A ruthless international cartel aims to control the world’s food supply and destroy anyone who gets in their way in this latest action-packed — OMG! this could really happen — global thriller from the author of award-winning Dark Seed.
Author Lawrence Verigin returns with his memorable cast of characters in this sequel in his enthralling thriller/suspense series that focuses on GMOs (genetically modified foods) and the international companies that control their ever-increasing impact on the world’s food supply.
When affable investigative reporter Nick Barnes responds to an urgent request from one of his old colleagues, Summer Perkins, and sets out to meet her in a rundown San Francisco dive bar, he doesn’t expect to find her murdered corpse waiting for him in a darkened booth. With his investigative instincts kicking in hard, Nick returns home and starts making calls trying to discover what story Summer might have been working on that could have gotten her killed.
In short order, Nick’s curiosity puts him squarely in the sights of the ruthless industrialist cartel. His life—along with that of several of his colleagues—is now threatened. Meanwhile, the local cop who is in charge of the investigation into Summer’s murder seems to be getting nowhere fast.
At the urging of his friends, Nick goes into hiding. A wealthy Texas businessman, who has had past personal ties to the cartel and has seen the error of his ways, comes to his aid.
The suspense builds as Nick and his cohorts are chased from one safe house to the next as they try to stay one step ahead of the cartel’s ruthless killers while they frantically work to uncover the scientific evidence they will need to expose the environmental carnage and famine that the genetically modified seeds will wreak upon the world’s population.
Extensively researched, Seed of Control is an engrossing suspense thriller that comes with a timely warning about the possibly devastating effects genetically modified plants can have on the world’s fragile environment. The work is a powerful warning about the perils of allowing a few monolithic corporations to control the world’s supply of seeds, their only motive being profit rather than the health and survival of third and fourth-world at-risk populations.
As the powerful cartel raises the stakes with their unlimited resources and ruthlessness, Nick becomes more determined than ever to expose their secret agenda and their means of implementing it.
Verigin’s Seed of Control global-thriller is about a conspiracy plan of unimaginable destruction. This riveting and timely novel brims with international intrigue and surprising plot twists. Highly recommended.
Immediately, readers are swept up in an adventure taking place in Northern Scotland during these harrowing times. The English have invaded and land is bereft with broken homes and broken families. In particular the story follows the war-ravaged life of fifteen-year-old, Angus Mackenzie. As the first pages of the book unfold Angus is tasked with leaving the safety of his family’s castle to deliver a message from his father to a neighboring king.
The trip is not an easy one nor is it without profound dangers. Twists and turns occur not only on the trail, but in the journey itself. Eventually Angus makes it to neighboring castle and comes upon Angela, the daughter of the king he was to deliver his father’s message to. Angela is alone in the castle. The return of her father’s rider-less horse one day, was an ominous sign.
What ensues is the pairs quest to find her father. As the story unfolds these two teens who have been through so much, fall in love in the midst of dark times and terrible hardships. Their travels in search of her father lead them to a battlefield and a cave where they take up temporary residence and nurse wounded soldiers back to health. Thus begins Angus’ personal journey as he grapples with challenges and trials that will test him and shape him.
Mike Hartner delivers in a young-adult book that is rich in historical details and large on adventure.The author does an exceptional job of making readers care about his main character, Angus. They become emotionally attached to Angus as a young adult and invested in the story as he progresses through middle aged adulthood. Utilizing war torn Scotland as the backdrop Mike Hartner has delivered a gem of a historical fiction novel certain to please many a young adult reader.
I, Angus is another addition to author Mike Hartner’s The Eternity Series. Each of the books tells its own story so they can be read as stand-alone volumes. The author presents a main character readers will become emotionally invested in. Set in war torn Scotland and rich in medieval lore with castles and kings and knights, this story will surely please many young adult readers.
Anonymous, ariveting story based on a real-life grab-the-seat-of-your-pants thrill-fest by Chanticleer First Place Clue Award-winning author, Christine Benedict, is making news! Her hair-raising novel is based on the real-life incidents that she and her husband experienced when they lived in a haunted 1875 farmhouse.
It all started the day she and her husband moved into the 14-room farmhouse with only a few of the rooms in livable condition. Her husband worked hard and socialized with his brothers while she stayed at home with the baby, trying to discern if she was going insane like her mother, or truly was hearing footsteps on the floor above… when no one else was at home. Benedict puts her character, Debra, into some of the same horrifying situations she lived through, from thinking the house is haunted to thinking she might be inheriting her mother’s insanity, and to receiving explicit and terrifying letters from a stalker.
With a new plot twist around every corner, the author delivers a complex story of obsession and jealousy that will keep the reader turning page after satisfying page. Christine Benedict’s Anonymous hits all the marks for an engrossing, edge-of-your-seat read.
Real Life ghostbusters discover what goes bump in the night at author’s farmhouse!
MFPSis based in Munroe Falls, just outside of Akron, Ohio.
Their mission statement is: The Munroe Falls Paranormal Society strives to provide an objective and unbiased approach to the scientific study, investigation, and research of paranormal phenomenon.
They are a well-organized, science-based group of individuals whose passion is to discover if the noises you’re hearing are just normal noises, or actual disembodied voices trying to scare the crap out of you.
The MFPS has taken on investigating Benedict’s house, and what they discover is both shocking and hair-raising. Watch the video of the investigation and everything that happened here.
Christine and The Munroe Falls Paranormal Society invite you to join them at The Berea Branch of The Cuyahoga County Library on November 14, at 7:00 pm to see this incredible documentary. Sponsored by Mysterious Midwest.
Chanticleer Reviews: “With a new plot twist around every corner, the author delivers a complex story of obsession and jealousy that will keep the reader turning page after satisfying page. Christine Benedict’s “Anonymous” hits all the marks for an engrossing, edge-of-your-seat read.”
The author, Linda Watkins, brings a magical, edge-of-your-seat horror in the first book of her series, “Mateguas Island.” This is an engrossing tale that will captivate readers from start to its climatic finish with remarkable character development and a thoroughly gripping plot.
The story begins when Bill and Karen Anderson land on Mateguas Island in dire straits. Bill has lost his job due to an indiscretion and as a result, lost the house in California, and the lifestyle Karen enjoyed. If Bill’s aunt hadn’t willed her island home to him, he and Karen would be living on the streets. The night of their arrival, a blustery storm hits the small island and sets the dark stage for the story.
Karen is deeply dismayed by the loss of their high-end home and her comfortable life. She struggles with the close-knit community, the rusty old car she now drives, the non-existent stores, an inferior school system in which she must place their twin daughters, and a husband with whom she struggles to find common ground. In fact, the only that keeps her from leaving is the anguish it would cause their children. If the book were simply about that, you will probably find the story pretty run of the mill. It’s what is operating in the background that makes this tale special.
In essence, Mateguas Island, is a classic suspense-thriller-horror tale. The story ebbs and flows, dropping hints of something not quite right on the island, and in the home. The twin daughters find a locked box in their room with odd carvings etched in the surface. Bill finds aged drawings on the foundation walls in the home’s basement. The school kids tell the girls their inherited home is haunted, the neighbors tell them a horrific tale. The suspense builds slowly but, tantalizing purposefully as the supporting characters reveal the island’s secrets.
The stories of the Native American Indians who once dwelled upon the island feel real and honest. When mysterious events begin occurring around the property, the relationship between the two main characters, Bill and Karen, fairs no better. Watkins subtly introduces the beautiful island school teacher, Maggie, and handsome local fisherman, Dex, who, in their own way, add additional turmoil to Bill and Karen’s already strained marriage.
Linda Watkins is a gifted author who creates believable characters and paints a story with every scene. This book is a must read for fans of American Gothic and suspense novels!
The critical issues surrounding post-traumatic stress among America’s wounded warriors is expanded here to include the challenges and concerns of military wives and families.
Barbara McNally was working as a physical therapist when she watched helplessly as a man jumped off a bridge to his death. Feeling involved in his tragedy, she learned he was a wounded veteran. The experience spurred her to find out more about PTS and its effects on those who have participated in war.
Gradually her attention focused on the plight of the wives of these wounded military survivors. This led to the creation of the Barbara McNally Foundation, dedicated to developing helpful strategies for those women she calls Fighters, who may never have been in the military, never been outside the US, but who struggle to bring a depressed, angry, and/or physically debilitated veteran back to a semblance of normal functioning, back to the role of parent, partner and lover.
Her treatment plan, called SPA (Support, Purpose, Appreciation) brings these women together for a day or two of pampering—relaxation, massage, and a chance to talk with others in their same situation. For some, a SPA retreat is their first day away from the caregiver role in months or even years since their wounded partner returned.
As women were able to vent with one another in the SPA atmosphere, their stories surfaced, some with happy endings, others still unresolved. These stories comprise much of McNally’s book, grouped in terms of the different ways that PTS can present itself: anger, coldness, and guilt are major emotional signs; in cases of physical injury, there are the pains and fears associated with prosthetic limbs, and the agonizingly slow recovery from traumatic brain injury. One wife had to deal with her husband’s increasing bouts of anger that grew into an alcohol addiction and finally into a suicide attempt. Another recounts waking up as her husband tried to strangle her, though he denied it later. Some stories highlight women’s efforts to recoup a sensual, satisfying sex life with a husband who, for physical or psychological reasons, does not feel able.
The author says that the most important aspect of SPA is “self-care.” While the returned warrior may be offered various therapies, caregivers rarely have this choice, yet they need and indeed deserve time and attention for themselves. She also urges women to consider their options—to pursue their own careers, to leave or stay in a violent situation—objectively, without guilt.
Along with the stories, McNally has assembled a substantial appendix offering lists of governmental, nonprofit and charitable agencies that help wounded warriors. There is also a study guide with questions relating to phases of PTS, making this book an excellent educational resource for individuals or groups. The author’s sincere wish is that the information she has gathered will be useful to the “wounded wives” and “hidden helpers” of those who have been injured mentally or physically while serving in the military.
A ground-breaking initiative, Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife, by Barbara McNally,offers advice and hope to those who are trying to understand and cope with war’s many aftershocks.
Sixth in the eight-book Aloha Mystery Series, “I’m Kona Love You Forever,” fits well into this highly entertaining cozy mystery sequence with locales of the islands of Hawaii. Most importantly, it shares a wonderfully executed stand-alone mystery, something so crucial in any excellent amateur sleuth series.
Lili and David, both just months under 18, go to “Let’s Get Maui’d,” a wedding planning shop owned by Pali Moon, the protagonist of the series. The couple have set a wedding date three weeks away. They come armed with their birth certificates. David’s is certified, Lili’s is a copy. But Hawaiian law requires a certified copy of birth certificates in order for those under 18 to wed. Pali steps in and contacts a friend who works in the Maui Vital Records office to speed up the more than a month wait for a formal request so that the kids can marry on their chosen date.
That’s when Pali discovers the birth certificate copy Lili holds is that of a girl who died at birth. “In early January it fell to me to tell the bride she was dead.”
Pali is a sucker for young love and vows to help the kids out. As she digs further to track down Lili’s actual birth certificate and obtain a corrected copy, she goes to Kona, the place of Lili’s birth. The mystery only deepens and Pali uncovers so much more than anyone anticipates. Family secrets and deaths complicate the situation. What has Pali gotten herself into?
Readers meet the people in Pali’s life (some of whom are quite quirky), along with Lili’s and David’s families and friends. JoAnn Bassett excels in bringing these characters to life and interspersing the vivid descriptions to immerse us into the Hawaiian locales.
Subtle references to prior stories add a seamless continuation of the series, while not confusing the present story. This story certainly ensnares the readers in its mystery while immersing them in Hawaiian culture.
The realistic dialogue, dashes of humor, and interesting subplots speed the progression of the main plot, which has plot twists that keep readers both guessing and involved within the story. The author does not disappoint with the surprising conclusion of this murder mystery. The rich sights and exquisite sounds – the overall experience of Kona on the island of Hawaii – the Big Island – are yours for the taking and enjoying from your favorite reading perch.
While Chanticleer Reviews was exhibiting books vetted by our reviewers and writing competitions at several Independent Bookseller Association Trade Shows this September, I was able to observe (a marketing habit of mine) professional book buyers in action. Their traits were consistent with what they were seeking to fill their shelves. Also, I was able to ask the book buyers what they were looking for in particular to make their buying decisions.
Book buyers “walk the show” rather quickly as they scan for covers that pique their interest enough to stop and inquire. Book covers had, maybe, two or three seconds to catch a book buyers attention.
They do this because this is how most readers (aka customers) shop for books in their bookstores. Most independent book stores carry approximately seven thousand books. Inventory must be refreshed constantly to keep the core clientele coming back and to attract new clients.
TOP TEN OBSERVATIONS of the Independent Booksellers Association Trade Shows (so far)
The book store buyers were there to discover “new finds” for their patrons—not just the New York Times bestselling books. Many said their patrons shop with them to discover new authors.
They want to know what the author is doing to push sales on all fronts (websites, p-o-s, social media, etc.)
Book buyers want to know if the author is reaching out specifically to her targeted audience.
Are authors promoting their books in social media platforms that are targeted for their genres?
Do authors supply point-of-sale promotions (shelf-talkers, shiny award stickers)?
Is the book an award winner? Are there shiny stickers to attract the eyes of the readers? (Yes, I am repeating the bit about shiny stickers.)
Does the cover list review blurbs and endorsements?
Stores are becoming more event oriented. Is the author willing to do an event at book stores (not just a reading)? Events add value to a title and author brand.
Booksellers LOVE series! They love series and the promise of works to come.
Booksellers can tell the quality of a printed book in a heartbeat and at thirty paces.
It is an unspoken tenet that Booksellers do NOT want books printed by CreateSpace/Amazon — primarily because they are not available through the usual distribution channels.
Booksellers do NOT want books from certain vanity presses and/or author services known to be disreputable because of terrible past experiences. Everyone in the business of book selling knows about this unspoken list of disreputable publishing houses.
Booksellers do not care if a book is traditionally published, Indie published, or small press published. They care if the book will sell itself as it sits on the shelf–will the cover reach out to the targeted audience and pique interest? Booksellers want to know what the author/publisher is doing and will do to create book buzz.
Booksellers do want to offer independently published books that have been vetted, but unless the authors are local community members, they want the books to come through the typical distribution channels.
Book Buyers Asking Questions about Carrying Indie Books while another book buyer is reading the back cover of one of the books in the Chanticleer Collection.
However, they do care about:
Covers — covers must be compelling, perfect, targeted, and sell the book by itself while sitting on a shelf. The cover must convey: Genre, Sub-genre, time period, mood (humorous, scary, romantic, light reading, intense, etc.), age appropriateness, targeted audience, tone, and the TITLE! The cover must convey ALL of this information in seconds.
Professional Reviews (Editorial Reviews)
Professional Editing
Professional Formatting, Typography, and Graphic Design and Layout
Availablility through traditional distribution channels (Baker Taylor, Ingram Spark, etc.)
Conventional credit terms that are available through the distributor.
Are the books returnable to the distributor?
A minimum of 40 percent discount off retail price
Ease and reliability of re-ordering from a stable supplier/distributor/publisher in to restock a bestselling book quickly
What Independent Booksellers do care about is meeting their sales goals so that they can continue as a going-concern (staying open and in business). To do this, they must keep their clientele coming back by offering unique books and great “discoveries,” hosting events, and providing excellent service.
GOOD NEWS!
At each show, I met NEW INDIE bookstore owners who have just opened their stores in the past six months or were opening in November for the upcoming holiday season. All the bookstore owners told me that they were bringing in approximately $75,000 to $100,000 (in wholesale dollars) of books to initially stock their shelves.
Independent Booksellers do care about the quality of the books (content, cover, editing, formatting, and design) that they stock because the books reflect the quality of the bookstore.
AND, one more time, booksellers care the most about the cover (front, back, spine, dust jacket) which sells the book by attracting the targeted audience, acting as a point-of-sale promotion, and getting the book in the reader’s hands.
NEVER underestimate the power of the cover–especially for first time authors. The cover of the first book will sell it, and then is the content that will sell the second book.
Either the cover attracted the bookseller to pick it up and check it out, OR the book did not exist — books with less than stellar covers seemed as if they were invisible or just did not exist.
The cover must convey the genre, sub-genre, tone, mood, and be compelling to its targeted market in a glance.
There must not be any question from the cover as to whether or not the book is a mystery, sci-fi, thriller, romance, etc. If there is any question as to its targeted readership—it is a pass to the book buyer.
In Closing
I am proud to say that the booksellers were impressed that the Chanticleer Reviews team members staffing the booth knew so much about the books that we were exhibiting and the authors. They found the author sheets given to them to take back to their offices very professional for Indie authors. They also were pleased to know that the titles were available in our printed and online catalogs, and that each and every book we were representing was vetted by us—Chanticleer Reviews—either with a top Chanticleer review that they could read and/or that the books were award winners in the Chanticleer International Writing Competitions.
Kiffer Brown Hand-selling the Chanticleer Reviews Collection
Only books that received a four or five star Chanticleer Review and/or have been awarded a First in Category Award in the Chanticleer Reviews Writing Competitions are eligible for exhibition at the Chanticleer Reviews trade show booths for Booksellers and Librarians. If your book has received a coveted four or five star review from Chanticleer or was Short-Listed in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, it will be eligible to participate in Chanticleer’s exclusive trade show representation service.
Here is a comment from the owner of Village Books (one of the top five independent bookstores in the U.S.), Paul Hanson:
“Kiffer, your Bookseller Confidential article is SPOT ON. Thank you for spreading good and accurate information!” Best, Paul Hanson, Village Books
Thank you, Paul!
Another Note from Kiffer Brown: a tip of the hat to one of my favorite authors: Anthony Bourdain and his best-selling book, Kitchen Confidential.
A historical fiction thriller in the vein of “The DaVinci Code.” An ancient secret, safe-guarded for 400 years discovered. A fast-paced thrill ride with a secret society determined to keep the discovery hidden from mankind.
Old Earth is a gripping tale of historical intrigue and espionage that leads readers on a journey that spans 400 years. The book weaves science, politics and religion into a high-octane thriller. With locations ranging from a cave in Montana to Vatican City, Grossman has created a tale that often leaves you wondering if you are reading a work of fiction or an actual historical account.
As the book opens, the year is 1601 and you find yourself crawling through a cave in Italy with none other than world renowned scientist Galileo Galilei. He discovers a mysterious black “wall” buried deep within the cave, something that will have implications later in the story and will impact many people. The composition of the wall fascinates Galileo as it absorbs all light and is covered in odd markings. In fact, this discovery plays a role (in Grossman’s telling) in Galileo being accused of heresy by the Catholic Church. What Galileo fears more than repercussions from the Catholic Church is the unprecedented turmoil on all fronts, including religious and secular governments, that will befall mankind if his discovery is revealed.
The plot thickens as a secret society of powerful individuals is formed to safeguard this secret — a secret so big that, if revealed, will cause society to fall apart — for 400 years.
Fast forward to the present when a group of students, led by Professor Quinn McCauley, is on an archaeological dig in Montana with high hopes of finding dinosaur bones. What they unearth instead is the well-guarded secret Galileo discovered some 400 years before, a black wall. When the secret society reveals itself, Dr. McCauley finds his life in danger. What ensues is a thrilling global quest for the truth that makes for a page-turning read.
The book does have spots that take some effort to wade through. This mainly occurs during the early stages of the book where a fair amount of time is spent setting the stage for the story and developing characters. However, the reader’s persistence will be well rewarded in the end.
Ringing with the changes from the deceptively placid 1950s to the turbulent 1960s, from the picturesque New England island of Martha’s Vineyard to the bloody jungles of Viet Nam, The Uneven Road is a sophisticated coming-of-age novel that intersects with historical events of this period.
The second book of Linda Cardillo’s award-winning series, First Light, is written with verve and intelligence. Cardillo carefully constructs The Uneven Road with rich characterizations, diverging and interlocking plot elements, and fine attention to detail that explores family dynamics and the search for individual identity.
This gripping saga continues when Izzy, Mae and Tobias’ seven-year-old daughter, contracts polio. Their twelve-year-old boy, Josiah, feels responsible not only for his sister’s pain, but all the troubles in his small world. Jo’s conflicted feelings escalate when he realizes that Mae’s island property, Innisfree, will be sold to pay for Izzy’s surgery. Even though he loves Izzy and wants her to walk without crutches, his parent’s cold-blooded willingness to part with Innisfree drives Jo to smash an important symbol of his past, the ceremonial Wampanoag drum bestowed on him by Tobias, and then runs away to Boston, where he stays with his Irish uncle, a policeman. Finally he enlists in the army, winding up as a medic on the killing fields of Viet Nam.
Cardillo’s precise writing adds credibility to the vivid scenes that take place in Viet Nam where Jo struggles with the necessity to kill the enemy while charged with saving lives. Later, the author, again, deftly describes Jo’s very different experiences when he returns to the US, where he hangs out in a commune. No matter, Jo maintains his family contact mostly through Izzy, now in college on the mainland. Back on Chappy, Mae, going through her own changes, longs to see her son again. His journey home with Izzy and her friend Grace will re-connect him with his people, both Irish and Native American, and reveals to him that he and his mother are more alike than they ever thought possible.
Captivatingly infused with often raw emotions and haunting memories of race, heritage, culture, and family dynamics, The Uneven Road, scatters its characters over time and place and draws them back together again with enduring values of family love and respect for heritage.
When Lynne McBrier acquires a vintage camping trailer, she can’t imagine that her camping trips will be journeys not just to new places, but to former times.
Struggling to raise rebellious teenaged daughter Dinah after separating from her husband Kurt, Lynne buys the 1937 camper on impulse from her old friend Ben, who used it to take trips with his now deceased wife, Minnie. Dinah, who like most adolescent girls considers anything her mother wants her to do as boring, agrees reluctantly to go on one sentimental weekend camping trip before Lynne converts the trailer into an office.
It’s pretty cozy as Lynne and Dinah settle into a local campground and tuck in for the night. But when they wake up, things around them have changed—there are no big trees, no paved roads, and the large cement bathhouse is gone, in its place, two wooden outhouses.
They are forced to realize that, impossible as it seems, the trailer has transported them back in time; people talk to them about their fear of Russian spies, and everyone is dressed in outmoded costumes. Certain clues to the transformation allow them to reverse the process and return to 2014. They agree not to talk about their misadventure.
But Lynne secretly takes a time trip on her own and Dinah wants to visit the past once more, having become obsessed with classic books about time travel. Each jump lands them in a different portion of the twentieth century. Lynne tries to get the truth about the trailer from Ben, but he is in hospital, raving incomprehensibly about Minnie. Then Lynne and Kurt are forced together to test the mysteries of time travel when Dinah goes missing, almost certainly carried away by the camper.
Author Karen Musser Nortman has cleverly constructed this fantasy with many small but important particulars. Mother and daughter, whose testy relationship is realistically portrayed, visit a vintage store to get mid-century clothes and add an old-fashioned radio and other details to the camper so they’ll seem plausible to people they encounter in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Reminders of historical events—teen hobos in the Great Depression, Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile, the McCarthy hearings—contribute authenticity to the story, while touches like the strong family similarity in appearance and rebellious temperament between Dinah and her then teen-aged ancestor add poignancy.
Well-drawn characters, tight plotting and the alluring possibility of returning to, and possibly changing, the past make The Time Travel Trailer an engaging, mind-tickling trip makes for a fun armchair vacation.
The MFPS has taken on investigating 
Sharon Anderson is a horror writer with a sense of humor. Her book, Curse of the Seven 70s answers the question, 
“Kiffer, your Bookseller Confidential article is SPOT ON. Thank you for spreading good and accurate information!” Best, Paul Hanson, Village Books
