Chanticleer Book Reviews

Blog

The LITTLE PEEPS 2017 Book Awards for Early Readers & Children’s Picture Books – Slush Pile Survivors
The LITTLE PEEPS Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works for Early Readers and Children’s Picture Books.

The Little Peeps Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2017 writing competition winners!

The Little Peeps Book Awards for FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Early Reader Chapter Books, Story Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, Educational Books.

These Authors and their Works made it past the first rounds of the 2017 Little Peeps Early Reader Book Awards are:
- Sandy Hill – Play Ball, Have Fun Read, Imagine, Draw
- Kizzie Jones – A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican: How a Friendship Came to Be
- Deanna Edens – The Almost Cool Kids Club
- Penelope Lagos – I Miss My Best Friend
- Brian Estes – Flying Pigs & Dinosaurs & Things You’ve Never Seen Before
- Sylva Fae – Rainbow Monsters
- Lori Mullen – The Horrible, Nasty, Fire-Breathing Dragon Named Achoo!
- Marshall Cobb – River Tree
- Wanda Carter Roush – Angel on Assignment
- Amy Mae Boreman – Maggie’s New Home
- Lauren Mosback – Frightened in Friendship Grove
- Stacie Sullivan Simon – I Am Me & You Are You
- Laura Tritt – Big Hope
- Shana Hollowell – Little Mouse’s Sweet Treat
- Heather Pallotta – Wishes and Kisses
- Rita Kaye Vetsch – The Many Colors of Friendship
- Peggy Sullivan – Midnight and Moonlight
- Peggy Sullivan – The Moon and Star
These Little Peeps 2017 authors and their works will compete for the Little Peeps Short-List Positions.

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

The Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner and First in Category Winners will be announced at the April 21st, 2018 Chanticleer International Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2018 Little Peeps Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for 2017 submissions was May 31st, 2017. We are now accepting submissions into the 2018 Little Peeps writing competition. Please click here for more information.

Pictured on the left are the 2016 Little Peeps Book Award winners: Sara Dahmen, Denise Ditto Satterfield, & Donna Washington with their blue ribbons on April 1st, 2017 Chanticleer Reviews awards banquet ceremony.
October 17, 2017
TALLULAH’S FLYING ADVENTURE by Gloria Two-Feathers – Fable, Native American, Children’s Story

A fable with an ancient feel, this story of a plucky spider and her tiny bird companion rests comfortably in the story-telling tradition of Native American peoples.

Tallulah is unusual in a number of ways. Born last and alone after her many siblings had already left the cocoon of the Mother Spider, she is not black but white “with golden eyes and soft golden hair on her long slender legs.” Then, instead of hustling off like the others to explore the wide world, she decides to make her home in the old barn where she was born. She soon befriends a horse named Buck, who gives her the name Tallulah. Buck is the Keeper of the Meadow, and he and Tallulah become great friends. But one day, Buck falls ill and it will be up to Tallulah to save him, and by saving him, to save the meadows that are dying without his daily grazing visits.

Fortunately, she meets another friend who can assist her on her mission, a tiny bird stuck in a web in the rafters. He will help her get to the Old Forest and the home of the Great Grandmother Tree. Tallulah has always longed to fly, and the bird teaches her how to harness her web to make a flying craft. Together they find the Great Grandmother Tree, where the Great Grandmother herself, recognizing Tallulah’s talent and persistence, instructs her in how to save Buck.

This is a book for children that people of all ages can appreciate for its multi-layered charms. There are simple but endearing pen and ink illustrations, and every chapter begins with a quotation from Native American lore, such as this, from the Wisdom of the Elders: “We are each a thread in the web of life, strengthened by the promise of our dreams.” The story itself has many symbols and harks back to a simpler time when children learned such natural but surprisingly mature themes from their elders. Tallulah embodies many admirable qualities, making her a role model of bravery and persistence, while Buck and the bird represent friendship and loyalty. The book offers a small list of Lakota words interspersed in the narrative. Thus, it offers many ways to learn.

Gloria Two-Feathers comes from a combined Scottish and Native American heritage and studied extensively with a Lakota elder. Story-telling springs naturally from her background, allowing her to create, in Tallulah’s Flying Adventure, a tale ideal for reading aloud and sure to engage the reader as much as the listener.

October 16, 2017
The WELL: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN the MIND RELEASES but the HEART SUSTAINS by Colleen Golden – Aging Parents, Heartwarming, Coma

The subtitle of Colleen Golden’s lovely book, The Well, asks a searching question: “What happens when the mind releases but the heart sustains?” There are few greater mysteries and that’s exactly why this charming and touching novel will appeal to so many readers.

At the outset, the central character, seventy-six-year-old Grace, has been in a coma for a few months. That doesn’t stop the feisty and funny protagonist from addressing readers, however, and taking us with her on a transcendental journey in which we’ll meet many of her family members and friends.

While her grown children sit in her room at the nursing home and worry about her being in a seemingly vegetative state, Grace hears every word. The voices seem to be coming from deep within a well, and she sits gingerly on the edge of that well, sometimes leaning over it to eavesdrop more carefully. She reminisces about her life spent in the Midwest, musing about her dimming short-term memory, and shares vivid recollections of flappers (she herself is a great dancer), the first telephones, the excitement over indoor plumbing, radios, televisions, highways, and rockets to outer space.

It’s a joy to spend time with Grace in this limbo dimension because she’s a thoroughly engaging storyteller and a very astute observer of the human condition. While she seldom judges, she’s quick to point out mischief, like the time one of her sisters stole a boyfriend from another sister, or when teenagers slipped into a vacant house for a romantic rendezvous. So many of Golden’s characters are familiar; they remind us of people we’ve known, people we’ve lost, and people we dearly miss.

As time goes by, Grace realizes she can do more than just listen to people. She experiments with “dissolving” into their thoughts and discovers that she can help them solve dilemmas and find their way out of difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. She herself finds her way to her old kitchen, where she’s happiest, and starts to bake. While she used to make delicious cakes and pies, she now kneads the dough to fashion a puppy who bounds to life and becomes an adored companion. Well, if that works, why not make people? She does just that, an entire cast that includes old friends and her deceased husband who looks just as he did when he was a handsome, young man.

Grace creates streets and buildings and before long has created an entire town which she names “Possibilities.” Not bad for an elderly woman in a coma! There are reasons, revealed carefully, for all of Grace’s creativity, as well as lessons to be learned from these paranormal sojourns. Grace has lived a long life but there are loose ends to be tied before she discovers what the next chapter holds for her.

This material in a less gifted author’s hands might run the risk of sentimentality or frivolity, but Golden wisely has Grace contemplate the sadness of life, along with the joy. There are nocturnal activities at the nursing home that, when discovered, enrage and devastate her children.

Everyone knows heartache and loss, and Grace has lived long enough to experience her share. In a moment that brings Emily of Our Town to mind, Grace glimpses her deceased mother, describing the scene thus: “The sun’s brilliance silhouettes her against the horizon, and bedazzles the grass into a field of emeralds.” Golden’s prose is imbued with a wistful nostalgia, so perfect for a book that considers the variedness of life and the questions of death. While we don’t know all the answers, this novel helps us realize that because “love makes a good conduit,” the possibilities are, indeed, endless.

October 16, 2017
The LAST CRUSADER KINGDOM: DAWN of a DYNASTY in TWELFTH-CENTURY CYPRUS by Helena P. Schrader

In the Introduction and Acknowledgements section of her fascinating novel, The Last Crusader Kingdom: Dawn of a Dynasty in Twelfth-Century Cyprus, Helena P. Schrader notes that “. . . the historical basis for this novel is very thin,” and that the book serves as “a fictional depiction of events as I believe they could have happened.” Upon finishing the book, one concludes that only the rare reader would disagree with Schrader’s version of the historical events that comprise her narrative. Her comprehensive research and impressive scholarship are evident on every single page. This is a work of historical fiction, admittedly, but Schrader clearly was tireless in exhuming every possible detail to piece together as authentic a history of medieval Cyprus, 1193-1198, as possible.

The establishment of a Latin Kingdom on the formerly Byzantine island of Cyprus in the late twelfth-century is as engrossing and intricate a chapter in history as possible, one that involved a plethora of cultures, religions, family dynasties, battles, treaties, and, inevitably, human greed and vanity. Schrader addresses both public and private lives and demonstrates how their intertwining shaped history. She considers all classes of society, from barons to beggars. It would be easy to get lost amongst the riveting and numerous details, but the author takes the reader by the hand and offers a guided tour to people, places, and events. The novel includes a Cast of Characters, Genealogical Charts for the Houses of Jerusalem, Lusignan, and Ibelin, as well as historical maps of Cyprus and the Outremer. Her Historical Notes underscore the depth of her research, and she also provides a glossary to orient the reader with historical and regional terms.

Schrader matches her exhaustive research with a thoroughly captivating narrative. Her prose shimmers with elegant confidence and wit. The story traces how this strategically positioned island, formerly fraught with the greatest animosity between the inept and despised Frankish ruler, Guy de Lusignan, and the Greek Orthodox natives is pacified even after the influx of Latin immigrants. How all this came about is as exciting and adventurous tale as anyone could imagine. Schrader pays keen attention to how power is grasped, nourished, and maintained, and her tale demonstrates the essential and timeless balance of politics, religion, economy, and public relations. Although the novel takes place in medieval times, much of it could serve as a primer for twenty-first-century global politics and diplomacy.

One might expect the medieval world to be dominated by men, yet the author fully addresses the lives of women. Obviously siring male heirs was of importance in the twelfth century, but Schrader does not limit episodes involving female characters to pregnancy and birth. She emphasizes their role as astute advisers to their husbands and other male relations. The women understood that marriages were opportunities for strategic alliances and personal power. Queens and wives of public figures were keenly aware of the critical public relations roles they played in binding their subjects to the ruling families.

The reader also learns a wealth of information on shipbuilding, irrigation, aqueducts, woodcarving, piracy, on and on. The Last Crusader Kingdom is not just the story of key families ascending to power; it’s also an enlightening overview on the state of technology, the arts, and crime at the close of the twelfth century. The reader trusts Schrader’s depiction of events as accurate in large part because her meticulous research makes every scene vivid and memorable. Schrader matches her exhaustive historical research with a thoroughly captivating narrative. Her prose shimmers with elegant confidence and wit.

Helena P. Schrader is an author who doesn’t just bring history to life but one who reminds us that each passing moment is also history. To understand the events reported on the front pages of today’s newspapers, there’s no greater teacher than the past. The Last Crusader Kingdom is filled with lessons we’d be foolish to neglect.

October 8, 2017
BISAC Codes — Not just Alphabet Soup — Book Marketing Tools
Anyone producing a digital book or setting up an ISBN may come across the acronym BISAC. If you’re a self-published author wondering what a BISAC code actually is, here are some answers.

Mysterious Coding – BISAC Codes

Metadata For Your Book

BISAC is an acronym for Book Industry Standards and Communications, a very helpful tool put out yearly by the BISG (Book Industry Study Group). The BISAC code system is an alpha-numeric system of book classification. The book industry (libraries, universities, Barnes & Noble, local bookstores, and online bookstores) use BISAC code numbers to categorize books.

For example, if you’ve just written a graphic novel murder mystery, they have a BISAC code for that:

CGN004010 COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS / Crime & Mystery

In the BISAC code catalog, there are fifty-three (53) main categories with various sub categories – and in some instances, sub-sub categories.

How do you access the BISAC codes?

If you are buying an ISBN code for your book directly from Bowker, you will be prompted to select your BISAC code. When you set up your Bowker account when you purchase an ISBN, Bowker will ask you to identify or categorize your book. A list of 53 BISAC codes will appear (if Bowker is truly up-to-date) and you’re off to the races.

Even if you’re not working with Bowker and using a third party to acquire your ISBNs, you can always access the BISAC code categories directly online.

How do you determine your book’s BISAC code?

YES, you can unlock the secrets to BISAC Codes!

The first category you choose should be what the book is about, which genre category it fits into. Think of it as a funnel: a wide opening at the top, narrowing down to a spout at the bottom. Start large, go narrow.

FICTION > ROMANCE > MYSTERY > PARANORMAL > VAMPIRES

Don’t let the process intimidate you. Don’t be sidetracked. Get your BISAC codes down so you can start talking about your book in an intelligent manner. For example, when asked what your book is about you can say, “My book is a Sci-fi/Fantasy with elements of the paranormal and badass skateboarding.” Or, you could say that if you were author Jesse James Freeman talking about his book, Billy Purgatory: I am the Devil Bird.

BIASC Codes and Discoverability

BIASC codes are used by booksellers, librarians, teachers, and others who need to categorize and catalog your book. But as an author, you can use this coding system to understand your book in the context of all the other books out there.

Third Party Keywords

Please note that if you are letting a third-party such as Amazon’s CreateSpace, they have their own codes, some of which match to BISAC and others do not. For example, when you log in to CreateSpace and upload your book files you’ll be prompted to enter keywords. During this process – currently on CreateSpace, Step 3: Target Your Book to Customers > categories – a screen will pop up and ask you for KEY WORDS. These, like BISAC codes, will help readers find your work. So the principles described below for BISAC codes apply to keywords as well.

BISAC Identifiers = The Beginning of Interest

You can also think of BISAC Identifiers as the bones for DISCOVERABILITY.

Let’s take this wagon on another ride and construct a little scenario where you are attempting to purchase the perfect book for your grandma. You sit down with her and ask her what she likes to read. She tells you that she likes mysteries best – mysteries with a lot of vampire sex. Instead of screaming T.M.I. GRANNY! You smile and say, I will find you the perfect book!

How? You now know about BISAC codes and how to wield them. You either visit your favorite brick and mortar store – or go online and search:

Mystery, Erotic, Vampire

And you’ll find J.D. Ward and Laurell Hamilton – two of the tops authors writing in this category – both of whose books will be perfect for your grandmother.

Check your BISAC codes yearly

The BISG is not a static group. They are constantly changing things up with BISAC codes – rearranging codes, creating codes, destroying codes – all in an attempt to make our books more discoverable.

Once you’ve landed on the codes that best describe your book you will need to check back from time to time (yearly) to ascertain if your chosen codes are:
- still accurate,
- still active, and/or
- if the BISG has come up with a better code for your book.
In their most recent update, the BISAC Subject Committee states that they never reuses inactivated codes and that they would never inactivate a code and then reuse that code for an unrelated literal. The committee continues that this has always been the case and inactivated codes have never been reused. So, that has never been a practice – apparent or otherwise. They do, however, “reactivate” codes as necessary. For example, GAR011000 was inactivated after the 2.3 edition (in 2001) and the reactivated for the 2016 Edition with the same exact literal.

A Concise Context For Your Book — Unlocking Publishing Secrets

Let’s be honest, the real reason you need to know your book’s BISAC Code: It gives you a fast way to describe your book.

Can you imagine doing that to anyone in the book industry? No one has the time or inclination to listen to you prattle on about it. Base your book description on its BISAC code and everyone will have a good solid context for its genre, content, and even the type of experience they’ll have when they read it.

So when your all-too-well-meaning writer friends set your book down and ask in unison, “Yes, but where is this book going to be on the shelf?” Or agents at conferences ask you, “Who’s your audience? How am I supposed to sell this book?” Now you have something smart to say in return. Now you know BISAC codes!

We will have more articles about BISAC codes and how to decide on which ones to use and how.

The Chanticleer Authors Conference on April 20, 21, & 22, 2018 will offer BISAC codes workshop.

This article is by Sharon E. Anderson

Sharon Anderson is an award-winning author and Chief Reviews Editor for Chanticleer Reviews and International Book Awards. Creating and editing content – as well as editing/writing reviews – and outreach are just a few skills she brings to the table. An SPU graduate in Clothing Design and Textiles – something she barely uses in her day-to-day life – Sharon brings her textile know-how into her stories as often as possible. In her spare time, she serves as President of the Skagit Valley Writers League where she promotes authors, engages speakers, leads workshops, and more. She writes dark comedy, horror, short stories, articles, and essays whenever she gets the chance from her home in the Skagit Valley where she lives with her husband, two children, two dogs, a couple of cats, and a sketchy Guinea pig. Working with Chanticleer is like playing every day! Contact: editor@chantireviews.com
October 6, 2017
MIST-CHI-MAS by J.L. Oakley – Historical Fiction, Pacific Northwest, Literary

A masterful work of historical fiction that charts a deeply compelling romance set in the Pacific Northwest during the fascinating but under-reported second half of the nineteenth century. Award-winning author, Janet Oakley brings us another exceptional work from her heart, Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity.

It is 1860 and Washington Territory is rich with a diversity of cultures. British and American military camps are posted on San Juan Island, both groups awaiting the decision of an international committee as to which country will be awarded the land. It will take more than a decade for the committee to determine what is to be the water boundary between Washington and British Columbia.

Although a previous incident involving a shot pig almost instigated a war, at the start of the Mist-chi-mas, the two military encampments are respectful of the other’s turf and co-exist well. There’s a bit of society in the area, ladies’ teas and picnics take place, and plenty of business dealings due to the ubiquitous presence of the Hudson Bay Company.

In addition to the relative newcomers to the Pacific Northwest are the native peoples, a number of Indian tribes, the Haida, the Saanich, and the Songhees peoples, as well the “Kanakas,” the Hawaiians who have been here since the early nineteenth century. Attitudes toward the native peoples vary, with some being appreciative of their contributions to the shipping, trading and lime works industries, and others being condescending or outright violent towards them.

The history of this area comes vividly to life through the romance of a widow, Jeannie Naughton, and Jonas Breed. Jeannie is the niece of the Scotsman, Archibald Campbell, a major representative of the Hudson Bay Company in the Pacific Northwest, and has arrived from England with her young son. Her reasons for beginning life anew in a foreign land are mysterious and mired in scandal.

In contrast, everything is known about Jonas Breed, a man whose ethnic heritage and experiences reflect the geography and culture of the region. The orphan of an American trader in the South Pacific and a Welsh mother, he grew up speaking English and Hawaiian. As a youth, he was captured by the Haida and was made a “mist-chi-mas,” a slave. After several years of servitude, he saves the life of his captor and his status changes. He is grateful for all he has learned from the Haida, and when he asks for his freedom, it is granted. The Haida respect and trust him.

Breed’s closest companions and friends are members of the tribal peoples, and he will prove his love and loyalty to them repeatedly. He’s as at home on land as he is on water, reads Ralph Waldo Emerson, and is certainly the most self-reliant character in the book. He may remind some of Natty Bumpo, James Fenimore Cooper’s hero in The Last of the Mohicans.

The Americans and the British generally regard Breed with great admiration, although there are those who envy him and seek his downfall. In turn, someone threatens Jeannie with his knowledge of her hidden past. Despite this, Jeannie and Jonas find love but also tremendous danger at every turn. Jeannie comes to understand the truth of Breed’s words, “We are all mistchimas.” Some are enslaved by external forces, some by inner forces. Their relationship will prove to be as complicated and compelling as the historical events of the novel.

J.L. Oakley deserves tremendous recognition for the clearly exhaustive and meticulous research she did in writing Mist-chi-mas. With writing so clear and vivid, Oakley brings time and place to life leaving readers captivated by her craft. She invokes the mountains and the waters with such descriptive beauty and fully creates her characters against this panoramic landscape that challenges and shapes them.

Can love blossom between the most unlikely pair in a multi-cultural, tension-ripe environment? Author J.L. Oakley breathes life into an often forgotten part of Pacific Northwest history in her beautifully penned novel, Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity–destined to be a regional classic.

October 5, 2017
The DEEP END by Julie Mulhern – Woman Sleuth, Thriller/Suspense, Cozy Mystery

It’s 1974 and Ellie Walford Russell is doing fine, except for the fact that her husband is missing and his girlfriend is dead.

Ellison Walford Russell is a married housewife and artist living in Kansas City during the early summer of 1974. Following her desire to paint has left her in the midst of an unpleasant marriage, held together for the sake of her young teen daughter, Gracie. Ellison was raised in the upper fringe of society, where expensive designer clothing and tennis games at the club are the usual topics of discussion, the place where her domineering mother Frances and her estranged husband Henry would like her to stay. But when something happens to one of the least-liked women in town, even Ellison’s passion for art won’t be able to protect her from the dark and swirling clouds of gossip and intrigue.

Julie Mulhern’s book is a well-handled whodunit cozy mystery that thoroughly entertains. The main character, Ellison, or “Ellie,” sees colors and patterns and as an artist describes things using a rich and vivid vocabulary. It’s 1974, a time period when many wives struggled to be independent of their husbands and some husbands, like Ellie’s, didn’t like the change. Mulhern does a great job in setting an accurate sense of the historic period, complete with references to drinking a specific diet soda, discussing Watergate at cocktail parties, and women who might wear purple Muumuu dresses. But the era doesn’t become the centerpiece. Rather, it’s more like important background discussion, never distracting from the plot at hand but reminding readers of the changes for women during that time period, changes mirrored in Ellie’s personal growth. Ellie’s mother, Frances, and young daughter, Gracie, serve as other fine and subtle examples of society’s shift across a single generation.

The men in Mulhern’s work also have an interesting time. Ellie’s husband, unable to accept her growing artistic skills and independence, turns his controlling impulses into ones of humiliation and infidelity. Is it any wonder that Ellie’s world begins to spin out of control when her husband’s mistress is murdered and he is nowhere to be found? It seems everyone has something to say and advice to give, as more and more things go wrong.

Two men, in particular, are at odds each certain they know what Ellie should be doing. One is an old friend, a lawyer, a handsome man her mother would like to see her date. His name is Hunter Tafft, a tall and distinguished fellow who is a member of the same club. The other is a police detective, Officer A. Smith, with deep brown eyes and deeper convictions, a man who makes her blush when she’d least like to. Using this trio of characters, Mulhern sets Ellie not only in the middle between two strong-minded men but between two levels of society and two levels of the law. The tension is fruitful.

Overall, The Deep End is a book that will engage the reader in every chapter as they seek to solve the many crimes, both present and implied. Ellie Russell is a colorful person in more ways than one, and the other characters are more than a background to her, adding depth to the story in unusual ways.

Funny, compassionate and endearing “The Deep End” is a well-crafted cozy, with just a touch of the exotic life, murder and mayhem, and the Bundt cake brigade to hook readers into devouring the rest of Julie Mulhern’s series, The Country Club Murders.

October 5, 2017
INTERVIEW with FIRST PLACE CONTEMPORARY GOTHIC WINNER – LINDA WATKINS!

Author Spotlight Series focuses on Linda Watkins, an American Contemporary Gothic Author

Linda Watkins’ bio on Amazon is juicy and packed full of wonderful. She hails from the right side of the country – Detroit and has resided in places like Sedona, Arizona, San Francisco Bay Area, and back to the east coast – to an island off the coast of Maine, to Mateguas Island, the studied focus of her first three books.

She is a super-hero in her own right, rescuing dogs and organizes groups to help after disasters strike. We love Linda Watkins. And recently I had the chance to chat with her regarding all things writer-ly. I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it.

Here is Linda Watkins…

Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?

Watkins: I started writing in earnest when I was living on Chebeague Island which is located off the coast of southern Maine. My work before that time consisted of poems, songs, and an occasional whimsical short story. I never thought about publishing any of these works. They were just for fun. However, in 2010 when I got my first iPad, I decided to try to write one of the many longer stories that were rattling around in my brain. The iPad was important in this endeavor because I had issues with

my back that prevented me from sitting at the computer for long periods of time.

In addition, living on an unconnected island (access only by boat), you have a lot of ‘down’ time – waiting for the ferry, riding the ferry, etc. Writing gave me something to do to pass that time more quickly. I wrote the first draft of my debut novel, Mateguas Island the summer of 2010. I didn’t publish it until Spring 2014.

Chanticleer: Technology helps us in so many ways. Thank God for the iPad! Let’s chat about genre. What genre best describes your work?

Watkins: Most of my work is described as contemporary gothic fiction. The Mateguas Island Series could also be termed supernatural suspense with elements of romantic suspense intertwined. My novella, Sarah & Zoey, is women’s fiction. Summer Girl, an unpublished manuscript, is literary fiction, and my new novel, Storm Island (also unpublished at this time) is a contemporary gothic mystery. So, I guess you could say that while my main genre is gothic fiction, I do write in other genres as well.

Chanti: Okay, Women’s Lit, but mostly Gothic/mystery. I like it. What led you to write in this genre?

Watkins: I’ve always been drawn to novels in the horror and/or thriller arena. I grew up on Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Peter Straub, and Dean Koontz. In essence, I like my horror firmly grounded in reality with strong, unforgettable characters. Thus, I try to write what I like to read. In addition, I enjoy writing gothic because you can over the top with it and it lends itself to strong, female protagonists.

Chanti: That’s exactly the reason I love Gothic novels! Let’s shift a little here… What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.

Watkins: I’m a pretty solitary person. I believe this stems from the fact that I have a congenital hearing loss that was not identified until I was practically out of high school. Thus, I lived within myself for a long time. My best friends are my dogs. I lost two of my ‘kids’ this past June and it has been very hard for me since. Right now, I only have my puppy, Chomps. When I’m not writing or with him, I can be found at the local Humane Society walking shelter dogs. I’m a strong advocate for animal welfare and all net proceeds from my Mateguas Island Series go to my charitable trust, The Raison d’Etre Fund for Dogs, Dedicated to Rescue and Research. Our most recent grants have gone to two grassroots organizations in Eastern Texas to aid in the care and re-homing of animals lost or abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. I’m very proud of the work my trust does.

In addition, I’ve recently moved to Sedona, Arizona and spend a good deal of time hiking the red rocks that surround my new home.

Chanti: We love authors with passion. We thank you for your aid for caring and re-homing animals lost or abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. How structured are you in your writing work? How do you approach your writing day?

Watkins: I’d say I’m pretty unstructured. I write most of my novels in my head first. I don’t outline or do character sketches or anything like that. Everything that takes place in one of my novels is worked out solely in my head. When a scene or chapter is complete, I sit down at the computer and put it on virtual paper. Most of my ‘head’ writing is done while hiking, walking my dog, and late at night when I can’t sleep.

Chanti: That’s a busy day! What areas in your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?

Watkins: I would say my strength is in characterization. Most of my editorial reviews cite how realistic my characters are. I think this is very important when you’re writing in my primary genre. Horror becomes more frightening when contrasted with characters who are firmly rooted in reality and identifiable to the reader.

As for advice, I’d suggest a writer fully flesh out his/her characters in his/her mind before writing them down. Know their backstory. You don’t have to include everything in the final work, but you, the writer, must know it. Also, if you’re writing a series, it’s fun to develop and change your recurring characters over time just like real people do. In the Mateguas Island Series, I have actually taken a character who, in the first book, is close to perfect and totally destroyed him by the end of the third book. That’s one part of writing that’s great fun!

In addition, as a reader, I can say that one of the things that will kill a book for me fast is if I don’t care about the character(s). I don’t have to like them, but I do have to become invested in their fates.

Chanti: Great point. Thank you for mentioning how creating real characters essentially equals reader investment. It is so true! Moving along, it’s important to work on your craft. What do you do to grow your author chops?

Watkins: Mainly, I read others’ work. I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association and, as such, have access to all the works nominated for the Bram Stoker Awards. I read a lot of them. Also, I’m a member of Library Thing’s Early Reviewer Program and I score quite a few free books from there. Thus, I am always reading something, usually in my genre or related genres, and this helps me grow as a writer.

Chanti: You are so smart! Finding good books, award-winning books, or pre-discovered books always thrills me. Can I ask, what are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

Watkins: I have two unpublished novels right now. I will probably publish the first, Summer Girl, a coming of age love story, sometime before the end of 2017. The other, Storm Island, a gothic mystery, which I just completed, is being shopped around to agents, etc. I also have a novella, Sarah & Zoey, on preorder. The publication will be on September 15^th. (This book is available to readers now! Please click on the link, read, and write a review!)

Next on my writing agenda is the 4^th (and final) installment in the Mateguas Island books and the 2^nd installment in the Storm Island Mystery Series.

Chanti: I am so happy to hear that! Good luck with the shopping around and I am so excited for the 4th Mateguas Island. I can’t wait to read the Storm Island Mysteries! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

Watkins: Review, review, review! Reviews are very important and they don’t have to be lengthy. If you liked a book, review it! I review every book I finish. Readers can also recommend books they like to their friends. Word of mouth is the best way for a book to get noticed.

Chanti: Linda, it’s been a pleasure having you participate in our Author Interview Platform! Thank you for spending some time with us and sharing your insights. I’m sure we are all looking forward to reading more award-winning novels from you!
Linda is a member of the Horror Writers Association, The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, The International Association of Crime Writers (N.A.), and the Authors Guild.

Serious about dog welfare and rescue, all net proceeds from sales of The Mateguas Island Series are donated to Linda’s charitable trust, The Raison d’Etre Fund for Dogs, Dedicated to Rescue and Research.

Please visit Linda at her website (www.lindawatkins-author.com), her blog where she posts book reviews and other features (www.lindawatkins.biz) and/or her novel website, dedicated to the Mateguas Island Series (www.mateguasisland.com).

* 2014 Gold Medal, Supernatural Fiction, Readers Favorite International Book Award Competition
* 2014 First Place Award, Contemporary Gothic, Chanticleer Book Review, Paranormal Awards
* 2015 Outstanding Novel in Horror/Suspense, IAN Book of the Year Awards

October 4, 2017
The APPRENTICE by Jana Barkley – Contemporary Women’s Literature, Falconry, Cancer

Forty-three-year-old Sam’s secure life is unraveling. It’s not just that her marriage ended two years ago, or that her job leaves her exhausted, or even that her son has essentially become a food-and-laundry-services-only visitor. It’s the combination of a cryptic phone call from her doctor’s office and the crushing claws of an improperly imprinted raptor that spin Sam down an entirely new adventure as an apprentice in the art of falconry.

Since an apprentice needs a sponsor, Sam considers friendly Mary Kate or knowledgeable Mike, but unfortunately neither is close enough geographically for it to work. Instead, they suggest the best choice is clearly the mysterious (bordering on surly) Hank Gerard. He has experience raising and flying a wide variety of birds. So with gentle prodding, she and Hank become sponsor and apprentice, and Samantha’s life changes forever. She’s no longer a lonely, harried corporate marketing executive. She’s a falconer in training.

Unfortunately, she’s a would-be falconer fighting a terminal cancer diagnosis. Sam tries valiantly to keep up with this physically demanding new hobby, but both the disease and the chemotherapy intended to cure it put a strain on her efforts. Readers may find it improbable that someone going through cancer treatment will feel up to full tilt running through a field a few days after chemo. Some patients will, of course, but some won’t. It might pull some readers out of the story if they have had a rough experience themselves or know someone who has.

Sam’s challenges of learning the art of falconry progress alongside her chemo treatments, and the growing tension between her and her sponsor: “The next step is a psychological one, too, and probably the biggest. He has to jump from his perch and come toward you in order to get his meal, now. In other words, he’s jumping toward the big scary thing—you.” (p. 119)

It comes as no surprise that the author is an expert instructor at West Coast Falconry. The company is based in Northern California and offers classes, instruction and public education in the 5000-year-old sport.

The Apprentice transports the reader to a raw, natural world, one with fields of sweet smelling sage, soaring hawks and diving falcons. The language and beauty of falconry is woven expertly into the narrative, providing the reader a glimpse into a rarified world while providing believable, relatable characters.

October 4, 2017
COCOON of CANCER: an INVITATION to LOVE DEEPLY by Abbe Rolnick & Jim Wiggins – Spiritual & Mental Healing, Personal Transformation, Living with Cancer

When author Abbe Rolnick’s husband Jim Wiggins slipped off a ladder in 2013, he was told he had osteopenia and would need to rest his back. He and Abbe went to Africa, but the pain persisted, in fact, got worse. Finally, the author “…got the call, the one every person dreads.” Jim had cancer, a rare, aggressive form called Multiple Myeloma. The plasma in his bone marrow had increased, taking over the normal cells, causing anemia and acidity that began to eat away at his spine. Life for Abbe and Jim would never be the same. What followed was a total disruption: for Jim it involved chemo, radiation, stem cell implants, pain, weight loss, and even height loss; for Abbe, an exploration of basic fears, and, of course, the deepest terror of loss of a loved one.

Rolnick’s book is told for the most part in a series of emails among friends and family. Since she is a fiction writer (River of Angels, Color of Lies) she was able to express her feelings to others, especially to Jim, in a manner both poignant and poetic. She recounts the couple’s simple acceptance, the moments of despair, and the daily activities and routines they shared despite the discouraging limitations of Jim’s medical necessities. Whenever possible, the couple cuddled at night, exchanged kisses, watched funny, upbeat fare on television. The memoir is remarkable for these moments, balanced by the necessary, at times dreadful and dire medical information that impinged on their lives every day for a year. The couple had to live away from home, ask family for help, including cells donated by a brother, and rely on the kindness and expertise of strangers. As Rolnick puts it, “Cancer explodes with ramifications.” Jim’s round-robin emails form an especially touching piece of the narrative as he attempts to apply logic, masculine bravado and a mild sense of humor to the horrors he is experiencing.

The author offers advice on keeping up with insurance issues, dealing with the caregiver role, with fears, and with the ultimate uncertainty. She doesn’t know, nor does anyone, how long remission might last. She advises being honest with doctors and with oneself, and notes that her viewpoint was often the most helpful, especially when Jim would deny he had pain while she observed how much pain he really felt from his overt reactions like groans and grimaces. At one point, the cancer clinic lab made a massive mistake; handling it judiciously but firmly was a learning experience. Two people, the author believes, can perhaps take in the totality of the problems. She describes the year as like being in a cocoon—dominated by the disease, yet growing and changing within.

Leaving us saddened but cautiously relieved by the end of her account, with Jim at home, forming a new life around continued treatments, Rolnick has taken us on a journey, tough and full of dangers, but with a quiet resting place for now—and now is all that matters.

October 4, 2017

Chanticleer Book Reviews