Chanticleer Book Reviews

Blog

The CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction Semi-Finalists for the 2018 CIBAs
The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBA).

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from Long Listers (Slush Pile Survivors) to the SHORTLIST and have now moved on to the SEMI-FINALISTS list of the 2018 Cygnus Book Awards. These entries are now in competition for the limited First Place Category Positions for the 2018 Cygnus Book Awards. The 2018 Cygnus Book Awards Semi-Finalists will be recognized at 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. The First Place Positions along with the CYGNUS Grand Prize Award Winner will be selected from this Semi-Finalist list and will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019

We will make the SEMIFINALISTS Digital Badge and Book Stickers available before the end of November 2018 and will email the link and the Semi-Finalist notification to those whose works made the list.

Deadline for 2018 CYGNUS Book Awards submissions was April 30, 2018. We are now accepting entries into the 2019 CYGNUS Awards.

ENTER CYGNUS Book Awards for 2019 TODAY
Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles are in the running for the top 2018 CYGNUS Book Awards novel competition for Science Fiction First Place Category positions! Good Luck to All!
- Matthew D. Hunt – Solar Reboot
- Sarah Katz – Apex Five
- Paul A. Vasey – Trinity’s Legacy
- Catori Sarmiento – The Fortune Follies
- Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington – It Takes Death to Reach a Star
- Timothy Vincent – Jack Out of the Box
- Isadora Deese – Right of Capture
- Jim Cronin – Recusant
- Lou Dischler – Meet Me Under the Comet
- Richard Mann – Zeus 25 – Jory and Zenobia
- Justine Avery – The One Apart: A Novel
- Pamela LePage – Virtuous Souls
- Denise Lammi – Lucid World
- Mark Daniel Seiler – River’s Child
- Samuel Winburn – Ten Directions
- Rhett C Bruno – Titan’s Wrath
- J. I. Rogers – The Korpes File
- Ted Neill– The Selah Branch
- Gareth Worthington – Children of the Fifth Sun
- Alexander Edlund – Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth
Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up from the 2018 CYGNUS SHORTLIST to the Semi-Finalists List.

The CYGNUS SemiFinalists positions will compete for the limited CYGNUS First-In-Category Positions. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the CYGNUS GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

John Yarrow, CYGNUS Grand Prize Award Winner for The FUTURE’S DARK PAST (2017)

James R. Wells Awarded the Cygnus Grand Prize for THE GREAT SYMMETRY (2015)

All SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

Congratulations to the Semi-Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to each of you as your work competes in the 2018 CYGNUS International Book Awards.
The CYGNUS Grand Prize Winner and the Five First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

Bennett Coles CYGNUS Grand Prize for VIRTUES of WAR (2013) The series was picked up by TITAN U.K.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 CYGNUS Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 CYGNUS Book Awards is April 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
October 13, 2018
October Spotlight on OZMA – FANTASY NOVEL WRITING CONTEST
October Spotlight on the OZMA Awards – All things Fantasy, Magical Realms, Fantastical Creatures, Mythical Beings… you get the picture…

In October there’s a bit of a nip in the morning air, the days begin with mist clinging to the grass, and the sun peeks out in the afternoons. We add an extra layer – sweaters, warm socks, down vests. Late crops are set in and some are ready for harvest, pumpkins in all shapes and colors, broccoli, cabbage. Gone are our vine-ripened tomatoes and sweet peppers. Coffee shops around town offer up all-things pumpkin. October is the month our family pulls out J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and immerse ourselves in another world because, in October, anything can happen.

A portion of Tiepolo Giambattista, Die Unbefleckte Empfängnis, 1767-1768-Drachen

You may ask yourself, what is OZMA? Simply put, OZMA refers to L. Frank Baum’s book Ozma of Oz, the third book in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series, in which Dorothy and her uncle travel to Australia. On the way, poor Dorothy is swept overboard with her chicken and are rescued by Princess Ozma of the land of Ev. The story goes on and adventure abounds and at long last Dorothy is returned safely with her chicken to Oz. Fascinating story.

But, this is only the origin of the OZMA Awards.

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for 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, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

The last day to submit your work is October 31, 2018. We invite you to join us, to tell us your stories, and to find out who will take home the prize at CAC19 on April 27th.

As our deadline draws near, don’t pull a disappearing act and forget to enter your fantasy novel! We accept completed manuscripts and published works. Enter today!

We encourage everyone to attend our Awards Ceremony on April 27, 2019, that will take place during the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. First Place category winners will be whisked up on stage to receive their custom ribbon and wait to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. It’s an exciting evening of dinner, networking, and celebrations!

First Place category winners and Grand Prize winners will each receive a stunning awards package well worth the price of entry into the OZMA Awards competition(VJ) Lakshman grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, where he first discovered his love of the martial arts, mythological heroes, and exotic lands, all of which influenced the development of characters and the world in his debut fantasy series, Mythborn – Fate of the Sovereign.s.

The OZMA Hall of Fame

2017 Grand Prize Winner:

How to Set the World on Fire by T.K. Riggins is a coming-of-age school of magic novel that readers will find hard to put down.

“T.K. Riggins started writing because of a dare. His friend was searching for something new to read, and after coming up empty-handed, challenged Riggins to take action. Instead of recommending a book, he decided to pen a story of his own.”

2017 First Place Winners include:
- Eva’s Soul by Sarah M. Morin
- Daughter of Aithne by Karin Rita Gastreich
- In Her World: The Dark-Winter War by John W. Lord
- The One Apart: A Novel by Justine Avery
- Runebinder by Alex R. Kahler
- The Engine Woman’s Light by Laurel Anne Hill
- The Bookminder by M. K. Wiseman
2016 Grand Prize Winner:

“Set against the epic backdrop of myths and legends brought to life, Mythborn II continues the sweeping saga of Arek Winterthorn, wayward apprentice of the eldritch Way, as he struggles to survive in the demon realm of Arcadia.” Mythborn Media/Mythborn Books

Vijay Lakshman

“(VJ) Lakshman grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, where he first discovered his love of the martial arts, mythological heroes, and exotic lands, all of which influenced the development of characters and the world in his debut fantasy series, Mythborn – Fate of the Sovereign.”

2016 First Place Winners:
- Almost Mortal by Christopher Leibig
- Song Magick by Elisabeth Hamill
- Amaskan’s Blood by Raven Oak
- Camelot’s Queen by Nicole Evelina
- The Emperor of Babylon by Murray Lee Eiland, Jr.
- Darksea by Gary J. Hurtubise
Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year!

~$1000 Overall Grand Prize Winner
~$2800 in Genre Grand Prizes
~$28,980 in reviews, prizes, and promotional opportunities awarded to Category Winners

[fusion_button link=”/services#!/Fantasy-Writing-Contests-Sword-&-Sorcery-Fiction-Chanticleer-Book-Reviews-p57162380″ color=”darkgray” size=”” type=”” shape=”” target=”_blank” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”1px” shadow=”” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” modal=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”1″ alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]Enter OZMA![/fusion_button]
October 12, 2018
WATCH OVER ME (Code Talker Chronicles, Book 2) by Eileen Charbonneau – Historical Romance, Espionage, Native American, WWII, Thriller/Mystery

Twenty-four-year-old Kitty Charente is trying to put her life back together. Working as a switchboard operator for a perfumer based in New York City, Kitty wants to put the death of her husband, Phillipe, and the miscarriage of her baby behind her and move forward. But when her boss, Jack, gives her the task of wining and dining an out-of-town salesman, Luke Kayenta, Kitty’s world is turned upside down overnight.

Luke isn’t like Jack’s usual salesmen. In fact, Kitty’s certain he’s much more when she secretly watches him perform a strange ceremony on the eighty-sixth floor of the Empire State Building.

Unbeknownst to Kitty, Luke has come for her. Charged with delivering a deathbed letter from Philippe, Luke is drawn to more than Kitty’s grief. Beyond his promise to deliver the smuggled letter, the stories Philippe shared of his beautiful dark-haired wife helped Luke escape his imprisonment in Spain and brought him halfway around the world to find her. Now that he’s found her, he doesn’t want to let her go, despite the danger surrounding him. Kitty follows his reckless path through the twisting, wartime streets of New York, but will their newfound love be able to protect them from Luke’s pursuers?

The rebirth of Luke’s tormented soul is the real jewel in this novel, book two of the Code Talker Chronicles. Luke isn’t a Spaniard as Kitty’s been told but a Navajo code talker, and he’s keeping more secrets than the forbidden letter. Tortured in Spain at the hands of Nazis, Luke has yet to truly escape his persecutors and have his mind released to live–and love–again.

Luke yearns for the simple life of a rancher back in his home state of Arizona. His invaluable work in the intelligence service has cost him more than a pound of flesh, but his chance at love and life with Kitty, his continual inspiration, is built upon a fragile ledge of espionage and the memories of her heroic husband, and now the woman he loves is charged with the task of testing whether his very mind has been compromised.

In a world of half-truths, crooked policemen, spies, and impersonators, the real question is who to trust. Watch Over Me shows a lively caricature of 1940s New York spinning wildly in the madness of espionage, where secrets and sacrifices threaten the bond of love and the hope of family.

Watch Over Me by Eileen Charbonneau won First Place in the 2017 CHATELAINE Awards.

October 12, 2018
BLACK AUTUMN by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross – Post Apocalyptic America, Thriller/Suspense, Military

Imagine what would happen if a handful of unrelated mistakes, errors in communications, misguided actions, and natural disasters sparked a worldwide tragedy, an apocalypse… Would you be ready to handle the fallout?

Here’s the story of a rogue nuke in the wrong hands explosively starting a Black Autumn, as authored by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross. Like other post-apocalyptic literature, it’s the people who don’t survive the initial explosion who may be the lucky ones. But those who follow the Ross/Kirkham way of life have an edge. A most vital edge in surviving and thriving in this new world order.

Jason Ross and Jeff Kirkham cast themselves as characters in the book: Jeff, a highly- experienced American Special Forces operative, and Jason Ross as the well-prepared owner of the expansive Ross Homestead property. In the novel, they organize a group of families who have spent years preparing for the possibility of a tragic event requiring sustained emergency survival. Some members of the group view their membership in the group as a social activity, with the possibility of a cataclysmic event as improbable. Others, however, understand such an event is not just plausible but probable, and any chance of survival will fall to those who are well prepared.

This book begins with separate, spontaneous and unrelated, terror-filled actions on the world scene. These actions have unintended and catastrophic consequences. These families must now work together in earnest, in primitive circumstances, to forge any sort of a future.

But like most post-apocalyptic novels, there are the “haves” and “have-nots.” Masses of unprepared and desperate people on the outside threaten to steal Homestead’s provisions, and they will do anything to get their hands on even a morsel. Likewise, the local governments beg Ross and Kirkham to enter into negotiations for supplies under the threat of moving in and taking what they want.

Tactical planning and confrontations are detailed, fascinating, and deadly. But this book goes beyond the maneuvers and weaponry, exposing the fragility of human emotions and endurance. Complex loyalties and relationships are tested, with thought-provoking debates over the most important questions surrounding life and death.

In case you think this is a survivalist guide disguised as a novel, think again. From the first page to the last, readers will step into a world that is currently not their own, but perhaps, may be one fateful day.

These authors live what they write. Jeff Kirkham served nearly three decades as a Green Beret and is the proverbial brains behind ReadyMan’s survival tools and products. Co-author Jason Ross has dedicated twenty years to mastering preparedness in raising sustainable crops, composting, shooting, small squad tactics, solar power, and animal husbandry. In other words, these guys know from what they speak.

Black Autumn could be a revelation of what is to come. The catalysts of the novel are based on scenarios much of our population may scoff at, but others, foresee as a certainty. Whatever side of the fence you fall on, Black Autumn is a chilling portrayal of humankind’s possible future, and one that readers will not easily be able to put down without asking, “Am I ready?”

October 11, 2018
J. D. Barker, MASTER of SUSPENSE, to Keynote and Present at #CAC19

The author of the international bestselling thriller novel series, The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth to Die, along with the highly anticipated gothic horror prequel to Bram Stoker’s masterpiece, Dracul, will keynote and present at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

J.D. Barker successfully published his debut as an indie and sold enough copies to land on the radar of the traditional publishers in a BIG way including seven-figure advances, two feature films, and a television program. He’ll open his toolbox and explain exactly what he did to make it happen. This is a not-to-be-missed session for any aspiring author or the seasoned veteran trying to find their place in today’s publishing world.

“Not since Hannibal Lecter had a friend for dinner has a serial killer been so skillfully rendered on the page.”
—Taylor Elmore, Writer/Producer of Justified and Limitless

“This book is seriously brilliant: the best serial killer thriller I’ve ever read.”
—Lisa Milton, Executive Editor HarperCollins HQ

“The Fourth Monkey has one of the most ingenious openings that I’ve read in years. This thriller never disappoints.”
—James Patterson, #1 NY Times Bestselling Author

Sold at auction to CBS Films with Bill Todman, Marc Webb, and Taylor Elmore attached, by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency, Angela Cheng Caplan of Cheng Caplan Company Inc. and attorney Wayne Alexander.

“J.D. Barker is a one-of-a-kind writer and that’s a rare and special thing. Stephen King comes to mind and Lee Child, John Sandford. All one-of-a-kinds. Don’t miss anything J.D. writes.”
—James Patterson, #1 International Bestselling Author

“Barker knows how to evoke chilling imagery and will have readers anxiously looking over their shoulders with each terrifying “clickity, click, click.”
— Library Journal

~Film rights optioned by Paramount with Andy Muschetti (IT, Mama) attached to direct!
~Named a Fall 2018 Buzz Book by Publisher’s Lunch!
~Named one of Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 Books of Fall 2018!
~Starred review at Library Journal!

“Brilliant… Close your windows. Lock your doors. Turn the lights on. Place a silver crucifix around your neck, and make sure to have a few sharp wooden stakes nearby. In other words, prepare yourself for a transfixing journey into the diabolically delicious world of DRACUL — if you dare.”
—Chanticleer Reviews

J.D. Barker’s debut novel that he self-published in 2014 is Forsaken. This is his indie novel that drew the attention of agents and traditional publishers to his debut thriller series, The Fourth Monkey, which lead to pre-empts and auctions worldwide with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt picking up for the U.S. and HarperCollins in the U.K.

J.D. Barker (Jonathan Dylan Barker) is an internationally bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural.

J. D. Barker, Master of Suspense, and Intl’ Bestselling Author

We are thrilled to announce that J.D. Barker, Master of Suspense, will keynote and present at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

We first met JD in New York at the Writers Digest Conference this past August. Clearly thrilled to hear about Dracul, we were also quite impressed with Mr. Barker himself. He struck us as professional (serious), engaging (doesn’t take himself too seriously), and approachable (willing to share what he knows about writing with those who are working hard on their own craft).

In other words, JD Barker is a #SeriousAuthor who, when we asked him to join us at CAC19 as a keynote speaker and to present share his journey and knowledge with Chanticleer authors, not only did he graciously accept but said to count him in for all three days! April cannot come soon enough for us because we cannot wait for you to meet him. Below are a few samples of J.D. sessions for #SeriousAuthors at #CAC19

Below are a couple of the sessions he will present:

MAKING THE LEAP FROM INDIE TO TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

J.D. Barker successfully published his debut as an indie and sold enough copies to land on the radar of the traditional publishers in a BIG way including seven-figure advances, two feature films, and a television program.

He’ll open his toolbox and explain exactly what he did to make it happen. His sessions are not to be missed by any aspiring author or seasoned veteran trying to find their place in today’s publishing world.

CROSSING GENRE and WHY YOU SHOULD DO IT!

From the moment you send out your first query letter, your work will be labeled by agents, publishers, and booksellers. Instead of resisting the urge to be labeled, J.D. will teach you why you should consider labels a way to make your books, and your author platform, more marketable.

Learn how to avoid the genre box and tell the story you want to tell to the largest possible group with the help of J.D. Barker who has successfully crossed over from horror, to paranormal, to thriller, and back again.

DID WE TELL YOU HOW EXCITED WE ARE THAT JD BARKER IS KEYNOTING at CAC!

Register for CAC19 today! Registrations are limited.

October 10, 2018
The MOVING BLADE by Michael Pronko – Police Procedural, Thriller/Suspense, Japanese Mystery

The Moving Blade by Michael Pronko won GRAND PRIZE in the CIBA 2018 Global Thriller Awards for Lab Lit and High Stakes Thrillers!

What exactly was Bernard Mattson up to when he committed seppuku* at his Tokyo home – or, was it murder? This is just one of many questions Michael Pronko incites in readers in his latest novel, The Moving Blade.

Another set of questions: What was so important about Mattson’s collection of rare Japanese shunga—centuries-old erotic art—that someone ransacked the house for it while his family attended his funeral? Or was it all about the significant role that the elderly Mattson had in formulating, then turning against, the SOFA** agreements, and the book he intended to publish about the unfairness of the agreements to Japan today?

This is a rich serving of a thriller, a well-cooked and tasty sukiyaki of a novel, written by an American who knows Japan well. He does the magic trick of giving us his Japan with little compromise—the Tokyo settings, subtle cultural difference, and, most exquisitely, the food—always ensuring his U.S. readers understand and accept shunga, ikizukuri, oyasumi-nasai, and meishi as easily as we understand hot dogs and Mom’s apple pie.

The Moving Blade does more than most procedural crime novels; this one is enriched by carefully drawn portraits of both political and cultural differences between Western and Eastern culture. It outlines without proselytizing the concerns of a range of Japanese citizens with the SOFA agreements. But if you think this book is more political than action, think again. The ongoing appearance of Japanese swords are given proper attention to their historical, social and monetary value, as well as their appearance in a killing that is best explained as ritualistic slice ‘n dice.

Hiroshi Shimizu, the Tokyo police detective with an American education is the lead character among a rich cast of Japanese and American men and women. His interior monologues about his career, a few women in his life, and the investigation aren’t quite as dark as thrillers from Scandinavia, but this is Japan, and he dishes out enough angst to make us care about who he is and what he does.

Most novels about contemporary Japan seem to be written by Japanese writers and translated into English. One of the accomplishments of this book is its distinctly American style that communicates Japanese life with equal clarity. And while some characters play the part of stock players, understand this, The Moving Blade delivers a solid punch to the gut (make that a well-placed thrust of a wakizashi sword) that readers look for in other-worldly thrillers.

This is the second book in Pronko’s series with Detective Hiroshi Shimizu, in a planned series of five books: the first, The Last Train, was published in 2017.

*Seppuku (hari-kiri): 1: ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by the Japanese samurai or formerly decreed by a court in lieu of the death penalty; 2: SUICIDE: Merriman-Webster online dictionary.

**SOFA refers to the binding arbitration between Japan and the U.S. following World War II allowing the U.S. to establish permanent military bases governed by American laws

“A rich serving of a thriller, The Moving Blade is a well-cooked and tasty sukiyaki of a novel, written by an American who knows Japan well.” – Chanticleer Reviews

October 9, 2018
Five Reasons to Make Your Book Available in the Audiobook Format – The 411 Series about Audiobooks by Kiffer Brown
The Busy Booklover’s Friend – Audiobooks!

Five Reasons to Make Your Book Available in the Audiobook Format, Article # 1 in the 411 Series

1. Audiobooks are a great way to fit in more time for books in our busy lives!

Audiobooks = Hands-Free “Reading”

Listen to your favorite authors’ works while you:
- Drive
- Commute
- Do laundry
- Make dinner
- Take a walk
- Garden
- Rake leaves
- Sail
- Knit
- Pet your cat (although Bruno, the Cat-in-Chief, requires one’s full attention)
- Walk the dog
- Paint your walls or just about anything
- Pretend to nap
- Clean the house, fill the dishwasher
Your eyes can be open or closed. Your hands can be busy (not just holding a book or flipping pages) or not.

Hands-Free “Reading” with Audiobooks

2. The Oral Tradition of Listening to Stories and the Spoken Language

There is also the age-old appeal of listening to stories. We all have memories of listening to stories from our favorite auntie or uncle, or around the proverbial campfire, or our favorite radio shows (such as Lake Woebegone by Garrison Keilor or Car Talk by Click and Clack and the Tappet Brothers, the commentary from your favorite DJ, or rekindle your love of having stories read to you or (like me) experience it for the first time.

3. Increase and Develop Vocabulary and Spoken Syntax

Listening to correctly spoken, grammatically correct language is the best way to improve our language skills—whether it is learning a new language or accent or improving one’s first language skills.

A research paper on “The Impact of Audiobooks on Reading Comprehension and Enjoyment”

4. Hone Listening Skills and Critical Thinking Skills

The brain has to process information at the pace that the audiobook is played which gives the listener the time create and process imagery, create versions of characters, and scenes in stories – fiction and non-fiction. Keep in mind that a listener may slow down or speed up the recording.

One has to listen carefully when there are no visual cues to rely on therefore increasing retention.

An informative article with links:

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/podcast-brain-why-do-audio-stories-captivate/389925/

5. The Growth of Audiobooks is Correlated with the Increase of Use of Voice Assistants: “Hey Siri” (Apple), “Ok Google” (Google), “Alexa” (Amazon), “Cortana” (Microsoft), etc.

Voice assistants make the transition into audiobooks easy.

Audiobooks & Voice Assistants

Voice Assistants and Audiobooks

Having natural conversations with the AI and technology in our lives is becoming a normal expectation. This has opened up new areas for content. fiction and non-fiction. The “voice first” revolution reaches new audiences while leveraging a once-in-a-century opportunity to pioneer innovative forms of content delivery and a new opportunity to monetize your content.

Did you know that Google now sells audiobooks? Those with an Android device can ask “Ok Google” to play an audiobook from your GooglePlay Library. You can ask basic questions, give the assistant a time limit for playing the recording (great for scheduling), and play it over your home speaker system if you would like.

In Conclusion – The Publishing Industry’s Digital Audiobook Revenue Is Up 32.1 percent in 2018.

According to this Forbes article, “Audiobooks now earn publishers more than mass market paperbacks—even as ebook sales fell 3.2% in 2018’s first quarter.

In this article, “…Audiobooks increased their market share by 32.1% and accounted for $98.8 million in sales in the first quarter of 2018.”

Audiobooks are the fastest growing area of publishing and have opened up vast new opportunities for publishers (and authors) to monetize their content.

Chanticleer Reviews and Technology – a love affair

From the inception of Chanticleer Reviews, technology has been our “under-the-hood” superpower under the direction of Argus Brown, CEO of Chanticleer Reviews, and uber computer geek.

Chanticleer Reviews has always focused on increasing the positive digital footprint of authors and publishers in today’s (and tomorrow’s) age of unbounded publishing.

You can learn more about how we do this for our clients here.

Kiffer Brown has just returned from the Digital Book World annual conference held in Nashville, Tennessee where she was asked to moderate two technology panels:
1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Content Production
2. Best Practices in Creation and Distribution of Audiobooks
Chanticleer Reviews Audiobooks

Did you know that Chanticleer Reviews Audio Books?

We do! And our first audio reviews will be posted soon! The reviews will also be available in brief audio versions–for busy people. Links to the audiobook review and podcast will be listed with each Chanticleer Review and also on the Chanticleer Reviews podcast channel.

Our reviews of audiobooks will also be available with the Chanticleer Reviews Video-blogs channel that will be available on YouTube, Instagram TV, Amazon channels, and other apps.

Next in the Chanticleer Audiobooks series:

How to go about creating an audiobook – best practices.
October 7, 2018
The DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards for YA Fiction – the SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs
The DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions ( The #CIBAs).

These titles have moved forward in the judging slush rounds to the 2018 Dante Rossetti Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the limited 2018 Dante Rossetti Semi-Finalists from which the First Place Category Positions will be chosen. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards Semi-Finalists and First Place Positions along with Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Award Winner will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019.

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best new works featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about twelve to eighteen (or those who are young at heart).

These titles are in the running for the next round – the SEMI-Finalist positions for the 2018 Rossetti Book Awards novel competition for Young Adult Fiction. Good Luck to All!

2018 Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction – The SHORTLIST
- Mara Gan – Joined
- Dan Morales – The Scouts of St. Michael Operation Archangel
- Luke Jacket – Stuck-up Scumbags of the Eighth Grade
- Janeen Swart – The Hidden Truth
- JoAnna Rowe – Flowers & Fire
- Robert Wright Jr – Unwanted
- Alexander Edlund – Keelic and the Pathfinders
- KB Shaw – From the Shadows
- Tom Edwards – The Honourable Catherine
- Carmela A. Martino – Playing by Heart
- Gina Detwiler – Forlorn
- Cheryl G. Bostrom – Climb, Run, Drown
- Alex Paul – Tookan Attack
- Lynn Yvonne Moon – Whispers
- Anne Sweazy-Kulju – Grog Wars, Dos
- C.A. Gray – Uncanny Valley
- Molly Lazer – Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale
- Tiffany Brooks – Reality Gold
- Andrea and William Vaughan – 2nd Gen
- P. L. Hamilton – League of Potioneers
- Denise Lammi – Lucid World
- Jacinta Jade – Change of Chaos
- Chuck Vance – Sneaking Out
- Andrea Murray – Something New
- Julie Moffett – White Knights
- Susan Faw – Soul Sacrifice
- Sarah Mendivel – Sam’s Theory
- Christy Nicholas – The Enchanted Swans
- Jennifer Alsever – Ember Burning: Trinity Forest Book 1
Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up to the Short List from the slush pile. These novels will now compete for the (Semi-Finalists) Positions!

The Rossetti Short Listers will compete for the SemiFinalists positions that will compete for the Rossetti First-In-Category Positions. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the Dante Rossetti GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

Click here for the link to the 2018 Rossetti Long List (Slushpile Survivors)

The deadline for submissions into the 2018 Rossetti Book Awards was May 30th, 2018

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Rossetti Book Awards writing competition. Please click here for more information.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
October 5, 2018
COUNTENANCE by Joy Ross Davis – Ghosts, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Nealy Monaghan’s Aunt Sylvie is an author of several cookbooks with a large fan following – and some very different kinds of recipes in Joy Ross Davis’ Countenance.

Lately, life has taken some terrifying turns, but Nealy remembers that as a young girl, she had been happiest at The Playhouse Inn, an unusual B&B nestled in Tennessee and run by her famous aunt, Sylvie Wolcott.

When the worst happens, it’s that happiness she turns to for comfort, trust, and guidance. Right now, Nealy needs to grieve. She needs to rest. Which may be hard to do since Aunt Sylvie has a delicious secret ingredient she slips into every recipe. Something’s going on in that big kitchen – something more than good eats – and it’s up to Nealy to figure it out.

Benton, the handsome all-around groundskeeper, and LuLu, the very talented Irish wolfhound, keep Nealy company as she works to understand the Inn, its history, and just what her future holds—as well as her past. The revealing answers surprise both her and everyone around her, as the truth really will set them free.

Davis does a solid job of presenting some details with a “bang!” and yet engaging the reader with short chapters and a sense of mystery. Her writing style makes it very easy to lose oneself in the read. In other words, this book is hard to put down.

Davis also excels at sensory details. When Nealy is cold, for example, the iciness is easy to feel. When Sylvie cooks, her dishes are described with a mouth-watering appeal. Natural and unnatural elements come into focus with equal appeal, until the reader can feel the warmth of a polished piece of wood, or hear the music of wind chimes.

In almost gothic fashion, the steep cliff by the inn lends a sense of real danger, while the old building itself has problems all its own. Davis pays attention to detail and description, adding nuance and atmosphere to her settings in place and time.

Countenance will engage the reader with an unexpected melding of the senses. Religious and philosophical ideas are brought forth in epic battles of Good versus Evil in the most unexpected places – even in Aunt Sylvie’s sunny kitchen!

October 3, 2018
Dracul by J.D. Barker, Dacre Stoker – Vampires, Gothic, Occult, #Dracul

The brilliant gothic horror story, Dracul, awaits those who crave novels that quicken hearts and cause sleepless nights. One would swear it is from the horror master himself, Bram Stoker, who penned the legendary Dracula.

Dracul is ripped from the pages of Bram Stoker’s diary, along with those of his sister Matilda’s, and brother Thornley’s. Much like Dracula, multiple narrators push the story forward with their individual perspectives and points of view. Inch by inch the reader is pulled in until it is impossible to go back. Such is the lure of Dracul by J. D. Barker, and Dacre Stoker

The story opens with a sickly, seven-year-old Bram, who has been chronically ill since birth and frequently near death. He is confined to an attic room under the care of his nanny, Ellen Crone. His nanny dotes on Bram, but she has a disturbing habit of disappearing frequently, sometimes for days on end without explanation or apologies upon return.

During one of her absences, Bram’s health takes a downward turn. Near death, his desperate parents summon the family doctor who bleeds a barely conscious Bram with leeches. When Nanny Ellen returns and sees Bram pale and fading fast, she shoos everyone from the room and shuts the door. In the morning, the leeches are gone, the illness has passed, and Bram feels a vigor and strength he has never known.

Afterward, a conversation between Bram and his sister turns to Nanny Ellen and her odd absences, how her appearance seems to change dramatically from day to day, and how neither one of them have seen her eat or drink⸺anything. Soon their curiosity overtakes them, and they begin to snoop. The next day, Nanny Ellen is gone along with all of her possessions.

To discover what happened to their beloved nanny, and who she really is, sets the Stokers on a path to encounter the sanguinary Dracula. Their lives are forever changed.

This harrowing pursuit of the truth is beautifully rendered horror with palpable tension and suspense, drawing the reader ever closer to the edge of terrifying darkness.

Deftly written in a classic 19th-century gothic style, Dracul resonates with power-rich prose that adds to the atmosphere and the construct of the story. A modern masterpiece, Dracul is everything horror can and should be. It doesn’t rely on gore, but rather captivating storytelling. And yet, the terror and intrigue are unrelenting.

This novel belongs in the lexicon of all things vampire.

Dracul is the inception of the iconic dark love story that compels and terrifies us. Our advice? Close your windows. Lock your doors. Turn the lights on. Place a silver crucifix around your neck, and make sure to have a few sharp wooden stakes nearby. In other words, prepare yourself for a transfixing journey into the diabolically delicious world of Dracul ⸺ if you dare.

Dracul is also available in hardcover and audiobook.

#Dracul

October 2, 2018

Chanticleer Book Reviews