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An Editorial Review of “Murder Strikes a Pose” by Tracy Weber

In this award winning mystery, yoga instructor Kate Davidson tries her best to live the Zen life, but she often finds herself being challenged with her fluffy hips, her struggling yoga business, and missing her deceased dad, who was a cop. Date-free for nine months, three days and seven hours since her break-up, Kate tries to resist friend Rene’s numerous attempts to set her up with dates.

Into Kate’s world steps George, a homeless alcoholic with a German shepherd sidekick named Bella who loves to bark. The duo has decided that the entrance to Kate’s yoga studio is the perfect place for them to hang out, which definitely challenges Kate’s savasana.

An uneasy truce develops between Kate, Bella, and George as she learns more about George’s history and that Bella adores him. She also learns that Bella was stolen, but George corrects her: “Bella wasn’t stolen. She was rescued.” Bella needs costly medicine, and George has a scheme to get the funds needed for his dearest friend in the world.

But George is murdered, and the Seattle cops dismiss it as another drug-related street crime. Kate ends up taking care of the sickly, shedding dog that is the size of a small horse. She also finds that having a murder take place within steps of your business is not the best thing to increase clientele. Despite warnings, Kate takes on solving George’s murder. She is also desperate to find Bella a home.

Kate and Bella become unlikely partners on the murder beat and at home when Kate realizes George’s murderer is hot on her trail and that Bella may know too much. Weber keeps the plot twisting and turning until its climactic conclusion.

Its fresh writing, social relevance, and suspenseful page-turning plot makes Murder Strikes a Pose a hands-down winner. We look forward to reading more of Kate and Bella’s clever sleuthing adventures in the next novel of Tracy Weber’s Downward Dog Mystery series.

Murder Strikes a Pose by Tracy Weber was awarded a First Place Category Winner in the Mystery and Mayhem Awards 2013, a division of the Chanticleer Book Reviews writing competitions.

[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”][Reviewer’s Note: Even if you don’t know your downward dog pose from your dolphin plank, we believe that cozy mystery readers will enjoy this engaging first novel in Tracy Weber’s Downward Dog Mystery series.][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

December 11, 2013
Technology Alliance Group Rising Star Tech Awards Nomination

Today, Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media is honored to be a nominee for the prestigious Rising Star Tech Award presented by the esteemed Technology Alliance Group for Northwest Washington. (more…)

December 6, 2013
RAW NaNoWriMo 2013 Writing Competition

We are excited to announce the debut of Chanticleer’s RAW NaNoWriMo writing competition. And to celebrate our newest contest, we are offering complimentary concise editorial feedback for the first 50 entries!

Now this is something to CROW about!

Yes, a writing competition where the judges actually expect typos, grammatical errors, POV switching, or dialogue that requires work.

Manuscripts do not have to be complete. We understand that these are works in different levels of progress.

CBR’s editors are searching for RAW MANUSCRIPTS that exhibit writing talent, page-turning plots, intriguing characters, and compelling story lines. For more information, click here
Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.

December 4, 2013
The Chatelaine Awards 2013 Finalists for Romantic Fiction
It is our pleasure to post the Official List of The Chatelaine Awards Finalists 2013.

Finalists will compete for 1st Place Category positions. First Place Category winners will compete for Overall Best of Chatelaine for Romantic Fiction 2013.

The Chatelaine Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction. It is a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Awards Writing Competitions.

The Updated list of Finalists Titles & Authors that made the Chatelaine Awards 2013 Shortlist are:
- The Lily and the Lion by Catherine T. Wilson & Catherine A. Wilson
- Choices by Kate Vale
- Swamp Secret by Eleanor Tatum
- The Hourglass by Sharon Struth
- Wait for Me by Janet K. Shawgo
- Pulse and Prejudice by Colette Saucier
- Crimson Flames by Ashley Robertson
- Love on the Back Burner: A Tasty Romantic Comedy by Barbara J. Oliverio
- Chasing Charlie by C. M. Newman
- Shining Star by Anna Lopez
- Give Her the Stars by Marilyn Lathrop
- A Path through the Garden by Nancy LaPonzina
- Show No Weakness by Joyce Holmes
- Whatever He Wants by Bridgett Henson
- Brimstone and Water by Sharon House
- I, Walter by Mike Hartner
- To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield by Bronwen Evans
Now this is something to CROW about!

Congratulations to the Chatelaine Awards Finalists!

Good luck to all in the next two rounds! 1st Place Category winners will be announced before Jan. 15, 2014.
November 20, 2013
An Editorial Review of “The Starlight Fortress” by Fiona Rawsontile

Courage, love, and loyalty are counterpoised with intrigue, hatred, and betrayal—in settings ranging from intimate dinners to royal banquets, seaside walks to interplanetary voyages and galactic space battles in this highly entertaining and fast moving debut novel by Fiona Rawonstile: The Starlight Fortress.

After reluctantly turning the last page of this mesmerizing and unpredictable tale of love, life, and war, I looked out my window to see the solid shape of a bright quarter moon and the twinkle of the “Evening Star” that is Venus against a deep azure sky. I wished I could see further into the galaxy and find the Renaisun solar systems, with their widely differing planets, countries, and cities—but of course they don’t exist (yet?) except in the pages of The Starlight Fortress.

Spectacular battles in the Stony Band of asteroids, the interstellar pathways, and even on-the- ground maneuvers provide plenty of fast-paced military action, conducted with imaginative space-age techniques, weapons, and ships of all shapes and sizes—the most spectacular being the RA allied forces’ enormous five-armed Starlight Fortress, coveted by Emperor Pompey. Artfully interwoven with the military battles are the interpersonal relations among the royals, the military officers, and ordinary citizens.

Despite their future sci-fi existence in the universe, Rawsontile’s characters and their language, lifestyles (with a few tweaks), hopes, and desires—as well as their darker natures of envy, jealousy, hate, prejudice, and war—will resonate with readers. The young Queen Geneva of Sunphere, the primary country on the RA-4 planet of the Renaisun A system, is unlike any queen, past or present, on Earth. Elevated to her post after the untimely death of her father, she would rather go shopping on one of the moon malls with her friends than rule the country, but duty calls and the stakes are high.

Geneva may be queen, but her elders question her judgment when she selects as her military assistant not an experienced officer, but Commander Sterling Presley, on the basis of a speech he delivered at his graduation from Sunphere’s Space Force Academy just four years earlier. However, they are betting that age isn’t everything when it comes to creating new battle strategies.

Sometimes singly, and sometimes together, Geneva, with her chubby cheeks, and Sterling, resembling a junior college professor, face some hard work if they are to earn the respect of Sunphere’s citizens and Space Force—not to mention that of their allies of Renaisun A, as well as their enemy Emperor Pompey with his colonial forces of Renaisun B.

Joining Geneva and Sterling is a full cast of colorful, multifaceted characters—Sir Lloyd, Geneva’s uncle and Secretary of Defense; the handsome, aristocratic, young officer Charlie Swinburne of Rainprus; Prince Edwards of the neutral Renaisun C, who could be a good ally; military diamond-in-the-rough; and more, all artfully crafted by Rawsontile.

Dangerous, sticky, and amorous situations intensify as hostilities mount and battle fleets are amassed. Be sure to strap in, hang on tightly, and enjoy Rawsontile’s exhilarating ride into the future. This reviewer really didn’t want the story to end. Please, Fiona, give us a sequel to The Starlight Fortress!

November 17, 2013
The Laramie Awards 2013 Finalists for Western, Pioneer, and Civil War Fiction
It is our pleasure to post the Official List of The Laramie Awards Finalists 2013.

Finalists will compete for 1st Place Category positions. First Place Category winners will compete for Overall Best of Laramie Awards for Western Fiction 2013.

The Laramie Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Western, Pioneer, and Civil War Fiction. It is a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Awards Writing Competitions.

The Updated list of Finalists Titles & Authors that made the Laramie Awards 2013 Shortlist are:
- Because of the Camels by Brenda Blair
- Absolution’s Curse by C.L. Blanton
- Confessions of Gunfighter by Tell Cotten
- Haunted Falls by Ken Farmer & Buck Stienke
- Lick Creek by Deborah Lincoln
- Unbroke Horses by Dale B. Jackson
- They Rode Good Horses by Dale B. Jackson
- Hacker’s Raid by Jared McVay
- Ford at Valverde by Anita Melillo
- Double Crossing by Meg Mims
- Double or Nothing by Meg Mims
- Look For Me by Janet K. Shawgo
Now this is something to CROW about!

Congratulations to the Laramie Awards Finalists!

Good luck to all in the next two rounds! 1st Place Category winners will be announced before Dec. 31st, 2013.
November 4, 2013
An Editorial Review of “Tea Leafing” by Weezie Macdonald

In her debut novel, Tea Leafing, Weezie Macdonald demonstrates extraordinary skill in deftly weaving the multifaceted personalities and lives of a quartet of friends—exotic dancers (or strippers, as you will) at a high-end gentlemen’s club in Atlanta. It is an intriguing thriller of local graft, mafia-style murder, international drug rings, money laundering, and revenge.

Juxtaposed with the shadier side of Tea Leafing is the story of these women’s’ loyalty to each other, clever sleuthing, and determination not to let their co-worker and friend’s unjust and gruesome death go un-avenged.

Macdonald masterfully develops the rich and distinctly different characters of Sam, Grace, Mary Jane, and Birdie both on and off stage at the Pink Pussycat, yet enables them to mesh within the close bonds of their friendship, especially when they resolve to face the dangers of joining forces to solve Lena’s murder. Tears of loss and compassion flow as they mourn their friend’s death, though they purposefully maintain a discreet distance from Lena’s high-society Savannah family and friends—all except her younger sister Amanda, who provides a key clue.

Chunks of humor lighten the story—in the shenanigans and uninhibited dialog of the feisty-tongued, Irish-born, Manchester-raised Birdie, and vignettes of the club manager’s outlandishly dressed and coiffed mother, Pietra Maria Speranza DiFrancesco, who sails through the crowded club like a battleship, bellowing for her son Gio. Macdonald’s colorful descriptions enable us to smell the smoky air of the club, the whiskey, the perfume, even the sweat. We feel ourselves to be a part of the scene, and of the lives of those within it. Her multifaceted characterizations make us aware that people are not only, or perhaps not at all, what or who they appear to be.

The story accelerates at a heart-stopping pace, as the clues build and the quartet construct their plan of action. Additional colorfully drawn characters join the cast, and the scene explodes to cover the globe—the Caribbean, Russia, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore. The suspense builds as money launderers, the Russian mob, and the underworld of Atlanta come into play. The urge to turn the pages faster and faster fights the need to absorb the intricate detail of the story. Heed that warning, readers, or you’ll find yourselves back in Atlanta not quite sure what happened.

Tea Leafing by Weezie Macdonald is an entertaining and captivating mystery that will take you on a great ride on the wild side.

[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”][Editorial note: If you, like this reviewer, feel as though you’ve made some very good friends only to have to tell them goodbye, Weezie Macdonald is not going to let that happen. This quartet will entertain us again in the next book of Macdonald’s series. And, yes, you will discover what “tea leafing” is all about.]

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October 30, 2013
How and Why Authors Should Use Google+ by Kiffer Brown

This presentation will shine a spotlight on what Google+ is and why authors and aspiring writers need to embrace this fastest growing social media platform that exists in the Internet Universe.

The link below will take you to our Google “Power Point-like presentation” with slides that you can take your time to read through for an overview of what G+ is and how it compares to Facebook and Twitter. The presentation will also touch on a powerful Google tool called “Google Authorship”

Click here for Kiffer’s G+ Presentation

We will also continue posting and publishing more tips on how to use Google + along with updates. Please keep in mind that Google+ continuously updates the platform.

“Google+ aims to make sharing on the web more like sharing in real life.”

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Kiffer Brown with Google+ overview presentation

CBR will have more bite-sized information on Circles, Events and Hangouts. We also begin listing links to helpful sites and posts.

Please leave a comment! And be sure to Circle +Chanticleer Book Reviews and +Kiffer Brown on Google+ THANKS!

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October 24, 2013
An Editorial Review of “Rebellious Heart” by Jody Hedlund

Rebellious Heart makes history come alive in the years prior to the War of Independence. The first sentence gripped me; the story and the writing skill held me captive until the end.

Hedlund bases her fictional characters on real people who lived during those times. Ben Ross and Susanna Smith must make life-changing choices amidst looming threats in the thirteen colonies of the new world.

Birthed into families of different social status, Ben and Susanna resist their growing affection for each other. Though he has a Harvard law degree, he is a poor farmers son. Susanna is born into high social status and wealth. Matters of conscience and circumstances push them together and gradually Susanna moves away from the stiff and merciless norms of the time. They risk terrible consequences—alienation of family and hanging for treason — while they move deeper and deeper toward their quest for freedom. For them, lines of behavior are no longer clearly defined, but swing on both sides of the social dictates and the law.

Hedlund lets us see the determination of those loyal to Britain, their fear for loved ones at risk, and their fierce adherence to the morés surrounding social tradition and religion in this page-turning drama that explores ethical dilemmas.

Ross and Susanna risk discovery to firmly stand against family, the law, and the British crown, the greatest power on earth at that time. The novel brings to life the courage many embraced in the midst of their well-founded fear, yearning to win freedom from tyranny in the thirteen colonies.

Jody Hedlund’s Rebellious Heart shows us individuals stirring the seeds of rebellion and inspiring many to follow their lead, forging the beginning of the free and independent United State of America. This is her fifth historical romance novel.

[Reviewer’s Note: Rebellious Heart is appropriate for all ages.]

October 21, 2013
An Editorial Review of “The Prodigal” by Michael Hurley

Undoubtedly one of the best new books I’ve read, The Prodigal by Michael Hurley is the novel I tell everybody they must read. This award-winning novel is a story that you will not soon forget.

The Prodigal could be interpreted as a coming of age story, not of teenagers or young adults, but of the middle-aged. Mature adults who seem to have it all together, but grapple with insubstantiality. Adults, who as arrows of Life’s bow, are missing their true target. These are the vividly drawn characters of Michael Hurley’s novel.

A riveting and socially relevant tale, The Prodigal is a contemporary marvel of an allegorical story of vices and virtues, of Achilles’ heels, and odysseys into the unknown. Hurley spans two thousand years, several oceans, and eternal love with adventure and captivation.

The protagonist, Aidan, finds himself stripped of all his privileged-trappings: professional kudos, private clubs, top level connections, cash, even credit cards, due to a quick and nearly fatal bite from one of his own kind, an attorney of law. Aidan’s mentor sends him to the backwaters of Okracoke Island in North Carolina, a land sequestered between the Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, to get his bearings.

Okracoke is often described as a geographical oddity with the folks to go with it. This quirky island has a single paved road and is only accessible by boat; it is so isolated that you can still hear traces of Elizabethan English spoken by the locals. It is as it has always been–a place treacherous enough to be a safe haven. It is here in Okracoke that Aidan meets the others whose fates and chances are bound up with his.

The tides, winds, and currents of life propel us along in directions that, unless we take notice and change our sails, might endanger us, indeed, ensnare our very souls. Hurley captures the forces that swirl among us; sometimes with dangerous gale strengths, sometimes with stalling headwinds, and sometimes becalming. And then there are those magical times in our lives when we have the wind at our backs and our sails on a broad reach going faster than hull speed—our eyes on the prize. The Prodigal portrays these moments with powerful writing that is finely nuanced.

Hurley unfolds the timeless stories of transgression and forgiveness, of despair and hope, of damnation and redemption with brilliant subtlety in this riptide of a novel.

The Prodigal was awarded the Chanticleer Best Book of the Year Award 2013 and the Somerset Grand Prize for Literary Fiction.

[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”][Reviewer’s Note: If you love the taste of salt on your lips, the stars above you and the wind in your face, The Prodigal will engulf you in its myriad of temperaments as it races against time, the elements, treachery, and power. As a sailor myself, I must say Hurley’s portrayal of `The Prodigal’ sailboat as a metaphor for the Divine Heavenly Host, Savior, and Spirit is pure genius.]

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October 18, 2013

Chanticleer Book Reviews