To Conquer Death by Richard H. Moon follows brothers Koshei and Tyfon—and Doryah, a barbarian woman—on a mythic quest across ancient Egypt and beyond, to a place where Egyptian myths come to life and rouse the dead. To restore balance to their world, the trio may have to sacrifice everything from their homes to their very souls.
From the very first page, this story is built on love and loss. Koshei and Tyfon—mere children at the time—face the prospect of life without their beloved father after his body is returned to them from war wrapped in linen. Doryah lost her mother, and the funeral leaves the grieving daughter with the impression that only flames can subdue the dead when they attempt to rise again.
The brothers, now young men, have followed in their father’s footsteps as warriors and joined the army. Supposed invaders have come from across the Great Green Sea, but after the battle they are discovered to be refugees rather than aggressors. Among them is Doryah, who warns Koshei and Tyfon that they have fled a dark and ancient force that can bring corpses back to life. At Pharoah’s command, the three lead an expedition back across the sea to Achea, through abandoned communities, until finally they reach a frozen wasteland. An army of the dead awaits them, along with a god whose games mortals have very little hope of winning.
Moon’s descriptions of the ancient lands these characters traverse, as well as the cultures and customs they practice and encounter, anchor this story to history. From this solid foundation, the mystical and supernatural elements thrive.
Even without any prior knowledge of ancient Egyptian hierarchies and social conventions, readers will easily immerse themselves in the story and learn as they go. Moon makes a point to include information such as how the Egyptian New Kingdom’s civil calendar was structured and how the Nile’s annual flood cycles determined the seasons, ensuring historic authenticity beneath the rich world-building.
The dynamic cast imbues large, otherworldly conflicts with a myriad of human personality.
Where Koshei is measured and almost always perfectly in control, Tyfon has grown up to become more reckless. Their relationship is relatable despite the distinct challenges they must undergo. Doryah contributes unique, equally developed perspectives to round out the narrative. While the story takes place in the ancient world, like many historical novels they often utilize more modern turns of phrase when speaking to one another, the characters work hand in hand with the supernatural setting to weave a suspenseful plot.
Combining the scope of epic fantasy with intimate personal conflicts, Richard H. Moon’s To Conquer Death tells a timeless story of characters who face insurmountable trials, endure profound loss, and forge bonds that outlast even death itself.
The Adventures of Mrs. Crockess and Ivy: No Pockets? No Problem! by Julia Kolouch, illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, is a wacky tale of innovative solutions to one of life’s greatest struggles: pockets!
A joyful lesson in problem-solving and independence, this is the perfect story for young readers who want to do things all by themselves. They’ll want to hear it over and over again—and then learn how to read it on their own.
The adored Briggs’ family dog, Mrs. Crockess, is a snuggly reading partner to Mrs. Briggs, an extra hand (or paw) in the kitchen to Mr. Briggs, and a rock n’ roll bandmate, slushy enjoyer, and flower-picker to her best friend, little Ivy Briggs. Together, Ivy and Mrs. Crockess are a force to be reckoned with.
When a string on Ivy’s guitar breaks in the middle of their jam session, they have to rush to the music store so they can keep rocking out. But—oh no! Mrs. Crockess lacks an essential item for their mission: a pocket!
Without a pocket, she can’t hold her money, her keys, her phone, her map, her bone, or her lip balm. The best friends put their noggins together to come up with a creative solution to the pocket problem. But when that idea falls through, they need another… and another … and another … and another! They only have until the music store closes to come up with the perfect solution.
Tag along with lovable Ivy and fantastic Mrs. Crockess as they learn to solve big problems with lots of love, silliness, and patience for each other.
Packed with Petros Bouloubasis’s colorful illustrations and goofy details, No Pockets? No Problem! will make kids laugh out loud and ask important questions like: “Why does a dog need lip balm?” “What kind of word is “Phwump’?” and, “How in the world does a dog play the drums?”
Inspired by stories imagined by her 3-year-old niece, No Pockets? No Problem! by Julia Kolouch will have kids and adults alike wondering what in the world Ivy and Mrs. Crockess will do next.
The Mind & Spirit Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction. The Mind & Spirit 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 Spirituality, Enlightenment, Self-Help, Mindfulness, Well-being, Meditation, Energy, and more.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2025 Mind & Spiri Non-Fiction entries to the 2025 Mind & Spirit Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for 2025 Mind & Spirit Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and 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 28 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, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA sponsored by the 2026Chanticleer Authors Conference.
These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 Mind & Spirit Book Awards novel competition for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction!
Join us in celebrating the Long List authors and their works in the 2025 CIBAs.
Amy L. Bernstein – Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears Finding Inspiration
Andy Becker – “Grandy Let’s Play!”: Reflections on the Joy Blessings and Wonder of Grandparenting
Andy Chaleff – Dying To Live: Finding Life’s Meaning Through Death
Anne Jeppesen – When Life Came Knocking
Charlotte Swift – Glow Up: Self-Love and Spirituality for Teens
Cheryl Lynn – Washing the Inside of the Cup: My Journey of Walking in the Spirit
D. H. Hutton – Drums of a Distant Tribe: a Son’s Message From the Great Beyond
Danielly Kaufmann – The Age of Digital Spirit
Diane Marie Taylor – I’m on Assignment: an Alternative View of Past Lives, the Impact on Our Current Lives, Soul Mates, World History, and the Akashic Records
G.W. Evans – Heaven’s Hill: Meeting Your Loved Ones on the Other Side
Dr. James Manning – Deeply Human the Science and Soul of Emotional Healing
J.D. Pincus Ph.d. – The Emotionally Agile: Brain Mastering the 12 Emotional Needs That Drive Us
Julianna Lindsey – Radiant Longevity a Physician’s Protocol for Living Your Best Life
Keith and Erin Ramachandran – Mental Health, Strong Marriage
Lara Sanderson – Mātrikā’s Muse: a Journey To Awakening Through the Senses
Linda A. Lavid – Personal Archetypes for Stress Relief: a Holistic Guide
Marie-Eve Dawood – Jesus Shrank My Dating Pool: Holding Out for a Godly Man When It Feels Like You’ve Missed the Boat
Marti Tote – A Whisper in the Wings
Natalie Saar – Becoming 1 Better: 100 Simple Changes To Improve Your Life 1 at a Time
Paul O’Neill – Letters To a Young Teacher: Wisdom for Those Who Guide Others
Rev. Robyn Accetturo, Lcsw – I Am the Reluctant Messiah and So Are You
Stavo Mustang Craft – Auto Antenna: an Enchanted Guide To Santa Fe & Vague Blueprint To the Cosmos
Terri Harford – New Body, Old Soul
Timeout A. Taumu – The Magnificence of the 3
Tyrone Polastri – Dancing on the Edge: Moving Through Life with Power, Dignity, and Effectiveness
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
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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.
Tamara Dever’s The Day We Found Yesterday is a blast from the past, a picture book for both young readers and nostalgic GenXers to experience the ’80s. Dazzling funky illustrations with 500+ music references will catch anyone’s eye and instantly transport readers back to the days of “I want my MTV!”
Eileen, Mickey and Eddie love their grandparents, Nana and Papa. When they overhear them grieving something special they lost long ago, the grandkids set out on a mission in their grandparents’ hometown to find it. They visit their grandparents’ friends at their local businesses, hoping that one of them will have the answer to the question of the missing treasure.
Their journey quickly turns into a time-traveling adventure as they gather stories of their grandparents’ ’80s childhoods from the friends and family who watched them grow up.
The shops are covered with ’80s music callbacks, like “Karma” the Chameleon in the pet store, the travel agency slogan, “On the Road Again,” and a reminder on the doctor’s office wall that “every breath you take keeps lungs healthy.”
Each page of The Day We Found Yesterday, illustrated by Missi Jay, is a universe of detail.
Colorful signs and carefully hidden objects cover every inch, inviting children to pore over the pages, pick out favorite illustrations, and giggle over silly puns. New readers will find ’80s slang like “atomic” and “funky” to be an exciting challenge!
Once the kids’ adventure has come to an end, there’s more to explore at the back of the book.
Young readers can treasure hunt through the pages for tiny items like bells and hamsters. Meanwhile, adults can search for references to songs, artists, and even spot cameos from ’80s celebrities like Corey Hart, Debbie Gibson, and the lead singers of Men Without Hats, A Flock of Seagulls, and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. Mark Goodman, Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter, and Martha Quinn also show up in colorful images as the original MTV VJs.
The Day We Found Yesterday by Tamara Dever opens opportunities for children to learn more about their parents’ and grandparents’ lives, sparking connection beyond generational boundaries in a fun, colorful adventure. This is a story that will last through the decades!
On Veterans Day, we pause to honor those who served and the stories they leave behind. These narratives serve as a connection between those who serve and those who they protect.
Every veteran’s story carries weight beyond the individual experience. These accounts are heirlooms passed down through families and shared across communities. They help us understand what happened and what it means when they come back. .
From Kiffer: Remembering Billy Wayne Flynn
Billy Wayne Flynn at West Point Academy. He was killed in Vietnam January 23, 1967.
My first cousin, Billy Wayne Flynn, graduated from West Point Academy. He was killed in Vietnam on January 23, 1967, among the first 100 Americans to die in that conflict.
Featured Voices: Veterans Who Wrote Their Stories
NEVER OUTMATCHED By Lee Pepper
Part leadership manual, part tactical playbook, Never Outmatched: Military Strategies to Lead, Innovate, and Win in the Modern Marketing Battlefield by Lee Pepper blends military wisdom and modern insight into sharp, grounded business guidance.
Pepper draws heavily from his dual experience as an army officer and a high-level marketing executive, offering more than just inspiration. Never Outmatched is a practical, story-driven guide that borrows from the discipline, mindset, and adaptability of military strategy.
Lee Pepper distills years of hard-won experience into a collection of mental models designed to help leaders act decisively even when the odds feel stacked against them or the path ahead unclear. Strategies like “Commander’s Intent” teach you how to lead with vision while empowering your team to move independently. “Force Multiplication” shows how to get more from the people and tools you already have, and “War-Gaming” helps you anticipate problems before they hit.
Rod Haynes’s memoir Unauthorized Disclosures: A Navy Memoir of the 1980s portrays military life without filter, transcending glamorous and heroic images to explore the daily struggles, leadership challenges, emotional battles, and personal growth during his decade of military service.
We first meet Rod as a young man trying to navigate a directionless civilian life. The burdens of unemployment, fractured family relationships, and an identity crisis lead him to a chance encounter in Seattle with ‘Space Case’, an eccentric, troubled, yet honest character. The relationship offers a glimpse at rock bottom—which Rod fears most.
Rod decides to join the Navy because he needs employment.
In A Grand Pause: A Novel on May 14, 1945, the USS Randolph, Kamikazes, and the Greatest Air-Sea Rescue by Gary Santos, readers board the US Naval aircraft carrier alongside its crewmen as World War II’s Pacific Theater reaches a critical point.
This compelling novel opens with a startling description of the US Navy caught in the bloodiest and longest battle in its history. Through a wide cast of characters, from sailors to pilots, officers to the deck crew, everyone plays a vital role in keeping the USS Randolph running amidst the most heated naval combat of World War II.
Santos writes every moment of these nightmarish battles with intensity and authenticity.
Sometimes, a close and personal story can reveal the true weight of major historical events. Combat Missions, a memoir from WWII veteran Burl D. Harmon, achieves this by detailing how Europe’s vicious aerial battles shape a young boy’s entry to manhood.
On December 7, 1941, Harmon is summoned to his high school’s auditorium to hear President Roosevelt proclaim it as, “a day which will live in infamy…” Soon after, his draft notice arrives. Harmon’s junior college studies and work at the local Rexall drug store are put on hold as he joins the vast flood of young American men and women conscripted into military service. Leaving his small Iowa town and a family mostly sheltered from the grim realities of the outside world, he travels to New York City with people from every imaginable background.
With no prior mechanical experience, he works diligently to become a flight engineer, training to master a lexicon of manual tasks and learn the intricacies of air-to-air combat amidst bombing runs. His training takes him even farther from home, to Detroit, Lorado, Texas, Puerto Rico, and even Cuba.
There was an average of 17.6 veteran suicides per day in 2019 (VA Mental Health)
Firearms were used in 70% of veteran suicide in 2019 (Stars and Stripes)
Suicide Risk of veterans is almost double what it is for the general population (VA Public Health)
The greatest difference in suicide rates between veterans and nonveterans is among those ages 18–34 (Rand Corporation)
The largest number of veterans who die by suicide are between 55 and 74 years old. (Rand Corporation)
25% of all veterans have a service connected disability (Military.com)
41% of all post 9/11 veterans have a service connected disability (Military.com)
These statistics remind us that honoring veterans means more than parades and ceremonies. It means supporting them through the invisible wounds that persist long after service ends, and ensuring their stories are heard and preserved.
The Red Badge Project, founded by actor Tom Skerritt, uses the creative process of storytelling to help wounded warriors rebuild their sense of purpose and individuality. For those struggling with PTSD, anxiety, and depression, believing in the value of their story and finding means to communicate it represents a struggle of heroic proportions.
Supporting Veterans Who Write
At Chanticleer, we’ve had the honor of reviewing outstanding novels and narrative nonfiction written by veterans whose stories enlighten, remind, empathize, and create better understanding of military service.
All of us at Chanticleer have family members who have served, making Veterans Day particularly meaningful to us. We encourage you to take time today to remember the veterans in your life and to seek out their stories—whether through conversation, literature, or simply quiet reflection.
Do you have a book with a military theme that deserves to be discovered?
Chanticleer Editorial Reviews are optimized to maximize your digital footprint, helping readers find your important stories. Our reviews provide professional validation that honors the work veterans put into sharing their experiences.
Submitting to the Chanticleer International Book Awards is also a powerful way to get your military story discovered. For Non-Fiction we have the Military & Front Line Awards and for Fiction we have the Hemingway Awards for 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction.
Thank you to all who have served, to the families who supported them, and to those who preserve their stories for generations to come.
Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good, and to protect our democracy.
The SEA Shorts Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Short Stories. The Shorts Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).
The Chanticleer International Book Awards program discovers today’s best works. The SEA Short Stories Awards discovers the Best New Short Form Fiction, Narrative Non-Fiction and Essays. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
These titles have moved forward from the 2025 SEA SHORTS LONG LIST to the 2025 SEA Shorts Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 SEA Shorts Award Semi-Finalists. 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 at the 2026Chanticleer Authors Conference.
These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2025 SEA Shorts Book Awards novel competition for Short Stories!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
AJ Skelly – Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor
C. V. Lee – Her Noble Groom
Catherine Brown – Purrfect Revenge
Cathryn Devries – Son of Osivirius
Charlie Robinson – Bow Tie Sex a Serious Scientific Study
Chell Linn Araya – Don’t Talk To Strangers
Christopher Macdonald – The Wobbly Man
David Fitz-Gerald – A Pioneer Christmas Beyond the Oregon Trail
Dr. Gregory Steinberg – No More To Lose Till Death Do Us Part
Gail Heath – Minuet
Gail Noble-Sanderson – All Is Fair
Grace Haygood – A Love To Call Home
J. L Oakley – Mr. Brown Reads
Jackson Kuhl – The Island of Small Misfortunes
Jalon J Jakab – Inside the Walls
Jamie Kirkpatrick – The Dreamcatcher
Joseph Kovler – At the Corner of Hitler and Goering
Julia Marie Davis – Catbird
K. E. Adamus – To Outwit the Fate
Katherine Smith Dedrick – Tangled Verdict
Kathleen Kaska – The Diary of Simone Lablanc
Kregg P.J. Jorgenson – An Accidental Muse
Lasse Toft – 70 Things You Can Do While Being Hospitalized
Linda Harris Sittig – B-52 Down the Night the Bombs Fell From the Sky
Maggie Enriquez – The Rebirth of a Phoenix
Marie Sutro – For the First Time
Marie Sutro – Not the North Pole
Marie Sutro – You Oughta Know
Mary Ann Bernal – Anarose and Medusa’s Curse
Morris Hoffman – Boy of Heaven
Murray Eiland – Mount Zephon Gateway To Mot
Murray Eiland – Philosopher of Fire
Paisley Summer – The Movie Theatre
PJ Devlin – Original Sins
Richard Leslie Brock – Cephalonia
Richard Leslie Brock – The Atonements
Ruud Richardson – The Spy: A Short Story
Sandra Wagner-Wright – The Life & Times of Sarah Good Accused Witch
Sarena Straus – The Patchwork Man
T.O. Paine – The Abduction
TK Sheffield – Horse Thief: A Nomad Vet with a Score To Settle Takes on Horse Thieves in a Midwest Showdown
TK Sheffield – The Glitching Ghoul: AI Terror at a Writer’s Retreat
Congratulations once more to the 2024 Shorts Grand Prize Winner for Short Prose
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.
Caught in the midst of a succession crisis, Naya sacrifices much of herself to be the dutiful girl she thinks her father expects. In A Clan Chief’s Daughter by Sarah V. Barnes, Naya’s kept in the dark while enemies plot her family’s downfall.
In the previous book of the series, She Who Rides Horses, Naya began the monumental task of bonding with the wild horses of the Pontic-Caspian Steppe. Guided by dreams of purpose alongside the red filly Réhda, they’d gone so far as to gallop free together. But returning to her clan after a winter apart, Naya finds a terrible captivity waiting for both her and the horses she loves.
A confluence of tragedy and treachery leaves Naya’s father, Potis, vulnerable in his role as Chief.
The clans of the Plānos tribe are soon convening for their annual Gathering. As this year’s host, Potis is expected to supply a plentiful animal sacrifice, especially since he hopes to claim his late father’s position as Plānos Chief of Chiefs. That would be hard enough after a brutal winter, but without warning much of the clan’s livestock are slaughtered in a senseless and suspicious attack.
The stage set, a captivating young man arrives as the clan’s seeming savior. Wailos, son of Potis’s main rival, helps the clan capture a herd of horses that had become habituated to humans—the very same whose trust Naya earned. They are to be sacrificed in place of the clan’s missing livestock.
Wailos shows interest in Naya, who’s begun preparations to be presented as a young woman at the Gathering. He promises a rich bride price of livestock, and such a marriage could prove a valuable political alliance in itself. Naya disregards her own reservations about Wailos in the hopes of helping her father and maybe even sparing the horses.
Naya’s self-denial extends to her loved ones and her very purpose, as she holds herself responsible for the suffering of the horses in captivity.
She refuses her grandmother Awija’s lessons on the importance of dreams and following one’s own heart. Visiting the horses is more than she can bear, especially as it brings her close to Aytal. While Naya holds deep resentment towards the young man, she can’t forget the connection and affection that grew between them over the winter.
Naya’s mother Sata leaves the clan for her childhood home alongside Oyuun, Aytal’s father, and Naya refuses to see it as anything but a betrayal of her and Potis. She turns away from the pain of her conflicted feelings and into the role of a clan chief’s daughter.
When the promises of that role unravel around her, she risks losing her freedom, her loved ones, and her heart’s deepest desire forever.
Barnes builds a societal conflict with complicated systems of alliance and tradition, enriching the story and historical detail through their combination.
The contest for power as Plānos Chief of Chiefs is well-grounded in the immediate and daunting challenges Potis faces as he struggles to stabilize his people. All the while, threads of conspiracy close in around Potis and Naya alike, with the villains always a step ahead. Potis decides not to reveal the danger Wailos poses to Naya, building a powerful sense of dread as Wailos uses the social expectations of their tribe to draw her into a cruel trap.
This conflict revolves around a theme of cooperation versus competition. Potis understands the necessity of maintaining peaceful bonds within and beyond their tribe, but he faces people who are willing to destroy anyone to grasp power.
A Clan Chief’s Daughter shows the injustice of strict gender roles and the vital importance of fighting against them. Barnes uses her rich characters to illuminate different facets of this oppression.
Awija and Sata both hope to turn Naya away from accepting what is expected of her—to be traded away as a commodity through marriage. But though Sata’s struggle to understand her desires against social stricture mirrors Naya’s own, Naya can’t listen without confronting the parts of herself she wants only to escape.
Throughout Naya’s preparation for the Gathering, Awija tries to instill an understanding of self-possessed womanhood in her and the other girls. Having come from a different culture in her youth, Awija contrasts the beliefs of the Plānos. She implies how such gender roles are not essential facets of nature but rather tools of control and power consolidation—tools that this story’s villains wield to harrowing effect.
After months trying to put her wants and fears aside to better serve her expected role, Naya is betrayed completely. She hopes that there might yet be friends she can turn to, but will only reach them if she learns to trust herself again.
Naya’s inner journey takes her through despair at how much she loses, but also an enlightening catharsis. She sacrifices her connection to the horses in a way that mirrors Aytal’s earlier sacrifice of his skill as a bowman, making A Clan Chief’s Daughter an effective rejoinder to the themes established in She Who Rides Horses.
Once Naya accepts that she cannot separate her love, anger, and grief from one another, she can finally begin to brave her nightmares to recover her own destiny.
In its well-crafted combination of vulnerable personal journey, well-researched ancient setting, and commentary on social roles that still manifest in our world today, A Clan Chief’s Daughter by Sarah V. Barnes will fascinate and satisfy in equal measure. A worthy successor to the first book in the series, She Who Rides Horses.
A children’s book’s illustrations are a non-reading and early reader child’s gateway into a story.
Falling in love with books is imperative for the development of a child’s listening and attention skills, as well as their cognitive and language development. It also helps them socially and emotionally, creates bonding experiences and fosters their own creativity as they begin to express themselves through art and verbal storytelling.
All characteristics that lay the path toward a happy, successful person later in life.
Finding and working with an illustrator that you believe shares your vision is a big first step in creating a great children’s book.
Once you are finished drafting and editing your picture book and it’s time to tackle the visual component, consider the following process to find the right illustrator, establish a great working relationship, and manage the workflow all the way through to the final product. These six tips will help you manage the project.
1. Determine Your Scope of Work
Never start working with an illustrator until you have a good understanding of what your project entails. Illustrators need this information so they can plan their schedules, determine fair pricing, and set a foundation of trust in your working partnership. Make it a great experience for everyone by going into the project with a carefully considered plan. Know what you need, the time-frame of the project, how they’ll be paid, and how much you have budgeted for the project.
2. Consider Your Preferred Artistic Style
The art produced in children’s books is as varied as the stories themselves. Fun, quirky, beautiful, and serene; the images run the gamut of styles to reinforce the plot as each page is turned. There is a lot to consider when you are thinking about your preferred style. Explore books on the market now and make a decision on the general style you prefer prior to beginning your search for an artist.
3. Take your Time Choosing an Illustrator
Each artist brings something unique to your story, but if you don’t find one that can accurately reflect the tone of your story, you may end up causing confusion when the art doesn’t feel right with the story. Seek out illustrators that have proven they can deliver the tone and style that you desire. Zero in on three to five illustrators, view their portfolios and talk to them about their art and what inspires them, then go with the one who most closely aligns with your vision.
4. Negotiations and Contracts
Once you’ve found your illustrator and discussed the creative vision for your book, it’s time to get down to the business end of working with an illustrator. Before discussing schedules and pricing, do your research. Know what the typical rates are and what qualifies as a finished product: how will the images be delivered, formats, what issues could occur, and how will they be resolved, etc. Write up a simple contract that includes all the information you’ve discussed and a summary describing the style and tone will keep the vision clear for both of you as the project gets underway.
5. Now the Fun Part!
A good practice when working with an illustrator that will ensure the project gets off on the right foot is to see a few rough sketches soon after the project gets started. Discuss them with the artist, letting them know what’s working for you, and what’s not. Be honest, but kind. Respectfully ask for the changes you wish to see and don’t forget to tell them the great things you see in their work. Pointing them toward the great things is as important as telling them what you don’t like.
6. Checking In
Your illustrator will need time and space to create beautiful images, and authors should respect that. But that doesn’t mean you have to be in the dark as your book comes to life with color and shape. Schedule regular check-ins or have deadlines for a specific number of pages/images. Both you and the artist will feel confident that you are moving through this process together.
Creating a great working relationship with an illustrator will lay the groundwork for a smooth translation of your story through images and fill those young readers’ imaginations with the wonderful stories you’ve created just for them!
Take a look at the great illustrations in these children’s picture books from Chanticleer authors!
Geckos in the Garden
By Ruth Amanda
CIBA Little Peeps First Place Winner
Geckos in the Garden by Ruth Amanda is a children’s counting book that takes readers through a delightful, rhythmic, aesthetically pleasing romp past a series of hidden geckos.
Amanda starts out with just one gecko in the garden. Every page after, one more is added amongst myriad natural details such as flowers, a snail, a palm tree, garden taps, rocks, a mango tree, leaves, a gate, a bird’s nest, a pond, and more.
Amanda demonstrates a natural sense of narrative arc even within a counting book—readers will feel the climax of the adventure when they arrive at the ninth gecko and read the line, “I spot one—two—no, six—no, more! Nine!” The escalation of the words’ momentum makes the ninth and tenth geckos more dramatic. Furthermore, the clever dénouement includes the narrator realizing the geckos might watch them just as much as they watch the geckos, and this is written alongside an adorable picture of a gecko looking in the window of the narrator’s home.
Lily’s Mysterious Odyssey by Anne Lacourrege, illustrated by Joshua Wichterich, follows a young girl named Lily through her dreaming nautical adventure.
Homes hold onto the history of their families. With only herself to play with in her family’s old house, Lily comes across a hidden chest of antique keepsakes, unaffected by generations of storms and floods across the New Orleans coastal area. Lily and her parents soon find even more items hidden away that paint the history of 1800s sailor Captain Harry and his family.
That night, Lily dreams of Captain Harry’s daughter, Anne, who invites Lily to see her father’s ship. Lily’s mysterious odyssey truly begins as the ship sets sail with Lily still on board. She soon finds herself on an journey to Greece, where she learns about Greek culture and its similarities to her home when a Mediterranean cyclone hits.
Bees frighten Bella, but a learning adventure turns her fear to fascination in J.W. Zarek’s delightful children’s book Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm.
Bella’s bespectacled Grandma Yetta asks for help in her wildflower garden. Bella hops along with her bucket of gardening tools, surrounded by beautiful hovering butterflies. But a sudden encounter with a large striped flying insect sends Bella running.
Grandma Yetta explains that the buzzing bee is merely curious or trying to protect her home or babies. She advises Bella to stand very still, and the bee will fly away. Bella gives it a try and sees her own fears fly away as the bee continues its journey through the garden.
Gail Heath’s Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmasshares a message of love and redemption through the heart-warming tale of Granny, a faithful, disciplined, and generous Appalachian woman.
On a blustery winter day, Granny starts down her home’s snowy, mountain landscape to attend Christmas Eve service in the village. When her dog, Shep, wanders off, Granny runs into Pete. The young man uses firewood collecting as an excuse to not attend service, hiding a deeper motive beneath.
Granny asks after his grandfather, who is in the midst of a long recovery after being attacked by a boar. Pete is forlorn, casting aspersions at Granny’s message that a miracle may yet happen, especially on this of all nights. Sensing his loss of faith, Granny offers Pete a few cups of her warm chicory as she regales the miracle on the mountain she witnessed ten years ago that made her a true believer.
Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs Cicadas and Sewers By Kristen J. Anderson
Lorelei, the charismatic and outspoken seven-year-old, leaps at the chance to save her school’s science fair from disaster inLorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas, and Sewers,second book in Kristen J Anderson’sLorelei the Loreleiseries.
Beyond excited for the science fair, Lorelei prepares a project with a mission. She hopes to change people’s perception about cicadas, which most consider a gross nuisance of a bug. On the day of the science fair, during a trip to the restroom, Lorelei encounters a plumbing catastrophe.
With the help of her family and friends, Lorelei put a plan in motion to protect the school fair, while learning valuable lessons about sportsmanship, classroom behavior, and empathy. She may be silly and likeable, but some of her quirks can get her into trouble too!
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When a monster can’t be contained, the only way to protect yourself is to become invisible.
Terror forces Kathryn Caraway to trade in her previous life as a victim for one of secrets when her sadistic stalker, Todd Bennett, is released from prison in He Follows Me.
After years of fighting for her freedom against this relentless monster by proving the severity of the threat to the dismissive US criminal justice system, Kathryn has no choice but to disappear. She relocates to a small New Zealand town, only able to rely on her new federal relocation “watchers”. But Kathryn wonders: Who can she trust? Is starting over even possible? And to what lengths must she go to protect herself?
Picking up where Caraway’s debut novel Unfollow Me left off, He Follows Me will further captivate readers in Caraway’s masterfully-constructed mysteries and compelling characters.
While Unfollow Me reads like a memoir narrating one woman’s desperate attempt to regain control over her spiraling life, He Follows Me is an action-packed thriller connecting storylines of political and military suspense through two distinct perspectives. Each line is a full-course meal. Caraway’s storytelling subme
rges readers in a spectacularly rich world of intrigue, romance, and danger.
Readers will empathize with Caraway’s self-insert character, Kathryn, in her struggles to regain independence and strength despite the traumatic paranoia that plagues her daily life. Everywhere she goes, Kathryn “feels panic claw at her like a living thing.”
When Todd Bennett emerges from prison in her small town, more determined than ever to claim her as his own, Kathryn gives her life to the Victim Protection Program.
She loses her name, identity, home, and everyone she knows to start a new life in Werneth, New Zealand. Over time, Kathryn is reborn as “Tara Quinn”, making new friends as a barista andeven re-entering the dating scene despite her horrifying memories.
Meanwhile, Tara’s handler Deputy U.S. Marshal Wes Kade watches her every move. Cold and seemingly unfeeling, Kade’s motivation is unclear. To Kade, Tara is “Something to protect, something to fix, something he could break if he’s not careful.” This ‘protector’ declares his undying loyalty to her safety, but might yet be another dangerous man.
No matter how far she runs, Tara isn’t safe from her past.
Determined not to dismiss red flags again, Tara begins to see signs that Todd Bennett might have found her. Tara’s axis spins out of control yet again. She must decide who to cling to for safety and how far she is willing to go to protect her freedom. The hunted could even become the hunter.
If you have trouble prying your fingers from the cover after you finish He Follows Me, have no fear: Tara’s trials will continue in a new series about her ongoing quest for justice. Readers can look forward to more harrowing adventures in each of Kathryn Caraway’s memorable novels.
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).
Named in honor of the British poet & painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti who founded the Pre-Ralphaelite Brotherhood in 1848.
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about twelve to eighteen (imaginary or real). Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Romance, and Literary, we will put them to the test and choose the best Young Adult Books among them for the winners of the Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction. For Middle Grade Fiction check out our Gertrude Warner Awards and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards.
These titles have moved forward in the first look rounds from all 2025 DANTE ROSSETTI entries to the 2025 Dante Rossetti Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Dante Rossetti 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 2026Chanticleer Authors Conference.
These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 Dante Rossetti Book Awards novel competition for Young Adult Fiction!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
A.M. Fitz – Away Through the Woods
Abigail O’Bryan – Iron Rose
Alejandro Torres De La Rocha – Mortal Vengeance
Brenda Stanley – It Happened in the Hollow
C.W. James – Mission Red Scythe a James Vagus Teen Espionage Thriller
Celia Seupel – Girl with the Silver Hair
Clifton Wilcox – The Case Against Jasper
Eban Flo – Rhymin Limon and the Comet Conundrum
Ellis K. Popa – First Light of Dawn
Erika Lynn Adams – Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder
Gavin O’Donnell – The Pontypool Pirate
Glen Dahlgren – The Wrath of Order the Chronicles of Chaos Book 4
Gracie Dix – Beyond Superhero School Let the Games Begin
J.C. Cole – Ordell’s Constellation
Jack Bartley – Hilo Dome
Jessica Natalie Reino – Coming Up for Air
Jo Taylor – Margaret of Thibodaux
Joan Wright Mularz – Slate and Dash Go South
Joe Giampaolo – The Eldritch Chronicles Wrath of the Sentinel & Other Ghost Tales
Johnnie Bay – Dreams and Lies
Leslie Wibberley – Seriously Universe
LS Delorme – Bright Midnights
Lucinda Brant – Falling Up an Enchanting Georgian Fairytale Romance of Sorts Regarding a Beautiful Beast and His Penniless Redeemer
Lynn Slaughter – Missing Mom
Lynn Yvonne Moon – The Devil’s Between the Beads
Maggie Master – The Hopeling
Maria Giakoumatos – Midnight Waltz the Infernal Symphony Part 1
M.D. Ganni – The Old Treehouse
Melissa Grant – Cloudia with a Chance of Darkness
Michael Collado – Can You Hear Me Now
Michael J. Bowler – Losing Austin
Nan Evenson – Walk on
R.B. Shifman – Paper Airplane Broken Bones
Rebecca Davis – The Day-After Zone
Robert Wright Jr – Millicent and the Alien Abduction
Robyn Dabney – The Ascenditure
Shawn Hays and Stephen Hays – What Light Was
Tatiana White – The Gifted Society
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
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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.
The Mind & Spirit Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction. The Mind & Spirit Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).
