Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: janet-k-shawgo

Books for Veterans Day – Honoring Those Who Have Served in the Armed Forces
Veterans Day honors and celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

November 11th, 2018, Veterans Day, also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The hostilities were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

Honoring those who are serving, have served, and those who have fallen while in military service is a tradition here at Chanticleer Reviews.

We here at Chanticleer Reviews have had the honor of reviewing top novels by written by outstanding authors whose stories enlighten, remind, empathize, and creates a better understanding with those who have served in the armed forces.

It is our pleasure to share these titles with you that bring important moments in history along with poignant storytelling to their readers.

Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips,  WWI, Immigration, sweatshops

Chanticleer International Book Awards Grand Prize Winner

From the riveting opening that takes place in NYC’s Lower East Side’s sweatshops until its gripping conclusion after World War I, this enthralling novel vividly portrays the desperate times of German immigrants landing at Ellis Island in search of a better life intertwined with the story of a young man and his heroic military service during WWI.

Murder Beside the Salish Sea by Jennifer Mueller WWII, Japanese Internment, PNW

A Mystery & Mayhem Book Award First Place Winner

Brock Harker, World War II fighter pilot returns home to the Pacific Northwest on leave. He’s searching for a little peace once he finds his half Japanese wife who vanished while he was away. What he finds is Murder Beside The Salish Sea by author Jennifer Mueller, who artfully pulls Brock into an intriguing plot that hides the darkest of secrets.

Wait For Me – Janet Shawgo    WWII and Historical Romance

Goethe (formerly Chaucer) Book Awards First Place Winner

The often-unknown role of women in wartime as travel nurses and pilots, as well as the use of herbs for natural healing, add interesting and relative historical content to this engaging American saga.

The Jøssing Affair by J.L. Oakley  – WWII, Norway, Resistance Fighters

Goethe Book Awards Grand Prize winner for Historical Fiction

A profound work of historical fiction recounting the Norwegian Resistance to the Nazi Occupation. A testimonial to the underground heroes who put aside personal safety for a cause much bigger than themselves. Their courage is acknowledged in this superbly gripping novel.

A Crowded Heart by Andrea McKenzie Raine PTS, Veterans, Military, Social Issues

Shortlisted for the Somerset Book Awards

The wide ensnaring net of the aftershocks of war is poignantly portrayed here — powerful and deeply affecting!

Raine wisely expands the narrative of the novel to reveal the wide net of war. Willis is not the only victim; the people in his life experience the after-shocks of fighting as well.

Not to give up on those who have already given up on themselves is the challenge. Raine reminds us that doing so requires a full heart, indeed, a crowded heart.

Watch Over Me by Eileen Charbonneau WWII, Espionage, Code Talkers, Thriller

Chatelaine Book Awards First Place Award Winner

In a world of half-truths, crooked policemen, spies, and impersonators, the real question is who to trust. Watch Over Me shows a living portrayal of 1940s New York spinning wildly in the madness of espionage, where secrets and sacrifices threaten the bond of love and the hope of family.

Non-Fiction Works that were written by Veterans

Standby for Broadcast by Kari Rhyan PTSD, Wartime nursing, Social Issues

I & I Book Awards – Grand Prize Winner

Rhyan served nearly twenty years in the US Navy as a nurse, her final deployment taking place in Afghanistan to a medical unit run by the British where Rhyan upheld her duties to aid others, while inwardly feeling unprotected and helpless. After witnessing the many tragedies of war, primary among them multiple amputations, she comes home scarred in mind. Her trauma becomes so obvious that she is sent to a special private unit.

Rhyan’s memoir is frank, insightful, and a powerful reminder of the toil taken by those who wrestle with the fallout of the carnage of war. She also reminds us of the resiliency of the human spirit and the power of hope.

Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Christopher Oelerich, author & Vietnam Veteran

Shortlisted for the Journey Book Awards

“A very personal, no-holds-barred yet ultimately empowering discussion of PTSD and its effects on those who suffer from it.” – CBR

The book has been written in a ‘How To’ format for combat soldiers which is reflected in examples and language.

“I went away to war one person and came back another, and in my wildest dreams would never have chosen to be the one who came back…I was a twenty-year-old Warrant Officer Helicopter Pilot fresh out of flight school when I arrived in South Vietnam in May of 1969 and was assigned to B Troop 7/17 Air Cav in Pleiku. I joined the Scout Platoon and spent my entire tour as a Scout Pilot in the Central Highlands, and in that time saw my friends killed, captured, wounded and lose their minds.

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife by Barbara McNally

This ground-breaking initiative offers advice and hope to those who are trying to understand and cope with war’s many aftershocks.

“The critical issues surrounding post-traumatic stress among America’s wounded warriors is expanded here to include the challenges and concerns of military wives and families.

Barbara McNally was working as a physical therapist when she watched helplessly as a man jumped off a bridge to his death. Feeling involved in his tragedy, she learned he was a wounded veteran. The experience spurred her to find out more about PTS and its effects on those who have participated in war. Gradually her attention focused on the plight of the wives of these wounded military survivors.”

If you have a moment, take time to watch this video that offers an intimate look into the chaotic and demanding lives of military spouses as they adjust to living with mentally and physically injured combat veterans. Please feel free to share.

Some interesting current statistics regarding U.S. Veterans*
- 22 veterans, on average, commit suicide every day.
- The suicide rate for younger veterans (18 -29) is 7 times higher than their civilian peers.
- The rate of suicide among veterans is 21 percent higher than the rest of the country.
- The suicide rate of among female veterans is a 140 percent higher than their civilian peers.
- No one knows how many military spouses and families members commit suicide.
- There are 18.8 million veterans living in the United States.
- 3.8 million of these veterans are disabled (2014).
- U.S. military is the world’s second largest (China’s army is the largest) and troops are deployed across the globe.
- It is believed that 45 percent of all veterans who served in the Middle East are disabled.
And another interesting and enlightening link from the PEW RESEARCH CENTER – The FACT TANK regarding Veterans in today’s society.

Honoring those who are serving, have served, and those who have fallen while in military service is a tradition here at Chanticleer Reviews.

With Appreciation and Gratitude to Veterans who are actively serving and have served. THANK YOU!

*Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, American Community Survey 2015, United States Census Bureau.

Just a Note from the blog post author, Kiffer Brown:

On a personal note, many of my family members have served their country (many of whom have passed) and are serving their country: my father (deceased), my brother (with us but 100% disabled), my nephew Robert is currently serving in the Air Force, my dear Aunt Ellen (WWII nurse – she passed away recently), my cousin Billy Wayne (first 100 to die in Vietnam), and many other cousins to numerous to mention here.

This is my small way of honoring and recognizing my relatives for their service to our country.

Thank you for taking the time to read my annual Veterans Day blog post.

Semper Fi – Kiffer
November 10, 2018
CREATING A UNIQUE NICHE MARKET: Adventures in PUBLISHING, #3: by Gail Noble-Sanderson – Marketing, Book Promotion, Self-Publishing

The online Merriam-Webster defines the word niche as:

a: a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted

b: a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species

c: the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption

d: a specialized market

This is an apt description as we explore and determine the perfect “habitat” for our books, our “organisms.” While we need and want our books available in bookstores, online, etc., creating niche markets—those unique and special places that perfectly align along the path that resonates with our readers—can be critical in creating our platforms, generating sales, getting our books read, and encouraging consumers to write reviews.

Whether you write romance or horror, science fiction or historical fiction, with a little research, you too, can create and expand your niche. Below we hear from three award-winning authors who have very successfully created and worked their niche markets. And we conclude with how I discovered and created my own niche market for books at the end of this article.

Susan Conrad spent the last two summers working with Princess Cruise Lines traveling on their voyages to Alaska, including the Inside Passage. She is part of their award-winning “North to Alaska” program on ships that exclusively sail up the Inside Passage from Puget Sound to SE Alaska. On board ship, Susan engages with hundreds of passengers on each cruise, speaking to large audiences and connecting with travelers one-on-one about her unique first-hand experience. This is Susan’s current niche, the place she and her book have captured to perfectly mesh the readers’ interest and Susan’s passion.

Susan, author of the award-winning book Inside: One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage, says we must ask ourselves, “Why is my book important and who cares? It’s those ‘who cares’ answers that you’re now soliciting.”

Janet Oakley, an award-winning author of historical fiction, has written many books to her credit. Along with her mystery series, her novel Tree Soldier, set in the Great Depression in a Civilian Conservation camp, won the 2012 EPIC e-book award for historical fiction as well as the 2012 grand prize with CIBA, the Chanticleer International Book Reviews.

Janet says, “I have a Northwest niche with Tree Soldier, Timber Rose, and Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity (with its Pig War story and Hawaiians immigrants of the 19^th century Pacific NW), and a Scandinavian niche in Jøssing Affair. Tree Soldier is my unexpected platform with connections to local history, parks, and the environment.”

Janet is active in talking about the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington State and utilizes her knowledge of history and skill in creating characters from various times to write powerful stories bringing history to life. She has created niche markets within niches!

Another excellent example of an author who is creating a niche for herself is Janet K. Shawgo, award-winning indie author for her Look for Me Series. Janet has been a nurse for over 32 years and the last 20 of those years as a travel nurse. She infuses her novels with the history of nursing and the experiences of nurses as they travel across the North and South to heal. Are nurses, as well as others, avid readers of her books? You bet they are!

When Janet wrote her last book, Archidamus, she created another clever niche.

She says, “I have been selling my books at Brushy Creek Vineyards since 2011. I received their support from the very beginning of my author career. When Archidamus was written I worked with them to support their winery in two of my books. They, in turn, had a vat of wine with no name inspiring them. I approached with the book. The owner chose “Archidamus” as the name for of the wine.” She now sells Archidamus wherever wine lovers congregate: vineyards, tasting rooms, wine bars, and, of course, book clubs!

Janet overjoyed with her Chatelaine Grand Prize win! We love this photo!

These are great examples of thinking out-of-the traditional boxes to create a plan to promote and sell your books!

And a final example of creating a niche is my own.

It took me a while, but I realized that my historical novels, The Lavender House in Meuse and The Passage Home to Meuse, though about a women’s experience in and after WWI in France, really appeal to people that love all-things-lavender and the places where lavender is grown. This last year I began contacting lavender farms around the country and have placed my books in tens of lavender farms and shops across the United States.

They sell very well throughout the year and in the summer during the lavender festivals, I do events at local farms in the Pacific Northwest. I found a unique niche. And for the first time since starting Noble Press in 2017, I am making a profit. What put me in the black was not my Amazon or bookstore sales, but the sales from the lavender farms and shops, a niche market especially suited to my books.

HOW DO AUTHORS PROMOTE THEIR NICHE?

with Meta-Data for Authors

As you begin to envision where your book will live in the world, determine what attracts readers to your writing and why. Use this information while you create your meta-data; keywords that are used to indicate what your book is about and in what sub-categories it belongs. Meta-data information should be listed on the copyright page of your book and is critical in effective search engine optimization for buyers and retailers.

Meta-data information should be listed on the copyright page of your book and is critical in effective search engine optimization for buyers and retailers.

[Did you know that each one of Chanticleer’s reviews comes with a custom SEO package that is automatically uploaded with the review? It is true! Just another way that Chanticleer Reviews increases the digital footprint of authors.]

Use this list of meta-words to spring-board into creating niche markets unique to your book. Niche markets can evolve, expand, change and grow. And as you revise your already published books and write subsequent new books, keep in mind what you already know about attracting readers to your specific genre, topic, time period and style. The creation of niche markets is only limited by our imagination and willingness to put ourselves and our work out there.

Be daring, be bold! Go forth with confidence and find those readers who are just waiting to find your work! Gail Noble-Sanderson, Author

Next month’s article from Gail will discuss aspects of successful marketing and promotion.

Remember, “Keep falling in love with the potential of what you are doing!” – Gail

Gail Noble-Sanderson is the author of two works of historical fiction, both of which are self-published under her own Noble Press. The Lavender House in Meuse is an emotional, intriguing, and sensitive account of the crises of World War I and one woman’s journey towards recovery and growth.

Her second novel, The Passage Home to Meuse won 1st Place in the 2017 Chatelaine Awards, the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs) for romantic fiction.

Both books are available through Amazon and Village Books.

We invite you to visit Gail’s homepage at http://gailnoblesanderson.com/ and follow her on social media.

August 23, 2018
ARCHIDAMUS by Janet K. Shawgo – Mystery & Suspense, Crime Thriller, Paranormal

One of the NSA’s most talented agents, Zaveen “Zack” Keens, reads the agency’s unofficial notes about a soldier turned ruthless mercenary, murderer, and now her deadly adversary – Archidamus, the man she’d injured and almost stopped. Zack must learn everything she can and hone all her abilities in order to save her kidnapped fiancé and defeat the formidable murderer.

In another city, a man reflects on his first violent encounter with Agent Zack and recognizes that underestimating her is a grave mistake. As his finger follows the jagged cut on his face, he vows to kill her. Archidamus never forgets.

This suspenseful thriller introduces characters with paranormal skills that complement their survival and spy training. Knowing the agents’ capabilities, the reader begins with a confident feeling, like when you bet on a sure thing at the race track, but then you find out that your horse had an unreported injury and suddenly, what you thought was a sure bet, leaves you with growing concerns. Likewise, the reader learns that these skills come with side effects and that this killer is always several steps ahead of the NSA. And Archidamus has secrets of his own.

Zack can read minds even from a long distance, which took some getting used to for her new partner Lane Brigham, who reveals that he has some surprising mental abilities of his own. Just as these two agents get comfortable with their skills, Zach’s fiance’, Eric, is kidnapped by none other than Archidamus. They follow the trail through several states in the U.S. and across the Atlantic to Ireland and Austria. A ransom message arrives but is it already too late?

Let the reader beware, Shawgo’s writing builds a creeping suspense that will keep one engaged in the chase and through the murderer’s evasive steps. The knowledge of weaponry, some of it unique for a thriller, along with skillfully plotted strategy serve this thriller well.

Author Janet Shawgo has written four award-winning historical and romantic novels. Archidamus is her debut thriller. As with her other books, she’s created memorable characters in dynamic situations. Before putting pen to paper as an author, Shawgo served as a healthcare worker for thirty-two years, twenty of those as a travel nurse. Her past informs her writing in the way her characters emote concern and empathy throughout the story.

Archidamus is a paranormal, suspenseful thriller that also tells a story of the strength of loving bonds with friends and family. Love is the glue that holds a strong defense in place. Is it enough, though, when pitted against the face of evil in a twisted man who never forgives and never forgets?

September 20, 2017
Quotes for MEMORIAL DAY and Suggested Books that remember the sacrifices of those who served their country – Kiffer Brown

Quotes for Memorial Day

“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” — President George Washington

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, an d for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”— President Abraham Lincoln 1865

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” — President Theodore Roosevelt

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.” –President Theodore Roosevelt

“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” —President Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” — President John F. Kennedy

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States in remembrance of the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. It is observed the last Monday of May.

Originally, there were two different holidays celebrated by the North and the South to honor their Civil War dead in 1868. After World War One, the two holidays were combined to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.

Veterans Day, which honors all U.S. veterans, is celebrated annually on November 11th–the day that WWI officially ended. V-E Day (Victory in Europe), May 8th, 1945 is the date United States and Great Britain celebrated defeating the Nazi war machine.

We at Chanticleer Reviews are honored to present four excellent reads that exemplify the honor and courage of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military. For information about each book, please click on the link provided.

NON-FICTION

NO TOUGHER DUTY, NO GREATER HONOR by GySgt L. Christian Bussler

GySgt. Bussler served three tours of duty in Iraq in 2003. The last tour (2005 -2006) proves to be the most challenging when Bussler narrowly escapes an IED blast with his life and sent home with injuries. The year proved challenging not just for Bussler, but for his whole team and it leaves each one of them forever changed. After recovery, Bussler then served as a Mortuary Affairs officer.

Though now retired from the Marines, GySgt L. Christian Bussler is still active in the veteran community and acts as a mentor for other veterans. A truly magnificent and heartfelt memoir, No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor is a must-read for every American.

Journey Book Awards, 1st Place award-winner.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY PTSD by Christopher Oelerich (non-fiction)

“I went away to war one person and came back another, and in my wildest dreams would never have chosen to be the one who came back.” – Christopher Oelerich

For those who suffer from PTSD, understanding that they are not alone and that they can help themselves is a huge step toward embracing a recovery program. Oelerich, as one who has experienced combat and traumatic events, wrote this book as a “How To” guide for combat soldiers, like himself, who suffer from PTSD.

Christopher Oelerich relates his own personal history, beginning from when he was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, and continuing through his return to civilian life and his own rocky road to recovery.

GENERAL in COMMAND – The Life of Major General John B. Anderson by Michael M. Van Ness

A remarkable biography chronicling the adventures of a farm boy born in 1891 who rose high rank in the US military and served with distinction in two world wars as a combatant, officer, and sage observer. He served in the Mexican War, WWI, the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Great Depression, and WWII.

HILLBILLIES to HEROES: Journey from the Black Hills of Tennessee to the Battlefields of World War II – The Memoir of James Quinton Kelley by S.L. Kelley.

A farm boy from the hills of Coker Creek, Tennessee to driving tanks across France and into Germany as part of an initiative that ultimately saw the end of Hitler’s Third Reich. A heartfelt recollection of the sacrifices of America’s soldiers in WWII.

FICTION

None of Us the Same by Jeffrey K. Walker

Love. Honor. Friendship. Exactly what we need from a historical fiction novel, at exactly the right time. WWI.

Wait For Me by Janet K. Shawgo –World War II (historical fiction)

The often-unknown role of women in wartime as travel nurses and pilots, as well as the use of herbs for natural healing, adds interesting and relative historical content to the story. The WASP pilots and their active role in the war effort was particularly fascinating reflecting Shawgo’s vigilance with her medical and military history research.

After the prologue shows Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, establishing the World War II setting, the story begins on September 23, 1940 in New York.

Readers may find it interesting that Shawgo, along with being an award winning novelist, is also a travel nurse who goes where and when she is needed for national disasters.

Life On Base: Quantico Cave by Tom and Nancy Wise (contemporary fiction)

A riveting portrayal of the lives of children whose parents serve in the armed forces. Being a teenager is hard enough, but adding the constant uprooting and moving from base to base adds its own unique challenges as well as rewards.

The story focuses around young Stephen, a “military brat”—a term that these children use to distinguish themselves from their civilian counterparts. Stephen finds himself uprooted once again from his most recent home in California and moved across the country to Quantico Bay, Virginia. His father is a Marine and relocating often has become a part of Stephen’s life. However, becoming accustomed to something is not the same as liking it.

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.“
Mark Twain

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” – Maya Angelou

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” —Joseph Campbell

Remembering those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice….

As my father who passed in 1981 from 100% service-connected disabilities (a Marine Corps lifer with WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam conflict in his military service) repeated,

“May we never forget freedom isn’t free.” —Unknown

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May 30, 2016
WAIT FOR ME by Janet K. Shawgo – WWII Historical Romance

Second in the three-book Look for Me series, Wait for Me has the strength to capture readers as a stand-alone story with its new characters and historical setting. References to characters in Look for Me, the first book set during the Civil War, give sufficient back-story for the generational story of the White, Bowen, and Keens families.

After the prologue shows Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, establishing the World War II setting, the story begins on September 23, 1940 in New York.

“Jean Anne White-Shaw was reading the newspaper, listening to Glenn Miller on the radio and waiting for her son to come downstairs.” Songs from the Glenn Miller era become a powerful sensory cue for many scenes, some may say too many, while others may enjoy the trip down memory lane.

However, the author excellently executes with the dialogue, bringing readers into the events and the characters’ emotions. The dialogue, coupled with excellent characterization, carries the story. It is strong, realistic, and shares considerable insight into the families. Readers connect to the people, and quickly find themselves engulfed in their story.

Larry White is a reporter, a great nephew of Samuel White, a reporter during the Civil War; Susan Bowen is a nurse, a great niece of Sarah Bowen, a nurse during the Civil War; and Dealer Johns connects to the Keens family, going back to Mack, Sarah’s friend in the Civil War.

“These were Samuel’s last handwritten notes from Gettysburg. Phillip…carefully removed his mother’s Bible and placed it in front of him. In the Bible was an envelope that contained two items he needed to give to Lawrence. … the necklace and note that were in Samuel’s possession when his body was brought back from Gettysburg.”

Readers, watching the characters’ paths intersect, will eventually learn the connections to the characters in the first book whose similar paths these characters now follow. The plots and sub plots at times get a bit confusing, but as readers continue, they will make the connections, finding a finished story that is both cohesive and very good.

The often-unknown role of women in wartime as travel nurses and pilots, as well as the use of herbs for natural healing, adds interesting and relative historical content to the story. The WASP pilots and their active role in the war effort was particularly fascinating reflecting Shawgo’s vigilance with her medical and military history research. Readers may find it interesting that Shawgo, along with being an award winning novelist, is also a travel nurse who goes where and when she is needed for national disasters.

The satisfying ending holds just enough mystique to give a taste of what will come in the concluding book of the series, Find me Again, as well as stirring curiosity to go back to the first book, Look For Me, for the complete story in this engaging historical romance American saga that spans generations.

April 10, 2016
One Author’s Creative Approach to Book Signings
To compete in the current book market, where millions of books are published each year, you have to find interesting new ways to get your books in front of potential readers.

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Same old same old

Today, Janet Shawgo, award winning author of the Look for Me series, shares her experience with setting up book signings at wine bars—and how the right creative approach can help spread the word about your books.

Also, as an added advantage, your books will have more focused attention from potential readers. It is a great one-two promotional punch!

Setting Up Book Signings in Unique Places Other than Bookstores

Bookstore managers don’t always return calls or emails, dates may not be available, or dates may be reserved six months in advance.

But who says that you can only hold book signings in a bookstores?

If you can get the okay to set up a table with books, you can have a book signing wherever that may be. (Like a wine bar.) I know of one very successful western fiction author who has his best signings (read as sells more books) in grocery stores!

Another author whose romance novels have a natural healer as a protagonist holds some of her most successful signings in food co-ops and natural supplement stores. Yet another author holds her signings at outdoor equipment stores for her eco-mystery series.

The possibilities are endless.

The Point is to Engage Readers – Janet says:

“These days, you need to find something unique to get your books to new readers. But getting yourself in front of readers can be frightening. I get it! Making your book signing into an event where you can have more interaction than just signing books helps ease the awkwardness.”

“Think of what fits with the theme or genre of your book. If you have a cozy mystery about food, find a local restaurant. If you write romance, a little wining and dining might go a long way.”

Janet Shawgo shares info about her Wine Bar Book Signings

“In April, another Dallas-area author, Michelle Renee, and I are hosting a book signing at a wine bar in the Bishop Arts district. We contacted the owner to ask if we could set up a table and sell our books on a slow weeknight. In return, we will purchase a few bottles of wine (white, red, and rose). We’ll hand out tickets to people, which entitles them to a glass on us.”

“I’ve had huge success with signings at wine bars. At another signing, I sold a good number of books, people enjoyed the glass of wine, and the wine bar had one of its best nights and welcomed me back to hold another signing.”

How to Make the Most of Your Book Signing – More Info from Janet Shawgo, award winning author of the WAIT FOR ME series

“To make sure people get to your book signing, be sure to spread the word! We’re on social media, sharing information about our wine bar book signing, but we’re also telling people at work, as well as family and friends. Don’t be afraid to ask the place that is hosting you to post on social media about the event, too. Targeted Facebook ads to locals might also help spread the word.”

“At the signing itself, we have a signup sheet for our newsletters to capture emails, and we also choose two or three people from it for door prizes at the end of the evening.”

“Be sure that your table is appealing and inviting. Readers love free items, so we have pens, bookmarks, candy, magnets, and key chains. Items that have information about our books on them keep us in readers’ minds.”

Thank you, Janet Shawgo, for the sharing your great idea with other Chanticleer authors!

Kiffer Brown asks: Where do your books’ targeted readers hang out?
- kitchen stores?
- gardening centers?
- yarn shops?
- trivia nights at pubs?
- comic book stores?
- boat supply stores?
- pet stores?
- coffee shops?
- outdoor recreation suppliers?
The possibilities are endless!

Expand your readership—make your list of author/book signing opportunities today!

Click on the links to read Chanticleer’s reviews of Janet Shawgo’s award winning books: Look For Me, Wait For Me, and Find Me Again

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April 9, 2016
Win this STONE SOUP Necklace from Janet K. Shawgo, award winning author

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Look For Me Readers Prize

Lovers of Romance Fiction here is a CBR Reader’s Special just FOR YOU!

To have a chance at winning this Key Charm Necklace exclusively made for the Look For Me series, all you have to do is visit author Janet K. Shawgo’s Look For Me Facebook page and LIKE it!

If you happen to be the person to click LIKE at the lucky number of times, you will win this handmade pendant from Stone Soup. It is valued at $20. Janet will mail it to you. There are no shipping or handling charges, unless it is mailed outside of North America.

The Lucky Number of LIKES has already been determined. All you have to do is leave a comment on Janet’s LOOK FOR ME Facebook page telling her what YOUR LIKE number is or FB message her with the LIKE number. It’s that easy!

We will post the LOOK FOR ME LUCKY WINNER’s name here and number here. To read the review of FIND ME AGAIN, please click here. To read the review of the award winning LOOK FOR ME, please click here.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

February 7, 2015
An Editorial Review of “Find Me Again” by Janet K. Shawgo

Can true love conquer death? What happens when those that die have unfinished business? Is it possible for those that leave to help those still here with their unsettled endings? Find Me Again is a story about love that dares to do just that.

Find Me Again begins just over a year before 9/11; many of the mysteries in the story revolve in some way around that infamous day. Much of the story is not about 9/11, but a key player in the story proves to be tightly involved in the events of that day. The conspiracy theory and mysterious side to this story help make it a great read, but what intrigues me the most is how intricate the people are woven together in this story; most of them oblivious to these associations until well into it.

Taylor comes home for his Aunt Beatrice’s funeral with a surprise that his uncle who had also passed had willed to him his controlling portion of the family business. The inheritance comes with strings attached, however. Taylor is to settle some unfinished business for his uncle; his request was to research his family history and seek out his ancestor’s (Samuel White) true love, a nurse from the Bowen family.

Jace is the most recent relative that has chosen to follow in the footsteps of her ancestors of old. She is a holistic nurse recovering from a bad divorce that left her broke. But Jace was also gifted by her mother’s family history that leaves her to believe that she must help settle the dead as well. Her research leads her to discover that the Bowen and White families are linked. Jace feels a strong obligation to seek the answers to several questions that surface in relation to her mission.

While Taylor and Jace appear to be the key players in this story, they are far from the only ones. All of the characters developed in this story are intriguing and leave you wanting to know more of their story. From Jace’s cousin Zack with intelligence enough to get her into a high level government job, but country enough to allow her to fly through desert training and surpass expectations of her. Zach also has the unique gift of mind reading and she may also be an empath. Zack alone adds an amazing character to the story and she is just one of many.

Find Me Again is a mystery, conspiracy theory and an amazing love story that crosses generations—all combined into one amazing read. It leaves you quickly turning the page wondering how each person really plays out in the story, and an ending that tells you this story is far from over. An awesome and entertaining story; this reviewer highly recommends it and is looking forward to reading the first two books in this fascinating and well-researched trilogy from Janet K. Shawgo: Look for Me and Wait for Me.

December 14, 2014
Look For Me by Janet Shawgo

A lantern, a medicine pouch, and a bell to stop the gunfire: That was all nurses took into the Civil War battlefields as they sought out injured men, boys, and women disguised as men. Among them is Sarah Bowen, a young healer from Georgia, whose use of herbal medicine brings her scorn from most field doctors even as it saves countless lives.

Look For Me begins with young, affluent New York-er Samuel White, who has just embarked on his career as a war correspondent. Through an early incident between their fathers, he is also Sarah’s longtime pen pal.

Meanwhile, Mack, a teenage girl traveling as a boy, delivers a letter from the youngest Bowen son to the family farm, lingering long enough to be tutored by Sarah and to fall in love with brother James before leaving to pursue her goal of becoming a Confederate spy. Soon after her departure, a band of traveling nurses comes looking for the local healer, and it doesn’t take much persuading for Sarah to realize her destiny. This is when all of the primary story-lines begin to intersect.

It is with this wagonload of women that the story comes fully to life. Ruby Belle and Maud bring a boisterous energy that infuses the story with attitude, while the more fragile Leona and Emma embody the particular tolls that warfare takes on women.

As the nurses set up makeshift hospitals in abandoned houses near the battle sites, Sarah gains confidence in her skills as she also gains the terrible knowledge of carnage. What the reader gains is an understanding not only of the medicinal uses of native plants, but of the women’s incredible resourcefulness. The homes of families killed by opposing troops are scoured for food, blankets, and clothing to use for bandages; root cellars and herb gardens replenish ever-dwindling supplies; while coffee and tobacco become particularly valuable to trade with soldiers for battle information, or with moonshiners for alcohol and barrels to fill with clean water. Here the author’s own background as a traveling nurse brings an earnest authenticity to the narrative.

In short time, Samuel discovers the value of these “women who travel in war,” and the series he writes about them takes form alongside both his battle reports and his attempt to uncover the story of the Night Walker, the elusive spy who slips in and out of battle scenes and his own life. As the war concludes amid tragic losses, broken families are reunited and promises are kept beyond the grave.

Told with both compassion and restraint, Shawgo’s Look For Me enlightens us by uncovering the critical roles women played in the Civil War: as soldiers, as spies, and, most importantly, as healers. Look For Me is a gripping well-researched and well-told Civil War story of espionage, the battlefields’ terrible tolls, of healing wounds and timeless love.

Look For Me by Janet Shawgo is a First Place Blue Ribbon Award winning novel for Historical Fiction in Chanticleer Book Reviews Published Novels writing competition 2012.

November 20, 2012