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Top Ten Takeaways from Book Expo of America 2016 by Kiffer Brown
Top Ten Takeaways from 2016 Book Expo of America – Chicago

The Number One publishing industry event in North America and one of the biggest in the world. BEA is the largest gathering of booksellers, librarians, retailers, publishers, rights, licensing, and book industry professionals in North America.

BEA gave me a press pass that allowed me a carte blanche to walk the show, take in presentations and sessions, attend special events, view the latest products, and meet with exhibitors.

Here are the ten takeaways that I gathered from overhearing buzz, listening to experts sharing the latest information, and seeing the latest trends at BEA 2016.

Drum-roll please!

The Top Ten Takeaways from BEA 2016
1. Never ever forget that books for “the trade” (books available to the general public – digital or print) must entertain–even if their purpose is to educate.
2. Covers RULE — every spot of a cover whether digital or print is highly valued real estate because it is the number one influencing tool to induce a potential reader to pick-up a book or click on a digital book for more information.
3. Book buyers for libraries, as a rule, wait to decide on whether or not they will purchase a book until they can “hold it in their hands” along with requiring that the book has been editorially reviewed (not consumer reviewed). If authors/publishers want to reach librarian book buyers, it behooves them to have their books at the ALA conventions.
4. E-books as a percentage of US wholesale trade market sales are more than 25% of all sales in 2013, 2014, & 2015. Source: AAP
5. Readers are “flipping like otters” between e-books and print books.
6. The publishing market is going global because of E-books. Forty percent of Smashwords/iBooks sales are global. Retail digital platforms (Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Smashwords, etc.) are global.
7. Generation Z, X, & Millennials now use YouTube as their Google Search. Keep this in mind when creating channels of book discovery pathways.
8. Publishers want/need series–not one-offs (single titles)– because that is what bookstores want and, ultimately, what readers want.
9. Gen Z, Y, and X want authenticity in engagement. They do not want to be sold to on social media platforms. Gen Z communicates in images — think emoticons.
10. The nut to crack is to get people to read and buy books rather participate in other kinds of entertainment (gaming, movies, watching TV, etc .) that are competing for their time rather than worrying about Indie vs Traditional publishing. See Item 1.
Next year, BEA 2017 will be held in back in New York City and Kiffer Brown of Chanticleer Reviews plans on being there to bring the Chanticleer Community of Authors the latest in publishing news.

Be sure to check out Kiffer Brown’s marketing blog-post series that she presented at BEA 2016, The Seven Must-Haves for Authors.
May 18, 2016
The Seven Must-Haves for Authors – Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Publishing Series by Kiffer Brown
I was asked by Orna Ross of Alliance of Independent Authors to share what I consider to be the “Seven Must-Haves for Independent Authors” at UPublishU event that was held at the Book Expo of America 2016 held in Chicago. Of course, I agreed!

However, the Seven Must-Haves are applicable for all authors whether they are self-published, small press published, traditionally published, or hybrid published. I formed the talk based on the following questions:

What are the Seven Must-Haves?
1. What is the traditional publishing tool that authors can implement to propel their writing careers to new levels and to earn an income from selling their books?
2. What is the single most important publishing tool for first-time authors?
3. What is the cornerstone of any author platform?
4. What should every author know about communicating and marketing in the Digital Age?
5. How can an author set her books apart from the millions of titles that launch each year?
6. How can an author expand readership?
7. What should continue to grow and never disappear in today’s new era of publishing?
Each of one these questions will be answered in the Seven Must-Haves blog-post series.
1. What is the traditional publishing tool that authors can implement to propel their writing careers to new levels and to earn income from their books?
Have you ever wondered how best-selling authors can churn out a book or two each year?

How they can continue to hit “home-runs” with each new title?

They use the tried and true tools that have built the publishing industry. Authors will benefit from taking the best tried and true methods of traditional publishing and combining them with today’s best publishing practices.

One of the best tools that traditional publishing houses and literary agents make available to their authors is the power of a manuscript overview. Most best-selling authors have great editing and feedback from agents and senior editors from the very beginning of a work. This feedback comes in very early in a work’s process and allows for the author to publish more works and not as an afterthought.

The Editing Process (when one is working with a literary agent and/or publishing house) goes like this:

The author works on a rough draft – the early drafts of a novel. He creates the theme, the characters, the setting, the tone, the story, the plot lines, the dialog style, and selects the genre and has an audience in mind (YA or mystery fans, fantasy or Science Fiction readers, etc.). After the author creates the story with a beginning, middle, and end, he then sends this early unedited draft of the story to his editor or agent to read and to get feedback.

Authors who work within this editing system then begin scratching out the next inklings of story ideas, or they will resume working on other drafts that are further down the editing schedule, while waiting for feedback about the manuscript overview from their agent/editor. Once the feedback (manuscript overview) is received, then the author decides what to incorporate and which suggestions to implement in the next drafts. He then reworks the draft while another work’s manuscript is being over-viewed or is in a separate stage of editing. Some authors who write within this system will have two or three works “in play.” Also, some authors write in different genres while as the works are in different stages of the editing process.

Have you ever wished that someone would give you objective feedback about your manuscript? Or that someone would give you the feedback that will take your work from good to great?

What is a Manuscript Overview: It is an objective evaluation of a story idea that is fully formed with a beginning, middle, and end, but still in an early draft stage. The MO comes before LINE EDITING and COPY EDITING.

What is the process: The entire manuscript is read and evaluated by a top editor for the following:
- Does the work have a compelling story?
- Is there more than one story in the manuscript? It is quite common for a manuscript to have two, three, or more storylines.
- Are the characters engaging? Interesting?
- Are there too many characters? See above.
- Are the characters pathetic, sympathetic, or empathetic?
- Is there inconsistent character development?
- Are there plot holes? Smoking guns?
- Does the story wander?
- Is there “head hopping” or unplanned POV changes?
- Does it take to long too engage the reader?
- Does the story stay within its world construct?
- Does it follow the “laws” of the setting?
- Does the story sag in the middle?
- Is the ending satisfying?
- Does the beginning intrigue?
- Is the dialog appropriate?
- Is there too much backstory? Too many details?
- Does the scenery and setting work with the story?
- and so forth
- Or is it spot on and ready for a Line Edit?
The editor then writes a brief and honest evaluation of the work that addresses the above questions.

If you do not have an agent or editor, you can still get this type of brutally honest feedback with a manuscript overview from Chanticleer Reviews.

Remember, that a manuscript overview is NOT a Line Edit or a Copy Edit. It consists of broad sweeping strokes of feedback for the author to consider for the next round of drafts. Incorporating line-editing suggestions can typically shorten a manuscript by at least twenty percent, thereby paying for itself with the savings on copyediting.

The editor then sends his comments, suggestions, and concerns about the work back to the author in a manuscript overview. It is up to the author to take these recommendations and decide whether or not to incorporate them in the next draft of the manuscript.

Many of the authors who have used Chanticleer’s Manuscript Overview service have found that their writing was greatly improved and have discovered that the feedback has enabled them to be able to take their next works to a higher level.

I’m incredibly appreciative of the many positive and helpful things the reviewer had to say in the manuscript overview. The feedback is terrific and more comprehensive than any other I’ve received… Many thanks, again! Brian L.

All of her suggestions were right and I hope to make them to the best of my ability. It’s like taking a powerful and quick course in advanced writing. Please thank her for me….Working with someone of her caliber would take my writing to another level. – L.V.

Please thank the editor for her insightful and pinpoint comments as to how I can make the book better. They were very good and I’ve already incorporated many into the manuscript. –D.S.

When the author decides that the story is ready (and the lit agent and/or publisher agrees), she may send it off for another manuscript overview with either the same editor or get a second opinion. Or the author may decide that the work is ready for a Line Edit.

Line Editing is defined as a thorough and focused reading of the manuscript on a line-by-line basis with suggestions, comments, and remarks noted for the author to consider. For more information about what line-editing encompasses, please visit our Editing Guide.

After the author incorporates the line edits, the work then moves to a Copy Edit.

Copy Editing is a very technical read of a work for flaws in grammar, punctuation, syntax; consistency in spelling, numerals, hyphenation, etc.; flagging any inconsistencies that have made it past the Copy Edit such as eye color, name spelling, location, timing from point A to point B; and tracks any internal inconsistencies in the story (conflicting abilities or inabilities, location inconsistencies), etc.

After Copy Editing, the work then goes to Final Proofing.

The manuscript then goes back to the author for final approval to begin the publishing formatting for digital and print.

To circle back around to the first question:

What is the traditional publishing tool that authors can implement to propel their writing careers to new levels and to earn income from their books?

This is how: Each time a work goes back to an editor for evaluation and editing takes time. During these interludes, the author continues to write new works or continues to work on other manuscripts that are further down the editing chain.

Fundamentally, the manuscript overview allow authors to WRITE and CREATE rather than rework and reword a story idea again and again while trying to get it “right.” The honest feedback gives the author an advantage of the traditional publishing houses where authors continuously get feedback and are under contract to produce. Manuscript overviews allow the author to spend creative time developing stories, characters, unique language, and new plot twists rather than trying to dissect their own works. They also allow for the author to gain fresh perspective.

The manuscript overview saves the author time and energy, and if the author is self-published, then money in editing fees.

Each stage of editing brings an entirely new set of fresh eyes and fresh perspective to a work. Imagine the kind of polish that will bring to your work.

Put the power of traditional publishing’s collaborative expertise behind your work. Begin with a manuscript overview. Our clients, who have taken advantage of the Chanticleer Reviews Manuscript Overview service, swear that they will never go back to writing another novel without first having a manuscript overview conducted on early on.

How much is the fee for this powerful editing tool?

$425 for 2,000+ word overview/evaluation from one of Chanticleer’s senior editors for a work under 110,000 words.

Get objective, honest, and brutal feedback from one of Chanticleer’s top editors who edit for New York Times and Amazon best-selling authors.

Order your manuscript’s overview today!

*If you publish with a hybrid or cooperative publishing house, we can work with their Style Sheets. We work with many authors who publish in a variety of ways, but want honest and objective feedback regarding their manuscripts before they submit them.
May 15, 2016
The OYS & JOYS by Marcia Feldt – Meet the Oys & Joys Sisterhood

True friendship, like the one these four women share, is one of the greatest gifts one can experience in life. Sure, the honesty can hurt, and situations can get messy, but the unconditional love, so obvious in the telling, make for a binding sisterhood that transcends DNA and cannot be broken apart.

The author uses a first person point of view for each of the women, alternating chapter titles with the name of the friend doing the sharing. While using this format can be a risk, the author executes it exceptionally. Readers will feel they are right there with each one, hearing what they have to say, and feeling the emotions they are experiencing.

Before the story begins, the author lists three definitions to prepare readers with references to oy, the word for woe from the Yiddish; bubble bath basket list, so much more feminine than bucket list; and wedgie generation, the part of middle age caught between the past and the future, now closer to the end than the beginning.

In chapter one, readers meet Lizzie:
“On my sixty-third birthday, my husband packed his bags, golf clubs, leather recliner and fifty-inch man-cave TV into our pontoon boat. And used it as a moving van.”

As Sassy, Grace, and Ruby arrive at her house to celebrate her birthday, Lizzie gives readers her view of the three others in their cozy group that has been going strong for six years. Their conversations go in many directions, with readers there to begin picking up clues as to their pasts as well as their futures.

Chapter two presents Sassie:
“Before the ink dried on our college diplomas, Louie and I packed his old Chevy with our belongings. …I made the decision to return to Texas decades later with Louie in an urn.”

Sassie shares her move from New York back to Woodhaven, Texas with us, and she then lets us in about her closeness to Lizzie. To both honor her late husband, as well as to fulfill her own dream, Sassie has opened a modeling and dance studio called Loop de Lou.

In chapter three, Grace shares:
“Ever since my lumpectomy and radiation treatments eight years ago for breast cancer, I’ve smiled at my oncologist. Because clean mammograms rock…until this year. …And the weekend did not improve….Joy started acting weird….She moseyed in with the rear end of her expanded dachshund back wobbling to and fro … Ohmygosh. Did Joy get into some of Rusty’s stash? … I dreamed of shooting Enron’s Ken Lay for stealing Rusty’s career, his self-confidence, and our retirement savings.”

A job offer from Sassie causes conflict for Grace as she worries if her cancer has returned. Reduced to tears on the phone, Grace is unable to explain to Sassie, who promptly comes over to her house, to talk to her in person.

Chapter 4 introduces readers to Ruby:
“When I listened to the receptionist at Weinstein, Porter, and Spencer beg me to cover for her while she ran to Walgreens for an Oh-my-God-I-might-be-pregnant test, I almost refused. I had closing arguments to outline for a senior partner, with a deadline zooming around the corner faster than the last lap of the Indy 500.”

Ruby relented, which is why she was at the reception desk when Sassie entered the law firm with her outdated will, and the connection began.

By the end of chapter four, readers will feel completely initiated into the group, ready to learn more of the secrets, sorrows, and joys this novel delivers until its satisfying conclusion. The four women are in different situations. Secrets are revealed, hopes and dreams are shared, close calls are divulged, and fears braved.

This foursome: one is divorced, another widowed, one is in an abusive marriage, and the fourth single have been long-time friends through thick and thin. Their personalities differ greatly, too, but the mix of all of them together is electrifying as they all find shelter under a common umbrella of their friendship that helps them be there for each other though bad and good times – “the oys & the joys.”

The story of the four friends is vibrantly told with authenticity and poignancy that will resonate with many. Feldt’s sense of humor makes the adventure of The Oys & Joys entertaining, while her heartfelt anecdotes are captivating and will remain memorable long after the last page has been read. If you liked The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, you will enjoy reading The Oys & Joys, by Marcia Feldt.

May 12, 2016
THE MANIPULATER by Steve Lundin, a near-future darkly humourous satire

In the very near future, as portrayed in Steve Lundin’s darkly comic satire, The Manipulator, the marketing industry has taken over the world by turning it into a data-driven surveillance ruled technocracy. Jack Vance, Lundin’s protagonist, is the product of this high-tech environment that is socially and morally bankrupt. A smart and worldly guy, Jack prides himself in the kind of quick thinking that can keep him a nanosecond or two ahead of his enemies and competitors.

Jack was on the fast track to becoming the brightest star in New York City’s media universe until a critical lapse in judgement crashes his career and his reputation. However, Jack’s back. This time in Chicago, with his own company and a plan.

As a self-diagnosed sociopath, Jack will be the first to tell you that he’s more than qualified to tangle with the best of this brave new world’s hidden persuader elite. He lives to sell, to conjure up that next bigger and better promotion from which he can get a fix for his addiction to the thrill of closing a deal. And Jack has just taken on the ultimate deal. His new venture, Blowfish, is a winner-takes-all marketing firm run on the premise that the higher the risk the higher the return.

Lundin, the author, draws from his background as a journalist and marketing expert to weave an ultra-contemporary and entertaining story of greed, excess, and the insatiable nature of the human condition. From Jack’s self-designed corporate “War Room” – a “Glen Garry Glen Ross” style employee think-tank where jobs are constantly on the line – to his drug and alcohol-induced decision-making processes, Jack is every inch the anti-hero that readers love to hate, but don’t. Think “Mad Men’s” Don Draper on Ritalin-enhanced premium vodka with an arsenal of the latest black-market techno gizmos, access to the freshly minted data, and, of course, while being smartly attired at all times.

With his Blowfish team grinding numbers and probabilities in the background, Jack devises a scheme to launch their client’s mobile network onto the world stage by using the audience draw of the Super Bowl. In Jack’s mind, pitting the surefire new hit “Some Will Die,” a hyper-reality show– Jack’s brainchild – in which morbidly obese contestants sign on to lose half their body weight in a short period of time, or die trying–against the much “tamer” SuperBowl can’t miss. Or can it? It is a risky gambit that will either put Jack and his staff on the streets, or set them up for life,

Yes, winners receive riches and fame, but it’s the losers, along with the show’s Russian task-master host, Vlad Berber, who provide the entertainment fodder for the show’s twisted audience.

With a fast-paced story line and a rich cast of characters, this award-winning winning novel offers a uniquely hilarious, but scary, perspective on the how the businesses of public relations and marketing can take technology to its precipice to take advantage of a media addicted public. Lundin’s clever blending of fact and fiction alternately tempts and taunts the reader with Vlad’s prophetic question, “Are you comfortable with the edge?” Highly recommended.

May 12, 2016
I’ll TAKE YOU HOME KATHLEEN by J.P. Kenna, a historical fiction novel

The 1800s was the age of expansion in the United States, and railroads played a major part in the efforts to move Americans and industry to the Western shores. By the 1860s, this great country, the American experiment as it was called, became engulfed in a brother versus brother bloody Civil War. As the century drew to a close in the late 1880s and early 1890s, America was still reeling from the emotional and economic damage the war had caused. J.P. Kenna uses this struggle as the backdrop for his book I’ll Take You Home Kathleen, the second in his series titled Beyond the Divide.

Kenna’s novel captures the years 1882 to 1898 with its focal point being the Irish immigrants who were seeking to escape famine, lack of land reform along with desiring religious freedom, came to America seeking a better life and more opportunity. The first wave of immigrants were seeking escape from one of the grimmest periods in Irish history–the Great Famine from 1845 to 1852. Author Kenna follows this hard-working group of immigrants who helped lead America into a post-Civil War, industrial, and economic boom that some have called the Second Industrial Revolution.

Kenna does a magnificent job rooting this story firmly in the time period in which it takes place. He does so by sprinkling some well-known figures of the time throughout the book. He not only touches upon these real-life historical figures, but they become part of the conversation between the stories’ characters. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”][See Editor’s Note below]

The enthusiasm for growth is palpable in the conversations held within the book’s pages.

“An empire, Francis! An empire of farms stretching beyond what our small East Coast vision can imagine. And of towns with schools, churches, stores, maybe mills. And beyond the wheat country is timber…and minerals. An empire stretching clear to the Pacific!”

For as much excitement there was for expansion, there was just as much trepidation when it came to the relationship between the workers and their bosses. You will come to experience and understand the struggle between fledgling labor unions (aka Brotherhoods) and the railway owners. It is easy to sense how imperative to the rail workers the labor movement was to establish their rights when you encounter characters in the book making statements as such as these:

“That all our Brotherhood’s will become one big union of all railway men and we shall be able to meet the big bosses, and owners head on, by the Pennsylvania, Central, P & R or the B & O! Or the Lackawanna or the Lehigh Valley or the Vanderbilt or Gould roads – or some monopolizing combine yet unheard of!”

The book as a whole follows the timeline of the fictional James Fitzpatrick-Mary Dolan, as well as the Kathleen and Francis Scanlon families. What plays heavy in the narrative is how these fictional families interact and partake in sometimes heated discussions regarding the very real labor, economic, and social issues of the day which greatly affected their lives.

J.P. Kenna in the aftermath of the book states,

“My goal here has been to enliven the depiction of fictional characters – of ordinary people – using the broad brushstrokes of history, of real people and events. Both inhabit the closing decades of the 19th century – a time period within the living memory of people still alive not so long ago.”

Kenna’s I’ll Take You Home Kathleen, is a gripping tome of historical fiction that follows two families as they face the social, economic, and political currents of the time that portrays the heartache of families enduring war and economic tough times. The perseverance of the hardworking Irish immigrants of the late 1800s in rebuilding a war-ridden county and then doing the back breaking work required for the westward expansion of the United States is brilliantly portrayed within these pages.

Editor’s Note: Related historical figures to the novel’s time period:

James T. Hill, railway mogul and businessman was intent on expanding the railroad to the Pacific and north to Canada; Belva Ann Lockwood, women’s rights activist and one of the first (if not the first) female candidates to run for President of the United States as a National Equal Rights Party in 1884 and 1888; George M. Pullman, the designer of his namesake Pullman sleeping car; and Eugene V. Debs, American union leader and five time candidate of the Socialist Party of America.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

May 12, 2016
LILA AND THE DANDELION by Sheryl Hershey, a children’s book about self-worth and valuing others

Chock full of brightly colored illustrations and positive messages, Lila and the Dandelion is a captivating story for young children about making friends and how we don’t have to be perfect to be a good friend or to be happy.

Lila is a cheerful young girl who “listens with her heart and speaks with hands” – Lila is deaf. However, even though she can’t hear, one day while she was “listening” to the flowers sing, she senses that she hears a little flower crying. She walks up to a Dandelion flower and signs with her hands to the crying flower, “Why are you crying, little flower?”

The flower cries because the gardener called the Dandelion a “weed.” This made the Dandelion feel useless and lonely. But, Lila shares with her new friend that just because someone says you don’t belong or calls you bad names doesn’t mean it’s true.

Lila’s character is an optimistic role model for children. Her deafness doesn’t hold her back from experiencing life in her own way, and it doesn’t stop her from having a smile her face. She inspires the Dandelion to feel appreciated despite the hurtful words of the gardener. This children’s book teaches its young readers the powerful message of loving yourself no matter what anyone says, and how it is empowering to take that strength and use it to help others in a gentle manner.

The story also encompasses how we can help make the world a better place by being kind and thoughtful of others. Lila shows young readers that everyone can be beautiful when they are compassionate and accepting of everyone. Lila and the Dandelion is an excellent book for parents to read to their children, and it comes with questions at the end of the book to start a conversation about the concepts self-worth and seeing worthiness in others.

Filled with warm, sweet characters and an optimistic outlook, Sheryl Hershey’s children’s book Lila and the Dandelion helps children explore the important message of self-acceptance along with acceptance of others–even if they are different.

May 12, 2016
Launch into Boating Season with 5 Inspiring Nautical Adventures

What Opens but Never Closes? The Opening Day of Boating Season

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”]
Opening Day of Boating Season

Here are five of our favorite reads from authors who followed their dreams to sail away.

One couple (with two teenagers in tow – yikes!) started by building their boat in the backyard of their suburban home; two who started only with the love for each other, the support of friends and family, and a dilapidated hull and a three cylinder iron works engine; one whose true story will make you reconsider taking to the tall seas; one whose story will inspire you to look beyond society’s conventional solutions and rationalizations and to plot your own course; and one who shares how an everyday couple made their dream come true of sailing the Pacific Ocean on a 31-foot boat and a tight budget.

[/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=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ 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″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”][fusion_text]Boating season begins in the Pacific Northwest on the first Saturday in May, a tradition which goes back to the 1920’s. To celebrate, we thought we would offer you this superb reading list of true story boating adventures by local northwest authors.

After all, if you are going to be spending time boating this summer, or enjoy dreaming about boating from your lawn chair, stocking your library is just as important as stocking your galley!

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More Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B by Christine Smith

“Christine Smith and her husband Jeffrey race against time, money, and natural elements to save the David B—the vessel that they bet all of their resources on in hopes of making their dream of owning and operating a small expedition cruise boat in the Pacific Northwest come true.

“More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B” seamlessly mixes nautical terms with natural elements and boat builder’s craft. Those who enjoy cooking and baking will also discover it a delightful read. Seafaring people will sail through the narrative like soul mates, but landlubbers might appreciate a glossary of boating terms. The map provides great references and the photo albums heighten the pleasure.

More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B by Christine Smith won the Grand Prize of the Journey Awards for Narrative Non-fiction, a division of Chanticleer Book Reviews Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.” Read full review…

Christine Smith started working on tour and whale watching boats in 2001. It combined her love for nature and her interest in helping others to enjoy it. She is also an avid birder, and has worked as a volunteer interpreter for the Eagle Watchers on the Skagit River from 1997 to 2008, she helps visitors observe the local eagle population. She is also a founding member of the Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which became part of Whatcom Humane Society in 2014. She served for two years as a board member and Secretary for the North Cascades Audubon Society in Bellingham, Washington. When not watching birds or cooking on the David B, Christine enjoys running, ice skating and downhill skiing. [/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=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”][fusion_text]

Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare by Réanne Hemingway-Douglass

“In Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare,” Réanne Hemingway-Douglass vividly recreates a sailing voyage in which she and her husband Don set out to round Cape Horn. As the reader discovers, they never quite got there. Meanwhile, Hemingway-Douglass shares the heady magic of starlit nights and breathtaking dawns, grueling and toilsome days, emotions ranging from joy to absolute terror, and a determination not to give up hope when all seems lost.” Read full review…

Réanne Hemingway-Douglass is a sailor, writer, cyclist and language teacher. Here articles have appeared in numerous outdoor magazines. Her best-selling book, Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare, has been published in French and Italian and is being translated into Spanish. In the 1980s, Réanne led the first women’s bicycling team to cross Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”#f8fafb” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#4687bf” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”][fusion_text]

Home on the Waves by Patrick Hill

“Family, love, and adventure are all tied together in Patrick Hill’s alluring travel memoir “Home on the Waves.” It’s a story set in the 1970’s that provides remarkable insight into the lives of a family exploring the open ocean and discovering new cultures and people.

Hill’s memoir is an excellent read for everyone interested in reading about out-of-the-ordinary lifestyles and family adventures, even if they have never set foot on a boat.

“Home on the Waves” brings life to exotic cultures, sailing, and family life in 1970’s America. It’s a true story that will inspire readers to seek their own adventures and find ways of making dreams come true.” Read the full review…

Patrick Hill, with wife Heather and family, have been sailing out of Vancouver, B.C. for years. They’ve owned nine sailboats from a 17′ to a 42′ boat, Sky One Hundred which they built. They have cruised extensively, written articles for magazines, made presentations to yacht clubs, libraries, the Vancouver Aquarium, and a major Alaskan cruise line[/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=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”][fusion_text]

Prepare to Come About by Christine Wallace

“Christine struggles with her loss of identity as a successful professional, a role model, a caring mother, and a supportive spouse while she battles with the economic recession, personal depression, and, worst of all, her own loss of trust in herself and her capabilities.

Her fractured family makes an unorthodox choice that pivots them all into unfamiliar waters. Their lifeline comes in the form of a tall ship named Zodiac and its enigmatic captain. Life or death challenges and unforeseen moments of wonder and awe await Christine and her family. As they venture forth together in this new venture, the family members reconnect and rebuild their lives.” Read full review…

Christine Wallace is the author of two books including The Pocket Doula and Prepare to Come About. Her work has appeared in the literary journal Clover (vol. 3, 2012, vol. 6, 2014). Christine was founder and CEO of “Gracewinds Perinatal”, a nationally award winning business. Christine currently resides in the Pacific Northwest onboard an ex-forestry boat with her husband, youngest daughter and a seaworthy tabby named Lucky Jack. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”#f8fafb” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#4687bf” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” 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”][fusion_text]

Tightwads on the Loose by Wendy Hinman

“Tightwads on the Loose – A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey” opens with a map of the Pacific Ocean that showed the voyage of the sailing vessel Velella starting and ending in Seattle. Soon the reader is immersed in the plans of Wendy and her husband, Garth, to set sail on their open-ended adventure. And we wonder how long an introvert, whose motto is “always be prepared,” can live in tight quarters with an extrovert whose motto is “just wing it.”

This book will definitely appeal to those who are curious about sea voyaging. Armchair travelers will find a diversity of cultural experiences, historical details, and adventures for their entertainment and education. Come on board and sail away with the intrepid Wendy Hinman and her humorous and ingenious insights about life at sea.” Read full review…

Wendy Hinman, author, editor, and speaker, has shared her sailing adventures through emails and her blog. She is a regular contributor to the Magazines 48 North and Latitude 38. Wendy’s also been featured in Sail, Cruising World, Sailing, CYC Leadline, Hebe Jebees (Hong Kong) and Kazi Magazine (Japan).[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Enjoy getting to know these intrepid souls by visiting their websites for more information and the latest updates on their adventures.

Reanne Hemingway-Douglass

Patrick Hill

Wendy Hinman

Christine Smith

Chris Wallace

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

May 7, 2016
The Official List of the Chanticleer 2015 Grand Prize Winners of the Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions

We are excited and honored to have announced the 2015 grand prize award winners at the third annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Saturday, April. 30th, 2016 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.

We want to thank all of those who entered and participated in the fiercely competitive 2015 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions.

Our next Awards Banquet will be held on April 1st, 2017, for the 2016 winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

CBR– Discovering Today’s Best Books with the CBR BLUE RIBBON Writing Competitions!

The Chanticleer Grand Prize Award 2015 for Overall Best Book:

Daughter of Destiny by Nicole Evelina was awarded the Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize for the Best Book in the 2015 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions. Congratulations to author Nicole Evelina.

The Chanticleer Genre Grand Prize 2015 Winners are as follows:

The Cygnus Grand Prize for SciFi and Fantasy Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Great Symmetry
by James Wells

View Cygnus Category 1st Place Winners

The Journey Grand Prize Ribbon for Narrative Non-fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Rhythm for Sale
by Grant Harper Reid

View Journey Category 1st Place Winners

The M&M Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery & Mayhem Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

There’s Something About Marty
by Wendy Delaney

View Mystery & Mayhem Category 1st Place Winners

The Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Ribbon for YA Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Girl and the Clockwork Cat
by Nikki McCormack

View Dante Rossetti Category 1st Place Winners

The Chaucer Grand Prize Ribbon for Historical Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Valhalla Revealed
by Robert A Wright

View Chaucer Category 1st Place Winners

The Laramie Grand Prize Ribbon for Western, Pioneer, Civil War Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Doctor Kinney’s Housekeeper
by Sara Dahmen

View Laramie Category 1st Place Winners

The Chatelaine Grand Prize Ribbon for Women’s Fiction and Romantic Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Daughter of Destiny
by Nicole Evelina

View Chatelaine Category 1st Place Winners

The CLUE Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

Blood Relations
by Lonna Enox

View CLUE Category 1st Place Winners

The Paranormal Grand Prize Ribbon for Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Aurora Affair
by Carolyn Haley

View Paranormal Category 1st Place Winners

The Somerset Grand Prize Ribbon for Literary, Contemporary, & Mainstream Fiction 2015 was awarded to:

The Alexandrite
by Richard Lenz

View Somerset Category 1st Place Winners

Now this is something to CROW about!

Enter Your Book or Manuscript in a contest!

Please note that the above awards are for submissions that we received in 2015. The award winners were acknowledge at the 2016 annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 30th, 2016.

The winners of the 2016 Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions (works entered in 2016) will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet held April 1st, 2017. Reserve your spot now.

We invite you to read the Chanticleer editorial book reviews of these stellar works. The reviews will be published on our website and in the Chanticleer Reviews online magazine. If they are not currently posted, they will be posted as they are reviewed! Congratulations, again, to these award winning authors!

For more information about the Chanticleer International Writing Competitions, please visit our Writing Contests pages.

We are currently accepting 2016 and 2017 contest entries: CBR International Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

We would like to thank our sponsors who make the Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions and the Chanticleer Authors Conference possible.

May 2, 2016
RAVEN’S REDEMPTION by John Trudel — a cybertech paranormal thriller

Raven’s Redemption begins where Raven’s Run left off: Josie is recovering in a hospital in Oregon, and Raven, recuperating at a coastal estate in rugged Northern California. He feels responsible for putting her life in jeopardy. Josie is a sensitive paranormal who can do ‘remote viewings’ – but viewings involving violence, remote or otherwise, weaken her to the point of death.

Raven is an undercover operative who tries to protect her. He receives his next mission from Goldfarb, his boss: Josie’s untraceable extraction from the medical facility. What none of them know is that sinister forces are at work to make sure Josie never gets out alive.

Her services are desperately needed again, and this mission cannot fail: she is a non-expendable government asset. It’s a simple grab-the-girl and run – or should be – but when animal activists become involved, chaos reigns, and not everyone makes it out intact.

The story shifts to another hospital – this time the President of the United States is hospitalized in a secret facility after being irreparably poisoned. After a brief period of rest and recuperation for Josie and Raven, Josie is tasked to work her viewings around the condition of the president. While in her viewing state, she encounters a dark force so powerful and evil she cannot penetrate it – and is afraid it would swallow her very life force if she got too close.

Should the president die, this force, aptly named “The Abyss”, will be unleashed on the world, and with no stopping it. Unfortunately, all envisioned paths to the future lead to his death!

Goldfarb’s team is able to use Josie’s information to track down those who want the president dead, but the real problem is knowing who is directing their actions, and why. Some familiar villains appear in this book – we get to be entertained with Vogel’s thick German accent and lack of empathy – and some new ones, who seem familiar enough that we might have read about them in the newspaper or seen a report on television.

In between the heart-stopping, rag-tag, under-funded operations to rescue damsels and flush out the bad guys, Trudel gives us past examples of breaches of security in history to make plausible actions taken in his story. He relates the legend of General Blackjack Pershing’s pig-blood solution to jihad, though the historical authenticity of this event has been challenged where criticism of Islam is politically incorrect. Occurring over a century ago, the incident – which has been neither proven nor disproved – provides a richer backdrop to the actions of an unanticipated (and unwitting) ally during a chilling nighttime raid.

In light of recent terrorist events that leave us wondering “how could this have happened?” Trudel offers up examples of enemies hiding in plain sight, of churches that aren’t the peaceful sanctuaries one might expect, and of plans for evil that are much better funded than their defensive counterparts.

Raven’s character is becoming less rogue. He is listening more to Josie rather than acting brashly every time. She desperately wants out of the business they’re in – “one more mission and we’ll retire” – how many times have you heard that one? This reader doesn’t remotely foresee a true retirement happening any time soon!

Those who read Raven’s Run will be satisfied with this riveting sequel, but those who are new to Trudel’s work will enjoy it on its own if they are a fan of political intrigue, firearms technology – both new and old, espionage and a bit of other-worldliness to make this a true paranormal thriller.

April 25, 2016
E-Book Sales as Core of Your Books’ Marketing Plan by James Wells
The eBook market is a huge opportunity, especially for indie authors.

If you’re not focusing on eBook sales as a core part of your marketing plan, you’re missing out.

When I published my first novel The Great Symmetry, I printed a few hundred copies and imagined that it would be a great success if I sold them out. I had no idea where I would find the vast majority of my readers.

Just a year later, about 95% of my sales are eBooks. Every day, readers are buying my book on Amazon and other sites from all over the world.

To get traction in the eBook market, I tried out new things, made plenty of mistakes, and then had a series of increasing successes. I’m grateful to the authors who helped along the way. Now I’m distilling the most important lessons to help other authors.

At the upcoming Chanticleer Authors Conference, I’ll be presenting a series of three sessions about eBook publishing. The content won’t focus on mechanics like eBook file formats – that’s boring and you can figure out that stuff easily. Rather, we’ll dig into the most important decisions facing an author in the eBook market. The sessions are:
- eBook Publishing 101: Designing your points of sale (such as your Amazon page) to convert browsers into buyers.
- eBook Publishing 102: Getting readers to your points of sale. We’ll emphasize the most cost-effective tool around – the discount promotion.
- eBook Publishing 103: Advanced topics such as series planning, reader magnets, and more.
An overarching theme of all of these sessions is that your eBooks are a central part of your offering.

For some types of book (especially genre fiction by indie authors), it’s the most important channel for you. This means you should plan ahead for your eBook. For instance, some cover designs look wonderful in print, but are failures online – we’ll discuss how to avoid that pitfall. There may even be reasons to modify the text of your novel to sell well as an eBook.

It’s ironic because I don’t even like reading eBooks myself. I only just gave in and bought a Kindle last week. But my preference doesn’t matter to the market – your priority as an author should be to make your book available, and well positioned, in the channels where the readers are found. These days, that means eBooks.

Note from Kiffer Brown

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James R Wells, Science Fiction Author

I would like to thank James R. Wells, the author of The Great Symmetry for sharing his knowledge and experience with the Chanticleer Community.

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April 25, 2016

Chanticleer Book Reviews