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NORTH QUEEN by Nicola Tyche – Epic Fantasy, Romance, Action Adventure

Norah Andell, Princess of Mercia and future North Queen, has been missing for three years.

Her father secreted her away to protect her from a prophesied attack in a ten-year war, but he dies shortly after their departure and takes her location to the grave. Alexander Rhemus, Lord Justice to Queen Regent Catherine, Norah’s grandmother, was told by a seer that Norah would be found in the deep forests of the Northern Kingdom, and has searched the woods ceaselessly. Having loved her since they were children, Alexander’s desperation leads him to the Wilds, a legendary and feared area where men often do not return. So opens The North Queen.

To Alexander’s shock, he finds Norah, who has no memories of her former life or even of her own name. At first, she refuses to believe she’s the missing princess, now Queen, and bristles against her newfound world and the restraints it casts upon her.

Norah struggles with a position she doesn’t want, governing a people on the verge of starvation and facing an arranged marriage to protect her people from the Shadow King, a ruthless man hell-bent on taking her kingdom.

With few choices left to save the land she feels responsible for protecting, Norah agrees to marry King Phillip of Aleon, hoping to unite against the advancing Shadowland army and fulfill a prophecy that will bring defeat to her fabled enemy. However, Norah’s life takes another drastic turn when the Shadow King kidnaps her. The longer she spends in the company of Mikael Ratha Shal, Salar of Kharav, the less sure she is of her path, and his reputation. Norah will have to make a life-defining, fate-altering decision. Will she choose herself or her kingdom?

This story centers on Norah’s search for identity.

From the first page, she is desperate to learn who she is. But the search goes beyond that. Norah must discover more than her name and her favorite food. She must find who she is as a person and the values that life experience should have given her. From her mostly well-meaning but pushy grandmother to her one-time love, she is bombarded with roles to play, which she doubts she would want in any variation of herself.

Not only must she literally relearn everything about herself, but she must also purge the world of the Shadow King.

She bears her own kingdom’s problems alongside the expectation of overthrowing another. Her old self tugs at her, a rebellious girl who wants only to run away with the handsome Alexander. However, she more keenly feels the heavy weight of duty, which cares little for her heart. She will do anything to keep her people safe, even if it means marrying a stranger. For fear of disappointing those who depend on her, Norah pushes herself to her physical and emotional limits.

Norah’s love interests foil one another, Salar Mikael and Lord Justice Alexander creating an interesting dichotomy.

Alexander is literally the “golden boy,” with his blonde hair and light eyes. He is the subject of Norah’s dreams while she is in Mercia, and they spend moments lost within a past that she can only recall in fragmented scenes. He is everything a woman could want, honorable and valiant, even though she must give him up for her contracted marriage. The past they share gives Norah an enthralling sense of home.

Mikael, the Shadow King, seems at first glance to be everything he is rumored to be, cruel, cold, and bloodthirsty. However, Norah soon begins to see the man behind the myth, a man who wants what she does – to protect his kingdom and end the war started by his father. Though he thinks her death is necessary, Mikael is surprised to see her bravery and fortitude, the spirit of a queen. Just as she struggles with this new reality, he battles to keep her at a distance.

Norah has been told to hate this man, this killer, but along with the rest of her memories, she has lost those twenty-five years of indoctrination.

Though Mikael holds her hostage, she begins to see another perspective. Their fiery battles start to feel like something more, but when Alexander reappears in her life, she falls back into confusion. This love triangle adds engaging romance to an action-packed plot and will make the reader long for the sequel.

July 5, 2023
Happy Fourth of July from Chanticleer 2023

Celebrating the 4th of July – Independence Day in the U.S.A.

In July 1776 the United States declared Independence from England.

John Dunlap printed copies of the Declaration of Independence in his Philadelphia shop on the night of July 4, 1776. (National Archives Identifier 301682)

The primary freedoms that everyone remembers from the Declaration of Independence is “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” You can read the full Declaration here via the National Archives. It’s about two pages long and worth taking the time to review it.

Of course, the Declaration of Independence didn’t mean freedom for all…

Since US Independence was declared, the path to voting rights for all has been a long one getting from there to here, and there’s still more work to be done. You can read an abridged history of the journey of voting rights for women and people of color here, with special attention paid to the 19^thAmendment.

And we now have Juneteenth, a Texas holiday that is now celebrated nationwide. . The holiday celebrates a June 19, 1865 proclamation that freed enslaved peoples in Texas. Texas then, in 1979, became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday. You can learn more about Juneteenth here.

You can also read Ralph Ellison’s posthumously released novel by the same name.

Clearly, the US Independence Day has a deep, rich history that still lives on and evolves today. The traditions to celebrate the Fourth of July also continue to change and grow with the world.

Here in Bellingham, Wash., there will be a celebration at Zuanich Point Park and the Squalicum Boathouse. Events begin at 2pm, and, with sunset around 9:16pm, the big event begins at 10:30pm! You can learn more about this and other Whatcom County Events here.

Bellingham’s Old City Hall

It is also a time to remember those who serve and have served to preserve our nation’s independence and democracy.

We invite you to visit Chanticleer’s most recent Memorial Day post here.

Finally, we want to celebrate the US Independence Day in the most Chanticleer way possible — by recognizing wonderful titles . We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Great Reads from Chanticleer Reviews

US Fiction and Early History

DELAWARE BEFORE The RAILROADS
By Dave Tabler

Delaware Before the Railroads by Dave Tabler presents a captivating visual tale of this tiny state, from 1638 to 1832, ranging between early colonial settlements and the aftermath of America’s Independence.

Delaware’s place in this seminal time of United States history is carefully illustrated through pictures with wonderful captions. Delaware Before the Railroads highlights the significant role played by Delaware in America’s creation, uncovering surprising historical details such as the origin of log houses, a heroic figure who thwarted the British invasion of Canada, and the intriguing connection with Captain Kidd.

The pictures and captions are highlighted by sidebar paragraphs that deliver more knowledge about what life was like for the Swedes and Dutch who settled near Delaware Bay. They found, for instance, a “new world” of seafood they didn’t recognize, such as the crabs they called “sea spiders.”

Read more here.

DELPHIC ORACLE, U.S.A.
By Steven Mayfield
Mark Twain Grand Prize Winner

The Coen Brothers meet Garrison Keillor in Steven Mayfield’s quirky, offbeat, and often hilarious Delphic Oracle, U.S.A.

One June afternoon in 1925, seventeen-year-old Maggie Westinghouse, out walking alone as was her custom, comes upon a stranger in a railroad switch-house asleep on a pile of gunnysacks. Maggie, who has always stood a little apart from the town, has recently begun to experience visions that come upon her “in a leisurely way,” ending in a swoon and a restless sleep filled with exotic talk of which she later has no memory. No one knows what to make of it, but they soon will. After this afternoon’s chance encounter with July Pennybaker, a charming grifter on the lam, her world will never be the same. Neither will the town of Miagrammesto Station.

Eighty-nine years later, in the days leading up to and following the July 4th weekend, domestic dramas are playing out across Delphic Oracle, Nebraska (nee Miagrammesto Station).

Read more here.

EVERYTHING THAT WAS
By Conon Parks, Chris Sempek, Mike MacNeil, Larry Knight
Somerset Grand Prize Winner

Everything That Was echoes myriad broken emotions born of the world in turmoil after 9/11, intricate and politically bold, and as disturbing in its brutal humanity as it is satisfying with witty jests.

The 9/11 terrorist attack has shattered the psyche of the American people. A volcanic eruption of questions demands the whys and hows of the attack. From this anger, a massive war on terror begins. This historical fiction reflects the chaos of 9/11 and its ensuing global chaos – resulting in a series of violent endeavors and events. Throughout Everything That Was, one can find a swarm of fragmented ideologies, mini memoirs of war veterans, and witness accounts – all screeching reasons for the attack, the ensuing war, and its consequences: political, ideological, and theological.

The book’s very structure expresses the central ideas of its content, making for an affecting read.

Read more here.

Wartime Fiction and Non-Fiction

DEAR BOB: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II
By Martha Bolton with Linda Hope
Military and Front Line Grand Prize Winner

During World War II, Bob Hope traveled almost ceaselessly to outposts large and small, entertaining US troops – and inspiring them; Martha Bolton brings the extent of this work to light in Dear Bob.

Writer Martha Bolton worked with and for comedian Bob Hope. Now, with Hope’s daughter Linda, she has gathered and organized the letters written to Bob by the soldiers he helped.

Hope, English born, and born to entertain, once said he could not retire and go fishing because “Fish don’t applaud.” Among his sizzling lines – and there are hundreds recorded here – he told one audience that he’d gotten a wonderful welcome when he arrived at their camp: “I received a 10-gun salute… They told me on the operating table.”

Read more here.

SEEING GLORY: A Novel of Family Strife, Faith & the American Civil War
By Bruce Gardner

Seeing Glory by Bruce Gardner is a sweeping, thought-provoking Christian historical novel of the American Civil War. The novel portrays the critical roles of family ties and religious faith in shaping personal attitudes and actions towards the horrors of slavery and the war itself.

Spanning the era from the famous abolitionist John Brown’s Pottawatomie Massacre in 1856 through the end of the war nine years later, Seeing Glory focuses on the gut-wrenching conflicts over slavery and the southern way of life faced by David, Emma, and Catherine Hodge, fictional siblings, raised on a wealthy plantation in Virginia.

David returns home from a prestigious northern college filled with radical new perspectives. He challenges his father’s and his southern church’s assurances that the Bible says slavery is approved by God. When David calls out the truth as he now sees it, he ignites a firestorm that tears him away from his family at the beginning of the Civil War, sparking huge changes in their individual destinies. Soon after meeting Abel Bowman—an ardent abolitionist and follower of John Brown—David moves north to Ohio and becomes an embedded war reporter with Abel’s Union army regiment. Mutual zeal for the abolitionist cause abounds, but will it help or hinder the two men’s endurance of horrific battlefield violence and scandalous personal accusation?

Read more here.

This Independence Day, we wish you the following:

May your family and loved ones be close and happy. May we share in the benefits of a community that cares for and loves each other.

Happy Fourth of July from Sharon, Kiffer, David, Scott, Anya, Andy, and the whole Chanticleer Team!

And Remember! You can join the Chanticleer Family Anytime!

CAC 23 featured atty Maggie Marr, magazine editor Eric Lucas, author Mark Berridge, podcaster and broadcast journalist Reenita Malhotra Hora, and more!

To stay up to date with exciting news about our conference, your next great read, or contest deadlines, sign up for our Newsletter here!

Check out our Editorial Services here and our Manuscript Overviews here, OR, if your work is already polished to a fine shine, it’s time to submit to our Editorial Reviews here and our Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) here!

Your book deserves to be discovered!

July 4, 2023
BLACK WING SKY: Gehenna Series Book 4 by Kaylin McFarren – Paranormal, Action & Adventure, Epic Fantasy

When it seems as if evil can never be vanquished, where does one find the strength to fight on?

In Kaylin McFarren’s Black Wing Sky, Samara Daemonium must reach for fragile tendrils of hope to pull herself forward against a deadly new threat on the planet of Nexus.

Battling her inner demons, Samara ends a harmonious future with her kindred soulmate. She takes up a terror-filled quest to defeat the deadly Black Dragon and afterwards, she must stop Lucifer, the heinous ruler of Hell, who, with his daughter Lucinda, is determined to destroy Samara’s entire family.

This fourth and final novel in the page-turning Gehenna series presents the salacious and sinister Lucifer, who wields great power, while building a new threat in Hell. Meanwhile on planet Nexus, fire-breathing dragons are determined to destroy all living beings within it. In the midst of her mission to defeat them, Samara is kidnapped. The Black Dragon himself holds her prisoner and has wicked plans for her. How can she ever escape?

Reunited with her loved ones, Samara holds onto the joys of her life, especially her twin sons. Her family’s safety remains a foremost concern in Samara’s mind as she struggles with her identity until the final epic scene on planet Nexus.

Author Kaylin McFarren brings terror to life as the power of evil is let loose on the unsuspecting. This story propels the reader forward at an exciting pace through tense battles, perilous adventures, and precious hopes. The characters in this story carry intense struggles with them as begin to find understanding of the nature of demon kind, desperation, and the conflict between faith and fragility.

Black Wing Sky concludes the Gehenna series with thought-provoking themes of good versus evil, exploring the true source for the motives behind each, and whether the two can ever be separated, or if they remain to be an eternal struggle.

June 30, 2023
STIFF HEARTS by Jo Deniau – Historical Fiction, 1950s, Family & Social Issues

Stiff Hearts by Jo Deniau follows the journey of a youthful soul, Gillian Jeanne Rysert, as she tries to live with openness and connection despite the abuse she suffered from her mother.

As Gillian stood at the front of her patio, she couldn’t help but wonder whether her mum, Hannah, truly valued her, after going through utmost scorn and hatred. As readers will learn, Hannah could not deliver such love as she had not grown up with it either. Instead, Hannah had chosen to maintain a routine of reminding Gillian of her lamentable birth, without regard for how deep the sentiments would slash her daughter’s spirit.

Brutality had rocked Hannah’s family and, in turn, Gillian learned early not to oppose Hannah’s remarks under threat of a brisk slap. The two women lacked a mother’s adoration and, so deprived, had hardened their own hearts.

But hope and excitement would radiantly shimmer on Gillian months later, as she secured herself a job and an apartment in Greenwich Village.

This unprecedented change delivered much-needed independence and serenity. She began to nurture a sense of self-worth as she found herself at the center of attention in her workplace, away from her heartbreaking past and draconian mother. However, memories still plagued her, including her sister’s and father’s untimely demise, along with her own narrowly-evaded childhood death. These traumas stall her personal transformation and make her question whether she had any chance of ever opening her stiffened heart to love.

This story will fill myriad readers with empathy, adoration, and understanding, as Gillian’s struggles relate to the social conflicts of the modern day.

Gillian’s reckoning with her traumatic past shows the hope of awakening to a brighter tomorrow. Stiff Hearts is a tale of resilience in the face of fear, and the courage to leap into new opportunities even if one might falter. All the characters are well-hewn, creating a rich and complex narrative with important lessons to teach.

As Jo Deniau discloses, being on the receiving end of cruel and unrelenting criticism, especially when it comes from a parent, weighs heavy on the heart.

Gillian’s story sheds light on the damage of this kind of criticism. It skillfully presses the importance of decent and ethical parenting, to create a haven for children. Deniau is an author whose concept of life is exceptionally alluring, and whose strong convictions and regard for current subjects weave throughout her writing.

Stiff Hearts by Jo Deniau won First Place in the 2022 CIBA Somerset Awards for Literary and Contemporary Fiction.

June 28, 2023
How to Market Your Works Like a Book Publicist – a Primer by Kiffer Brown
First, let’s address the question of

“How is Book Publicity Different than Book Marketing?”

Generally speaking, marketing involves spending dollars for ads, promotions, events, swag, etc. where publicity is trying to connect people with the author.

If something organic works publicity-wise, then perhaps consider spending marketing dollars (and time) to amplify the results.

MARKETING is about CONVERSIONS.

PUBLICITY is about EXPOSURE and BUILDING CREDIBILITY.

Another way to think of the difference is that publicity is more like hashtags in social media while marketing would be more like purchasing ad directed toward people/platforms that using those hashtags.

Publicity helps marketing direct campaign dollars. Publicity should help you target your marketing dollars.

Authors should try to zero in on what their potential readers could look like and which outlets are the best for reaching those targets. Sometimes (more often than not), going in deep (some say guerilla marketing) towards a specific target audience for podcasts, blogging, and events (publicity) and then expanding the spheres if a strategy that works (marketing).

Marketing campaigns can happen at any time for almost any product (books are products).

However, publicity campaigns cannot. Publicity campaigns need to be news worthy! And your book’s most newsworthy event is its launch.

Create a solid PLATFORM from which to LAUNCH
1. A Website that echoes your branding along with how to connect and contact you.
2. Branding – your author brand for the genre that you are writing in
3. Social Media – again, posts and backgrounds should echo your author brand and book storyline. Give social media posts time to percolate. It takes time to build transaction. Keep at it! Be sure to use hashtags and tagging for cross-promotion.
4. Pre-launch book reviews (the cornerstone of your marketing & publicity strategies
5. Pre-launch book blurbs from peer authors and authors up the “food chain” from you.
6. Business cards – that projects your brand along with website address, social media handles, email address, and any other means of connecting with you.
  
  NOTE: Make sure that you reserve a different email address for your one-to-one business correspondence that you can make known after initial contacts to avoid SPAM. For business cards, perhaps: Author@BestBookEver.com instead of LastName@BestBookEver.com
7. Press & Media kits – for those entities that want to promote your book! A media kit is a collection of materials that you can send to journalists, bloggers, and other media outlets, and even other author’s newsletters. It should include your book’s cover, blurb, author bio, and any other relevant information.
8. Determine the best SEO, Meta-Data, Targeting, ISBNs, etc. for your book to be discovered digitally and on the global market. * See Item 4 Book Reviews.
Launching – Probably the Most Useful Tactic to Create Book Buzz

Are Launch Dates Important? A resounding YES!

Launch dates hold immense potential in creating a buzz around your book. Here’s how to make your book’s launch effective:
- Designate a launch date at least six months before publication. It takes time to coordinate:
  - Launch parties (and, yes, you may have more than one). Consider having launch parties in bookstores, local book clubs, private parties, events that your potential readers might attend, clubs, and organizations. Consider your sphere on influence.
  - Also, launch digital, print, audio, omnibuses, and foreign releases separately. However, the first launch party is main event.
  - Signings, targeted events, refining your website, develop branding, obtain advanced reviews with ARCs, build excitement via podcasts, blogs, virtual events, etc.
  - Enter your work into award programs
  - Send out invitations to all the events, create social media events, ZOOM events, In Real Life Events.
- There are certain promotions, that can only happen before a book is published. New books and book launches are newsworthy only if promoted before publication date. There is only so much even a professional book publicist can do after the book has been published.
- Be selective with your launch date(s). Make sure that they don’t conflict with major holidays or busy seasons. Is your work a beach read? Or a cozy fall mystery? A chilling Nordic thriller? Or a romance? Or historical fiction (release on an important date related perhaps). New Year reads for Self-Improvement? My rule of thumb is try not to release/debut books from November 1 until December 31st. Even if you book is only six weeks old, it will be considered a year-old in the upcoming new year by most of the publishing and book industries.
Food for Thought: Think how you would react to a “wedding invitation” versus a “wedding announcement.” One is inviting you to share in the celebration itself. Sometimes with a “Save the Date” announcement to build excitement and to help people with scheduling time to take part. Think about how special the invitation and the “Save the Date” announcements make you feel. Remember, the last time one of your author friends invite you at the last minute – day of or the day before – to join them at a book event, but you already had made plans. A wedding announcement (akin to you telling people about your book being published) is a “has been” event.

Collaboration takes time.

Just because your work is ready to publish, doesn’t mean that you should. My advice (and that of book publicists and traditional publishers) is to wait until you have your launch date and preparations underway.

Snowflakes and Books
- Book publicity campaigns are like snowflakes. No two are ever alike.
- Promoting a children’s book is different than promoting a young adult book, or a How-To or Self-Help Guide, or a cozy mystery, or science fiction.
- This circles back around to identify and then knowing and understanding your targeted readers for your book. And, no, it isn’t “everybody” will want to read my book.
- Collaborate and Follow Other Authors in Your Book’s Genre. Discover what they are doing to promote their books.
READERS

Identify Who your readers are, which can be different than Who makes the purchase. For an example: Children’s books are not purchased by children. Or would your books make a great gift? Or those who are rabid fans of a genre (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, etc.) looking for the next series.

Then discover Where They Hang Out (Facebook? TikTok? Instagram? Podcasts? YouTube? Magazines? Hobby Hangouts? etc.)

When are the times when purchases are made for your books? Is it a summer read? A hunker down Fall & Winter read? A holiday read? Gail Noble-Sanderson’s Lavender Series (historical fiction) books sell exceedingly well during lavender season. I read Michelle Cox’s “A Spying Eye” novel based in Strasbourg in the Henrietta and Inspector Clive series while on vacation in Strasbourg. How fun was that!

INFLUENCERS
- Who are the influencers of your genre?
- Who are the top ten authors in your genre?
- Who are the non-book influencers of your genre? (Book clubs? Bloggers? Reviewers? Book-Tok?)
- Who are you considering to request book blurbs and peer reviews from?
CORNERSTONES – A Review
- Author Branding across all media (website, social media, in-person events, podcasts, Zoom calls, book clubs)
- Reviews:
  - Start with a manuscript overview prior to editing
  - Editorial Reviews
  - Peer Reviews
    
    Editorial Reviews and Peer Reviews Lead to More Consumer Reviews
- Compelling Website – that is dedicated to your author brand/books. Remember all digital roads (social media campaigns, blogs, podcasts, etc.) should lead back to YOUR website – not Amazon.
  - Collect emails so you can stay in contact with your potential readers and fans.
  - Links to selling platforms?
  - Newsletter, blog, information sharing (where people can connect with you – at conferences, conventions, author signings, wine tastings, presentations, etc.) Where you have been and where are you going.
- ENGAGE! Blogging? Newsletters? Book Clubs? Author Events? How are you going to interact with potential readers?
- How is a best-seller in your genre marketed? Not that you need to copy, but to become more aware of different strategies.
Tips and Reminders for Generating Publicity for Your Book

If you’re an author, you know that getting your book noticed can be tough. But there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success. One of the most effective ways to generate publicity for your book is to use a simple, direct, and conversational writing style.

Here are a few tips for using this writing style to generate publicity for your book:
- Start early. The best time to start generating publicity for your book is as soon as you finish writing it. This will give you plenty of time to build excitement and anticipation for your book’s release.
- Create a media kit. A media kit is a collection of materials that you can send to journalists, bloggers, and other media outlets. It should include your book’s cover, blurb, author bio, headshot and photo reflecting your author brand, along with any other relevant information, affiliations, and events.
- Reach out to influencers. Influencers are people who have a large following on social media or in their industry. They can be a great way to get the word out about your book.
- Host events. Hosting events, such as book signings or launch parties, is a great way to connect with potential readers in person.
- Use social media. Social media is a powerful tool that you can use to promote your book. Make sure to post regularly about your book, and interact with your followers.
- Enter Book Awards for accolades along with third-party validation and promotional opportunities that you can cross-promote.
- Be patient. It takes time to generate publicity for your book. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Keep at it, and eventually you’ll start to see your book gain traction.
Every reader counts. Each and every review counts. You only get one launch per book. Make it count!

As a company frequently used by book publicists, Chanticleer has an insider’s view of the industry to discover expert tips that will help set your book up for success!

More that 2,000 new titles are published in the English language each and every day. However, most authors will not make the time or effort to effectively publicize and market their works. Make your work standout in a crowded field. It can be done!

Keep on writing. Kiffer
June 27, 2023
THIS TOO SHALL PASS by David Yuen – Poetry, Inspirational, Spirituality

Poet and philosopher David Yuen shares observations on the human experience, showing how the gifts of life outweigh its pains, though not without a thought-invoking skirmish between the two.

Covid-19 provoked Yuen to compose some poems fixed on the unique moments of the pandemic. One fascinating segment centers on a trip the author undertook to Ireland. It was a typical sort of tour, including a visit to the Blarney Castle, with the opportunity, which Yeun declined, to kiss the renowned Blarney Stone. Yet, he joined in the placing of stones, assisting a couple with one of the many stones they set around the world in memory of their departed son. Sharing in that small ritual was a high point of the journey, contrasting a low point as he scored positive on a Covid test and had to remain in Ireland for many days.

Though at the time it seemed tedious, Yuen reminded himself of how often he wished for simple solitude in his busy life, and how fortunate he was to isolate in such desirable surroundings.

Similar thoughts, rooted in a Christian perspective, occur to Yuen as he reads about the Russian attack on Ukraine, and the many implications of that war.

In all situations, ranging from such issues as Roe vs. Wade, personal stresses like a horrific accident narrowly averted while driving to work, or a rather amusing argument with his morning coffee, Yuen maintains a positive stance. He believes that God wants humans to face tragedies, wars, and personal vulnerabilities with resolve, as Jesus invited us to count our blessings and feel secure that we are, in fact, “lavishly loved.”

Yuen, a second-generation Chinese American, has developed the enviable ability to explore thorny issues and painful subject matter while maintaining an upbeat, spiritual viewpoint.

His descriptions of his inner thought processes – energetic, entertaining, and credible – will remind readers of their own sometimes-conflicted ways of chewing on problems. Despite the inner turmoil, Yuen keeps a positive light at the end of even the darkest tunnels. His well-considered outlook, encapsulated in the title This Too Shall Pass, should be welcomed by anyone trying to approach time-worn trials or embrace the challenge of new ones.

June 26, 2023
ECHO From A BAYOU by J. Luke Bennecke – Paranormal Thrillers, Suspense, Action & Adventure

John Bastian’s life is falling apart, but after a serious accident, he gains another one. In J. Luke Bennecke’s suspense thriller, Echo from a Bayou, John must tie up the loose ends of a man who died decades ago.

One misfortune after another beats John down. His wife divorces him, and his California business is going bust. On a ski trip to boost his mood, he fails to save a man from falling to his death out of a slopes-bound cable car. The next day, on the mountain, John slams head-first into a tree.

He’s not the only one who wakes up in his hospital bed.

An Echo from a Bayou flips the reader into a paranormal mystery. John Bastian of Southern California now shares his body and mind with one Jack Bachman, a Louisiana pilot who died 38 years ago. Living Jack’s memories, John travels to Louisiana’s bayous, hoping to find a woman Jack loved. Those murky waters also hide a fabulous treasure, worth billions of dollars.

But the hunt for these riches invites grave danger into John’s life, as Jack lost his own to it.

John struggles to understand his unique connection to this dead man. Is it reincarnation that brings them together? They have no family history bonding them together. And yet John, since he was an infant, has known details about Jack’s life. Until the skiing accident, he had no idea of his link with Jack, but as a child, John drew maps to the potential location of the treasure and even molded a tiny red-headed doll that resembles Tammy, Jack’s wife, in tantalizing detail.

While trying to track down Tammy and more information on the treasure, John encounters Adam, Jack’s identical twin. At first, Adam dismisses his claims, but when John tells him of a memory from the brothers’ early childhood, he has no choice but to believe him. John continues to sink into Jack’s life as he finds Tammy, now 20 years his senior. The two of them rekindle the old love bond Jack had shared with Tammy before he was brutally murdered.

This hardcore adventure thriller becomes all the more curious and suspenseful for its supernatural aura.

Bennecke brings both setting and characters into stark clarity with realistic and detailed descriptions. Echo from a Bayou will captivate readers with astonishing surprises and reveals as John falls down the rabbit hole of his other self.

Echo from a Bayou by J. Luke Bennecke will be available at a bookstore near you and through online retailers on August 8, 2023. Pre-order it here!

June 23, 2023
Less Than 10 Days to submit to the Journey, Cygnus, Dante Rossetti, and Chatelaine Awards
Attention Authors! Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards Deadlines approaching!

Only 10 days left to submit your books to the prestigious CIBAs and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!

These dynamic CIBA divisions await your submissions: Journey, Cygnus, Dante Rossetti, and Chatelaine. These sizzling book awards will set your summer ablaze with recognition and accolades.
- The Journey Awards: Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction.
- The Cygnus Awards: Celebrating the best in Science Fiction.
- The Dante Rossetti Awards: Honoring excellence in Young Adult Fiction.
- The Chatelaine Awards: Showcasing exceptional Romance Fiction.
We’ve listened to authors and readers, and our revised Book Award deadlines ensure faster information delivery for authors. Thank you for your patience as we fine-tune our schedule to create a seamless experience for all.

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.

Summer is the perfect season to get ahead of the game and submit your book to 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 18 -21, 2024)where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be honored.

In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.

Let’s celebrate exceptional storytelling together!

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!
June 22, 2023
AMBITION, ARROGANCE And PRIDE by Sandra Wagner-Wright – Revolutionary War, Biographical Historical Fiction, Family Saga

Sandra Wagner-Wright’s historical novel, Ambition, Arrogance and Pride, chronicles the rise of some of Salem, Massachusetts’s founding families, through the revolutionary war and beyond as they make their fortunes in far-off ports.

Wagner-Wright tells this story through several points of view, but it is her strong female characters who carry this story, women like Mary Derby, whose courtship and marriage to George Crowninshield begins this saga.

We follow Mary as she brings new life into the world while her husband is out at sea as captain of a merchant vessel. Wagner-Wright has done her research, making real the perils of pregnancy and childbirth in the 1700s. In keeping with the time and the rate of infant mortality, we suffer with Mary each time she loses a precious child.

Men such as Captain Richard Derby and George Crowninshield travel the sea in search of foreign ports, while women like Mary, Lydia, and Eliza hold their families together in this intricate and expertly crafted story.

Wagner-Wright breathes life into the world through the vernacular of the time and rich descriptions of the dress, table settings, and social decorum, developing a vivid view of Colonial America. These descriptions fascinate readers with the daily lives of merchants and colonists during the time, and the narrative surrounds us with the commerce and influencers of Salem’s politics.

This story shines a light on famed historical events such as the Boston Tea Party, filling them with the personal stakes of Salem’s central figures. These moments come to life through the eyes of the Derby and Crowninshield families.

Ambition, Arrogance and Pride immerses us in the lives of families tied by love and marriage as they vie for power, wealth, and status in a volatile and ever-changing world. The Author’s Notes, and Glossary of Terms are filled with fascinating information that helps readers navigate the specific discourse of the time.

Wagner-Wright’s writing earns a five-star review and will surely delight history buffs and readers of Americana everywhere.

June 21, 2023
Celebrating Juneteenth, 2023 with Great Reads from Chanticleer!

Happy Juneteenth from Chanticleer!

This is only the third year that we have celebrated June 19th as a federal holiday. We commemorate the June 19, 1865 proclamation that freed enslaved peoples in Texas. Texas then, in 1979, became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday. Way to go Texas! You can learn more about Juneteenth here.

Let us celebrate all that Juneteenth teaches us about our country’s greatness in our use of the heart to hear and to learn and to work together for all that is good and just. John Albuquerque

Even better, there’s a book called Juneteenth written by Ralph Ellison and published posthumously. While the book takes place in the 1950s and not 1865, it still seems like a worthwhile read.

Available at bookstores everywhere

“A stunning achievement . . . Juneteenth is a tour de force of untutored eloquence. Ellison sought no less than to create a Book of Blackness, a literary composition of the tradition at its most sublime and fundamental.”—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Time

2023 Thus Far Before Juneteenth

Thinking back through the past years so far, one of the most resonant things that’s happened is the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Justice Jackson’s record is a superb example of excellence. The decision was not without some controversy, as often can happen with the charged political climate in the United States. Thankfully, we have the wise words of Dr. Janice Ellis to help contextualize more of the thought process behind Justice Jackson. You can read our article on Dr. Ellis’s publication here, and the publication itself here.

As we continue to work to be the best society we can be today, we may often wonder what does the future hold?

Stacey Abrams made a surprise appearance in Star Trek: Discovery as President of Earth

We may not have the answers, but we do have some excellent books that we think are worth giving a read in the spirit of Juneteenth!

SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION: How Real Advocacy Journalism™ Should be Practiced
By Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D.
Nellie Bly Grand Prize

Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., introduces the journalistic theories of Walter Lippmann in her new non-fiction work, Shaping Public Opinion: How Real Advocacy Journalism™ Should be Practiced.

Walter Lippmann, considered one of the foremost journalists in the field over the last 100 years, was a mentor in absentia of Dr. Ellis in the art of advocacy journalism. During Lippmann’s 40+ year career, his columns were syndicated in over 250 newspapers nationwide and over 25 other international news and information outlets. Lippman focused on the ethical dissemination of information, especially about communities, society, and the world. A theory, which Dr. Ellis calls Real Advocacy Journalism™.

Real Advocacy Journalism™ theory pertains to foundational behavior and ethical standing for those who report on, translate, and share information with the masses. This theory identifies the tension between individualism and collectivism, the private sector and public sector, the ruling elite, and the dormant masses.

Read more here

Here is a link to an article by Janice Ellis that published in the renown Missouri Independent, June 6, 2022: “What is the state of the Black family unit in America today?”

https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/19/what-is-the-state-of-the-black-family-unit-in-america-today/

TROUBLE the WATER
By Rebecca Dwight Bruff
Overall Chanticleer Grand Prize

Robert Smalls’ life should have been one for the history books.

Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1839. When the first shots of the Civil War were fired upon Fort Sumter, Smalls was an experienced helmsman aboard a small cargo ship plying the coastal waters of South Carolina and the neighboring states. Once the war broke out, he found himself working to support a cause that kept him, his wife, and their children locked in chattel slavery.

But in a daring escapade that fell somewhere between a raid and a rescue, Smalls planned, with the help of his fellow crew members (also slaves) aboard the CSS Planter, to abscond with the ship, its cargo of munitions taken from Fort Sumter, and bring their families. The plan was to sail the ship as though its white officers were still on board, pretending to be carrying out their orders—at least until the ship was out of the reach of Fort Sumter’s guns.

Read more here.

PRISON From The INSIDE OUT: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom
By William “Mecca” Elmore & Susan Simone
Nellie Bly Grand Prize Winner

Prison from Inside Out: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom is an illuminating chronicle that tells the story of a man who not only survived the stoniest soil but used his experiences to thrive as a human being.

This arresting memoir is essentially a road trip of William ‘Mecca’ Elmore, a man with a tumultuous childhood, growing up in a neighborhood chock full of social problems. It is in this environment that Elmore is involved in a crime that consequently leads to his arrest and trial. The story builds upon his incarceration in various correctional facilities, his experiences, his release through a Mutual Agreement Parole Program, and his eventual redemption.

Read more here.

MYSTERY in HARARE: Priscilla’s Journey into Southern Africa
By M.J. Simms-Maddox
M&M First Place Winner

In M.J. Simms-Maddox’s atmospheric thriller, Mystery in Harare: Priscilla’s Journey into Southern Africa, a former legislative aide’s wedding day turns deadly.

As the second installment of The Priscilla Trilogy opens, Priscilla J. readies to walk down the aisle in an American church to marry Jonathan. Not the man of her dreams, but the man she believes may be right for her. Love isn’t exactly on the table, but Priscilla hopes it will be in the future.

Before she can even take her vows, her soon-to-be husband is murdered in cold blood in front of her and those in attendance. Priscilla catches a glimpse of the murderer before succumbing to unconsciousness. She’s been drugged, and the kidnappers will confound and surprise readers.

Read more here.

UP NORTH
By Abena Sankofa

One young Black woman turns detective when she realizes her family is in jeopardy in Abena Sankofa’s debut novel, Up North.

Teenage songbird Phyllis Joiner dreamed of one day seeing the glamorous North. But when her Uncle has been apprehended for an alleged crime, her wish may be about to be granted in the most distressing manner, beginning in 1933.

Phyllis Joiner always managed to get in trouble in one form or other. But she has no idea what ‘trouble’ will look like. Nineteen-year-old Phyllis is well-known for her spirited singing and piano playing in her Pa’s joint – “Daddy Joiner’s” local Music Club in Colchester County, Louisiana. But the Joiners live in a county where black schools do not go beyond the middle grade, and white supremacy rules the land.

Read more here.

JUS BREATHE
By B. Lynn Carter

A young woman strives to survive without a home, even as she must fight herself and her instincts, in Jus Breathe by B. Lynn Carter.

“It’s more like I walked away,” I said, fractured memories of the day I left surging into my mind. “My mother married herself a husband. It’s like the tale of the evil stepfather, I guess.” The words were spilling out. “On the first day that we moved in with him, he almost broke my jaw. So I left. She had to let me; you know – the survival thing. She knew. We both knew.”

In New York City during the tempestuous 1960s, Dawn flees an abusive family situation after her father leaves the family and her mother remarries. Determined to stay in education, she couch-surfs with friends and explores her contacts through school. Dawn manages to live and even graduate. With the help of sympathetic teachers and a social worker who believes in her, she goes to college. Dawn finds friends and boyfriends and makes her own way toward adulthood.

Read more here.

HOMEGOING
By Toni Ann Johnson
Shorts Grand Prize Winner

Homegoing by Toni Ann Johnson is an intimate portrait of a middle-aged African-American woman dragging herself hand over hand out of grief and despair.

This story begins with her aching, echoing pain after the one-two punch of a miscarriage and the dissolution of her marriage. Her journey takes her back to the upper-middle-class white suburb where she grew up, through childhood memories that refuse to be denied and to, of all times and places, a funeral.

Something and someone is supposed to be buried. Certainly the deceased. But quite possibly the woman who has held on to her losses and her grudges long enough to poison her own future.

Read more here.

Thank you for joining us for this Chanticleer Article Celebrating Juneteenth!

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June 19, 2023

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