Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

  • The GOETHE Book Awards for Post 1750s Historical Fiction – The SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs

    The GOETHE Book Awards for Post 1750s Historical Fiction – The SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs

    Post 1750s Historical Fiction AwardThe Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Late Historical Fiction set after the 1750s. The Goethe Book  Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBA).

    Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring Late Period Historical Fiction. Regency, Victorian,18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, World and other wars, history of non-western cultures, set after the 1750s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (Looking for Chaucer Pre-1750 Book Awards or Laramie Western/Pioneer/Civil War Book Awards, just click on the links.)

    The 2018 Goethe Book Awards Competition Rounds

    These Goethe Short Listers are now in competition for the 2018 GOETHE Semi-Finalists List, which will pair this list down to 18 titles or less.  Semi-Finalists will compete for the coveted five positions of the First  Place Category Winners of the 2018 GOETHE Book Awards in the final rounds of judging.  The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the Goethe GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition.  The 16 CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.

    These titles are in the running for the limited Semi-Finalists positions of the 2018 GOETHE Book Awards novel competition for post-1750s Post Historical Novels.

    Good luck to all in these next intensive rounds to see which titles will move forward.

    • Carol M. Cram – The Muse of Fire 
    • Josanna Thompson – A Maiden’s Honor
    • J.P. Kenna – Allurement Westward
    • Richard Alan – American Journeys: From Ireland to the Pacific Northwest (1854-1900) Book 2
    • J.L. Oakley – Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity
    • Noelle Clark – Stone of Heaven and Earth
    • Richard Alan – A Female Doctor in the Civil War
    • J. R. Collins – Living Where the Rabbits Dance
    • Jocelyn Cullity – Amah & the Silk-Winged Pigeons
    • Ellen Notbohm – The River by Starlight
    • Rosalind Spitzer – Anna’s Home
    • Neal Katz – Scandalous: The Victoria Woodhull Saga, Volume II: Fame, Infamy, and Paradise Lost
    • Rita Dragonette – The Fourteenth of September
    • Sharon Hart-Green – Come Back for Me: A Novel
    • Meredith Pechta – The Prejudice That Divides Us
    • Jeffrey K. Walker – None of Us the Same
    • Ronald E. Yates – The Lost Years of Billy Battles (Book 3, Finding Billy Battles Trilogy)
    • John Thomas Everett – No Slave To Reason
    • J. Victor Tomaszek – The Tatra Eagle
    • Pat Wahler – I am Mrs. Jesse James
    • R. S. Rowland – Portrait of a Bitter Spy
    • Kit Sergeant – 355: The Women of Washington’s Spy Ring
    • Ruth Hull Chatlien – Blood Moon: A Captive’s Tale
    • John Hansen – Unfortunate Words
    • Patricia Suprenant – Behind the Scarlet Letter
    • Peter Curtis – Cafe Budapest
    • Bruce Joel Brittain – Brother Daniel’s Good News Revival
    • Michelle Cox – A Promise Given
    • Tom Edwards – Jane Sinclair
    • Trevor D’Silva – Fateful Decisions
    • K. M. Sandrick – The Pear Tree

    All Short Listers and SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

    Good Luck to each of you as your works compete for the 2018 GOETHE Awards Semi-Finalists positions.  

    2017 Goethe Book Awards Winners Joe Vitovic & Peter Greene, Goethe Grand Prize

    To view the 2017 Goethe Book Awards winners, please click here.

    The Goethe Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. 

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 GOETHE Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is June 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. 

  • September Spotlight is on the CLUE Awards – Mysteries, Thrillers/Suspense, Detective Novels

    September Spotlight is on the CLUE Awards – Mysteries, Thrillers/Suspense, Detective Novels

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]September brings countless clues and unsolved mysteries! Who will crack the case and emerge a winner? Stay tuned…

    Thriller Suspense Fiction Award

    The game’s afoot this September with thrilling adventure, nail-biting suspense, keen detective work, and more. Perhaps you’ll need a private eye on the case or follow police procedural to the letter. What’s certain, while authors work hard at crime solving, when September draws to an end, all of our cases will be closed! 

    What are the CLUE Awards? Thrillers, Suspense, the grip of Mystery. CLUE is all about the uncertain– detectives and private eyes, cops and criminals; those who have something to hide and those who hunt to bring those dark secrets to light. CLUE novels thrive on questions and build suspense with each turning of the page. For writers who scatter pieces of a mystery throughout their stories, and readers who enjoy putting those pieces together, CLUE is the genre of choice.

     

    The deadline is just around the corner! Who will survive the Slush? Who will be Longlisted and Shortlisted?
    Who will take home the prize at CAC19 on April 27th?

    Kaylin McFarren, CLUE Grand Prize Winner

    Avoid the crime of letting this deadline slip by! Send in your stories of thrilling detectives, super sleuths, daring and flawed police detectives today. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. 

     As the September 30th deadline for submissions draws closer, don’t miss this opportunity to earn distinction for your novel. Enter today!

    All category winners have the opportunity to attend our Awards Ceremony on April 27, 2019,  that will take place during the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. First Place category winners will be whisked up on stage to receive their custom ribbon and await to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. It’s an exciting and electrifying evening of dinner, networking, and celebrations! 

    First Place category winners and Grand Prize winners will each receive a stunning awards package well worth the price of entry into the CLUE Awards competitions.

    The CLUE Awards for the best Thriller & Suspense Fiction novels

    HALL of FAME

     The Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2017:

    Twisted Threads by Kaylin McFarren won the “Suspense/Thriller” category in the Clue Awards and then took home the Clue Grand Prize! Twisted Threads  is the fourth book in her Threads Series set on a cruise ship, “With killers on the loose and no avenue for escape, tension is ratcheted to a breaking point, forcing everyone to choose between love and loyalty – or deeply held honor – in order to survive.” 

     

    Kaylin McFarren photo

    Kaylin McFarren is a multi-award winning author who has earned more than forty national literary awards. “She keeps a glass of wine close by while writing love scenes, Kleenex on her desk while writing heartbreakers, and has been known to empty a box of chocolates when she’s completely stumped.“

     

    1st Place Category Winners in 2017:

    • Do Not Ask by Elaine Williams Crockett
    • 100 Days of Terror by Larry Temple
    • The Butcher’s Bill by SMartin Roy Hill
    • The Criminalist: A Novel of Forensic Science Suspense by John Houde
    • Aged in Charcoal by Jeffrey Ridenour

    Grand Prize Winner of 2016:

    A Matter of Justice by Keith Tittle won the “Suspense/Thriller” category in the 2016 Clue Awards and went on to win the Grand Prize! “Author Keith Tittle rings all the challenges in this complex, gripping mystery. His story combines diverse elements lending the story opportunity for multiple mayhems. Jeff Dawes is a believable hero – determined, diligent, dogged by past failures that spur him to try harder. The setting – Portland, Oregon, with its scenic natural environs makes for a variety of well-staged scenarios.“

     

    Keith Tittle's Profile Photo, Image may contain: 1 person, beard, eyeglasses and outdoor

    Keith Tittle is “…a lifelong history buff, baseball fan, and resident of the Pacific Northwest, and lives with his wife in southwest Washington.” Keith is working on the second novel in this series.

     

     

    1st Place Category Winners in 2016:

     

     

    Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2015:

    Blood Relations by Lonna EnoxIn 2015, Lonna Enox’s Blood Relations won the CLUE Grand Prize. This is the second book in Lonna’s Sorrel Janes Mysteries series set in the contemporary Southwest. In Blood Relations, “… a tangled web of mystery and lies, [proves that] the truth can only be discovered if the seeker can survive.“

     

    Lonna Enox says this about herself, “I’m a ‘what if’ person. I’m also curious, and ask lots of questions, read about things, try things, & always investigate.”

     

     

     

    1st Place Category Winners in 2015:

    Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2014:

    The Red Ribbon by Rachel B. LedgeThe Red Ribbon by Rachel B. Ledge won the 2014 Clue Grand Prize. This historical fiction thriller set in London 1773 about a young woman who struggles to adjust to life after witnessing the murder of her closest friend by the man she loves.

    “Rachel B. Ledge is an award-winning author of historical novels with elements of suspense, romance, and time travel. She grew up in Idaho, Texas, Utah and California due to circumstances that didn’t involve the military. An expat since 2008, she and her husband lived in Sydney for five years before sailing to Singapore, where they lived on a boat for a while before transitioning onto terra firma. She can be found sitting up late at night, reading anything with a compelling storyline.”

    1st Place Category Winners in 2014:

    • Historical: Rachel B. Ledge for The Red Ribbon  
    • Romantic Suspense: Mimi Barbour for Special Agent Francesca  
    • International Intrigue/World Events: Lawrence Verigin for The Dark Seed
    • Contemporary Mystery/Suspense: Pamela Beason for The Only Clue
    • Private Eye/Noir:  Keith Dixon for The Bleak
    • Police Procedural: Jode Susan Millman for The Midnight Call
    • Spy/Espionage: Michelle Daniel for The Red Circle
    • Psychological Thriller: Rebecca Nolen for Deadly Thyme
    • Cozy/Amateur Sleuth: JoAnn Basset for I’m Kona Love You Forever
    • True Crime: Gayle Nix Jackson for Orville Nix: The Missing JFK Assassination Film 

     

    Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2013:

    Raggedy Man by Clyde CurleyIn 2013, Clyde Curley took home the Grand Prize for his novel Raggedy Man, the first in the Detective Toussaint Novels.  Here’s a top-notch detective murder mystery set in the Pacific Northwest, Portland Oregon, to be exact. “His novels are prodigious—yes they come in at more than 500 pages, but you will be wishing it were longer—and are page-turners that tackle and explore the big ethical and societal issues of today.  Curley’s deft use of murder mysteries to microscopically explore society’s ethical issues is nothing short of brilliant.” – Chanticleer Reviews

     

    Clyde Curley tells us “…this is all that matters: I’ve grown up and now I’m an author. For me, the permanence of art stands as a bulwark against the slings and arrows of outrageous real life. The highest, richest form of art is that which is formed from words—the first and most important attribute of humans striving to behave less like animals and more like gods.”

     

     

    1st Place Category Winners in 2013: 

    • Romantic Suspense: Small Town Storm by Elise K. Ackers
    • Steamy/Action/Thriller: Buried Threads by Kaylin McFarren
    • Debut Novel: The Last Dance by Lonna Enox
    • Historical Mystery: Forevermore by Jim Musgrave
    • Caper/Adventure: Too Many Violins by Mark Reutlinger
    • Private Eye: Fire Trap by Richard Mann
    • Police Procedural: Eleven by Carolyn Arnold
    • Classic Detective: Raggedy Man by Clyde Curley
    • Mystery/Crime: Deadly Recall by Donnell Ann Bell
    • Amateur Sleuth: Death Over Easy by Toby Speed
    • Thriller/Suspense: Grind His Bones by Richard Newell Smith
    • Medical: Without Consent by Bev Irwin
    • Psychological Thriller: The Grave Blogger by Donna Fontenot

    The Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2012:

    Pamela Beason’s Mystery/Thriller, The Only Witness tied for Grand Prize in 2012. The Only Witness is a marvel of story-telling. Pamela Beason’s novel is one of those rare gems that is intelligent and informative but also embracing and charmingly accessible. 

     

    A former private investigator, Pamela Beason “…lives in the Pacific Northwest. Pam challenges the human assumption that we are the superior species. Each of her titles takes readers on an adventure while reminding us that drifting through life is not enough; you have to live it…”

     

     

    1st Place Category Winners in 2012: 

    • Shadow Games by Jeanette-Marie Mirich
    • Corporate Insanity by Tom Pors
    • New Smyrna Swing by D.D. Queens
    • Made in China by Mark Reutlinger
    • Mrs. Kaplan in the Soup; The Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger
    • Murder Strikes a Pose, A Downward Dog Mystery by Tracy Weber

     

     

    Your book could earn a place in our CLUE hall of fame for the CIBA 2018 Best Books.

    All you have to do is to enter your manuscript or published novel.

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”transparent” class=”” id=””]What are the Clue Awards?[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”3_5″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Thriller Suspense Fiction AwardOur Clue Awards are Chanticleer Reviews search for the best mystery, suspense, and thriller fiction novels of 2018!

    We are looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime solving, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For light-hearted Mystery and Suspense entries see our Mystery & Mayhem Awards) [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#606060″ border_style=”solid” padding=”10px” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

    Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year! 

    • All First in Category Winning Titles will be placed in the queue to receive a coveted Chanticleer Book Review Package (value $395) for the winning title (reviews are non-transferable)  and go on to compete for the genre Grand Prize and the Overall Grand Prize.
    • The Overall Grand Prize Winner is named Chanticleer Reviews Best Book of the Year and awarded the $1000 prize
    • All Winners receive a Chanticleer Prize Package which includes a digital badge, a ribbon and a whole assortment of goodies

     

    [/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”/services#!/Mystery-Thriller-Suspense-Writing-Contest/p/21521209/category=5193080″ color=”darkgray” size=”” type=”” shape=”” target=”_blank” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”1px” shadow=”” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” modal=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”1″ alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]Enter Now![/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • 10 Questions Interview with R.L. STELZER – 2017 GERTRUDE WARNER AWARD WINNER – Middle Grade Books, Sword and Stone Fantasy, Literacy

    10 Questions Interview with R.L. STELZER – 2017 GERTRUDE WARNER AWARD WINNER – Middle Grade Books, Sword and Stone Fantasy, Literacy

    Meet Rebekah Stelzer!

    Rebekah is a Gertrude Warner Awards winner for her middle-grade sword and stone fantasy, The Queen and the Knights of Nor.  She loves her family, her writing, and her community. Read on to hear how one author started her fantastic journey!

    Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?

    Stelzer: I have been writing stories since around fourth grade. I struggled in my early elementary years with reading, but once I got it, I loved it and began making up my own stories. This became an invaluable skill as an Army brat. Being able to make up my own stories as I looked out the window during our cross-country moves helped pass the time before tablets and in-car DVD players.

    Chanticleer: When did you realize you that you were an author?

    Stelzer: I realized that I could be an author when I started writing down the bed-time stories I was telling my daughters. Writing after they went to bed gave me a creative outlet. During this time, my kids were really little and as a harpist, practicing was difficult because my kids wanted to play to harp with me or climb on the soundboard. Practicing after bed-time was not an option because I did not want to wake them up. Writing became a way for me to connect with the arts. I realized I loved writing, I loved editing, and I did not mind constructive criticism. But I really felt like an author when I held a book in my hands with my name on the cover. It was a wonderful feeling.

    Chanticleer: I know the feeling! Nothing like holding the actual book in your hands and gazing at your name on the cover. Talk about genre. What genre best describes your work?

    Stelzer: I love to talk about genre. Being a newbie in the writing field, I assumed that my writing was geared towards young adults, but my wise mother told me it was better suited to younger readers. With a little research, I discovered MIDDLE-GRADE fiction. I realized that many of my favorite books fall into this category and several of my favorite authors wrote to this audience. The Chanticleer Gertrude Warner Award helped me to narrow down my focus as well by helping me to define the genre that suited my work best. This allowed me to establish a framework and focus for my writing overall.

    Chanticleer: What led you to write in this genre?

    Stelzer: I feel that middle-grade fiction tends to be less angsty than young adult fiction and tackles more complex issues than children’s fiction. I am drawn to the sense of hope that I have found in many middle-grade stories. It’s a genre where authors can tackle some tough concepts, like homelessness as seen in Crenshaw by Kathrine Applegate, or loss and redemption like in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis while balancing the seriousness of such topics with resilience.

    The kids I know in this age group want to know things. They want to know what is going on in the world around them. They are trying to piece together reasons for why the world is the way it is. They then try to create solutions to the problems they see with an innocence and hope that is refreshing to me as a grown-up. I enjoy writing and telling stories with that sense of hope, that has a satisfying, but not always perfect “happily-ever-after” ending.

    Chanticleer: That is really insightful. Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?

    Stelzer: I definitely make up my own rules. My mom, who is always my first reader, makes sure I follow basic English and grammar rules, but as far as storytelling goes, I’m not very formulated in how I go about things.

    Chanticleer: What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.

    Stelzer: As I said earlier, I am a harpist. At this point in my life, however, most of my time is spent homeschooling my daughters and taxiing them around to soccer, dance, harp lessons, and playdates. I also volunteer as a youth leader at my church.

    Chanticleer: You are busy! How structured are you in your writing work?

    Stelzer: I am not structured in many aspects of my life and that includes my writing. I will go months without doing much of anything with writing besides thinking about characters and plotlines, then spend every night for six weeks writing and editing. But I enjoy every minute of it.

    Chanticleer: Cute kitty! Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.

    Stelzer: C.S. Lewis is hands down my favorite author. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was one of the first books to capture my imagination and get me hooked on reading. I really love Lewis’ way of communicating very profound things in simple everyday ways. He also has a sarcastic bite to his writing that I greatly admire.

    George MacDonald won my heart with The Princess and the Goblin, and The Lost Princess. Particularly with The Lost Princess, I saw how an author could weave important life lessons into an engaging and entertaining tale. Nesbitt’s Enchanted Castle is so quirky, slightly strange, and completely imaginative. This work broadened my ideas of fantasy. Unlike Lewis who took the Pevensie children out of our world into another world, Nesbitt brought the magic to earth, and I loved that.

    Rebecca Davis is the author of a biography entitled With Daring Faith, the story of the life and service of Amy Carmichael. Carmichael was a woman who did not back down even in the face of death. She learned that her perceived flaws were actually God-given gifts that helped her to save countless children from slavery and prostitution and provide them with shelter, food clothing, education and medical care. I learned through Davis’ account, that each of us has something to contribute to our communities. Her retelling of Amy’s courage has helped me to have courage, on a lesser scale, and to not give up when the way ahead seems blocked. I think that is a lesson every writer needs.

    Jessie Sanders, author of the Grover Cleveland Academy series must be on this list. She was my childhood friend who, from the moment the question was asked of her, “What are you going to be when you grow up?”  she responded, “An author, of course!” and never deviated from it.

    When I began to look for publishers I reached out to her and she gave me great advice, and encouragement. It helped to know someone who had pursued writing and was succeeding in the field. She made the dream seem obtainable, and I am so grateful for that.

    Chanticleer: That’s an impressive list! What do you do in your community to improve/promote literacy?

    The biggest contribution at the moment is teaching my kids to love reading! My oldest is writing her own stories now, my middle-daughter read her first chapter book this summer and my youngest is really getting excited about learning to read in kindergarten.

    I have also had the privilege of encouraging a couple of young writers who are just beginning to pursue their dreams.

    For the last two summers, I had the privilege of chaperoning a youth trip to NYC. On these trips, we assist a permanent organization that teaches English to immigrants for free. I love watching the adults we work with learn to read. They come from all backgrounds. This summer I was able to work with a man who was a doctor in his home country, and an older woman who had never gone to school.  Teaching our adult students in New York is an amazing experience, but I get the double blessing of watching the teenagers I work with a weekly basis, teach others.

    Chanticleer: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

    I am currently in final edits on my second book Susa’s Story, the prequel to my first work The Queen and Knights of Nor.

    It follows Susa a young woman training to be a lady-in-waiting to the King’s betrothed, but her loyalties are torn as she has promised to help her childhood friend Draka win the King’s heart.  In her quest to become queen, Draka along with Susa and their friend Loeta, partner with Graken, a dragon with immense powers. Graken guides the young women in the magic arts, but these lessons do not come without a price. Susa has some hesitations along the way but feels justified because she is helping her friend. Little does she know that the consequences of their actions will plague the kingdom for generations to come. As two of the women pursue their newfound powers with reckless abandon, one will lose all that she loves most.

    In addition to editing, I’m learning about cover art, layout design, and formatting as I am going to indie publish this time around. I hope to release Susa’s Story this fall.

    Chanticleer: You parted ways with your publisher? How did that happen?

    Stelzer:  I parted amicably with my publisher in January. They were awesome in helping me to move over into an indie-type venture. They weren’t sure what to do with me, never having published middle-grade and I didn’t know about anything. So it was a clean split and I have nothing but good feelings towards them.

    Chanticleer: That is truly the best of all worlds! Thank you for spending some time with us today, Rebekah. Best of luck with Susa’s Story. We are looking forward to reading and talking about that!

    If you love Middle-Grade Fantasy, you will absolutely be enthralled with R.L. Stelzer’s work!

    Pick up a copy of her award-winning book, The Queen and the Knights of Nor and write a review. Author’s love reviews.

    Check out Rebekah’s website here: Legendsofnor.com

    If you’ve enjoyed this 10-Question Interview, please comment, “like”, and share!
  • The LARAMIE Book Awards for Western Fiction – The SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs

    The LARAMIE Book Awards for Western Fiction – The SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs

    Western Pioneeer Civil War Fiction AwardThe LARAMIE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of  Western Fiction. The Laramie  Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions ( The #CIBAs).

    These titles have moved forward in the judging slush rounds to the 2018 Laramie Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the limited 2018 Laramie  Semi-Finalists from which the First Place Category Positions will be chosen. The Laramie Book Awards Semi-Finalists and First Place Positions along with  Laramie Grand Prize Award Winner will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019. 

    We are looking for the best books featuring cowboys & cowgirls, the Wild West, pioneering, Civil War, contemporary American West, and early North American and Central American History. 

    These titles are in the running for the next round – the SEMI-Finalist positions for the 2018  LARAMIE  Book Awards novel competition for pre-1750s Historical Fiction. Good Luck to All!

    • Brenda Stanley – The Treasure of Cedar Creek
    • Juliette Douglas – Miss Birgit: Mail Order Bride
    • J.L Oakley – Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity
    • J.R. Collins – Living Where the Rabbits Dance
    • TK Conklin – Promise of Tomorrow
    • Preston Shires – Life in a Casket
    • John Hansen – Chasing Demons
    • Curt Locklear – Splintered
    • Richard Alan – A Female Doctor in the Civil War
    • Ronald E. Yates – The Lost Years of Billy Battles (Book 3 in the Finding Billy Battles Trilogy)
    • Jenna Hestekin – Bicker and the Soolivans
    • Pat Wahler – I am Mrs. Jesse James
    • Jack E. Sanford – Relentless Pursuit: The Race of a Lifetime
    • Ruth Hull Chatlien – Blood Moon: A Captive’s Tale
    • Mari Anne Christie – Blind Tribute
    • Jayme H. Mansfield – RUSH

    Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up to the Short List from the slush pile.  These novels will now compete for the (Semi-Finalists) Positions!

    The LARAMIE  Short Listers will compete for the SemiFinalists positions that will compete for the LARAMIE First-In-Category Positions.  First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the LARAMIE GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition.  The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

     

    CIBA Overall Grand Prize Winner and Laramie Grand Prize Winner

     

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Laramie Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 Laramie  Book Awards is July 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. 

  • CREATING A UNIQUE NICHE MARKET: Adventures in PUBLISHING, #3: by Gail Noble-Sanderson – Marketing, Book Promotion, Self-Publishing

    CREATING A UNIQUE NICHE MARKET: Adventures in PUBLISHING, #3: by Gail Noble-Sanderson – Marketing, Book Promotion, Self-Publishing

    The online Merriam-Webster defines the word niche as:

    a: a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted 
    b: a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species
    c: the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption
    d: a specialized market

    This is an apt description as we explore and determine the perfect “habitat” for our books, our “organisms.” While we need and want our books available in bookstores, online, etc., creating niche markets—those unique and special places that perfectly align along the path that resonates with our readers—can be critical in creating our platforms, generating sales, getting our books read, and encouraging consumers to write reviews.

    Whether you write romance or horror, science fiction or historical fiction, with a little research, you too, can create and expand your niche. Below we hear from three award-winning authors who have very successfully created and worked their niche markets. And we conclude with how I discovered and created my own niche market for books at the end of this article.

    Susan Conrad spent the last two summers working with Princess Cruise Lines traveling on their voyages to Alaska, including the Inside Passage. She is part of their award-winning “North to Alaska” program on ships that exclusively sail up the Inside Passage from Puget Sound to SE Alaska. On board ship, Susan engages with hundreds of passengers on each cruise, speaking to large audiences and connecting with travelers one-on-one about her unique first-hand experience. This is Susan’s current niche, the place she and her book have captured to perfectly mesh the readers’ interest and Susan’s passion.

    Susan, author of the award-winning book Inside: One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage, says we must ask ourselves, “Why is my book important and who cares? It’s those ‘who cares’ answers that you’re now soliciting.”

     

     

    Janet Oakley, an award-winning author of historical fiction, has written many books to her credit. Along with her mystery series, her novel Tree Soldier, set in the Great Depression in a Civilian Conservation camp, won the 2012 EPIC e-book award for historical fiction as well as the 2012 grand prize with CIBA, the Chanticleer International Book Reviews. 

    Janet says, “I have a Northwest niche with Tree Soldier, Timber Rose, and Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity (with its Pig War story and Hawaiians immigrants of the 19th century Pacific NW), and a Scandinavian niche in Jøssing Affair. Tree Soldier is my unexpected platform with connections to local history, parks, and the environment.”

    Janet is active in talking about the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington State and utilizes her knowledge of history and skill in creating characters from various times to write powerful stories bringing history to life. She has created niche markets within niches!

    Another excellent example of an author who is creating a niche for herself is Janet K. Shawgo, award-winning indie author for her Look for Me Series. Janet has been a nurse for over 32 years and the last 20 of those years as a travel nurse. She infuses her novels with the history of nursing and the experiences of nurses as they travel across the North and South to heal. Are nurses, as well as others, avid readers of her books? You bet they are!

    When Janet wrote her last book, Archidamus, she created another clever niche.

    She says, “I have been selling my books at Brushy Creek Vineyards since 2011.  I received their support from the very beginning of my author career.  When Archidamus was written I worked with them to support their winery in two of my books.  They, in turn, had a vat of wine with no name inspiring them.  I approached with the book.  The owner chose “Archidamus” as the name for of  the wine.” She now sells Archidamus wherever wine lovers congregate: vineyards, tasting rooms, wine bars, and, of course, book clubs!

    Find Me Again Janet Shawgo

    Janet overjoyed with her Chatelaine Grand Prize win! We love this photo!

    These are great examples of thinking out-of-the traditional boxes to create a plan to promote and sell your books!

    And a final example of creating a niche is my own.

    It took me a while, but I realized that my historical novels, The Lavender House in Meuse and The Passage Home to Meuse, though about a women’s experience in and after WWI in France, really appeal to people that love all-things-lavender and the places where lavender is grown. This last year I began contacting lavender farms around the country and have placed my books in tens of lavender farms and shops across the United States.

    They sell very well throughout the year and in the summer during the lavender festivals, I do events at local farms in the Pacific Northwest.  I found a unique niche.  And for the first time since starting Noble Press in 2017, I am making a profit.  What put me in the black was not my Amazon or bookstore sales, but the sales from the lavender farms and shops, a niche market especially suited to my books.

    HOW DO AUTHORS PROMOTE THEIR NICHE?  

    with Meta-Data for Authors

    As you begin to envision where your book will live in the world, determine what attracts readers to your writing and why. Use this information while you create your meta-data; keywords that are used to indicate what your book is about and in what sub-categories it belongs. Meta-data information should be listed on the copyright page of your book and is critical in effective search engine optimization for buyers and retailers.

    Meta-data information should be listed on the copyright page of your book and is critical in effective search engine optimization for buyers and retailers.

    [Did you know that each one of Chanticleer’s reviews comes with a custom SEO package that is automatically uploaded with the review? It is true! Just another way that Chanticleer Reviews increases the digital footprint of authors.]

    Use this list of meta-words to spring-board into creating niche markets unique to your book. Niche markets can evolve, expand, change and grow. And as you revise your already published books and write subsequent new books, keep in mind what you already know about attracting readers to your specific genre, topic, time period and style. The creation of niche markets is only limited by our imagination and willingness to put ourselves and our work out there.

    Be daring, be bold!  Go forth with confidence and find those readers who are just waiting to find your work! Gail Noble-Sanderson, Author

    Next month’s article from Gail will discuss aspects of successful marketing and promotion.

    Remember, “Keep falling in love with the potential of what you are doing!” – Gail

    Gail Noble-Sanderson is the author of two works of historical fiction, both of which are self-published under her own Noble Press.  The Lavender House in Meuse is an emotional, intriguing, and sensitive account of the crises of World War I and one woman’s journey towards recovery and growth. 

    Her second novel, The Passage Home to Meuse won 1st Place in the 2017 Chatelaine Awards, the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs)  for romantic fiction.

    Both books are available through Amazon and Village Books.

    We invite you to visit Gail’s homepage at http://gailnoblesanderson.com/ and follow her on social media.

     

  • CHAUCER Book Awards for Pre-1750s Historical Fiction – The SHORTLIST for 2018 the CIBAs

    CHAUCER Book Awards for Pre-1750s Historical Fiction – The SHORTLIST for 2018 the CIBAs

    Pre 1750 Historical Fiction AwardThe CHAUCER   Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of  pre-1750s Historical Fiction. The CHAUCER Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions ( The #CIBAs).

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds to the 2018 CHAUCER Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the limited 2018 CHAUCER  Semi-Finalists from which the First Place Category Positions will be chosen. The CHAUCER Book Awards Semi-Finalists and First Place Positions along with the CHAUCER Grand Prize Award Winner will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019. 

    Chanticleer Book Reviews is seeking for the best books featuring Pre-1750s Historical Fiction, including pre-history, ancient history, Classical, world history (non-western culture), Dark Ages and Medieval Europe, Renaissance, Elizabethan, Tudor, 1600s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (Looking for Goethe Post 1750 contest or Laramie Western/Pioneer/Civil War contest?)

    These titles are in the running for the next round – the SEMI-Finalist positions for the 2018  CHAUCER  Book Awards novel competition for pre-1750s Historical Fiction. Good Luck to All!

    • Nicole Evelina – Mistress of Legend (Guinevere’s Tale Book 3)
    • Robert Wright – King David’s Lost Crown, Book 1 Before They Awaken Trilogy
    • Prue Batten – Michael – Book 3 of the Triptych Chronicle
    • Edward Rickford – The Serpent and the Eagle
    • Bernard Mann – David & Avshalom — Life and Death in the Forest of Angels
    • Brett Savill – Medici Apprentice
    • Gregory Hansen – Pelsaert’s Nightmare
    • P.K. Adams – The Greenest Branch, a Novel of Germany’s First Female Physician
    • Amy Wolf – A Woman of the Road
    • Eileen Stephenson – Imperial Passions – The Porta Aurea
    • Helena P. Schrader – Rebels against Tyranny: Civil War in the Crusader States
    • Charlene Newcomb – Swords of the King
    • Anna Belfrage – The Cold Light of Dawn
    • Anna Belfrage – Under the Approaching Dark
    • Kate Murdoch – Stone Circle
    • Jehan d’Elleby – Lanz & Gwenhevre: Love Against the Tide

    Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up to the Short List from the slush pile.  These novels will now compete for the (Semi-Finalists) Positions!

    The CHAUCER  Short Listers will compete for the SemiFinalists positions that will compete for the CHAUCER First-In-Category Positions.  First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the CHAUCER GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition.  The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

    Good Luck to each of you as your work competes in the 2018 CHAUCER International Book Awards. 

    The Chaucer  Grand Prize Winner and the Five First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. 

    CHAUCER Grand Prize Award Winners Catherine T. Wilson & Catherine A. Wilson with Edward Rickford and DJ Munro.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 CHAUCER Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 CHAUCER  Book Awards is June 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. 

  • GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers – 2018 SHORT LIST

    GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers – 2018 SHORT LIST

    Gertrude Warner Children's Chapter BooksThe Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Middle-Grade Readers. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs) and Novel Competitions.

     

     

    Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best Chapter Books and Middle-Grade Readers featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about eight to twelve. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Adventure we will put them to the test and choose the best Middle-Grade Books among them.

    These titles have made it to the SHORT LIST of the 2018 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards writing competition for Middle-Young Adult Fiction Novels!

    Congratulations to the 2018 GERTRUDE WARNER SHORT LISTERS! You will receive an email shortly with links to digital badges and contest book stickers.

    • K.B. Shaw – From the Shadows
    • Alexander Edlund – Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth
    • Rebekah Stelzer – Susa’s Story
    • M. P. Follin – Dakota Joy and the Traveling Stones
    • Joanna Cook – The Life of Bonnie Dickens
    • Victoria Adler – Emma and Mia
    • Cheryl Carpinello – Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend
    • Jules Luther – The Portals of Peril 
    • James Sulzer – The Card People 
    • T. L. Frances – The Bird Queen’s Book
    • Patricia M Ahern – Pondlife: Blue Moon Eclipse
    • Patrick Thornton – Stepping Up
    • Elizabeth Doyle Carey – Junior Lifeguards: The Test
    • Kay M. Bates – The Adventures of Rug Bug: The Revolution
    • Diane Rios – Bridge of the Gods
    • P.H.C. Marchesi – Shelby & Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes
    • Gloria Two-Feathers – Tallulah’s Flying Adventure
    • Aric Cushing – Vampire Boy

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the LONG LIST  to the 2018 Gertrude Warner Book Awards SHORT LIST.  These SHORTLISTERS  are now in competition for the 2018 Gertrude Warner limited Semi-Finalists Positions. The judges will choose from the  Semi-Finalists the coveted First  Place Category Winners of the 2018 Gertrude Warner Book Awards in the final rounds of judging.  The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the 2018 GERTRUDE WARNER GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The First Place Category Winners will be announced at the #CIBA awards ceremony on Saturday, April 27, 2019.  

    The 16 CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.

    #CIBAwards

    All Short Listers and Semi-Finalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

    Grand Prize Ribbons!

    Good Luck to each of you as your works compete for the Gertrude Warner Book Awards Short List. 

    Gertrude Warner Book Award Winners

    The Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. 

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book  Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is May 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. 

  • AMP UP TENSION WORD by WORD – with a Handy List by Jessica P. Morrell

    AMP UP TENSION WORD by WORD – with a Handy List by Jessica P. Morrell

    Tension is part curiosity, part unease, part dread or anticipation. It’s linked to every aspect of stories, found on every page, and creates a vivid fictional world that seethes with trouble and obstacles to overcome. Tension prickles readers’ nerves and makes them fret and worry.

    Tension, along with suspense, jabs at the reader’s senses with haunting questions and shifting circumstances that must be unraveled.

    “Tension is a crucial ingredient that compels readers to keep turning the pages.” – Jessica P. Morrell

    Tension is a force field in fiction, or any type of storytelling, that is created on a word-by-word basis that is underlying the story in every scene. Tension is also used to create mood and tone. Mood and tone are important aspects of storytelling often not given their due.

    You see, great fiction is designed to cause a reader’s emotions to jangle and his mood to go up and down with every turn of the page. Unlike real life where people usually avoid conflict and misery, in fiction, the best parts of the stories are where the characters are in the worst trouble. Readers love to suffer along with characters, because they’re removed from these miseries, perhaps because they’re escaping their own miseries while comfortable in their homes or airplane seats as characters battle doubts and demons in a fictional world. Tension sometimes  helps readers (and listeners) to experience catharsis.

    Jessica advises writers to pay particular attention to the words they use to increase tension and impact. These are her tips on how and what to look for when you are wanting to write a page-turner and who would not want to do this?

    • Recognize that you’re constantly making choices when you write. Know when you want your words to emphasize an aspect, resonate, slow down, or speed up your story.
    • Vary your word choices and respect ‘word territory’—that is, don’t repeat words and phrases, especially those in close proximity, especially with unusual words.
    • Vary sentence lengths because they can be numbing when repeated.
    • Write tight. Short sentences generally increase tension. Every word in every sentence needs a job. If it doesn’t have a job, fire it.
    • Use hard consonant sounds to increase tension. Examples are cowgirl, geek, gimme, trigger, castrate, succor, cackle.
    • Use sibilance or a hissing sound to disturb readers and suggest unpleasantness. Examples are: sinister, shyster, sizzle, simper, slice, buzz.
    • Insert punchy, muscular verbs whenever they serve your purpose: roil, blurt, thunder, sting, crash, grovel, conjure, hobble, jacked, leer, muzzle.

    Most of the time dialogue should be zingy, taut, and to the point.

    • Place the most emphatic words at the end of a sentence or paragraph: The door closed with a resounding click, confirming that I was trapped.

    “All stories begin with word choice; and word choices will either doom
    it or set your story apart.” – Jessica P. Morrell

    Jessica’s  HANDY LIST OF 1,130 words to print out and use for your writing toolbox. 

    Click here for Jessica’s List of 1,130 words that could add more tension to your story and boost your writing vocabulary.

    Jessica Page Morrell
    Jessica Page Morrell

    Jessica Page Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor and a contributor to Writer’s Digest magazine, and she teaches Master Writing Craft Classes at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that is held annually along with teaching at Chanticleer writing workshops.

    Jessica understands both sides of the editorial desk–as a highly-sought after content development editor and an author. Her work also appears in multiple anthologies and The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazines. She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examines 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. For links for her writing craft books, please click on her name above.

    Chanticleer Reviews and OnWord Talks will interview Jessica for more of her writing tips and advice. Stay tuned! ~ Chanticleer

     

  • AUGUST’s SPOTLIGHT is on the CHATELAINE PRIZE WINNERS of the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards

    AUGUST’s SPOTLIGHT is on the CHATELAINE PRIZE WINNERS of the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards

    Chanticleer Book Reviews is seeking today’s best books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

    A little information about the Chatelaine Book Awards icon:

    We feel that Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Pre-Raphaelite painting of Jane Morris (muse and wife of William Morris) in a Blue Silk Dress captures the many moods of the Chatelaine division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.  Jane Morris (nee Jane Burden—little is known about her childhood but that it was poor and deprived) was known for her keen intelligence. William Morris fell in love with her when she sat for him as a model. She was privately tutored to become a gentleman’s wife upon their engagement. It is said that she was the inspiration for George Bernard Shaw’s character Eliza Dolittle of My Fair Lady fame. The Blue Silk Dress was painted in 1868 by Rossetti and it currently resides in the Society for Antiquaries of London.  She was 29 when Rossetti painted it. Rossetti and Jane Morris became closely attached until his death in 1882. To read more about the fascinating Jane Morris, click on this Wikipedia page.

    Please join us in congratulating and reading these top works in this diverse range of all reads Chatelaine: Romance, Chick-Lit,  Women’s Fiction, Inspirational, Suspenseful, and, of course, Steamy and Sensual.

    Leigh Grant’s MASK OF DREAMS  took home the Chatelaine Grand Prize Ribbon for 2017. Congratulations!

      

    Mask of Dreams is a love story, enhanced by the literature of the Renaissance, in particular, Petrarch. This carefully researched historical fiction takes time to develop; Caterina and Rade have their own stories until the letter stitches them together. A tale of sacrifice and honor, violence and fear of conquest, the plight of women in a patriarchal society, immigration and outsiders, Mask of Dreams has resonance in today’s world. And occasionally, even a sense of humor.

    Join us in wishing Leigh Grant the very best luck in her publishing adventure! Leigh submitted her unpublished manuscript to the 2017 Chatelaine Book Awards competition.

    Leigh Grant has this to say about winning the Chatelaine Grand Prize Book Award for 2017, “I wanted to let you know that the award got me something that I had really wanted: an agent. She is talking (insert top traditional publishing house here), I should be so lucky…Chanticleer’s contest has been a very good thing for me. Best, Leigh Grant“

    CHATELAINE BOOK AWARD WINNERS for 2017, a division of the CIBA.

    Cheri Champagne, Gail Noble-Sanderson, Elizabeth Crowens, Eileen Charbonneau

    The 2017 books have all won a Chanticleer Book Reviews package!

    • Magic of the Pentacle by Diane Wylie
    • Dear Mr. Hitchcock by Elizabeth Crowens
    • Watch Over Me by Eileen Charbonneau
    • Mask of Dreams by Leigh Grant ***CHATELAINE 2017 GRAND PRIZE WINNER*** 
    • The Passage Home to Meuse by Gail Noble-Sanderson
    • Love’s Misadventures by Cheri Champagne   

     

      M.A. Clarke Scott’s The ART of ENCHANTMENT took home the 2016 Chatelaine Grand Prize.

    The Art of Enchantment, M.A. Clarke Scott’s 2016 Chatelaine Grand Prize Winner
    Chatelaine Grand Prize Winner M. A. Clarke Scott

    First Place Category Winners for 2016 are: 

    The Chatelaine Award-Winning Authors of 2016: M.A. Clarke Scott, Diana Forbes, and Gail Avery Halverson

    Click on the hyperlinks to read their Chanticleer awarded reviews:

     

     

    Nicole Evelina’s DAUGHTER of DESTINY took both the Chatelaine Grand Prize and the OVERALL Grand Prize winner for 2015.

    Nicole proudly displayed her Overall Grand Prize Ribbon

     

    • Historical Romance: The Particular Appeal of Gilliane Pugsley by Susan Örnbratt
    • Regency: Once Upon a Scandal by Julie Le Mens
    • Women’s Fiction-Short Story Collection:  Ladies in Low Places by Mary Ann Henry
    • Women’s Fiction: In a Vertigo of Silence by Miriam Polli  
    • Adventure/Suspense: Banished Threads by Kaylin McFarren
    • Mystery/Suspense: A Season for Killing Blondes by Joanne Guidoccio 
    • Inspirational/Restorative:  A Foolish Consistency by Andrea Weir
    • Young Adult/New Adult: Deep Blue Eternity by Natasha Boyd 
      • Daughter of Destiny by Nicole Evelina***CHATELAINE 2015 Grand Prize Winner & OVERALL Winner***
      • Honorable Mentions:
      • Danica Winters – Smoke and Ashes
      • Belangela G. Tarazona – Hiatus
      • J.L Oakley – Mist-shi-mus: A Novel of Captivity
      • John Herman – The Counting of the Coup

       

      Janet Shawgo’s FIND ME AGAIN won the 2014 Chatelaine Grand Prize.

      Janet Shawgo Won the Chatelaine Grand Prize

      Find Me Again Janet Shawgo

      • Historical: Catherine A. Wilson and Catherine T. Wilson  for The Order of the Lily  
      • Romance Regency: Kerryn Reid for Learning to Waltz 
      • International Intrigue/World Events: Kristine Cayne for Deadly Betrayal
      • Contemporary: Kim Sanders for The Ex Lottery
      • Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Romance: Donna Barker for Mother Teresa’s Advice for Jilted Lovers
      • Inspirational/Restorative: Peggy Patrick for Surrendered II: Pride 
      • Romance & Adventure: Martha Rather for Kismet or Kamasutra
      • Fantasy/Mythological: Danica Winters for Montana Mustangs
      • Jane Austen Inspired: Betty Codd for Eleanor Grace 
      • Debut Novel: Julie LeMense for Once Upon a Wager
      • YA: M.A. Clarke Scott for The Dissimulation of Doves 
      • Women’s Fiction: Kate Vale for Destiny’s Second Chance
      • Women’s Fiction/Humorous: Lisa Souza for  Beauty and the Bridesmaid 
      • First Loves: Jennifer Snow for The Trouble with Mistletoe
      • Blended Genre:  Janet Shawgo for Find Me Again ***CHATELAINE 2014 GRAND PRIZE WINNER***

       

      Kate Vale’s CHOICES was awarded the 2013 Chatelaine Grand Prize

      • Historical Romance: The Lily and the Lion by Catherine T. Wilson & Catherine A. Wilson
      • Southern Romance: Swamp Secret by Eleanor Tatum
      • Mystery: The Hourglass by Sharon Struth
      • Jane Austen Inspired: Pulse and Prejudice by Colette Saucier
      • Paranormal: Crimson Flames by Ashley Robertson
      • Christian Inspirational Romance: Chasing Charlie by C. M. Newman
      • Restorative: A Path through the Garden by Nancy LaPonzina
      • Classic Bodice Ripper: To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield by Bronwen Evans
      • Contemporary: Choices by Kate Vale ***CHATELAINE 2013 GRAND PRIZE WINNER***

       Who will win the CHATELAINE Book Awards Blue Ribbons for 2018?

      The judging rounds will commence in August! Submit your works today!

      The last day for submissions into the 2018 Chatelaine Book Awards is August 31, 2018.

      Click here for more information and submission form! 

      Don’t Delay! Enter Today! 

      Insiders’ Tip: Other genre divisions of the Chanticleer International Book Awards have romance categories as well. Multiple submissions of the same work to a variety of  CIBA writing competitions divisions are accepted. 

    • 2018 M&M Book Awards for Mystery & Mayhem – The Short List

      2018 M&M Book Awards for Mystery & Mayhem – The Short List

      Cozy Mystery Fiction AwardThe M&M  Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of  Mystery & Mayhem Fiction. The M&M Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions CIBA).

      These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from Long Listers (Slush Pile Survivors) to the 2018 M&M Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the limited 2018 M&M  Semi-Finalists from which the First Place Category Positions will be chosen. The M&M Book Awards Semi-Finalists and First Place Positions along with the M&M Grand Prize Award Winner will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019. 

      The M&M Book Awards competition discovers today’s  best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards)

       

      These titles are in the running for the next round – the SEMI-Finalist positions for the 2018 M&M Book Awards novel competition for Mystery & Mayhem Fiction! Good Luck to All!

      • B.L. Smith – Bert Mintenko and the Minor Misdemeanors
      • Mary Adler – Shadowed by Death: An Oliver Wright WW2 Mystery Novel
      • Charlotte Stuart – Why Me?
      • Becky Clark – Fiction Can Be Murder
      • Alan Chaput – Savannah Sleuth
      • Christine Evelyn Volker – Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City
      • Susan Lynn Solomon – Dead Again
      • Michelle Cox – A Promise Given
      • Chief John J. Mandeville – Old Dark and Dangerous
      • Traci Andrighetti – Campari Crimson
      • Mark W Stoub – The Fifth Trumpet: Fire in the Blood
      • M. Louisa Locke – Pilfered Promises: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery
      • C.A. Larmer – Do Not Go Gentle
      • C.A. Larmer – Evil Under The Stars: The Agatha Christie Book Club 3
      • James Musgrave – Chinawoman’s Chance
      • James Scott Byrnside – Prisoners of the Past
      • Kate Vale – Only You
      • Nancy J. Cohen – Hair Brained
      • Carl and Jane Bock – Death Rattle
      • C. C. Harrison – Death by G-String, a Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club Mystery
      • Stone Winkler – Blood on a Blue Moon: A Sheaffer Blue Mystery
      • Julie Chase – Cat Got Your Secrets
      • Lo Monaco – Lethal Relations
      • Donna Huston Murray – For Better or Worse
      • Anna Castle – Moriarty Takes His Medicine
      • Carl and Jane Bock – Death Rattle
      • Deborah Rich – Under the Radar
      • Kelly Oliver – FOX: A Jessica James Mystery
      • Susan Lynn Solomon – Dead Again

      Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up from the 2018 M&M Long List to the Short List.  These novels will now compete for the (Semi-Finalists) Positions!

      The M&M Short Listers will compete for the SemiFinalists positions that will compete for the M&M First-In-Category Positions.  First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the M&M GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition.  The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

      Good Luck to each of you as your work competes in the 2018 Mystery & Mayhem International Book Awards. 

      The M&M  Grand Prize Winner and the Five First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 28th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. 

      We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 M&M Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 M&M  Book Awards is April 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

      As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.