In Keith Abbott’s thriller, The Spill, an intelligent, well-funded, politically connected organization of Arab Terrorists precipitates an environmental catastrophe meant to have world-shattering consequences – in their favor, of course.
But the best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray. Their plans are uncovered, giving their opposition a chance to mobilize all of its forces. Those terrible consequences may be too late to completely thwart, but there is just enough time to channel the disaster in a way that could save the world rather than end it.
All it will take is one lawyer who refuses to let the villains win and one crackerjack scientist willing to go where no one has gone before – and come back to tell the tale.
The gripping story of The Spill begins with a well-planned and thoroughly executed environmental disaster – along with a couple of less well-planned actual executions. From there it’s a breakneck race, as American oil company executive Jesse Ford struggles to contain the oil spill itself, the political and economic fallout, and dig deeply into the causes that set this whole mess up in the first place.
Set against Jesse and his colleagues is a hidden cabal of scientifically-minded terrorists who plan to take the West down by a combination of stealth, bioterrorism, and fanaticism. The first stages of their plan go almost flawlessly, but it begins going off the rails once Jesse and company start digging into their network of secrets.
The characters on the two sides of this conflict, Jesse Ford and Aran Lassiter, are forceful and driven, and yet opposite in every way.
Much of the story is told through Ford’s first-person perspective. From inside his head, we see a pragmatic man, but one who cares about his people and has lines he never thought he would cross.
Aran Lassiter is his perfect foil, a man broken and reforged in pain. He has been molded into a weapon, willing to cross any line and break any rule – or person – to share his pain with everyone in his path – friend and enemy alike.
The Spill is a techno-thriller that’s compulsively page-turning from the very first word.
The plot to destroy the West is chilling in its execution – all the more so because it feels entirely too plausible. Readers will get close to Jesse and his team, to the point where each victory is a moment to cheer, and each loss heartbreaking.
To thwart the villains, these heroes turn to a solution so far out of the box that it’s sourced in science fiction – but the story is so riveting that even non-SF readers will be pulled along to the conclusion.
The ending manages to plant the seeds of later destruction in its victorious moment, leaving readers hungering for more of this absolute thrill ride of a read!
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 ourClue Awardsfor Suspense/Thriller Novels and ourM&M Awardsfor Cozy-and-not-so-Cozy Novels.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2023 Global Thriller High Stakes Fiction entries to the 2023 Global Thriller Book Awards LONG LIST. These books will compete for the 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 in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2024Chanticleer Authors Conference.
These titles are in the running for the Short List 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
Omara Williams – The Space Traveller’s Lover
Thomas R. Weaver – Artificial Wisdom
Jayson Adams – Ares
Vito Dibarone – Botheration: Part Three: Epiphany
D. L. Wilburn Jr. – The God Protocol: Dragon
Vito Dibarone – Botheration: Part Two: Waves of Dinosaurs
Glenn Dyer – Trust No One
S.P. Grogan – Crimson Scimitar: Attack on America
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
David Wickenden – The Home Front
Patrick Greenwood – Codename: Dragon Vault
E Alan Fleischauer – The Doctor is Invisible
Jeff Sheckter – The Daedalus Protocol
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
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Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022GLOBAL THRILLER Awards was:
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 THRILLERBook Awards are open until the end of October.Enter here!
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 Laramie Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Americana and Westerns fiction genre. The Laramie Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring Americana themes, First Nation stories, early North American History, cowboys & cowgirls in the Wild West, pioneering, and Civil War, and we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Laramie Americana Long List to the 2023 Laramie Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions.FINALISTS will be selected from the Semi-Finalists.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 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 Laramie Book Awards novel competition for Americana Fiction!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
Leah Angstman – The Only Way to Cheat a Hangman
Heidi M. Thomas – Rescue Ranch Rising
Barbara Salvatore – The Trail to Niobrara
Barbara Toomer – Season of Our Reckoning
Deborah Hufford – Blood to Rubies
George T. Arnold – The Heart Beneath the Badge
Kimberly Burns – The Redemption of Mattie Silks
Leslie K Simmons – Red Clay, Running Waters
E. Alan Fleischauer – Chip Heller Man of Valor
Donna E. Lane – This Hallowed Ground
Martha Engber – The Falcon, the Wolf, and the Hummingbird
James Holland – Vigilante Love Song: Alice Roosevelt and The White House Gunfighters
Myra Hargrave McIlvain – The Knotted Ring
K.S. Jones – Tastefully Texas
Venetia Hobson Lewis – Changing Woman
T.K. Conklin – Promise of Spring
Steven Mayfield – The Penny Mansions
Joan Koster – That Dickinson Girl: A Novel of the Civil War
Thomas Goodman – The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery
J. Stanion – My Place Among Them
Shanna Hatfield – Love on Target
JR Holland – Alice Roosevelt and the White House Gunfighters
John Hansen – Grays Lake
Michael L. Ross – Across the Great Divide: Book 3 The Founding
Julia Brewer Daily – The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch
David Calloway – If Someday Comes
K. S. Jones – Change of Fortune
Elizabeth Woolsey – The Travels of Dr. Rebecca Harper A Matter of Time
T. M. Brown – The Last Laird of Sapelo
Sophia Alexander – Homespun
Daniel Greene – Northern Dawn (Northern Wolf Series Book 4)
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.
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.
To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.
Katz– executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”
Throughout Saints and Soldiers, Katz uses her decades of intensive experience to describe how a new generation of internet-born white supremacist movements followed the same trajectory as ISIS. She exposes the network of threads that link white supremacist violence such as the Christchurch massacre of 2019 to their origins on messaging platforms such as 8chan, Discord, Stormfront, and Telegram. Indoctrinating vulnerable minds with extremist neo-Nazi ideology, these violent groups use a “screw your optics” mantra that celebrates gruesome violence and the “saints ” and “martyrs” that drive their hateful cause.
Katz reveals her first-hand experiences with neo-Nazi organizations that have targeted her and her community for their counterterrorist work and her vulnerable identity as an Iraq-born, Jewish woman. Saints and Soldiers cements Katz’s commitment to creating a safer future for her loved ones and the world at large.
While the truth of this violence may seem hopeless, Katz urges readers to keep reasonable goals toward change in sight.
Katz faults the US government and tech companies with responding too late and neglecting the warning signs pointing toward future violent actions. While any internet posts connected to ISIS are treated with immediate action, white supremacist violence is largely ignored or dismissed with an excuse of “free speech.” As a result, responsible actors miss obvious signs pointing toward real danger. Katz implores tech companies to extend the digital walls that they have created to block ISIS terrorism to white supremacist platforms whenever possible, halting their ability to attract and radicalize more people.
Katz’s intense storytelling does not shy away from reality, however grim.
Graphic descriptions of terrorist attacks tied to antisemitism, racism, sexism, and xenophobia will resurrect fresh mourning in readers. However, although shocking, Katz’s writing is widely accessible. Rather than relying solely on written text, Katz incorporates images, screenshots of social media posts, tweets, and extremist artwork, creating a multimedia project that allows readers to deeply invest in and connect with the truth of her research. Similarly, Katz carefully deconstructs the process SITE uses to investigate possible terrorist concerns, bringing ethical transparency into a conversation often concealed from the larger public.
Saints and Soldiers is eloquent, eye-opening, and timely. Katz compares and contrasts white nationalist neo-Nazi internet terrorist groups with the declining presence of ISIS extremist organizations, searching for solutions to violence. Threads of true stories weave together a chilling portrait of white supremacist terrorist threats proliferating in plain sight, while offering steps toward safety.
Thinking About Thinking is a literary endeavor by Thomas Christ to inform, educate, and bridge the clashing ideological trench in the United States.
Thomas Christ commits to a theoretical exploration that serves as both a political and social commentary – a mission to untangle the intricate web of ideologies that have driven American politics.
The twelve comprehensive sections of this work provide explicit responses to ideological polarization. Beginning with an exploration of interweaving technological, social, economic, and political constituents, Thinking About Thinking offers a theory of ideology in early twenty-first-century American politics. Drawing on Karl Marx’s core concepts, Christ offers an in-depth breakdown of how these constituents interact to have a substantial impact on society.
As the work further ventures into the intricate terrain of ideologies, a profound effort unfolds to discover their elusive origins. Demonstrating technology as a powerful catalyst for change, it explores the concept of “cultural lag” – the challenge cultural norms face in keeping up with technological advancements.
By disassembling the myriad forces that mold one’s convictions, Christ unveils the processes of belief generation, propagation, and assimilation. This leads to a profound quest into the realm of human psychology, to find the incentives that drive individuals to embrace broader ideas.
The next discussion focuses on ideologies as symbols of affiliation, examining two opposing worldviews in American culture: the Yeomanry (traditionalists) and the Cognoscenti (intellectuals). Following sections delve into the time of Donald Trump’s administration and its connection to the Yeomanry, revealing a nuanced view of the ideological shift in modern America.
Presenting a roadmap for overcoming ideological divides and promoting a reasonable, evidence-based approach to sensitive matters, the final section of this work is dedicated to discussing strategies to bridge this ideological rift.
In its presentation of ideas, Thinking About Thinking displays a graceful unity of coherence and clarity. The concepts it details are succinctly described, easily digestible despite their complexity.
A thoughtful perspective emerges, drawing from historical context and our own time’s challenges. Thinking About Thinking serves as a comprehensive resource for intellectual and sociopolitical dialogue. It encourages analytical thought and facilitates a thorough understanding of America’s ideological situation.
This venture into the convoluted realm of American political beliefs encourages empathy and understanding across ideological lines, empowering readers with a profound understanding of contemporary American politics. Thinking About Thinking is a call to action – a road map for a more united and peaceful America.
Ellen Jordan, who served in the WACs during World War II, was born on October 25, 1922.
Beloved Aunt Ellen Jordan
Ellen Jordan was my aunt. She never had children of her own, but looked after her nieces and nephews as if they were her own. I still have a doll that was handmade by her for a Christmas gift. As a little girl and then later as a teen-age girl, she helped me, many a time, to sew dresses, along with showing me how to crochet and knit.
She was also instrumental in helping to raise her nephew, Billie Wayne Flynn, who graduated from West Point Academy and was killed in Viet Nam January 23, 1967.
Ellen took care of four of her younger siblings until she enlisted at the age of 22. My mother and her twin sister were fourteen-years-old (the youngest of the siblings) when Ellen enlisted.
Ellen Jordan enlisted in the Army in 1944 at the local U.S. Post Office where the local Army recruiting office was located. She attended basic training at Fort Oglethorpe and served in the Medical Corp while stationed at Camp Wolter, Texas in the Hospital Unit. She had on-the-job training on how to run the ICU unit, assist with operations and take care of the wounded soldiers. Since there was a shortage of medical supplies, the staff had to improvise on how to care for the patients, including constructing oxygen tents and setting up a patient ward on enclosed porches. After the war, she remained in Texas and continued to take care of the wounded at the clinic.
She eventually moved back to Greensboro, NC, to take care of her parents.
To listen to this oral history segment, please click on the link above. Hearing her voice in the interview opened a floodgate of memories about her. Ellen was truly an adventuresome soul.
Ellen Jordan (1st row, 3rd from left) and other WACs pose beside a structure at Camp Wolters, Texas, circa 1944. In front of the women are five puppies. The women were allowed to keep pets at this base.More than 150,000 WACs (Women’s Army Corp) served during WWII. The WAC was founded due to Representative Edith Nourse Rogers (MA). Rogers had witnessed first-hand the contributions women made in WWI. The WACs was formed in 1943 transitioning from an auxiliary branch of the Army (no life insurance, overseas pay, or death benefits) the WAACs to the WACs. WACs now receive equal rank, pay, and benefits equal to their male counterparts.
Ellen passed away in Greensboro, North Carolina at the age of 95. Two days before her “little sister,” my mother, Antha Mae Pace, who was 87-years-old when she passed away on May 26, 2017 in Bellingham, Wash.
My first cousin, Billy Wayne Flynn, at West Point Academy. He was killed in Vietnam January 23, 1967.
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.
As an annual tradition here at Chanticleer Reviews on Veterans Day, we are suggesting these titles from among our reviews of authors who are Veterans.
But before we recognize these outstanding works, let us take a minute to review these statistics about those who have served our country.
Writing is known to be a “transformative therapy’ for veterans haunted by their experiences. “The Red Badge Project encourages Wounded Warriors to rediscover their personal voice and realize the value of their experiences and emotions.”
“RBP partners with Vet Centers and allows Veterans of all ages to take advantage of the Red Badge Project’s program while providing a link between veterans of multiple generations.” Here is a link to a Seattle Times article by Nicole Brodeur that was published on November 11, 2019, that is about the Red Badge Project.
Using the creative process of storytelling, Wounded Warriors begin to rebuild their individual sense of purpose and unique individuality.
For Wounded Warriors struggling to heal the invisible wounds of PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression, believing in the value of their story and finding the means to communicate it to family, friends, and community is a struggle of heroic proportions. Tom Skerritt is a founder and is part of the Red Badge Project faculty.
We here at Chanticleer Reviews have had the honor of reviewing top novels and narrative non-fiction written by outstanding authors whose stories enlighten, remind, empathize, and creates a better understanding with those who have served in the armed forces.
Read on to see excerpts from our reviews:
NO TOUGHER DUTY, NO GREATER HONOR
By GySgt L. Christian Bussler
First Place in Journey Awards
From a family with a long history of military service dating back to the civil war, GySgt L. Christian Bussler brings to life his experience as a Mortuary Affairs marine and sheds light on a duty that few ever talk about. He is called to duty for his first of three tours in Iraq in February of 2003 after spending many years training as a reservist.
This fear becomes reality when he narrowly escapes an IED blast with his life. Afterward, Bussler wrestles with the guilt of going back home injured, leaving his team behind to fight without him. The final and longest section ofNo Tougher Duty, No Greater Honormirrors the length of the final and longest tour from 2005-2006. This tour especially proves to be the most challenging for not just Bussler, but his whole team, and it leaves them all forever changed.
HILLBILLIES to HEROES
The Memoir of James Quinton Kelley
By S.L. Kelley
World War II veteran Quinton Kelley recounted his life story to an avid biographer – his daughter, S. L. Kelley, a documentarian and award-winning video producer.
Kelley’s tale begins in Coker Creek, Tennessee, where he was raised on an 80-acre farm, in a log cabin that he described as rough, but “brightened” with flowers. Taught to be honest and hardworking by his parents, he grew up with kerosene lamps for light, a fireplace for warmth and a wood stove for cooking. His recollections are colorful, with language that recalls his roots.
The critical issues surrounding post-traumatic stress among America’s wounded warriors is expanded here to include the challenges and concerns of military wives and families.
Barbara McNally was working as a physical therapist when she watched helplessly as a man jumped off a bridge to his death. Feeling involved in his tragedy, she learned he was a wounded veteran. The experience spurred her to find out more about PTS and its effects on those who have participated in war.
A CROWDED HEART
By Andrea McKenzie Raine Note: This is a work of Fiction
Willis Hancocks survives fighting in Western Europe during World War II but faces continuing battles of the mind at war’s end in Andrea McKenzie Raine’s poignant study of the plight of the former soldier in her historical novel,A Crowded Heart.
Willis decides to remain in London rather than return to his native Canada where his parents and sister live near Vancouver. Eager to put the war behind him, he marries Ellie, an intelligent young woman who has studied art at Cambridge University. Her affluent parents approve of Willis, and her father offers to finance his new son-in-law’s study of law at Cambridge. The newlyweds’ future could not look rosier.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY PTSD
By Christopher Oelerich
“I went away to war one person and came back another, and in my wildest dreams would never have chosen to be the one who came back.” – Christopher Oelerich
Thus begins this heartfelt discussion of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by a military veteran who has spent his life helping others deal with the debilitating symptoms associated with the disorder. Christopher Oelerich relates his own personal history, beginning from when he was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, and continuing through his return to civilian life and his own rocky road to recovery.
Oelerich eschews political correctness in favor of blunt talk mixed with detailed, empowering strategies that have worked for him, as well as for the military veterans and homeless he has helped over the years.
Brooding Château du Freudeneck, just outside Strasbourg, France has villains in the drawing rooms, stolen art hidden in the cellars, and bats in the belfry – all the best elements for a 19th-century Gothic mystery.
However, in Michelle Cox’s novel, A Spying Eye it’s the 20th century. The Great War is passed, but the next war already looms on the horizon. The people of Strasbourg feel the growing conflict sharply, at the heart of Alsace-Lorraine, a fertile region that has been contested between France and Germany since time immemorial.
Which means those bats are in the unfortunate head of the elderly Baron Von Harmon, the current lord and master (as much as he’s still able to be, at least) of the Chateau, while the stolen art is pursued by both the villainous Nazis and the only slightly-less villainous agents of Britain’s MI5.
Amongst this strife, Clive and Henrietta Howard visit the Chateau, at the behest of both his mother and his country. They’re filled with conflicting hopes about a second honeymoon after their disastrous first attempt in A Promise Given, while conducting a wild goose chase for a missing occult art masterpiece in the home of Henrietta’s long-lost relations.
The game is afoot from the very first page of this sixth entry in the award-winning series – long before Clive and Henrietta even know that they are being played by both sides, neither of whom intends for them to survive.
While Inspector Clive Howard is certainly the more experienced investigator of this pair, the focus in A Spying Eye is firmly on Henrietta, particularly in contrast to the trials and tribulations faced back home by her sister Elsie and her sister-in-law Julia.
The Strasbourg troubles in which Henrietta finds herself mired combines a search for the roots her family left behind generations ago with an utterly riveting and thoroughly researched investigation into the early years of the Nazi movement, Hitler’s seemingly endless search for mystical and mythical artworks to feed his obsession with the occult, and a real-life mystery wrapped around just what happened to the panel of the Ghent Altarpiece that the Howards oh-so-briefly managed to hold in their hands.
The pace of the story is relentless on both sides of the Atlantic, as Henrietta, Julia, and Elise all face personal, professional, and even criminal crises, in a world marching towards World War II.
Readers who have fallen in love with the detective duo of Howard and Howard will be in rapture over this latest entry. Fans of the bestselling Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear or the Elena Standish series by the late Anne Perry will find just the kind of character-driven, meticulously researched historical mystery that they are craving, set in the fascinating period between the wars.
As A Spying Eye ends, Henrietta gets her hat on the way out the door to her next adventure, A Haunting at Linley, scheduled for release in late October 2023.
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (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 judging rounds from all 2023 Chatelaine Romantic Fiction Long List to the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards SHORT LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2023 Chatelaine Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be chosen 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 Saturday, 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 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
Susan Bagby – Christmas Wish Upon A Star
Douglas Bachmann – Afterlife
Kathryn Brown Ramsperger – A Thousand Flying Things
K.S. Jones – Once In a Bluebonnet Moon
Jeanette Watts – My Dearest Miss Fairfax
Charles M. DuPuy – Rescue Man
T.K. Conklin – Guarded Hearts
Morgan Sloan – Stableshoes
Edie Cay – A Viscount’s Vengeance
Kathleen Stone – Hey Jude
Gail Avery Halverson – A Sea of Glass
Hope Gibbs – Where the Grass Grows Blue
Betty Codd – Agatha
Alice McVeigh – Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
George T. Arnold – Old Mrs. Kimble’s Mansion
Bonnie Rose Ward – Loving Beth
Catherine Tinley – A Laird for the Highland Lady
Carmela Dutra – Love Extra Credit
KB Taylor – Hattie’s Family: Through the Eyes of a Dairymaid
Suzanne Baginskie – Dangerous Revenge- Book 2 of The FBI Affairs Series
S.G. Blaise – Proud Pada
Lynn Yvonne Moon – Fish Scales
Rose Prendeville – Mistress Mackintosh and the Shaw Wretch
Wendy Rich Stetson – Heartsong Hills
Yvonne Korshak – Pericles and Aspasia: A Story of Ancient Greece
Marie Jones – Those We Seek
Eve M. Riley – The Outcast
Carol Van Den Hende – Always Orchid
KD Sherrinford – Song for Someone
Nancy Herkness – Royal Caleva: Gabriel
Evie Alexander – Love ad Lib
Kelly Miller – A Dutiful Son
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.
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.
Acts of Supremacy: A Cautionary Indictment of America’s Military Justice System by Walter Francis Fitzpatrick III, edited by Dominic McFarland Martin, is a unique treatise about one man’s court-martial in the spring of 1990.
This work details how an admiral set in motion the events that would lead to his subordinate’s court-martial, and how that subordinate – the author – fought to be exonerated. The author, now a retired naval officer, explains to readers how the current system of military justice came to be, claiming it to be beyond the laws and constitution of the United States, and what can be done to start fixing it.
“A central idea advanced in this work is that America’s military discipline system is extra-constitutional (unconstitutional, or outside the constitution) and extralegal (outside the law), and that it is purely a function of command wherein military commanders practice absolutism, giving them a free hand to treat their underlings as ‘so many chickens,’” Fitzpatrick says.
He continues, “If a given military rule bears any resemblance to the scope and operation of the US Constitution, it is simply a matter of that commander’s passing whim.”
Fitzpatrick goes into the history of military justice in this country, even to how it was formed with the Founding Fathers:
“ ‘John Jay told George Washington this much: “Let Congress legislate. Let others execute. Let others judge.” The bedrock foundation of the Constitution was a separation of powers in times of peace and tranquility. Little known, though, and terribly unappreciated is that the founders further provided that in times of national emergency or dire threat, all power must migrate to and reside in an ‘energetic executive.’ In other words, the Constitution is situational, and its structure and power are tied directly to particular levels of threat that the country may face.”
“Therefore, there is nothing particularly ‘judicial’ about America’s military government under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ),” Fitzpatrick explains, holding that the code is nothing more than “flimsy artifice” and indeed, that it is used to “hide in total darkness the very serious real-world abuses visited upon US servicemen.”
“A country’s character is measured by the way it treats its veterans.” —Unknown
Fitzpatrick concludes, “It follows that those not bound by constraints of the Constitution and those who deny constitutional protections to others cannot be trusted to defend the Constitution. Individuals and groups who deny these protections are most certainly suspect and represent a greater danger to the country than America has ever faced.”
Fitzpatrick’s unique, deep-dive work is an eye-opening look at the military justice system and how it has been used and abused throughout the years.
For readers interested in a unique romance, Air Boat: Love is an Adventure by Jacek Waliszewski offers a distinctive cast of characters and tense excitement in the sky.
Air Boat brings together a former Special Forces soldier, Luke, who prefers to keep to himself, an independent and sarcastic female pilot, Stella, and a three-legged Husky named Saint who marches to the beat of his own drum. These captivating characters embark on a fast-paced, page-turning tale.
Author Jacek Waliszewski starts this romantic adventure with a suspenseful scene of a vintage plane barreling towards the Twin Cities, accompanied by two F-16 fighter jets, before setting the stage for the two main characters to meet. The mystery of this scene will stick in the reader’s mind, drawing them forward with stark curiosity that only grows in excitement.
Saint, the wandering Husky mix, brings these two together, with sparks quickly flying between their strong personalities. Luke is not one to share much about his personal life or history, but the wounds Stella sees on his shoulder indicate trauma from his time deployed with the Green Berets. Unlike some common counterparts in a romance, Stella is a strong, competitive woman who is not likely to fall for anyone – nor give them the last word.
After the two spend some time together (axe throwing at a local bar), Luke takes Stella up on an offer to learn to fly the small commuter planes that Stella and her father, Pierre, use for their airboat business of ferrying people across the west (Montana, Alaska, and Minnesota are some of the locales). As the attraction between Luke and Stella grows, an opportunity to fly together turns into a terrifying situation which brings the story full circle.
This adventure romance has fine detail and intrigue, as the author draws from his own time as a Green Beret.
Air Boat is an exhilarating and fast-paced adventure that romance and adventure fans will love.
The story will continue, as Air Boat is the first in a five-part Special Forces Connection series, two of which will be coming out in 2024. Readers will eagerly await more by Jacek Waliszewski.
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).
The Laramie Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Americana and Westerns fiction genre. The Laramie Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Brooding Château du Freudeneck, just outside Strasbourg, France has villains in the drawing rooms, stolen art hidden in the cellars, and bats in the belfry – all the best elements for a 19th-century Gothic mystery.
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
