In The Esmeralda Goodbye, Corey Lynn Fayman crafts a suspenseful crime story about a patrolman who becomes entangled in a criminal saga with stakes as high as his life.
The duty of investigating a suicide threat made by well-known author Raymond Chandler falls to Jake Stirling, one of the newest members of the San Diego Police Department. With a deft maneuver, Jake prevents Chandler from ending his life when he visits his apartment. This success fills Jake with excitement to make a name for himself in his new career as a police officer.
Months later, he’s called to investigate the theft of a diamond necklace from the Del Charro Hotel. Jake first questions a hopeful lead: J. Edgar, the FBI Director, who just so happened to be there during the raid. But though Jake plans to simply file a report so that detectives can be assigned to the case, he’s taken aback when the director encourages him to give up the case and concentrate his time elsewhere, such as assisting the decent, law-abiding citizens in the neighborhood. As he mulls over the director’s idea, a well-known name from the Creeper case— which had ruined his father, a police officer before his death— reappears.
Jake becomes engrossed in speculations about a piece of interest he took from Chandler’s house a few months earlier.
Moreover, he encounters a formidable investigative officer who is secretly working with a web of cartels. Jake’s life takes a drastic turn after a buddy passes away, and he quickly discovers that his independent demeanor has given his bosses cause for concern. Bearing down on him all the while, the Creeper case has turned its destructive attention from father to son.
Fayman has crafted a page-turner filled with drama, intrigue, and thrilling action that readers will find difficult to put down.
Starting with an unlikely sequence of events, the first chapters reveal unexpected motivations from unlikely individuals. A steady and regulated pace during the uncovering of the mystery keeps readers steeped in curiosity and ever-changing theories, with skillful distribution of clues. New information gradually comes to light through the interactions of real, multifaceted individuals, and a high degree of tension stretches from beginning to end.
“The Esmeralda Goodbye” is a masterpiece with excellent character development. Its remarkable tale and charming hero revel in the excess of 1950s Southern California atmospheres.
We are deeply honored and excited to announce the 2020 Winners of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs). The Finalists were recognized at the Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Ceremonies, and the First Place Category and Grand Prize Winners were announced June 5th, 2021 by ZOOM webinars based at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether, Bellingham, Wash.
The 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2020 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony was originally scheduled for April 21 – 25, 2021. Each year, Chanticleerians from around the globe come together to celebrate and cheer each other on at the annual CIBA banquet and awards evening at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether that is situated on beautiful Bellingham Bay, Washington State.
However, in order to celebrate being able to meet in person in even a limited capacity (due to the fact that we all able to be vacinated in time), we postponed the First Place Winner and Grand Prize Ceremonies to June 5th, 2021 at the Hotel Bellwether with local Chanticleerians attending cheering each other on along with cheering on the virtual attendees. Champagne was poured and shared as the 2020 CIBA Grand Prize Division Award Winners were announced. After the event the small gathering of Chanticleerians were able to dine together immediately after in the Admiral Room of the Hotel Bellwether.
CIBA Grand Prize Winners in Before Covid Times
We’ve now hosted two virtual events and are pivoting to yet another new normal where events will now be expected to be in person and virtual! We were glad to still host VCAC21 on schedule with inimitable presenters like Cathy Ace, J.D. Barker, Bradley Metrock, Dr. Janice Ellis, Jessica Morrell, Paul Hanson, and more! Many of our presenters have already contacted us about the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference currently scheduled for April 7-10, 2022, and we are optimistic that we will be able to host that one in person as vaccinations continue to sweep the US.
At the June 5th, 2021 Ceremonies, we are excited to recognize the 18 Fiction and 6 Non-Fiction CIBA Divisions for the First Place Category and Grand Prize Winners!
First of all, we want to thank all of the CIBA judges who read each and every entry and then comment, rate, and rank within each of the 23 CIBA Divisions. Without your labors of love for books, the Chanticleer International Book Awards would not exist. THANK YOU!
We want to thank all of the authors and publishers who participated in the 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards (the CIBAs). Each year, we find the quality of the entries and the competitiveness of the division competitions increases exponentially. We added a new level to the judging rounds in 2019—the premier Level of FINALIST per each CIBA Division.
The CIBA judges wanted to add the Finalist Level of Achievement as a way to recognize and validate the entries that had outstanding merit but were not selected for the very few First Place Award positions within each genre division. You can order promotional stickers and such here.
A Recap of the CIBA Selection Process
The 2020 CIBAs have 18 Fiction Divisions and 6 Non-fiction Divisions.
First Place Category award winners were selected for each one of the 24 divisions from an overall field of titles that progressed to the Premier FINALIST Division Level from the Division Semi-Finalists positions from the Shortlists, the Long List, and the infamous beginning slush pile rounds.
One Grand Prize award winner was selected from the First Place Category Award Winners for the 23 CIBA divisions.
One Overall Grand Prize award winner was selected from the 24 divisions of Grand Prize Award Winners
All 2020 CIBA FINALISTS were recognized with their respective division at the CIBA awards ceremony that was held each evening of VCAC21.
This post will recognize the First Place and Grand Prize Winners for Cygnus, Ozma, Paranormal, Global Thrillers, M&M, Clue, Little Peeps, Gertrude Warner, and Dante Rossetti Book Awards.
THANK YOU to VCAC21 SPONSORS and FRIENDS
CIBA Grand Prize Ribbons!
We are honored to present the
2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards
Grand Prize Winners
The 2020 CIBA Winners!
The CYGNUS Book Awards
for Science Fiction Novels
Grand Prize Winner is
THE LUNA MISSILE CRISIS by Rhett C. Bruno & Jaime Castle
Mark T. Sneed – Bully Nation
JL Morin – Loveoid
Timothy S. Johnston – The Savage Deeps
PA Vasey – Trinity’s Fall
Russ Colson – The Arasmith Certainty Principle
Zach Fortier – Volk: Book one of The Overseer series
The OZMA Book Awards
for Fantasy Fiction
Grand Prize Winner is
DIVINITY’S TWILIGHT: REBIRTH BY Christopher Russell
T. Cook – Shin
Michelle Rene – The Canyon Cathedral: The Witches of Tanglewood, Book Two ( YA)
Gordon Preston – Zendragon
H.J. Ramsay – Ever Alice
Alison Levy – Gatekeeper: Book One in the Daemon Collecting Series
Jeny Heckman –The Warrior’s Progeny
Glenn Searfoss – Cycles of Norse Mythology: Tales of the AEsir Gods
As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please email us at Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com We will try to respond within 3 business days.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the 2020 CIBA Winners! – The Chanticleer Team
The CLUE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Fiction. The Clue Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving. These books have advanced to the Premier Level of Achievement in the 2020 CIBAs.
(For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense and Lab Lit Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).
The 2020 CLUE Book Awards First Place Category Winners and the CLUE Grand Prize Winner were announced by Jessica Stone on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at the Hotel Bellwether and broadcast via ZOOM webinar and Facebook Live.
It is our privilege and profound honor to announce the 1st in Category winners of the 2020 CLUE Awards, a division of the 2020 CIBAs.
This is the OFFICIAL 2020 LIST of the CLUE BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the CLUE Grand Prize Winner.
Congratulations to all!
Chris Karlsen – A Venomous Love
Toni Bird Jones –The Measure of Ella
Kari Bovee –Folly at the Fair
Ken Farmer –Three Creeks
Shanessa Gluhm –Enemies of Doves
Martin Roy Hill –The Fourth Rising
J.J. Clarke –Dared to Run
Corey Lynn Fayman –Ballast Point Breakdown
Chuck Morgan –Crime Denied, A Buck Taylor Novel
Theo Czuk – Hastings Street: Boulevard of Blues
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 CLUE Awards is:
Chris Karlsen for
A Venomous Love
The 2021 CLUE Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC22 on April 10, 2022. Save the date for CAC22, scheduled April 7-10, 2022, our 10 year Conference Anniversary!
Submissions for the 2021 CLUE Book Awards are open until the end of September. Enter here!
A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting in July. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Secrets buried at sea have a grave tendency to resurface in time. The incident happened twenty years ago. A Naval exercise has gone wrong at a rocky point near San Diego. Not just wrong, it was a complete Ballast Point Breakdown. Butch Fleetwood participated in that Naval exercise. He was a rebel. After so many years, Butch Fleetwood is an urgent problem for P.I. Rolly Waters now, even though Butch Fleetwood is dead.
There’s a well-attended party at the San Diego Bay Admirals Club. Guests are enjoying a celebration of the Navy’s top-secret dolphin divers program on the brink of its retirement, and the pending release of the trained dolphins. The sounds of music and conversation fill the air. Then the sound of a motor dominates. A speedboat traveling the Bay approaches fast and crashes the party, right through the frontage windows. Janis Withers crawls out from the explosive blaze, and with her last breath, shouts that Arion has returned.
P.I. Rolly Waters wasn’t at the party, but heard about it from a fellow musician who was playing the gig. Rolly is hired to investigate and soon connects Butch Fleetwood’s dog tags to Janis. He had been one of the first Navy divers working in the secret dolphin program. The local police and the FBI are wary as Rolly uncovers clues about several prominent, and also some shadowy individuals. The Navy is not happy that Rolly is asking questions about Arion. With so much against him, Rolly incurs insults and much worse. He views the abuses as expressions of the other person’s fears. What’s worse are the dire threats he faces. Despite the questions and deterrence from the authorities, this determined musician/P.I. follows the trail to its exciting crescendo.
This is the fourth novel in the Rolly Waters mystery series, and author, Corey Lynn Fayman paints fascinating glimpses into the world of music and into the contrasting world of Navy programs. This book is a refreshing and contemporary remake of the classic P.I. Genre, including a thrilling and diverse group of supporting characters and suspects. The narration is crisp and bold and is part of the driving force that moves the plot forward at a high velocity.
Building suspense into a real page-turner is this author’s forte, and the resolution at the end is nothing short of breathtaking. Rolly Waters reveals that what can be seen on the surface may be a mere reflection of what someone designs. He digs deep to uncover what really happened so long ago. Seeing through the murky water of lies, he finds a wave no one was prepared to ride.
The CLUE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Fiction. The Clue Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).
Secrets buried at sea have a grave tendency to resurface in time. The incident happened twenty years ago. A Naval exercise has gone wrong at a rocky point near San Diego. Not just wrong, it was a complete Ballast Point Breakdown. Butch Fleetwood participated in that Naval exercise. He was a rebel. After so many years, Butch Fleetwood is an urgent problem for P.I. Rolly Waters now, even though Butch Fleetwood is dead.