Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: chanti

On the 4th Day of Christmas Chanticleer gave to me four ISBNs! | The 12 Days of Christmas 2023
Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

The 4th Day of Christmas

The Four Calling Birds are meant to represent the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Also, the Fourth Day of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and it is considered a day for children. The feast honors the male children who were killed by King Herod in his quest to find the potential usurper (Baby Jesus) to his throne. Today, the youngest member of the family is in charge for what to do, where to go, what to eat for the entire day. The day is also known as Childermas.

Some say Four Calling Birds (song birds). Some say Four Colly Birds (black birds). And then, there is this person’s interpretation of Four Calling Birds on Reddit:

Is this a conference call?

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry. Just get it done. Eight Days left until Three Kings Day!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Four Calling Birds

Three French Hens

Two Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Four ISBNs! (not ASINs)

An ISBN is the identification number that is unique to your book.

ISBN is the International Standard Book Number

Authors in the US need to pay for their ISBNs from Bowker, but in Canada they are provided to authors directly.

Why Self-Published Authors Need to Own Their Own ISBNs
1. Owning your own ISBNs gives you complete control over what is entered into your book’s metadata.
  1. Metadata is the descriptions and categories that help libraries, bookstores, wholesalers, distributors, global supply chains, and, most importantly, readers worldwide discover your book.
2. ISBNs are non-transferable from the owner. ISBNs establish your book’s identity and authorship.
3. ISBNs never expire and there are no renewal fees. However, you cannot reuse an ISBN once it has been assigned.
4. ISBNs come with unique barcodes.
5. In the U.S., Bowker is the only official source of ISBNs.
6. Bibliographic immortality
As you may surmise, there are many details to learn about ISBNs about when and why they are necessary along with the few cases where they are not.

Here are a few handy links:
- International ISBN Agency
- Bowker ISBN US
Your Book’s Many Forms

One thing to keep in mind is that each version of your book’s publication should its own ISBN. This means that each of the following needs a separate ISBN to be easily distributed:
- Hardcover Edition
- Paperback Edition
- eBook Edition
- Audiobook Edition
You can see on Bowker, where ISBNs are sold, that there are huge savings to be had by buying ISBNs in bulk. Of course, this ISBN information is most applicable to the United States. Other countries have different rules and costs associated with an ISBN, so if you live outside of the US, you should do your research on ISBN rules and expectations. The discounts can be pretty sudden!
- 1 ISBN is $125
- 10 ISBNs are $295
- 100 ISBNs are $575
- 1,000 ISBNs are $1,500
ISBNs are non-transferable, and if they’re bought in someone else’s name, they can’t be transferred to another name. That’s why it’s always good to be cautious when buying an ISBN from a third party from anything under the standard price.

There is one type that doesn’t require an ISBN is your book on Block Chain / Bit Coin because each block chain book has its own unique code. If you decide to have your book available on Block Chain, our advice is to check out BookChain, out of Montreal, Canada.

There are three basic ways to sell your book, print, ebook, and audiobook. For print, we’ve already discussed several ways you can go through that formatting, which also applies to ebooks.

We’d also like to pause and take a moment to mention Bookchain. Bookchain is one of our close affiliates who uses a unique blockchain (the NFT technology associated with Bitcoin) to track books and book sales. You can learn more and sign up for Bookchain here.

For Audiobooks, you’ll also want to consider professional help. This isn’t just for voice actors, but also for audio software. Many people may be familiar with Audacity, a free audio recording software that was designed with music and mixing in mind. It takes a little bit to learn how to use it, but once you have a few basics dialed in, it becomes much easier to use. In a pinch, like Microsoft Word, Audacity can work to create an audiobook recording for your story, but it’s not what the program was specifically designed for.

What we recommend is Hindenburg

Hindenburg is audio recording software designed to create excellent, professionally mastered audio for your stories. There’s plenty of support to learn how to use it, and longtime Chanticleerians like CC Humphries are experts with it, creating Audi-worthy creations regularly. And Hindenburg will format your audio book for the myriad of audio book platforms that are out there. Hindenburg is known for their incredible customer service and support team.

Stay tuned for the 5th Day of Christmas!

And just for fun:

We now have:
- Four Partridges and Four Pear Trees
- Six Turtle Doves
- Nine French Hens
- Four Calling Birds
Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and continuing to prepare the Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2023 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Chanticleer from Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!
December 29, 2023
I AM A PRISONER Of HOPE by Samuel Ole Lotegelauki, PhD – Contemporary Social Issues, Race Relations, Black History

Author Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, PhD, states in the very title of this book, I Am a Prisoner of Hope. He goes on to explain why this is the case and why hope is central to our beingness.

A Maasai originally from Tanzania and one of three boys in a family with eight children, Lotegeluaki has been living in the United States for many years and has seen much good and much bad, in the country and around the world. In defiance of social inequality and bigotry, Lotegelauki maintains a strong belief in human unity, “Day and night I am reminded of the fact that we as human beings, regardless of culture, language, religion, gender, skin color or social economic status, are all under God’s huge canopy, and we are convincingly related.” He reminds us, “You may not look exactly like me, but rest assured, we are not just related, but more importantly, we are siblings.”

Lotegeluaki tells the reader his experiences, the histories of places he has lived and the people he has met, and observes what each has to teach and offer humanity. He remains dedicated to the pursuit of togetherness within diversity, no matter our differences. In Chapter Four, “Grandmother’s Quilt,” he uses the metaphor of a handmade quilt with emotional overtones and ties to explain human nature and all that it entails.

Lotegelauki goes on to investigate the history of the worldwide slave trade, how it introduced and transformed African cultures in North America, and how it has affected American society to this day.

The Civil Rights Movement was a start to heal the wounds inflicted during the slave trade years, but bad blood and racial strife have continued throughout the succeeding decades. In the following chapters, we are reminded that humanity is too complex and multi-faceted for any group of people to hold dominion over all others, “None of us can claim the absolute ownership of this global canopy.”

Nor can we simply assume that we can “make a home in some other places such as Mars or even the moon,” Lotegelauki states. Perhaps in a few years that may be possible, but until that time, we still have to deal with the world we have now, and the people we have now. “We all belong to one race, and that is the ‘human race.’ Getting along is not and should not be a choice, but rather a necessity.”

This book points to the work yet to be done towards true unity. Are we there yet? Not on your life. Are we well on our way to being better? It doesn’t hurt to keep working on it, does it? We keep trying. We are only on this earth for a short period of time, Lotegeluaki reminds us, and we need to make the best of it.

December 29, 2023
On the 3rd Day of Christmas Chanticleer gave to me 3 Pillars of Community! The 12 Days of Christmas 2023
Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

The Third Day of Christmas

The Third Day of Christmas celebrates the Feast of St. John who drank a glass of poisoned wine and didn’t get sick! Also, many EU countries celebrate the Feast of St. John during the longest days of Summer (June 24th) with dancing around a fire. The best way to celebrate? Drink a lot of wine! Of course, if you have a different preferred beverage, that’s totally alright. We’ve been enjoying TÖST, a non-alcoholic wine recently.

The Feast of Saint John c. 1875 by Jules Breton
The Three French Hens gifted on this day represent Faith, Hope, and Love.

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The 24 days leading up to Christmas are known as Advent.

Some say that December 25th is the first day of Christmas, but we are going with the medieval date of the 26th because revelry could not take place on the 25th as it was a holy day. And the Twelve Days of Christmas are all about revelry!

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry. Just get it done—you’ve got nine days!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Three French Hens

Two Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Three Pillars of the Writing Community

On October 18, 2023, our wonderful local bookstore, Village Books, offered their first ever Literary Citizenship Award to Rena Priest, Laurel Leigh, and Joan Airoldi, pictured above from left to right. Here’s a little about them:

Joan Airoldi (1946 – 2022)

Joan served as Executive Director of the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) from 2002-2013.

In 2004, she took on the FBI by refusing to provide information to an agent regarding a Deming Library patron’s use of a book on Osama bin Laden. A grand jury subpoena was issued to get the records, but when it became clear Airoldi and the WCLS board were prepared to challenge the subpoena in court, it was withdrawn. She will be remembered as a Library Champion on a multitude of counts: establishing the Whatcom READS program in collaboration with partners at Whatcom Community College, advocating for new libraries in Ferndale, North Fork, South Whatcom, Island and Point Roberts and encouraging all of us to “Be Curious” and to “Listen, Learn & Lead.” Joan’s courage in defending patrons’ rights to privacy earned her national recognition with a PEN/Newman Award. She generously donated the prize money to start the Whatcom County Library Foundation.

“Be Curious” “Listen, Learn & Lead”

“Libraries are a haven where people should be able to seek whatever information they want to pursue without any threat of government intervention.” ~ Joan Airoldi

Laurel Leigh Erdoiza (1963-2023)

Professionally, Laurel was known as a writer, teacher, and editor whose 20 years of freelancing extends internationally. She was a script doctor, structural editor, and managed many publishing projects for Chronicle Books.

She taught creative writing and memoir classes through the Chuckanut Writers Program, helped found the Chuckanut Writers Conference in 2004, and received the Bellingham Mayors Arts Award, and was published widely including the Pushcart-nominated essay “Nursey” (published in Clover, A Literary Rag in 2015). Those who knew Laurel personally have experienced firsthand both her talent and generosity of spirit. She walked hand-in-hand with collaboration and mentorship, helping countless writers hone their skills, find their voice, and bring their works out into the world. This included her hosting Village Books’ Open Mic for more than a decade, establishing and fostering the spirit of welcoming support that continues to this day. “It’s a good day to write.” ~ Laurel Leigh Erdoiza

“It’s a good day to write.” ~ Laurel Leigh Erdoiza

Rena Priest – Washington State Poet Laureate

Rena is an enrolled member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She served as the 6th Washington State Poet Laureate (2021-2023) and was named the 2022 Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow.

Priest is also the recipient of an Allied Arts Foundation Professional Poets Award and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Nations Poets, Nia Tero, and the Vadon Foundation, and has taught at the Chuckanut Writers Conference. The thread that runs through all of Rena’s accomplishments and accolades is how she builds and connects community. “I think that there’s a way that poetry connects people. It’s very special– it’s like a soul connection, but it’s not invasive in any way,” she says. “The way that it works is subtle. It’s gentle, but it’s deep and profound.” For the book, I Sing the Salmon Home, Rena gathered poems from over 150 Washington poets ranging from first graders to tribal elders, all inspired by the Northwest’s beloved, iconic salmon. A diverse chorus of voices, they join together in poems that praise salmon’s heroic journey, beauty, courage, and generosity and witness the threats salmon face from pollution, dams and warming oceans.

We are ever grateful to the irreplaceable contributions these women have made to our community.

In particular, Laurel and Rena were writing mentors to Chanticleer’s David Beaumier, and both have helped keep him on a writing path.

Thank you is never enough, but we will keep saying it to all the writers who lift us up in our community!

Stay tuned for the 4th Day of Christmas!

And just for fun:

We now have:
- Three Partridges and Three Pear Trees
- Four Turtle Doves
- Three French Hens
Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and setting ourselves up for success with the Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Chanticleer from Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!
December 28, 2023
The CIBAs 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Short List
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Long List to the 2023 Gertrude Warner Book Awards 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 (CAC24).

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 April 20th, 2024, in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2023 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.

The 2023 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Short List
- Tomás Pérez-Zafón – Trotter and the Twins: The Magic of Imagination
- Sue C Dugan – SOS
- Gregory Saur – Drowning Hate
- Jenna L. Campbell – Camp Silversand and the Lost Heart of the Lake
- Gabriel Bietz – The Adventures of Arya and Krishna Betta Fish
- Alex Paul – The Amarrat Invasion
- Hans Ness – Rolo the Pet Earthling
- Marsha Tufft – The Sea Turtle Spy Project: Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures? Book 4
- Chris Norbury – Little Mountain, Big Trouble
- V Knox – Snow Behind the Door
- Zane Re-Bloom – The Magic of Moon & Herbs
- Malinda Andrews – Awaken
- Marsha Klopmeier Tufft – The Buoyancy Project: Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures, Book 2
- Peter Serko – Hattie’s War
- Andrew Dolberg and Rob Long – The Great Weather Diviner: The Untold Origin of Punxsutawney Phil
- Vincent M. Miceli – The Last Triceracorn, Book One
- J.T. Tenera – Erift’s Journeys: The Dark Messengers
- Liese Sherwood-Fabre – Wilhelmina Quigley: Magic School Dropout
- Eileen Hobbs – Under the Golden Rain Tree
- Caryn Rivadeneira – Frankinschool (Book 1): Monster Match
- Elizabeth R. Jensen – Fire & Wolves: A Tale of Etria
- Maxine Rose Schur – The Word Dancer
- Kevin Dunn – Vicious is My Middle Name
- J.T. Tenera – Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest
- Paisley Summer – The Butterfly Nebulae
- Sheri Graubert – Molly Shipton, Secret Actress
- David Nos – Kordan The Wizard
- Barbara Gold – Operation Save PawPrints, an Izzy Rose Green Mystery
- Susan Diamond Riley – The Sea Witch’s Revenge: A Delta & Jax Mystery
- Rae Knightly – EXOSTAR (The Lost Space Treasure Series, Book 1)
- Alisse Lee Goldenberg & Joseph Goldenberg – Lucky At Bat
- Mark Cheverton – Facing the Beast Within
- Lynne Howard – Dylan Dover: Into The Vortex
- L.T. Caton – Find Me In Time: Meeting Columbus
- Cintia Alfonso Fior – Moraline
- Rae St. Clair Bridgman – The Kingdom of Trolls
- Ben Gartner – One Giant Leap
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

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

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:

MYSTERY FORCE, Volume 1

by Ted Neill and Suzi Spooner

The 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC24 on April 20, 2024. Save the date for CAC24, scheduled April 18-21, 2024, our 12-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

The Chanticleer Authors Conference

Featuring authors like D.D. Black, book doctor Christine Fairchild, and Mark Berridge, our twelfth annual conference is shaping up to be excellent! You won’t want to miss out on the best tips around the business of being an author!

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 12th annual conference and discover why!
December 27, 2023
On the 2nd Day of Christmas, Chanticleer Brings to Me Two Types of Reviews | 12 Days of Christmas 2023
Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas!

“But Jiminy Crickets, it is the 27th of December! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent. So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 11 days!

Two Turtle Doves are also a representation of love, loyalty, and friendship.

The Two Turtle Doves are symbols of Love and Fidelity. The turtle dove is monogamous and pairs for life. The males are actively involved in nesting (he will actually sit on the eggs during the day) and taking care of the young after they hatch so his mate can leave the nest to eat, exercise, and take care of herself. In Ancient Grecian stories, they are believed to be a favorite of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Good King Wenceslas

Day 2 is also the day that the Christmas Carol ‘Good King Wenceslas” takes place (c. 907 – 935). He was known as the Good Prince of Bohemia. The story tells the tale of his journey through harsh weather to bring a gift of food and firewood to a poor man he noticed while looking out of his castle’s tower during the Feast of Stephen. The song reminds us each and everyone: “Ye, who now bless the poor, Shall yourselves find blessing.”
“King Wenceslas”. Made by Hudson, Scott & Sons for Huntley & Palmers, 1913. Victoria and Albert Museum no. M.367-1983. Image: Gryffindor

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Two Turtle Doves

And a partridge in a pear tree

First Day of Christmas, Chanticleer invites you to join the Roost at a Special Holiday Rate!

On the Second Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…
Two Essential Reviews

Professional reviews are a versatile marketing tool that gets readers attention. For our Second Day of Christmas we bring you Two Essential Reviews offered through Chanticleer Book Review services.

Manuscript Overviews

A manuscript overview is one of top traditional publishing tools that authors can use to accelerate their writing careers.

Your work should receive its manuscript overview before it begins the editing process. The MOV will save you time and money along with enabling you to publish more frequently. It comes before Line Editing and Copy Editing. It is an objective evaluation of your story idea that is fully formed with a beginning, middle, and end.

The Manuscript Overviews (MOV) provides a birds-eye view of your work. This service catches plot holes, character inconsistencies, and those big ideas that authors need feedback on once they feel confident in the story as a whole. The best part is the way a MOV can save authors time and money in the long run by helping them to create the most polished work they can before turning to the next round of editing services.

Fundamentally, the manuscript overview allow authors to WRITE and CREATE rather than rework and reword a story idea again and again while trying to get it “right.” The honest feedback gives the author an advantage of the traditional publishing houses where authors continuously get feedback and are under contract to produce. Manuscript overviews allow the author to spend creative time developing stories, characters, unique language, and new plot twists rather than trying to dissect their own works. They also allow for the author to gain a fresh perspective.

In 2024, you may want a Manuscript Overview for your work-in-progress to take advantage of this tried and proven publishing tool!

Editorial Reviews

Everyone knows about the Editorial Review. It’s best to start submitting for these once your book is at the Proofreading stage, and once you have a publication date in mind. These are powerful tools filled with blurbs that you can use to market your work. Chanticleer has experience with reviewing Advanced Reading Copies in preparation for book launches.

Additionally, a Chanticleer Editorial Review Package can put energy into the marketing flywheels of already published books.

Of course, the Editorial Review should go on your book’s Amazon page, and every blurb you can pull out can be put everywhere else your book should be marketed. Those different blurbs should appear here at a minimum:

Your Website

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Social Media Posts

Marketing Brochures

Book Cover

Beyond that, you can post to places like StoryGraph, and you can use each blurb as a new post on social media. The reason you rotate your blurbs is to make them always feel fresh and engaging to the audience who follows you. The Review can also be used in publishing packets, press releases, and any other way you can imagine!

We also professionally review Audio Books!

And, just for fun:

We now have:

Two Partridges in Two Pear Trees

Two Turtle Doves

Stay tuned for the 3rd Day of Christmas!

Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping our presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and setting ourselves up in the New Year for publishing success (with Chanticleer Professional Services and the Chanticleer Authors Conference).

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Chanticleer from Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!
December 27, 2023
The 2023 Short List GLOBAL THRILLER Book Awards for High Stakes Suspense
The Global Thriller Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in High Stakes Thriller Fiction. The Global Thriller Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling stories that put the balance of world power or that will end the world as we know it. We include with Global Thrillers the Lab Lit genre. Lab Lit is when Fiction Meets Real Science and Research or stories that are based on real science and research up to a certain “what if” point.

For other Mystery Divisions see our Clue Awards for Suspense/Thriller Novels and our M&M Awards for Cozy-and-not-so-Cozy Novels.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Global Thriller Book Awards Long List to the 2023 Global Thriller 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 (CAC24).

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

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at the Four Points by Sheraton in beautiful Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists of the 2023 Global Thriller Book Awards novel competition for High Stakes Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
- Anya Ison Wallace – WATCH but don’t TOUCH
- E.S. Ramirez – In the Fangs of Jackals
- Thomas R. Weaver – Artificial Wisdom
- Jayson Adams – Ares
- D. L. Wilburn Jr. – The God Protocol: Dragon
- Vito Dibarone – Botheration: Part Two: Waves of Dinosaurs
- Glenn Dyer – Trust No One
- Mark James – Friendship Games
- Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Cobra Pose
- Joanne Jaytanie – Retrieving Remy (The Winters Sisters Book 5)
- Michael A. Wexler – Officer Down
- Randall Krzak – Ultimate Escalation
- Dr. Frank J. Sapienza – The Greater Good
- Hank Scheer – Fade to Blue
- Howard Berk and Peter Berk – TimeLock
- Jacek Waliszewski – Midnight in Syria
- Ron Roman – Of Ashes and Dust
- J. Lee – The Deadly Deal
- Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy
- S.P. Grogan – Crimson Scimitar: Attack on America, 2001-2025
- David Wickenden – The Home Front
- E Alan Fleischauer – The Doctor is Invisible
- Jeff Sheckter – The Daedalus Protocol
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

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

Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:

Hybrid Hysteria

By Charlie Robinson
The 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC24 on April 20, 2024. Save the date for CAC24, scheduled April 18-21, 2024, our 12 year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2024 GLOBAL THRILLER Book Awards are open until the end of October. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

The Chanticleer Authors Conference

Featuring authors like D.D. Black, book doctor Christine Fairchild, and Mark Berridge, our twelfth annual conference is shaping up to be excellent! You won’t want to miss out on the best tips around the business of being an author!

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 12th annual conference and discover why!
December 27, 2023
THE SOUND Of The FUTURE: The Coming Age of Voice Technology by Tobias Dengel with Karl Weber – AI Technology, Analysis & Strategy, Voice Technology, Business

The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology by Tobias Dengel with Karl Weber presents elaborate insight into the evolution of voice technology, showing it to be the next big innovation in the tech world.

Dengel begins by stating that long-distance vocal communication was unattainable for a long time, and now can seamlessly liberate humans from familiar but ‘clumsy’ tools such as keyboards, knobs, pedals, buttons, and levers. It has been well articulated by various news quarters that voice recognition is gaining a reputation and growing usage with the rise of artificial intelligence and intelligent aids, such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. This technology has for the first time allowed consumers to interact with technology simply by conversing with it, facilitating hands-free propositions, reminders, and other simple duties.

This technology is presently in a major shift, as numerous industries worldwide are incorporating it into their daily routines and procedures.

The author has proposed some of the greatest benefits of voice technology, along with reasons why it has not yet transformed the world as quickly as it could. His findings and deductions are persuasive and beautifully illustrate how business leaders can stay ahead of the game rather than scramble to catch up as voice technology uncovers its potency.

Through Dengel’s research and experience as a global leader in digital product design, readers will learn what makes voice technology phenomenal to the point that every big player in the business sector is heavily invested in it. Dengel states, “The voice is completely different from previous interface revolutions because the voice is not a technological interface but rather a human interface, one that virtually all humans on earth learn to use beginning in infancy and use naturally and intuitively every day of their lives.” These words usher in his well-founded justifications for voice as the present day’s ultimate and indispensable interface for economic pursuits.

The Sound of the Future thoroughly covers the impact of AI on humanity. It is one of the best technological compasses yet written.

This book offers practical scenarios to help readers easily understand various complex technological details. These advancements will soon impact all of human enterprise, and Dengel expertly demonstrates to the reader the need to learn and educate others about the growing dependency on AI tools. This lively book thereby becomes an indispensable companion to anyone who wishes to understand AI technology, its quest for human-level intelligence, and its ever-growing influence.

December 27, 2023
On the 1st Day, Chanticleer brings to me The Roost | 12 Days of Christmas! 2023
Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with Chanticleer!

“But Jiminy Crickets, it is the 26th of December! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 12 days!
- Some say the Twelve Days tradition is wishing good luck and cheer for each of the following months in the new year.
- Others say the first six of the days are to pay homage to the previous year and six of the days that are in the new year bringing hope and glad tidings for coming times.
- The Twelve Days of Christmas would be a welcome break for those who worked the land.
The twelve days of Christmas run from December 26th until January 6th (Three Kings Day).

If you are singing the song, and you miss or mess up a verse, you owe your opponent (the person singing the round before you a kiss or a sweet treat or grant a favor).

We at Chanticleer have our own way of celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with our fellow Chanticleerians.

Get ready for 12 days of ideas for your new year of writing along with good cheer!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the First Day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

a partridge in a pear tree

What are the 12 Days of Christmas?

The 12 Days of Christmas historically mark the time from the birth of Christ until the day the Three Magi (or the Three Wise Men) arrived in Bethlehem with their gifts for the Epiphany, (also known as Three Kings’ Day). According to the Western calendar, the 12 days start with Christmas on December 26th and end with the Epiphany on January 6th. However, there are numerous other ways of celebrating from around the world.

But what do rings, geese, and drummers have to do with Christmas?

“The 12 Days of Christmas” song uses Christian lore as guidelines but is considered to be a secular song. Instead, the song is historically thought to be a cumulative group memory game as the verses build on each other and the catchy tune make it easy to join in. Imagine a family-friendly version of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and you’ve got the right idea.

The 12 Days of Christmas are traditionally associated with gifting and generosity starting with St. Stephen’s Day, or Boxing Day, where historically servants or help in households were gifted bonuses, trinkets, and modest feasts by their employers. Some people hold fast to the Twelve Nights celebrations gift something to friends and family each day of the holiday period rather than all on Christmas Day. This is where the pear tree comes in.

“The 12 Days of Christmas” harks the piles of gifts received from “a true love” daily during the long holiday. The lyrics and melody can differ with country and church but the well-known version of today is thought to be popularized in 1909 by English composer Frederic Austin.

On the 1st Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.

The meaning of the lyrics have long been debated with theories ranging from a betrothal tune illuminating courting gifts to being coded lessons on the tenants of Christianity.

The partridge represents the ultimate love, a true love. The pear tree is where the partridge perches to protect its loved one.

A modern examination however, has revealed the possibility that all the “gifts” are actually types of fowl commonly eaten and served during feasts in the High Middle Ages in Europe. Partridges, birds in the pigeon family like doves, and geese are more commonly known to be eaten both them and now but some of the other gift birds are harder to figure out.

More details about how the birds of the 12 Days of Christmas were possibly identified, cooked, and eaten can be found here.

On the 1st Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

An invitation to join our curated online community The Roost!

We are so proud the community we have on The Roost! It is great perch to hang out on for writers and publishers to hang out in and connect.

We host weekly write-ins, discussions of writing craft books, and advice on the author’s journey. With authors in all stages of the writing process joining us, there is always something to learn on this independent PRIVATE social media site.

Writing may seem like a solitary activity, but stories are told in community. Whether you find that on The Roost or elsewhere, we’re happy that you are a part of our community here at Chanticleer.

Limited Time Only! Join The Roost during the 12 Days at a discounted holiday price.

Sign up now for $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

Valid until January 6th.

Follow this link to find out more information.

Stay tuned for the 2nd Day of Christmas!

Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping our presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and setting ourselves up for success with the Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Team Chanticleer: Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!
December 26, 2023
Happy Yuletide and Jolabokaflod from All of Us at Chanticleer and a Special Message from Kiffer Brown
Dear Chanticleerians,

I am writing this Chanticleer message on Christmas Eve morning before starting to prepare for our traditional Le Réveillon de Noel dinner this evening. And, yes, we are starting with local oysters, Olympias, from Taylor Shellfish on Chuckanut Bay for the first course. If you come out for CAC24, be sure to add this place to your must-go list.

Meanwhile, Argus and I are listening to KUVO Jazz Cancion Mexicana. This is a Sunday morning tradition for us now for more than three decades. We started listening to the radio station (that plays the best music from Mexico, New Mexico, Tejano, California, and Colorado) when we lived in Colorado. Now, thanks to streaming, we can listen to it wherever we are in the world. However, it is even a more fun listen while cooking and doing chores on Christmas Eve morning as they are playing their Christmas list of my favorite songs such as RUN RUN RUDOLPH by Los Lonely Boys. I can’t help but dance around the kitchen when I’m listening to KUVO.

The Swedish candelabra lights are on. The Abominable Snowman (my fav Christmas character from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer) is on the Christmas tree. Some packages have been wrapped and mailed and given. Some have not—yet!

There are so many wonderful traditions and even new ones to add like Jolabokaflod, an Icelandic tradition. Many Icelanders give books as Christmas gifts as part of Jolabokaflod, and from Christmas Eve until New Years there is an unspoken reading frenzy. And, of course, knitting also goes along with this beloved tradition and so does hot chocolate! If you want to read more about Jolabokaflod, click on this link.

So what to do? How do we fit in Jolabokaflod on Christmas Eve with dinner guests coming and presents still needing to be wrapped. And, and, and…

My suggestion after years of scrambling around trying to fit everything in my Christmas Eve, is to take advantage of the Twelve Days of Christmas that start on December 26th and continues to January 6th. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 12 days!

You can choose a different night to enjoy Jolabokaflod and hot chocolate! I say the same for NaNoWriMo in November. It is practically impossible for me to participate in November. But, July or August would work just fine.
- Some say the Twelve Days tradition is wishing good luck and cheer for each of the following months in the new year.
- Others say the first six of the days are to pay homage to the previous year and six of the days that are in the new year bringing hope and glad tidings for coming times.
- The Twelve Days of Christmas would be a welcome break for those who worked the land.
The twelve days of Christmas run from December 26th until January 6th (Three Kings Day).

In Portugal, it is a Christmas tradition that starts on the 26th until Epiphany, that small groups of people will go door to door in their neighborhoods singing songs. Usually the singers are accompanied by instruments. Sometimes they are in traditional dress, sometimes not. They typically open with a song to ask the resident for food and/or drink, and then continue about the birth of Jesus, good wishes for a happy new year, and for drinks and treats. If a resident doesn’t treat the singers well or refuses to open his door, they may sing songs jokingly mocking them. If the singers are treated well, they will sing about how handsome and beautiful the hosts are and how generous and nice they are.

The Portuguese troubadouring does not take place until after Christmas Day and continues on to Three Kings Day also known as Epiphany. I want to add this tradition to my celebrations to experience.

In Spain and many Latin American countries, gift giving and exchange is January 6th, where Santa Claus gifts to children are opened on Christmas Day.

In Italy, La Befana comes on January 5th. She likes to be left a glass of wine and some antipasto. The children find her gifts on January 6th.

I’d love to hear about your Yuletide Traditions!

For now, I must start cooking for this evening Christmas Eve dinner. As always, there is much to do for tonight. And, I have given myself permission not to worry about the unwrapped presents, cookies that need to be made, and calling on friends and family. I have more than twelve more days! And sometime in the new year of 2024, I am going to celebrate Jolabokaflod. – Kiffer

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays and Yuletide Greetings!

We will start posting our Twelve Days of Christmas articles starting on December 26th.
December 24, 2023
FRIENDSHIP GAMES by Mark James – Political Thrillers, Middle East, Military Thrillers

Mark James’ latest geopolitical thriller, Friendship Games, brings together a cast of characters that will keep readers glued to their seats.

James’ action-packed novel doesn’t waste a second to deliver espionage, military strategies, and defense, as an urgent question takes center stage: who is responsible for bombing the American aircraft carrier, USS George Bush, in the Persian Gulf?

We begin in Bahrain with twenty-one-year-old Khalid Husseini, a terrorist spy working at the US Naval facility in Manama. He is on his way home to prepare for a birthday night out, courtesy of his American sailor friends, when an explosion rocks the Khawr al Qulay’ah inlet between Muharraq Island and the main Island of Bahrain. Khalid takes it as the sign he’s been waiting for from his Imam, Hussein Salmeen, setting off a series of events the Imam could not stop, even as he wants to with all his being.

Meanwhile, Hector Gonzales is finishing his day at the US Navy base that Khalid just left. Gonzales, Special Warfare Operator Master Chief of Echo Squad, is celebrating a successful interdiction of a Panama-flagged Japanese oil tanker in the Persian Gulf – whose crew could take comfort that it was the Americans, and not Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, or Al-Qaeda, or another Islamist terrorist group who apprehended their ship.

When a bomb hits the George W. Bush the tension literally explodes as Gonzales and Chief Petty Officer Buck Bradshaw assume they are under attack.

Lieutenant Commander Nigel Wood goes into action with Gonzales’s help. Wood, a British/American, Harvard and Oxford grad, Rhodes Scholar, and Navy SEAL, takes charge as commander of Alpha, Bravo, and Echo Squads of the Navy SEALS. He and Gonzales commandeer Logistics Specialist Seaman Apprentice for FSC, Thew Bryson to move much-needed supplies in the crisis. Wood sets Echo Squad on a mission to save the lives of as many survivors as they can from the bombed ship.

In Iran, Rear Admiral Hashemin Ghavam, Commander of Southern Forward Naval Headquarters at Bandar Abbas, gets news of the bombing of the George W. Bush, and is as confused as the Imam, Wood, US President Bell, Thew, and everyone else. The question of who carried out this attack dominates everyone’s minds.

Friendship Games becomes a cautionary tale of what could happen if such an attack took place amidst so much political and military tension.

James brings to life characters from the highest military officers to the lowliest grunts. He does not answer with every detail of this horrific scenario, and as the tale unravels, we meet heroes and cowards and are left to wonder how volatile our position in the Middle East might truly be.

Mark James’ Friendship Games thrusts readers into a potential nuclear confrontation between the US and Iran. This terrifying and thrilling read earns five stars!

December 22, 2023