Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

Why Book Clubs Matter by Shari Stauch, CEO of Where Writers Win
CEO of Where Writers Win, Shari Stauch, and Pulpwood Queens Book Club founder Kathy Murphy, will conduct a special session at the Chanticleer Conference, “Why Book Clubs Matter” – Here’s some great info to get you ready!

LIVE Book Clubs: Are You Reaching These Critical Influencers?

IBook clubs can be a defining moment in any author’s career. Fact is, the success of any book is accelerated if book clubs get hold of it and begin spreading the news. That’s why we call them “influencers” and that’s why book club listings are a key component of WWW’s Winner Circle.

We encourage every author to develop a list of at least 10-12 thoughtful questions that relate to their book(s). Here’s how to get going with your own set of book club questions, what to do with them once you have them, and how you can share book clubs you know about, too! My next article will share some special insights from Pulpwood Queen Kathy Murphy,

1. How to Write Your Book Club Questions

If you’re unsure where to begin, here are a couple sites to get you started. PLEASE note, these are generic questions and we strongly suggest you use these as your “starter dough” to establish thoughtful reader discussion questions that pertain directly to your own work:
1. From LitLovers.com – Questions for Fiction: http://www.litlovers.com/run-a-book-club/questions-for-fiction
2. From LitLovers.com – Questions for Non-Fiction: http://www.litlovers.com/run-a-book-club/questions-for-nonfiction
3. From AboutEducation.com – A list of general book club questions for discussion: http://classiclit.about.com/od/bookclubs/a/aa_bcquestions.htm
4. From Book-Club-Queen.com – More general discussion questions for fiction at: http://www.book-club-queen.com/book-club-questions.html
5. From Book-Club-Queen.com – General non-fiction discussion questions: http://www.book-club-queen.com/book-club-discussion-questions.html
6. For reading guides/book club questions from hundreds of other books, visit: http://www.booklistreader.com/2008/05/07/book-groups/stalking-the-online-reading-guide/
Here are a few of our authors with some fun book club questions that began with the starter dough above. Use them to inspire you:
- Mary Arno’s Thanksgiving: http://maryarno.com/book-club-questions/
- Kat Varn’s Ameera Unveiled: http://katvarn.com/book-club-questions/
- Bruce T. Jones’ Lost Reflection Series: http://www.brucetjones.com/book-club-qs/
- Jane Flagello’s Bamboozled: http://www.janeflagello.com/book-clubs/
- Barbara McLennan’s The Wealth of Virginia: http://wealthofjamestown.com/discussion-questions-the-wealth-of-virginia/
2. Where to Post Your Book Club Questions

Your book club questions, book discussion guide, or whatever else you want to call it, should be listed in the back of your book. Whether or not that’s possible, there are other places to share as well:

On your author website. Have a separate page/tab for your book club questions. We typically suggest that you paste them into the site, but also have a pdf of the questions, (perhaps nicely laid out with a graphic of your book’s cover), that readers can easily download and print for their next meeting.

Share this page widely on your social media outlets. You might also put up a question a day or one a week over the course of time to create more following and even encourage online discussion of your book.

Include your questions when pitching reviewers or book clubs. Make sure you let reviewers, clubs and conferences you may be pitching know that you have discussion questions. You needn’t list them out in each pitch, but do provide a link to where they can view and/or download your guide. One paid option we’ve seen ($200 and we don’t have feedback yet as to its worth to authors) is ReadingGroupGuides.com – you can visit this link for more info: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/how-to-add-a-guide.

With your help, our vetted list of LIVE book clubs in the Winner Circle, now already over 300 live clubs and thousands of readers strong, will offer emerging authors the best chance to expose your work to thousands of new readers. And book clubs will have the opportunity to read new work in the genres of their choice, and maybe even influence who the next best-seller will be… That may be you!

A note from the Chanticleer Reviews Team:

Thank you, Shari Stauch, CEO of Where Writers Win, for sharing this useful information with the Chanticleer Community. We are looking forward to hearing more from you about reaching out to book clubs at CAC16!

We would also like to mention that we have a special blog post just for connecting authors and readers on the homepage of the Chanticleer Reviews website. Be sure to check it out for the latest in specials and offerings just for readers!

Book Clubs and Readers Community News from Chanticleer
April 15, 2016
CO-OP Publishing: An Indie Option by Sara Stamey
Join award-winning novelist and editor Sara Stamey to explore one of the newest alternatives to traditional publishing at #CAC16.

Sara Stamey Unlocks Her Secrets to Successful Publishing

After being published by a traditional “Big 5” house and then starting her own “micro-press,” Sara has now joined Book View Café, one of the leading co-op publishers. With over 50 professional novelist members, the co-op takes control of how its authors’ writing is published, bypassing restrictions and delays of mainstream publishers, and distributing straight to their readers.

“I was frustrated with my treatment by my traditional publisher and the endless delays, as well as mismanagement. But going it alone as an indie author was exhausting. Working together with a supportive group of fellow authors has made all the difference.”

Join Sara for an introduction to the cooperative publishing model and ideas for joining or creating your own author coop at the Chanticleer Authors Conference 2016. Sara will be sharing her knowledge of this economical and highly vetted publishing avenue that is available to qualified Indie authors.

“Our members donate the skills they have in return for the skills they need to publish books. So each of our members is both an author and an important cog in a publisher. We emulate everything a major publisher does.

We have editors, ebook formatters, print typesetters, cover designers, accountants, web designers, IT and legal professionals, PR people, administrators and managers. We even sell sub-rights – we’ve sold the audio rights to a couple of hundred of our books for a very good six figure sum to Audible.

We also make our ebooks available in libraries – selling to them direct and via all the major library distributors like Overdrive, 3M, and Gardners.” -Book View Café member Chris Dolley

http://bookviewcafe.com/bookstore/

“I love the freedom, the fact that we can mix genres, that our books won’t be slashed to fit marketing’s mandated word count, that we get vigorous editorial feedback and it doesn’t take years, that people will do my formatting and covers for me. The team effort, I feel, makes us much greater than the sum of our parts.” -BVC member Sherwood Smith

Sara’s newest novels from Book View Café, both Chanticleer Award-winners:
- The Ariadne Connection – CYGNUS 2014
- Islands – Paranormal Awards 2014.
www.sarastamey.com

Listen to Sara Stamey talk about indie publishing on Episode 05 of “The Whatcom Wordsmith” podcast with Jennifer Karchmer.
April 13, 2016
The SOMERSET Awards for Contemporary & Literary Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
The Somerset Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Contemporary/Literary Fiction. The SOMERSET Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

We are honored to announce the 2015 SOMERSET Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 SOMERSET Grand Prize Award.

Congratulations to the 2015 SOMERSET Awards First In Category Award Winning Contemporary/Literary Fiction Novels:
- Contemporary: Tom And Nancy Wise – Life On Base: Quantico Cave
- Women’s Fiction: Kayce Stevens Hughlett – Blue: a novel
- Speculative Fiction/Magical Realism: Rick Lenz – The Alexandrite
- Literary: Caitlin Hicks – A Theory of Expanded Love
- Mystery/Suspense: Judith Kirscht – Hawkins Lane
- Adventure/Action: Jen Michalski – The Tide King
- Blended Genres: Gary Grossman – Old Earth
Honorable Mentions:
- J.P. Kenna – Toward a Terrible Freedom
- James Gregory Kingston – The City Island Messenger
- Cat Lynn Boyle – Shadow Dance
- Tom Glenn – The Trion Syndrome
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The SOMERSET First Place Category award winners will compete for the SOMERSET Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Contemporary/Literary Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2016 SOMERSET Awards. The deadline is November 30, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the SOMERSET Awards 2015 FIRST PLACE official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 20, 2016
The PARANORMAL Awards for Supernatural Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
The Paranormal Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction. The Paranormal Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

We are honored to announce the 2015 Paranormal Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 Paranormal Grand Prize Award.

Congratulations to the 2015 Paranormal Awards First In Category Award Winning Supernatural Fiction Novels:
- Young Adult: Shaila Patel – Soulmated
- Supernatural Powers -Romance: Carolyn Haley – The Aurora Affair
- Supernatural Powers: Paula Cappa – Greylock
- Romance: Diana Green – Bronze Fox
- Werewolves, Vampires, etc.: Kayla Hampton – The Assassin
- Legends & Lore: Gail Siler, PhD – Decoding the Butterfly Promise
- Fairy Tale, Fable, Myth: Sabina Khan – Realm of the Goddess
- Time Travel> Magic : Karen Musser Nortman – The Time Travel Trailer
- Time Travel> Gripping: Andy Kutler – The Other Side of Life
- D.L. Koontz – Edging through the Darkness
- Urban/Edgy: K. J. McPike – XODUS
- Historical: Michael Schmicker – The Witch of Napoli
- Gothic: K.C. Finn – The Book of Shade
- Contemporary Gothic: Linda Watkins – Return to Mateguas Island
- Ghosts: Aphrodite Anagnost & Robert P. Arthur – Passover
Honorable Mention
- Penny Page – Coven Corners
- Alex E. Carey – Earth’s Embrace
- Harry Steven Ackley – Our Lady of West 74th Street
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The PARANORMAL First Place Category award winners will compete for the PARANORMAL Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Supernatural Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2016 Paranormal Awards. The deadline is October 31, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the PARANORMAL Awards 2015 FIRST PLACE official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 18, 2016
The CLUE Awards for Suspense/Thriller Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
The CLUE Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense/Thriller Fiction. The CLUE Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

We are pleased to announce the 2015 CLUE Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 CLUE Grand Prize Award.

Please note that Global Thrillers and Lab Lit fiction entries were moved to the newly offered Global Thrillers Awards 2016.

Congratulations to the 2015 CLUE Awards First In Category Award Winning Suspense/Thriller Fiction Novels:
- Blended Genre: Timothy S. Johnston – The Tanner Sequence
- Suspense/Thriller: K. J. Klemme – Tourist Trapped
- Mystery/Crime: Patrick M. Garry – Blind Spots
- Manuscript Mystery/Crime: Scott D. Smith – Guilty Deeds
- Espionage/Spy: Michele Daniel – The Red Circle
- Contemporary Suspense: Christine Benedict – Anonymous
- Mystery: Lonna Enox – Blood Relations
- Historical/Vintage Thriller: Michael Scheffel – St. Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken
- Legal/Medical/Police Procedural: Laurie Stevens for The Mask of Midnight
- Courtroom Drama: Hubert Crouch for The Word
- True Crime: Zach Fortier for CurbChek Reload
- International Mystery & Crime: Marian Exall – A Dangerous Descent
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The CLUE First Place Category award winners will compete for the CLUE Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Suspense/Thriller Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2017 CLUE Awards. The deadline is September 30, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the CLUE Awards 2015 FIRST PLACE official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 15, 2016
The CHATELAINE Awards for Romantic Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
The CHATELAINE Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The CHATELAINE Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

We are pleased to announce the 2015 CHATELAINE Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 CHATELAINE Grand Prize Award.

Congratulations to the 2015 CHATELAINE Awards First In Category Award Winning Romantic Fiction Novels:
- Legacy/Legend: Nicole Evelina – Daughter of Destiny
- Historical Romance: Susan Örnbrattt – The Particular Appeal of Gilliane Pugsley
- Regency: Julie LeMens – Once Upon a Scandal
- Women’s Fiction-Short Story Collection: Mary Ann Henry – Ladies in Low Places
- Women’s Fiction: Miriam Polli – In a Vertigo of Silence
- Adventure/Suspense: Kaylin McFarren – Banished Threads
- Mystery/Suspense: Joanne Guidoccio – A Season for Killing Blondes
- Inspirational/Restorative: Andrea Weir – A Foolish Consistency
- Young Adult/New Adult: Natasha Boyd – Deep Blue Eternity
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
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The CHATELAINE First Place Category award winners will compete for the CHATELAINE Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Romantic Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2016 CHATELAINE Awards. The deadline is November 30, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the CHATELAINE Awards 2015 FIRST PLACE official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 14, 2016
The SOMERSET Awards for Literary and Contemporary Novels 2015 – Official Finalist Listing
The Somerset Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genres of Literary and Contemporary Novels. The Somerset Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2015 writing competition winners at the Chanticleer Authors Conference April 30, 2016!

The Somerset Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are:
- Literary
- Contemporary
- Adventure/Suspense
- Humor/Satire
- Women’s Fiction
- Magic Realism
The following titles will compete for the FIRST IN CATEGORY Positions and Awards Packages.

This is the OFFICIAL FINALIST POSTING of Authors and Titles that have made it to the Short-list of the Somerset 2015 Novel Writing Contest.
- Gail Cleare – Secrets We Keep
- ~CRK – Beyond the Further Sea
- Victoria Hughes – The Cloister Door
- Stanley Levers – Kuiperbelt Scrapyard
- Tom And Nancy Wise – Life On Base: Quantico Cave
- J.P. Kenna – Toward a Terrible Freedom
- Geoff Sokol – Will the Axe Hurt
- Patricia A. Williams – The Two Weddings of Zhao Ping
- Laurence Klinger – Billy
- Mary Avery Kabrich – Once Upon a Time a Sparrow
- Karen Fitzpatrick – After the Rain
- Kayce Stevens Hughlett – Blue: a novel
- Patrick M. Garry – Blind Spots
- Tom Glenn – The Trion Syndrome
- Rick Lenz – The Alexandrite
- Cat Lynn Boyle – Shadow Dance
- Kenneth Stokes – Return to Villa Serena
- R Schick – Little Light
- Gail Cleare – Secrets We Keep
- C.G. Fewston – A Time to Love in Tehran
- Jen Michalski – The Tide King
- James Gregory Kingston – The City Island Messenger
- Rian Everest – Tangerine Tigress
- Andreas Morgner – Kinyamaswa
- Beth Burgmeyer – The Gathering
- Judith Kirscht – Hawkins Lane
- Gary Grossman – Old Earth
- Caitlin Hicks – A Theory of Expanded Love
- N J Cooper – Beat The Rain
- Stephen Glines for Poplar Hill or Kitty Stevenson’s Two Wakes
- James Zerndt – Brailling For Wile
- Miriam Polli – In A Vertigo of Silence
- Steve Bruno – Blinded by the Light
- Jacinda DeRoy – Finding Hopewood Lane
The Somerset Finalists will compete for the Somerset Awards First In Category Positions, which consists of Four Judging Rounds. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the Somerset GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition, which has a cash prize of $200 or $500 dollars in editorial services. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.
- All First In Category Award Winners will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.
- First In Category winners will compete for the Somerset Awards Grand Prize Award for the $200 purse and the Somerset Grand Prize Ribbon and badges.
- TEN genre Grand Prize winning titles will compete for the $1,000 purse for CBR Best Book and Overall Grand Prize.
- A coveted Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title valued at $345 dollars U.S. CBR reviews will be published in the Chanticleer Reviews magazine in chronological order as to posting.
- A CBR Blue Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals
- Digital award stickers for on-line promotion
- Adhesive book stickers
- Shelf-talkers and other promotional items
- Promotion in print and on-line media
- Review of book distributed to on-line sites and printed media publications
- Review, cover art, and author synopsis listed in CBR’s newsletter
- Default First in Category winners will not be declared. Contests are based on merit and writing craft in all of the Chanticleer Writing Competitions.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!
Good Luck to all of the Somerset Finalists as they compete for the coveted First Place Category positions.

First In Category announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in.

The Somerset Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category winners will be announced and recognized at the April 30th, 2016 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2016 CLUE Awards writing competitions for Western Fiction. Please click here for more information or to enter the contests.
March 13, 2016
Contest Spotlight: March Madness brings “Mystery & Mayhem” to our Writing Competitions

[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_text]For some March Madness is basketball, for us at Chanticleer Reviews it’s that last minute rush, as Mystery Authors scramble to meet our March 31st deadline for the Mystery & Mayhem Awards (aka the M&M’s).

The M&M’s cozy mysteries is one of our favorite categories and we have many fond memories of amazing books and authors winning M&M’s. Some, like author Pamela Beason’s THE ONLY WITNESS–which answers the question: “What would happen if a signing gorilla was the only witness to a terrible crime?”–taking not just taking the M&M’s but also the top overall grand prize.

Pam is working on creating a dynasty as she won again with her sequel THE ONLY CLUE, taking the M&M Grand Prize for 2014. And for 2015 her RACE WITH DANGER is a contender in in our Dante Rossetti awards!

Our 2013 M&M Grand Prize winner Bernadette Pajer’s FATAL INDUCTION: A PROFESSOR BRADSHAW MYSTERY is another favorite here in the Chanticleer office. Revolving around a race to win an electrical engineering competition in Seattle 1901, the time of Tesla!

Bernadette has gone on to write four book in the series and we couldn’t be happier to see the witty and entertaining Professor Bradshaw continue his escapades of electrical engineering and solving mysteries with science.

Your book could earn a place in our M&M hall of fame for 2016.

All you have to do is enter.[/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 M&M’s?[/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]Our Mystery & Mayhem Awards are the Chanticleer Reviews search for the best cozy mystery fiction books of 2016!

We are looking for the best books 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 choose the best among them. (For thriller, action suspense, detective, crime fiction see our Clue 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!

~$1000 Overall Grand Prize Winner
~$2800 in Genre Grand Prizes
~$28,980 in reviews, prizes, and promotional opportunities awarded to Category Winners

[/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”/services#!/Cozy-Mystery-Writing-Contests-Chanticleer-Book-Reviews/p/21521076/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]

March 8, 2016
The LARAMIE Awards for Western Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
Laramie Awards 2015 First Place Category Winning Titles

The Laramie Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Western Fiction. The LARAMIE Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.

We are pleased to announce the 2015 Laramie Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 Laramie Grand Prize Award.

Congratulations to the 2015 Laramie Awards First In Category Award Winning Western Fiction Novels:
- Women’s Historical: Sara Dahman – Doctor Kinney’s HouseKeeper
- Adventure/Drama: Martha Conway – Thieving Forest
- Classic: McKendree Long – Higher Ground
- Prairie: Alethea Williams – Walls for the Wind
- Debut: Lynda J. Cox – The Devil’s Own Desperado
- Romance: Kristy McCaffrey – The Blackbird
- Mystery: Linell Jeppsen – Second Chance
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The LARAMIE First Place Category award winners will compete for the LARAMIE Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Western Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2017 Laramie Awards. The deadline is June 30, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the LARAMIE Awards 2015 FINALISTS official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 8, 2016
The CHAUCER Awards for Historical Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
CHAUCER Awards 2015 First Place Category Winning Titles

The Chaucer Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Historical Fiction. The CHAUCER Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.

We are pleased to announce the 2015 CHAUCER Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 CHAUCER Grand Prize Award.

Please note that beginning in 2016, we have divided the Chaucer Awards into two separate competitions: Chaucer Awards for Pre-1750s historical fiction and the Goethe Awards for Post-1750s).

Congratulations to the 2015 Chaucer Awards First In Category Award Winning Historical Fiction Novels:
Antebellum U.S. History: Jay W. Curry – Nixon & Dovey

Women’s U.S. History: Nicole Evelina – Madame Presidentess

Legacy/Legend: Edmond G. Addeo – Uzumati – A Tale of the Yosemite

Ancient History: Christian Kachel – Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword

Middle Ages: Helena Schrader – Defender of Jerusalem

Middle Ages: Glen Craney –The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland’s Black Douglas

Elizabethan/Tudor – Anna Castle – Death by Disputation

Women’s History: Paula Butterfield – La Luministe

Turn of the Century: James Conroyd Martin – The Warsaw Conspiracy

Young Adult: K.S. Jones – Shadow of the Hawk

World Wars History: Nicki Chen – Tiger Tail Soup, A Novel of China at War

World/International History – Robert A. Wright – Valhalla Revealed
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The CHAUCER First Place Category award winners will compete for the CHAUCER Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Historical Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2017 Chaucer Awards. The deadline is June 30, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the CHAUCER Awards 2015 FINALISTS official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 7, 2016