Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

DUMB GIRL: A Journey from Childhood Abuse to Gun Control Advocacy by Heidi Yewman – Memoirs, Dysfunctional Families, Trauma & Recovery

In this powerful and heart wrenching memoir Dumb Girl, Heidi Yewman confronts her past to turn the pain and shame of an abusive childhood into resilience and purposeful action. She connects with readers through her transformation and triumphantly advocates for change.

During the #MeToo Movement, Yewman attended a stage production of the well-known “Vagina Monologues.” When audience members were asked to stand if they’d been abused, Yewman felt ashamed about her past but also obligated to rise. It was there that she decided to write her story as a release from that lingering sense of guilt.

Yewman’s narrative takes us on an inspiring journey between her adulthood passion to advocate for gun control, and a traumatic childhood attempting to escape from a cycle of abuse.

Growing up in a toxic environment under the constant mantra “Don’t Be a Dumb Girl”, Yewman’s recollections reveal the myriad forms of anguish she endured. From a father who hit her, forced her to line her bedroom walls with school papers of failing grades, and watched her naked in the bath as a teen; to an alcoholic mother; and a brother who sexually assaulted her with his “boyfriend/girlfriend game”.

Dealing with such psychological and physical stressors, Yewman began building an inner grit that followed her throughout her life. When she was 17, on a bonding trip with her mother, she revealed being molested by her brother. The next step was individual and family therapy.

By April of 1999, Yewman was married with two children when newscasts reported the Columbine High School shootings—the same school that Yewman had attended thirteen years prior.

After attending a memorial for the school’s murdered basketball coach, Yewman made an important decision. She was determined to transform from a stay-at-home mom to an activist for a safer world.

In her youth, Yewman had found solace in the church. But after Columbine she felt Christian leaders gave sales pitch speeches about giving your life to Christ, rather than offering words of love, healing, and empathy. As an adult, she found her “religion of compassion” in the world of gun violence prevention.

From the Million Mom March in Washington, D.C., to press conferences and debates, a nervous Yewman prepared her stance on gun control and safety issues with her husband’s help.

She began interviewing those who’d lost loved ones to gun violence and eventually authored the book “Beyond the Bullet.” For Yewman, as well as those she interviewed, tears became a cathartic part of the healing process.

Yewman started work on a film about people who pulled a trigger—accidentally or intentionally—and the survivors of gun violence. In sharing her own story of grief and healing, Yewman’s discussed contemplating suicide as a teen when life seemed too difficult. This proved a relatable moment for others who had been victimized.

Though Yewman had neither writing nor filmmaking experience, she believed that these tragic stories needed to be told.

The importance of telling the heartbreaking tragedies others had endured became even more clear as she processed her own traumas. It empowered Yewman with questions worth asking and pushed her to garner support for her project, and she soon realized she was growing more comfortable in her attempt to do something totally new. This feeling of accomplishment was validated when she received Best Documentary and Best Director awards for Behind the Bullet at several film festivals.

In the book’s final pages, Yewman writes a letter to her younger self, foretelling what happens thirty-seven years in the future. Yewman is clearly a survivor. She has much to be proud of— developing new skills to ultimately break a familial cycle of abuse and make a positive life-changing shift.

This memoir’s open, honest, and genuine voice welcomes readers to empathize and share their grief.

Yewman’s stories of her life experiences, both good and bad, are not only a point of personal pride for her accomplishments. They also act as a beam of hope to survivors that affirms there is a bright future waiting for them beyond the abuse. Dumb Girl proves a powerful, informative read of personal healing and hope for readers familiar with such traumatic situations.

May 12, 2025
Celebrating Mothers We Love (or Don’t) in Literature on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is here!

It’s time to celebrate moms in literature and off the page!

Mother’s Day celebrates that very important person in our lives who has been with us even before we were born. Each mother is unique and leaves a lasting effect on their children, even the absence of a mother leaves a lasting effect on a child. They can be loving and kind, hateful and mean, or anywhere in between.

And in life as it is in literature—some mothers are absolutely unforgettable!

Oh, My Dear! — Archetypes of Mothers in Literature

Literature is filled with unique mother characters, ranging from the stereotypical “perfect” mother to the complicated, dark evil mothers that make life messy. Motherhood is fertile ground in a plot. These archetypes of mothers in literature offer amazing opportunities for intriguing creative arcs and the emotional impact provide can be as heavy as you want it to be. We love them, we leave them, we hate them, we suffer from them, but they are sometimes the most compelling part of a story.

This Mother’s Day let’s explore common archetypes of mothers in literature and consider all the ways they are depicted in some of our favorite novels!

The Iconic Mother

When we think of the ideal mother, we imagine one with infinite patience, unending kindness, and a love that will last forever. She’s there when we need her and always looking out for us.

In The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Mrs. Lancaster adores her cancer-stricken daughter, taking care her and trying to protect her as much as she can from the realities of her diagnosis. She is always there, always reliable, and always comforting.

Ruth Jamison from Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is determined to protect her child, too. Ruth leaves an abusive husband to set up home with her friend, Idgie. Together, they raise Buddy Junior, run a cafe, fight racial prejudice, and ultimately protect Buddy from his father.

The Conflicted Mother

The tragic mother is a complex, interesting character, and represent the human frailties found in all of us, as represented through the lens of motherhood. Their list of flaws is long and varied. Distant, narcissistic, emotionally unstable; they are often presented in a negative light, but there is a spark of real humanity that keeps them from becoming truly malevolent.

The Glass Castle, the Jeannette Walls memoir, retells her memories of living her young nomadic life in the American Southwest with mother, Rose Mary. Crippled by mental illness, Rose Mary couldn’t deal with the responsibility of providing for her family. She was addicted to excitement, and when the family’s money ran out, they settled in a dismal West Virginia mining town. Walls eventually finds her mother homeless on the streets of New York. While the intentions of the mother weren’t to be harmful to her children, her mental illness kept her from being a positive force in their lives.

In Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews, Corrine, a mother to four children, sacrifices their well-being in order to collect on an inheritance. Her greed and narcissistic behavior leads to neglect that forces the children to fend for themselves and eventually leads to a tragedy that no good mother would wish on anyone. Yes, the story is tragic, but the cause of the tragedy comes from common character flaws taken too far.

An example of a truly tragic mother is seen in Sophie Zawistowska, William Styron’s main character in Sophie’s Choice. A Polish survivor of the Holocaust, she is forced to choose which one of her two children will die in a Nazi gas chamber. The memories she tells show a lifetime of trauma as she deals with the guilt of this act. The utter cruelty exhibited by her Nazi captors cuts her soul in two, using the love she has for her children as the knife.

The Evil Mother

A mother’s love runs deep. So, when that love is missing, there is a deep, dark hole in their heart that is blacker than night. They are abusive, hateful, deranged, and so many other horrible things that to be in their heads when reading is taking a trip down a very dark path.

Stephen King’s Carrie provides us with the ultimate crazy mother. Whipped up into a religious fervor, she mentally, emotionally, and spiritually abuses her daughter until, in great Stephen Kin signature style, the devil opens the doors to Hades and all hell breaks loose. We see a true psychotic break (and probably other things) in Carrie’s mother, Margaret.

In John Steinbeck’s classic East of Eden, Motherhood clearly means little to Cathy Ames, a mother of twin teenage boys. She shoots her husband in the arm and abandons her children at their birth. She is the owner of a sadistic, drug den of a brothel and revels in the shame her boys feel about her life. There are many other things to dislike about Cathy Ames, but her lack of mother instincts and purposely stomping on the love of two innocent boys puts her firmly in the evil mom category.

Characters with Endless Inspiration

In literature we get to explore the complexity of motherhood from every angle—the good, the bad, and the downright dangerous. Mother tropes are interesting, fun, crazy, and sometimes completely disturbed disrupters or enablers. And, thus, mothers of every type lead to endless inspiration for authors.

Start exploring the different archetypes of mothers with Chanticleer authors and the mothers they incorporate into their stories

Operation Mom
By Reenita Malhotra Hora
Grand Prize CIBA winner in the Chatelaine Division

Master storyteller Reenita Malhotra Hora’s YA romance Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man takes us on a charming journey through the life of one teen, Ila Isham.

Hora introduces Ila and her best friend Deepali, two boy-crazy teens on a summer quest. Readers will fall in love with the smart, sassy, angst-filled, rebellious Ila. A typical teenage girl, Ila lives in Mumbai with her mom and Sakkubai, their house manager. Ila’s mother calls her obsessed, but that seems unfair. Is she obsessed just because her every waking minute is spent thinking of Ali Zafar, famous pop icon, singer, and heartthrob? Or is she obsessed with fellow classmate Dev?

No, Ila couldn’t be taken with Dev because he’s one of three young men that her best friend Deepali is juggling in her summer experiment of exploring her “feminine mystique.” This turn of phrase becomes just one of many opportunities for Hora’s humor to shine as Ila remarks, “That’s a book by Gloria Steinem… no Betty Friedan.” Deepali’s response? “Yaar. Don’t be so literal.” The delightful balance between Ila’s book smarts versus Deepali’s street smarts carries us through Hora’s expertly crafted story.

Continue reading here…

The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife (The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes, Book 1)
By Liese Sherwood-Fabre
First Prize CIBA winner in the Mystery and Mayhem Division

The game is afoot! It’s years before Sherlock Holmes’ ponderings from 221B Baker Street. Sherlock is a teenager when challenged to solve his first case, The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife by Liese Sherwood-Fabre.

The stakes are among the highest. Sherlock’s beloved mother is the accused killer when he and his infamous brother Mycroft are summoned home from their boarding schools. The family reunites to a single purpose. They must prove Violette Holmes’s innocence. They soon discover that proving her innocence will not be enough to restore her standing in the court of public opinion. They can only clear her name by also finding the actual killer. That investigation involves a dangerous pursuit that requires detailed observation, logic, and action. Young Sherlock Holmes will also need to watch his back.

The adventure begins with a brief glimpse into Sherlock’s school days.

Continue reading here…

Remedy for a Broken Angel
By Toni Ann Johnson

Remedy for a Broken Angel by Toni Ann Johnson is an intense examination of the troubled personal histories of two beautiful and talented women of color.

Their stories are told in alternating chapters which reveal the mother’s and her daughter’s attempts to reclaim and understand their broken pasts. Each chapter is a revelation into the pain and damage caused by unknown family secrets. Both women struggle with a legacy of shame and self-blame for the price they’re paying for never hearing the truth. Each must learn the lessons found in past years of failure to communicate.

The beautiful mother, Serena, is a successful Bermudian jazz singer and songwriter who is consumed by anger over feeling unloved as a child. Years later, her hurt and confusion over being abandoned by her family cause her to repeat the past by leaving her own marriage and abandoning her twelve-year-old daughter.

Continue reading here…

Fly Safe: Letters from the Gulf War and Reflections from Back Home
By Vicki Cody

Not many people can capture the emotions that coincide with war, but Vicki Cody joins the ranks of those who do in her wartime memoir, Fly Safe: Letters from the Gulf War and Reflections from Back Home.

This powerful memoir shows us the behind-the-scenes lives of the women, children, and families left at home while their soldiers set off for war, bringing us close to their raw vulnerability. Fly Safe fascinates as it informs readers of what one wife experiences as her commander husband leads his battalion to the middle east.

Cody takes us back in time to the early 1990s when the first President Bush called up troops in an operation called “Desert Shield,” which turned into Desert Storm. She captures the events that led up to our first conflict in the middle east, but far from being strictly pedantic and historical, centers on the warmth, love, and fears that most of the wives were experiencing. Her letters from her husband – and her journal entries read like daily affirmations and blend well in telling this story.

The memoir shines as a first-person account of the ins-and-outs of a military family’s life during war.

Continue reading here…

Guided
By Kirsten Throneberry
First Prize CIBA winner in the Journey Division

In her stunning memoir, Guided: Lost Love, Hidden Realms, and the Open Road,Kirsten Throneberry weaves together the highs and lows of a road trip packed with life wisdom, where she explores grief, spirituality, and rekindled hope.

Throneberry’s achingly vulnerable memoir splits its readers’ hearts and tenderly sews them back together.

In the aftermath of the devastating loss of her husband, Kirsten sells her home and takes her two small sons, two elderly pups, and eccentric mother on a year-long road trip around the United States in their new-to-them Bigfoot RV.

Encouraged by the same spirit guides whose earlier advice for her husband’s health left her broken and untrusting, Kirsten must learn to face the open road with an equally open heart and mind.

Continue reading here…

We would like to wish all mothers, mothers-to-be, stand-in mothers, and those who possess the mothering instinct, a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the Mothers in our life!

Has your book captured the complexity of motherhood? Showcase your storytelling through a Chanticleer Editorial Review!

Our Editorial Review Packages do more than just evaluate—they amplify your book’s digital presence and discoverability. Professional reviews remain one of the most powerful marketing tools available to authors seeking to connect with their target readers. Discover how our reviews can elevate your author platform here.

Ready for recognition beyond reviews?

The Chanticleer International Book Awards celebrate exceptional storytelling across all genres. When your book advances in our competitions, we proudly promote you and your work across our website, newsletter, and social media channels—creating lasting visibility that continues working for you long after the awards ceremony. Submit your book today and join our community of celebrated authors!

May 11, 2025
Casting the SEO Net for Readers: How Search Engine Optimization Attracts Online Followers
SEO – Search Engine Optimization: Cast a Wider Net for Your Readers

The cyber world is a vast and active ocean of readers, and it’s not always easy to catch your target audience when casting out your book marketing net online.

Your content is great, but it’s struggling to reach an audience. By reinforcing the effectiveness of your efforts with strong search engine optimization (SEO), you’ll create a virtual fishing net that will catch readers who love your genre and widen your pool to an even larger audience of “fish in the sea!”

Having a strong online presence is crucial for any author. Whether you are traditionally or self-published, your success often hinges on visibility—how easily potential readers can find your work.

What is SEO and Why Does It Matter for Authors?

SEO is the practice of optimizing your online content, so it becomes more visible and understandable to search engines like Google, Bing, and others. These search engines use sophisticated algorithms and digital ‘crawlers’ that scan websites to understand their content and relevance. By strategically using keywords, creating quality content, and improving your site’s technical aspects, you help these digital gatekeepers better understand what your content is about and who might find it valuable.

Imagine a reader searching for “thriller novels about art heists” or “greatest baseball games.” If your books are optimized with keywords related to your story, they are more likely to show up in search results and get in front of new readers who may not have found you otherwise.

Why SEO is Crucial for Authors

Shining a Spotlight on Your Work and Yourself

One of the primary reasons SEO is important for authors is visibility. With millions of books available online, offering a great story just isn’t enough. By using SEO techniques on your author website, book descriptions, and blog posts, you increase your chances of those marketing tools appearing in search results when potential readers are looking for books in your genre.

Employing effective SEO isn’t only about increased visibility for your book. It’s also about building your author brand. A strong SEO strategy allows readers to learn more about you, your writing process, and your publications. By regularly posting SEO-optimized content, such as blog posts, articles, social media posts, and interviews, you are giving readers insight into your writing and establishing yourself as a trusted voice in the literary world.

Spreading the Net Wide with Organic Traffic

Organic traffic refers to visitors who come to your website through unpaid search results. SEO helps you attract that organic traffic by offering the keywords you’ve put into your online text as if it were a little worm on the hook. This means more readers will discover your work without the need for expensive ads. With the right keywords, you’ll find your author website or blog is a well-optimized, powerful tool you can use to build a sustainable online presence that continually attracts your target audience.

Better Book Sales

By making your books more visible on platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, or your own author website, you’ll be gaining more power in the online bookstores where authors compete to find readers. By optimizing your books’ descriptions with relevant keywords, such as genre-specific or popular theme words, you will improve the chances of attracting new readers who purchase or research books online.

Connecting with Your Audience

SEO also gives you a boost in attracting the right audience. By strategically using keywords related to your book’s genre, style, or themes, you have a better chance of reaching the readers most likely to be interested in your books. For example, a romance writer could target keywords like “new in town love stories,” while a science fiction author might optimize for terms like “space operas” or “first contact adventures.” Understanding your audience’s reading preferences helps you tailor your SEO strategy to catch just the right readers.

Enhance Discoverability with Chanticleer Editorial Reviews and Book Awards

Beyond basic SEO strategies, authors can significantly boost their discoverability through Chanticleer’s Editorial Book Reviews and Book Awards. These professional validations don’t just enhance your book’s credibility—they create additional pathways for readers to find your work.

The Editorial Book Review

Chanticleer Editorial Book Reviews are specifically crafted with SEO in mind. Our reviewers are trained to optimize everything from title keywords to sentence length, ensuring that when your review is published, it’s designed to catch the attention of both search engines and human readers. These reviews create quality content that search engines value, especially when featured on your website or in your book’s metadata. The strategic keyword placement in our reviews helps your book appear in searches relevant to your genre and themes. We even wrote an article explaining the ins and outs of how we do that, so you can too!

The Book Award Program

Similarly, Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards – CIBAs – create multiple touchpoints for discovery. When your book receives an award or makes a shortlist, it generates announcements, listings, and social media mentions—all containing relevant keywords that improve your SEO footprint. Our award posts are specifically designed to catch just the right readers for each genre division. We frequently hear from readers that they purchase every book on our Finalist lists just to enjoy a variety of new authors in their favorite genres. This creates an immediate audience expansion for authors who make these prestigious lists. You can see the culmination of this with our celebration of the 2024 Grand Prize Winners that went our recently here.

These professional validations work in tandem with your SEO efforts, creating a stronger, more expansive net to catch interested readers. At industry events like Women in Publishing, Author Nation, and the San Francisco Writers Conference, authors regularly approach our team to share how Chanticleer’s posts and promotions have significantly improved their marketing efforts, given them a sales bump, and expanded their readership.

Key SEO Strategies for Authors

So, where do you begin? It may sound complicated, but empowering your SEO isn’t magic. Taking a few simple steps—both now and each time you update your website—will get you in the right position to pull in those readers.

1. Optimize Your Author Website

Your author website is your digital home base. Make sure it’s well-optimized to increase visibility. Use relevant keywords in the title tags, meta descriptions, and headers. For instance, if you’re a mystery novelist, use keywords like “mysteries,” “detectives in literature,” or “suspense plots.” When someone inputs these terms into a search engine, they are more likely to see your website as a result.

Don’t forget the technical aspects of SEO that affect how readers experience your site. Ensure your website loads quickly, works well on mobile devices, and has a clear navigation structure. Search engines prioritize sites that offer a good user experience for your audience.

2. Use Keywords in Book Descriptions

On platforms like Amazon, your book description is a vital part of how your book will rank in search results. Use targeted keywords your readers will likely use when searching for a new book. It must accurately describe your book, since it won’t benefit you to mislead the reader. For instance, a reader looking for a book about a historical figure might include terms like “biographical fiction” or “historical biography” in their search, so those are great keywords to use in your descriptions.

3. Start a Blog

Blogging is a powerful tool for authors to connect with their audience while boosting their SEO efforts. Regularly posting articles that engage your target audience helps establish your authority and increases your site’s traffic. You could write about topics like writing tips, industry trends, book recommendations, or personal stories about your writing journey. Understanding your audience’s interests helps you create content that not only ranks well but genuinely connects with potential readers.

4. Claim and Optimize Your Author Profile on Amazon and Goodreads

Amazon and Goodreads are the go-to platforms for book discovery, and ensuring your author profile is fully optimized can help you get more visibility. Use relevant keywords in your author bio, list all your books clearly, and encourage readers to leave reviews. The more activity you have on these platforms, the more likely it is that your books will appear in searches and reach new readers interested in your genre.

5. Leverage Social Media and External Content

SEO isn’t just about what happens on your website. Google also takes social media activity into account when ranking websites. Share your blog posts, articles, and updates on your social media channels (Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) with appropriate hashtags and links to your website. Effective book marketing extends beyond your website to social platforms where your readers are already active. The more you share and the more engagement your posts receive, the more likely it is that search engines will take notice.

6. Focus on Local SEO

If you’re an author attending book events, readings, or speaking engagements in your area, local SEO is vital. Optimizing your website and author profile for local searches will help you connect with fans in your region. Include your city and relevant location-based keywords in your website’s content, like “author in [city]” or “book events near [city].” This helps readers find not just your books but opportunities to meet you in person, creating a stronger connection with your audience.

Track Your SEO Success

Implementing SEO strategies is only half the battle—you also need to know if they’re working. Use tools like Google Analytics to track your website traffic, see which pages are performing well, and understand where your audience is coming from. This data helps you refine your approach and focus on the book marketing tactics that bring the most readers to your work.

Look for patterns in how readers find and interact with your content. Are certain blog topics attracting more visitors? Do specific keywords drive more traffic? Understanding these patterns helps you tailor your content to better meet your audience’s interests and search habits.

You’re ready to set your SEO Net for More Readers

In an increasingly competitive digital landscape, authors need the very best lures they can get to stand out online. SEO offers an accessible and cost-effective way to increase visibility, connect with readers, and ultimately boost book sales. Using these strategic SEO approaches on your author website, in book descriptions, and in your online content can ensure your books reach the right audience.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. It requires consistency, strategy, and a deep understanding of what your readers are searching for. By optimizing your online presence, you increase your chances of building a long-term, sustainable writing career—one where your books are not just published, but discovered and celebrated by the readers who want them most.

With a little SEO know-how, you’ll be well on your way to netting more readers, building your brand, and boosting your success as an author! The digital ocean is full of potential readers waiting to discover their next favorite book—yours.

Now go out and catch the Big Fish!

Thank you for joining us for this Writer Toolbox Article

There is so much to learn and do with Chanticleer!

From our Book Award Program that has Discovered the Best Books since the early 2010s to our Editorial Book Reviews recognizing and promoting indie and traditional authors, Chanticleer knows your books are worth the effort to market professionally!

Helpful Toolbox Articles:

AIOSEO – Getting the MOST out of your Website

How to Market Your Works Like a Book Publicist

TAPPING the EXPERTS – Researching for Your Works in Progress

Ready to Strengthen Your Book Marketing Net?

If you’re ready to enhance your book’s visibility and reach more readers, Chanticleer offers professional services designed specifically for authors who are serious about their writing careers:

Chanticleer Editorial Book Reviews: Our professionally crafted, SEO-optimized reviews give your book the visibility boost it deserves. Each review is strategically written to improve your book’s discoverability while providing the credibility that comes from a respected third-party assessment. Learn more about our Editorial Review service here.

Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs): Join the ranks of authors who’ve seen significant visibility boosts after participating in our prestigious book awards. The CIBAs create multiple opportunities for your book to be discovered by new readers who trust our curated selections. When you submit your book, you’re not just entering a contest—you’re joining a community of authors committed to excellence. Submit your book to the CIBAs today!

Don’t let your great book remain hidden in the vast digital ocean. With Chanticleer’s professional services working alongside your SEO efforts, you’ll cast a wider net and catch more readers than ever before.
May 8, 2025
OCCHI BELLI by Tim McDonald – Contemporary Romance, Grief, Italy

Luca Lucchesi had it all—a successful restaurant, a loving wife, an adoring mother. Then it all came crashing down. Occhi Belli by Tim McDonald explores the depths of Luca’s despair, his battle with alcohol, and ultimately his journey back to life—and love.

Luca hadn’t planned to work in the restaurant industry but eighteen years later there he was, what one would call a “lifer.” Time flows differently in the lives of restaurant people, and it flew by for Luca. He was coming up on Occhi Belli’s tenth anniversary but felt like he’d opened it just yesterday. Luca’s vision had been a simple one—to build a great restaurant with great food and great characters. With that goal in mind, he built Occhi Belli into a hugely successful neighborhood gem in north Seattle. He’d poured his life into it and truly loved it, but at what price?

He knows he drinks too much, but it is part of the world in which he lives. So far, he’s been lucky and has never been caught driving after drinking. Then his luck runs out.

He totals his car, is hit with a DUI, and his life begins to unravel. His wife, Lillian, announces she’s had enough and files for divorce. After nine years of watching Luca put his restaurant and alcohol before her and their marriage, she chooses her own well-being over his. But suddenly single at thirty-six, Lillian wonders what she will do next.

Luca stumbles through his days and nights, drowning his feelings with drink and the intoxicating energy of the restaurant until he gets a phone call from his stepdad and must face his greatest fear. His beloved mother Francesca’s battle with lung cancer is at its end. She’s dying. Luca’s father died when he was twelve years old, and since then it had been just the two of them. But over the last ten years, the restaurant had become his priority and he’d not seen her as often as he should have.

Occhi Belli follows Lillian and Luca as they struggle to find their separate ways forward to happiness, meaning, and love.

Luca spends a stint in rehab, but returns to the restaurant and quickly plunges back into his old ways. Unable to face his grief and guilt, he continues to drink away his emotions and memories. Without Lillian or his mother in his life, what does he have to live for anyway? After a particularly painful bender, Luca realizes he has hit rock bottom. He must make a drastic change in his life to survive, so he sells Occhi Belli to his chef, packs up, and moves to Italy to learn how to make wine in the land of his parents.

Luca feels his mother all around him in Italy—watching, judging, disappointed by him. He throws himself into the world of Italian wine and meets the beautiful, seductive, and perhaps slightly dangerous Matilda. When her past eventually finds them, it almost destroys Luca and the love they’ve nurtured.

Meanwhile, Lillian struggles with her own regrets and overwhelming loneliness. She is working too much, sleeping too little, and living her life through her patients.

When her best friend Sarah meets someone, Lillian is happy for her but also envious and afraid she’ll lose the one person who is always there for her. It’s only after Lillian realizes what she most wants that she begins her own new journey toward connection and fulfillment.

Occhi Belli is above all else a story of love and change in the wake of sorrow.

Anyone who loves Italy will recognize the strong passion Tim McDonald has for its mesmerizing beauty and transformative powers. His sumptuous descriptions of food and wine will revel in the joy of taste. As it turns out, Italian wine and Italian love can, indeed, break through grief and loss.

May 7, 2025
SIDNEY’S GAMES by Lolisa Marie Monroe, illustrated by Patrizia Donaera – Children’s Picture Books, Children’s Friendship Books, Children’s Animal Stories

Welcome to the world of Sidney the Squirrel: a little adventurer with a big heart and an even bigger imagination. Throughout Lolisa Marie Monroe’s Sidney’s Games, readers tag along with Sidney and his two younger sisters as they explore their beautiful forest home.

Packed with dazzling illustrations, Sidney’s Games is sure to spark children’s curiosity about the world and encourage them to invent their own outdoor games.

Award-winning children’s author Lolisa Marie Monroe weaves a tale brimming with warmth and wonder.

The story begins when Sidney plans a special game for “Make a Friend Day.” The three siblings venture into the forest neighborhood, initiating a chain of friendships among the other lovable animals. Along the way we meet Tommy the Turtle, Helen the Hedgehog, Charles Henry Cardinal III, Phineas the Porcupine, Betty the Bunny, and Chippy the Chipmunk—all with their own delightful personalities and unique voices perfect for silly bedtime reading re-enactments.

Larger-than-life illustrations by Patrizia Donaera leap out of the frame and into readers’ hearts.

Each page is a detailed masterpiece rich with magical woodland imagery, bringing the reader into the magic of Sidney’s forest. Attentive young readers can spend hours poring over the illustrations and imagining their own wild homes.

Sidney’s Games is the perfect length and difficulty for beginning independent readers to build confidence in their abilities.

Complete with an interactive component at the end—a wordsearch and maze—Sidney’s Games activates children’s creativity and encourages them to think outside the box and connect with old and new friends.

Sidney’s Games is a story that little hands will reach for again and again to enter its fantastical world.

Sidney’s creativity will inspire children to enjoy natural environments by making up their own games. A delight for adults and children alike, Sidney’s Games reminds readers that friendship and fun are everywhere—one only has to find a friend and start playing.

May 5, 2025
Next Level Strategies New Genres with an Established Author Platform
Is your Author Platform Ready for the Next Level?

In publishing, your author platform is your most valuable marketing asset. When writing across genres, it needs strategic adjustment to keep your audience, not reconstruction.

How high does the sound board go? 11!

The publishing industry rewards specialization, but creative writers rarely stay in a single lane. You’ve invested years building your author platform—your website, social media presence, and newsletter subscribers. Now, as you venture into a new genre, you face critical marketing decisions that will determine whether your existing audience follows you or falls away.

Grab your tool belt, writers, because we’re going to build onto that already established Author Platform with 5 great tools to help you hold onto your audience!

The Multi-Genre Marketing Challenge: Industry Reality

Professional authors understand that genre-switching creates specific marketing challenges. Industry experience suggests that without intentional platform adaptation, many readers don’t automatically follow authors to new genres—your thriller fans won’t necessarily pick up your romance novel simply because they enjoyed your previous work. This isn’t merely about announcing a new book—it requires strategic repositioning of your entire author brand within the publishing ecosystem.

Your Author Platform Blueprint

1. Conduct a Platform Audit (Foundation Check)

For this essential marketing exercise, systematically evaluate your website, email list, social media presence, media coverage, and author branding through two critical lenses: current effectiveness and genre flexibility.

Your website might excel at showcasing your historical fiction but may lack architecture for your new romance titles. Your email marketing strategy might need to be targeted to these specific, and different, readers rather than general broadcasts. Possibly your author branding is overly tethered to your original genre, creating invisible barriers for potential readers of your new work.

Authors who endure recognize that platform development isn’t just about growth—it’s about strategic alignment with your full creative range. This audit forms the foundation for all subsequent marketing decisions.

2. Author-Centered Rebranding

Your most valuable marketing asset transcends genre boundaries—it’s your unique authorial identity and worldview.

Strategic Implementation: Create an “About the Author” narrative that emphasizes your creative journey across genres. Thriller author Gillian Flynn exemplifies this approach by positioning herself as exploring “the dark side of human psychology” rather than simply identifying as “a thriller writer,” maintaining brand consistency while writing across multiple market categories.

Update your website architecture to showcase YOU as the central brand rather than a specific genre. Consider repositioning language: “Author of dark fiction and young adult romance exploring how we form profound connections in our lives.” This represents two genres while maintaining thematic continuity.

3. Content Bridge Marketing

Develop strategic content that connects your established genre with your new direction, facilitating reader transition.

When shifting from romance to mystery, professional authors don’t simply announce the genre change—they create deliberate content bridges. This might include analyzing romantic subplots in classic mysteries, exploring detective-character relationships, or highlighting mystery elements in romance novels.

This content marketing approach creates intellectual and emotional pathways for existing readers to follow you into new creative territory. Industry professionals recognize that reader migration requires scaffolding, not cold transitions.

4. Strategic Collaboration Marketing

Form tactical partnerships with established authors in your target genre to access their reader communities.

Professional authors implement specific cross-promotion strategies:
- Organize genre-blending anthologies featuring 3-5 authors from your target market
- Host “Genre Crossroads” interview series on your blog, podcast, or live at literary events
- Develop co-marketed reading bundles with complementary titles
Industry Example: Kim Hornsby has masterfully expanded her readership by strategically participating in anthologies where authors rotate as featured contributors. This collaboration marketing approach has allowed her to extend her platform across multiple genres while maintaining audience continuity.

5. Email Segmentation Marketing for your Audience

Transform your email list from a basic announcement channel into a sophisticated marketing instrument with targeted audience segmentation.

Begin with a strategic Reader Preference Survey distributed to your subscriber base:

The focus: delivering precisely targeted content to each reader segment. Essential data points include:
1. Which of your titles have resonated most strongly with each reader
2. What genres comprise their overall reading diet
3. Their specific interest level in your upcoming work in new categories
Use these insights to implement segmented email marketing campaigns, allowing for differentiated communication with readers based on their genre preferences and relationship to your body of work.

Measuring Your Multi-Genre Marketing Effectiveness

Professional authors evaluate cross-genre success beyond simple sales metrics. Track these sophisticated performance indicators:
- Cross-genre reader migration percentage (what proportion of existing readers follow you into new territory)
- New audience acquisition rates by source
- Platform growth velocity across distribution channels
- Engagement metrics by reader segment
Publishers and agents increasingly evaluate authors based on these metrics, as they demonstrate platform resilience and audience development capabilities—key factors in multi-book contract decisions.

The most successful author platforms aren’t rigid constructions but flexible ecosystems designed to showcase your entire creative range. With strategic platform development and deliberate marketing approaches, you can build a sustainable readership that follows your work regardless of genre boundaries.

Thank you for joining us for this Writer Toolbox Article
There is so much to learn and do with Chanticleer!

From our Book Award Program that has Discovered the Best Books since the early 2010s to our Editorial Book Reviews recognizing and promoting indie and traditional authors, Chanticleer knows your books are worth the effort to market professionally!

Helpful Toolbox Articles:
- How to Market Your Works Like a Book Publicist
- TAPPING the EXPERTS – Researching for Your Works in Progress
When you’re ready, did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).

If you would like more information, we invite you to email us at info@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.

We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!

Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.

A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information available here.

And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn more here.
May 1, 2025
THE TALE Of The ENGLISH TEMPLAR by Helena P. Schrader – Historical Fiction, Knights Templar, 13th Century

Far from the romantic legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Helena P. Schrader’s The Tale of the English Templar faithfully captures the harsh decimation of the Knights Templar. Schrader offers a sobering, immersive look at one of history’s darkest betrayals. This is historical fiction worthy of legend with its feet planted firmly in research—not myth.

Set in the early 14th century, the novel captures the downfall of the Knights Templar at the hands of French King Philip IV. With the Pope’s reluctant cooperation, the Templars are accused of heresy and tortured until they confess to crimes they didn’t commit. The king’s true motive? Their immense wealth.

Among those captured is Sir Percy de Lacy, an English Templar who is swept up in a raid by local French soldiers and caught in a mass arrest on Friday, October 13th, 1307. What follows is a harrowing account of imprisonment, torture, and unlikely survival.

After being brutalized, Percy miraculously escapes the King’s dungeons, only to be found near-death and nursed back to health by Felice, the strong-willed granddaughter of a powerful and wealthy nobleman—with enigmatic Templar connections.

Felice arranges for Percy to be brought to her grandfather Geoffrey. Together they risk their lives to shelter Percy and ultimately join his mission to save others from the Templar purge raging outside their walls. Though still marked by what he’s endured, Percy heals enough to join Geoffrey in rescuing fellow knights. Driven by loyalty and purpose, Percy risks everything to aid the knights still in peril.

As the adventure unfolds, Felice’s arc rises as one of the novel’s most rewarding. From a teenage girl promised in marriage to a cruel Portuguese noble, she becomes a quiet revolutionary, challenging the roles available to women of her time. Her eventual alliance with Percy and Geoffrey becomes one of shared purpose and moral courage.

The meticulous historical detail includes graphic descriptions of torture and public execution. Readers should be prepared for the historically accurate burning of 54 Templars in an auto de fe, a public execution orchestrated by the Inquisition. These scenes are unflinching but not gratuitous. Schrader’s intent is clear: to help readers grasp the full horror of what was done to these men—and why.

There’s no clear-cut hero in this story. Instead, The Tale of the English Templar explores the ambiguity of morality and faith, and how loyalty, fear, and ambition intersect in dangerous times.

At its core, this is a book about conviction—what we believe, and what we’ll risk to defend it.

Fans of serious historical fiction will find much to admire here. Schrader’s characters are complex, her world brutal but vividly drawn. Readers looking for a fast-paced escape may find the philosophical reflection slows the narrative, but for those who enjoy layered, character-driven stories grounded in historical truth, this book delivers.

The Tale of the English Templar by Helena P. Schrader rewards readers with insight, depth, and a cast of characters who refuse to be forgotten.

May 1, 2025
A Tail of Twirls: Kittina and the Starlight Ballerina by Once Upon a Dance – Children’s Picture Books, Children’s Animal Stories, Dance Books

Once Upon a Dance’s captivating children’s picture book A Tail of Twirls: Kittina and the Starlight Ballerina follows an inquisitive cat as she makes a mysterious discovery.

In Pirouette Pines, small cat Kit peers through the dirty window of an abandoned dance studio. After a desperate initial attempt to enter, Kit spots an opening. The dance photos on the walls fascinate her as soon as she walks in. Curiosity gets the best of her, and she attempts to mimic some of the dance positions.

Her entire world changes in an instant when a voice—coming from a very unexpected source behind her—asks why she has been there every night. Kit has a cordial conversation with the animated mirror, which concludes with a pledge from the mirror to assist Kit in finding her dance.

Kit gains proficiency quickly and is keen to learn more. But as she considers what she has learned and what she still wishes to, she is split between gratitude and despair. To complicate her learning further, Kit is taken aback by yet another startling discovery, which is swiftly followed by a directive that will have an impact on Pirouette Pines as a whole.

A Tail of Twirls: Kittina and the Starlight Ballerina engages readers in fun and unique activities while they read along.

The story effectively mixes mystery and humor, and its vibrant illustrations and photo images will hold any child’s interest throughout the entire book.

Kids learn to help both themselves and their communities from Kit’s example. This is a novel that will spark lively discussions on sharing, resilience, supporting others, and pursuing one’s dreams.

With particularly lovely touches to facial expressions, the illustrations create a wonderful tone for the narrative.

Each element of the photos has been carefully considered to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. The layout is simple, fluid, and easy to read while providing excellent hints about the plot’s progression.

Once Upon a Dance’s A Tail of Twirls: Kittina and the Starlight Ballerina is lengthy enough to deliver a complete and well-developed story without making it feel overwhelming—perfect for reading with children.

April 30, 2025
BELLA BROWN—Grandma’s Missing Butterfly Locket by J.W. Zarek, Illustrated by Anastasia at GetYourBookIllustrations – Children’s Animal Stories, Picture Books, Children’s Butterfly Books

In Bella Brown—Grandma’s Missing Butterfly Locket by J.W. Zarek, Bella and Grandma Yetta recall the various beautiful places they’ve visited to see the variety of butterflies around the world—and those same places where Yetta may have lost her locket.

Over the phone, Bella imagines botanical gardens, temples, and natural places from China and Japan to Colombia and the Ozarks. Bella thinks about the butterfly locket in each location but can’t quite remember where it could be before she and her mom head to the local butterfly garden. Bella promises to draw a butterfly for Yetta, even if she can’t help her find out what happened to her locket.

Grandma Yetta surprises Bella at the garden, and the two share a sweet moment as grandmother and granddaughter among their beloved butterflies.

Zarek’s writing balances evocative description and ease of reading for young kids.

Through an emphasis on motion and popping, colorful key words, the writing style embodies a childlike energy. Vivid sensory descriptions give a strong sense of place to each new location, working well with the illustrations to guide readers along Bella’s memorable journey.

Different colors code the dialogue of Bella and Yetta, making it easy for young readers to follow along with their over-the-phone conversation.

Illustrator Anastasia’s pastel coloring flows from page to page, matching Bella’s fantastical wandering through her memories.

The myriad locations blend in and out of Bella’s room as if the reader’s stepping into them alongside her. A familiar blue and pink color scheme gives way to unique palettes for each new scene, with plants and butterflies alike shown in their beautiful variety. Those butterflies—illustrations of various real-world species—flock across entire page spreads to conjure the wonder of seeing them in person.

The characters’ designs are as vibrant and playful as the butterflies they visit. They’re accompanied on their travels by Pip the Domovoi, an adorable little creature tucked away in the details of the illustrations.

Across these destinations, Bella and Grandma Yetta bring up fun facts about the butterflies they see.

Kids learn the cultural connotations of a visiting a white butterfly in Japan, and strange bits of biology about the migrating Monarchs. This book emphasizes the joy in sharing curiosity and appreciation of the natural world with your loved ones.

Any young readers with an interest in butterflies will adore Bella Brown—Grandma’s Missing Butterfly Locket.

April 28, 2025
Celebrating the 2024 CIBAs Overall Grand Prize Winner: Reenita Malhotra Hora for Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh
We are deeply honored and excited to announce the 2024 Winners of the Chanticleer International Book Awards

The CIBAs seeks out the best books across 28 different genre divisions featuring the best plots, characters, and stories out there. These books are put to the test until one is announced as the Overall Grand Prize Winner for the Year at the CIBAs Ceremonies, sponsored by The Chanticleer Authors Conference.

The Overall Grand Prize Division Winner was announced by Kiffer Brown and J.D. Barker at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 at the Bellingham Yacht Club in beautiful Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.
- See Fiction Grand Prize Winners here!
- See Non-Fiction, Series, Shorts, and brand new Chanticleer Cover Design (CCDA) Grand Prize Winners here!
This is the OFFICIAL Announcement for the OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the 2024 CIBAs!

And NOW for the

2024 CHANTICLEER INT’L BOOK AWARDS

BEST BOOK and

OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh

by Reenita M. Hora

Reenita will also be awarded $1,000 USD in recognition of her 2024 BEST BOOK of the YEAR – Chanticleer International Book Awards – Sponsored by Chanticleer Reviews & Media.

Thank you Reenita Hora for participating in the 2024 Chanticleer International Book Awards. We look forward to receiving future work in our CIBAs.

See Reenita’s Division Grand Prize Win in the 2024 Somerset Awards here

CONGRATULATIONS Reenita M. Hora!

From all of us at Chanticleer International Book Awards and Chanticleer Reviews.

Looking for your Division?
- See Fiction Grand Prize Winners here!
- See Non-Fiction, Series, and Shorts Grand Prize Winners here!
THANK YOU to CAC25 SPONSORS and FRIENDS

And to FRIENDS of CHANTICLEER REVIEWS:

J.D Barker, D.D Black, Kim Hornsby, Christine Fairchild, Maggie Marr, Cathy Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Mark Berridge, Bradley Metrock, Scott Steindorff, and Paul Hanson of Village Books

We have exciting news for the Chanticleer Community on the horizon so do stay tuned!

You know you want a coveted Chanticleer Reviews Blue Ribbon!

Submit your works (manuscripts or novels published after or on January 1, 2022, are accepted) to the prestigious Chanticleer International Book Awards today! Entries are being accepted into the 2024 CIBAs in all 28 fiction divisions and seven non-fiction divisions.

Be sure to register early for the 14th Chanticleer Authors Conference (dates TBA!)

Be well. Stay Healthy. Take Care!

An email will go out to all 2024 CIBA award winners prior to July 30, 2024, with instructions, links, and more information about the awards packages. We appreciate your patience. As stated many times before “One does not need to be present at the CIBA ceremony and banquet to win. But it sure is a lot more fun!”

As always, please contact us at info@ChantiReviews.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

We need good books, now more than ever!

The Chanticleer Reviews Team
April 25, 2025