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The GOETHE Book Awards for post 1750s Historical Fiction – the Long List for the 2020 CIBAs
The GOETHE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent in post-1750s Historical Fiction. The Goethe Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Goethe Book Awards competition is named for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who was born at the dawn of the new era of enlightenment on August 28, 1749.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Late Period Historical Fiction. Regency, Victorian,18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, World and other wars, history of non-western cultures, set after the 1750s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. The Short Listers’ works will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be announced and recognized at the CAC21 banquet and ceremony. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBA Ceremonies April 21-25th, 2021 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. at the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference–whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2020 Goethe Book Awards for post-1750s Historical Fiction. Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
- James Hockenberry – Send The Word
- Helena P. Schrader – Where Eagles Never Flew: A Battle of Britain Novel
- Conor Bender – Jubilee
- Linda Ulleseit – The Aloha Spirit
- Eileen O’Finlan – Erin’s Children
- Jon Duncan – Heart of the Few
- Grahame Shannon – Bay of Devils
- Leslie K. Barry – Newark Minutemen
- T. Matt Ryan – One Hell of a Shipmate
- Richard Alan Schwartz – Wind Chimes, War and Consequence A Novel of the Vietnam War Era
- Kari Bovee – Folly at the Fair
- James Padian – A Patriot’s Challenges
- Betty Bolte – Becoming Lady Washington
- Betty Bolte – Notes of Love and War
- Carrie Kwiatkowski – Revolution
- Kit Sergeant – The Spark of Resistance: Women Spies in WWII
- J.P. Kenna – The Anarchist Girl’s Confession
- Jomo Merritt – Sons of a Mauffen King
- Lindsey Fera – Muskets and Minuets
- J.L.Oakley – The Quisling Factor
- Brigitte Goldstein – Babylon Laid Waste-A Journey in the Twilight of the Idols
- D.V Chernov – Commissar
- Gail Noble-Sanderson – The Lavender Bees of Meuse
- Michelle Cameron – Beyond the Ghetto Gates
- Kathryn Gauci – The Poseidon Network
- Dorothea Hubble Bonneau – Once in a Blood Moon
- Kate Dike Blair – The Hawthorne Inheritance
- Nancy H. Wynen – We Did What We Could
- John M. Millar – The Wars Among the Paines
- Pamela Jonas – Beneath a Radiant Moon
- John Hansen – Secrets of the Gros Ventre
- Elizabeth Bell – Necessary Sins (Lazare Family Saga, Book One)
- Eileen Harrison Sanchez – Freedom Lessons – A Novel
- Elizabeth St. Michel – Lord of the Wilderness
- Donna Scott – The London Monster
- Jerena Tobiasen – The Destiny, Book III of The Prophecy
- Jerena Tobiasen – The Emerald, Book II of The Prophecy
- Jerena Tobiasen – The Crest, Book I of The Prophecy
- Jenny Ferns – Ripple Effect: Because of the War
- Gin Westcott – Tangle of Time
- James Ross – Hunting Teddy Roosevelt
- Jule Selbo – Breaking Barriers: A Novel Based on the Life of Laura Bassi
- Linda Stewart Henley – Estelle: A Novel
- Gregory Erich Phillips – Guilty as Angels
- Vicky Oliver – Love and Suffrage in Manhattan
- Roger Newman – Will O’ the Wisp: Madness, War and Recompense
- Theo Czuk – Hastings Street: Boulevard of Blues
- Sandra Perez Gluschankoff – Thorns for Raisel
- Ben Wyckoff Shore – Terribilita
- Carmela Cattuti – Between the Cracks: one woman’s journey from Sicily to America
- Wendy Long Stanley – The Power to Deny
- David Selcer – The Old Stories, a.k.a Da Alt Geshikhtem
- Pyram King – Destiny’s War – Part 1: Saladin’s Secret
- Lucinda Brant – Deadly Kin: A Georgian Historical Mystery
- Cris Harding – Red Wing
Good Luck to All!

Which of these works will move forward in the judging rounds for the 2020 Goethe Book Awards for post-1750s Historical Fiction?

Congratulations to Kari Bovee whose work Peccadillo at the Palace – An Annie Oakley Mystery took home the Grand Prize for the 2019 Goethe Book Awards.

Here is the link to the 2019 Goethe Book Award Winners!

Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremonies will be held April 21 – 25, 2021, for the 2020 CIBA winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

We are now accepting entries into the 2021 Goethe Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
December 21, 2020
The OZMA Awards for Fantasy – the Long List for the 2020 CIBAs
The OZMA Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Fantasy Fiction. The OZMA Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards discovers the best books featuring magic, the supernatural, imaginary worlds, fantastical creatures, legendary beasts, mythical beings, or inventions of fancy that author imaginations dream up without a basis in science as we know it. Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dragons, Unicorns, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Gaslight Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, or other out of this world fiction, they will be put to the test and the best selected as winners of the prestigious CIBAs. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremonies April 21-25th, 2021 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. at the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference–whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person.

The following fantasy fiction works have moved forward from all entries to the Long List of the 2020 OZMA Book Awards:
- Christopher Leibig – Almost Damned
- Manuel Rodville – Keres: The Unseen City
- Susannah Dawn – Battle for the Armor of God
- Christopher Russell – Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth
- T. Cook – Shin
- Brooke Skipstone – Someone To Kiss My Scars
- Eric McBurney – You Only Die Once
- David Fitz-Gerald – She Sees Ghosts: The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls
- Julia Dent – The Love of Mother Nature
- Michelle Rene – The Canyon Cathedral: The Witches of Tanglewood, Book Two
- Amy Wolf – The Twelve Labors of Nick
- Robert C. Feol – A Journey to Mouseling Hollow
- Alan Frost – The Slayer, the Seer, and the Dream Stealer
- MG Wilson and Phil Elmore – Ninja Girl Adventures
- J. Nell Brown – Orphan Tree and the Vanishing Skeleton Key
- Glen Dahlgren – The Child of Chaos
- Gordon Preston – Zendragon
- H.J. Ramsay – Ever Alice
- Alison Levy – Gatekeeper: Book One in the Daemon Collecting Series
- Jeny Heckman – The Warrior’s Progeny
- Sandra A. Hunter – Daughter of Earth & Fire, The Fledgling
- James G. Robertson – Afterworld (Next Life, #1)
- LaVerne Thompson – Wild Child
- D.L. Jennings – Awaken the Three
- Derrick Smythe – The Other Magic
- Brian Phillips – A Necromancer’s Apprentice
- K.N. Salustro – Cause of Death
- KC Cowan & Sara Cole – Everfire
- Jacob Andrew Emrey – Inferno Dawn
- Dr. Anay Ayarovu – STAZR The World Of Z: The Dawn Of Athir
- Glenn Searfoss – Cycles of Norse Mythology: Tales of the AEsir Gods
- T. K. Thorne – House of Rose
- Lee Hunt – Dynamicist
- T. L. Augury – What’s Brewing Now?
Which of these works will move forward in the judging rounds for the 2020 OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction?

Good Luck to All!

Congratulations to Michelle Rene whose work Manufactured Witches took home the Grand Prize for the 2019 Ozma Book Awards.

Here is the link to the 2019 Ozma Book Award Winners!

Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremonies will be held April 21 – 25, 2021, for the 2020 CIBA winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

We are now accepting entries into the 2021 Ozma Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
December 21, 2020
JOLABOKAFLOD – an Icelandic Tradition -CHANTICLEER’S HOLIDAY BOOKs PICK – See Our Top of the List Holiday Themed Books! –

There is a beautiful Icelander holiday tradition that we are growing quite fond of here at Chanticleer.

Jolabokaflod or Yule Book Flood happens once a year on Christmas Eve in Iceland. The flood begins with the release of a catalog of new publications from the Icelandic Publishers Association. And it is distributed FREE to each and every Icelandic home. The majority of books sold in Iceland are sold from September to early November. Of course, these books are in print. E-pubs are not given.

The Icelanders even have a popular TV show, Kiljan, that is entirely devoted to books. Authors appear on prime TV shows. Book readings and author events are treated like rock star events.

“In Iceland book lives matter in every sense of that phrase: The shelf-life of the book, the lives in the book, the life of the writer and the life of the reader. God bless the Jolabokaflod.” ~Hallgrimur Helgason

To an Icelander, the very best Christmas present is a book! This tradition hails from WWII when many items and food were rationed. These sentiments may always have existed, in one way or another, since Icelanders have been saga-nerds for thousand of years.

Loved ones gather – perhaps virtually this year – and gift one another books. What happens next? They spend the night reading together. What a delightful holiday tradition!

Jolabokaflod – Christmas is the time where you snuggle up and read your presents.

We thought you might like to see some of our top holiday-themed books – just in case you would like to have your own Jolabokaflod…

So, snuggle in and preview some of our favorite books for the season. Let’s share some book love!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips

From the riveting opening that takes place in NYC’s Lower East Side’s sweatshops until its gripping conclusion, this enthralling novel vividly portrays the desperate times of German immigrants landing at Ellis Island in 1905 in search of a better life. Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips is one of Kiffer Brown’s favorites for the holidays. She cites the novel’s heartwarming WWI Christmas Eve scene that takes place in the trenches in the heat of battle as unforgettable.

Oscar’s Christmas Wish by Veronica Fischer

Since it’s Christmas time, clever Oscar decides to write a letter to Santa and ask for the spots he so desperately wants. Fearing his request won’t reach the North Pole in time, Oscar decides to take it there himself. He meets many a character en route and learns some new lessons. A beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told children’s Christmas story of the importance of being yourself. Highly recommended.

Nicola Slade’s Christmas at Ladywell

With the loveliest prose and sharp humor, Slade offers the best Christmas gift for her readers with this gem of a book. Whether it’s 1390, 1543, 1825, or the present day, there’s a mystical sisterhood at Ladywell that bridges time, a linking of strong women who tend home and hearth and pass on the secrets of the land. The past re-emerges into the blissful bustle of Freya’s current life as she learns of a family connection with King Richard III. Is this connection tied to a future event? Will the secrets of the past travel to the future?

An exquisitely written English tale set for Yuletide cheer. A book to curl up with during the holidays. Highly recommended.

My Christmas Attic by Dennis Clausen

For anyone who’s ever fought a battle and held onto the promise of hope, here is a heartfelt story of a boy whose endless desire for Christmas changes not only him but his entire world. This story has the makings to be a seasonal classic! Plausible fantasy with a clear connection to our national past composed by a practiced wordsmith, My Christmas Attic can be appreciated as a classic seasonal saga with a cinematic quality that speaks of broader possibilities.

Chasing Cleopatra: A Novel of Love, Betrayal, and Suspense by Tina Sloan

Cleopatra’s lustful affair with young Jake Regan becomes more complex as she discovers his presence in Hawaii is due to a Christmas holiday vacation with his (Norman Rockwellesque) family. Mother and his two brothers have arrived. Jake’s dad is expected to arrive at any moment from yet another far-flung business trip. But the coup d’état is that Jake’s longtime girlfriend, who also is en route, is expecting wedding bells to be announced at the gathering. It becomes obvious that Cleo and Jake’s unrelenting passion will have an impact on the Regan family.

A steamy, fast-paced suspense novel that will take you on a get-away armchair vacation to Hawai’i!

Combining a romance novel with a thriller is not easy, but Chasing Cleopatra delivers the goods with plotting as intricate as a silver spider’s web.

Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Christopher Oelerich

Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Chris Oelerich is highly recommended for those who suffer from PTSD, for the family members and friends of those who suffer, and for those who are simply interested in having a greater understanding beyond what is reported in the popular press about this debilitating disorder. Oelerich’s methods to overcome PTSD are plain-spoken and practical, with an overall message of optimism for those with PTSD.

This is a very personal, no-holds-barred, yet ultimately, empowering discussion of PTSD and its effects on those who suffer from it. The author hopes that Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD will be used as a tool to reduce PTSD symptoms in others who suffer from it so that they, too, can live healthier and happier lives.

We wish you a very merry and warm Holiday Season!

If you would like to read more book reviews to discern the perfect selections for your own Jolabokaflod click here to read more Chanticleer Book Reviews!

If you think we should include your book (must have been reviewed by Chanticleer Reviews) in this article, please email us with the title, your pen name, and the pages that have the holiday scenes.

December 20, 2020
GALACTICAB CATASTROPHE by Zoe Hauser – Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Time Travel

Time travel isn’t just for Dr. Who! When four teens try to solve the puzzle of the mysterious wormhole at their school, friendships are tested, reality is checked, and danger is never far away. Hauser delivers a fast, fun debut novel for the YA crowd.

Something extraordinary is going on at the Cuniculum Performing Arts Middle School. Well beyond the emotions of the artistic kids trying to find their own direction as artists and performers, far beyond the raging hormones of kids falling in, out and through the throes of first love, some other-worldly happenings are making life at the St. Augustine, Florida school more than a bit weird.

For example, circus animals abruptly appear in the school’s hallways. A 17th Century French courtesan, smelling like a skunk, slaps a student in front of the girl’s horrified mother. Let’s not forget the disappearance of the school’s beloved principal. Then, to top it off, the Bubonic Plague sweeping out of the school’s science labs and forcing the school to close for a month to be disinfected.

To four students, Sephie, Zander, Rori and Iggy, the events are not only abnormal but super-normal, a situation that could only be explained as a wrinkle in time, or more appropriately a wormhole, that allows these strange figures from the past to travel in time to their school. Even more exciting, and perhaps a bit disturbing, the students go back in time using one of the wormholes buried in the school. But can they return to the present, or will they be trapped in the past? Will they ever get home?

This Y/A novel is a clever mixture of facts, fantasy, and teenage angst, plus a healthy dollop of Greek mythology. As strange events keep the school on high alert, the four students plus a teacher travel through time. Some loop to the site of a 1942 circus disaster in Cleveland; others are held hostage in a 1915 entrapment by a nefarious group of astrophysicists. The scientists know the students are from the future but want to keep time travel to themselves.

Sephie, short for Persephone, the Greek goddess of the spring, more or less narrates the book, infusing the novel with her deep attachment to mythology. Her personal story ties the book together. It’s complicated by the complexity of her love life—she loves a boy who loves someone else—but even more pressing is her desire to use the wormhole to go back in time and try to prevent her mother’s death.

Y/A readers will admire this book on several levels. One is the sheer audacity of a book that ties puppy love angst with time travel. Another side is the insertion of historical events and an ongoing treatise about the lives of the ancient Greek gods.

Part of the fun in reading this novel is its inventive characters and locations. Many readers will find their Internet browsers heating up as they check out whether certain situations were authentic and characters were real. (Hint: This reviewer especially liked a character named Alfred Ulixes. Look it up!)

Enjoy reading Galacticab Catastrophe – but watch out for the snakes in Morocco.

December 20, 2020
PECCADILLO at the PALACE: An Annie Oakley Mystery by Kari Bovée – Historical Thrillers, Women’s Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction
Kari Bovée’s Peccadillo at the Palace, the second book in the Annie Oakley Mystery series, is a historical, mystery thriller extraordinaire. Fans of both genres will thrill at Bovée’s complex plot that keeps us guessing from its action-packed beginning to the satisfying reveal at the end.

The book opens with the Honorable Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show to England on a voyage to perform for Queen Victoria. They are not on the high seas long, when Annie’s beloved horse, Buck, jumps overboard. Her husband and the Queen’s loyal servant, Mr. Bhakta, jump in to save the horse, or was Mr. Bhakta already dead before he reached the water? Thus, begins the mystery of who killed Mr. Bhakta, leaving all to wonder, is the Queen safe?

Someone wanted the Queen’s man dead, and he is, but was it a matter of racism, intrigue, or an accident? Annie’s search for clues points her in several directions, but is it the doctor, or the woman dressed in rags with the posh accent, or the crass American businessman and his floozy wife? All have motive. Even Annie’s husband has motive with his Irish background and ties to the Fenians and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Annie rushes through her days, trying to find clues and care for her husband who fell ill on the voyage and isn’t recovering. Is her husband’s illness seasickness, flu, or something else? Her husband forbids her to search for clues, fearing that Annie will get herself in over her head, but “Little Miss Sure shot” has no fear – as long as she’s packing her pistols.

Annie follows her leads from the ship, the State of Nebraska, to the show’s camp at the Earl’s Court, the market, and the Queen’s court. In a sea of suspects, everyone looks guilty. But, are Annie’s hunches always right?

This wild romp through England’s royal court is sure to thrill readers as tantalizing clues lead us astray; even as the body count rises and suspects are murdered.

Peccadillo at the Palace by Kari Bovée is a page-turner from beginning to end, so much so, that Bovée took home the Grand Prize in the CIBA 2019 GOETHE Awards for Historical Fiction. Readers will burn the midnight oil with this one. Highly recommended.

A marvelous, riveting whodunit with a complicated hero in Annie Oakley at the helm. A perfect read for mystery lovers and one we love. Highly recommended.
December 18, 2020
The LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards for Early Readers – the Long List for the 2020 CIBAs
The LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Reader Fiction. The Gertrude Warner 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 stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Storybooks, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books & Educational Books we will put them to the test to discover today’s best children’s books. Looking for Young Adult Fiction? Check out our Dante Rossetti contest! Looking for Middle Grade Fiction? Check out our Gertrude Warner contest!

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2020 Little Peeps entries to the 2020 Gertrude Warner Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for 2020 Little Peeps Shortlist. The Long Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists and will be announced and recognized at the CAC21 banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 17 CIBA divisions Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Sunday, April 25th, 2021 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. at the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference–whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person.

These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalist Positions of the 2020 Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers.

Good luck to all as your works move on the next rounds of judging.
- Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey Through the Alphabet
- M. Lisa Rinaca – P Mind Your Q’s
- M. Lisa Rinaca – The Missing Punctuation Box
- M. Lisa Rinaca – Two Different Princesses
- Courtney Shannon Strand – Hollyhock Hill
- Robert Cole – Sollie
- Masoud Malekyari – Great As A Button
- Susan Faw – Poppy Ogopogo
- George M. Johnson – How Hope Became An Activist
- D.K. Brantley – Every Mummy Has a Mommy
- Carmela Dutra – Little Katie and the STEAM Team
- Carmela Dutra – Little Katie Explores the Coral Reefs
- Carmela Dutra – Little Katie Goes to the Moon
- Carmela Dutra – Little Katie How to Talk to Your Robot
- Dr. Justine Green – Completely Me
- Lisa Rojany – Tutusaurua Rex
- Courtney Shannon Strand – Ella’s Umbrella
- Lindy Ryan – Trick or Treat, Alistair Gray
- Peter R. Fernandez – Pia and The Trolls
- Dawn Marie Thompson – Sedwick the Seagull
- Mercy Hansen Mize – Samson’s Tail
- Stephanie Ryan – Let’s Learn about Chemistry
- Pamela Tomlin – My Truly Most Favorite Fluffy Friend
- Pamela Tomlin – Our Wounded Little Chickadee
- Alycyn Culbertson – Look What Happened While I Was Sleeping
- Raven Howell – So You Want a Puppy?
- Pj McIlvaine – Little Lena and The Big Table
- Dianne Moritz – Hey Little Beachcomber
- Savannah Hendricks – The Book Who Lost Its Title
- Mark Richardson – The Christmas War
- Teal Blake – J is for Jackalope
Congratulations to Trevor Young & Eleanor Long whose work Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie took home the Grand Prize for the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards

Here is the link to the 2019 Little Peeps Book Award Winners!

Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremonies will be held April 21 – 25, 2021, for the 2020 CIBA winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

We are now accepting entries into the 2021 Little Peeps Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
December 17, 2020
HEART of the FEW by Jon Duncan – WWII Historical Fiction, WWII Thriller, 20th Century Romance

It is said that all is fair in love and war. In this wartime historical romance, young love is put to the ultimate test, and the love of family is strained to the breaking point. During World War II, the occupants of a ravaged England understand that all can be lost in a moment’s hesitation or in a hasty decision. Here, love is under attack by enemies seen and unseen. It’s the uncommon courage of many and the Heart of the Few that can hope to turn the fate of England during these dark days.

Passion drives both sides in this wartime mystery/thriller about people who are determined to make a difference in the outcome of World War II. Like all powerful forces, passion has two sides. It’s a wondrous and beautiful emotion when applied to good purpose, but it becomes horrific and deadly when twisted and corrupt. The question author Jon Duncan asks amidst all the turmoil, treachery, death and desolation of war is: can love find a way?

As the only daughter of the widowed Lord Ashford, Livy Ashford feels compelled to volunteer – a valiant calling of which her father wholeheartedly disapproves. War is too dangerous for a young woman. And, as one of Churchill’s trusted Intelligence officers, he’s well informed about the war news; Ashford knows of what he speaks. He wants Livy to remain protected in the upper echelons of London’s upper-class life.

Jamie Wallace is a butcher’s son who has trained to become one of the new RAF pilots. He is highly skilled and very nervous about his new profession. Regardless, Jamie vows to contribute to the war effort, especially on behalf of his brother, who is badly injured and fortunate to return home at all.

One day, Livy and Jamie stumble across each other on the edges of an airfield. Love strikes at first sight. Do they dare to follow their heartfelt feelings at a time when air raid sirens and bombings prove that tomorrow is not promised? There are many barriers to happiness. Even if there was no war, they come from very different backgrounds, and each is painfully aware of that fact. But not all dangers Livy and Jamie face wear the enemy’s uniform. In the heat of battle, class differences, and unwelcome attention, the young couple wrestles with how to make sense of their situation, remain focused on the war effort – and stay alive.

Author Jon Duncan presents a story with spellbinding, spine-tingling action, with romantic scenes of breathtaking tenderness. Duncan paints a vivid and well-researched picture of England at this critical time in history, packed full of plenty of intrigue. Duncan has a background in the movie and television industry, which is reflected in this novel. Research for this novel enlists many primary sources, including conversations Duncan had with people who lived the history in the time of The Battle of Britain. Some historical romance novels are read, Heart of the Few is one that will live with readers long after the book is put down. Highly recommended.

December 17, 2020
Contract for OZMA Award Winner – Noah Lemelson – Good News Department
A Good News Announcement at Chanticleer Reviews!

Noah Lemelson, the author of The Sightless City, a 2019 OZMA Book Awards First Place Winner, contacted us to say that the work was picked up by Tiny Fox Press. It is scheduled to be released in July 2021 in print and e-pub.

The Sightless City
November 28, 2020 – Posted in: New Author, New Releases, News
Love steam punk? Want it with an extra side of gritty? Maybe garnished with some first place awards? Look no further and check out our upcoming title The Sightless City by Noah Lemelson! We’ll let the blurb tease you with more, and we’re absolutely certain you’ll love this book as much as we do.

Check it out and grab a copy from us here: https://tinyfoxpress.com/product/the-sightless-city/

You can also pay Noah a visit on his site here: https://www.noahlemelson.com/blog

A short-story writer and novelist based in LA. I write Science Fiction, Fantasy, Surreal-Horror, “Insert-Adjective-Here”-Punk and all sort of weird nonsense.

I received my B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago in 2014, then made a hard pivot into the world of fiction. I have previously publish short fiction pieces in the online magazines: “Space Squid,” “Literally Stories,” “Silver Blade,” and “Allegory.” I am currently completing my MFA in Creative Writing at Calarts, and have a novel in the works…

Congratulations, Noah, on your publishing contract!

“It was awesome being part of the [OZMA] competition, and I think being [earning a First Place position] helped my book stand out when I was sending to Tiny Fox. Have a great day!” Noah

Comments from the CIBA OZMA Judges:
- Excellent crafting of a captivating story, setting an old-school, 1940s-style detective in a dark and dystopic world full of paranoia and ever-present dangers.
- Details of day-to-day survival are smartly imagined, making it easy to sink one’s teeth into the plot.
- Kudos to the author for making the various humanoid and non-human species believable and the physics and resources of this strange place seem perfectly acceptable.
At Chanticleer International Book Awards, we are passionate about Discovering Today’s Best Books!

Please send us your good news!

Email us at: Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com — type GOOD NEWS and your last name in the Subject Line.
December 15, 2020
The CHAUCER Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction – the Long List for the 2020 CIBAs
The CHAUCER Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in pre-1750s Historical Fiction. The Chaucer Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Chaucer Book Awards competition is named for Geoffrey Chaucer the author of the legendary Canterbury Tales. The work is considered to be one of the greatest works in the English language. It was among the first non-secular books written in Middle English to be printed in 1483.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking for the best books featuring Pre-1750s Historical Fiction, including pre-history, ancient history, Classical, world history (non-western culture), Dark Ages and Medieval Europe, Renaissance, Elizabethan, Tudor, 1600s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2020 CHAUCER Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for 2020 CHAUCER Shortlist. The Short Listers’ works will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be announced and recognized at the CAC21 banquet and ceremony. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremonies April 21-25th, 2021 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. at the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference–whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2020 Chaucer Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction. Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
- James Hutson-Wiley – The Travels of ibn Thomas
- Patrick E. Craig – The Mennonite Queen
- Regan Walker – Summer Warrior
- N.L. Holmes – Bird in a Snare
- Leah Angstman – Out Front the Following Sea
- Bob Atkinson/Thoren Syndergaard – Ripley of Valor
- Seven Jane – The Isle of Gold
- Edward Rickford – The Bend of the River: Book Two in the Tenochtitlan Trilogy
- Helena P. Schrader – The Emperor Strikes Back
- B.L. Smith – The Fall of the Axe
- Catherine Meyrick – The Bridled Tongue
- Dave & Steve Curliss – To Give Thanks – Our Pilgrim Ancestors
- Dick Rosano – Islands of Fire: The Sicily Chronicles, Part I
- Brook Allen – Antonius: Son of Rome
- Sherry V. Ostroff – Caledonia
- Amy Wolf – A Woman of the Road and Sea
- Tony Dietz – Eve 1057
- Marilyn Pemberton – Song of the Nightingale: a Tale of Two Castrati
- K.M. Butler – The Welsh Dragon
- Robert Wright – The Stone Gardner’s Fire, Second Book of the Before They Awaken Trilogy
- Jim Fuxa – At War with Mars
- Wendy J. Dunn – Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters
- Denis Olasehinde Akinmolasire – The Mission to End Slavery
- Marc Graham – Son of the Sea, Daughter of the Sun
- Indra Zuno – Freedom Dues
- Samary K. Birkline – MacGregor Strong
- Janet Wertman – The Path to Somerset
Good Luck to All in the Next Rounds!

Congratulations to James Conroyd Martin whose work Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora took home the Grand Prize for the 2019 Chaucer Book Awards and the overall BEST BOOK Grand Prize for 2019.

Here is the link to the 2019 Chaucer Book Award Winners!

Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremonies will be held April 21 – 25, 2021, for the 2020 CIBA winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

We are now accepting entries into the 2021 Chaucer Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
December 15, 2020
The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – the Long List for the 2020 CIBAs
The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

Named in honor of the author of the quintessential children’s series The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Warner.

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 eight to twelve. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Adventure we will put them to the test and choose the best Middle-Grade Books among them. Looking for Young Adult Fiction? Check out our Dante Rossetti contest! Looking for Early Readers? Check out our Little Peeps Contest!

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2020 Gertrude Warner entries to the 2020 Gertrude Warner Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for 2020 Gertrude Warner for the Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be announced and recognized at the CAC21 banquet and ceremony. The 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 17 CIBA divisions Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremonies April 21-25th, 2021 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. at the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference–whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person.

These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists Level of the 2020 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction.

Good luck to all as your works move on the next rounds of judging.
- M.J. Evans – Mr. Figgletoes’ Toy Emporium
- Lis Anna-Langston – Gobbledy
- Catherine Grangaard – A Fairy’s Tails
- Poem Schway – The Infinity Pendant
- Jason Burrell – Ricky and the Abnormals
- Ruthy Ballard – Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy
- Pastel Gwendolyn Schway – Empire of Embers
- Laura Gerhardt Schonberg – Joker
- Ben Gartner – The Eye of Ra
- Gregory Saur – Best Shot Forward
- Molly Valentin – Francie is Afoot!
- Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Witchfinder
- Ian C Douglas – The Particle Beast
- Carolina Ugaz-Moran – Aline and the Blue Bottle
- Jay Spenser – The Barn Owl Mystery
- Jay Spenser –The Phantom Airplane Mystery
- Tricia L McDonald – The Sally Squad: Pals to the Rescue
- Catherine M. O’Connor – Throwing the World
- Alison Rice – Chasing Snow
- Frank Saraco – Life in the Grand Pause
- Suzanne Lowe – The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket
- Kelly Oliver – Kassy O’Roarke, Cub Reporter
- Julie Lavender – Mrs. Amazing and The Seed
- Andres Faza – Hishi-mochi in the Sky
- Kling – CLI- The Colt
Good luck to all as your works compete in the next rounds.

Congratulations to Alex Paul whose work The Valley of Death – Arken Freeth Series took home the Grand Prize for the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards

Here is the link to the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Award Winners!

Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremonies will be held April 21 – 25, 2021, for the 2020 CIBA winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

We are now accepting entries into the 2021 Gertrude Warner Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
December 15, 2020

Chanticleer Book Reviews