peccadillo at the Palace
Kari Bovee –Girl with a Gun – An Annie Oakley Mystery
M. J. Simms-Maddox –Mystery in Harare
Wally Duff –bada-BOOM!
Arlene McFarlane –Murder, Curlers & Cruises
Toni Kief –Mildred In Disguise With Diamonds
Vee Kumari –Dharma, A Rekha Rao Mystery
Jane Willan –The Hour of Death
Gerard Shirar –When the Rules Don’t Apply
Susan Lynn Solomon –Writing is Murder
Tina Sloan – Chasing Cleopatra
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The Finalists and the Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and at the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony.
The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions FINALISTS. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, September 5th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
The M&M Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Positions award- winners along with the previously announced Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the September 5th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
The Journey Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Journey Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences, travel, personal journeys, global enlightenment, and more. Our judges will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them.
Editor’s Note: Some works have been moved to the new non-fiction division titled the Nellie Bly Book Awards. This new division is in response to the request from the Chanticleer International Book Awards judges to acknowledge the many outstanding works that were entered into the Instruction & Insight Book Awards and the Journey Book Awards for Narrative Non-fiction. The Nellie Bly Book Awards recognize outstanding journalistic works and investigative pieces. After reviewing the comments from the judges along with their suggestions, we decided to recognize these works and create a more fitting division in the CIBAs — the Nellie Bly Book Awards
The 2019 CIBAs received an unprecedented number of entries making this book awards program even more competitive. More entries along with more competitive works makes the final rounds of judging even more demanding. The judges have requested a new level of achievement to be added to the rounds to acknowledge the entries that they deemed should receive a high level of recognition.
We decided that this was the time to incorporate the new level – The FINALISTS – as requested by the CIBA judges. This new level will be incorporated into the 2019 CIBAsLevels of Achievement. The FINALISTS were selected from the entries that advanced to the 2019 JOURNEY Semi-Finalists level.
The following works have advanced to the FINALIST position of the 2019 Journey Book Awards for Narrative Non-Fiction & Memoirs!
Congratulations to:
Anna Carner –Blossom~The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury
Linda Gartz –Redlined: A Memoir of Race, Change, and Fractured Community in 1960s Chicago
Julie MacNeil –The 50-Year Secret
Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson –The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug
Lance Brewer –Back Story Alaska
Eva Doherty Gremmert –Our Time To Dance
John Hoyte –Persistence of Light
Nikki West –The Odyssey of the Chameleon
Nancy Canyon –STRUCK: A Memoir
Rebecca Faye Smith Galli –Rethinking Possible: A Memoir of Resilience
J. Bronson Haley –The Depth of Grace: Finding Hope at Rock Bottom
Julie L. Seely –Skinny House -A Memoir of Family
Congratulations to all whose works have advanced to the FINALISTS level.
All Semi-Finalists and Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony.
Good luck to all as your works move on the next rounds of judging for the limited 2019 1st Place Category Positions and the 2019 Journey Book Awards Grand Prize.
The 2019 JOURNEY Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Position award winners along with the Finalists and Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the Sept 5, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at theChanticleer Authors Conference, Bellingham, Wash.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, CAC20 has been rescheduled from the original date in April to September 4 – 6, 2020 with Master Classes to be held on Thursday, September 3. The CIBA Banquet and Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, September 5, 2020.
You know that you want one–A CIBA Blue Ribbon!
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 JOURNEY Book Awards Narrative Non-fiction competition. The deadline for submissions is April 30th, 2020. The winners will be announced April 2021.
Let me introduce you to J.I. Rogers, one of our favorite authors here at Chanticleer Reviews!
In 2019, J.I. Rogers was awarded the 2018 GRAND PRIZE in the Chanticleer International Book Awards for CYNUS – our Science-Fiction Division for her Space Opera, The Korpes Files, a cyber-punk sci-fi, dystopian space opera, and nothing has been the same since.
We asked J.I. Rogers to take part in our 10-Question Author Interview series to share with us her journey of becoming a CYGNUS Grand Prize winner.
Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself, how did you start writing?
Rogers: Well, the biography on my website starts off like this: I am a green-eyed, ginger-haired, caffeine addict who is currently working on The Korpes File Series.
When not acting as a conduit for the voices in my head or pursuing something artistic, I’m a poster child for Generation X and the Queen of most boondoggles that lead to eye-strain and tinnitus.
Ancient History: I’ve always had a love of science fiction, mythological, and fantasy themes. I attended Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design back in the 80s, studying film animation when it was still a college, and I have been working as a professional artist for over thirty years. My love of writing dates back just as far as my artistic ventures. I even had a small Fantasy APA/Fanzine called “Northwest Passages.”
Recent History: The Korpes File Series is my first foray into writing science fiction. The core concept for the series came to me thirty years ago, and it was then that I began the process of world-building. In that time the idea behind my series has shifted from being hard science fiction to space opera, to finally come to rest in the middle as a hybrid between dystopian and science fiction.
How did I start writing? In 2012, I was working as a concept wrangler for a couple of game design studios and was put in charge of world development for one of the projects. I wrote two cut-scenes based on situations that the players would encounter as an experiment. When that project concluded, the short stories were released back to me, and the encouragement I received was what prompted me to continue writing. I decided to expand on what I’d created and that’s when the Muse struck. NaNoWriMo followed a week later, and at the end of that November I had enough core material to know where I was going with my story.
Chanticleer: Rock on #NaNoWriMo! When did you realize that you were an author?
Rogers: Honestly? The first time it sank in was when someone had purchased a paperback copy of The Korpes File then traveled to meet me and asked if I would sign it.
Chanti: That always feels good, right? And now, you have the second in series! Please tell us more about the genre shifts that your work has made and what led you to write in this genre?
Rogers: The closest definition I could come up with for The Korpes File Series would be that it’s a blend of dystopian and science fiction elements. As I said earlier, the series began as hardcore science fiction then transitioned to Space Opera and then into what is now dystopian with science fiction elements with a healthy dollop of space opera mixed in as well. I’m a fan of character-driven plot. What led me to write in this genre? My Muse kept sending me love notes in the form of characters quotes and world-building concepts.
Chanti: I love it when that happens. Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?
Rogers: Life rules? I’m unconventional, but I’ve managed to get away with things thus far by waving the ‘eccentric artist’ banner over my head. In writing? I follow the rules in non-dialogue portions of my writing, mostly (I do use Oxford commas, adjectives, and past tense when appropriate). The only place you’ll see me play fast and loose is in dialogue; this flexibility allows characters to sound unique.
Nash’s glasses
Chanti: How do you come up with your ideas for a story?
Rogers: I find inspiration via many portals. I’ve discovered that downtempo psy-bient electronica, industrial, and angsty bands from the late 90s and early 2000s inspire my dystopian Muse. My Pinterest folder is bursting with images on everything from flora and fauna to human culture, science, geology, tech, space… You get the idea. I also save links to new and emerging technology there. Even the characters in my story have suggested elements to me… when they go off-road.
(Chanti: I think Pyewacket and Tannith have to take some credit here, too, don’t you?!)
Chanti: Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Rogers: My list is eclectic and includes artists: Jaime Hernandez – I’ve been a fan of Jaime for over thirty years. He and his brothers have demonstrated time and time again that you can tell a provocative, epic story with dimensional characters using both words and images. Love & Rockets is a masterpiece and I aspire to create something as beautiful.
Winner of the 2014 LA Times Book Prize! Image from the Publisher.
Barbara Hambly – While her storylines are great it was Barbara’s characters that spoke to me, and they grounded me into every event in the plot. I have re-read certain books just to re-experience these ‘old friends.’ When I finally decided to write, I made a point of finding the personality touchstones in all of my protagonists and antagonists.
Neil Gaiman – There’s a definite ‘other-worldly’ quality to his work; it’s like he exists somewhere between here and the twilight realm of Faerie and can translate that experience back. While I was designing aspects of Tamyrh and the aliens that hide in plain sight, I reflected on Mr. Gaiman’s “Sandman” series and allowed the ambiance to run its course.
James S.A. Corey – He recently displaced my favorite go-to for science fiction for the simple reason that he’s created a modern dystopian sci-fi epic that hasn’t fallen into the usual pitfalls of mocking itself or weighing itself down with unnecessary angst. If I want to escape my world but stay in the mood to write, I read Mr. Corey’s work or catch an episode of “The Expanse.” I don’t know if I’d call him an influence, rather a reminder that dystopian sci-fi can be done well.
Philip K. Dick – Our styles are different, but we definitely gravitate toward the same themes; his work lit a fire under my Muse back in high school. I’d like to add something about film here. I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep before I saw the film Blade Runner, but the latter was what firmly cemented the love of noir, dystopian sci-fi in my soul. It was one of the first sci-fi films I’d seen that didn’t inject ‘comic relief buffoonery’ or ‘cute fuzzy creatures’ in order to expand its appeal. Alien, Logan’s Run, and 2001: A Space Odyssey are other fine examples that inspire.
Chanti: Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Rogers: Honestly, I haven’t reached the point where I’m selling millions of books; part of that may be due to my advertising budget, which is microscopic. This advice is aimed at those like me. I maintain an active presence on social media (the usual free ones – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and I operate a Patreon page, where potential readers and fans can find out what I’m up to, ask me questions, get special offers and swag, etc. My Patreon page is now at the point where it covers my website fees as well as the production costs of book-related items like the limited-run character sketchbook.
I owe my modest notoriety as an author to the fantastic people who interact with me, both online and in real life. They have acted as my ‘street team’ and encouraged their friends to buy my books. I estimate that 70% of my sales are due to their efforts and I’m very grateful… now to find a way to get everyone to leave reviews too.
If you’re on a tight budget like me, my advice is:
Share posts with other authors and leave comments
Support your creative community
Create engaging content
Leave reviews
Shamelessly promote others
Chat with fans, and
Be positive without looking for direct evidence of karmic return. In other words, treat people the way you’d like to be treated. This seems to be working for me.
Also – treat your author time on social media like a job or it’ll become a time sink and you’ll not get any writing done.
Chanti: That’s great advice! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Rogers: I have two answers to this question.
A). If they enjoyed the book, then I’d encourage them to leave a review saying so. B) If they didn’t like the book, I’d ask that they offer some feedback via the author’s website. Simply saying it was bad isn’t helpful; no one improves without constructive criticism.
Chanti: Do you ever experience writers’ block? What do you do to overcome it?
“Emerging Words” (which is a 18″ x 24″ artwork made from a mold of my face, silk, and pages from the proof copy of The Korpes File).
Rogers: My writing Muse sometimes takes an impromptu vacation and leaves me home, staring at the screen. When that happens, I’ll swap over to another project – usually art. Right now, I’ve got two illustration commissions on the go as well as Patreon projects. If that fails, there’s always gardening or my secret vice… MMORPGs like World of Warcraft.
Chanti: I think dialogue is where it’s at as far as character development – for sure. What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Rogers: I think my hubby would argue that I’m always writing as my ‘office’ pins down territory around the house depending on my mood. I draw, paint, sculpt, and garden (weather dependent on that last one – we get a lot of snow in the winter).
Chanti: Thank you, J.I. Rogers, for sharing your author journey with us. I am looking forward to seeing you at the next Chanticleer Authors Conference.
J. I. Rogers won the CYGNUS 2018 Grand Prize because The Korpes Files rock! And also, because she dared to enter the work into the CYGNUS division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards…
In other words, if you don’t enter, you will never know how your work stacks up against the other entries.
If you want a shot at the HONOR of CYGNUS SciFi Book Awards for 2020, don’t delay, enter the CYGNUS B00k Awards today!
The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up for the CYGNUS Book Awards division. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media, L.L.C. retains the right to not declare “default winners.” Winning works are decided upon merit only. Please visit our Contest Details page for more information about our writing contest guidelines.
CBR’s rigorous writing competition standards are why literary agencies seek out our winning manuscripts and self-published novels. Our high standards are also why our reviews are trusted among booksellers and book distributors.
Please do not hesitate to contact Info@ChantiReviews.com about any questions, concerns, or suggestions about the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Your input and suggestions are important to us.
Click here for more information about the Chanticleer Book Reviews International Book Awards.
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs).
The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of middle-grade readers, fiction and non-fiction, that compel children to read and explore. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs).
Lucy Carol – 
The Journey Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Journey Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 JOURNEY Book Awards Narrative Non-fiction competition. The deadline for submissions is April 30th, 2020. The winners will be announced April 2021.
