Author: dr-donna-marks

  • The 2025 Mind and Spirit Hall of Fame for Mindfulness and Enlightenment

    The 2025 Mind and Spirit Hall of Fame for Mindfulness and Enlightenment

    Looking for Balance in your Life?

    The Mind & Spirit Awards are here for you

    Sand ripples with a rock in the center

    ***Enter your book today***

    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards CIBA Badge
    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction

    At the heart of the Mind & Spirit Awards is a celebration of transformation and enlightenment. It embraces the power of words to uplift, inspire, and guide, creating a ripple effect that resonates with readers on a soulful level. This division acknowledges the significance of the mind-spirit connection, delving into the realms of spirituality, mindfulness, well-being, and self-discovery.

    Let’s celebrate the Grand Prize Winners of the Mind and Spirit Awards

    Naked in the Now: Juicy Practices for Getting Present
    By Marijke McCandless

    Naked in the Now: Juicy Practices for Getting Present offers a playful yet impactful guide for those seeking vitality and inspiration. Through short, refreshing practices, readers explore vulnerability, authenticity, and self-compassion, fostering deeper connections with themselves and others. By committing to just minutes of daily practice, this book cultivates sustainable awareness and self-inquiry, rejuvenating one’s sense of vitality and joy. With an emphasis on mindfulness and emotional intelligence, it provides accessible tools to shift mindsets and embrace the present moment with curiosity and delight.

    Buy it here!

    Psychological Secrets for Emotional Success
    By Dr. Kelly Rabenstein

    Do you often feel that you sabotage your personal and work relationships? In Psychological Secrets for Emotional Success, Dr. Kelly Rabenstein teaches readers exactly what psychological techniques will help them strengthen and maintain their interpersonal connections.

    Dr. Rabenstein is a licensed psychologist offering her extensive knowledge of how to make sound, conscious changes in mindset and perspective to help you thrive in relationships across the board. If a person can thrive, then they can be fully authentic to themselves and to those who surround them.

    Psychological Secrets for Emotional Success follows the structure of thoughtful explanations and emotional explorations, followed by insightful exercises at the end of each chapter to help readers understand and improve both their workplace culture and personal interactions. These questions reveal where we stand and how to develop a more balanced life.

    Dr. Rabenstein lays out the deceptively simple key to emotional success: a combination of awareness, education, and empathy.

    Read More Here

     

    A Sky of Infinite Blue Cover

    A Sky of Infinite Blue
    By Kyomi O’Connor

    “It’s my armor,” Kyomi O’Connor realizes, as she sees herself continuing life as normal after her husband dies of cancer.

    Grief brings with it many companions: childhood trauma, memories of difficult seasons of life, triumphant moments of growth, epiphanies, healing, love. In A Sky of Infinite Blue, Japanese immigrant Kyomi O’Connor allows grief to open her heart to the lessons of her past.

    In particular, she recognizes emotional armor that since childhood, she has built up, torn down, and built up again. Through her relationship with her husband, her devoted Buddhist practice, and her trust in her “Self,” Kyomi makes meaning of her life and redeems her darkest memories. Readers walk through these memories with her as the book shifts between past and present.

    Kyomi is deeply guarded as a child.

    She struggles to deal with her family’s dysfunction, gradually learning to distance herself emotionally as a means of protecting herself. She fashions her armor, wearing it for years. But, after immigrating to the US, she finds a reason to begin taking it off.

    Read More Here

    Enlighten Up! Cover

    Enlighten Up
    By Beth Gibbs

    Beth Gibb’s Enlighten Up! Finding Clarity Contentment and Resilience in A Complicated World is not a simple how-to book, but rather an invitation to begin a journey of self-discovery.

    This journey follows the “five-layer method,” based on the Upanishads, a 3,000-year-old East-Indian wisdom tradition. After a quick history lesson on the pursuit of self-awareness, Gibbs walks readers through the five layers of achieving it, for a happy and fulfilling life. Throughout the book, Gibbs includes breaks for mindfulness and grounding exercises to get the most out of each section.

    Gibbs writes about the assumption that the goal of enlightenment is to, “suppress or eliminate their emotions, live everlasting bliss, and face every situation with equanimity,” and how that assumption is unrealistic.

    Read More Here

     

    Exit The Maze Cover

    Exit The Maze
    By Dr. Donna Marks

    Exit The Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks is a welcoming and comprehensive enchiridion of untapped wisdom that offers a step-to-step guide to getting out of any form of addiction.

    No one sets out to become an addict; it catches us off guard. An addiction can happen quickly or slowly and can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class, ethnic group, or religion. With pitch-perfect prose, Dr. Donna Marks invites readers into the root causes of different forms of addiction, while offering pragmatic and evidence-based solutions that are bound to yield results.

    Buoyed by the personal experiences of the author along with numerous case studies, Dr. Marks further offers deep insights into the inadequacies of traditional treatment models. For example, she notes that most rehab centers lack adequate staffing and overstep the limits of their capabilities. Another example is the famous 12 steps of fighting addiction which she believes do help to stop a behavior and develop a solid support system, however, she also sees that the program falls short.

    Read More Here

     


    Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Mind & Spirit Winners is to submit today!

    Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

     

    Be Part of the Legacy: Join the Illustrious Roster of Winners

    As the deadline for the 2025 Mind & Spirit Awards arrives, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the exceptional achievers.

    Seeking avenues for your non-fiction prowess? Explore all our Non-Fiction Divisions that provide platforms for various genres and styles.

  • EXIT The MAZE: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks – Addiction Recovery, Personal Transformation, Overcoming Trauma

    EXIT The MAZE: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks – Addiction Recovery, Personal Transformation, Overcoming Trauma

     

    Blue and Gold 2020 Badge for Mind & Spirit Grand Prize for Spirituality and Enlightenment Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna MarksExit The Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks is a welcoming and comprehensive enchiridion of untapped wisdom that offers a step-to-step guide to getting out of any form of addiction.

    No one sets out to become an addict; it catches us off guard. An addiction can happen quickly or slowly and can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class, ethnic group, or religion. With pitch-perfect prose, Dr. Donna Marks invites readers into the root causes of different forms of addiction, while offering pragmatic and evidence-based solutions that are bound to yield results.

    Buoyed by the personal experiences of the author along with numerous case studies, Dr. Marks further offers deep insights into the inadequacies of traditional treatment models. For example, she notes that most rehab centers lack adequate staffing and overstep the limits of their capabilities. Another example is the famous 12 steps of fighting addiction which she believes do help to stop a behavior and develop a solid support system, however, she also sees that the program falls short

    Marks attempts to address the traumas that underlie most addictive behavior.

    This book does not stop there but offers alternative solutions to beat any form of addiction such as facing the pain, releasing it, writing out the thoughts and feelings that are disturbing you, forgiving the pain, letting go of resentment, visualizing a new life for yourself, and eventually exiting the maze. With valuable and reflective questionnaires at the end of every chapter, the result is a comprehensive compendium that is not only educating but eye-opening.

    This guide is divided into twelve chapters that begin with a welcoming and illuminating quote from scholars and other well-known people. Each chapter amplifies the previous ones, resulting in a well-nuanced and easy-to-read self-help journey. Further, Dr. Marks’s empathetic and honest tone creates a much-needed balm for those longing to exit the frustrating rabbit hole of addiction. She closes on the last ultimate step of exiting the maze which includes self-care such as caring for the body, spirit, mind, and relationships.

    The core backbone of this guidebook is the extensive research that Dr. Marks did in preparation for writing it.

    Exit The Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure offers a unique roadmap to assist readers in discovering true healing and comfort. The book’s suggestions are concise and emphasize the need to deal with unresolved emotional trauma, as it is more often than not the doorway to addictions, as many try to blot out the pain. As addictions and depression escalate in the modern world, Dr. Donna has written a blueprint for living a post-addiction life of serenity and self-love.

    Indeed, this revolutionary guide delivers a much-needed anchor designed to inspire, guide, and steer readers through all forms of addictions including gambling, love addiction, and drug addiction, just to name a few, and exit to the other end, triumphantly and fully recovered.

    Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure won Grand Prize in the 2020 CIBA Mind & Spirit Book Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction.

     

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

     

  • The 2021 MIND and SPIRIT Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction – CIBAs Short List 2021

    The 2021 MIND and SPIRIT Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction – CIBAs Short List 2021

    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards CIBA Badge
    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction

    The Mind and Spirit Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Mind and Spirit Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring enlightenment, motivational/self-help, spirituality, mindfulness, well-being, meditation, and energy. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here. 

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2021 Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Long List to the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Finalist positions. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

    The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards novel competition for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction!

    Short Listed for the 2021 CIBAs

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.

    • Ramzi Najjar – The Ultimate Human Secrets 
    • Mike Lutz – Jesus Speaking
    • Tammy Green – Living Without Skin: Everything I Never Knew About Fierce Vulnerability
    • Beth Gibbs – Enlighten Up!
    • Rosemary A. Schmidt – The Happy Clam
    • Carolyn Lee Arnold – Fifty First Dates After Fifty: A Memoir
    • Starr Regan DiCiurcio – Divine Sparks: Interfaith Wisdom for a Postmodern World
    • Randi Benator – Awaken to Your Calling
    • Richard Lui – Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness
    • George Marino , CPA, CFP – Beyond Balancing the Books: Sheer Mindfulness for Professionals in Work and Life
    • Bedri Cag Cetin Ph.D. – Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness
    • Reagan J. Pasternak – Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet With No Apologies
    • Carlo Pietro Sanfilippo – AfterLIFE, Waking up from My American Dream
    • Ramzi Najjar – The YOU beyond you: The knowledge of the willing
    • Judith Briles – When God Says NO – Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present 
    • Labar Laskie – Above the Din: Diary of the HepC Wonder Drugs
    • Meg Nocero – Butterfly Awakens: A Memoir of Transformation Through Grief
    • Angela Quijada-Banks – The Black Foster Youth Handbook
    • James Martin – Revelation Through Science
    • David Soh Poh Huat – Nature Gifts of the Soursop Leaves

    Good Luck to All!

      PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

      This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews. FB rules — not ours.

      Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

      Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

      Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

      Good luck to all as your works move on the next rounds of judging.

      The Grand Prize Winner for the 2020 Mind and Spirit Awards is Dr. Donna Marks for Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure

      Cover for Exit the Maze

      Blue and Gold badge for the Mind and Spirit 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Dr. Donna Marks' EXIT the MAZE: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure 

      Click here to see the 2020 Mind and Spirit Book Award Winners

      We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Mind and Spirit Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction & Memoir. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023. 

      Please click here for more information.

      See our Full List of Non-Fiction Divisions here!

      Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

      VIRTUAL and IN-Person –  June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

      FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

      Seating is Limited. The  esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

      Join us for our 10th annual conference and discover why!

      Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.

       

    • The 2021 MIND and SPIRIT Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction – CIBAs Long List 2021

      The 2021 MIND and SPIRIT Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction – CIBAs Long List 2021

      Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards CIBA Badge
      Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction

      The Mind and Spirit Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Mind and Spirit Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

      Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring enlightenment, motivational/self-help, spirituality, mindfulness, well-being, meditation, and energy. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here. 

      These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2021 Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction entries to the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for 2021 Mind and Spirit Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22).

      The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 24 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

      We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference

      These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards novel competition for Enlightenment, Spirituality, and Mindfulness Non-Fiction!

      Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.

      • Ramzi Najjar – The Ultimate Human Secrets 
      • Mike Lutz – Jesus Speaking
      • Tammy Green – Living Without Skin: Everything I Never Knew About Fierce Vulnerability
      • Michael Vincent Moore – Mastering your Emotional Heart-Print
      • Beth Gibbs – Enlighten Up!
      • Rosemary A. Schmidt – The Happy Clam
      • Carolyn Lee Arnold – Fifty First Dates After Fifty: A Memoir
      • Starr Regan DiCiurcio – Divine Sparks: Interfaith Wisdom for a Postmodern World
      • Ben R Teeter – Falling Into All
      • Randi Benator – Awaken to Your Calling
      • Richard Lui – Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness
      • George Marino , CPA, CFP – Beyond Balancing the Books: Sheer Mindfulness for Professionals in Work and Life
      • David Soh Poh Huat – Care Giving Gift of Unconditional Live 
      • David Soh Poh Huat – Nature Gifts of the Soursop Leaves
      • Bedri Cag Cetin Ph.D. – Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness
      • Reagan J. Pasternak – Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet With No Apologies
      • Carlo Pietro Sanfilippo – AfterLIFE, Waking up from My American Dream
      • Dr. BethAnne K.W. – Revelations of The Sky: 133 passages on the alchemy of grief
      • Ramzi Najjar – The YOU beyond you: The knowledge of the willing
      • Judith Briles – When God Says NO – Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present 
      • Labar Laskie – Above the Din: Diary of the HepC Wonder Drugs
      • Meg Nocero – Butterfly Awakens: A Memoir of Transformation Through Grief
      • Angela Quijada-Banks – The Black Foster Youth Handbook
      • James Martin – Revelation Through Science

      PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

      This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews. FB rules — not ours.

      Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

      Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

      Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

      Good luck to all as your works move on the next rounds of judging.

      The Grand Prize Winner for the 2020 Mind and Spirit Awards is Dr. Donna Marks for Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure

      Cover for Exit the Maze

      Blue and Gold badge for the Mind and Spirit 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Dr. Donna Marks' EXIT the MAZE: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure 

      Click here to see the 2020 Mind and Spirit Book Award Winners

      We are now accepting submissions into the 2022 Mind and Spirit Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction & Memoir. The 2022 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023. 

      Please click here for more information.

      See our Full List of Non-Fiction Divisions here!

      Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

      VIRTUAL and IN-Person –  June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

      FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

      Seating is Limited. The  esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

      Join us for our 10th annual conference and discover why!

      Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.

    • Spotlight on the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction

      Spotlight on the 2021 Mind and Spirit Book Awards for Enlightenment and Well-Being Non-Fiction

      Spiritual guidance is often difficult to talk about

      No matter who you are, there’s probably some baggage in your life tied into your personal development in terms of your mind and spirit than we’d like to admit.

      Have you had a spiritual journey or advice for people in their own quest for well-being?

      Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards

      The 2021 Mind and Spirit Awards are open through November!
      Submit today!

      As Self-Help books become more and more popular with books about enlightenment and well-being have made mindfulness a household term. Publisher’s Weekly puts it nicely:

      “Mindfulness” is everywhere in publishing — and in American society. Its roots are in Buddhist religious practice around meditative attention — focusing on fully inhabiting the present moment without attachment to external experiences or inner emotions and thoughts. But it is also grounded in modern scientific research into the mind-body connection. Thus “mindfulness” has become fertile ground for books across multiple categories, including health, spirituality, popular science, and self-help.

      Of course, there’s some overlap between the Mind & Spirit Book Awards and the I&I Book Awards. You are always welcome to submit to both, but the question of spirituality is really what drives home the difference between the two divisions.

      No matter what kind of spiritual book you are writing, experience is often key

      Offering support, care, and advice to people in a book is huge undertaking that should be treated seriously. In writing, be sure to be mindful of the practices you borrow from and where they lead. In teaching, the strongest instructors know how to admit they don’t know something while inexperienced teachers will often try to conceal their lack of knowledge. When people read a Mind & Spirit book, they are offering the author vulnerability, and it can help for the author to be vulnerable in return.

      Publishers Weekly also offers a word of caution:

      The term mindfulness can be “very fraught,” agreed Lil Copan, senior acquisitions editor at Broadleaf Books, particularly if it has been “diluted in its origin” in Buddhism. Christian authors often want to avoid acknowledging the Buddhist roots of mindfulness as a practice, connecting it instead with Christian contemplative practices they trace to the early church, or merely using “mindfulness” as a substitute for words like “presence” or, in the Quaker context, “quietude.” Still, Copan said that even amid concern about using the term, mindfulness is “such a good word. It does so much work that I can’t think of another word in which you aren’t saying 30 words or long sentences to get at what most people think of as mindfulness.”

      It makes sense that such a thoughtful genre would require serious thought before jumping in, but luckily, at Chanticleer, we work with serious authors who approach their writing with care.

      As always, reading in a genre helps writing in that genre. Check out our recommendations below!

      GUIDED to WISDOM: The JOURNEY to EMOTIONAL HEALING
      By Susan D’Agostino

      Guided to Wisdom by Susan D'Agostino

      Susan D’Agostino has wisdom to share, garnered from a lengthy battle with cancer and the medical establishment. This is her intimate story.

      “In 2002 I found a lump in my breast, maybe the size of a pea.” Like anyone faced with a possible dire diagnosis, D’Agostino was scared and confused. Her encounters with medical people left her feeling like a statistic, and when she got the dreaded prognosis after a painful biopsy, it was accompanied by the standard recommended next steps: months of chemo and radiation treatment. Fearing the treatment almost as much as the cancer, she sought alternative healing methods.

      Continue Reading…

      SACRED LIFE: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness
      By Bedri Cag Cetin

      Sacred Life Book Cover Image

      In his biographical work, Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness, Bedri Cag Cetin, Ph.D. explains his version of “The Golden Key,” a phrase he uses to formulate an “Inner Guide” which seeks above all else “…peace, happiness and harmony for all involved.”

      Cetin uses his advanced education, world travels, failed and then healed personal relationships, business dealings, and training under spiritual leaders to formulate his thoughts. According to Cetin, decisions based on or that cause fear, chaos, or blame reflect Ego-driven actions in one’s journey toward inner peace; whereas using one’s Inner Guide to make decisions will result in peace and harmony.

      Continue Reading…

      The YOU BEYOND YOU
      By Ramzi Najjar

      The YOU Beyond You book cover

      In The YOU beyond you – The knowledge of the willing, Ramzi Najjar addresses his audience with the contemplative calm of a mystic guru and the fervor of an old-time evangelist, in a how-to guide to good health, happiness, and inner peace as a personal philosophic treatise addressing the physical and spiritual quality of life in the 21st century.

      In the Preface, Najjar quickly captures readers’ attention with the question, “In a chaotic world, and a life of prevalent restlessness, how can we make sense of the non-sensical?”

      Continue Reading…

      THE DRUIDS
      By Ilene Birkwood

      The Druids are not just a fictional group of magic wielders in funny hats, but a people of ancient Celtic cultures that prosper to this day. If you are looking for a short, accessible guide to the history and way of life of the Druid people, Ilene Birkwood offers an easy to understand introduction to Druidry in The Druids: An Informal Read. Druidry is not a religion like some may think, but a way of life through peace and preservation of nature.

      Druids have seen a surge in numbers in recent years as a result of people around the globe feeling dissatisfied in a world continually damaged by pollution, greed, and war. These people wish to promote a more peaceful and simpler way of life. Birkwood’s guide touches on different areas of the culture throughout the long history of the druids, such as their education system, various sacred sites, history of persecution, and, yes, their roles as witches. Birkwood even shows us how Druidry is practiced today.

      Continue Reading…

      COCOON of CANCER: an INVITATION to LOVE DEEPLY
      By Abbe Rolnick & Jim Wiggins

      When author Abbe Rolnick’s husband Jim Wiggins slipped off a ladder in 2013, he was told he had osteopenia and would need to rest his back. He and Abbe went to Africa, but the pain persisted, in fact, got worse. Finally, the author “…got the call, the one every person dreads.” Jim had cancer, a rare, aggressive form called Multiple Myeloma. The plasma in his bone marrow had increased, taking over the normal cells, causing anemia and acidity that began to eat away at his spine. Life for Abbe and Jim would never be the same. What followed was a total disruption: for Jim it involved chemo, radiation, stem cell implants, pain, weight loss, and even height loss; for Abbe, an exploration of basic fears, and, of course, the deepest terror of loss of a loved one.

      Rolnick’s book is told for the most part in a series of emails among friends and family. Since she is a fiction writer (River of Angels, Color of Lies) she was able to express her feelings to others, especially to Jim, in a manner both poignant and poetic. She recounts the couple’s simple acceptance, the moments of despair, and the daily activities and routines they shared despite the discouraging limitations of Jim’s medical necessities. Whenever possible, the couple cuddled at night, exchanged kisses, watched funny, upbeat fare on television. The memoir is remarkable for these moments, balanced by the necessary, at times dreadful and dire medical information that impinged on their lives every day for a year. The couple had to live away from home, ask family for help, including cells donated by a brother, and rely on the kindness and expertise of strangers. As Rolnick puts it, “Cancer explodes with ramifications.” Jim’s round-robin emails form an especially touching piece of the narrative as he attempts to apply logic, masculine bravado and a mild sense of humor to the horrors he is experiencing.

      Continue Reading…


      Have a great book for the Mind and Spirit Awards? Submit by the end of November for the 2021 CIBAs! 

      Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards

      See the 2020 Mind and Spirit Book Award Winners Here!

      Blue and Gold 2020 Badge for Mind & Spirit Grand Prize for Spirituality and Enlightenment Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks

      Looking to submit to our other Non-Fiction Divisions? See them all here!

      When you’re ready, did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

      Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).

      If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.

      We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!

      Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.

      • A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information available here.
      • And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn more here.
      • If you’re confident in your book, consider submitting it for a Editorial Book Review here or to one of our Chanticleer International Awards here.

      And remember! Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be April 7-10, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today!  CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Spotlight Article.

      Important Links from this Article

      ‘Mindfulness’ Is Having a Publishing Moment from Publishers Weekly

      2019 Spotlight on I&I Awards

      The traditional publishing tool that indie authors can use to propel their writing careers to new levels?  The Seven Must-Haves for Authors – Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Publishing Series by Kiffer Brown

    • Part Three of Three Official Postings of the 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs) Overall Grand Prize and Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners

      Part Three of Three Official Postings of the 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs) Overall Grand Prize and Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners

      We are deeply honored and excited to continue to announce the 2020 Winners of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs) with our third of three official postings.

      Click here to visit the First Posting out of Three Official Announcements of the 2020 CIBA Winners.

      Click here to visit the Second Posting out of Three Official Announcements of the 2020 CIBA Winners.

      CIBA Grand Prize Ribbons!

      The winners were recognized at a special CIBAs ceremony held on June 5th, 2021 in-person and by ZOOM webinars based at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether, Bellingham, Wash.

      The CIBA announcements were made LIVE with Chanticleerians participating and interacting from around the globe and North America.

      We cheered on the CIBA Premier Finalists with our bubbly of choice from wherever we were Zooming!

      Raising our glasses to cheer the CIBA Winners!

      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 24 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 increasing 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.

      This post will recognize the First Place and Grand Prize Winners for the

      Six Non-Fiction Divisions:

      Journey, Hearten, Harvey Chute, Mind and Spirit, I & I, and Nellie Bly

      along with the FIRST Winners for the 

      Short Story, and Book Series Awards,

      and concluding with the 

       OVERALL 2020 GRAND PRIZE WINNER 

      for the 

      2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards 


      Journey Narrative Non-Fiction

      The JOURNEY Book Awards for

      Narrative Non-Fiction, Memoirs, and Biographies 

      Grand Prize Winner is

      A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Journey Narrative Non Fiction The Parrot’s Perch by Karen Keilt

      THE PARROT’S PERCH: A MEMOIR OF TORTURE AND CORRUPTION IN BRAZIL by Karen Keilt

      The cover for The Parrot's Perch by Karen Keilt

      The Journey First Place Category Winners are:

      • Susan E Casey – Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief
      • Laila Tarraf – Strong Like Water: Lessons Learned from Leading with Love
      • Steve Mariotti – Goodbye Homeboy 
      • Steve Rochinski – A Man of His Time: Secrets from a Halfway World
      • Susan E. Greisen – In Search of Pink Flamingos: A Woman’s Quest for Forgiveness & Unconditional Love
      • Renee Hodges – Saving Bobby: Heroes and Heroin in One Small Community 
      • Barbara Clarke – The Red Kitchen    

      The INSTRUCTION and INSIGHT Book Awards

      for How-To Guides, Travel Guides, Cook Books, Self-Help, and Enlightenment

      Grand Prize Winner is 

      A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Grand Prize Winner for I & I Instructional and Insight Living Independently with Autism by Wendela Marsh

      INDEPENDENT LIVING WITH AUTISM by Wendela Whitcomb Marsh

      Cover for Independent Living with Autism by Wendela Whitcomb Marsh

       

       

      The I & &  First Place Category Winners are:


       

      Nellie Bly Awards

      The NELLIE BLY Book Awards

      for Investigative and Long Form Journalism Non-Fiction 

      Grand Prize Winner is

      A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Nellie Bly Journalistic Fiction, Prison from the Inside Out by William ‘Mecca’ Elmore & Susan Simone

      PRISON FROM THE INSIDE OUT by William ‘Mecca’ Elmore & Susan Simone

       

      The Nellie Bly First Place Category Winners are:

      • Ashley Conner and Cierra Camper – Memoirs of Michael: The Hurricane Project 
      • Kris Newby – BITTEN: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons
      • Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D. – Cause and Civility: Imploring Reason and Respect From An Advocate Journalist, Book I (now, Advancing the Good Society: Real Advocacy Journalism™ in Action, Book I Ethics and Values)
      • Patricia Martin Holt – EMPOWER A REFUGEE, Peace of Thread and the Backyard Humanity Movement
      • Gigi Berardi – FoodWISE: A Whole Systems Guide to Sustainable and Delicious Food Choices
      • Ted Neill – Two Years of Wonder 

      A yellow badge with three black lines that says "Harvey Chute Awards" across the bottom

      The HARVEY CHUTE Book Awards

      for Business & Enterprise Non-Fiction 

      Grand Prize Winner is

      EDGE: TURNING ADVERSITY INTO ADVANTAGE by Laura Huang

      Cover of Edge by Laura Huang

      The Harvey Chute First Place Category Winners are:

      • Gary M. Shiffman – The Economics of Violence: How Behavioral Science Can Transform our View of Crime, Insurgency, and Terrorism
      • Susanne Tedrick – Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators
      • Rachel Thompson – The BadRedhead Media 30-Day Book Marketing Challenge
      • Marcus Kirsch – The Wicked Company
      • Anthony Delauney – Owning the Dash
      • Tikiri Herath – Your Rebel Dreams: Discover Your Purpose and Passions to Power Up Your Life
      • Mike D. Kinney – Navigating Your Safety Culture Journey     

      Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards

      The MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards

      for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction

      Grand Prize Winner is

      A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Mind & Spirit Spirituality & Enlightenment for Exit the Maze by Dr. Donna Marks

      EXIT THE MAZE: ONE ADDICTION, ONE CAUSE, ONE CURE by Dr. Donna Marks

      Cover for Exit the Maze

      The Mind and Spirit First Place Category Winners are:

      • Cindy Rasicot – Finding Venerable Mother: A Daughter’s Spiritual Quest to Thailand 
      • Nancy Pickard – Bigger Better Braver
      • Jennie Lee – Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution 
      • Anna CarnerBlossom – The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury
      • Marianne Ingheim – Out of Love: Finding Your Way Back to Self-Compassion  
      • Jill Sherer Murray – Big Wild Love: The Unstoppable Power of Letting Go     

      The Hearten Awards Image

      The HEARTEN Book Awards

      for Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction

      Grand Prize Winner is

      A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Hearten, inspiring and uplifting Non-Fiction is Love, Life, and Lucille by Judy Gaman

      LOVE, LIFE, AND LUCILLE by Judy Gaman

      Cover of Love, Life, and Lucille by Judy Gaman

      The Hearten First Place Category Winners are:

       


      Congratulations to the Inaugural 

      AWARD WINNERS for the

      Short Story Awards and Short Story Collections

      of the CIBAs


      The SHORT STORY Book Awards

      for the CIBA Short Story Collections

      Grand Prize Winner is

      A WEEK AT SURFSIDE BEACH by Pierce Koslosky Jr.

      The cover of A Week at Surfside Beach by Pierce Koslosky Jr

       

      Congratulations to The SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS FINALISTS!

      • Lindy Ryan – Dead of Winter 
      • Janet Oakley – Hilo Bay Mystery Collection
      • Sean Thomas Dwyer – Voices I Hear
      • Susan Lynn Solomon – T’was the Season
      • Abbe Rolnick – Tattle Tales: Essays and Stories Along the Way

      The SHORT STORY Book Awards

      for Short Stories, Novelettes, and Novellas

      Grand Prize Winner is

      SAVONNE, NOT VONNY by Robin Lee Lovelace

      Cover of Savonne, Not Vonny by Robin Lee Lovelace

      Congratulations to The SHORT STORY & NOVELLAS FINALISTS!

      SHORT STORIES and NOVELETTES 

      Historical Fiction (Chaucer/Goethe/Laramie/Hemingway) 

      • Kristie Clark – Dragon of the Sea
      • Vali Benson – Blood and Silver 
      • Grendolyn Soleil – Snow Dust and Boneshine: The Chronicles of Granny Witch
      • Marina Osipova – From Stalin with Love

      Mystery & Suspense  (M&M/Clue)

        • J. J. Clarke – Dared to Fly 
        • Alan E. Fleischauer – Sherlock and the Tiger 
        • Joanne Jaytanie – Twice As Bad, Miss Demeanor, P. I.  Series

        Out of This World Fiction – Speculative Fiction

        • Robin Lee Lovelace – Savonne, Not Vonny 
        • Alexandrea Weis – Sisters of the Moon 
        • Matilda Scotney- Joy In Four Parts
        • Sarena Ulibarri – Inviting Disaster
        • Grendolyn Soleil – Snow Dust and Boneshine: The Chronicles of Granny Witch

          Contemporary/Literary/Satire (Somerset/Mark Twain) 

          • Susan Lynn Solomon – Reunion
          • V. P. Evans – N
          • V.P. Evans – W
          • Michelle Rene Magee – Danielle’s Inferno
          • Dennis M. Clausen – The Accountant’s Apprentice 

          Chatelaine

          • Joanne Jaytanie – Christmas Chemistry, Forever Christmas in Glenville, Book 3
          • Vicki Batman – Raving Beauty
          • Gail Meath – Fire Blossom 
          • Joanne Jaytanie – P.I. I LOVE YOU,  Miss Demeanor, P.I. Book I

           

          Congratulations to the

          Inaugural AWARD WINNERS for the

          FICTION SERIES

          of the 2020 CIBAs

           


           

          The BOOK SERIES Book Awards

          for Fiction Series

          Grand Prize Winner is

          A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Book Series Fiction Series, The Devil’s Bookkeepers by Mark Newhouse

          THE DEVIL’S BOOKKEEPERS by Mark Newhouse

          Devil's Bookkeepers 3 Covers

          The Noose, The Noose Tightens, The Noose Closes

           

          Congratulations to the First Place  Category Winners 

          for the CIBAs New Division for Fiction Series Book Awards!

           

          CHATELAINE Book Series Awards for Romantic Fiction

          Multi-cultural/Inter-racial Romance Series:

          • The Prodigy Slave by Londyn Skye
            • The Prodigy Slave: Journey to Winter Garden
            • The Prodigy Slave: The Old World
            • The Prodigy Slave: The Ultimate Grand Finale

          Regency/Georgian Romance Series:

           

          • The Donet Trilogy by Regan Walker
            • To Tame the Wind 
            • Echo in the Wind
            • A Fierce Wind

          Historical Romance Series:

          • The Lavender Meuse Trilogy by Gail Noble-Sanderson
            • The Lavender House in Meuse
            • The Passage Home to Meuse
            • The Lavender Bees of Meuse

           

          HEMINGWAY Book Series Awards for Wartime Historical Fiction

          The Devil’s Bookkeepers – Three Books by Mark Newhouse

            • The Noose
            • The Noose Tightens
            • The Noose Closes

           

          CLUE Awards Series for Mystery & Suspense

          • The Annie Oakley Mystery Series – Three Books by Kari Bovee
            • Girl with a Gun
            • Peccadillo at the Palace
            • Folly at the Fair

          LARAMIE Series Awards Western, Americana, Civil War Fiction

          Americana Fiction

          •  An American Journey Novel Series – Four Books by Richard Alan Schwartz
            • The Emigrant
            • The Pioneer
            • The Surgeon
            • The Soldier

          GOETHE for Historical Fiction Series, post-1750s

          • The Poland Trilogy – Eastern European Literature -Three Books by James Conroyd Martin
            • Push Not the River
            • Against a Crimson Sky
            • The Warsaw Conspiracy

           

          DANTE ROSSETTI Book Series Awards for Young Adult Fiction

          • The Adventures of Jonathan Moore Book Series – Three Books by Peter Greene
            • Warship Poseidon
            • Castle of Fire
            • Paladin’s War 

           

          M & M Book Series Awards for Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries 

          • The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Mystery Series – Five Books by Michelle Cox
            • A Girl Like You
            • A Ring of Truth 
            • A Promise Given
            • A Veil Removed
            • A Child Lost 

           

          OZMA Book Series Awards for Fantasy Fiction 

          • Terribly Serious Darkness Gaslamp Fantasy Book Series – Three Books by Sam Hooker
            • Peril in the Old Country
            • Soul Remains
            • Now Before the Dark

           

          PARANORMAL Book Series Awards for Supernatural Fiction

          • The Winters Sisters – a Paranormal Romantic Suspense Series – Four Books by Joanne Jaytanie
            • Chasing Victory
            • Payton’s Pursuit
            • Willow’s Discovery
            • Corralling Kenzie 

           

          SOMERSET Book Series Awards for Contemporary, Literary, & Mainstream Fiction

          • The Anne McFarland Book Series – American Literature – Three Books by Jill G. Hall
            • The Black Velvet Coat
            • The Silver Shoes
            • The Green Lace Corset

           


          CONGRATULATIONS to ALL! 

           

          And NOW for the 

          2020 CHANTICLEER INT’L BOOK AWARDS

          BEST BOOK

          and

          OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNER

          A blue and gold badge for the 2020 Overall Grand Prize Winner for the CIBAs with a crown image is Trouble the Water, A novel, by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

          Cover of Trouble The Water by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

          TROUBLE THE WATER

          by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

          Rebecca Dwight Bruff will also be awarded $1,000 USD in recognition of her 2020 BEST BOOK of the YEAR – Chanticleer International Book Awards – Sponsored by Chanticleer Reviews & Media. 

          A Chanticleer Review of Trouble the Water will be featured in the in the SPRING 2022 quarterly edition of the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine (print and epub) along with other promotional and marketing opportunities along with an interview with the author, Rebecca Dwight Bruff.

          Thank you Rebecca Dwight Bruff for participating in the 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards. We look forward to receiving future work in our CIBAs.

          We look forward to toasting Rebecca in person at our next gathering–hopefully in 2022. We are so happy that she joined us virtually for the CIBA announcements at our special ceremony on June 5th, 2021.

          CONGRATULATIONS REBECCA DWIGHT BRUFF! 

          From all of us at Chanticleer International Book Awards and Chanticleer Reviews. 


          THANK YOU to VCAC21 SPONSORS and FRIENDS

          And to FRIENDS of CHANTICLEER REVIEWS:

          Cathy Ace, J.D. Barker, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Bradley Metrock, Jessica Morrell, Scott Steindorff, and Paul Hanson of Village Books


           

          We will post more photographs and information. Do check back and subscribe to the Chanticleer Reviews e-news letter.

          The video recordings of VCAC21 will be available on VIMEO. More information to come.

          We have exciting news for the Chanticleer Community on the horizon so do stay tuned!  

          You know you want a coveted Chanticleer Reviews Blue Ribbon! 

          Submit your works (manuscripts or novels published after or on January 1, 2019, are accepted) to the prestigious Chanticleer International Book Awards today! Entries are being accepted into the 2021 CIBAs in all 18 fiction divisions and seven non-fiction divisions. 

          Be sure to register early for the 10th Anniversary 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference that will start on April 7th, 2021 with the 2022 CIBA banquet and ceremony scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 10th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. If we cannot move forward with CAC22 due to the coronavirus, we will host another LIVE and HYBRID Chanticleer Authors Conference and 2021 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremony.

          Pivot and Oscillate are the Words for Today’s Challenging Times.

          An email will go out to all 2020 CIBA award winners prior to October 30, 2021, with instructions, links, and more information about the awards packages. We appreciate your patience. As stated many times before “One does not need to be present at the CIBA ceremony and banquet to win. But it sure is a lot more fun!” –even if it is virtual!

          As always, please contact us at Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

          Be well. Stay Healthy. Take Care!

          The Chanticleer Reviews Team

           

        • MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards for Spirituality & Enlightenment Non-Fiction 2020 CIBA Award Winners

          MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards for Spirituality & Enlightenment Non-Fiction 2020 CIBA Award Winners

          Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Guides and Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

          Congratulations to the First Place Category Winners and the Grand Prize winner of the MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards for the genre of Enlightenment and Spirituality Non-Fiction. The Mind & Spirit Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

          Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring enlightenment, motivational/self-help, spirituality, mindfulness, well-being, meditation, and energy. These books have advanced to the Premier Level of Achievement in the 2020 CIBAs.

          We also are now offering the following CIBA Non-Fiction Divisions:

          • The Journey Awards for Narrative Nonfiction
          • The Mind & Spirit Book Awards for Mindfulness and Well-being
          • The Nellie Bly Book Awards for Investigative and Long-Form Journalism
          • The I & I Book Awards for Insight and Instruction for How-To, Guide Books, Self-Help, Cook Books, etc.
          • The Harvey Chute Book Awards for Business, Finance, and Enterprise
          • The Hearten Book Awards for Uplifting and Inspiring

          New in 2021 will be the Military Veterans and First Responders Non-Fiction works.

          The 2020 MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards First Place Category Winners and the MIND & SPIRIT Grand Prize Winner were announced by Sara Stamey 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 MIND & SPIRIT Awards, a division of the 2020 CIBAs.

          This is the OFFICIAL 2020 LIST of the MIND & SPIRIT BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the MIND & SPIRIT Grand Prize Winner.

          Congratulations to all!

          Mind & Spirit First Place Badge in Blue and Gold

          Congratulations to the 2020 1st Place Winners in the MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards! 

          • Cindy Rasicot – Finding Venerable Mother: A Daughter’s Spiritual Quest to Thailand    
          • Nancy Pickard – Bigger Better Braver
          • Dr. Donna Marks – Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure  
          • Jennie Lee – Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution 
          • Marianne Ingheim – Out of Love: Finding Your Way Back to Self-Compassion  
          • Jill Sherer Murray – Big Wild Love: The Unstoppable Power of Letting Go 

             

            The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2020 Mind & Spirit Awards is:

            Dr. Donna Marks for

            Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure

            Cover for Exit the Maze

            Blue and Gold badge for the Mind and Spirit 2020 Grand Prize Winner for Dr. Donna Marks' EXIT the MAZE: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure 

             

            This is the first awarding for a Grand Prize in the MIND & SPIRIT Division

            The 2021 MIND & SPIRIT 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 MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards are open until the end of November. Enter here!

            Don’t delay! Enter today! 

            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.