Unpaved by Anthony Horton is a pensive novel of how returning to one’s roots can reveal hints on how to move forward after a lifetime of grief.
Russell Nowak-McCreary is a man whose life has been proudly shaped by formidable women. His mother, Judith, was a prominent cardiac surgeon at the reputable St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. His wife, Anna, thrived as a student of Judith’s and has risen to the top of Boston’s best medical campus. And Russell’s work partner Sarah Westroes joined his company, Datatel, as its CEO with a relentless drive to expand its footprint in the tech industry. His childhood was spent without a father figure, only excepting the fond memories of a single summer at his grandfather’s cabin in the Canadian wilderness.
As he returns to the remote cabin of his youth to set his mother’s affairs in order, Russell takes this time alone to finally process all that he lost.
His mother, Judith, died in her prime from pancreatic cancer. Russell’s only son’s life was taken too soon, and his marriage has fallen apart in the wake of it all. After several dark years enduring grief in compounding waves, Russell comes to wonder how he “felt so incredibly severed from that happy boy who had been satiated with the promise of the future”.
Meanwhile, a corporate and romantic drama unfolds involving Sarah and Datatel. Russell has to reckon with fraud, insider trading, and illicit offshore bank accounts.
While Russell isn’t convinced his lover is the one at fault, he finds it harder to trust Sarah after more of her personal life is exposed. As he ties loose ends on his mother’s will in Toronto, Russell struggles to decide: should he take Sarah’s place as CEO, or leave the company for good?
Anthony Horton’s consistent lyricism gives an engaging rhythm to the story’s slow pace and puddle-hops through time — an arguably welcome reprieve from the typical hustle of an office drama.
The corporate subplot in Unpaved proves to be the most entertaining and propulsive element of the book. Its rare appearance throughout Russell’s pilgrimage to Toronto and Teapot Lake provides the momentum needed to move our protagonist forward as he finds himself venturing into the backwaters of his past.
For readers seeking a novel that sees them in their own grief, Unpaved is a thoughtful work that wades gently into the subject with grace. Horton’s careful prose allows us to take comfort in Russell’s unwavering confidence in the face of uncertainty as he determines how to begin the next chapter of his life on his own.
Only 6 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 M&M Awards for Cozy and Not-so-cozy Mystery!
Liese Sherwood-Fabre – The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait
Gail Grant Park – We Are Shadows: An Irish Ghost Story
Rebecca Olmstead – Dreams and Illusions
Elizabeth Crowens – Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles
Patrick E. Craig – The Quilt That Knew
E. W. Finke – Coyote’s Wail
Lyn Squire – Immortalised to Death
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Mystery & Mayhem Awards Grand Prize Winner:
A Haunting at Linley
A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel
by Michelle Cox
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Clue Awards for Thriller and Suspense!
Daniel V. Meier Jr. – Guidance to Death
Frederick Douglass Reynolds – Saint Bloodbath
Michelle Cox – A Haunting at Linley
Jode Millman – The Empty Kayak
Raymond Paul Johnson – The Raven Society: Conspiracy Ignited
Margaret Mizushima – Standing Dead: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Clue Awards Grand Prize Winner:
The Other Murder
By Kevin G. Chapman
The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
The Dante Rossetti Awards celebrate stories that bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood. Young readers exist in a liminal space, and we are pleased to feature Young Adult Fiction in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!
Join us in celebrating the previous Grand Prize Winners of the Dante Rossetti Awards!
Sour Flower
A Manuscript
By Maryanne Melloan Woods
The review is forthcoming, but this is our gut reaction to this beautiful story:
Makes you cry in a good way with extraordinary beats. Coming of age and slice of life coupled with a story of redemption and finding terra firma after tragedy. Visceral, humorous, and very human.
Michael J. Cooper’s latest historical fiction novel, Wages of Empire, draws readers into the perilous journey of sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair and his father into WW1. On this path, their lives will intersect with such historical figures as TE Lawrence, Gertrude Bell, the Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann, the Arab nationalist Faisal ibn Hussein, the proto-Nazi and advisor to the German kaiser Guido von List, and Kaiser Wilhelm II himself.
Set in the summer of 1914 we find Evan living in the American southwest where his father moved the family from England for his Oxford sabbatical. Evan struggles to cope with his mother’s death in childbirth and yearns to escape his father’s controlling grip. As war breaks out in Europe, Evan decides to leave home and join the fight, without telling his father.
Taro: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan By Blue Spruell
Adventure, classic tales, fantasy, and exciting action combine in TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan, a well-poised debut novel by award-winning author Blue Spruell.
In the turbulent final decades of the sixteenth century, feudal Japan reeled in mayhem as the central hereditary dictatorship collapsed, and tyrannical powers fought to control the empire. TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is the story of how one man revolutionized a nation by taking its reigns and forging a new destiny through his depths of compassion and determination.
The story begins with Taro as a young boy. As an heir to the Takeda family, Taro enjoyed reading, much to his father’s disapproval, as he wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a skilled Samurai. Tragedy changes Taro’s presumed destiny when his parents are murdered in a fierce power struggle, leaving him an orphan. Shortly after, a witch saves him from drowning and begins Taro’s new life of adventure, introducing him to a world of mythical creatures. On this new journey, Taro discovers shocking secrets about his lineage, and with them, his ultimate purpose in medieval Japan.
The Best Week That Never Happened By Dallas Woodburn
Dallas Woodburn’s debut novel The Best Week that Never Happened is a roller-coaster ride through Hawaii and the mysterious depths of its briny deep, sparkling with unreal magic, a poignant romance, and incessant hope.
Tegan Rossi, a freshly graduated eighteen-year-old, awakens in the secretive hideout she discovered with Kai Kapule as two eight-year-old children on her first trip to Hawaii Island. She needs to make amends with Kai as they had a major squabble over something very important that she now oddly forgets. When Tegan catches up with Kai in Hawaii, she enters her best week yet – the Best Week That Never Happened.
The first-person narrative is a fusion of Tegan’s past three years ago and ten years ago, as well as a mystified chronicling of her present with Kai on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Like most fifteen-year-olds, Sonnet McKay loves a good adventure. Still, when she, her siblings, and cousins discover a deserted Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods outside a ghost town near Seattle, they get much more than they bargained for. In an upstairs bedroom, Sonnet inadvertently steps inside a time travel portal and is whisked away to 1895. In her place stands Emma Sweetwine, an identical doppelganger for Sonnet.
Emma’s family was prominent when Monte Cristo was a booming mine town, but life is not what it seems for the oldest of the Sweetwine children. With a mother who seems to despise her and a secret engagement, Emma’s life is oppressive and controlled – a sharp contrast to the spirited, independent Sonnet. With no idea how or why they were switched, Sonnet and Emma must quickly adjust to their new environments and rely only on their closest friends and family. But like any good story, time is running out for the girls as both of their lives rush in opposite directions. They must find a way back to their own times before their chance is gone forever.
Whispers by Lynn Yvonne Moon explores the issue of incest through the life of twelve-year-old Musetta, whose father has just died. We meet Musetta at her father’s funeral and realize that this girl is dealing with serious issues. Still, more than grief, she’s filled with rage – and relief. And we cannot blame her. Whispers is filled with enough intrigue and family secrets to glue readers’ eyeballs to the page and hug their parents when they reach the end of the tale.
Musetta can’t get the attention of her grieving mother, and she’s not sure who she can turn to for help. Who will believe her story? But she knows what happened to her. After her father’s funeral, she believes the Friday night ritual of rape is over and that the molestation will stop. However, it’s not quite that easy.
First off, there are voices in her bedroom walls – and worse, the molestation continues. Is it her father’s ghost? She can’t go to her mother for help, and she won’t go to the law unless her mother is by her side. Who would believe her over her late father’s reputation as an upstanding citizen and the favorite local judge?
In David Scott Richardson’s YA WWII historical novel, An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze, teenager Scott Johannsen—“Scotty” to his mom and friends—leads us on an adventure through the wartime Ravenna neighborhood in Seattle, Washington.
Boeing manufactures B-17s, his grandparents and neighbors grow victory gardens, his parents build a bomb shelter in their basement, and mandatory blackouts occur every night. Scotty navigates a chaotic world filled with danger and wonder yet finds security with family and friends in this heartfelt story.
Scotty runs with his pack—James, Marty, and Burr. We witness what lengths they will go to on a search for chocolate. With Ravenna Park as a backyard and Puget Sound just a short drive away, Scotty’s life is filled with exploration of the natural world. His fishing adventures with his dad in the Sound become an exciting way to supplement his family’s food rations as he dreams about netting a fighting salmon.
Scotty’s peaceful life evokes a sense of innocence in another time. Readers see the responsibilities average citizens rose to in their attempts to safeguard their neighborhoods and families against a potential attack.
Richardson masterfully relates the realities of coming of age in WWII America.
Scotty’s older brother Eric and his younger sister Grace help him navigate this tumultuous time. Gas shortages, young men sent to battle overseas, and the loss suffered by a community when one of their own is killed in battle.
Richardson also explores the plight of Japanese Americans during WWII. The loss of this part of his community directly impacts Scotty and his family when his friends and neighbors are sent to internment camps—regardless of their citizenship. To Scotty it seems incomprehensible and senseless, but Richardson confronts such an important historical fact directly.
Yet more troubles intrude on Scotty’s world. We meet his nemesis, Simon Lashbaugh, a bully who lives on the other side of the park.
He torments and confuses Scotty until he doesn’t know if he can trust his own brother. In his turmoil, Scotty confides in his sister and his buddies to help save his brother from the accusation that he is an arsonist setting fires during the city’s blackouts.
Richardson brings to life the experiences of an average American kid who loves his hometown of Seattle—fishing with friends, running errands for his mom, and sharing secrets with his siblings.
Our hero Scotty is not perfect. He’s a teenage boy who constantly thinks about girls, struggles with math, and tries to please his parents. He wants to survive school and adolescence and make sense of the chaos of WWII contrasted against his serene world.
An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze grabs readers’ attention with a depiction of the great apprehension and uncertainty experienced by America’s youngest citizens during World War II.
Richardson’s characters leap off the page and will capture the hearts of all who enjoy a fast-paced historical war story about a struggling family and the boy who helps save his neighborhood.
The Chaucer Awards are named after Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of The Canterbury Tales. But Chaucer was hardly the only writer of past ages. Female writers of the past are often overlooked, so during this Award cycle, we’re going to highlight some of them in Chaucer posts.
The Disk of Enheduanna, discovered in 1927 by Leonard Wooley, now in the Penn Museum
The oldest known writer in history is Enheduanna
She was High Priestess of the Sumerian Moon Goddess Nanna, and Daughter of Sargon the Great, the first King of the Akkadian empire. Living in approximately 2300 BCE, she composed 42 temple hymns and 3 stand-alone poems. While her Father was uniting Mesopotamia and creating one of the worlds first empires, she was uniting their religions, her hymns being used to combine the worship of Inanna and Ishtar. One of her poems, Inanna and Ebih, even has the distinction of being the first text to have illustrations.
Another female writer, Murasaki Shikibu, wrote Genji Monogatari, also known as The Tale of Genji in about 1000- 1012 CE in Japan.
The Tale of Genji is considered to be one of the worlds first Novels, directly inspired by her life as a Lady-in-waiting in the Royal court. What’s interesting about her novel is how much of it centers on the female perspective, of the women in Genji’s life and how they shaped his fate. While the book is an amazing example and look into Japanese Culture at that time, it also still has points that are still able to be seen in Modern Japanese society. It is however thought that the last 10 chapters may have been written by her daughter, poet Daini no Sanmi.
However, the Chaucer Awards focus on work written in the last 3 years.
Pre-Historical Fiction- Anything before written history. Neolithic and Neanderthal type stories. The Clan of The Cave Bear by Jean Auel or The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle are good examples.
Ancient Historical Fiction- Greek, Roman, Egyptian; Classical History
Dark Ages, Medieval, Renaissance
Elizabethan/Tudor
1600s
World/International History Pre-1750s
Americas- Historical Fiction Pre-1750s
Legend Based Pre-1750s Historical Fiction (Arthurian, Beowulf, Chaucer)
Rebecca Kightlinger – The Lady of the Cliffs: The Bury Down Chronicles, Book Two
C.V. Lee – Token of Betrayal
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHAUCER Awards is:
The Merchant from Sepharad
By James Hutson-Wiley
Now it is our pleasure to celebrate some of the Early Historical Fiction that’s come to us lately!
EDGED In PURPLE
By John W. Feist
Edged in Purple by John W. Feist welcomes readers to a place outside of time and space, a liminal space where characters of myth wait to return to their fated stories.
The Fold is a beautiful land, a near-utopia shepherded– literally– by Thetis and Peleus of Greek mythology. They raise the heroine of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, Perdita, after her father had accused her mother of betraying him with another, the whole sad story a product of his own paranoia.
Perdita’s story is proceeding as it was written. She has already met Florizel, the man who should be the hero of her romance– when her story is intersected by another. Just as The Winter’s Tale features royal courts, doomed relationships, mistaken identities, and family murder, so too does an ancient Greek drama: the Oresteia of Aeschylus, the story of Agamemnon after the Trojan War.
Mack Little’s historical fiction novel Daughter of Hades explores the lives of slaves during the age of pirates.
Little’s research shines in her thoughtful presentation of the Caribbean islands, the escaped slaves who found freedom amongst them, the lives of buccaneers and maroons, and their daring and dangerous exploits.
On the first page, Little introduces us to Geraldine, or “Dinny”, running for her life from her owner, Owen Craig, who has just raped her.
THE SHERIFF: Book Three of The Druid Chronicles
By A.M. Linden
The Sheriff, the third installment of A.M. Linden’s Druid Chronicles series about 9th-century life in Anglo-Saxon England, fully immerses readers in that distant era with all of its joys, conflicts, and hardships.
Trained from his youngest years in the military, Stefan has learned both battle skills and leadership, with the ability to approach a situation without causing it to get out of hand. He is fiercely loyal, but continually denied a larger role in the kingdom’s army. His latest indignity came with the king assigning him as sheriff of Codswallow, a paltry village. With a retinue of less than 10 people including his slave, he has to collect taxes and keep the peace.
The novel shows two major episodes. The first follows his Codswallow days, including his relationship with Jonathan, owner of the Three Dragons Inn. Stefan learns that Jonathan is paying protection money to keep bandits away from the inn, and carries out a series of plans to discover who is, what we could call, the crime boss.
Elodia is a young woman driven by dreadful circumstances to act with deadly force in the Robert S. Phillips novel Elodia’s Knife.
What Elodia hoped would be her leap away from danger instead left her surrounded by perilous threats that now threaten to consume her. Armed with her courage, determination, instincts, and a trusty knife, Elodia faces a hostile world in foreign territory.
Not all are against her though. Allies– even a friend– can be found, if Elodia can summon the bravery to listen to her feelings and own deep wishes.
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs Levels of Achievement is so worthwhile! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each list is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter!
Only 8 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!
The Chaucer Awards for Early Historical Fiction, The Goethe Awards for Late Historical Fiction, and the Laramie Awards for Western and Americana Fiction are still open!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction!
Gina Buonaguro – The Virgins of Venice
Griffin Brady – The Hussar’s Duty
Robert S Phillips – Elodia’s Knife
Rozsa Gaston – Margaret of Austria
Rebecca Kightlinger – The Lady of the Cliffs: The Bury Down Chronicles, Book Two
C.V. Lee – Token of Betrayal
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Chaucer Grand Prize Winner:
The Merchant from Sepharad by James Hutson-Wiley
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Goethe Awards!
Lisa Voelker – The Spoon
Robert W Smith – A Long Way from Clare
Mitzi Zilka – Water Fire Steam
Susanne Dunlap – The Adored One
Linda Ulleseit – The River Remembers
Nicole Evelina – Catherine’s Mercy
William Maz – Bucharest Legacy: The Rise of the Oligarchs
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Goethe Awards Grand Prize Winner:
If Someday Comes by David Calloway
Congratulations to the 2023 Winners of the Laramie Awards!
Barbara Salvatore – The Trail to Niobrara
T.K. Conklin – Promise of Spring
Elizabeth Woolsey – The Travels of Dr. Rebecca Harper A Matter of Time
Daniel Greene – Northern Dawn (Northern Wolf Series Book 4)
K.S. Jones – Tastefully Texas
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Laramie Grand Prize Winner:
The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery by Thomas Goodman
The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
Only 10 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!
The Dante Rossetti Award for Young Adult Fiction and The Little Peeps Awards for Children’s and Early Readers are still open!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Dante Rossetti Awards for YA Fiction!
Kerry Chaput – Chasing Eleanor
Lynn Yvonne Moon – Fish Scales
Sophia Krich-Brinton – A Song Like the Wind
J.A. Nielsen – The Claiming
Trish MacEnulty – Cinnamon Girl
S.R. Klusman – Luna: Book 2 of The Adventures of Rhone & Stone
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Dante Rossetti Awards Grand Prize Winner:
Sour Flower
manuscript
by Maryanne Melloan Woods
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Little Peeps Awards for Children’s and Early Readers!
Beth Davis – Lacinda the Lion is a Super Youneek Beast
Adalgisa and David Nico – Fish in the Desert: The Untold Story of the Death Valley Pupfish
Ruth Amanda – Geckos in the Garden
Jonna Laster – Nutshell Regatta
Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover , Jessica Alexanderson – The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
T.K. Sheffield – The Night Icelandic Horses Saved Christmas Eve
Raven Howell – Friends Come in all Sizes
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Clue Awards Grand Prize Winner:
The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, Jessica Alexanderson
The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
If you are attending or if you are in the area of the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association conference held at the DoubleTree Hilton at SeaTac, we invite you to drop by and see us at our exhibit tables in the Grand Foyer at the hotel.
The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, located next to SeaTac International Airport, is just a mile west of the I-5 corridor, 15 minutes from Downtown Seattle and an easy drive to Federal Way or Tukwila, Washington.
You don't need to be registered for PNWA to drop by during 9 - 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
when we are exhibiting at the conference in the Grand Foyer of the hotel.
David Beaumier, Chanticleer’s Communications and Marketing Director, Dena Weigel, Chanticleer’s Reviews Coordinator, and I (Kiffer Brown, Head Hen) are staffing the Chanticleer Exhibit Tables. We will have all kinds of fun swag, discounts, and information available (and candy).
David Beaumier, Communications and Marketing Manager at ChanticleerDena Weigel, Reviews Coordinator for Chanticleer Reviews
And find out more information about the Roost, Chanticleer’s Private Online Community
Also, Kiffer (that’s me), is presenting at the Moveable Book Feast on Friday and Saturday from 12;30 to 1:30 at the Cascade Rooms 1 & 2.
The Moveable Book Feast is a lunchtime event where attendees can three mini-sessions of their choice.
Friday’s Session at Table 4 is the much requested WRITE FAST / EDIT SLOW session
Saturday’s Session at Table 3 I will present the very useful ELEMENTS of EFFECTIVE BOOK COVER DESIGN
Head Hen of Chanticleer – Kiffer Brown
MEANWHILE Save the Date for the Chanticleer Authors Conference, the CIBA Banquet and Ceremony, and Sunday’s Books By the Bay Book Fair that will be held all day on Sunday, April 6th at Village Books, Fairhaven. Village Books is recognized as being one of the top independent bookstores in the USA.
The Mystery and Mayhem Awards is inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, one of the most influential crime writers in history, and along with Arthur Conan Doyle, led to the prevalence of the British Crime genre, in both TV and Books. M&M focuses on Cozy Mysteries, where the violence is often pushed aside, and the Amateur Sleuth reigns supreme. Why have Police and Detectives solve a mystery when meddling old ladies like Miss Marple can do it better.
In contrast to this we have the Clue Awards. Clue is the more violent, gritty, thriller and suspense type mysteries.
Liese Sherwood-Fabre – The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait
Gail Grant Park – We Are Shadows: An Irish Ghost Story
Rebecca Olmstead – Dreams and Illusions
Elizabeth Crowens – Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles
Patrick E. Craig – The Quilt That Knew
E. W. Finke – Coyote’s Wail
Lyn Squire – Immortalised to Death
The Grand Prize Winner for the 2023 Mystery & Mayhem Awards is:
A Haunting at Linley
A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel
By Michelle Cox
And now it is our pleasure to highlight some of the best Cozy and Not-so-Cozy Mystery Books we’ve had the pleasure of reading this summer!
IF TWO ARE DEAD: A Garnick & Paschal Mystery By Jeanne Matthews
An enigmatic raven-haired beauty mysteriously murdered and cast into a stranger’s grave, left for scurrilous resurrection men to uncover in the dark of night! In Jeanne Matthews’s historical mystery If Two Are Dead, Detectives Quinn Paschal and Gabriel Garnick take up this case of vicious murder and ignite a mire of secrets and resentment at the pinnacle of 1867 Chicago society.
After catching the body-snatchers in the act of stealing a freshly buried corpse to sell for medical research, Quinn and Garnick realize the body found in Emmett Buck’s grave is by no means that of a young man, but that of a woman, whose bloody head and clean clothes point to a complex mystery. With only her appearance and some identifying jewelry, Quinn insists they can and will catch the killer of ‘Marietta A.V.’ Enlisting the help of an unscrupulous journalist, they locate her husband, a wealthy and influential doctor.
The woman’s husband, Dr. Horace E. Vinings, offers them an incredible reward if they can find Marietta’s killer. But Quinn and Garnick suspect he might not like the answer he receives.
In the small Missouri town of Walkers Corner, it seems everyone has a dark secret. In Parallel Secrets by ML Barrs, a TV journalist comes to town to do a magazine piece on a missing girl and begins uncovering many of those hidden stories.
Motivated by feelings of guilt for not following up on a previous unsolved case, Vicky Robeson’s joins the search for the missing child. She’s tenacious in her investigation. As a TV station journalist currently between jobs, she has well-honed investigative skills, specifically in her ability to wheedle stories from even the most reluctant people. She’s familiar with Walkers Corner; and as a reporter for a St. Louis TV station, she covered the case of a never-identified mystery girl. She believes the two cases are connected. The similarities that link these cases to her own experiences as a child make her unable to let this new story go.
Safe to say, her investigating is not welcomed by most of the locals in this close-knit town.
In Alisse Goldberg’s engaging young adult mystery, The Ghost in the Garden, a curious 11-year-old must face the challenges of moving to a new city, losing old friends, making new ones, and encountering historic specters in her new home.
Sophie Madison seems none too happy about her recent move from the bustling city of Calgary, Ablerta to the smaller, quieter landscape of Stratford, Ontario. But upon arrival with her parents, she begins noticing the charm of the place, appearing like a step back in time. Their new house in particular catches her interest, with its tall turret topped by stained glass window panes where Sophie’s bedroom will be. In addition, the wild beauty of the backyard garden draws her in.
Soon, a mysterious blonde-headed girl named Tabitha appears in the garden.
After the murder of his sister, Dr. Walker Claybourne journeys to the Yucca Valley to wrap up Claire’s affairs– including the investigation, in David T. Isaak’s mystery novel, Things Unseen.
As a geology professor at the University of California in San Diego, a leading authority on volcanic landforms of the Southwest, Walker lives a life as solid and routine as the very rocks he studies. He has his tenure, his condo, and his quiet existence. On sabbatical to write a textbook, Walker plans on staying in Claire’s rented house just long enough to pack her things. However, he isn’t there long before guilt sets in as he realizes how little he knew his only sister.
With his parents both dead and his only other sibling teaching at Cambridge, Walker realizes how very alone he is, and he decides to investigate Claire’s murder.
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs Levels of Achievement is so worthwhile! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each list is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter!
Creating a tangible atmosphere in your storytelling is often a subtle force that plays a critical role in shaping a narrative and enveloping your reader in the story.
A good atmosphere – created through setting, tone, and sensory details – can transform a simple plot into a rich, immersive experience filled with bright skies, stormy weather, and everything in between. Here we’ll explore how atmosphere enhances the plot and why it’s essential for crafting stories that draws readers into their characters’ world and lets them experience it (nearly) first-hand.
Setting the Scene
Atmosphere begins with setting. The world in which a story unfolds is more than just a backdrop. it influences mood, behavior, and narrative flow. Imagine a thriller set in a foggy, empty street at night versus one set in a bright, bustling city. The atmosphere created by each setting will evoke different emotional responses and drive the plot in unique ways.
In Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, for example, the dark, oppressive atmosphere of a decaying mansion reflects the internal turmoil of Miss Havisham’s deteriorated mental state. By adding depth to the setting, it actually becomes a character in itself, influencing the actions and decisions of the protagonists. This synergy between setting and plot helps readers immerse themselves more fully in the story.
Enhancing Tension and Suspense
Atmosphere is crucial in creating tension and suspense. A story’s mood can build anticipation and keep readers on edge. For example, a tense atmosphere can heighten the stakes and make moments of danger feel more immediate and pressing.
Consider a suspenseful scene set on a foggy, deserted street. The shadows and lack of other people can amplify the sense of danger and unpredictability. The atmosphere makes the plot twists more gripping because it engages the readers’ senses and emotions, making the narrative’s tension more palpable.
Reflecting Internal States
Atmosphere can also mirror a character’s internal state, providing insight into their emotions and motivations. For example, in the opening scene of Jack London’s White Fang we find two men traveling alone across the snowy Yukon Territory. Their lives are under constant threat from the world around them. This mirrors the theme of the story and the torment its protagonist experiences as a wolf left to constantly fight for his survival.
This mirroring helps readers connect more deeply with the characters, as the external atmosphere echoes their internal struggles and triumphs. It adds a layer of emotional resonance to the plot, making characters’ experiences feel more authentic and impactful.
Creating Symbolism and Themes
Atmosphere can enhance themes and symbolism within a narrative. By weaving certain atmospheric elements into the story, authors can subtly reinforce thematic undertones and symbols. For instance, a recurring motif of decay and deterioration in a story can symbolize the moral or societal decline of the characters or setting.
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the opulent but hollow atmosphere of Gatsby’s parties to highlight themes of disillusionment and the emptiness of the American Dream. The atmosphere becomes a glittery vehicle for thematic exploration, enriching the plot’s complexity.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby in The Great Gatsby 2013 film
Guiding Reader Expectations
The atmosphere can guide readers’ expectations and shape their interpretation of the plot. A story that opens with a cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere might lead readers to anticipate a light, humorous tale. Conversely, a dark, foreboding atmosphere might set the stage for a more serious or tragic narrative.
By manipulating atmosphere, authors can subtly influence how readers engage with the plot, leading them to anticipate certain outcomes or questions about the narrative’s direction. This is seen in Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games, where the shanty town world her heroine, Katniss Everdeen, is born into is used as a comparison to the opulent wealth of Capitol City. This adds layers of complexity and surprise to the story as she must use the smarts she gained in her original environment to survive in a new and unusual place.
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen volunteering as tribute in place of her sister at the barbaric Reaping for the Capitol.
Deepening Immersion
Finally, atmosphere plays a crucial role in deepening reader immersion. A well-crafted atmosphere can transport readers to another world, making the plot more engaging and compelling. The sensory details, emotional undertones, and overall mood create a rich tapestry that draws readers in and holds their attention.
Whether it’s the cozy warmth of a small-town bakery or the cold, sterile environment of a high-tech laboratory, the atmosphere creates a sensory experience that enhances the plot and makes the story come alive. It helps readers visualize and feel the world of the story, making the plot more vivid and impactful.
Brick by Brick You Build A World Your Readers Can Feel
Atmosphere is a powerful tool in storytelling, enhancing the plot in ways that go beyond mere setting. By influencing mood, creating tension, reflecting internal states, and deepening thematic elements, atmosphere enriches the narrative and captivates readers. When done effectively, it turns a simple story into an immersive experience, making every plot twist and character development resonate more deeply.
So, the next time you’re crafting a story, remember that the atmosphere you create is as integral to the plot as the characters and events. It’s the subtle force that breathes life into your narrative and keeps readers’ attention until the very last clap of thunder!
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Unpaved by Anthony Horton is a pensive novel of how returning to one’s roots can reveal hints on how to move forward after a lifetime of grief.
