Author: elizabeth-crowens

  • The 2025 SEA Shorts Hall of Fame for Short Stories, Essays, and Novellas

    The 2025 SEA Shorts Hall of Fame for Short Stories, Essays, and Novellas

    Short Work? No problem

    We’ve got winners!

    The CIBA Badge for the SEA Shorts Awards has a small pencil on a blue background

    **Got a Short to Share?**

    Submissions for the 2025 Shorts Awards are open through July 31st!

    The SEA Shorts Awards is one of the newest divisions at Chanticleer, but it didn’t take long to become one of the biggest powerhouses in our Book Awards! If you want to put your work to the test, submit it to the Shorts Awards today!

    The Shorts Awards has recently been renamed the SEA Short Story Awards, in honor of Sharon Anderson, one of the first winners of the Shorts Award, our Chief Editor of Reviews and a beloved member of the Chanticleer Family. We are grateful for the opportunity to remember her with this Award.

    See our newest addition, the Collections and Anthologies Award here!

    Something About Lizzy
    By Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi

    Something About Lizzy cover by Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi

    Our Review for the SEA Short Story Grand Prize Winner (Novellas and Collections) for this Pride and Prejudice Sequel is forthcoming. In the meantime you can find more from this author at her page here.

    Here’s what GoodReads readers have been saying-

    I normally do not like first person narratives (and those by sixteen-year-olds none the less!) but this is an exception. Sofia is a delight, insightful, old beyond her years, and yet very much a 16 y/o in impulsivity and sometimes judging too quickly on too little information (but oh so certain that she has the right of it).” -Jen

    Against her father’s wishes, Sofia forges a strong friendship with Elizabeth Darcy (Lizzy) and discovers all is not as it seems in the idyllic Darcy marriage. Will Sofia stand by Lizzy after all the family secrets are revealed? Something About Lizzy is an imaginative story with characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice like you have never seen them before. The immersive nature of the writing draws you in and keeps you invested in what’s going on. The style of writing is very much Austenesque which makes for enjoyable reading, especially if you love Pride and Prejudice. The pacing is slow and easy. Something About Lizzy is a book worth savoring.”- Nancy

    Dream Rut: Navigating Your Path Forward
    By Dr. Yumiko Shimabukuro
    Illustrated by Jieyu Deng

    Dream Rut Navigating Your Path Forward cover by Yumiko Shimabukuro

    Our review for the SEA Short Story Awards Grand Prize Winner (Short Stories and Essays) is forthcoming, in the meantime you can find more about this book from their website, dreamrut.com or see more from the artist at her website jieyudeng.com

    Here’s what GoodReads readers have been saying-

    ““Trust grows when we recommit to reinvigorating our dreams.” Above all, Dr. Shimabukuro’s work calls on us to trust — in ourselves, and in the dreams deep within us. Through insightful prose, thought-provoking illustrations, and wisdom that can only be gained through mentoring hundreds of people through their dream ruts, as she has, she offers readers a path out of the wilderness, and back onto the path toward their dreams. Highly recommend for anybody who is, or has ever been, lost, and is looking for a way back towards accomplishing their deepest dreams.” -Jas

    Dream Rut brings new life to “it’s about the journey, not the destination.” It’s both a meditation and a motivational essay on connecting with your inner desires and dreams and choosing to foster a relationship with that dream instead of treating it as a distant, unreachable burden. Dr. Yumi Shimabukuro, a former professor of mine, writes with compassion and wisdom and Jieyu Deng’s incredibly beautiful, dreamy illustrations bring the mantra to life.” -Aastha

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Shelter in A Hostile World
    By Mack Little

    Shelter in a Hostile World, second installment in Mack Little’s Love and Peace series, is an epic tale of resistance, desire, and tragedy, saturating readers in the complexity of Igbo culture.

    Little paints a character-rich portrait of the horrors of enslavement and the unthinkable violence against women in the Caribbean, locking people together in relationships molded by adversity.

    Set in 17th century Igboland—the invaded region of Nigeria — and on the island of Barbados, Shelter in a Hostile World is a searingly brief novel packed with mesmerizing prose. It blends genres to create a literary language entirely its own.

    Throughout Little’s story, readers follow the life and loves of Badu Obosi, a haunted revolutionary escaping enslavement to protect his daughter from sexual violence.

    Read More Here

    The Heart of Kublai Khans Menagerie Keeper
    By Catherine Brown

    A Manuscript

    Blue and Gold Badge Recognizing The Heart of Kublai Khan's Menagerie Keeper by Catherine Brown for winning the 2023 Shorts- Short Prose Grand Prize

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    God, The Mafia, My Dad and Me
    By Lori Lee Peters

    God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me by Lori Lee Peters begins in the voice of a child, compelling not just for its narrative honestly, but for the fact that it might not be reliable. As the book opens, we learn that this narrator firmly believes she will be killed.

    Readers can easily see through the childlike hyperbole, but that doesn’t detract from the intrigue. How did a kid come to such an extreme conclusion? Is there any seed of truth to it? These questions will hook readers from the start.

    Author Peters set out to write a book about her dad. God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me tells the true story of her father, and his fascinating work helping the FBI tackle Mafia activity in Lodi, California. Yet in the end, this is a memoir in which the compelling lead character – young Lori – overshadows her father in many ways.

    Read More Here

    Old Man Baseball
    By Mike Murphey

    The Grand Prize for Short Stories and Essays in the Shorts Awards for Old Man Baseball by Mike Murphey

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst
    By Elizabeth Crowens

    New York Cover

    Prepare to be carried away to bustling, vivacious streets as you read Elizabeth Crowens’ New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst.

    This captivating literary anthology is a love letter to the great city from a group of brilliant artists and authors, which delves into the multifaceted lives of New Yorkers.

    Short fiction and a few poems describe the ins and outs of New York living. Murder mysteries, revenge, family struggles, family sagas, and, of course, the most important questions regarding real estate. Finding the perfect place to live in the city may be difficult, but this story brings into vivid relief the heart of what makes New York special: the people.

    Read More Here

    Homegoing
    By Toni Ann Johnson

    Homegoing Cover

    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


    Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of SEA Shorts 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!

    Submit to the CIBAs Today!

    Now is your chance to touch the hearts of readers everywhere. Your short prose deserves to be discovered, and you can submit to the submit today! by the end of the month. Don’t miss this chance to give your book the recognition it deserves.

    The Global Thriller Awards is your chance to shine!

    The 2025 CIBA Grand Prize Winners at CAC25

  • The 2025 Cygnus Book Awards Hall of Fame for Science Fiction

    The 2025 Cygnus Book Awards Hall of Fame for Science Fiction

    Love Sci-Fi?

    So do we!

    A bald white man in a red and black space exploration uniform celebrates
    Captain Jean Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) celebrating

    The Cygnus Awards is one of the inaugural Book Award Divisions at Chanticleer, and we adore the worlds that they’ve created.

    Science Fiction often asks the question: What Could Be? At Chanticleer, we seek to discover those strange new worlds, from Space Opera to Alternate History, and Cli-Fi to YA Sci-Fi. Wherever your book lands on the Speculative Fiction spectrum, there’s a good chance that it will fit in here with us!

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    **Beam your book to us by June 30, 2025**

    Join us in celebrating these amazing Hall of Fame Grand Prize Cygnus Award Winners!

    Ares
    By Jayson Adams

     

    Our Review for this book is forthcoming, in the meantime here is what Goodreads readers have to say about our newest Grand Prize Winner!

    I read this book in just a few days, finding it to be an amazing story that moved so fast, I just did not want to stop reading.”- Jim

    This is the best science fiction story I have read since The Martian by Andy Weir. The story never runs out of gas. The science is good and the characters plausible. There are so many twists and turns that just when you think the story will end, it takes you down another rabbit hole.” -Tom

    A trip to Mars murder, suspense, and a well-earned conclusion. I was hooked on this book from page one and recommend it to anyone who likes to wrap up a story in one book from time to time.” -Bob

    The Shadow of War
    By Timothy S. Johnston

    In Timothy S. Johnston’s The Shadow of War, gripping personal, ecological, and political battles rage undersea for autonomy and power against the powerful surface nations. But even the ocean depths churn with betrayal, conflicting loyalties, and the ruthless ambitions of humanity.

    This thriller opens on the dystopia of the year 2131, when rising sea levels have forced humanity to establish and inhabit underwater colonies. The fear of environmental collapse is heightened by the prospect of war as the colonies struggle to maintain their independence.

    A simple scientific exploration of the Chagos trench by two geologist brothers takes a horrific turn, snapping the science fiction tension with the impact of gore horror. A slight touch by one brother on the hull of their Seacar causes his hand to suddenly dissolve into a strange mass, melting flesh away from bone. This opening foreshadows the enigmas and anomalies to be unravelled in a vast undersea mystery.

    Continue Reading Here!

    The Last Lumenian
    By S. G. Blaise

    Nineteen-year-old Lilla could have an idyllic life, but in The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise, she comes face to face with a rebellion and their just cause.

    Lilla’s father leads the Pax Septum Coalition, a nineteen-planet confederation. As a princess in her own right, she should be enjoying the status and wealth that comes from living on Uhna, the richest planet in the coalition due to the diamond mines found by her pirate ancestors centuries ago. She most definitely shouldn’t be worried about the rebellion brewing right under her father’s nose. However, when Lilla meets rebels in a refugee camp, she thinks she has found her destiny, a true purpose.

    Wanting to fight against the injustice and horrific treatment of the refugees, Lilla tries desperately to prove herself, especially after a disastrous first mission where she not only crashes her ship but also ends up in the hands of General Callum, leader of the Teryn Praelium.

    Continue Reading here!

    A War in Too Many Worlds
    By Elizabeth Crowens

    Musician-turned-time-traveler John Patrick Scott adds spy and saboteur to his resume while undercover in Germany in the final months of World War I, in A War in Too Many Worlds, the third installment of Elizabeth Crowen’s thrilling sci-fi series, The Time Traveler Professor.

    Meanwhile, Scott’s once and future collaborator in psychic experiments, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is back in Britain sharing real time-travel adventures with the inventor of the fictional time machine, H.G. Wells.

    Scott, after being wounded in the trenches, has finally been given an assignment in the Intelligence services. His extensive pre-war experience as a professor at the Conservancy of Music in Stuttgart, Germany, will do him good.

    Continue Reading here!

    Rhett C. Bruno & Jaime Castle for
    The Luna Missile Crisis

    Cover of The Luna Missile Crisis by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

    Authors Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle come together to tell the tale of alien first contact gone awry in their epic science fiction release, The Luna Missile Crisis.

    The year is 1961, and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is set to become the first man in space. But when Yuri, snug inside the Vostok 1, is launched from the cosmodrome and into the coming night, he’s met with a collision that changes the course of history. The Vostok 1 crashes into an oncoming alien starship. Assuming the collision was actually a missile fired from Russia’s space race opponent, the United States, the soviet nation quickly launches an arsenal of nuclear warheads in response. But those warheads never make it to their target. Instead, they detonate against the hidden starship, sending a wave of nuclear destruction over eastern Europe.

    In the coming weeks after contact day, military troops from both sides of the cold war are sent into the ruins of eastern Europe – into an area now called the Dead Curtain – to search for useful alien technology. During a skirmish between the Russians, the Americans, and the Vulbathi (the toad-like alien race aboard the damaged starship), a combat medic name Kyle McCoy stumbles into the chaos and sparks a ceasefire. His actions create a domino effect, bringing about relative peace between all three parties. Three years pass, and in exchange for aid in repairing their damaged ship, the Vulbathi agree to offer some of their exceptional technology to mankind. And Kyle McCoy, once foot soldier turned head of the Department of Alien Relations, is given a desk job with a title that suits his place in history.

    Continue Reading here!


    Remember to add these books to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account!

    These Hall of Fame winners prove that great science fiction comes from bold authors willing to share their visions with the world. Will your story be next to join this prestigious constellation of talent?

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    The Cygnus Awards don’t just recognize excellence—they create lasting legacies. From Long List to Grand Prize Winner, each advancement means more visibility, more readers, and more opportunities for your work to shine across the galaxy of science fiction. Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000, but more importantly, you’ll join a community of forward-thinking authors whose work shapes the future of the genre.

    Don’t let your manuscript remain in undiscovered country—submit by June 30, 2025!

    You know you want it…

  • The 2023 M&M Awards First Place Roundup for Cozy and Not-so-Cozy Mysteries!

    The 2023 M&M Awards First Place Roundup for Cozy and Not-so-Cozy Mysteries!

    Cozy Mystery Fiction AwardThe Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries. The Grand Prize Winner, Michelle Cox’s book, A Haunting at Linley will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the M&M contest page year ’round!

    The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!

    The 2023 M&M Winners were announced at the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

    Join us in celebrating the 2023 First Place M&M Winners!

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Liese Sherwood Fabre – The Adventure on the Purloined Portrait

    A long-buried past. A stolen portrait. The artist’s murder. Can Sherlock discover the connection between the three before he’s stopped permanently?

    Sherlock can’t shake his apprehension about a family trip to Paris. His mother’s unflappable confidence vanished months ago, and her anxiety has set the whole family on edge. His greatest fears are realized when they witness the death of one of Mrs. Holmes’ former suitors.

    As Sherlock seeks to unravel the reason behind the artist’s murder, he unearths a long-buried secret about his mother and survives several attempts to keep him from getting to the truth.

    Can he bring a murderer to justice before he’s buried with these hidden secrets forever?

    The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait is the gripping fourth case in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes. If you enjoy traditional historical mysteries, you’ll love this origin series about the world’s greatest consulting detective.

    Find it on Amazon

    Gail Grant Park – We Are Shadows: An Irish Ghost Story

    Moira Gallagher has been conversing with ghosts since she was five. Now as an adult, she’s finally putting that ability to good use.

    Moira’s ability to talk with the dead gives her detective agency, Gallagher Investigations, an edge in uncovering secrets the past has buried. With the help of her sisters, Nuala and Deirdre, she assists those unsettled spirits in finding peace by righting the wrongs done to them before they found themselves on the Other Side. The past collides with the present as these Irish sisters solve cold-case murders and mayhem through their dreams, paranormal visitations, and spunk.

    If you enjoy a cozy mystery, ghosts of the friendly and not-so-friendly variety, or anything Irish, you’ll love We Are Shadows.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon

    Rebecca Olmstead – Dreams and Illusions

    Suffering a crisis of faith, will one woman’s cryptic visions lead to the path of healing and save her sister from death row?

    Gabrielle Dorian believes God has turned against her. Despite prophetic dreams, the grieving boutique owner resents that her alleged gift didn’t prevent her parents’ accidental deaths or protect her husband from a fatal worksite accident. So after receiving a panicked call from the last of her family, the distraught woman shelves her own sorrow and rushes to Seattle to rescue her estranged sister.

    Discovering her sibling has been charged with murder, Gabrielle begins to fear the worst when her brother-in-law is missing and his best friend mysteriously comes up with bail money. Battling a hated former classmate in charge of the case, she fights through the murk of suspicious clues that all point to a guilty verdict.

    With her last loved one’s life on the line, can she uncover the truth before it’s too late?

    Dreams and Illusions is the riveting first book in the Gabrielle Dorian Mysteries Series. If you like headstrong heroines, fast-paced drama, and dark twists, you’ll love Rebecca Olmstead’s tale of doubt and redemption.

    Find it on Amazon

    Elizabeth Crowens – Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles

    Asta, the dog from the popular Thin Man series, has vanished, and production for his next film is pending. MGM Studios offers a huge reward, and that’s exactly what young private detectives Babs Norman and Guy Brandt need for their struggling business to survive. Celebrity dognapping now a growing trend, when the police and city pound ridicule Basil Rathbone and ask, “Sherlock Holmes has lost his dog?” Basil also hires the B. Norman Agency to find his missing Cocker Spaniel.

    The three concoct a plan for Basil to assume his on-screen persona and round up possible suspects, including Myrna Loy and William Powell; Dashiell Hammett, creator of The Thin Man; Nigel Bruce, Basil’s on-screen Doctor Watson; Hollywood-newcomer, German philanthropist and film financier Countess Velma von Rache, and the top animal trainers in Tinseltown. Yet everyone will be in for a shock when the real reason behind the canine disappearances is even more sinister than imagined.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon

     

    Patrick E Craig -The Quilt That Knew

    • A young girl buried in the woods for forty years…
    • A desperate killer loose in the village…
    • A mysterious quilt and a golden ring…

    Jenny Hershberger returns to Apple Creek, Ohio, the village where she grew up. But this is not a happy homecoming. She’s been called upon to solve a horrible crime. But will the killer find her first…

    Find it Locally and on Amazon

    Lyn Squire – Immortalized to Death

    Death strikes England’s foremost novelist, his latest tale only half told. Was he murdered because someone feared a ruinous revelation? Or was it revenge for some past misdeed? Set in the Kent countryside and London slums of 1870, Immortalised to Death embeds an ingenious solution to Charles Dickens’s unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood within the evolving and ultimately tragic consequences of a broader mystery surrounding the author himself. Debut author Lyn Squire kicks off his fascinating Dunston Burnett Trilogy with legendary Victorian novelist Charles Dickens dead at his desk, pen still in hand. Convinced that the identity of Dickens’s murderer lies in the book’s missing denouement, Dickens’s nephew and unlikely detective, Dunston Burnett, sets out to complete his uncle’s half-finished novel. A stunning revelation crowns this tale about the mysterious death of England’s greatest novelist, and exposes the author’s long-held secret.

    Find it on Amazon

    E.W. Finke – Coyote’s Wail

    The baffling death of a beloved Elder. A convocation of eagles, sacred messengers of Kji-Niskam, poisoned. Mi’kmaw First Nation Chief Peter Joe must learn who’s behind the killings before more die. A determined wildlife activist, a self-important Minister of Parliament, a virulent poison, and a plan to eradicate Newfoundland’s newest and smartest predators tangle his trail to the cause and perpetrator, and put his life in danger.

    Are things as they seem? The Old Ones’ stories hold the answers.

    Find it at Barnes & Noble

    M&M Blue and Gold 1st Place Badge Image


    Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2023 M&M First Place Winners!

    Cozy Mystery Fiction Award

    You can see our Hall of Fame on the M&M Grand Prize Winners, including Michelle Cox’s incredible book A Haunting at Linley here.

    Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

    The tiers of achievement for the CIBAs

    Got a great Fiction Book? The 2024 M&M Book Awards are open through the end of September!

    Note: Submissions are open until the dates update on the website!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest
    Submit to the M&M Awards Today!
  • Celebrating Excellence with the 2024 Shorts Hall of Fame!

    Celebrating Excellence with the 2024 Shorts Hall of Fame!

    Short Work? No problem

    We’ve got winners!

    **Got a Short to Share?**

    Submissions for the 2024 Shorts Awards are open through August 31st!

    The Shorts Awards is one of the newest divisions at Chanticleer, but it didn’t have the normal ramp up time to become one of the biggest powerhouses in our Book Awards! If you want to put your work to the test, submit it to the Shorts Awards today!

    Shelter in A Hostile World
    By Mack Little

    Our review of the 2023 Shorts Grand Prize Winner for Collections will post any day now! In the meantime, this is the second Grand Prize Winner Mack Little has sent us, and you can see our review for Daughter of Hades here!

    The Heart of Kublai Khans Menagerie Keeper
    By Catherine Brown

    A Manuscript

    Blue and Gold Badge Recognizing The Heart of Kublai Khan's Menagerie Keeper by Catherine Brown for winning the 2023 Shorts- Short Prose Grand Prize

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    God, The Mafia, My Dad and Me
    By Lori Lee Peters

     

    God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me by Lori Lee Peters begins in the voice of a child, compelling not just for its narrative honestly, but for the fact that it might not be reliable. As the book opens, we learn that this narrator firmly believes she will be killed.

    Readers can easily see through the childlike hyperbole, but that doesn’t detract from the intrigue. How did a kid come to such an extreme conclusion? Is there any seed of truth to it? These questions will hook readers from the start.

    Author Peters set out to write a book about her dad. God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me tells the true story of her father, and his fascinating work helping the FBI tackle Mafia activity in Lodi, California. Yet in the end, this is a memoir in which the compelling lead character – young Lori – overshadows her father in many ways.

    Read More Here

    Old Man Baseball
    By Mike Murphey

    The Grand Prize for Short Stories and Essays in the Shorts Awards for Old Man Baseball by Mike Murphey

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst
    By Elizabeth Crowens

    New York Cover

    Prepare to be carried away to bustling, vivacious streets as you read Elizabeth Crowens’ New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst.

    This captivating literary anthology is a love letter to the great city from a group of brilliant artists and authors, which delves into the multifaceted lives of New Yorkers.

    Short fiction and a few poems describe the ins and outs of New York living. Murder mysteries, revenge, family struggles, family sagas, and, of course, the most important questions regarding real estate. Finding the perfect place to live in the city may be difficult, but this story brings into vivid relief the heart of what makes New York special: the people.

    Read More Here

    Homegoing
    By Toni Ann Johnson

    Homegoing Cover

    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

    Savonne, Not Vonny
    By Robin Lee Lovelace

    Savonne, Not Vonny Cover

    Robin Lee Lovelace evokes a world in which the mystical intertwines with the everyday in Savonne, Not Vonny, a coming-of-age story set in rural Louisiana.

    Nine-year-old Savonne lives in a small room at the back of Mama Gwen’s whorehouse, in Indianapolis in the ’60s. Her mama is one of the working girls, and her father is Mama Gwen’s own son. Savonne’s daddy dotes on her, and Mama Gwen loves Savonne like the daughter she never had; the two of them together make a loving home for Savonne, in the midst of their raucous brothel.

    By contrast, Savonne’s birth mother rarely pays her any mind. A “crazy-ass woman” with a temper “as hot as a Mississippi afternoon,” Coco is not at all opposed to beating the bejesus out of someone. In a fury one night, she does something that cannot be undone, and in her headlong flight out of town, she takes Savonne with her.

    Read More Here

    A Week at Surfside Beach
    By Pierce Koslosky Jr.

    A Week at Surfside Beach

    Vacationers from all walks of life converge on Portofino II-317C, South Carolina, a quaint blue beach house, in Pierce Koslosky Jr.’s short story collection, A Week at Surfside Beach.

    From May 30th-December 26th each group of people comes to stay one week at a time, to forget their cares of the big city, to work, to celebrate, or to simply get away. Surfside Beach has much to show them, including temperamental weather.

    The small town itself offers a charming supermarket where fishing supplies, whoopie pies, and local southern favorites can be found. The Christmas vacationers, the final of the thirteen beach house renters, struggle to find a tree in time; a real tree simply wouldn’t allow enough space for the family to sleep, and the fake tree would cost too much. But they find arts and crafts supplies in town, to fashion a paper Christmas tree during a day of rainy weather.

    Read More Here


    Remember to add your next reads to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account! Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Chatelaine 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!

    Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Here are some recent achievements from our authors:

    Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

  • The 2024 Cygnus Hall of Fame for the best Science Fiction

    The 2024 Cygnus Hall of Fame for the best Science Fiction

    Love Sci-Fi?

    So do we!

    A bald white man in a red and black space exploration uniform celebrates
    Captain Jean Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) celebrating

    The Cygnus Awards is one of the inaugural Book Award Divisions at Chanticleer, and we adore the worlds that they’ve created.

    Science Fiction often asks the question: What Could Be? At Chanticleer, we seek to discover those strange new worlds, from Space Opera to Alternate History, and Cli-Fi to YA Sci-Fi. Wherever your book lands on the Speculative Fiction spectrum, there’s a good chance that it will fit in here with us!

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    **Beam your book to us by June 30, 2024**

    Join us in celebrating these amazing Hall of Fame Grand Prize Cygnus Award Winners!

    The Shadow of War
    By Timothy S. Johnston

    The Chanticleer Editorial Review for The Shadow of War, book 5 in the Oceania Series is to come, but here’s what initial readers are saying:

    A tightly plotted action-packed thriller about an undersea war. Beautiful and heartbreaking character development, best for those who want The Expanse but underwater. — Chanticleer

    And on Goodreads readers say

    As always, Johnston has written a thriller with hot-off-the-presses technology, edge-of-your-seat moments, separated into heart-pounding seconds, and characters who don’t always do what they’re supposed to. — Kelly

    Timothy S. Johnston delivers another page turner that keeps the pace moving. — Ian

    You can find The Shadow of War locally on Bookshop or from Amazon today!

    The Last Lumenian
    By S. G. Blaise

    Nineteen-year-old Lilla could have an idyllic life, but in The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise, she comes face to face with a rebellion and their just cause.

    Lilla’s father leads the Pax Septum Coalition, a nineteen-planet confederation. As a princess in her own right, she should be enjoying the status and wealth that comes from living on Uhna, the richest planet in the coalition due to the diamond mines found by her pirate ancestors centuries ago. She most definitely shouldn’t be worried about the rebellion brewing right under her father’s nose. However, when Lilla meets rebels in a refugee camp, she thinks she has found her destiny, a true purpose.

    Wanting to fight against the injustice and horrific treatment of the refugees, Lilla tries desperately to prove herself, especially after a disastrous first mission where she not only crashes her ship but also ends up in the hands of General Callum, leader of the Teryn Praelium.

    Continue Reading here!

    A War in Too Many Worlds
    By Elizabeth Crowens

    Musician-turned-time-traveler John Patrick Scott adds spy and saboteur to his resume while undercover in Germany in the final months of World War I, in A War in Too Many Worlds, the third installment of Elizabeth Crowen’s thrilling sci-fi series, The Time Traveler Professor.

    Meanwhile, Scott’s once and future collaborator in psychic experiments, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is back in Britain sharing real time-travel adventures with the inventor of the fictional time machine, H.G. Wells.

    Scott, after being wounded in the trenches, has finally been given an assignment in the Intelligence services. His extensive pre-war experience as a professor at the Conservancy of Music in Stuttgart, Germany, will do him good.

    Continue Reading here!

    Rhett C. Bruno & Jaime Castle for
    The Luna Missile Crisis

    Cover of The Luna Missile Crisis by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

    Authors Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle come together to tell the tale of alien first contact gone awry in their epic science fiction release, The Luna Missile Crisis.

    The year is 1961, and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is set to become the first man in space. But when Yuri, snug inside the Vostok 1, is launched from the cosmodrome and into the coming night, he’s met with a collision that changes the course of history. The Vostok 1 crashes into an oncoming alien starship. Assuming the collision was actually a missile fired from Russia’s space race opponent, the United States, the soviet nation quickly launches an arsenal of nuclear warheads in response. But those warheads never make it to their target. Instead, they detonate against the hidden starship, sending a wave of nuclear destruction over eastern Europe.

    In the coming weeks after contact day, military troops from both sides of the cold war are sent into the ruins of eastern Europe – into an area now called the Dead Curtain – to search for useful alien technology. During a skirmish between the Russians, the Americans, and the Vulbathi (the toad-like alien race aboard the damaged starship), a combat medic name Kyle McCoy stumbles into the chaos and sparks a ceasefire. His actions create a domino effect, bringing about relative peace between all three parties. Three years pass, and in exchange for aid in repairing their damaged ship, the Vulbathi agree to offer some of their exceptional technology to mankind. And Kyle McCoy, once foot soldier turned head of the Department of Alien Relations, is given a desk job with a title that suits his place in history.

    Continue Reading here!

    Insynnium
    B
    y Tim Cole

    The dramatic premise explored in a new novel, Insynnium, is a wild, immersive leap into a world-changing (but fictional) drug. In other hands, what could be a dystopian thriller goes one step further in author Tim Cole’s capable hands. He focuses on the humans who first discover and use the drug and weaves his story with a devilish charm.

    This is somewhat Bill Murray/“Groundhog Day” territory, a film exploring one man’s reliving a day in his life over and over until he learned new behaviors, new skills, and came out of it a better man. Unlike “Groundhog,” Max McVista takes multiple doses of the drug against all advice, then somehow expands time itself in what he calls an “AUE” or “Alternative Universe Experience,” enabling him to spend months and sometimes years becoming or experiencing whatever he wishes. When returning to real-time, he’s only missed a day or two. (For E=MC squared fans, it’s basically reverse engineering of Einsteinian physics.)

    From a man with few basic skills, a drunk who all but abandons his wife and sons, he returns to his family with outsized skills as a musician, entrepreneur, carpenter, medical savant, and pilot. Skills he could not have learned in any traditional manner. He lies about how he learned everything, tracing it back to an accident, choosing to bury his drug-induced years of time-traveling across the world, spending concentrated periods exploring whatever he fancies with no time “penalty” in the real world.

    Continue Reading here!


    Remember to add your next reads to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account! Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Cygnus Winners is to submit today! 

    You know you want it…

    Will your science fiction story be next to join this stellar lineup? Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000, but more importantly, you’ll join a community of visionary authors whose work shapes the future of the genre.

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

     

    These celebrated works represent the best in contemporary science fiction—and your story could be next!

    Enter the Cygnus Awards by June 30, 2025, and join this prestigious Hall of Fame!

    • The M&M 2023 Book Award WINNERS for Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries

      The M&M 2023 Book Award WINNERS for Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries

      Cozy Mystery Fiction AwardThe M&M Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery & Mayhem fiction genre.  The M&M Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

      Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, not-so-cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards, and for international intrigue see our Global Thriller Awards)

       1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners were announced at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony by Gail Halverson on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at the Four Points By Sheraton in beautiful Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference

      This is the OFFICIAL 2023 LIST of the M&M BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the M&M Grand Prize Winner.

      M&M Blue and Gold 1st Place Badge Image

       

      Join us in celebrating the following authors and their works!

      • Liese Sherwood-Fabre – The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait

      • Gail Grant Park – We Are Shadows: An Irish Ghost Story

      • Rebecca Olmstead – Dreams and Illusions

      • Elizabeth Crowens – Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles

      • Patrick E. Craig – The Quilt That Knew

      • E. W. Finke – Coyote’s Wail

      • Michelle Cox – A Haunting at Linley

      • Lyn Squire – Immortalised to Death

      The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Mystery & Mayhem Awards is:

      A Haunting at Linley

      A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel

      by Michelle Cox 

      You can see all of our amazing 2023 M&M Finalists here! Congratulations to all and thank you for submitting!

      Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!

      PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

      Attn CIBA Winners: More goodies and prizes will be coming your way along with promotion in our magazine, website, and advertisements in Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards long-tail marketing strategy. Welcome to the CIBA Hall of Fame for Award Winners!

      This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, for Facebook to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

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

      Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Facebook and Twitter handle is @ChantiReviews

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

      A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting in June. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. You will receive an OFFICIAL EMAIL NOTIFICATION with Digital Badges and more information.

      NOTE: We will post at least two 2023 CIBA Divisions’ OFFICIAL Winners per business day starting April 24, 2024. We do a final sweep and reconciliation prior to making the Official CIBA Posts for the 2023 First Place and Grand Prize Winners. We thank  you in advance for your patience and understanding. There are many moving parts involved with the Chanticleer International Book Awards Program.

      Thank you for participating in the 2023 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.

      The Chanticleer Team

    • Don’t have time for a full book? The Shorts Awards Hall of Fame has Something for Everyone! Submissions Open Now!

      Don’t have time for a full book? The Shorts Awards Hall of Fame has Something for Everyone! Submissions Open Now!

      Short and Sweet? We want your prose today!

      The Shorts Awards are here to bring you excellence in Novellas, Story Collections, or Individual Short Stories and Essays

      A typewriter that says a dramatic short story

      ***Got a Short to Share?***

      You’ve got until August 31st to share your Stories with us and Enter the 2023 CIBAs!

      For Short Prose and Collections

      Join us as we delve into the Hall of Fame for Grand Prize Winners of the Shorts Awards – a realm where short fiction goes beyond genre. Starting in with the 2021 winners while the reviews for 2022 are processed!

       

       

      New York Cover

      New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst
      By Elizabeth Crowens

      Prepare to be carried away to bustling, vivacious streets as you read Elizabeth Crowens’ New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst.

      This captivating literary anthology is a love letter to the great city from a group of brilliant artists and authors, which delves into the multifaceted lives of New Yorkers.

      Short fiction and a few poems describe the ins and outs of New York living. Murder mysteries, revenge, family struggles, family sagas, and, of course, the most important questions regarding real estate. Finding the perfect place to live in the city may be difficult, but this story brings into vivid relief the heart of what makes New York special: the people.

      Read More Here

       

      Homegoing Cover

      Homegoing
      By Toni Ann Johnson

      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

      Savonne, Not Vonny Cover

       

      Savonne, Not Vonny
      By Robin Lee Lovelace

      Robin Lee Lovelace evokes a world in which the mystical intertwines with the everyday in Savonne, Not Vonny, a coming-of-age story set in rural Louisiana.

      Nine-year-old Savonne lives in a small room at the back of Mama Gwen’s whorehouse, in Indianapolis in the ’60s. Her mama is one of the working girls, and her father is Mama Gwen’s own son. Savonne’s daddy dotes on her, and Mama Gwen loves Savonne like the daughter she never had; the two of them together make a loving home for Savonne, in the midst of their raucous brothel.

      By contrast, Savonne’s birth mother rarely pays her any mind. A “crazy-ass woman” with a temper “as hot as a Mississippi afternoon,” Coco is not at all opposed to beating the bejesus out of someone. In a fury one night, she does something that cannot be undone, and in her headlong flight out of town, she takes Savonne with her.

      Read More Here

      A Week at Surfside Beach

       

      A Week at Surfside Beach
      By Pierce Koslosky Jr.

      Vacationers from all walks of life converge on Portofino II-317C, South Carolina, a quaint blue beach house, in Pierce Koslosky Jr.’s short story collection, A Week at Surfside Beach.

      From May 30th-December 26th each group of people comes to stay one week at a time, to forget their cares of the big city, to work, to celebrate, or to simply get away. Surfside Beach has much to show them, including temperamental weather.

      The small town itself offers a charming supermarket where fishing supplies, whoopie pies, and local southern favorites can be found. The Christmas vacationers, the final of the thirteen beach house renters, struggle to find a tree in time; a real tree simply wouldn’t allow enough space for the family to sleep, and the fake tree would cost too much. But they find arts and crafts supplies in town, to fashion a paper Christmas tree during a day of rainy weather.

      Read More Here


      The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 SHORTS Awards for Collections is:

      God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me

      by Lori Lee Peters

      The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 SHORTS Awards for Short Stories is:

      Old Man Baseball

      by Mike Murphey

      The Grand Prize for Short Stories and Essays in the Shorts Awards for Old Man Baseball by Mike Murphey

      You can see the full list of winners for longer work here and for shorter work here.

      Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Shorts 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 2023 Shorts Awards approaches, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the exceptional achievers who have come before.

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

      With over $30,000 in rewards and prizes given away every year, what are you waiting for? Submit today!

    • 10 Question Author Interview with Elizabeth Crowens – Anthologies, Murder Mysteries, Time Travel

      10 Question Author Interview with Elizabeth Crowens – Anthologies, Murder Mysteries, Time Travel

      CHANTICLEER AUTHOR TEN QUESTION INTERVIEW SERIES
      with Elizabeth Crowens

      The 2021 Shorts Grand Prize Badge for New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens

      Author Elizabeth Crowens has been coming to our conferences (CAC) for a while now – and it is always a good time when she does. In fact, Elizabeth took home the GRAND PRIZE in TWO Divisions in 2021~ The SHORTS Awards for New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst and scored majorly in the CYGNUS Awards for A War in Too Many Worlds. And her literary agent just negotiated a 3-Book publishing deal. She is funny, smart, and cares deeply for her fellow authors. In short, she’s a perfect Chanticleerian! I want you to meet her – Elizabeth Crowens.

      Chanti: So, Elizabeth, when did you realize that you were an author?

      The 2021 Cygnus Grand Prize Badge for A War in Too Many Worlds by Elizabeth Crowens

      Crowens: When I realized it was too complicated and too expensive to make elaborate feature films all by myself. This, of course, was in the pre-video and pre-smartphone days of motion picture cameras and processing outrageously expensive film stock, of which I had firsthand experience in a film school which touted experimental and avantgarde auteurism rather than commercial productions.

      Although I had the cinematographer’s eye, women in that realm faced a lot of restrictions, so I veered toward screenwriting. Never made my mark in that commercial arena either, but I did start a first draft of a novel, which stayed in my closet for many years until I took it seriously, polished it, and had it published. Now, there are three novels in that series, the latest of which is A War in Too Many Worlds, which won last year’s Grand Prize in the Cygnus Awards. The first book of that series, Silent Meridian, won First Prize in the Goethe Awards, and the second book, A Pocketful of Lodestones, won First Prize in the Paranormal Awards. There will be one more novel, The Story Beyond Time, before I complete my Time Traveler Professor series.

       

      Chanti: It always amazes me how much you juggle in your work. Good on you! But, how do you come up with your ideas for a story?

      Crowens: There’s always something personal when it comes to my story ideas. For my anthology, New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst, for years I had always wanted to publish a coffee table book using my photography. When I inadvertently stumbled upon an artist’s grant which could give me that New York Give me your best or your worst coveropportunity, I gave it a whirl, not expecting anything to come of it. However, there was one caveat—I had to involve others. That’s when I pitched the project like my popular Caption Contest on Facebook and was really surprised when I won one of those grants. Regarding other stories—they come from all over the place but, once again, there’s always a personal connection some way or other.

      Chanti: How do you approach your writing day?

      Crowens: If I can wake around 4:30 am and write until 9:00 am when the “business day” begins, that’s considered a productive day. It’s quiet then, and I don’t have to worry about being interrupted by robocalls or having to deal with the frustrating mundane stuff like booking doctor’s appointments or arguing with inept billing departments over why I don’t owe their bills. Hate that stuff with a passion, and it totally gets me out of the creative zone.

      Chanti: Ugh. I hate the robo calls! How structured are you in your writing work?

      Crowens: To expand upon the previous question, once I’m out of the zone, there’s no way I can force myself to get back on track. Once I have the spare time, I’ll concentrate on reading or watching a film—in the name of research, of course. Got to stay productive—no matter what.

      Chanti: Smart. What areas in your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?

      Crowens: Dialogue. I think that comes from my screenwriting background. Script length is roughly 110-120 pages. My weakest area would be in setting descriptions and sensory reactions. In screenplays, nearly all of that is eliminated unless it’s vital to the script.

      What it's like to be bi-coastal!
      What it’s like to be bi-coastal!

      Chanti: That’s good advice. You work in novels and film – two very different practices, two very different places – so I want to ask you about your craft. What do you do to grow your author chops?

      Crowens: I attend writer’s boot camps and conferences—a lot of them.

      Chanti: We’re always happy to see you at CAC! What craft books have helped you the most?

      Crowens: Story Trumps Structure by Steven James. Anything by Donald Maas or James Bell. Stephen King’s On Writing is a classic. Writer’s Digest publishes a lot of good ones.

      Chanti: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

      Crowens: It might be a while since you see my final alternate history/science fiction novel in the Time Traveler Professor series, because I’ve been concentrating on Hollywood mysteries. One of the reasons why I like entering in the Chanticleer Author Awards is that they allow unpublished manuscripts to A War in Too Many Worlds compete against the published ones. I have three unpublished mysteries which have won first prizes in various categories, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the one my agent is currently shopping, will leap beyond a finalist this year in the M&Ms or the Clue Awards.

      Chanti: Best of luck to you in the CIBAs! They don’t let me near them, so luck is the only thing I can offer. Do you ever experience writers block? What do you do to overcome it?

      Crowens: There are two instances where I hit a wall. One I mentioned previously, and that’s when I’m knocked out of the zone. The other is that cooling off period when I’m completely done with a project. During that time, I catch up on a lot of books and movies, many of which have no relation whatsoever to anything I might need for research on a future book. That’s the time to hit my TBR pile. Often, they might be novels from an author I know.

      Chanti: I like how you handle that. It’s productive – and sounds like it’s predictable as well. Good for you! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

      Crowens: Give us reviews! Post them on Amazon, even if it isn’t a “verified sale” on Amazon and you purchased your copy at a retail store or book fair, and on Goodreads. NetGalley. Blog about them.

      Chanti: You heard it from the author, herself! The most helpful thing is to write the review – and talk up the books!

      EXCITING NEWS for Elizabeth Crowens – This just in! 

      We are beyond thrilled to announce that Elizabeth received a 3 Book Deal with her agent, Elizabeth K. Kracht for her Babs Norman 1940s Hollywood Mystery series.  The Deal was announced in Publishers Marketplace. Here’s a link to her website where the good news is also mentioned, and another link to her Facebook announcement: https://www.facebook.com/thereel.elizabeth.crowens

      Now that’s something to crow about!

      Elizabeth entered her unpublished manuscript, Babs and Basil, and the Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, into the Mark Twain Book Awards division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards where it was awarded a First Place Blue Ribbon.

      May be a graphic of text that says 'Publishers Marketplace Deal Report HOUNDS OF THE HOLLYWOOD BASKERVILLES By Elizabeth Crowens Imprint: Level Best Author NEW YORK: GIVE ME YOUR BEST OR YOUR WORST Elizabeth Crowens's HOUNDS HOLLYWOOD BASKERVILLES which charming, failed young actor Hollywood golden age turns private investigator help Hollywood elite Basil Rathbone findA, famous missing canine thespian Hollywood, and growing list other vanished screenland hounds, Verena Rose Level Best, nice deal, three- book deal, for publication spring 2024, Elizabeth Kracht at Kimberley Cameron Associates (NA). liz@kimberleycameron.com Digital: Fiction: Mystery/Crime August 1, 2023'

       

      A white woman with blue eyes and blonde hair smiling against a gray backdropElizabeth Crowens has worn many hats in the entertainment industry in NY and LA for over 25 years. Writing credits include short stories and articles in  Black Belt, Black Gate, and Sherlock Holmes Mystery magazines, stories in Hell’s Heart and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated A New York State of Fright, and three alternate history/SFF novels, which she self-publishes under the name of Atomic Alchemist Productions. Recipient of the MWA-NY Leo B. Burstein Scholarship, NY Foundation of the Arts grant to produce a self-published, photo-illustrated anthology, a Glimmer Train Honorable Mention, an Eric Hoffer Award First Prize, two Grand Prize and four First Prize Chanticleer Review awards. She is represented by Elizabeth K. Kracht at Kimberley Cameron & Associates, is currently writing in the Hollywood mystery genre, and is seeking a traditional publisher.

      If you would like to learn more about Elizabeth Crowens author extraordinaire, please like and follow her on her webpage: https://www.elizabethcrowens.com/

       

    • NEW YORK: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens – Short Story Anthologies, Photography, City Life Fiction

      NEW YORK: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens – Short Story Anthologies, Photography, City Life Fiction

       

      Prepare to be carried away to bustling, vivacious streets as you read Elizabeth Crowens’ New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst.

      This captivating literary anthology is a love letter to the great city from a group of brilliant artists and authors, which delves into the multifaceted lives of New Yorkers.

      Short fiction and a few poems describe the ins and outs of New York living. Murder mysteries, revenge, family struggles, family sagas, and, of course, the most important questions regarding real estate. Finding the perfect place to live in the city may be difficult, but this story brings into vivid relief the heart of what makes New York special: the people.

      Each piece of the anthology maintains a steady focus on its characters’ journey, ensuring their needs and desires stay in the foreground. The city itself becomes a vibrant entity that weaves its way into the fabric of each story.

      New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst is set apart by the inclusion of Crowens’ captivating photography.

      The written word and visual imagery interplay elevate the anthology beyond expectations. From glow-in-the-dark skulls welcoming you to the gentrified street, to the twin boys who stand in as the fictional Angel and Israel in Richie Narvaez’s series of three stories, each photo adds depth that allows the reader to reimagine the story they accompany. With each page, these images remind readers of the heartbeat of New York City.

      This anthology is a treasure trove for mystery lovers, with a range of stories that vary from curious to chilling.

      The pieces come together like an intricately crafted puzzle, enticing readers to decipher their enigmatic clues and revel in the satisfying resolution. Perhaps the greatest joy here is that one can return after their first reading to linger gently on the interplay between image and story for a fuller experience. Each readthrough unravels new layers and meanings, expertly arranged by Crowens.

      New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst is an outstanding anthology that captures the essence of New York and its myriad stories.

      With its diverse range of voices, skillful storytelling, and the captivating addition of photography, this collection invites readers to embark on a literary journey through the soul of the city. Whether you’re a mystery enthusiast seeking a thrilling read or a lover of New York longing to rediscover its magic, this anthology is sure to leave an indelible mark.

      New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Shorts Awards for Short Story Collections, Essay Collections, and Anthologies.

       

      Shorts GP gold sticker

      5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

    • A WAR In TOO MANY WORLDS: The Time Traveler Professor, Book Three by Elizabeth Crowens – Time Travel, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

      A WAR In TOO MANY WORLDS: The Time Traveler Professor, Book Three by Elizabeth Crowens – Time Travel, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

       

      Musician-turned-time-traveler John Patrick Scott adds spy and saboteur to his resume while undercover in Germany in the final months of World War I, in A War in Too Many Worlds, the third installment of Elizabeth Crowen’s thrilling sci-fi series, The Time Traveler Professor.

      Meanwhile, Scott’s once and future collaborator in psychic experiments, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is back in Britain sharing real time-travel adventures with the inventor of the fictional time machine, H.G. Wells.

      Scott, after being wounded in the trenches, has finally been given an assignment in the Intelligence services. His extensive pre-war experience as a professor at the Conservancy of Music in Stuttgart, Germany, will do him good.

      His assignment is to sabotage the waning German war effort through numerous false identities, while simultaneously mixing with high society to learn who is passing secrets from the Allies to the Central Powers.

      Although frustrated by his sudden inability to travel through time, Scott has not lost any of his remaining powers. He is assisted in his secret work by many of the spirits haunting wartorn Berlin.

      In Britain, Doyle and Wells undertake time travels of their own, to a past that seems to be more of a literary creation than a jaunt through time. They find the Island of Doctor Morbideux, a dangerous place filled with genetic experiments merging men with beasts, just as in Wells’ novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. Morbideux appears to be a time-traveling Harry Houdini, unaware of his present life or his adversarial but friendly relationship with Doyle. The situation becomes increasingly perilous as it becomes clear that Doyle and Wells will be Morbideux’s next experimental subjects.

      As the story slips between Scott’s undercover operations in Germany, and Doyle’s and Wells’ clandestine journey, this third book in the Time Traveler Professor series proves itself more complex than either of its predecessors.

      Since the first two books, the war has changed Scott, leaving him older, sadder, more experienced, and more frustrated in equal measure. He takes greater and greater risks, and slips easily between chemically induced ecstasy and all too frequent despair, as danger mounts and loss surrounds him. Doyle’s and Wells’ adventures and misadventures, at least until they plumb the full depths of the island of Doctor Morbideaux, provide a bit of leavening to set against Scott’s increasing despond.

      The overall story of the series continues to gain depth with a compelling pace, and the author recommends that readers enter this sprawling saga at its beginning in Silent Meridian. This book’s opening recap serves as an excellent refresher for readers who know the previous stories, but The Time Traveler Professor is a series like Outlander, where seemingly minor past – and future! – events and chance meetings may have vast implications for the ultimate fate of the protagonists and their world.

      Ultimately, the adventure of The Time Traveler Professor, even if he cannot currently travel through time himself, still jumps in time and place, racing towards what is sure to be a wild ride of an ending in the projected final book in the series, The Story Beyond Time.

      A War in Too Many Worlds by Elizabeth Crowens won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Cygnus Awards for Science Fiction.

       

      5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews