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Win this STONE SOUP Necklace from Janet K. Shawgo, award winning author

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Look For Me Readers Prize

Lovers of Romance Fiction here is a CBR Reader’s Special just FOR YOU!

To have a chance at winning this Key Charm Necklace exclusively made for the Look For Me series, all you have to do is visit author Janet K. Shawgo’s Look For Me Facebook page and LIKE it!

If you happen to be the person to click LIKE at the lucky number of times, you will win this handmade pendant from Stone Soup. It is valued at $20. Janet will mail it to you. There are no shipping or handling charges, unless it is mailed outside of North America.

The Lucky Number of LIKES has already been determined. All you have to do is leave a comment on Janet’s LOOK FOR ME Facebook page telling her what YOUR LIKE number is or FB message her with the LIKE number. It’s that easy!

We will post the LOOK FOR ME LUCKY WINNER’s name here and number here. To read the review of FIND ME AGAIN, please click here. To read the review of the award winning LOOK FOR ME, please click here.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

February 7, 2015
JOURNEY AWARDS for Narrative Non-fiction FIRST PLACE Category Winners
Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored to announce the First Place Category Winners for the JOURNEY Awards 2014, a genre division of the Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Award Writing Competitions.

The Journey Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer Book Reviews Blue Ribbon Awards Writing Competitions.

First Place Category Winners for the Journey Awards are:
- Global Enlightenment: Thwarted Escape by Lopamudra Banerjee
- Personal Journey: The Breast is History, by Bronwyn Hope
- Career Experiences: Caregiving Our Loved Ones by Nanette J. Davis, Ph.D.
- An Era Memoir: Soviet Letters by Alex Posoukh
- Travelogue Experiences: Moroccan Musings by Anne B. Barriault
- True Action: Waking Reality by Donna LeClair
- How-to/Life Experiences: The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from my Silent Son by Annie Lubliner Lehmann
- Best Manuscript: Five Thousand Brothers in Law: Love in Angola Prison by Shannon Hager
CONGRATULATIONS!

The 1st Place Category Winners compete for the JOURNEY AWARDS 2014 GRAND PRIZE position. The 2014 JOURNEY category winner was announced at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala in September 2015. See the Grand Prize Winners.
- The deadline for entries into the Journey Awards 2014 was Feb. 28, 2014.
- The deadline for entries into the Journey Awards 2015 is Feb. 28, 2015.
GRAND PRIZE Overall Journey Awards Winner from 2013:

Christine Smith, More Faster, Backwards: Rebuilding David

To view the 2013 JOURNEY Award Winners, please click here.

To compete in the 2015 Journey Awards or for more information, please click here.

THE DEADLINE TO ENTER THE 2015 JOURNEY Novel Writing Competitions is February 28th, 2015.

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CBR’s rigorous writing competition standards are why literary agencies seek out our winning manuscripts and self-published novels. Our high standards are also why our reviews are trusted among booksellers and book distributors.

Please do not hesitate to contact Info@ChantiReviews.com about any questions, concerns, or suggestions about CBR writing competitions. Your input and suggestions are important to us.

Thank you for your interest in Chanticleer Book Reviews international writing competitions.

Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media, L.L.C. retains the right to not declare “default winners.” Winning works are decided upon merit only. Please visit our Contest Terms and Conditions page for more information about our writing contest guidelines.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
February 2, 2015
A NEW YEAR, A NEW LOOK with NEW SERVICES at Chanticleer Reviews

We’ve been busy building a new website so that we can offer more to the Chanticleer Community of Authors and Readers!

IF you haven’t had a chance to visit the Chanticleer Reviews’ website recently, please do! We have added new features and services.

New! Book Clubs and Readers Community News

Now you (Chanticleer Authors) can submit your book promotion contests, sales, and deals to be posted on Chanticleer’s brand new just for Book Clubs and Readers section! Reach Readers and Book Clubs with your latest book deals and sales, author promotions and goodies, and book club special offers that are linkable right from the homepage of Chanticleer’s website!

Book Clubs can easily discover Chanticleer authors who want to engage with them. And they can enter CBR’s Book Club of the month contest for a chance to win ten free books from the featured title of the month.

Readers will be excited about new book promotions such as sales, goodies, beta reader opportunities, and reader contests.

There is nothing quite like the joy of discovering a new fav author!

Better Website Visitor Engagement

The new website platform (found at the old URL address www.ChantiReviews.com) is Mobile & Tablet friendly. Give it a try!

Chanticleer Writing Competitions Contest Winners’ Listing Now Featured on the Homepage

Booksellers, librarians, literary agents, publishing houses, and readers & book clubs can now quickly access the Chanticleer Writing Competitions Winners’ information with an easy to spot direct link on the home page (‘above the fold’)–permanently!

Newspaper Layout for Quick Access

Now you can easily scan the home page of the CBR website for: Latest Book Reviews, Contest News, Book Marketing & Promotional Tools & Tips, the Latest News from Chanticleer, Book Clubs & Readers Community News, links to the Chanticleer Reviews quarterly magazine, and Calendar of Events.

We are making our way through the entire website to better serve the Chanticleer Community of Authors and Readers. And we are working on it continuously to make it easier to navigate and adding new services. So, do check back often!

We want to thank all of the Chanticleer Community Members for a Fantastic 2014!

We wish each and every one of YOU—Authors, Publishers, and Readers—a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2015 from all of us at Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media.

We love discovering TODAY’s BEST BOOKS here at Chanticleer!

January 29, 2015
A CUP of HEMLOCK by Clyde Curley

A cold-hearted and brutal murder of a beloved Portland, Oregon high school teacher has seasoned Detective Matthew Toussaint and his young assistant partner, Detective Missy Owens, digging deep to uncover any clues that will help track down the violent and desperate murderer before more lives are endangered.

The murder investigation opens up old wounds and exposes weaknesses with the sanctioned guardians of our youth—the government overseers of their education and along with their parents. The detectives find themselves coming face-to-face with incomprehensible, and sometimes dangerous, behaviors from personalities that transcend socio-economic class norms—for better or for worse.

Clyde Curley’s intriguing and captivating Detective Toussaint Mysteries explore and expose the undercurrents in today’s society by bringing the daunting issues to our very doorsteps. If you are seeking a slash-and-gore thriller or steamy sex scenes, you will not find them in this refreshing and thought-provoking police procedural. Classic mystery fans will be more than pleased with the series’ cast of characters (including the quirky City of Portland), along with enjoying its complex storyline, and the enthralling denouements.

A Cup of Hemlock is an engrossing read that deliciously builds suspense on several levels until it is a full-blown page-turner. However, readers will find themselves slowing down as to not miss any of the subtext and rich undertones that permeate the work.

Curley’s complex and engaging central characters add to the mystery’s nuance and drama making this reviewer eagerly anticipating the third novel in this thoroughly addictive series. Detective Toussaint and his bookseller brother, Parker, are characters that you would want to have a beer or cup of coffee with and discuss philosophy, or the latest basketball game, or maybe just the events of the day.

A Cup of Hemlock is an intriguing classic murder mystery that is a perfect companion for those who want to hunker down with a great read that will linger long after the last page is read. It is the second novel in the Detective Toussaint Mystery series that is based in the Pacific Northwest.

Clyde Curley’s prodigious novels —yes they come in at more than 500 pages, but you will be wishing it was longer—are page turners that tackle and explore the big ethical and societal issues of today. Curley’s deft use of murder mysteries to microscopically explore society’s ethical issues is nothing short of brilliant. Highly recommended.

January 28, 2015
CYGNUS Grand Prize Winner Lands 3-Book Contract with TITAN

Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored and proud to announce that Bennett R. Coles, CYGNUS Awards 2013 Grand Prize Winner, was contracted by Titan Books for a three book deal for his Astral Saga series.

Titan Books is known for its Doctor Who series, Gregory Benford and Larry Niven collections of Ringworld, Timescape, Shipstar fame, George R.R. Martins & Hugh Howey’s Wasteland series, William C. Dietz of Legion of the Damned series, along with other sci-fi powerhouses. And now Bennett R. Coles, Chanticleer Communty Author, SciFi !

Virtues of War debuts in the Titan Spring 2015 catalog and will be represented by Titan at all the major book trade shows.

The immensely talented Fred Gambino created the cover art for the military science fiction novel from Bennett Coles for Titan.

A sci-fi thriller of physical and psychological combat, Virtues of War sends readers hurtling through space to find that our warlike nature has survived intact into the 26th century. Click here to read the rest of the review.

We are looking forward to reviewing the second book in the Astral Saga Trilogy.

Here is the catalog copy for Virtues of War:

Lieutenant Katja Emmes is a platoon commander who was transferred last-minute to be the leader of the 10-trooper strike team carried aboard the fast-attack craft Rapier. Although fully trained, she has never led troops in real operations before, and she is haunted by the shadow of her war-hero father.

Sublieutenant Jack Mallory is fresh out of pilot school, reluctantly doing his duty in the mysterious world of extra-dimensional warfare while pining for the glamour of a fighter pilot position in the space fleet. Day-dreaming his way through life, Jack is in for a rude awakening.

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Kane is poised for promotion, and he knows that this six-month deployment in command of Rapier is the single, best chance to secure his rise to stardom within the Astral Force. He has already learned that performance alone isn’t enough and actively dabbles in the subtle politics of his professional world, but he will learn that there are far more dangerous foes than the ones he can see.

Set far enough in the future to present a society that has evolved and splintered from our own, Virtues of War is a sci fi novel that reveals the traits common in any age, and ultimately looks at the heart of what makes us human.

Ben Coles, an officer with plus 15-years experience in the Canadian Navy, demonstrates a crisp writing style, an impressive knowledge of military tactics and techno jargon, and an imagination crossed with a study of physics that has produced believable weaponry and space travel of the future. Way to go, Ben!

Here is Ben at the Chanticleer Awards Gala receiving his award. Photo courtesy of Elaine Dillon–all rights reserved.

Whose work will be awarded the next Cygnus Grand Prize Award? You can’t win if you don’t enter!

Click Here for information about the Cygnus Awards for Sci-Fi Writing Competition.

January 24, 2015
THE LILY and THE LION by Catherine A. Wilson and Catherine T. Wilson

Court intrigue, romance, and adventure combine to create a thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful medieval saga, The Lily and the Lion by Catherine A. Wilson and Catherine T. Wilson. It is an enthralling melodrama set in 1360 France and England, and the first book in the Lions and Lilies series. A mostly epistolary novel, the action nevertheless vibrates with urgency.

The novel begins with Cecile d’Armagnac, a beautiful young French courtier, learning that her engagement to the Dauphin has been called off. When she asks why, she discovers that the man who raised her, Jean d’Armagnac, is not her real father. While he does not know much about who her real parents are, he has recently learned that she has a twin sister who has been raised at a convent in England.

Cecile writes to her new sister, despite a lingering bitterness over these revelations. While Cecile and her sister, Catherine, could not have been raised in more different circumstances, they begin to find common ground. Meanwhile, their discovery of each other alerts the very villains they were hidden from nineteen years ago to their presence. The convent’s steward, Gillet de Bellegarde, proposes that he act as courier for the sisters’ letters. Instead, he becomes their protector as Catherine survives an assassination attempt by the wicked Lord Salisbury and Cecile becomes entangled with the Black Prince, the English prince Edward.

After nearly drowning, Cecile escapes the Black Prince and is rescued by Gillet. As they flee to the countryside together, their sparking banter evolves into love in the face of numerous complications. Catherine is guarded in England by Gillet’s mentor, Simon, the Earl of Wexford. A crude man, he shocks Catherine’s fresh from the convent sensibilities even as he helps her discover the realities of the world. Several twists serve to complicate both sisters’ paths toward the placid family life and blissful reunion of their dreams. As they seek the identities of their parents, they learn that their past is darker and the future more uncertain than they could have imagined.

Against the backdrop of conflict between England and France, historical details add depth to the narrative and explore a period of history not often touched in historical romance. Dialogue such as, “You impertinent cesspit of deceit!” adds an element of over the top fun. While the history here certainly is not the story’s main component, The Lily and the Lion will beguile readers with its compelling characters and nonstop drama.

Readers will be left wanting more as they will desperately want to find out what happens when Cecile and Catherine finally meet for the first time. Fortunately for this reader, the next Lions and Lilies book, The Order of the Lily, is available.

The Lily and the Lion by Catherine A. Wilson and Catherine T. Wilson was awarded First Place for Historical Romance in the Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction, a division of the Chanticleer Reviews Novel Writing Competitions.

January 22, 2015
99 cents SALE on LOOK FOR ME by Janet K. Shawgo

LOOK FOR ME by Janet K. Shawgo is on sale at Amazon for 99 cents!

A reporter, a healer, and a spy. In this gripping tale of Civil War-era romance and espionage, these three lives are brought together, with consequences none of them can foresee.

Read Chanticleer’s Review of this award winning historical romance novel.

January 18, 2015
Sale on BLOOD RELATIONS by Lonna Enox

“Blood Relations” by Lonna Enox is on sale at Amazon

When Sorrel Janes, photographer, joins an old friend for a week-long birding festival at a wildlife refuge, she expects reminisces, fresh air, and good photos to sell in her gift shop. Instead, she discovers murder, mystery, terror, and family secrets which once again threaten to topple her existence. What is real? Who is genuine? With her usual tenacity, she follows the trails of deception and terror. What she discovers will change her world forever.

January 18, 2015
Book Clubs and Readers Community News from Chanticleer
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Welcome to the Book Clubs and Readers Community News

This is where special news just for Book Clubs and Readers will be featured.

Specials for Book Clubs:
- Winning ten FREE copies of an Chanticleer award winning title
- Access CBR titles that have lists of thought provoking questions tailored just for book club discussions–FREE
- Arranging for a Chanticleer author to attend and discuss her book at your book club’s meeting (find out if an author is available in your club’s location)
- Entering to win special goodies or books or give-aways for your book club
- Asking authors questions about their books and the craft of writing through online chatrooms
- Accessing special offers just for Book Clubs from Chanticleer Community Authors
If you are representing a Book Club and would like more information, please email: BookClubInfo@ChantiReviews.com.

Specials for Readers such as:
- Author promotional contests that give away prizes
- Find out if your favorite CBR author is presenting at bookstore near you
- Book Sales & Freebies & Give-aways from Chanticleer Authors
- Participate in Fun Social Media Events
- Join Chanticleer’s Online International Book Club that will feature the Chanticleer Grand Prize Winning Titles
- Become a Beta Reader for one of your favorite Chanticleer Community Authors
Please email Rainey Jordan to sign up at RJordan@ChantiReviews.com

Author Information about participating in Book Clubs Specials

If you have received a four or five star review by Chanticleer Book Reviews or if you have been awarded a FIRST in Category or a CBR Genre Grand Prize, you are eligible to have these works participate in the Book Club Community News offerings. Please email: KBrown@ChantiReviews.com

Author Information about participating in Reader Specials

All works reviewed by Chanticleer or that have been entered into a Chanticleer Writing Contest, are eligible for consideration to participate in the CBR Reader Specials. Book sales, freebies, promotional goodies, author signings, and social media events are examples of Reader Specials. Authors/publishers may submit listings to: RJordan@ChantiReviews.com

More Author Info

Also, please email us about your book deals, book sales, book signings, and book promotions that pertain to your submissions. We will try our best to publish them in the Book Club and Readers Community News column and in our social media postings.*

*Fine Print: CBR retains the right to decide which submissions, offerings, and solicitations to post to our website.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
January 18, 2015
GRAN’PAUL’S FAMILY: Book 3 of the PAUL’S THREE WARS TRILOGY by Karl Larew

Gran’paul’s Family, the third volume of Karl Larew’s trilogy of the life of Paul Van Vliet and his family, as well as the wars he fought in as a member of the U.S. Army, is true to its title. While the first two volumes introduced readers to his family, we were often following Paul’s experiences in WWII and the Korean War.

Part III, however, allows us to join the family circle, which grows considerably, as families usually do. Many of their experiences are similar to those of most of us, but some are quite unique, especially the musical careers of Paul’s wife Betty and her daughter Rosalie, and the military intelligence exploits of Paul’s nephew Ted Lauterbaugh (whose mother Dottie is Paul’s sister).

I must describe Larew’s work as a fictional family biography–one that is variously romantic, exciting, cozy and warm, hurtful and cold, tragic and sad, but mostly always interesting although there are always a few plodding times that as a member you just have to get through. Remember, like actual biographies, this fictional one doesn’t have a plot but is a story that weaves together the characters and events.

The story begins with Ted Lauterbaugh reminiscing about meeting his cousin (by marriage), Rosalie, when they were both 14. He immediately fell in love with this beautiful girl with the satiny red hair–who played the violin, accompanied by her mother, on Christmas Day. Just as happens for most 14-year-olds, their relationship dwindled, in their case, to that of cousins, exchanging Christmas cards at best.

The novel is a written kaleidoscope of personal connections that span time and datelines across the globe. Paul’s own son Danny, who refuses to be drafted or leave the country, must deal with his family’s military history and find his own way. His protesting against the Viet Nam conflict creates estrangement within the family. Danny becomes the embodiment of the intersecting point of the fracturing that many families faced during this time of upheaval.

Spying, philandering, homosexuality in a time of appalling repression, NSA sleuthing, the Viet Nam conflict and the 60s protests against it, the Civil Rights movement, Soviet espionage, and the ushering in of psychiatric sessions for those seeking help and happiness with many more story threads of the “Paul” family. Will the family be able to withstand the strains and stresses that the turbulent Sixties force upon them?

This reviewer isn’t going to give away any more of this remarkable story. You know these people now—their character, their strength. You’ll want to find out how their lives evolve from this point. It is an evolution—with oldsters passing on and youngsters assuming family roles. Karl Larew has an important story for almost anyone to read–to learn and to enjoy.

Gran’Paul’s Family is preceded by two other compelling volumes that some may find to be faster paced reads: Paul, Betty and Pearl (that’s Pearl Harbor and WWII) and Daddypaul and the Yo-Yo War (the Korean War).

January 17, 2015

Chanticleer Book Reviews