In honor of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good, we are suggesting these three titles from among authors who are Veterans.
Dog Soldier Moon by McKendree Long
“Long goes far beyond the simplistic notion of the Civil War as told in American history texts to accurately portray the daily challenges faced by homesteading families, freed slaves, American Indians robbed of their ancestral lands, and ex-soldiers who face the disrespect of the Union army. Heart-warming and at times hilarious adventures are juxtaposed with gritty and emotionally wrenching moments such as Custer’s 1868 attack on Chief Black Kettle’s Cheyenne camp at Washita… Author McKendree Long displays a natural gift for storytelling.” Click here to read the full review.
McKendree R. (Mike) Long III is a former soldier whose awards and decorations include the Parachutist’s Badge, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Silver Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (Gold and Silver Stars).
Tarnished Hero by Jim Gilliam
“It is when Kelly accepts an open invitation to spend some time in Guzman’s drug palace in Northern Mexico that his code of “trusting friends first” will force him to face not only the dilemma of a loyalty to be divided between Guzman and Dave Holt, but also of being thrust into a senseless and bloody border war that has more than a few parallels to the Vietnam conflict. As such, Gilliam’s novel stands not only as a complex and intriguing “band of brothers” romp, but also as a reflection on the evils of unquestioned authority and corruption.” Click here to read the full review.
Jim Gilliam served on active duty with the Coast Guard from January 1957 until June 1966. In June 1978 he joined the Army as an airborne combat physician assistant. May 2001 he joined the Navy’s Military Sealift Command as a civilian mariner physician assistant. He is a veteran of multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf in support of operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
Measure of Danger by Jay Klages
“Kade Sims feels he has been unfairly dumped from his former position in Army Intelligence because of out-of-control behavior due to a condition called hypomania. He’s bored, out of shape, and stuck working part-time at Home Depot instead of at the Pentagon. So when the FBI knocks on his door of his Virginia apartment and asks him to go undercover in Oregon to infiltrate a mysterious quasi-militia group called The Chapter, he’s eager to go to work for his country again….Klages experience and expertise is revealed with his believable dialog, details, and operative descriptions. The work features military trained Kade Sims, and his accountant sidekick, Alex Pace; we can’t wait to read what other dangerous puzzles this unlikely dynamic duo will be called on to solve.” Click here to read the full review.
Jay Klages is a former military intelligence officer and West Point graduate. He attended the MBA program at Arizona State University, where he successfully deprogrammed himself for service in corporate America. He enjoys desert trail running and is particularly good at falling down.
Three page-turning thriller novels with unlikely heroes that make for great reads –all authored by Veterans!
Few people in the world can say writing is their primary source of income.
Most part-time authors have income producing careers that command attention. When an opportunity to write appears, making the most of that rare commodity called time is essential.
Being “Agile” includes being prepared to work with flexibility, readiness, and having the commitment to act when and where the availability arises. Knowing how to formulate and segment work will ensure the most efficient use of time for you and your network.
Tapping at the keyboard is only the beginning. Authors need to be competent in many areas:
Find beta readers
Sort beta suggestions
Formulate character traits
Track plot-lines
Rewrite edits with interest grabbing intensity
As if that is not enough, authors need to also provide multiple services and tasks beyond their skill in word craft:
Review for fellow writers
Write and send queries and reply to emails
Social media postings
Develop book covers
Enter contests
Create promotions
Implement marketing strategies
These are only a few of the many activities with which an author must engage in and manage. The shortage of available time requires us to develop the ability to work on any needed task effectively, reinforce successful behaviors, and play well with others.
Step One
Before writing begins, there are a few activities you can undertake to develop an environment where success is inevitable.
Form a strong network base
Evaluate personal strengths
Evaluate personal weaknesses
Identify your strengths and qualities to offer members of your network.
Remember that your talent and connections are your contributions to forming a strong team. Be a member of a responsive network of professionals, able to produce a product while participating as a team, rather than an individual in a large group. Success in any endeavor is often due to the broader team and is much harder to capture as a lone wolf.
Identify your talents.
Each of us has a network, whether small and intimate or large and diverse. And each of the people in our lives has a talent. It is human nature to seek out people with like interests and skills. Seek out and identify the abilities and interests of friends, family, and peers, and realize their values. Step Two
Analyze the people that you know, or have known in the past. What contributions can they add, and what are their needs? Reach out to refresh old connections, and maintain those that are interested in supporting you in developing your craft. Find new ways to contribute to their endeavors and make connections relevant. Everyone has a contribution to make.
For example:
At home, parents can be recruited as beta readers
Retired relatives can be editors
Grandparents are an awesome source of information
Nieces and nephews with art skills help with swag creations for your brand
Step Three
Expand your network by seeking out those with talent where you are weakest. Reach out to as many people, as you can, to develop a network of capable people with whom you may strengthen relationships and develop trust. Compliment your strengths and begin to fill the gaps created by your weaknesses. Assembling a strong network of friends and peers is one way to ensure that you can make the most of every creative opportunity.
Take a long hard look at your existing and possible network for:
People that you may refer to others
People to hire as assistants or experts
People as subject matter experts to respond to inquiries
People with research skills to provide valuable information
People who are great leads to those who can be subject matter experts
Identify new connections that will make your network stronger through:
Social media
Your local community
Your church group or local clubs
Professional associations
Friends of a supportive family member
Hard working peers
New people you meet can build your network with every “Hello.” Follow up with friendly and informative communications, and when you are able, contribute to helping them achieve their goals.
Streamline your time by learning how to segment your work and when to utilize your contacts. Often, deadlines and available time dictate what gets worked on and when. People in a robust network are interested and willing to develop new techniques, learn new strategies, identify new sources of information, and the opportunity to establish new markets or new readers.
Among a supportive network, you should be able to share each other’s pitfalls, successes, and joys, as well as enhance each other’s skills and insights. In this way you may become stronger as a writer and as a person.
When you sit down for those precious moments to write or research you will know that your network contacts are available and will be informative, and responsive as you seek help in the areas of their expertise. in implementing new skills you have learned, and respond in like when contacted. Reach out to them and share your thoughts and ideas, and incorporate their knowledge into your writing preparations.
If you are weak in an area, find someone who is strong in it. Work together to complement each others strengths and weaknesses. For an example, an author friend who is excellent at tweaking websites traded her expertise for another author’s editing skills. Both benefit from each others strengths by working together.
Implementing Agile
For an example, if you found a great beta reader, establish a plan with her/him before beginning, and agree to a time-bound commitment along with clear expectations for both parties. Make sure that your beta reader will feel that she plays a vital part of your writing team to ensure the success of the project. Establish a short-term plan together that fits works for both parties. Work together to budget time, to set a cadence, and work through that plan. It is this cooperation and collaboration that will make for a strong network that will combine experience and knowledge. s
In Conclusion
This year at the Chanticleer Author Conference Nancy and I learned about several new resources on the web to reach new readers, test out new story lines, and met with various support services available to authors. We learned skills that other authors shared in workshops, in panels, and over meals. We enjoyed connecting with new friends and strengthening previous and virtual relationships. It is always energizing and rewarding to be among hardworking, successful, and dedicated industry front-runners and innovators who are willing to aid in each other’s successes.
More to come on developing and utilizing successful techniques that you can apply in your valuable time in the next article of Agile for Authors and Writers.
Tom holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Management and teaches courses in project management and quality at Villanova University and DeSales University. He is currently developing curriculum at Eastern University based on his books: Agile Readiness and Trust In Virtual Teams.
Tom and Nancy are award winning authors. Their book, The Borealis Genome is the 2013 Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Winner and a 2014 Cygnus Award First In Category winner. Their books have won multiple awards including Finalist with the USA Best Book Awards and The International Book Awards.
The JOURNEY Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.
We are pleased to announce the JOURNEY Awards Official Finalists List for 2015, otherwise known as the “Short List” from all the 2015 entries received. The Official Finalists Listing is comprised of works that have passed the first three rounds of judging from the entire field of entrants. To pass the first three rounds of judging, more than sixty pages of the works below have been read and been deemed worthy by the CBR judges of continuing in competition for the JOURNEY Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY positions and their prize packages.
Congratulations to the JOURNEY AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS and Good Luck to them as they compete for the First Place Category Positions:
Grant Harper Reid – Rhythm for Sale
Tessa Shaffer – Heaven Has No Regrets
Bonnie Rose Ward – Winds of Skilak
Harish K. Malhotra – Metaphors of Healing
George DeVault – Fire Call
Wendy Hinman – Tightwads on the Loose
Margaret Irving – Frozen Tears
H. Alan Day – The Horse Lover
Gayle Nix Jackson – The Missing JFK Assassination Film
George DeFault for Fire Call
Warren Dent – Regentville
Roni McFadden – The Longest Trail
Ginger Cucolo – The Knoll
Good luck to all the Journey Awards Finalists who made the Short List as they compete for the First In Category Positions!
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.
The Journey First Place Category award winners will compete for the Journey Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Best Narrative Non-fiction work. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 29, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.
The First In Category award winners will receive an award package including a complimentary book review, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.
We are now accepting entries into the 2016 JOURNEY Awards. The deadline is January 31st, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.
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?
Many have been asking for the photos from #CAC15 and we have been trying to find a quiet moment to post them, amongst all the review posting, ribbon mailing and preparations for next year’s author conference. Here they are. Thanks for your patience. Enjoy!
We had a wonderful location right on Bellingham Bay to set the scene for a fantastic conference
The audience eagerly awaited the announcement of winners
Friendships were forged despite the competition
All the authors were hopeful and escited to see who this years winners were!
Our Hostess with the mostess and MC Kiffer Brown calls the winners up.
The Audience waits with baited breath.
Joannah Miley waiting to be called up for her First in Category Award.
Who wants to watch winners announced when you could be reading them instead.
Then the announcements began
Janet Shawgo overjoyed with her Chatelaine Book Awards Grand Prize! We love this photo!
Michelle Rene proudly displays here first in category award.
Tom and Nancy Wise accepted their First in Category Cygnus Award
The Clue First in Category Winners show off their ribbons.
John Trudel proudly accepts his First in category Paranormal award.
First in Category winners of our Paranormal Awards.
Lawrence Veregin proudly displays his First in Category Clue award.
A bevy of first in category winners.
More First in Category Winners.
The First in Category Chaucer awards…who knew Gregory Erich Phillips would win Grand Prize for his manuscript and then take best book!
Sharon Anderson won for her short story Stone God’s Wife
Jared McVay the Laramie Grand Prize Winner
Janet Shawgo Won the Chatelaine Grand Prize
Bennett Coles CYGNUS Grand Prize for VIRTUES of WAR (2013)
Rachel B.Ledge won the Grand Prize in the Clue Awards.
Pamela Beason
Jesikah Sundin – Grand Prize for Dante Rossetti
Steve Lundin excited to be the Somerset Grand Prize Winner
Gregory Erich Phillips – Our Best Book and Chaucer Grand Prize Winner.
Some people have their own cheering section.
The applause is never ending.
The room was filled with happy people by the time the night was ending.
Rachel B. Ledge had her mom rooting for her and it paid off.
All brought to you by these two wonderful people: Kiffer and Andy Brown
Especially this guy! The show couldn’t go on without Andy Brown’s brilliant technical wizardry!
This Year’s Winning reaction: Jesikah Sundin Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Winner for Legacy: Biodome Chronicles Book 1
(Photo Credit Myles Sundin)
Thanks for the great year everyone. Don’t forget to register for CAC16 coming up sooner than you think, in April 2016![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
The CYGNUS Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.
We are pleased to announce the CYGNUS Awards Official Finalists List for 2015, otherwise known as the “Short List” from all the 2015 entries received. The Official Finalists Listing is comprised of works that have passed the first three rounds of judging from the entire field of entrants. To pass the first three rounds of judging, more than sixty pages of the works below have been read and been deemed worthy by the CBR judges of continuing in competition for the CYGNUS Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY positions and their prize packages.
Congratulations to the CYGNUS AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS and Good Luck as they compete for the First Place Category Positions:
Alex McIntosh – The Limits of Control
B.T. James – The Tales of New Atlantis: Book One “Summer School”
Bruce Campbell – Coyote Calls Down the Gods
Arlianne Napier – Divine Prophecy
Bruce Campbell – Kidnap City–An ET Love Story
C. A. Knutsen – Janus Unfolding: Emergence
C. Edward Baldwin – Rememberers
Charlotte McGary & Sharon Faiola-Petersen – The Dream Crystals of Gandara
Steve LeBel for The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Putty
Debra Erfert – Window of Death
Deen Ferrell – Cryptic Spaces: Eight Queens
Elisabeth Hamill – Song Magick
James Wells – The Great Symmetry
Janine A. Southard – Cracked! A Magic iPhone Story
Jared Rinaldi – Bridge Burner Hyperion
Jessica Schaub – Gateways
John Yarrow – The Time Forward Project
Jon D. Zimmer – The Secret Invasion: Book One of The God Chronicles Trilogy
Julian Hoxter – Cutterjunk
K. N. Salustro – Chasing Shadows
Karen Musser Nortman – The Time Travel Trailer
Earl Crago – Prince of Prism
Kathrine Leannan – Fantasy
KB Shaw – Neworld Papers: The Historian’s Tale
L.S. Kilroy – The Vitruvian Heir
Peggy L Henderson – Yellowstone Heart Song
Rhett C Bruno – The Circuit: Executor Rising
Rhonda L. Davis – Path of the White Wolf
S. A. Carter – The Kuthun
S.K. Holder – The Quest of Narrigh
Rhett C. Bruno – The Circuit: Executor Rising
S.M. Coan – Innerearth
Sabina Khan – Realm of the Goddess
Sydney M. Cooper – Forsaken Lands Book 1: Tragedy
Timothy S. Johnston – The Freezer
Timothy S. Johnston – The Furnace
Tommy Partl – Mechanized
V. Lakshman – Mythborn 2: Bane of the Warforged
Yuan Jur – Citadel 7: The Gates of Wrath
Good luck to all the CYGNUS Awards Finalists who made the Short List as they compete for the First In Category Positions!
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.
The CYGNUS First Place Category award winners will compete for the CYGNUS Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Best Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 29, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.
The First In Category award winners will receive an award package including a complimentary book review, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.
We are now accepting entries into the 2017 CYGNUS Awards. The deadline is January 31st, 2017. Click here for more information or to enter. We have split CYGNUS Awards in to two separate competitions: Cygnus for Science Fiction and the OZMA awards for Fantasy. Visit our contest page for more information.
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?
If you’re an author, perhaps you’ve been here: I had finished my novel The Great Symmetry, done a print run for local bookstores and my website, and had sold some copies. Reviews were encouraging. The wider world beckoned. But how to launch? My Kindle edition was selling a copy every few days on Amazon – not exactly conquering the world.
This post is about my first discount eBook promotion. This discount promotion was a huge learning experience for me!
It turned out well with 600 sales over a 13-day period, due to working through some mistakes and some lucky accidents as well. The great news for everyone is that you can read about all my errors, as well as a few moments when this blind chicken happened upon a grain of corn, to help you plan for your successful promotion.
As I was looking around for ideas, I read an enthusiastic post on KBoards from an author who had just done a discount promotion for her new book. She had signed up for several advertisers at a small cost such as $10 each, and had realized a nice collection of sales over several days.
From this and other posts, I pieced together the concept: Discount your book from its regular price, then each advertiser sends out an email to their list of subscribers.
Here’s the key: The subscribers on each list have specifically signed up to be notified about discounted eBooks. How great is that? You can advertise your book to people who actually want to hear about it. In order for this to work, you need a real regular price that’s $2.99 or higher, so you’re offering an authentic discount.
I figured I could do a promotion too, so I shot off some applications to advertise for dates a couple of weeks ahead. When got my first acceptance from an advertiser (yes they get to choose the books they want to promote), I was thrilled and promptly paid. I was committed. Shortly after, I realized my first mistake – lack of advance planning. The best advertisers require four or more weeks of advance notice, and I had set my promotion dates far too soon.
Now you know: Plan your promotion in advance, and apply to advertisers four weeks or more before your planned dates.
The scramble was on. I sent in applications for the empty days, and after some anxious days was able to put together a lineup of promotions for each day except one. As I waited for the first day of the promotion, I found out more.
Here’s another key point: When you do a discount promotion, the purpose is not to make money – it’s to increase your readership. At a price of $0.99, your commission goes down to 35%, and it takes a lot of sales to cover your advertising costs and then have enough to buy a beer at the end. I set modest goals: Get some new readers, a few reviews, and a “tail” of sales after the promotion is over.
Discount Promotion Steps
Get everything ready: cover, blurb, reviews
Set a regular price: $2.99 or more
Decide your promo period, usually 1-2 weeks duration
Apply to advertisers for spots
Commit, pay, set advertising dates
Set your price to $0.99, a full day before start
Step away from the computer!
After the promo: analyze what worked or not –
As the promotion started, I learned the next hard lesson. Your blurb needs to not suck. My blurb had loads of fascinating information, none of which screamed out to a potential reader that they needed to buy this book. The results on the first day of the promotion reflected this.
After some frantic consultation with other authors, I refined the blurb twice over the next few days in accordance with a key principle: Don’t explain your book. Just find the most enticing few sentences that clearly convey your genre and the idea that it’s a compelling story. Imagine that a person will only read the first few lines before deciding whether to read further, or just skip along to the next book. As soon as I posted my blurb revisions, sales picked up.
When it came to reviews, I lucked out. I had some good reviews from my paperback version before launching on KDP. This really helped. Make sure you have those precious first reviews!
With the blurb revised, there was nothing else to do except watch. Better still: don’t watch. Because refreshing the screen on your KDP sales dashboard every minute is pretty much the dumbest way you can spend your day.
Pro tip: Find a way to be off your computer most of the time during your promotion. You can ask friends to stage an intervention. Some authors provide their passwords to a trusted friend with instructions to change the passwords and provide only a daily summary.
In the matter of staying away, I failed completely. That’s me above. Next time I’m going to make plans to be in a cave or something.
Yep – next time. I realized that as long as I’m an author with books available for sale, it’s going to be worth doing promotions periodically, probably several times a year.
And not just for the tangible results. I took a screen capture of that moment at #15 on the bestseller list for Hard Science Fiction, like Icarus taking a selfie before the inevitable plummet Earthward, to remind myself that I can do this. I belong on that list, and I’ll be back.
A discount eBook promotion is an important tool for building your initial readership. But it’s just part of the picture. Promote what you have, while not losing sight of what matters most – your next book. Keep writing!
Editor’s Note:
We want to thank James R. Wells for sharing his experience and findings with the Chanticleer Community of Authors
James R. Wells writes about the intersection of humans and the natural world. A life-long caver and outdoor adventurer, he has explored and mapped new passages in many of North America’s great caves. When not writing or with family, James can be found in a cave, on a mountain, or anywhere else outside.
James has recently published The Great Symmetry. His work “echoes the timeless social messages of truth, freedom and sacrifice embraced by science fiction greats like Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, and the author’s own great grandfather H. G. Wells. Its powerful premise gives voice to the perils and challenges of our current society and reminds the reader that even the smallest person can change the world. A great read!”
Just in time for Halloween! The Secret Astoria Scavenger Hunt, Susan Colleen Browne’s new kids’ book, is scheduled for a Goodreads Giveaway starting Sunday, October 18! This haunted house adventure will also be a free ebook on AmazonOctober 27-29!
If you loved The Goonies movie, then take advantage of The Secret Astoria Scavenger Hunt! give-away!
The Goonies Anniversary Celebration brings Seattle tween Morgan to Astoria, Oregon, for a fun weekend with her younger Astoria cousins, Sean and Ronan. The Anniversary festivities are in full swing at this historic riverfront town, plus the boys have just entered a spooky contest inspired by the movie. When the boys ask Morgan to help them win the grand prize, she’s determined to make their Anniversary Celebration weekend together the most memorable ever! Will Morgan, Sean and Ronan be able to escape from the powerful forces of the past? Or will they remain trapped in a world of shadows and dangerous secrets?
Brimming with a fully dynamic set of characters and otherworldly energies, Enemy of Existence is the strong and inventive debut novel that introduces Juan Yur’s science-fiction space opera series Citadel 7.
Uniss and Dogg turn literary style on its head by greeting and then involving the reader in their story. Coming to Earth from the Superverse, they home in on 1960s outback Australia to seek out and commandeer the help of young Ben Blochentackle.
Uniss and Dogg engage and prepare Ben for the realities of the Superverse until he is able to digest the psychological and physical demands of the looming war. At the same time, Uniss and Dogg must find a way to satisfy the coercing unit of the Evercycle council, who are the creators of existence.
Ben’s human life changes forever when he joins Uniss and Dogg, right when he’s about to disclose his feelings towards his lady friend. Dogg’s painful timing in bringing Ben out to the Superverse is made worse when both Uniss and Dogg come to realize that Ben might not be who they thought he was. The reader finishes Enemy of Existence deeply satisfied but simultaneously left with many questions about what the future holds for the characters.
Yuan Jur utilizes his skillful craft of writing as he uses different perspectives throughout the book to open up various characters and their environments to the reader’s viewpoint. This particular development in Yuan Jur’s writing provides the reader with a well-rounded insight into the Superverse. The author is no stranger to breaking conventional norms with his quirky, unique writing style that will captivate readers.
Enemy of Existence breaks new ground in the science-fiction universe as readers are required to actively participate in unraveling the novel’s plot.
We are excited and honored to have announced the 2014 grand prize award winners at the second annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Tuesday, Sept. 29th, 2015 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.
CBR– Discovering Today’s Best Books with the CBR BLUE RIBBON Writing Competitions!
The Chanticleer Grand Prize Award 2014 for Overall Best Book:
The Love of Finished Years (Manuscript) by Gregory Erich Phillips
Gregory Erich Phillips was awarded the $1,000.00 Grand Prize Cash Award and the gorgeous Chanticleer Grand Prize Blue Ribbon along with his digital badge and golden stickers when the work is published. This is the first time a manuscript has won this prize!
The Chanticleer Genre Grand Prize 2014 Winners are as follows:
The Cygnus Grand Prize for SciFi and Fantasy Fiction 2014 was awarded to:
Citadel 7, Earth’s Secret: Enemy of Existence
by Yuan Jur
Please note that the above awards are for submissions that we received in 2014. The award winners were acknowledge at the 2015 annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet on Tuesday, Sept. 29th,2015. The 2013 award winners were recognized at the inaugural Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards held September 2014. The winners of the 2015 Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions (works entered in 2015) will be recognized at the 2016 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet held in April 2016.
We invite you to read the Chanticleer editorial book reviews of these stellar works. The reviews will be published on our website and in the Chanticleer Reviews online magazine. If they are not currently posted, they will be posted as they are reviewed! Congratulations, again, to the authors of these stellar works!
In less than 3 weeks, the Chanticleer Authors Conference, with Awards Banquet, and the 3 Day Book Fair will begin (CAC15)! It is an exciting and busy time here at Chanticleer Reviews!
We’ve had requests for more information about the annual 4 day CAC15 event that will take place on September 26, 27, 28, & 29, (Saturday through Tuesday Evening) 2015 in Bellingham, Wash. Of course, there is more detailed information on the Chanticleer Reviews website.
Here is a quick synopsis of what to expect at CAC15.
First of all, attendees may register for the complete four days, three days, two days, one day, or just the Awards Banquet day. There are many options to choose from to accommodate most schedules.
Lodging is available at the Hotel Bellwether, rates starting at $189 per evening OR the Lakeway Best Western, rates starting at $118 per night including shuttle service to and from the Lakeway.
Saturday, Sept. 26th sessions and events will take place at the Bellingham Yacht Club, at Squalicum Harbor on beautiful Bellingham Bay.
Registrations open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Coffee, tea, and soda will be available along with snacks (included with registration)
Sessions begin at 9:30
Casual Luncheon (included with registration)12:30
Sessions restart at 1:30
Last session ends at 4:45 p.m.
“Appy Hours” sponsored by Books I Love will begin at 5 p.m.
BYC opens doors to membership
Cash (no host) Bar available
Appetizers will be provided
Casual dinner buffet begins at 6:15 (included with registration)
The Penny Stinkers Band (live music and dancing) starts at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 27th we move to the luxurious Hotel Bellwether located on beautiful Bellingham Bay and the BOOKS By the BAY BOOK FESTIVAL begins!
Registration open from 8:30 until 5 p.m. at the Hotel Ballroom Foyer.
Book Room Manager will be available for Book Drop-off beginning at 9 a.m. at the Hotel Ballroom Foyer.
Coffee and Tea will be available adjacent to the Book Room and Exhibitor’s Hall
Sessions begin at 9 a.m.
Book Room open from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Keynote Luncheon Presentation begins at 12:30
Sessions begin at 1:30
Author Panel Discussions (open to the public) 4 p.m.
“Appy Hours” presented by Books I Love begins at 5 p.m.
Cash No-host bar
Appetizers available at 6 p.m. (included)
Book Room closes at ~6:30 p.m.
Buffet Dinner with Announcements and Keynote Speakers 7:00 p.m.
The party continues at the Lighthouse Bar at the Hotel Bellwether
Monday, Sept. 28th the conference continues at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether located on beautiful Bellingham Bay.
Registration open from 8:30 until 5 p.m. at the Hotel Ballroom Foyer.
Coffee and Tea will be available adjacent to the Book Room and Exhibitor’s Hall
Be sure to sign up for reserved spaces at local restaurants. Sign-up sheets will be located at the registration table. Each restaurant group will have a Dinner Diva or Divo to lead the way. All are with walking distance.
Sessions begin at 9 a.m.
Book Room open from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Keynote Luncheon Presentation begins at 12:30
Sessions begin at 1:30
Author Panel Discussions (open to the public)
“Appy Hours” cocktail networking presented by Books I Love begins at 5 p.m.
Cash No-host bar
Appetizers available at 6 p.m. (included–adjacent to Book Room and Open Bar)
Book Room closes at ~6:30 p.m.
Dinner Time: Reservations with Chanticleer’s Dinner Divas and Divos at begin 7:15 – 7:30
The Hearthfire
Giuseppe’s Al Porto
Kiru Kiru Sushi
Anthony’s Seafood
The Lighthouse at the Hotel Bellwether
The Loft (casual dining)
Nicky’s Bella Marina (the best Fish and Chips in town/Burgers/fresh salmon ) located near the BYC — very casual.
The party continues at the Lighthouse Bar at the Hotel Bellwether
Tuesday, Sept. 29th Tonight is the Awards Banquet at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom
Registration open from 8:30 until 6:30 p.m. at the Hotel Ballroom Foyer.
Coffee and Tea will be available adjacent to the Book Room and Exhibitor’s Hall
Sessions begin at 9 a.m.
Book Room open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Keynote Luncheon Presentation begins at 12:30
Sessions begin at 1:30
“Appy Hours” cocktail networking time presented by Books I Love begins at 5 p.m.
Author Panel Discussions (open to the public)
Cash No-host bar
Appetizers available at 6 p.m. (included)
Book Room closes at ~7 p.m.
The Annual Chanticleer Awards Dinner with Announcements followed by the Chanticleer Awards Ceremony 7:15 p.m.
The celebration party continues at the Lighthouse Bar at the Hotel Bellwether
What May First Place Award Winners Expect at CAC15:
First Place Awards Designation on Name-tag
Gold Award Seals for books (seals will be placed on award winning books that will be for sale in the book room) and will be given to First Place Award Winners upon picking up registration packets.
Priority for Book Signing Events at Books By the Bay
Recognition at the Awards Banquet (on screen)
Presentation of Chanticleer Blue Ribbons at Awards Ceremony – on stage
Group photo with other 1st Place Award Winners of the related genre
All First Place Category Winners will compete for the Overall Genre Grand Prize (i.e., CLUE, CYGNUS, Chatelaine, etc.)
The Grand Prize GENRE Award Winners will be announced after all First Place Category Winners (in attendance) for all genres have been recognized.
The Overall Genre Winners will compete for the CHANTICLEER BEST BOOK GRAND PRIZE of $1,000 will be the last award announced
Any Finalists attending will be asked to stand and be recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet.
The Books By the Bay Book Fair will be held at the Hotel Bellwether on Sun., Mon., & Tues. from 11 a..m. until 6:30 p.m. The book room will be open to the general public for3 days. Parking and admission is free.
Upon picking up your name badge and program, you will receive your gold stickers to put on your books in the book room. If your books were shipped ahead, we will adhere the stickers to the winning titles.
And then a few weeks later, you will receive your digital badges to use for websites, digital media, Internet and Social Media, and your winning title will be placed in the queue for receiving its Chanticleer Book Review package. And, of course, there will be more goodies to come!
Each 2014 First in Category winner of each genre competition will receive a 6-month subscription to Bublish’s Authorpreneur Dashboard. Winners will be contacted by email after the Genre’s Official List of First in Category Winners has been posted on the Chanticleer Reviews website.
Each of the Ten Genre Grand Prize winners will receive a 1-year subscription to Bublish’s Authorpreneur Dashboard and a one-hour social media intensive session with Bublish professional social media experts (a $370 value for each of the Ten Genre Grand Prize Winners). Prize to be awarded at the 2015 Chanticleer Authors Conference Awards Banquet for Best Books 2014.
The Chanticleer Overall Grand prize winner will receive one-week of social promotions of their book through all Bublish social outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest) AND an email blast to all Bublish readers. This is valued at $500 for the week of social promotions and $225 for the email blast. Prize to be awarded at the 2015 Chanticleer Authors Conference Awards Banquet for Best Books 2014.
“Long goes far beyond the simplistic notion of the Civil War as told in American history texts to accurately portray the daily challenges faced by homesteading families, freed slaves, American Indians robbed of their ancestral lands, and ex-soldiers who face the disrespect of the Union army. Heart-warming and at times hilarious adventures are juxtaposed with gritty and emotionally wrenching moments such as Custer’s 1868 attack on Chief Black Kettle’s Cheyenne camp at Washita… Author McKendree Long displays a natural gift for storytelling.” Click here to read the full review.
“It is when Kelly accepts an open invitation to spend some time in Guzman’s drug palace in Northern Mexico that his code of “trusting friends first” will force him to face not only the dilemma of a loyalty to be divided between Guzman and Dave Holt, but also of being thrust into a senseless and bloody border war that has more than a few parallels to the Vietnam conflict. As such, Gilliam’s novel stands not only as a complex and intriguing “band of brothers” romp, but also as a reflection on the evils of unquestioned authority and corruption.” Click here to read the full review.
“Kade Sims feels he has been unfairly dumped from his former position in Army Intelligence because of out-of-control behavior due to a condition called hypomania. He’s bored, out of shape, and stuck working part-time at Home Depot instead of at the Pentagon. So when the FBI knocks on his door of his Virginia apartment and asks him to go undercover in Oregon to infiltrate a mysterious quasi-militia group called The Chapter, he’s eager to go to work for his country again….Klages experience and expertise is revealed with his believable dialog, details, and operative descriptions. The work features military trained Kade Sims, and his accountant sidekick, Alex Pace; we can’t wait to read what other dangerous puzzles this unlikely dynamic duo will be called on to solve.” Click here to read the full review.
Remember that your talent and connections are your contributions to forming a strong team. Be a member of a responsive network of professionals, able to produce a product while participating as a team, rather than an individual in a large group. Success in any endeavor is often due to the broader team and is much harder to capture as a lone wolf.
Analyze the people that you know, or have known in the past. What contributions can they add, and what are their needs? Reach out to refresh old connections, and maintain those that are interested in supporting you in developing your craft. Find new ways to contribute to their endeavors and make connections relevant. Everyone has a contribution to make.
Among a supportive network, you should be able to share each other’s pitfalls, successes, and joys, as well as enhance each other’s skills and insights. In this way you may become stronger as a writer and as a person.
The JOURNEY Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.
Pro tip: Find a way to be off your computer most of the time during your promotion. You can ask friends to stage an intervention. Some authors provide their passwords to a trusted friend with instructions to change the passwords and provide only a daily summary.
And not just for the tangible results. I took a screen capture of that moment at #15 on the bestseller list for Hard Science Fiction, like Icarus taking a selfie before the inevitable plummet Earthward, to remind myself that I can do this. I belong on that list, and I’ll be back.
If you loved The Goonies movie, then take advantage of The Secret Astoria Scavenger Hunt! give-away!
We are excited and honored to have announced the 2014 grand prize award winners at the second annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Tuesday, Sept. 29th, 2015 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.
