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.
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.
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:
Which of your titles have resonated most strongly with each reader
What genres comprise their overall reading diet
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 ourBook Award Programthat has Discovered the Best Books since the early 2010s to ourEditorial Book Reviewsrecognizing and promoting indie and traditional authors, Chanticleer knows your books are worth the effort to market professionally!
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!
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A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
A Huge Congratulations to all of the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (CIBAs) Division Non-Fiction, Book Series, SEA Shorts, and CCDAs Grand Prize Winners!
Every tier of the CIBAs is an important one, though few rise to be one of the coveted Division Grand Prize Winners!
All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 5th at the Chanticleer Banquet.
Now, presenting the Non-Fiction Awards Grand Prize Winners!
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 I&IAwards is:
Success with Hydrangeas
A Gardeners Guide
Lorraine Ballato
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 NELLIE BLYAwards is:
The Sing Sing Files
One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a 20 Year Fight for Justice
Dan Slepian
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 HARVEY CHUTE Awards is:
Stop Worrying about Money
by Jacqui Clarke
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 MIND & SPIRIT Awards is:
Naked in the Now
Juicy Practices for Getting Present
By Marijke McCandless
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 HEARTEN Awards is:
Elk Love
A Montana Memoir
By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 MILITARY & FRONT LINE Awards is:
Memoirs From The Frontlines
Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic
by Kim Sloan
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 JOURNEY Awards is:
Unfollow Me
by Kathryn Caraway
Now, presenting the Shorts & Series Awards Grand Prize Winners!
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SHORTS Awards for Novellas and Long Prose:
Something About Lizzy
by Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SHORTS Awards for Short Stories and Essays is:
Dream Rut
Navigating Your Path Forward
by Dr Yumiko Shimabukuro
illustrated by Jieyu Deng
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SERIES Awards is:
A Vengeful Realm
by Tim Facciola
Last, but certainly not least! The DEBUT Chanticleer Cover Design Award Winners for Fiction and Non-Fiction!
Our First ever Grand Prize Cover Design Award Winner for Fiction is
Luna
By Strider S.R. Klusman
Our First ever Grand Prize Cover Design Award Winner for Non-Fiction is
Teaching in the Dark
By Genét Simone
We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.
The 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!
Make sure your Award gets the attention it deserves on Goodreads.com
In the Librarian Manual on Goodreads, you can go to your Book Edit Page — Literary Awards.
You want to list the Award for Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Winners, and be sure to include the year and what place you received. For example:
The year Long List, Short List, Semi-Finalist, Finalist, First Place, Division Grand Prize, or Overall Grand Prize Winner
Note from Goodreads: “To add a new award or edit an existing award, you’ll need help from one of our volunteer librarians or a staff member.” For assistance, post in the Goodreads Librarians Group.
Always double check that you’ve written everything correctly before posting it. The search function for Awards on Goodreads is both case and punctuation sensitive.
The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2024 CIBAs was Reenita Malhotra Hora‘s Book Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh
The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.
See Non-Fiction, Series, and Shorts Grand Prize Winners here!
See the Official Overall Grand Prize winner Post here!
Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
Attn CIBA Winners: More goodies and prizes will be coming your way along with promotion in our magazine, website, and advertisements in Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards long-tail marketing strategy. Welcome to the CIBA Hall of Fame for Award Winners!
This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, for Facebook to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.
A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting inMay. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. You will receive an OFFICIAL EMAIL NOTIFICATION with Digital Badges and more information.
Thank you for participating in the 2024 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.
This post has links to each of the 16 individual CIBA FICTION Divisions’ Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners. We will have a separate post for Non-Fiction Award Winners which will include the Shorts Awards, and the Series Awards’ winners.
All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 5that the Chanticleer Banquet. It is a huge honor for us to have the opportunity to recognize all Finalists, First Place Winners, and Grand Prize Winners with you live and in-person!
Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.
Now, presenting the links to the 2024 CIBA Fiction Division Awards Grand Prize Winners!
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction is:
Ares
By Jayson Adams
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 OZMAAwards is:
A Circle of Stars
By Erin Lark Maples
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SHELLEYAwards is:
The Time-Marked Warlock
By Shami Stovall
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:
A Blanket of Steel: The Rise of Oceania
By Timothy S. Johnston
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 CLUE Awards is:
Enemies Domestic
By John DeDakis
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 Mystery & Mayhem Awards is:
If Two Are Dead
by Jeanne Matthews
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards is:
The Realm of Gods
by Glen Dahlgren
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:
Back to Bainbridge
by Norah Lally
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:
Island Moon
by Ruth Amanda
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 LARAMIEAwards is:
Sarita
by Natalie Musgrave Dossett
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 CHAUCER Awards is:
Maid of Honour
Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
by Rozsa Gaston
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 GOETHE Awards is:
Abigail’s Song
by Alina Rubin
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 Hemingway BookAwards is:
Of White Ashes
by Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 CHATELAINE Book Awards is:
The Key
by Jo Morgan Sloan
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 HUMOR & SATIRE Awards is:
The Man Who Saw Seconds
by Alexander Boldizar
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SOMERSET Awards is:
Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh
by Reenita Malhotra Hora
We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.
Make sure your Award gets the attention it deserves on Goodreads.com
In the Librarian Manual on Goodreads, you can go to your Book Edit Page — Literary Awards.
You want to list the Award for Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Winners, and be sure to include the year and what place you received. For example:
The year Long List, Short List, Semi-Finalist, Finalist, First Place, Division Grand Prize, or Overall Grand Prize Winner
Note from Goodreads: “To add a new award or edit an existing award, you’ll need help from one of our volunteer librarians or a staff member.” For assistance, post in the Goodreads Librarians Group.
Always double check that you’ve written everything correctly before posting it. The search function for Awards on Goodreads is both case and punctuation sensitive.
The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2024 CIBAs was Reenita Malhotra Hora‘s Book Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh
The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.
See Non-Fiction, Series, and Shorts Grand Prize Winners here!
See the Official Overall Grand Prize winner Post here!
Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
Attn CIBA Winners: More goodies and prizes will be coming your way along with promotion in our magazine, website, and advertisements in Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards long-tail marketing strategy. Welcome to the CIBA Hall of Fame for Award Winners!
This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, for Facebook to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.
A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting inMay. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. You will receive an OFFICIAL EMAIL NOTIFICATION with Digital Badges and more information.
Thank you for participating in the 2024 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.
In her stunning and intimate memoir Staying Married is the Hardest Part: A Memoir of Passion, Secrets and Sacrifice, Bonnie Comfort takes readers on a decades-long journey of deep love, laughter, and the challenges of a long-term marriage, from first meeting her husband Bob in the late 1970s until his death in 2010.
Throughout their life together, Bonnie and Bob have their fair share of disagreements—including where to live—but the main conflict within their marriage centers around their conflicting sexual needs and preferences.
As a professional psychologist, Bonnie shows the highs and lows of her marriage to Bob, contrasted by her job of helping others with their emotional and relationship problems. Bonnie and Bob’s committed love for one another makes staying married both the hardest and easiest part of their lives regardless of what challenges come their way.
Staying Married is the Hardest Part also follows the complicated relationship between a mother and a daughter, and how it intersects with Bonnie’s marriage.
Bonnie’s mother struggles to come to terms with her own decision to move from her beloved Southern California home to Canada in 1934 for the sake of her marriage. The disappointment Bonnie’s mother feels in her life choice creates conflict when Bonnie moves to Los Angeles as a young adult to follow her own dreams.
Over the years, mother and daughter come to slowly understand each other, especially when Bob decides he wants to move and Bonnie fights to stay in LA. When the move doesn’t happen, Bob spends more and more time in a small town in Oregon.
Bonnie recounts both marriage and maternal bonds beautifully in a way that touches many families’ experiences.
The passages on Bonnie’s relationship with her mother are extraordinarily moving, as any child can relate to comparing their life to a parent’s, and the sacrifices made to follow a dream.
Bob comes off as quite the character, fitting someone who worked in Hollywood. His infectious humor and love for life fill the pages with engaging levity. But what Bonnie illustrates throughout the memoir is that everyone has flaws, and the choice to stay with someone means asking yourself if you can accept those flaws for the sake of the love and laughter that comes with them.
Bonnie Comfort’s Staying Married is the Hardest Part: a Memoir of Passion, Secrets and Sacrifice navigates the wild seas of married life to reveal its profound rewards. Avid readers of memoirs and contemporary fiction will find much to love about this engaging journey.
Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.
