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DRAGON SPEAKER – Book One of The Shadow War Saga by Elana A. Mugdan – Fantasy, Family Saga, Action/Adventure

Dragon Speaker, Book One of The Shadow War Saga by Elana A. Mugdan won the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize in the OZMA Awards for Fantasy Books! Congratulations!

A young girl is charged with rescuing a dragon and, ultimately, saves her world in this wide-reaching fantasy conception of love, war, danger, and magic. Massive amounts of magic!

Keriya is a simple girl of no great pedigree who lives in Aeria where everyone except her wields some form of magic. At age 14, she knows she will not be selected to prove herself worthy of a greater destiny in the annual Ceremony of Choice. But she has to try. Even though the consequences of failure will be a life of slavery, she yearns for the opportunity. She approaches the selection committee and begs ─no, demands ─ a chance.

Like the others chosen in the Ceremony, she goes alone into the forest to seek her destiny. There she meets the great god Shivnath who assigns her the task of locating and protecting the last of the dragons, Thorion. She must fight against the most pervasive evil; a monstrously powerful force named Necrovar, skulking in the land of Allentria. In giving her the necessary, but unnamed, gifts to accomplish the task, Shivnath gives her shining purple eyes that mark her as unique, perhaps dangerously so.

However, no one believes Keriya’s claim that Shivnath has given her the ability to fight Necrovar without help. But Keriya knows her destiny. She takes the name Soulstar to give herself inner strength, and the adventure begins.

Keriya’s journey is longer and more crooked than she had envisioned, and soon she is joined by her childhood rival, Roxanne who has many magical powers and by Fletcher, whose magic, like his personality, is rather weak. Dangers surround the trio at every turn, and they soon learn that trust must be earned and friendships must be carefully guarded.

Author and award-winning fantasy film-maker Mugdan has been writing this intriguing saga since she was in high school, and perhaps because of that, has retained a remarkable empathy for her teen heroine. Keriya is a multi-faceted character, capable of getting fed up with her shortcomings and ashamed of her failures while maintaining in her spirit the belief that she will have what it takes to act courageously in a crisis. Mugdan movingly depicts Keriya gaining the skills and confidence she will need for cosmic combat. The author also shows this growth in Keriya’s companions Roxanne and Fletcher, who are themselves facing challenges they never dreamt of; and the three are gradually gaining respect for each other.

Mugdan also manages to make the dragon a sensitive, likable player in this fantasy, while at the same time creating some super-unlikeable evil-doers: shadowbeasts, giant slugs, bogspectres, and of course the almost unconquerable Necrovar. Add to this a bit of romance, some supernatural magic, and at least one acrimonious enemy lurking in the background, and you have the recipe for a highly successful first in series fantasy novel.

September 28, 2018
The CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction – The SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs
The CHATELAINE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The Chatelaine 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 Chatelaine Book Awards SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the limited 2018 Chatelaine Semi-Finalists from which the First Place Category Positions will be chosen. The Chatelaine Book Awards Semi-Finalists and First Place Positions along with Chatelaine Grand Prize Award Winner will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019.

We are looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to women.

These titles are in the running for the next round – the SEMI-Finalist positions for the 2018 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. Good Luck to All!
- L.E. Rico – Mischief and Mayhem
- L.E. Rico – Blame It on the Bet
- Trent Meunier – Flowers and Milkshakes
- Pamela LePage – Virtuous Souls
- Gail Noble-Sanderson – The Lavender House in Meuse
- J.P. Kenna – Allurement Westward
- Mona Sedrak – Six Months
- Cerella Sechrist – The Way Back to Erin
- Kate Vale – Friends Forever
- Malinda Andrews – The Irish Baker
- Rebekah N. Bryan – Brit with the Pink Hair
- Lauren E. Rico – Solo
- Karen Fitzpatrick – Sincerely, Amelia
- Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Bernie, I’m Glad You’re Dead
- Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Mr. Hitchcock
- F. E. Greene – The Next Forever
- Elena Mikalsen – Wrapped in the Stars
- Diane Shute – Midnight Crossing
- Lucinda Brant – Satyr’s Son: A Georgian Historical Romance
- Alix Nichols – Playing with Fire
- Alix Nichols – The Traitor’s Bride
- Nicola Slade – The House at Ladywell
- Michelle Cox – A Promise Given
- Diana A. Hicks – Love Over Lattes
- Tammy Mannersly – Persuading Lucy
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!

Chatelaine Grand Prize Winner M. A. Clarke Scott

The Chatelaine Short Listers will compete for the SemiFinalists positions that will compete for the Chatelaine First-In-Category Positions. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the Chatelaine 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.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Chatelaine Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 Chatelaine Book Awards is August 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.
September 25, 2018
The MONROE DECISION by Patrick Clark – Spies & Politics, Terrorism, Thriller

As a treaty expert for the Department of State, Aaron Monroe travels the world extensively, unquestioned and unsuspected. This allows him to efficiently fulfill his orders. You see, in reality, Monroe is an undercover operative for the covert arm of the US Council for Homeland Defense. He is the best at what he does—taking out targets, sanitizing scenes, and scooting away undetected.

On holiday in Italy with Sarah, his wealthy, beautiful, Eurasian girlfriend, he abandons her in Venice for one day to keep an appointment in Trieste. A final “go” from his handler in Washington D.C. and Aaron tracks his targets, an al Qaeda and ISIS financier and a senior ISIS commander, to a decrepit villa in one of the city’s oldest areas.

While clearing the building, after gaining entry and eliminating these men, Aaron finds an office equipped with multiple closed-circuit TV screens monitoring four locked, basement rooms. Three are crowded with young teenaged girls and one with pre-teen boys.

Now what? A quick call to his handler, a decision—leave the captives for the police to find— sanitize the scene and get out undiscovered. During the cleaning process, Aaron finds a ledger written in what appears to be Arabic in the deceased financier’s satchel. As the ledger may contain valuable information, he slings the satchel over his shoulder and poof! He’s out of there.

At Sarah’s insistence, Aaron relents and allows her into his shadow world. They trek around Europe and the United States, seeking to expose the international human trafficking ring that kidnapped those children to sell as unsullied brides for ISIS fighters and suicide bomber trainees.

This dangerous quest takes them into the highest echelons of government and industry, where the lust for power and wealth supersedes human decency and democratic ideals. Ultimately, Monroe is forced to question whom he can truly trust and, perhaps more importantly, if anyone really has his back.

The Monroe Decision explores relatively uncharted territory within the thriller genre. Clark uses socio-political facts and incidents from today’s headlines and accurate, detailed descriptions of familiar and exotic locations to create a mesmerizing yarn, replete with assassination, romance, betrayal and the triumph of good over evil.

Clark offers no downtime for his readers: plot, characters, atmosphere, setting, and pacing coalesce into a smooth, captivating read that’s hard to put down. Our advice? Clear your calendar, turn off the phone, lock the door, and enjoy.

September 25, 2018
DO NOT ASSUME by Elaine Williams Crockett – Spy Thriller, Political, Mystery Suspense

While attending a swanky Washington DC party for the District’s movers and shakers, Federal Judge Warren Alexander notices a Jaguar approaching the mansion amid the darkness with the barrel of a rifle protruding from the driver’s window. Up the hill, Senator Tom Marriner has just arrived surrounded by a Secret Service detail as he exits an armored van. Seconds later, a bomb is discovered in the van’s gas tank, the timer counting down, 13, 12 …

The senator, shielded from behind by Secret Service agents, scurries down the hill away from the mansion, toward the gunman. It’s a trap. Alexander sprints for the Jaguar to intercede. The van explodes. The senator and his protection detail are thrown to the lawn. The Jaguar races off. Alexander finds the senator dead, a single gunshot to his chest.

Alexander, a former profiler with fifteen years of FBI experience insinuates himself into the case. Why was the senator shot, and by whom? He soon learns the assassinated senator, as head of the Judiciary Committee, had put Alexander’s name forward to replace a retiring Supreme Court justice. He eventually realizes the motivation for the senator’s assassination may have its roots in an unsolved rape and murder of a teenage girl forty years before in the small town of Grey Lake, Maine, and involved some of the most powerful names in Washington.

When it is uncovered that the murder weapon used to kill Senator Marriner was a rifle owned by Judge Alexander and that Alexander’s wife had recently threatened the senator’s life, the judge realizes the aftermath of the assassination, and the plot behind it may have the power to destroy both his family and career.

Elaine Williams Crockett is a talented author with an engaging style. The story has more twists than an angry rattlesnake, which will make it hard for mystery lovers and those who favor political intrigue to put it down or get a decent night’s sleep. Crockett’s characters are well fleshed out, interesting, and believable. The novel contains mild violence, though nothing overly graphic.

As mentioned earlier, Elaine Williams Crockett is a talented author who has the ability to be a rising star in this genre dominated by Lee Child, Vince Flynn, and Michael Connelly. She’s on my watch-list and I look forward to reading her work in the future.

Do Not Assume won 1^st Place for Crockett in the 2016 CLUE Awards.

September 22, 2018
PERSISTENCE of LIGHT: in a JAPANESE PRISON CAMP, with an ELEPHANT CROSSING the ALPS, and then in SILICON VALLEY by John Hoyte – Memoir, Travel Adventure, Transformation/Inspiration

Reading John Hoyte’s memoir, Persistence of Light, is like sitting around a campfire absorbing stories of adventure, loss, and love – and feeling better for it. With journalistic precision, Hoyte shares both the facts and the emotional impact of his fascinating travels, doing so void of self-pity for his suffering and without self-aggrandizement for his vast achievements.

Born in 1932 to medical missionary parents (his father, Stanley, was British; his mother, Grace, American), Hoyte enjoyed a vibrant childhood taking nature walks and playing with his five siblings. A pivotal moment came at 8 years old when his parents were summoned to a missionary hospital, 1300 miles away in Lanchow. Hoyte and his siblings ended up in a Japanese internment camp without either parent.

Despite weeks with little to no food, wearing tattered clothing and walking barefoot (shoes were a commodity), he mustered the energy and the interest to write, sketch and draw – ultimately finding mystery and hope in a world besieged by authoritarian forces. His intense curiosity that percolated as a child, along with his faith in God, leads him on the many adventures he depicts in this thoughtful and exciting memoir.

The second part of the title “…in a Japanese Prison Camp, with an Elephant Crossing the Alps, and then in Silicon Valley,” encapsulates just a few highlights of the author’s escapades – the most memorable of which was his 1959 trek across the French Alps with an elephant. Fascinated with history, he and college friends from Cambridge embraced the goal of trying to reenact Hannibal’s legendary crossing of the Alps that occurred in 218 BC (in case you don’t know: Hannibal trekked with an army and 37 war elephants en route to attack Rome more than two thousand years ago).

In Hoyte’s case, they successfully guided Jumbo, a female Asian elephant provided by a zoo in Turin, Italy, from France over the Col du Mont Cenis. Life magazine, which sponsored the trek, published a considerable photo spread of Jumbo and parts of the trek in its Aug. 17, 1959 edition. To this day, Hoyte rounds up his kids and lifelong friend Richard Jolly (who accompanied Hoyte and wrote the book’s Preface) every few years for a reunion hike in the French Alps to celebrate that fateful crossing.

This exciting, adventuresome spirit lives in Hoyte’s suspenseful storytelling. We learn of other notable moments like when he knew Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic runner, who tragically died while at Weihsien, the same internment camp as Hoyte (Liddell’s life is depicted in the 1981 movie, “Chariots of Fire”). Later, at the age of 27, Hoyte landed a contestant role on the American game show, “To Tell the Truth,” and in the mid-1960s, after leaving a corporate job at Hewlett-Packard, he took the leap to start his own company Spectrex in Palo Alto, Calif. Through all of his travels, Hoyte embraces light and color which lends a cheery quality to the book. Each chapter begins with a reference to Isaac Newton’s seven colors of the rainbow. For example, Chapter 4, An Alpine Journey, starts with green, evoking the natural beauty of the Alps.

In addition to writing, Hoyte enjoys painting, sketching, and drawing and lives in Bellingham, Wash. with his wife, Luci Shaw, a poet. While he dedicates the book to his grandchildren, its universal appeal is for anyone who overcomes adversity – or may need to overcome adversity – and dreams about adventure in faraway lands.

Highly recommended.

“When Gandalf said to Frodo, ‘All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” (J.R.R. Tolkien), surely John Hoyte was listening. Starting early and without choice, he and his siblings are interned in a Japanese prison camp, afterwards, he follows along Hannibal’s elephant trail over the French Alps. .” – Chanticleer Reviews

September 21, 2018
Master of Suspense, J.D. Barker, to Keynote and Present at Chanticleer Authors Conference 2019

Welcome to STORYTELLERS and STORY MAKERS!

The 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference

This year J.D. BARKER, MASTER of SUSPENSE, is coming to CAC19 as a keynote speaker and workshop presenter. We are THRILLED!

J.D. Barker successfully published his debut novel 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.

J.D. Barker: International Bestselling Author whose works incorporate elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural…

J.D. Barker is the internationally best-selling author of THE FOURTH MONKEY and FORSAKEN. As a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award and winner of the New Apple Medalist Award, his work has been compared to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Thomas Harris.

His third novel, THE FIFTH TO DIE, released in June 2018.

He has been asked by the Stoker family to co-author the forthcoming prequel to DRACULA due out in fall 2018. His novels have been translated into numerous languages and optioned for both film and television.

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 asked to join us at CAC19, not only did he graciously accept, but said to count him info all 3 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.

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!

You’ll want to check out his website, but here is a little bit from his bio:

While in college, one of his writing assignment found its way into the hands of Paul Gallotta of Circus Magazine. Gallotta reached out to Barker and asked him to join the staff of 25th Parallel Magazine where he worked alongside the man who would later become Marilyn Manson. Assignments dropped him into the center of pop culture and by 1991 Barker branched out, interviewing celebrities for the likes of Seventeen, TeenBeat, and other national and local publications.

In 1992, Barker syndicated a small newspaper column called Revealed which centered around the investigation of haunted places and supernatural occurrences. While he often cites these early endeavors as a crash course in tightening prose, his heart remained with fiction. He began work as a book doctor and ghostwriter shortly thereafter, helping others fine-tune their writing for publication. Barker has said this experience proved invaluable, teaching him what works and what doesn’t in today’s popular fiction. He would continue in this profession until 2012 when he wrote a novel of his own, titled Forsaken.

Stephen King read portions of Forsaken prior to publication and granted Barker permission to utilize the character of Leland Gaunt of King’s Needful Things in the novel. Indie-published in late 2014, the book went on to hit several major milestones – #2 on Audible (Harper Lee with Go Set a Watchman held #1), #44 on Amazon U.S., #2 on Amazon Canada, and #22 on Amazon UK. Forsaken was also nominated for a Bram Stoker Award (Best Debut Novel) and won a handful of others including a New Apple Medalist Award.

After reading Forsaken, Bram Stoker’s family reached out to Barker and asked him to co-author a prequel to Dracula utilizing Bram’s original notes and journals, much of which has never been made public. The novel, titled Dracul, sold at auction to G.P. Putnam & Sons, with film rights going to Paramount. Andy Muschietti (IT, Mama) is attached to direct.

Barker’s initial indie success drew the attention of traditional agents and publishers and in early 2016 his debut thriller, The Fourth Monkey, sold in a series of pre-empts and auctions worldwide with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt set to publish in the U.S. and HarperCollins in the UK. The book has also sold for both film and television.

Save the dates – April 26-26, 2019 – for 3 days that will change your life. #CAC19 #SeriousAuthors

We have the perfect registration packet for you!

[Editor’s Note of Interest: Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), stage name was formed by combining and juxtaposing the names of two American pop cultural icons of the 1960s: actress Marilyn Monroe and criminal Charles Manson… Commentators have referred to the band’s lead singer as being one of the most iconic and controversial figures in heavy metal music, with some going so far as to call him a “pop culture icon.” Paste magazine said there were “few artists in the 90s as shocking as Marilyn Manson, the most famous of the shock-rockers.” – Wikipedia citing]

September 20, 2018
S is for September Spotlight on LITTLE PEEPS Awards – Children’s Literature, Picture Books, Educational Books, Beginning Chapter Books, Activity Books
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In September we welcome rich and beautiful, inspiring and fascinating stories for our pre-readers, for those who are learning to read, and for those who love reading stories to the wee ones in their lives…

S is for September, and
September is for Little Peeps.

What are the LITTLE PEEPS Awards? Here we have stories that help children look into lives and experiences different from their own, stories that spark the imagination, and drive discovery. These stories teach and comfort, entertain and inspire. These are the carefully crafted stories that open the doors of wonder and invite the children of the world to fall in love with reading. Welcome to the LITTLE PEEPS!

Chanticleer Book Reviews 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 and choose the best Children’s Books among them.

The very last day to submit your work is September 30, 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 miss this opportunity to earn distinction for your Children’s Book. Enter today!

All category winners have the opportunity 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 LITTLE PEEPS Awards competitions.

The LITTLE PEEPS Awards for the best Children’s Literature:

The Grand Prize LITTLE PEEPS Winner in 2017:

Midnight and Moonlight by Peggy Sullivan, M.Ed.“…is a heartwarming story about two different cats who find that friendship is what matters most.”

Peggy Sullivan, M.Ed., Counseling, LMHC, NCC, CHT is dedicated to helping her clients, young and not so young, live their fullest lives. She had many books for all ages, but we are so thankful she submitted Midnight and Moonlight to the LITTLE PEEPS Awards! Grand Prize Winner sounds very nice!

2017 Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers First in Category Winners are:
- Lessons from a Cat: The Moon and Star; Midnight and Moonlight by Peggy Sullivan
- A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican: How a Friendship Came to Be by Kizzie Jones
- Rainbow Monsters by Sylva Fae
- Angel on Assignment by Wanda Carter Roush
- Wishes and Kisses by Heather Pallotta
Grand Prize LITTLE PEEPS Winner of 2016:

The Tooth Collector Fairies: Batina’s Best First Day by Denise Ditto Satterfield is a story about trying new things and finding out that you can do a job you once believed was too big for you.

Denise Ditto Satterfield says this about herself, “When I think about writing, I get happy. My brain kicks into overdrive and the ideas flow freely like Niagara Falls!” She is a busy author and loves what she does. For more on Denise, check out her 10 Question Author Interview right here.

1st Place Category Winners in 2016:
- Story Book: The Blue Beetle by Sara Dahmen
- Chapter Grade Book: The Tooth Collector Fairies, Batina’s Best First Day by Denise Ditto Satterfield
- Activity Book: Rikki & the Rocket Twins Adventure 1: Discovering the Solar System by Kneko Burney
- Educational Book: The Adventures of Frank and Mustard: Stuck in the Mud by Simon Calcavecchia
- Picture Book: The Mouse and the Mole Hill by Donna Washington
Your Children’s Book could earn a place in our LITTLE PEEPS hall of fame for the CIBA 2018 Best Books.

All you have to do is to enter your manuscript or published Children’s Book.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none” last=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”transparent” class=”” id=””]What are the Little Peeps Awards?[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”3_5″ layout=”3_5″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” class=”” id=”” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text]Our Little Peeps Awards are Chanticleer’s search for the best in Children’s Literature!

We are looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books & Educational Books we will put them to the test and choose the best Children’s Books among them. (For Middle-Grade entries see our Gertrude Warner Awards) [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ layout=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#606060″ border_style=”solid” padding_top=”10px” padding_right=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px” padding_left=”10px” class=”” id=”” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text]

Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year!
- All First in Category Winning Titles will be placed in the queue to receive a coveted Chanticleer Book Review Package (value $395) and go on to compete for the genre Grand Prize and the Overall Grand Prize.
- The Overall Grand Prize Winner is named Chanticleer Reviews Best Book of the Year and awarded the $1000 prize
- All Winners receive a Chanticleer Prize Package which includes a digital badge, a ribbon and a whole assortment of goodies
[/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”/services#!/Little-Peeps-Fiction-Writing-Contests-Chanticleer-Book-Reviews/p/58078150/category=5193080″ color=”darkgray” size=”” type=”” shape=”” target=”_blank” title=”” button_gradient_top_color=”” button_gradient_bottom_color=”” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”” 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 Now![/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
September 19, 2018
10 Questions Author Interview with KEITH TITTLE – 2016 CLUE Awards GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Meet Keith Tittle!

Keith took home the 2016 Grand Prize in the CIBA CLUE category for A Matter of Justice. He’s a quiet man whose chosen genre, Mystery/Thriller, fits well. He’s a baseball fan who writes with clarity and fleshes out his lead characters with believable determination and grit.

Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself, Keith, how did you start writing?

Tittle: I have been writing creatively for most of my life. In fact, there is a picture of four-year-old me sitting in front of my dad’s old portable typewriter, probably caught in the throes of my first case of writer’s block. But I never seriously considered the possibility of doing something with my writing until I took an Introduction to Writing Fiction course — taught by Sheila Simonson, the author of the Lark Dodge and Latouche County Mystery series — and came away with a much better sense of my abilities.

Chanticleer: That’s a good way to start! When did you realize you that you were indeed an author?

Tittle: I don’t think the transition from writer to author happened for me until I held the proof copy of my first mystery, Drawn Back. It’s an amazing feeling to see your name on the cover of a book but, until that moment, I still harbored nagging self-doubts about my ability to see a novel through from beginning to end.

Chanticleer: That’s a big fear for many authors. How to get from Beginning to End. But once you start writing, the answer comes. What genre best describes your work?

Tittle: This should be a far easier question for me to answer than it is. I would classify both Drawn Back and A Matter of Justice as Mystery/Suspense at their core, and yet they are as different from each other as they are alike. A Matter of Justice dances on the edge of being a thriller. Drawn Back is a little more character-driven, and has elements of romance and time travel. But if you’re going to hold my feet to the fire, I’ll say I write Mystery/Suspense.

Chanti: What led you to write in this genre?

Tittle: I like to tell people that I wrote my first novel for a demographic of one; the only person I could be sure would buy my book was my mother, and she loved both mysteries and stories of time travel. But it’s also true that the plot for Drawn Back chose me, rather than the other way around. As the story unfolded for me I found that I loved the challenge of writing a complex mystery with so many moving parts. I also enjoyed the opportunities the genre offered to explore my characters’ motivations and morality in the darkest of circumstances.

Chanti: Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?

Tittle: Rules regarding genre make excellent guidelines, especially for new writers, but I think if you adhere to them too closely you risk being formulaic. My writing always begins with a basic premise, a general idea of where the story begins and where I think it will end. In the back of my mind, I have the details of the crimes being solved, the why and the how and the who. How the story then unfolds after that is dictated almost entirely by the characters I’ve put in place. There is no outline, no formula … and no rules.

Chanti: That is fascinating. It takes a lot of trust in your author abilities to be able to do that. Give us some of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.

Tittle: My approach to storytelling and dialogue has probably been more strongly influenced by my love of movies — particularly those of the 1930s and 40s — than by any specific author, but there are a few I would love to be favorable compared to.

I’ve always been drawn to the humor and versatility of Terry Pratchett and Christopher Moore. Both excel at creating characters who are intensely human, entirely relatable, and completely individual. I certainly strive for that in my own books. Within my genre, I think Dashiell Hammett should be a required read for any writer who wants to join the ‘murder and mayhem’ club. From Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon to the Continental Op short stories, Hammett was an absolute master. Another mystery writer I’m addicted to is Timothy Hallinan. I love the wit and humanity he instills into his revolving cast of characters, and his Junior Bender series is about as much fun as you can have in the world of crime fiction.

Chanti: Love those authors. Good choices! You mentioned that you were influenced by the movies of the 30’s and 40’s; why that period, specifically?

Tittle: I think it has to do with the Production Code that was in place at the time. The strict rules regarding sexuality, language and violence forced writers and directors to be more creative and subtle in their storytelling. The best of them, people like Preston Sturges and Howard Hawks, were geniuses at providing just enough detail for the audience to fill in the more salacious — or graphic — blanks for themselves. Moviegoers, as well as readers, are far more intuitive than they are sometimes given credit for.

Chanti: Right. Good point. What areas in your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?

Tittle: My approach to storytelling tends to be more cinematic, with multiple viewpoints and quick cuts. Because of that, I think I’ve had to become fairly adept at creating, and then inhabiting, a diverse cast of characters in each of my books. Male and female, Irish, Russian … I work hard to make each voice distinct and consistent, without seeming like a cliché or caricature.

As for advice, I encourage new writers to become more active observers of the people around them. Tune into the way people speak, which words they emphasize, their cadence and inflection, their body language. Then, as an exercise, challenge yourself to write something — anything — from that person’s viewpoint. Try to capture their internal thoughts and spoken dialogue, as well as the physical ‘beats.’ To improve your dialogue, flip that exercise completely and write an entire scene with absolutely no physical beats or attributions. If you can still easily differentiate between your characters, you’re that much closer to writing tight scenes without all the unnecessary ‘he said/she said.’

Chanti: That’s brilliant! And a great way to further character development. Thanks for that. What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

Tittle: I love exploring old crimes, and how they continue to affect people years later. The second book in the Jefferson Dawes series, The War on Cain, revolves around a decades-old, race-related murder in Portland that resurfaces. With current racial tensions running high, the DA’s office is reluctant to reopen the investigation, so it falls to Jeff to find the people responsible.

Chanti: Sounds good! Who’s the perfect reader for your book?

Tittle: Readers of mystery and suspense, certainly, but I think anyone who enjoys losing themselves in the characters they’re reading about — regardless of the genre — will probably enjoy the ride.

You know what to do now, right? If you’ve enjoyed this 10 Question Interview with Keith Tittle, please “like” & “share” it!

Check out Keith’s website at https://www.keithtittle.com/

And check out his books

September 15, 2018
The GOETHE Book Awards for Post 1750s Historical Fiction – The SHORTLIST for the 2018 CIBAs
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Late Historical Fiction set after the 1750s. The Goethe Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBA).

Chanticleer Book Reviews 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. (Looking for Chaucer Pre-1750 Book Awards or Laramie Western/Pioneer/Civil War Book Awards, just click on the links.)

The 2018 Goethe Book Awards Competition Rounds

These Goethe Short Listers are now in competition for the 2018 GOETHE Semi-Finalists List, which will pair this list down to 18 titles or less. Semi-Finalists will compete for the coveted five positions of the First Place Category Winners of the 2018 GOETHE Book Awards in the final rounds of judging. The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the Goethe GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The 16 CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.

These titles are in the running for the limited Semi-Finalists positions of the 2018 GOETHE Book Awards novel competition for post-1750s Post Historical Novels.

Good luck to all in these next intensive rounds to see which titles will move forward.
- Carol M. Cram – The Muse of Fire
- Josanna Thompson – A Maiden’s Honor
- J.P. Kenna – Allurement Westward
- Richard Alan – American Journeys: From Ireland to the Pacific Northwest (1854-1900) Book 2
- J.L. Oakley – Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity
- Noelle Clark – Stone of Heaven and Earth
- Richard Alan – A Female Doctor in the Civil War
- J. R. Collins – Living Where the Rabbits Dance
- Jocelyn Cullity – Amah & the Silk-Winged Pigeons
- Ellen Notbohm – The River by Starlight
- Rosalind Spitzer – Anna’s Home
- Neal Katz – Scandalous: The Victoria Woodhull Saga, Volume II: Fame, Infamy, and Paradise Lost
- Rita Dragonette – The Fourteenth of September
- Sharon Hart-Green – Come Back for Me: A Novel
- Meredith Pechta – The Prejudice That Divides Us
- Jeffrey K. Walker – None of Us the Same
- Ronald E. Yates – The Lost Years of Billy Battles (Book 3, Finding Billy Battles Trilogy)
- John Thomas Everett – No Slave To Reason
- J. Victor Tomaszek – The Tatra Eagle
- Pat Wahler – I am Mrs. Jesse James
- R. S. Rowland – Portrait of a Bitter Spy
- Kit Sergeant – 355: The Women of Washington’s Spy Ring
- Ruth Hull Chatlien – Blood Moon: A Captive’s Tale
- John Hansen – Unfortunate Words
- Patricia Suprenant – Behind the Scarlet Letter
- Peter Curtis – Cafe Budapest
- Bruce Joel Brittain – Brother Daniel’s Good News Revival
- Michelle Cox – A Promise Given
- Tom Edwards – Jane Sinclair
- Trevor D’Silva – Fateful Decisions
- K. M. Sandrick – The Pear Tree
All Short Listers and SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

Good Luck to each of you as your works compete for the 2018 GOETHE Awards Semi-Finalists positions.

2017 Goethe Book Awards Winners Joe Vitovic & Peter Greene, Goethe Grand Prize

To view the 2017 Goethe Book Awards winners, please click here.

The Goethe Grand Prize Winner and the 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.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 GOETHE Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is June 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.
September 14, 2018
PASSAGE HOME to MEUSE by Gail Noble-Sanderson – Historical Romance, Post-WWII, Literary

It’s 1923 and character Marie Durant Chagall is now 27 years old as she tells about her life-altering events in The Passage Home to Meuse, thanks to author Gayle Noble-Sanderson. This is the second historical novel in the Meuse Trilogy. The world around Marie is still reeling from the devastation of World War I. She and the other characters in the book are learning how to continue living, and perhaps more importantly, wishing to find joy once again in life.

Marie is at home in France, seeking peace within, as well as for those around her. She looks for ways to help others who are in need, and her nursing skills come in handy to help this farming community. Nearby she’s found a sense of belonging with the Sisters at the Chapel, and her friendships continue with Henri and others.

Under pressure of a persistent letter campaign from her father and her sister Solange, Marie consents to take a voyage from France to New York to visit them, not realizing she’ll discover a secret that awaits her there. Sailing on the incredibly luxurious SS Paris is an exciting trip filled with unexpected experiences, interesting people, and new friends. The author takes the time to engage the reader in the beauty of this voyage. Upon arrival in New York, the contrast of post-war Europe and America is striking, skillfully portrayed, and thought-provoking. After a visit filled with surprises, the journey home propels Marie into grand plans for her future, but will she be able to turn those into reality?

The author’s extensive research of this historical period permeates every page. Additional notes from her research at the end of the book present fascinating insights into the period. The writing in the novel is charming, and the expansive descriptions of both settings and events ignite the reader’s imagination. All the characters jump off the pages with their hopes and dreams, and even their fears bringing great dimension to their personalities.

Author Gail Noble-Sanderson is a speech-language pathologist who has published many educational programs for children with special needs. Fortunately for historical fiction readers, she decided to turn her attention to this genre.

The Passage Home to Meuse is an epic journey back to the post-war world of the 1920’s. Wistfully Marie wonders, “What might have been, what would have been had the war not torn us all apart, rupturing the very soul of our lives?” Somehow she and those around her must find meaning in life again. Every aspect of human nature and the desire to rebuild is explored in this novel, including rebuilding family, whether blood or chosen. Ultimately, Noble-Sanderson explores whether love can indeed conquer all.

Gail Noble-Sanderson won 1st Place in the 2017 CHATELAINE Awards for The Passage Home to Meuse.

September 13, 2018

Chanticleer Book Reviews