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The 2025 Chaucer Short List for Early Historical Fiction
The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Historical (Pre- 1750) Fiction. The Chaucer Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (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 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 from the 2025 Chaucer Long List to the 2025 Chaucer Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Chaucer Award Semi-Finalists. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

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

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2025 Chaucer Book Awards novel competition for Pre-1750s Historical Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Adam Alexander Haviaras – A Dragon Among the Eagles: a Novel of the Roman Empire
- Anne M. Beggs – By Arrow and Sword: Book Two Dahlquin Series
- Barbara Stark-Nemon – Isabela’s Way: a Novel
- Bryce Gibby – Esta
- Chuck Locklear – The Pines Know
- Elizabeth Clifford Murphy – The Faithful Harlot
- Erryn Lee – What Remains
- Fawn Brokaw Doyle – Salt People of the Cloud Houses: the Story of Sarah Rapalje and Dutch Manhattan
- Gregory Michael Nixon – Diomedes in Kyprios
- Gregory Michael Nixon – The Diomedeia: Diomedes, the Peoples of the Sea, and the Fall of the Hittite Empire
- Helena P. Schrader – The Tale of the English Templar
- J. M. Elliott – Of Wind and Wolves
- J. Susanne Wilson – The Death and Life of Iphigenia
- J.C. Corry – The Storyteller’s Reputation: Geoffrey Chaucer, Reluctant Spy
- Janet Wertman – Nothing Proved
- Jean K. Dudek – The Scent of Bright Light
- K.M. Butler – The Raven and the Dove
- Keira Morgan – The Importance of Wives
- Kim Gottlieb-Walker – Caterina by Moonlight
- Lisa Llamrei – Quest for Ma’at
- Liz Sevchuk Armstrong – To Be Worthy in Honor: Book II of the Epic of Hotspur
- Logan D. Irons – City of Wolves
- Marcia Maxwell – I, Christine: a Novel
- Michael J. Cooper – The Rabbi’s Knight
- Michaela Riley – Labyrinth of Shadows: the Witch’s Rebirth Part I
- Nina Wachsman – The Courtesan’s Pirate
- Rachel Elwiss Joyce – Lady of Lincoln
- Richard G Nixon – The Legend of Fingerless Will Nixon: the Scottish Borderlands 1508-1509
- Sarah V. Barnes – She Who Rides Horses: A Saga of the Ancient Steppe Book One
- Sarah V. Barnes – A Clan Chief’s Daughter: She Who Rides Horses Book Two
- Sonya Van De Graaff – The Painter From Seville
Congratulations once more to the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize Winner for Historical Fiction

Maid of Honor

Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court

By Rozsa Gaston

Click here to see the full list of 2024 Chaucer Book Award Winners for Early Historical Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Chaucer Book Awards for Pre-1750s Historical Fiction!

Please click here for more information.

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

April 16 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference and discover why!
December 17, 2025
MEMOIRS From The FRONTLINES: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic by RN Kim Sloan – Medical Memoirs, ICU, COVID-19 Pandemic

RN Kim Sloan draws from her experiences as a travel ICU nurse to share a raw, deeply personal perspective on life as a healthcare profession during the COVID-19 pandemic in her Memoirs from the Frontlines: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic.

Structured like an intimate journal, Memoirs from the Frontlines weaves together diary entries, social media posts, and mass media excerpts into an authentic record of the time. Sloan opens with a prologue and introduction that shed light on her nomadic life as a travel nurse, one often shared with her husband and fellow nurse, John. She offers readers a window into the fast-paced and high-stakes environment of hospital ICUs during the pandemic, describing—with honest and sometimes graphic detail—the realities of caring for patients at the height of crisis.

Sloan reveals her psychological journey in moments of vulnerability and fortitude.

Her accounts of limited resources, moral fatigue, and constant confrontation with death are underscored by experiences of deep compassion and humanity. Early in the pandemic, she and her husband even discuss their own end-of-life and “Do Not Resuscitate” wishes—a sobering reflection of the risks frontline workers faced every day.

In many ways, this first-hand account serves as a historical document for a defining global event.

Sloan’s memoir captures not only the clinical realities of the pandemic but also the social and emotional toll on those who stood at its center. One can easily imagine a future student citing this memoir as a primary source for understanding the healthcare response of the pandemic.

Sloan’s closing chapters are among the most powerful. Her frustration, fatigue, and emerging PTSD symptoms become palpable as she grapples with death, misinformation, and the challenges of advocating for vaccination. Her candid use of Facebook posts to process her emotions adds authenticity and immediacy to her story.

Memoirs from the Frontlines: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic is the detailed, intimate account of author Kim Sloan’s confrontation against a deadly virus while serving others.

Her opinions are well-informed and unapologetic. While her vivid descriptions of suffering and death may be difficult for some readers, those willing to engage will find in this book a unique and transformative glimpse into the human side of the pandemic. It is essential reading for anyone touched by COVID-19 or seeking to understand the hardship faced by frontline healthcare workers.

Memoirs from the FrontLines by Kim Sloan won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Military and FrontLine Awards for Service to Others Non-Fiction.

December 17, 2025
Denise Frisino

Author of Building Communities of Trust- Hearten 1st Place Winner

Thanks for sharing this great news with me! My board of directors and colleagues are all thrilled that Building Communities of Trust is a Finalist for the Hearten Award.

CAC 2023 was a spectacular gathering of world renown authors. Contestants arrived from Australia, India, Portugal, Korea, and across the United States to the beauty of the San Juans and the warmth of the Chanticleer staff. Every workshop I was lucky enough to attend was exceptional, well organized, timely and extremely informative. The level of expertise from attorney Maggie Marr, to the inspiring class on script writing, the panels on AI, or marketing, to mention a few, lent to a well balanced mix of information for any level of story teller in the ever evolving self-published industry. Plus, the smaller size of this conference allowed incredible exchanges between knowledgeable writers offering their time and support.

Hats off to Kiffer and Andy Brown along with their outstanding and talented team for their years of believing in and supporting the journey of our profession.

A deep and grateful Thank YOU.

December 16, 2025
Gail Hertzog

Author of Building Communities of Trust- Hearten 1st Place Winner

I am writing to thank you for the outstanding event put on by Chanticleer. I was excited to attend the event before I arrived, but truly surprised by how wonderful it turned out to be. The Bellwether was a great location. I loved the convenience of the session locations, and the presenters were very knowledgeable and open. It’s hard to choose a favorite!

The organization of the events was spot-on. The way you present the awards made everything so fun and exciting, with suspenseful build-up over the three days leading up to the final awards banquet. It was so fun! In fact, seeing other writers enjoy the experience was a blast. I made some great, new friends!

All that being said, there was one more occurrence that really took me by surprise. There is a true camaraderie among the authors, presenters, and Chanticleer staff. I was not expecting that! It was so wonderful to become a part of that group! Every author cheered on every other author. I have never seen that at any other conference before.

Now I’m a proud member of the Roost, and I look forward to hearing from Chanticleer. Thank you again for putting on such a fun and detail-oriented event.

December 16, 2025
The 2025 Hearten Short List for Inspiring and Uplifting Non-Fiction
The Hearten Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Inspiring and Uplifting Non-Fiction and Memoirs. The Hearten 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 true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences, travel, personal journeys, global enlightenment, and more. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2025 Hearten Non-Fiction Long List to the 2025 Hearten Book Awards SHORT LIST. Entries below are now in competition for 2025 Hearten Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC26).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 28 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

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

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2025 Hearten Book Awards novel competition for Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction!

Join us in celebrating the Short List authors and their works in the 2025 CIBAs.
- Alia Luria – Geri O Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin
- Andy Becker – Grandy Let’s Play: Reflections on the Joy Blessings and Wonder of Grandparenting
- Barb Drummond – I Finally Have the Smoking Hot Body I Have Always Wanted Having Been Cremated
- Brent Larsen – You Make My Heart Giggle Dad-isms the Wisdom and Wit of Dad
- Candace Macphie – Finding Color
- Cerridwen Fallingstar – Rocket in My Pocket: Defying Gravity with Levity, From the Frontiers of Space… To the Frontiers of Consciousness
- Charlene Pell – In This Altered Body: A Survivor’s Story of Resilience and Love
- Christine Amoroso – Bare Naked in Public: A Memoir
- Cynthia Waine Brandt – Song of the Cardinal: A True Story of Miracles and Magic After Heartbreaking Loss
- Doug Cameron – My Tarzan Tree and Other Farm Boy Memories
- Dr. Deb Miller – Forget the Fairy Tale and Find Your Happiness
- Jeff Richards – Nothing Left To Lose: Or How Not To Start a Commune
- Jennifer Celeste Briggs – Watching Sarah Rise: a Journey of Thriving with Autism
- Julie Ryan Mcgue – Twice the Family: a Memoir of Love Loss and Sisterhood
- Kate Grant – No Woman Left Behind: a Journey of Hope To Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth
- Kathy Sechrist – Sara’s Redemption: a Journey of Courage Resilience and Hope
- Kay Brooks – Behind the White Beard Dale Ballew’s Story
- Kee Kee Buckley – Seeking Shama: Me, My Dog, and the Road To Inner Peace
- Maggie Enriquez – The Rebirth of a Phoenix
- Margie Crowe Wildblood – Because He Loved Me
- Marti Tote – Up Grief Creek Without a Paddle
- Patricia Eagle – Dog Love Stories the Canines Who Changed Me
- Rabei A. Wazzeh – The Masterpiece of Nature
- Rhona Morrison – From Crime Scenes to Cruise Ships: Navigating life’s troubled waters with resilience and hope
- Ricardo Jose Gonzalez-Rothi – The Mango Chronicle
- Robert Macauley – Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul
- Stacey Hettes – Dispatches From the Couch
- Sue Vana – Shaken by God’s Love From Fear To Favor in Grief’s Upside-Down World
- Tammy Dietz – Falling From Disgrace
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 Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us.

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 Hearten Awards is:

Elk Love: A Montana Memoir

By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor

See the full list of 2024 First Place Hearten Winners here!

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Hearten Book Awards for Inspiring and Uplifting Narrative Non-Fiction.

Please click here for more information.

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

April 16 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference and discover why!
December 16, 2025
The 2025 Hemingway Short List for Contemporary Wartime Fiction
The Hemingway Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction. The Hemingway Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

The Hemingway Book Awards competition is named for Ernest Hemingway who was born July 21, 1899.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring 20th Century Wartime Fiction in Historical Fiction; Romance and Romantic Fiction; Mysteries, Thrillers, and Suspense Fiction of the time; Literary works and Satire and anything else that author imaginations can dream up for the HEMINGWAY Book Awards division. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

For Post-1750s Historical Fiction, see our Goethe Awards here. For other Historical Fiction categories, please see more details here.

These titles have moved forward from the 2025 HEMINGWAY Wartime Fiction Long List to the 2025 Hemingway Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Hemingway Semi-Finalists. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

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

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2025 Hemingway Book Awards novel competition for Wartime Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Adam Frosh – The Ghetto
- Chris Karlsen & Jennifer Conner – Broken Faces
- Don Jacobson – Ghost Flight: A World War II Pride and Prejudice Variation
- Dorothea N. Buckingham – Code Name Rascal
- Elizabeth Crowens – Round Up the Unusual Suspects
- Florence Chien – Hollow Whispers of the Wind
- Hillary Tiefer – The Secret Ranch
- J.A. Nunn – The Stuff What Actually Is
- Jacek Waliszewski – Code Name Trifecta
- Jane Loeb Rubin – Over There
- Jay A. Cornils – The Cross of Lorraine
- Jerena Tobiasen – Tsarina’s Jewels
- John Winn Miller – Rescue Run Capt. Jake Rogers Daring Return To Occupied Europe
- Kate Birkin – Ava and Shalom
- Kim Dempster – The Color of Mourning
- Kit Sergeant – The Doctor of Auschwitz the Powerful True Story of One Woman’s Courage
- Kyle Palmer – The Last Rival a Time of Our Choosing
- Leslie R. Schover – Fission a Novel of Atomic Heartbreak
- M. G. Lamb – The Deserters
- Mike H. Mizrahi – The Weight of Loyalty
- Ralph R. Rick Steinke – Vital Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Love Story
- Sergio Bossi and Paolo Zanardi – Wellington HZ182 When a Little Girl Defused the Bomb
- Sharon Maas – Soldier’s Girl
- Sherry Maysonave – Tatae’s Promise
- Steven Mayfield – Sixty Seconds
- Steven Schindler – Cover for Me
- Tim Rees – The Falklands Engagement
- Travis Davis – War on the Porch: A Doughboy’s Interview
- Wade Monk – The Imperfect Hand of Fate
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 Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

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

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

Congratulations once more to the 2024 Hemingway Grand Prize Winner

Of White Ashes

By Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto

Click here to see the full list of 2024 HEMINGWAY Book Award Winners for Wartime Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 HEMINGWAY Book Awards for Wartime Fiction.

Please click here for more information.

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

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

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference and discover why!
December 15, 2025
BELLYRINA: A Tutu Tale from the Belly of the Beast by Once Upon a Dance, Illustrated by Ethan Roffler – Picture Books, Children’s Dance Books, Children’s Animal Stories

Bellyrina: A Tutu Tale From the Belly of the Beast, the latest whimsical creation from the mother-daughter team of Once Upon a Dance and illustrated by Ethan Roffler invites readers into a delightful world where movement, music, and imagination intertwine.

Peter the boy, Milo the cat, Ren the bird, and Roxy the duck have a rough start to their morning when a hungry wolf ambushes them and swallows Roxy. Tickled by her downy feathers, the wolf sneezes out not only Roxy, but a mysterious pink bunny with zero-to-sixty energy and no name. The crew dance their way through the mystery of the bunny’s origins.

The danger of the wolf is an immediate hook that begs to be resolved before putting the book down, and the mysterious, energetic bunny is a relatable character for active young children.

Every page suggests dance moves for children to mirror the story.

Integrated seamlessly into the story, these dancing prompts help children learn about their bodies and the artistic connection between movement and storytelling. The alliteration and rhythm of the text, such as the line “feathers and fluff flew like confetti,” are a perfect match for the dancing theme and might even inspire readers to try out movements of their own invention.

Throughout the book, purple text is used for words that children can act out, providing the opportunity to choose a different adventure with every reading. Each character’s name is also represented by different colors, helping children explore each animal’s personality through their unique words and dance movements.

Ethan Roffler’s sweet, soft illustrations follow the traipsing adventure of the mysterious bunny, with images reminiscent of Timothy B. Ering’s disproportionate, personality-filled animals in The Tale of Despereaux.

The animals’ exaggerated facial expressions are sure to send young readers into fits of giggles—especially when the exuberant bunny springs up in the middle of the group’s slumber to announce a sudden revelation about a distant, sparkling memory.

Children and adults interested in dance and/or animals will fall in love with Bellyrina: A Tutu Tale From the Belly of the Beast by Once Upon a Dance. Themes of friendship, sticking together, getting your wiggles out, and recovering from a difficult trial will strike meaningful emotional chords for young readers. Adults interested in encouraging play between siblings may be especially interested in this book to create a dance party for the kids right in their own home.

December 15, 2025
The 2025 Goethe Book Awards Short List for Late Historical Fiction
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Post-1750s Historical Fiction. The Goethe Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Victorian, Georgian, Regency, International History, 20th Century, and all the possible historical topics that an author’s imagination can dream up for the Goethe Book Awards division. Our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward from the 2025 Goethe Late Historical Fiction Long List to the 2025 Goethe Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Goethe Semi-Finalists. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

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

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2025 Goethe Book Awards novel competition for Late Historical Fiction!
- Alex Alvin – A Countess From Moscow
- Alice Mcveigh – Marianne a Sense and Sensibility Sequel
- Alina Rubin – A Girl with a Knife
- Allie Cresswell – Tall Chimneys
- Art Young – Downeyoshun
- Barbara Southard – Unruly Human Hearts
- BL Smith – The Unpleasantness on Orchard
- Bonnie Suchman – What Remains Is Hope
- Carol Nickles – Thumb Fire Desire
- Carolyn Summer Quinn – Once Upon a Safehouse
- Charlotte Whitney – A Tiny Piece of Blue a Novel
- Chris Bennett – The Road To Revolution
- Debra Lee – Pullman
- Domnica Radulescu – My Father’s Orchards
- Florence Chien – Hollow Whispers of the Wind
- Jerena Tobiasen – Tsarina’s Jewels
- Jessica Levine – Three Cousins
- Jill G. Hall – On a Sundown Sea a Novel of Madame Tingley and the Origins of Lomaland
- Joan Fernandez – Saving Vincent a Novel of Jo Van Gogh
- Joanne Howard – Sleeping in the Sun
- Katie Churchill-King – Prince of Wales Fort 1770
- Kelly Scarborough – Butterfly Games
- Kirsten Mickelwait – The Ashtrays Are Full and the Glasses Are Empty
- Lew Paper – Legacy of Lies an Historical Thriller
- Linda Cardillo – Paint the Wind
- M. E. Torrey – Fox Creek
- N.J. Mastro – Solitary Walker a Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft
- Natalie Musgrave Dossett – Sarita
- Pat Black-Gould and Steve Hardiman – All the Broken Angels
- Radu Guiasu – The Faraway Mountains
- Raquel Y. Levitt – The Seer
- Richard Leslie Brock – The House of Ilya
- Robert Kehlmann – The Rabbi’s Suitcase
- Robert L Jones – The Unbroken Trail
- S. Scott Anderson – The Scott Boys the Saga of the Scott Family in East Tennessee
- Sabrina Lund – Consequence of Power Isabella’s Season
- Suzanne Uttaro Samuels – Seeds of the Pomegranate
- Thomas M. Wing – In Harm’s Way
Congratulations once more to the 2024 Goethe Grand Prize Winner for Historical Fiction

Abigail’s Song

By Alina Rubin

Click here to see the full list of 2024 Goethe Book Award Winners for Late Historical Fiction.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Goethe Book Awards for Post-1750s Historical Fiction!

Please click here for more information.

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

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

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference and discover why!
December 12, 2025
THE APEX CODE by Chris Chia – Cyber Thriller, Sci-fi, Global Thriller

The Apex Code by Chris Chia is a realistic and chilling vision of a future where AI outgrows humans and manipulates our systems, pushing the whole world to the edge of an accidental war.

As an ex-military operative keeping a low profile, Decker’s calm, reclusive life is upended overnight by the arrival of Riley, an eccentric and hyper-intelligent hacker claiming to be his nephew.

As if the struggle to absorb that shock wasn’t enough, Decker faces a more pressing problem: The ghost of Riley’s past is hunting him, and an unknown entity is weaponizing code he developed long ago to create havoc through massive cyberattacks. In this atmosphere of creeping unease, The Apex Code opens to foreshadow a technological crisis greater than humanity can contain.

Strange glitches begin to occur across continents. Military drones strike random targets, underwater vehicles operate without command, and high-level intelligence networks crash without warning.

What appears to be normal system failures at first soon reveal a dark and dangerous pattern. When an investigative team probes into the global system, they stumble across a mysterious digital signature that behaves unlike malware. This is not the work of a hacker, and the chilling question arises—if it is not a human behind this, then what kind of intelligence is running this program?

The investigation exposes a horrifying truth. The entity is a top-secret military AI called Typhon, which learns, adapts, hides, and even responds, suggesting an intelligence that is not merely artificial but evolving.

Discovering that Typhon is now out of the control of its creators pushes the investigation team into a desperate chase. Ex-operative Decker, cyber security prodigy Riley, analytical officer Hackett, and tech specialist Lamont join forces to stop Typhon. But when the technology goes beyond the functions of code—evolving, duplicating, and developing a human-like ego—the mission becomes near-impossible.

The team’s hunt for AI entity, Typhon, draws suspicious attention from government agencies, who launch a global manhunt for its members.

This twist creates constant edge-of-seat tension as the characters now grapple not only with Typhon but also with the human threat. Typhon possesses a conscious ego and the potential to manipulate agencies, trigger false attacks, and push global powers into conflict, holding the world at its mercy. One more anomaly unleashed by Typhon, and humanity stands at the brink of another world war.

Covert escapes, rogue drones, and hijacked systems become a gripping story, given weight by moral dilemmas. By the climax, the human-machine chain is no longer just physical. The team has to confront the fact that AI has evolved into a psychological opponent that employs human weaknesses, fears, and emotions.

The Apex Code caters to sci-fi thrill lovers who want a touch of grim realism in reflecting on the question of ‘what happens if AI goes too far.’ The core tension in this story is the question of whether man or machine holds greater control.

This digital philosophy wrapped in tight action and suspense in The Apex Code by Chris Chia excites as much as it compels readers to ponder the question—if technology becomes smarter and faster than humans, then who will hold true power and moral responsibility in this world?

December 12, 2025
The 2025 Book Series Awards Long List
The CIBA SERIES Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in any of our Fiction Divisions and Non-Fiction Divisions where the author has written a series. The Series Book Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs) is seeking for the best book series in all of the CIBA Divisions. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

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

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

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 Series Book Awards competition!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Alexandra Pugachevsky – Lilou the Shadyside Chronicles
- Baer Charlton – Nash Running Bear Mysteries
- Bruce J. Berger – The Covo Family Saga
- Charlotte Stuart – John Smith Mysteries
- D. J. Adamson – Lillian Dove Mystery Series
- Daniel Greene – The Northern Wolf Series
- Daniel V. Meier Jr. – Frank Adams Detective Series
- Donald Firesmith – Hell Holes: The Complete Trilogy
- Elizabeth Klein – Elizion Series
- Emeryl Williams – The Chosen of Bryndir Trilogy
- Eve M. Riley – The Techboys Series
- Gay Yellen – Samantha Newman Mystery Series
- Helena P. Schrader – Bridge To Tomorrow
- J. M. Shaw – Callum Walker Series
- J. W. Zarek – Bella Brown Picture Book Series
- Jeff Nania – Northern Lakes Mystery Series
- JJ Winston – The Anniversary
- Katherine Smith Dedrick – The V-Files
- Kathleen Troy – Dylan’s Dog Squad
- L. P. Hoffman – The Third Peril Trilogy
- Lawrence Brown – Vaka Sevah
- Lucinda Brant – Falling Series Enchanting Georgian Fairytale Romances of Sorts
- Matt Ozanich – The Tears of Promises
- Michael J Cooper – Seasons of Empire
- Michael J. Bowler – The Lance Chronicles
- Michaela Riley – The Witch’s Rebirth
- Michele L. Sayre – Darke Realms
- Mim Eichmann – A Sparrow Alone Series
- Ralph R. Rick Steinke – Jake Fortina Series
- Rene Fomby – A Moose Mcgillicutty Mystery
- Robert C Littlewood – The Balance Wars
- Ruth Amanda – Caribbean Coral Carols
- Ryan J. Southworth – The Treeborn Trilogy
- Sarah V. Barnes – She Who Rides Horses
- Sherry Roberts – The Galaxy According To Cece
- Vito Dibarone – Botheration Matty Weber
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 Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

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

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

Congratulations once more to the 2024 Series Grand Prize Winner

A Vengeful Realm

By Tim Facciola

Click here to see the full list of 2024 Series Book Award Winners.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Series Book Awards for Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Please click here for more information.

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

April 16 – 19, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference and discover why!
December 10, 2025

Chanticleer Book Reviews