Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

Small Business Saturday 2025! Time is Running Out on Chanticleer’s Annual Sale!
This Small Business Saturday

Don’t Miss Out on these Once-A-Year Deals!

BIGGEST ONLINE SALE of the YEAR

CHANTICLEER says

“THANK GOODNESS, I am a ROOSTER!”

HOLIDAY SALE

We couldn’t save the turkey,

but we can save you $$$

Check out these T.G.I.A.N.A.T. SPECIALS

(Thank Goodness I am Not a Turkey)

Time’s running out!

SALE PRICES ARE VALID until midnight PST Friday, Dec 5, 2025!

ONLINE SALE – LIMITED TIME

Check out these awesome sales!

Receive a $100 discount off CAC26 registration, The Chanticleer Authors Conference package that will take place in beautiful Bellingham, Wash April 16-19, 2026.

Seating is limited, so Register Today!

USE THIS CODE: 6R3PQ7MEV6JV

Learn from the Best at CAC26

Past Presenters have included: D.D. Black, Maggie Marr, Kim Hornsby, Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters!

Sessions on Fundraising for Authors, Audio Book Creation, Multiple Selling Platforms, Digital Marketing, Expanding Readership, Advanced Writing Craft and Content Creation, Understanding LLMs, Social Media Efficacy, Increasing Sales on Amazon, and SEO.

Multichannel Marketing

and the Business of Being a Writer

The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms

Take Your Writing Craft to the Next Level

Register here!

Don’t Delay! Take advantage of this Once a Year ONLINE SALE!

Chanticleer Editorial Book Review Package for $395 with DISCOUNT CODE: VJ4XVGCBMJBV

Purchase the book review package now and you can redeem it anytime in the future.

Use this code upon checkout to receive the $100 discount: VJ4XVGCBMJBV

Sale Applies to:
Kid Lit? We have you covered!

We’re offering $75 off our Children’s Book Reviews! Use the code on checkout to your book reviewed for the discounted rate of $250! Only available November 24-December 5, 2025!

Use code EZG8RCGZYVRX and save today!

This sale ends firmly at midnight PST Friday, December 5, 2025.

Celebrating Small Business Saturday

This Small Business Saturday (November 30, 2024), we’re proud to celebrate the small businesses that make our communities thrive. As a small, independently-owned business based in Bellingham, Washington, Chanticleer Reviews and Media is honored to play a small but important role in the ever-changing publishing landscape.

Founded in 2011 with the rise of digital publishing, we’ve helped authors from across the globe navigate this exciting new era of content creation. It’s your support that allows us to continue our work, and we’re grateful for the vibrant Chanticleer community we serve.

In the spirit of Small Business Saturday, we encourage you to shop local, support indie authors, and visit your favorite small businesses. Here in Bellingham, our partner Village Books is hosting a great sale this weekend (both in-store and online)—check it out!

Thank you for being part of what makes Chanticleer so special. Together, we’re supporting the future of publishing, one author at a time.

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

We wish you and yours a happy and safe Holiday Season

We are thankful for you, Dear Chanticleerians!

Be well. Stay safe. Keep on Writing Because We Need Good Books More Than Ever!

Kiffer, David, Argus, Dena, Scott, Anya and the Entire Chanticleer Team!
November 29, 2025
SAVE with these Black Friday DEALS from Chanticleer! The 2025 Thank Goodness I’m A Rooster Cyber Sale
Chanticleer’s once a year CYBER SALE is here!

with SAVINGS on BUNDLED REVIEWS, too!

This is the ONLY CYBER SALE of the YEAR!

CHANTICLEER says

Check out these T.G.I.A.N.A.T.

CYBER ONCE-A-YEAR DISCOUNTS

(Thank Goodness I am Not a Turkey)

Discount Codes ARE VALID until midnight PST Friday, December 5th, 2025

$$ Remember that PayPal offers six months same as cash with no interest! $$

And

You can redeem your CYBER SALE Reviews at anytime in the next three years!

Get your audiobook the attention it deserves!

Now is the chance to save big and DOUBLE your savings on an expert Editorial Review for your audiobook.

Use discount code 2CLZUVZEHAD for $100 off your Editorial Audiobook Review!

You can save an additional $100 by bundling with a Print Editorial Review before you click “Add to Cart!”

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Editorial Book Reviews

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Bulk Review Options?

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Sale Applies to:
- Standard Editorial Book Review Package
- Audiobook Reviews
- Children’s Book Reviews
- Expedited Reviews
Take your Author Career to the next level!

SAVE ON the 2026 CHANTICLEER AUTHORS CONFERENCE with this T.G.I.A.N.A.T. Discount Codes

Receive a $100 discount off CAC26 registration, The Chanticleer Authors Conference package that will take place in beautiful Bellingham, WA April 16-19, 2026.

USE THIS CODE: 6R3PQ7MEV6JV

Note: Seating is limited, so Register Today!

Learn from the Best at CAC26

Multichannel Marketing

and the Business of Being a Writer

The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms

Take Your Writing Craft to the Next Level

Use this code upon checkout to receive this $100 discount – our deepest discount for the conference: 6R3PQ7MEV6JV

Don’t Delay! Take advantage of this Once A Year CYBER SALE!

This sale ends firmly at midnight PST Friday, Dec. 5, 2025

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

We wish you and yours a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for you, Dear Chanticleerians!

Be well. Stay safe. Keep on Writing Because We Need Good Books More Than Ever!

Kiffer, David, Argus, Dena, Scott, Anya and the Entire Chanticleer Team!
November 28, 2025
CYBER SALE 2025 – The Annual Chanticleer Thank Goodness I’m a Rooster Sale!

Time is Running Out!
Don’t Miss Out on these Once-A-Year Deals!

The ONLY CYBER SALE of the YEAR

CHANTICLEER says

“THANK GOODNESS, I am a ROOSTER!”

CYBER SALE

We can’t save the turkey, but we can save you $$$!

Check out these T.G.I.A.N.A.T. SPECIALS

(Thank Goodness I am Not a Turkey)

SALE PRICES ARE VALID until midnight PST Friday, Dec. 5, 2025

CYBER SALE – LIMITED TIME

Check out these awesome sales!

Our best discount for the
Chanticleer Authors Conference!

Receive a $100 discount off CAC26 registration,

The Chanticleer Authors Conference will take place in beautiful Bellingham, Wash April 16 – 19, 2026.

USE THIS CODE: 6R3PQ7MEV6JV
Seating is limited, so Register Today!

Learn from the Best at CAC26.

Past Presenters have included: D.D. Black, Maggie Marr, Kim Hornsby, Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters!

Sessions on Fundraising for Authors, Audio Book Creation, Multiple Selling Platforms, Digital Marketing, Expanding Readership, Advanced Writing Craft and Content Creation, Understanding LLMs, Social Media Efficacy, Increasing Sales on Amazon, and SEO.

Multi-channel Marketing

and the Business of Being a Writer

The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms

Take Your Writing Craft to the Next Level at #CAC26

Use this code upon checkout to receive this $100 discount – our deepest discount for the conference. 6R3PQ7MEV6JV

Don’t Delay! Take advantage of this Once A Year CYBER SALE!

DISCOUNT CODES ARE VALID: Until midnight PST Friday, December 5th, 2025

Chanticleer Editorial Book Review Package for $395

Purchase the book review package now and you can redeem it anytime in the future.

Use this code upon checkout to receive the discount of $100: VJ4XVGCBMJBV

Audiobook Reviews are also eligible for Chanticleer’s only CYBER SALE of the YEAR! Use code 2CLZUVZEHAD for Audiobook Reviews!

Our Book Review Package (Regularly $495) includes SEO, Meta-Data, Tagging, Social Media Promotion, and Publication in the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine. Don’t delay! Be one of the lucky few to get in on this incredible rate.

Click here to purchase a Chanticleer Book Review Package for only $395.

Kid Lit? We have you covered!

We’re offering $75 off our Children’s Book Reviews! Use the code on checkout to your book reviewed for the discounted rate of $250! Only available November 24-December 5, 2025!

Use code EZG8RCGZYVRX and save today!

This sale ends firmly at midnight PST Friday, December 5th, 2025.

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

We wish you and yours a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for you, Dear Chanticleerians!

Be well. Stay safe. Keep on Writing Because We Need Good Books More Than Ever!

Kiffer, David, Argus, Dena, Scott, Anya, and the Entire Chanticleer Team!

November 26, 2025
DARK SITE by Stephen Baker – Sci-fi, Dystopian, Conspiracy Thriller

In Dark Site by Stephen Baker, one of the most powerful computer chips ever created isn’t in the hands of a government agency or tech corporation—it’s embedded in the brain of 15-year-old Alissa Terwilliger.

The year is 2043, and the world is on the brink of making brain implants available to everyone. China has already launched the first, their Boost chip, and the US is testing its own Victory chip in Mexico.

Alissa’s grandfather, Win Cooper, uses his vast riches to make it possible for her to get the Chinese Boost chip implanted in her head. Why? Because she’s his granddaughter, and he claims he wants her among the privileged first to “make magic” with the chip. She’s dubious at first, but once the chip is there she explores all the different services and apps available to her.

Far from a trained operative, Alissa is a typical teenager navigating the everyday chaos of adolescence, such as school, her dog, and her shifting emotions. Yet she’s also fluent in the language of technology, capable of using her chip to access the minds of the most powerful people in the country.

Soon Alissa discovers that her downstairs neighbor, Nicole, also has a Boost chip in her head, placed there by the government to spy on the Chinese chip technology.

Nicole is the ex-girlfriend of Alissa’s father. Alissa makes contact with Nicole through their chips, but takes the connection a step further, secretly utilizing the “Shotgun” app to hear and see everything that Nicole does.

Nate, Alissa’s boyfriend, is sympathetic to the “Renegades,” a movement opposed to the chip implant. His Renegade cousin, Javier, was recently abducted by a drone and carried off to a “Dark Site” owned and operated by corporate powers.

The Boost chip in her head becomes the center of her life, as well as a tool for others to use her by accessing it.

Her romantic life with Nate and Nate’s cousin, Javier, prove far deadlier than she could have imagined—and not only to herself.

Win Cooper’s motives for getting Alissa the chip come into question when she wonders whether his intention was truly benign or if he had plans to make her a “mule” for gathering secrets.

Stephen Baker’s Dark Site is a gripping exploration of what happens when cutting-edge technology falls into the hands of someone too young to fully grasp its consequences.

It’s a fast-paced, thought-provoking thriller that blends the tension of a spy novel with the raw unpredictability of teenage rebellion, raising timely questions about privacy, responsibility, and the price of unchecked innovation. Through the lens of a teenage girl caught between adolescence and overwhelming power, Baker delivers a cautionary tale about surveillance and the dangers of technology evolving faster than our ability to manage it.

November 26, 2025
CYBER SALE 2025 – The Annual Chanticleer Thank Goodness I’m a Rooster Sale!

Don’t Miss Out on these Once-A-Year CYBER Chanticleer Deals!

It’s OUR BIGGEST CYBER SALE of the YEAR

CHANTICLEER says

“THANK GOODNESS, I am a ROOSTER!”

CYBER SALE

We can’t save the turkey,

but we can save you $$$

Check out these T.G.I.A.N.A.T. SPECIALS

(Thank Goodness I am Not a Turkey)

Three Great Deals!

DISCOUNT CODES ARE VALID: Monday, November 24th until midnight PST Friday December 5th, 2025

CYBER SALE – LIMITED TIME

Check out these awesome sales!

Chanticleer Editorial Book Review Package for $395 with Discount Code

Purchase the book review package now and you can redeem it anytime in the future.

Use this code upon checkout to receive the once a year CYBER discount of $100: VJ4XVGCBMJBV

Audio Book Reviews are also eligible for Chanticleer’s only CYBER SALE of the YEAR! Use code 2CLZUVZEHAD for Audio Reviews!

Our Book Review Package (Regularly $495) includes SEO, Meta-Data, Tagging, Social Media Promotion, and Publication in the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine. Don’t delay! Be one of the lucky few to get in on this incredible rate.

Click here to purchase a Chanticleer Book Review Package for only $395.

Kid Lit? We have you covered!

We’re offering $75 off our Children’s Book Reviews! Use the code on checkout to your book reviewed for the discounted rate of $250! Only available November 24-December 5, 2025!

Use code EZG8RCGZYVRX and save today!

Our best discount for the
Chanticleer Authors Conference!

Receive a $100 discount off CAC26 registration,

The Chanticleer Authors Conference will take place in beautiful Bellingham, Wash April 16 – 19, 2026.

USE THIS CODE: 6R3PQ7MEV6JV
Seating is limited, so Register Today!

Learn from the Best at CAC26.

Past Presenters have included: D.D. Black, Maggie Marr, Kim Hornsby, Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters!

Sessions on Fundraising for Authors, Audio Book Creation, Multiple Selling Platforms, Digital Marketing, Expanding Readership, Advanced Writing Craft and Content Creation, Understanding LLMs, Social Media Efficacy, Increasing Sales on Amazon, and SEO.

Multi-channel Marketing

and the Business of Being a Writer

The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms

Take Your Writing Craft to the Next Level at #CAC26

Use this code upon checkout to receive this $100 discount – our deepest discount for the conference. 6R3PQ7MEV6JV

Don’t Delay! Take advantage of this Once A Year CYBER SALE!

DISCOUNT CODES ARE VALID:

Monday, November 24th until midnight PST Friday, December 5th, 2025

CYBER SALE – LIMITED TIME

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

We wish you and yours a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for you, Dear Chanticleerians!

Be well. Stay safe. Keep on Writing Because We Need Good Books More Than Ever!

Kiffer, David, Argus, Scott, Anya, Dena, and the Entire Chanticleer Team!

November 24, 2025
MORSE CODE: Land, Sea, and Air Book 3 by Sue C. Dugan – Middle Grade Adventure, Time Travel, Historical Fiction

Morse Code, the third book in Sue C. Dugan’s the Land, Sea, and Air series, plunges readers into double-layered intrigue. It’s a riot of sleuthing, history, and time itself at play.

At one end of the story, young British twins Dot and Dash Foxshire encounter three peculiar strangers around their parents’ archaeological dig in 1921’s Guatemala. Oddly overdressed for the jungle, the newcomers reveal they had just survived both the shipwrecks of the Titanic in 1912 and the S.S. Austria in 1858 (see Book One: Save Our Ships).

Meanwhile, Morse Code picks up where Book Two: Mayday left off. Jessie, her father, and Ben make it home from a remote island in the past, unaware that Prince, a man native to that island, has secretly stowed away with them into the future.

His presence in 2016 quickly attracts the government’s attention; a linguist studies Prince in quarantine and grows fascinated with his hybrid system of gestures and speech, identifying it as an extinct Mayan language. Having safely arrived home in 2016’s Florida, Jessie seeks guidance from Roberto, an attractive boy at her school whose knowledge of time-space travel gives Jessie a new theory about where Prince really came from.

Jessie persuades the linguist to travel back into the Guatemalan jungle and return Prince to his home—with her older brother, Phil, acting as reluctant chaperone. However, their expedition takes an unexpected turn when an earthquake in Guatemala hurls Jessie and Prince into 1921, where they cross paths with Dot, Dash, and the Titanic trio.

The delight of Morse Code lies in its willingness to let two plots collide head-on, embracing historical what-ifs with a sense of childlike wonder.

As the mismatched group assembles a chronology of their overlapping stories, Jessie recalls Roberto mentioning that Albert Einstein would be in 1921’s New York City. If anyone can help untangle the mysteries of time, it’s him. With the Foxshire family’s help, the crew sets its sights on unraveling the mystery at the heart of their travels.

Much like the Magic Tree House series, Morse Code, Book Three of the Land, Sea, and Air series by Sue C. Dugan, balances whimsy with a little history lesson, respecting the complexities of its ideas while keeping a brisk pace toward another suspenseful cliff-hanger. Middle-grade readers eager to puzzle out myths and mysteries lost to time will find Morse Code, along with the series as a whole, both rewarding and wildly entertaining.

November 24, 2025
THE CONSTITUTION KIDS by Gary Gabel – US History, US Politics, Educational

The Constitution Kids by Gary Gabel aims to make learning the United States Constitution not only easy, but fun, too!

Plenty of adults in the US—even well-educated ones—have a limited knowledge of what’s in the US Constitution. Children and teens are even less likely to know much about the country’s foundational set of laws. That dense legal document, plus its 27 amendments, doesn’t exactly make for peaceful bedtime reading. Still, the Constitution helps explain how the US is meant to function, and what’s happened when that functioning breaks down. While it’s aimed at younger readers, adults can also get a worthwhile education from picking up this book.

At just under 200 pages, The Constitution Kids is appropriately short and approachable. However, it’s also comprehensive in its examination of the Constitution and its every amendment.

Some of the most interesting sections deal with lesser-known amendments, which readers may not be familiar with. For example, in the 1960s, the 24^th amendment banned poll taxes in elections after a successful push by John F. Kennedy’s administration. Before the adoption of that amendment, people often had to pay to vote, which was a major barrier to equity.

Gabel recounts the reason for the 24^th amendment in vivid, memorable prose. He shares how poll taxes were often used to block Black Americans from voting and even connects this history to ongoing issues now. “Although this amendment made a big difference, even today states get involved with various strategies to reduce minority turnout at elections.” (pg. 166)

Gabel cleverly employs historic figures as characters who recount how the Constitution and every amendment came to be, and why they matter.

The Constitution Kids centers on three American high schoolers who go looking for information about the Constitution. In the process, they discover a magical library book, from which these historical characters emerge and take them on journeys into the past. Famous people like Benjamin Franklin and John F. Kennedy, as well as lesser-known figures like Quaker suffragette Alice Paul, guide the “Constitution kids” through American history.

The Constitution Kids doesn’t read like a typical, plot-driven novel with vivid descriptions of the settings and events as they unfold, but this simple style of storytelling excels in highlighting the core information. The historical figures explain different constitutional arguments with a quick and focused pace.

We follow the kids through their favorite activities as they learn about the Constitution, like browsing the library, ice skating, and a bit of teenage rebellion, but the book’s not really about the kids themselves—it’s about what they learn. Teachers could easily use chapters of The Constitution Kids in a school lesson plan.

The greatest strength of Gary Gabel’s The Constitution Kids is its use as a reference guide. The Constitution takes center stage rather than active scenes of character development. When a certain amendment pops up in the news, or when historical curiosity strikes, this book is an excellent source of information on constitutional issues. Many families, whether with kids in the house or not, would find The Constitution Kids a valuable addition to their bookshelves.

November 21, 2025
The 2025 Chatelaine Long List for Romance Fiction
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romance and Women’s Fiction. The Chatelaine Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs). We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the first look rounds from all 2025 CHATELAINE entries to the 2025 Chatelaine Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Chatelaine Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romance and Women’s Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Allison G. Smith – New Tenant
- Amanda Nelson & Lisa-Marie Potter – Just What the Doctor Hired
- Ann Dunbar – Áine’s Salvation
- Anne M. Beggs – By Arrow and Sword: Book Two Dahlquin Series
- Antonia Gavrihel – Back to One: Take 4 Slating Magic Hour
- Charlene Tess & Judi Thompson – Angel’s Heart
- Crystal Charlotte Cc Lane – Kevin and Katherine in the Next Lifetime
- Crystal Charlotte Cc Lane – Shilpa’s Blue Crayon
- D.J. Pratt – Prima Nocta: A Mystical Quest for Love
- E.L. Deards – The Lavender Blade
- Elizabeth Conte – Chosen Mistress
- Emily A. Myers – You Can Feel It in the Silence
- Eve M Riley – The Escape
- Eve M Riley – The Game
- Hanna Park – The Scald Crow
- Jerry Madden – Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s a Love Story
- Jourdana Webber – Unconventionally Elle
- Kathleen Brehony – The Third Act
- Kim Gottlieb-Walker – Lenswoman in Love
- Kinsey Wiseman – The Election
- Lizzie Jenks – Devil in Our Hearts
- Louisa West – Gwen Lee and the Trident of Poseidon
- Manmohan Sadana – Fleeting Moments, Eternal Memories
- Margaret Porter – Sequins and Starlight
- Melanie King-Smith – Gihigugma Ace of Hearts
- Milfy – The Italian Affair: A Midlife Romance
- Nancy Herkness – Royal Caleva Raul
- Patricia Grayhall – A Place for Us
- Patrick E. Craig – When the Hummingbirds Danced in the Honeysuckle Sky
- Rhone Atleshen – Gaslight
- S.E. Beathan – Nothing Lost
- S.E. Reichert – No Words After I Love You
- S.G. Blaise – Eldryan Elders
- Sharon Shipley – December and Mae
- Shawn Hays and Stephen Hays – What Light Was
- Sue C. Dugan – Forever Ever Always
- Susan Bagby – Sweet Ridge Hearts
- Susan W. Green – Crystal Lake Christmas
- Tammy Mannersly – A Garland at Bitterbark Creek
- Tasha Zima – The Making of a Storm
- Tatiana Mcclintock – Boyband Love Escapades
- Tina Sloan – Chasing Czars
- Tori Ross – Baked and Burned
- Wanda Penalver Bevan – The Rains of Wishton
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2024 Chatelaine Grand Prize Winner

The Key

By Jo Morgan Sloan

Click here to see the full list of 2024 Chatelaine Book Award Winners for Romance Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Chatelaine Book Awards.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 17 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. 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.

Join us for our annual conference discover why!
November 19, 2025
FRACTURED by Brian Blackwood – Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Dark Fantasy

A genre defying debut, Fractured by Brian Blackwood tells the story of Rook Maison, who sustains his life by ripping out peoples’ souls to steal their bodies for himself. This unique ability comes with one cataclysmic side effect. Each time Rook replaces a soul, those souls—and Rook’s own—become increasingly fractured.

The forces of Heaven and Hell rely on a carefully maintained balance, and Rook has pushed that balance to a breaking point.

Originally a Catholic monk during the emergence and upheaval of Lutheranism, Rook has become increasingly disillusioned towards his religion and the purpose of his endless mercurial life. As the centuries passed by, Rook became a shell of who he once was, doing anything and taking whatever bodies necessary to continue his existence.

Rook grew hellbent on finding every scrap of information about his mysterious origins. But now, with a target on his back, Rook must decide if finding the truth is worth destroying the worlds of the living and the dead.

Fractured will entice those who root for the morally grey and antiheroes, as Rook Maison is a deeply interesting example.

Readers experience him in many different forms, from his devout beginnings and guilt-ridden conscience at having to take soul to a villainous disregard for the lives of others in favor of selfish survival. The plot jumps around in time as it reveals Rook’s backstory, building a sense of mystery and foreboding.

Some chapters focus on the perspective of the Angels, a fascinating angle on the story as they join with Hell to stop the fabric of the universe from being destroyed.

Placing Fractured within one genre would not do it justice. Its blend of urban fantasy, historical fiction, horror, and religion creates something unique and exciting for a variety of readers.

Brian Blackwood’s background in theory and screenwriting shines through his cinematic prose.

Illustrations at the beginning of each chapter set the tone for the pages that follow and piques interest in the central mystery that is Rook Maison.

A thought-provoking wild ride, Brian Blackwood’s Fractured is not to be missed. It asks complex questions through a well-developed character while providing the entertainment of a time-traveling adventure. An excellent choice for fans of urban fantasy, historical thrillers, and gothic religious horror. Rook Maison is one hell of a force to be reckoned with.

November 19, 2025
The 2025 I&I Long List for Instruction & Insight
The Instruction and Insight Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Guides and Self- Help Non-Fiction. The I&I Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring HOW-TO, Guidance, Travel Guides, Cookbooks, Instruction, Insight, Self-Help, and more.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2025 I&I Non-Fiction entries to the 2025 I&I Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the I&I Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC26).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Bellingham Yacht Club sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 I&I Book Awards novel competition for Guiding and How-to Non-Fiction!

Join us in celebrating the Long List authors and their works in the 2025 CIBAs.
- Albert Jung – What’s Your Name
- Alejandra Acuña – Stones, Flowers, and Lessons Learned
- Ana María López Jimeno – Vademecum of English: a Complete Reference Guide for Teachers and Learners
- Andrew Cooper – The Ethical Imperative: Leading with Conscience To Shape the Future of Business
- Ashlee Piper – No New Things
- Darryl Arrington, PhD – Epilogue: Now We Rise Above the Trafficking Experience
- Dawn Madelon Barclay – Vacations Can Be Murder: a True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide To New England
- Evan M. Butterfield – Copyright for Creatives: a Practical Guide To Copyright Law for Creative People Who Make Stuff
- Hanna Hasl-Kelchner, Mba Jd – Seeking Fairness at Work: Cracking the New Code of Greater Employee Engagement Retention Satisfaction
- Holly Thorton – The Hardest Help: Supporting a Loved One Through Addiction
- Jack Wolf – Critical Thinking for Go-Getters
- Jerome Puryear – The Art of Thinking: Critically with Clarity for Optimal Health Your Longevity Is Determined by How You Think
- Judy Taylor – Magpie Times Marshmallow World
- Kathleen Lockyer – Wild Inside: How Nature Protects Your Child’s Mental Health and Restores Yours
- Leslie Bains – Birds, Monarch Butterflies, and Short Hikes in the Santa Barbara Area
- Luella Goethals – Resonance Chakra Balance and the Law of Attraction
- Léonie Rosenstiel – They’re Coming for Your Elders and Your Inheritance: Ways To Protect Your Family Mitigate the Damage and Change the System
- Stephen Rue – Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant To Be
- Tak Salmastyan – The Life’s Theater: Book One: Echoes That Suffocate, Art and Essays
- Tissa Richards – Rethinking Resilience: Fueling Your Competitive Advantage
- Tony Jeton Selimi – Climb Greater Heights
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 I&I Awards is:

Success With Hydrangeas

By Lorraine Ballato

See the full list of 2024 First Place I&I Winners here!

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 I&I Book Awards for Guiding and Helpful Non-Fiction.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 17 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. 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.

Join us for our annual conference discover why!
November 17, 2025