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One Author’s Creative Approach to Book Signings
To compete in the current book market, where millions of books are published each year, you have to find interesting new ways to get your books in front of potential readers.

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Same old same old

Today, Janet Shawgo, award winning author of the Look for Me series, shares her experience with setting up book signings at wine bars—and how the right creative approach can help spread the word about your books.

Also, as an added advantage, your books will have more focused attention from potential readers. It is a great one-two promotional punch!

Setting Up Book Signings in Unique Places Other than Bookstores

Bookstore managers don’t always return calls or emails, dates may not be available, or dates may be reserved six months in advance.

But who says that you can only hold book signings in a bookstores?

If you can get the okay to set up a table with books, you can have a book signing wherever that may be. (Like a wine bar.) I know of one very successful western fiction author who has his best signings (read as sells more books) in grocery stores!

Another author whose romance novels have a natural healer as a protagonist holds some of her most successful signings in food co-ops and natural supplement stores. Yet another author holds her signings at outdoor equipment stores for her eco-mystery series.

The possibilities are endless.

The Point is to Engage Readers – Janet says:

“These days, you need to find something unique to get your books to new readers. But getting yourself in front of readers can be frightening. I get it! Making your book signing into an event where you can have more interaction than just signing books helps ease the awkwardness.”

“Think of what fits with the theme or genre of your book. If you have a cozy mystery about food, find a local restaurant. If you write romance, a little wining and dining might go a long way.”

Janet Shawgo shares info about her Wine Bar Book Signings

“In April, another Dallas-area author, Michelle Renee, and I are hosting a book signing at a wine bar in the Bishop Arts district. We contacted the owner to ask if we could set up a table and sell our books on a slow weeknight. In return, we will purchase a few bottles of wine (white, red, and rose). We’ll hand out tickets to people, which entitles them to a glass on us.”

“I’ve had huge success with signings at wine bars. At another signing, I sold a good number of books, people enjoyed the glass of wine, and the wine bar had one of its best nights and welcomed me back to hold another signing.”

How to Make the Most of Your Book Signing – More Info from Janet Shawgo, award winning author of the WAIT FOR ME series

“To make sure people get to your book signing, be sure to spread the word! We’re on social media, sharing information about our wine bar book signing, but we’re also telling people at work, as well as family and friends. Don’t be afraid to ask the place that is hosting you to post on social media about the event, too. Targeted Facebook ads to locals might also help spread the word.”

“At the signing itself, we have a signup sheet for our newsletters to capture emails, and we also choose two or three people from it for door prizes at the end of the evening.”

“Be sure that your table is appealing and inviting. Readers love free items, so we have pens, bookmarks, candy, magnets, and key chains. Items that have information about our books on them keep us in readers’ minds.”

Thank you, Janet Shawgo, for the sharing your great idea with other Chanticleer authors!

Kiffer Brown asks: Where do your books’ targeted readers hang out?
- kitchen stores?
- gardening centers?
- yarn shops?
- trivia nights at pubs?
- comic book stores?
- boat supply stores?
- pet stores?
- coffee shops?
- outdoor recreation suppliers?
The possibilities are endless!

Expand your readership—make your list of author/book signing opportunities today!

Click on the links to read Chanticleer’s reviews of Janet Shawgo’s award winning books: Look For Me, Wait For Me, and Find Me Again

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April 9, 2016
THE CLOUD SEEDERS by James Zerndt, a dystopian-future novel

Environmental dangers, such as recent droughts on the West Coast, motivate many writers to explore futures where significant resources are scarce. Imagine a world where water is a rare, precious gem that people are trying to snatch up. James Zerndt builds a dystopian future in his novel The Cloud Seeders where the lack of water, and more importantly rain, has resulted in a dictatorial regime with water police, severe punishments, and near total control.

Enter Thomas, his little brother Dustin, and Thomas’ girlfriend Jerusha.

Zerndt is an expert on point-of-view and he crafts memorable characters who have unique assets and flaws. The juxtaposed positions of Thomas being a young enforcer for the water police and Jerusha being a member of a secret society that resists the regime offers a fascinating view of young love and its willingness to put up with opposing worldviews. Dustin’s surprising capabilities further round out a strong set of diverse characters. Zerndt’s three-dimensional characters remind the reader that none of us are all good or all bad – we have faults and strengths that set the foundation for who we are and who we will become.

A prose professional, Zerndt’s pages are filled with dynamic characters and scene building craft that grips the reader from the beginning to the end. The poems between chapters, written by the two brothers’ deceased mother, are carefully crafted and also capture the reader’s attention.

The adventure the three characters go on is fraught with realistic and compelling subplots that pull you along and make you want to keep reading late into the night. The scenery has a fresh perspective that puts the reader into Orwellian territory as the devastation to the country is revealed through the storyline.

Even though this novel, which crosses the genres of science fiction, new adult, romance, and dystopian, presents a coming-of-age story, I would recommend it to either young adults with parental guidance (PG) or the 18-year-old and over audience because the coarse language, sexual content, and violence–while not gratuitous–still permeates this riveting story.

Readers will be enthralled by the novel’s climax, which is both clever and believable. The ending begs the question of what’s next.

The Cloud Seeders is a gripping dystopian-future novel that leaves us questioning just how far are we from a future of environmental chaos, and how blurred the line can be between fiction and reality.

April 8, 2016
SHAKESPEARE’S CHANGELING by Syril Levin Kline — the Shakespeare Debate

A debate has long existed among Shakespearean scholars about the authenticity of the playwright’s works. Author Syril Levin Kline is well versed in this subject. Kline presents a credible version of what might have happened back in the 1500s to account for the belief that someone other than William Shakespeare wrote his famous plays.

The novel’s premise arises from a decree of the time that no aristocracy may debase themselves by being involved in commoner pursuits, such as the theater. That doesn’t work for Lord Oxford, a passionate poet and playwright, who is also passionate about Queen Elizabeth. They secretly marry and conceive an heir to the throne, which haunts them beyond their deaths. But because of their liaison in life, Queen Elizabeth allows Oxford to indulge in his art behind the mask of another’s name.

That person is Oxford’s devoted secretary, William Shaxper—an ambitious nobody enamored with the theater, who weasels into Oxford’s graces and rises from “bucolic obscurity” to Oxford’s business partner and official impostor. The ruse lasts for decades; and even when old Shaxper is dying, he is unable to confess his role because of the constant twists and turns of the times.

What times they were—war, plague, rebellion, court intrigues, tortures, and hangings for sins and alliances that changed with the wind. In this era, plays, which we know today as just another medium of entertainment, were used as political weapons. So the masquerade risked dangerous consequences.

The story is told from Shaxper’s viewpoint with occasional switches to other key players. These shifts allow the plot to proceed sequentially and build suspense. The writing is adept, and the narrative is compelling.

The novel is enriched with extracts from Shakespeare’s works and supported by meticulous research. It takes the reader back centuries to the origin of our literary culture, at the same time amusing us with human strengths and frailties that haven’t changed a whit, and presenting serious societal issues to think about.

Shakespeare’s Changeling is Elizabethan historical fiction at its finest—intriguing, entertaining, and erudite. Kline makes a strong case for this alternative viewpoint to this lively debate.

April 7, 2016
THE THINGS I LEARNED IN COLLEGE by Sean-Michael Green, a humorous reflection the college experience

Sean-Michael Green looks like a typical college student; he meets new people, finds himself at parties on the weekends, and rushing to classes during the week. But Sean-Michael isn’t a typical college student — he doesn’t stick around long enough for final exams.

The Things I Learned in College delves in to the journey of a 34-year-old former Marine who spends one month at all eight Ivy League schools just for the sake of understanding what makes each individual university unique and what are its quirks and attractions. Along the way, in between classes, he finds himself at a strip club, a bar with a lesbian cast of The Wizard of Oz, and on the verge of more than a couple of altercations.

Beyond the witty experiences, Green takes readers through the real ups and downs of the Ivy League, leaving them with a sense of the heartfelt relationships and meaningful experiences of college life. Anyone looking to attend college, whether or not he or she is applying to the Ivy League schools, should read this book closely to get a more realistic picture of university life: the parties, the relationships, the laughs, the tears, and the nights you find yourself without a way to get home at three o’clock in the morning.

The work moves through Green’s rich experiences at each of these eight highly selective and most academically challenging universities: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale. The Ivy League is known to attract the best and the brightest students from around the world and, by doing so, they shape tomorrow’s global landscape of business, politics, technology, medicine, science, mathematics, and the humanities. Competition is fierce and the stakes are high.

By reading Green’s engaging assessments, a prospective student would learn about things as mundane as which Ivy League college has the best pizza, to which ones are more liberal or more conservative politically, which ones live up to their academic and/or party reputations, along with more important ones such as which ones eschew fraternities for “eating clubs.”

Green adeptly details the social landscape of each college to the point that anyone could jump in and understand how to get his or her bearings. Readers will discover the particulars that won’t be covered in college brochures; everything from which student newspapers have sway on campus, and how students actually view their professors, to which types of the ubiquitous fringe people who hang out by the different campuses, along with other idiosyncrasies that are distinct to each institution. In Green’s own words, he learned how to embrace a Zen-like state of acceptance when parking in Philly; that one should be wary of a smiling dog; that a cappella singing is sexy; and that marching band is not.

Join Sean-Michael Green on his enlightening journey through the Ivy League to discover that there is so much more about life on campus to think about than what can be found in the college guides or the university websites. Anyone seeking to round out their information about student life at any of these eight colleges would be well served to read the candid, often humorous, but always informative, The Things I Learned in College.

Next, we hope that Green tackles the science and engineering institutions of Cal Tech, M.I.T., Stanford, and ….

April 6, 2016
TIMBER ROSE by J. L. Oakley – 1900s historical fiction in the PNW

In the early 1900s, an independent young woman is forced to choose between family ties and romantic love, and face the consequences of her decision.

Caroline Symington could live out the privileged life that her birth in a well-to-do family entitles her to, but her nascent notions of feminism take her on adventurous hikes and climbs in the northwestern mountains, where she meets a man whose grit matches her own. He gradually lures her to a far different destiny—one that she willing embraces over the path her parents have planned for her.

Bob Alford, son of Scandinavian immigrants, is a tough logger sympathetic to the union struggles with Caroline’s wealthy relatives. He loves hiking just like Caroline. She disguises her surname when they first meet, with near-disastrous consequences to their growing and mutual affection. Once the two acknowledge their feelings with total honesty, marriage is the next logical step, even though it will alienate Caroline’s family.

Life for Caroline with her chosen mate (rather than a husband preferred by her father) will involve unexpected sacrifices. His new job as a forest -ranger will take him away from home for days at a time. Pregnancy looms as a hoped for event, while childbirth, alone in the wilderness, is a terrifying prospect.

Luckily, there is a female soul-mate in the wings for Caroline, a fellow feminist named Cathy, and, for Bob, a mysterious and canny mountain man, Micah, who will provide rescue more than once. But before the young couple can really be free to live as they choose, they must face down the hypocritical, haughty Symington clan and prove that love can conquer both snobbery and scurrilous terror tactics.

Spanning the years from 1907 to the rumors of the world war in 1916, this historical romance by award-winning author J. L. Oakley assuredly creates and sustains a magical love affair between Caroline and Bob, while successfully tackling a multitude of overarching themes: the determination of American working men to act collectively against self-seeking business titans; the will of American women to demand their autonomy despite the many subtle societal forces holding them back; and the formation of American national parks to preserve and protect nature’s beauty.

Set at a time when the old ways were yielding to the industrial age on a number of significant fronts, Timber Rose is a timeless love story on a human scale, but one with a heart as big as the mountains of the great Pacific Northwest.

April 4, 2016
23 DEGREES SOUTH: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether by Neal Rabin — a fun and adventurous read

Readers meet Hart, a young American, as he begins a new job as Senior Manager for Maytag in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chapter one finds him in his new office on a Sunday battling depression by reading the city guidebook he found on his desk, learning the city’s geography and history. He came to the page with a quote that foreshadows the story’s direction.

“That which you are seeking is always seeking you.”

The short chapter ends with his childhood friend Simon coming into the office.

In chapter three, a seemingly innocent sharing of a childhood experience gives insight into the working of the friendship of Hart and Simon.

“On Hart’s twelfth birthday Mr. Goldman made him a gift of the classic Herman Hesse book “Siddhartha.” He read it then loaned it to Simon, who never gave it back. Simon always believed Hart possessed something he did not. He could never solidly identify what that mystery something was, or decide if lacking it made him jealous, disheartened, or relieved.”

For those familiar with this classic book an entirely deeper significance surfaces that adds incredible thought- provoking depth to this fast-reading, upbeat story.

Hesse wrote in German in 1922 about the spiritual journey of self-discovery. First published in the United States in 1951, this novel about Siddhartha and his best friend Govinda gained popularity in the sixties. In it, one seeks truth on his own with the other friend following,

23 Degrees South will capture all readers with its story of two young friends on different paths who intersect within an action packed story, complete with some hilarious scenes.

Those readers familiar with Siddhartha, however, will discover even more. While enjoying the more modern plot, they will find symbolism and depth in the reading of this story. Who influences us in our search for self? Does our life have meaning, or does it not make a difference? What obligations do we have to others? What obligations do we have to ourselves? What is the truth of who we really are, and of our purpose in life?

The author’s characterization is exceptional, with an unusual mix of people with Hart’s beautiful assistant, criminals, a Jesuit priest, and a former Nazi to move along the action. Carmen, Carlos, Lazarus, Gil, and all the other characters come alive in the writing.

Sub-plots add to the main story, giving background and adding to the substance of the main characters. The realistic dialogue keeps readers involved, and the humor throughout makes the story a fun adventurous read while giving the reader pause to reflect on his or her search for the meaning of life. An exemplary read for today’s hectic pace of living—highly recommended.

April 1, 2016
BANISHED THREADS by Kaylin McFarren – a standout romantic thriller

Chase and Rachel travel to England on board the Stargazer, intent on enjoying a week of vacation and receiving her uncle’s blessing for their marriage. Though this should be a joyous time for the couple, all is not well.

Rachel is four months into a difficult and unintended pregnancy, and she’s feeling ambivalent about becoming a mother. Chase, though pleased about the baby, is having mixed feelings about his proposal of marriage, regardless of how much he loves Rachel. Rachel is acting distant, and he’s wondering whether a marriage with someone who doesn’t seem as committed as he is has any hope of succeeding.

In addition to his troubled thoughts surrounding their relationship, Chase knows he faces an uphill battle with regard to receiving Paul Lyon’s blessing. Paul blames Chase for the drowning death of his brother, Rachel’s father, and odds are good that he’ll never forgive Chase. Chase is well aware that Rachel holds the power to persuade her uncle to approve of their marriage, but to do that, she’ll have to convince him that she’s truly in love with Chase, a fact even Chase isn’t all that confident of.

When a thief makes off with a priceless collection of paintings from Paul Lyon’s estate, Chase seizes on the opportunity to help solve the crime and win back the good graces of his soon-to-be uncle-in-law. But the theft becomes complicated by unsolved murders, both in the present and from the past. The police are taking a close look at Paul Lyons and his wife, Sara, for those murders, and Chase is terrified that Rachel and the baby will be the killer’s next victims.

In Banished Threads, McFarren proves that relationships can be just as treacherous as international treasure hunting, and that evil exists everywhere, not just in the form of the criminal organizations. McFarren has a gift for portraying complex family dynamics, the baggage people bring into relationships, and the unintended consequences of dysfunctional behavior.

The author deftly immerses the reader in those complex relationships, revealing the real killer in a surprise ending that will leave the reader gasping. Family secrets, a need for revenge, the heat of romance, a cerebral intriguing plot, and a ticking clock with a killer who needs to exact a unique form of revenge makes Banished Threads a gripping psychological thriller.

March 27, 2016
DREAM of a VAST BLUE CAVERN by Selah J Tay-Song – Book 1 of a new epic fantasy series

In a wondrous world where a frost-covered region is contrasted with a sultry realm of lava and fire, the forces of cold are threatened by armies of flame, and a princess must stand between them.

New fantasy novelist Selah J. Tay-Song has created a unique landscape where exotic beasts—hippoles, chirats, and slinks—roam the tundras and lava rivers of two opposing continents: Isklaon, inhabited by the Icers, and Chraun, the kingdom of the Flames.

Their territories are connected by underground tunnels, and both the Icers and the Flames derive subtle energies from the T’Jas, a kind of vibrational wave that emanates from extremes of cold and heat. Flames are protected by a layer of lava mesh on their skin, Icers by vaerce, a crackling blue glow. Humans, known as Semija, are kept as servants in this fantasy universe.

Stasia, an Icer princess, has been having dreams, the first person of her generation to be so gifted. She is haunted by visions of the legendary blue cavern of V’lthurst (“land of dangerous beauty”), and, certain her that dreams are always prophetic, she is convinced that she can and will find it.

But she and her sister princesses will first have to deal with Flame King Dynat, whose goal is to reduce Iskalon to a cinder. Aided by her friend and healer Larc and her guardian Glace, Stasia begins exploring the tunnel that links her icy home to Dynat’s fiery kingdom, even as he attempts to destroy her country in a horrific blaze.

Constructed in episodes told from the many character’s viewpoints, Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern projects a seamless, mythic atmosphere.

The author has invented imaginative fantasy names and terms that sometimes veer close to earthly language (“egla”, like “igloo”, for house), and has appended a helpful glossary and a list of Icer and Flame military ranks. It is a difficult task to keep so many threads of plot running concurrently, but the reader will soon feel comfortably immersed, because Tay-Song is a skillful storyteller and because at its core, her story is logical and consistent.

Tay-Song planned this book as the first in a series (Dreams of Qai Maj) with alluring mysteries at the end needing resolution.

Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern is a stirring saga featuring an ice princess with a warm heart, at war with a cold, heartless flame king in a shimmering world of crystal frost and blazing lakes.

March 24, 2016
DEADLY THYME by R.L. Nolen — a British whodunit psychological thriller

A little girl is missing, but her mother is reluctant to talk to the police detectives who can help find her, leaving a twisted psychopath free to terrorize a Cornwall village with increasingly bloody deeds.

Ten-year-old Annie Butler goes seashell gathering one Sunday morning and does not return. Her mother, Ruth, is fearful of reporting Annie missing to British law enforcement because of her own dark past. The fear of the possible fate of her missing daughter overrides any of Ruth’s own fears.

Once Ruth levels with the police, she enlists the sympathy of Inspector Jon Graham, who has come to Cornwall on an entirely different assignment—to find out if corruption is the reason why the local police chief has suddenly come into a large sum of money. The search for Annie moves agonizingly slowly for her mother.

The novel unfolds in stages, introducing Annie as a brave little soul and her mother as loving, but embattled. Ruth is convinced her own dark past has caught up with her. The locals include a steely-eyed police chief with a heart of gold and a bank account to match, and a plodding, plump but persistent cop who complains humorously about “Her Indoors” (his wife).

Several people emerge as suspects in the kidnapping of Annie, even the aforementioned plodding policeman on whose property (a rundown trailer) visiting Inspector Jon Graham is staying in while on his assignment.

Technology plays a vital role in the case, leading ultimately to an eerily recognizable shadow on a video. There are brief vignettes of the perpetrator, showing how deep into madness and sadism he has sunk; of Annie bravely trying to figure out how to send a secret message to her mother; and of Ruth herself, as she deals with her deepest dread.

This is Rebecca Nolen’s second full-length mystery novel, and she writes dialogue like an old hand. She has mastered both the nuances of British English, including some rustic dialects, and the laid back American drawl of Ruth and her fresh-off-the-plane-from-Texas mother.

The setting, a quaint West Country village in Cornwall by the swirling sea with high cliffs aplenty for falling off, is almost a character in itself. Offering a plethora of red herrings to confuse even the most diligent mystery buff, Nolen’s engrossing complex storyline throws two budding love affairs and some exceedingly ghoulish crimes into the mix into this suspenseful whodunit.

An intriguing British mystery with a slight Texas twang, Deadly Thyme is a psychological chiller with a myriad of plot twists, layered personalities, and at its center, one unusually clever, courageous little girl that will keep readers guessing to the very end.

March 23, 2016
The SOMERSET Awards for Contemporary & Literary Fiction 2015 First Place Category Winners
The Somerset Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Contemporary/Literary Fiction. The SOMERSET Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

We are honored to announce the 2015 SOMERSET Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 SOMERSET Grand Prize Award.

Congratulations to the 2015 SOMERSET Awards First In Category Award Winning Contemporary/Literary Fiction Novels:
- Contemporary: Tom And Nancy Wise – Life On Base: Quantico Cave
- Women’s Fiction: Kayce Stevens Hughlett – Blue: a novel
- Speculative Fiction/Magical Realism: Rick Lenz – The Alexandrite
- Literary: Caitlin Hicks – A Theory of Expanded Love
- Mystery/Suspense: Judith Kirscht – Hawkins Lane
- Adventure/Action: Jen Michalski – The Tide King
- Blended Genres: Gary Grossman – Old Earth
Honorable Mentions:
- J.P. Kenna – Toward a Terrible Freedom
- James Gregory Kingston – The City Island Messenger
- Cat Lynn Boyle – Shadow Dance
- Tom Glenn – The Trion Syndrome
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The SOMERSET First Place Category award winners will compete for the SOMERSET Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Contemporary/Literary Fiction Novel. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winning titles will receive an award package including a complimentary Chanticleer Book Review of the winning title, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2016 SOMERSET Awards. The deadline is November 30, 2016. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the SOMERSET Awards 2015 FIRST PLACE official listing.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
March 20, 2016

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