Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: lori-lee-peters

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

Short Work? No problem

We’ve got winners!

**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

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

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

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

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

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
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

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!

July 18, 2025
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

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

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
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
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
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

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
August 20, 2024
Celebrating the Evolution of Fatherhood on Father’s Day with Chanticleer

Celebrating Dads on Father’s Day

Fatherhood has changed dramatically over the last century. Once limited to being a hands-off leader of the family, fathers have become a loving, supportive, involved parent that we turn to for help, advice, and sometimes the keys to the car. This Father’s Day, June 16th, we celebrate all the amazing fathers and father figures in our lives!

The Evolving Role of Fatherhood

Let’s look back at the fathers of yesterday to celebrate the great dads we have today!

Fathers from Colonial Times to the Civil War

Traditionally, fathers in the US were stoic figures who taught their boys to work and found suitable husbands for their daughters. While showing the love they had for their children at home was discouraged, soldiers from the Civil War expressed their true feelings toward their children through letters from the battlefield.

Fathers of the Progressive Age

The industrialization of the nation freed up a father’s time to spend with their children, but World War I and II forced many fathers to leave their families to fight overseas. During the turbulent times of the Great Depression that followed gender roles became more flexible, allowing fathers more time with their children while their wives worked outside the home to support their families.

Fathers After WWII

Parenting went under the microscope after WWII, with many studies focused on parental roles and their affects on children. Results found that fathers of this time participated more in the lives and development of their children than ever before, but traditional parenting stereotypes were still in place.

60’s Fathers

Cultural and political shifts impacted fatherhood tremendously in the post-WWII baby boom, but the Vietnam War stymied the movement to further expand a father’s role in the family. Time away from their families and undiagnosed PTSD issues kept many fathers from fully participating in family life.

Fatherhood by 1999

Fathers evolved rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s. Economic stability gave fathers more time to spend at home and participate in their children’s lives in new ways, setting up new expectations for their children and encouraging them to chase their dreams. Harsh discipline was traded in for guidance and encouragement to do better.

Fatherhood in the 21st Century

The gender equality movement of the 21st century has allowed fathers to push aside the old concepts of being a sole provider and disciplinarian in favor of becoming an equal co-parent alongside their significant other. Today’s dads are now involved in all activities of the home, from child rearing to grocery shopping, allowing them to be more confident, emotionally available, and playful with their children.

And then there is Vatertag in Germany

In Germany, Father’s Day always takes place 39 days after Easter Sunday which makes it happen on a Thursday. Father’s Day is also the same date as Ascension Day. Vatertag is also known as Mannertag in the east part of Germany.

Participants go for walks and treks with handcarts, wagons, wheelbarrows, bicycle trailers, and other modes of transporting beer, grills, pretzels, snacks, portable speakers, etc. Also, it is tradition to decorate the carts with birch branches. The story is that in the old days, men would take to the fields for a fruitful harvest. In true German tradition, after the prayers, celebrating with beer, mead, and ale would commence.

Hats off to all the great fathers out there on Father’s Day!

Chanticleer Celebrates Father’s Day with Inspiring, Fun, and Compelling Stories about Fatherhood!

Want to Read some Great Books about Dads?

Check out our Father’s Day Reading List!

GOD, THE MAFIA, MY DAD, AND ME
By Lori Lee Peters
2022 Grand Prize for Shorts

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.

Continue Reading here

ONE OF FOUR
By Travis Davis

Based on real people and events in 1918 France, One of Four by Travis Davis begins with a young French girl, Camille, who stumbles upon a diary lying next to an unknown American soldier. He was killed among his comrades in a German ambush near the banks of the Aire River, as he tried to protect his fellow soldiers. When Camille comes of age, she leaves her hometown to seek a better life in Paris. There, she is killed after joining a German resistance group. But before her death, she tucked the soldier’s diary in her Bible and hid it in a local bookstore.

Decades later, a man by the name of Walter travels to France with his son, Alex, to whom he’d become estranged after the painful divorce from Alex’s mother. He hopes this will be a journey of healing and exploration and that their time together will revive their shaky relationship. While there, Alex purchases the Bible left by Camille many years ago. By reading the hidden diary entries of the soldier together, Alex and Walter’s relationships takes an unexpected turn.

Continue Reading here

TROUBLE THE WATER
By Rebecca Dwight Bruff
Overall Grand Prize Winner

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

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

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

Continue reading the review here.

THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS
By Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni’s novel,The World Played Chessexamines the demands of society and family, through the dawning adulthood of three different men in three different eras.

Vincent Bianco, a Southern California lawyer raises his teenage daughter and high-school-senior son. He unexpectedly receives the Vietnam journal of William Goodman, with whom he had worked construction in 1979. Goodman scribbled the journal in pencil during desperate breaks in his service in Vietnam. This record describes Goodman’s harsh initiation and horrifying acclimatization to the war.

Mirroring the Marine’s rapid maturation in the jungles of southeast Asia, Bianco recalls his own privileged coming of age. He compares it with his son Beau’s coming of age in present-day 2016 and 2017.

Continue reading the review here.

A STORY OF WHOA
By Chris Corbett

In A Story of Whoa, Chris Corbett shows one way that parents can explain the often loud and frightening problems of the world to children, and how anyone can make a difference.

Whoa watches the news every night with his father, where tragedy, injustice, and cruelty so often take center stage. Seeing these terrible things happening on TV, Whoa decides the time has come to step up. With his father’s support, he learns every martial art he can, ready to do battle with the toughest challenges in the world!

With patience and encouragement for Whoa’s many KERPOWS!!!, his father helps him discover that fighting injustice often goes beyond physical strength.

Continue Reading here

We would like to wish all fathers, fathers-to-be, stand-in fathers, and those who possess the fathering instinct, a very Happy Father’s Day!

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the Fathers in our life!

Do you have a book with fathers that deserves to be discovered? You can always submit your book for an Editorial Review with Chanticleer!

Chanticleer Editorial Review Packages are optimized to maximize your digital footprint. Reviews are one of the most powerful tools available to authors to help sell and market their books. Find out what all the buzz is about here.

Have an Award Winner?

Submitting to Book Awards is a great way to get your book discovered! Anytime you advance in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards, your name and book are promoted right here on our website, through our newsletter, and across social media. One of the best ways to engage in long tail marketing!

Thank you again to the authors who wrote these wonderful books, and to fathers and father figures around the world! You are so loved and appreciated!

June 16, 2024
SPOTLIGHT on the 2024 JOURNEY AWARDS Overcoming Adversity
The Search for the BEST Narrative Non-Fiction books on Overcoming Adversity for 2024!

The 2024 Journey Awards submissions close June 30, 2024

Accepting manuscripts and published work!

Your Journey Deserves to Be Discovered!

The CIBAs Levels of Achievements. Books are promoted each time they advance!

The Journey Categories are:
- Overcoming Adversity – Personal Journey
- Dysfunctional Family/Siblings
- Societal/Class/Race Issues
- Personal Journeys/Experiences/PTSD
- Drug Addiction
- Sexual Abuse
- Childhood Trauma
The Journey Awards were the first Non-Fiction Division ever opened by Chanticleer. You can now see the full range of Non-Fiction Divisions here. The sheer quality of the books describing Overcoming Adversity that we received was staggering. These stories demand to be heard, and we, as readers, are better for it.

Join us in exploring these amazing books that are overcoming adversity!

BARBED
By Julie Morrison
Grand Prize Winner for Journey Awards

Julie Morrison saddles up to take us for a ride through the harsh dry mountains of northern Arizona and beyond in her memoir, Barbed.

Readers visit the ranch where Julie’s parents try to keep the family legacy alive. Julie reveals a cowboy’s world where she meets walls instead of doors but never gives up.

Barbed opens with Morrison living in the rainy Seattle area with her husband. But the lure of a cowboy’s life on the range – working cattle and riding horseback – beckons them both. Julie needs salvation like this for her marriage, now distant and cold.

Continue Reading here!

A FRACTION STRONGER
By Mark Berridge
2022 Grand Prize Winner for Journey Awards

Author and businessman Mark Berridge, through the lived experience of himself and others after traumatic injuries, gained a wide understanding of overcoming disaster, and how to rehabilitate not only one’s body but mind and spirit as well. In sharing his wisdom, A Fraction Stronger is a must-read for anyone facing physical, emotional, or mental barriers.

On March 10, 2019, Berridge, due to embark on a work-related flight from his Australian home to the US later that day, went on a bike ride with some buddies. Following the group around a corner, he fell, striking his head; conscious, but unable to move his feet and legs. Hospitals would become his world as he dealt with spinal injuries and the long road to rehabilitation – relearning how to sit, stand, and walk.

He learned more than just how to move again.

Continue reading here

GOD, The MAFIA, MY DAD, and ME: A True Story of Secrets and Survival
By Lori Lee Peters
Grand Prize Winner for Collections in the Shorts Awards
First Place Winner for Journey Awards

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.

Continue Reading here!

A SKY Of INFINITE BLUE: A Japanese Immigrant’s Search for Home and Self
By Kyomi O’Connor
Grand Prize Winner for Mind & Spirit Awards

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

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

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

Continue Reading here!

CHOP THAT SH*T UP!: Leadership and Life Lessons Learned While in the Military
By CSM Daniel L. Pinion
First Place Winner for Military & Front Line

In Chop That Sh*t Up: Leadership and Life Lessons Learned While in the Military, Daniel L. Pinion reminisces about his experiences in the US Army, both good and bad, before he retired as a Command Sergeant Major.

Some of the stories and lessons he offers are heartbreaking, some are horrifying, and some are insightful. As it turns out, some are even heartwarming.

The author explains his origins: a quiet and uneventful childhood that did not give him much idea of what he should do with his life. Some counseling and a few incidents led Pinion, after high school, to the National Guard and eventually the US Army, where he found his life’s calling.

Continue Reading here!

SAINTS And SOLDIERS: Inside Internet-Age Terrorism, From Syria to the Capitol Siege
By Rita Katz
Grand Prize Winner for Nellie Bly

To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.

Katz– executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”

Throughout Saints and Soldiers, Katz uses her decades of intensive experience to describe how a new generation of internet-born white supremacist movements followed the same trajectory as ISIS. She exposes the network of threads that link white supremacist violence such as the Christchurch massacre of 2019 to their origins on messaging platforms such as 8chan, Discord, Stormfront, and Telegram. Indoctrinating vulnerable minds with extremist neo-Nazi ideology, these violent groups use a “screw your optics” mantra that celebrates gruesome violence and the “saints ” and “martyrs” that drive their hateful cause.

Continue Reading here!

Thank you for joining us for this spotlight on the Journey Awards and a fraction of the incredible Non-Fiction that comes through our door!

We’re still feeling the joy and warmth from the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference! See what authors are saying about it!

Congratulations on a very informative conference and festive awards ceremony! The care and effort Team Chanticleer puts into the event was obvious.

I am honored that The Hanford Plaintiffs received a First Place prize in the Nellie Bly category. Nellie Bly was an amazing and accomplished woman.

It’s wonderful to be part of the Chanticleer “family”!- an honor!

— Trisha Pritikin

I had such an amazing time over the weekend!! From the wonderful hotel, classes/workshops, events, authors, 100-year-old war veteran, bagpipe author, and lucky enough to win another award.

Thank you all so much!! What a kickass group of wonderful individuals. Beyond grateful!!!

— Lori Lee Peters

A thousand and one thanks for putting on a great author’s conference! I learned a lot – some things that I was doing well (which is always nice to know) and new things I need to get to work on. And I made some great new friends, including you. It was well worth the time and expense.

— Dave Lager

While not a Journey Winner, there was no way these Blue Ribbon Winners were going to pass on a photo with 100-year-old veteran Burl Harmon.

Got a Winner?

The Journey Awards are open until June 30, 2024!

Submit Today!

Truth matters more than ever
May 30, 2024
The 2023 JOURNEY Book Awards WINNERS for Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction
The Journey Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Journey Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences, travel, personal journeys, global enlightenment, and more. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here.

1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners were announced at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony by Mark Berridge 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 JOURNEY BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the JOURNEY Grand Prize Winner.

Join us in celebrating the following award-winning authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
- Lori Lee Peters – God, the Mafia, My Dad and Me
- Antonia Deignan – Underwater Daughter: A Memoir of Survival and Healing
- Nanette J. Davis Ph.D. – Raging Currents: Mental Illness and Family
- Barbara Wolf Terao – Reconfigured: A Memoir
- Sarah Martin – Dear Psychosis,
- Julie Morrison – Barbed: A Memoir
- Erika Shepard – Trans-Formations: From Field Boots to Sensible Heels
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 JOURNEY Awards is:

Barbed: A Memoir

By Julie Morrison

You can see all of our amazing 2023 Journey Finalists! 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!

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

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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.

Team Chanticleer
May 7, 2024
GOD, The MAFIA, MY DAD, and ME: A True Story of Secrets and Survival by Lori Lee Peters – Memoirs, Family Relationships, Organized Crime

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.

We only see Lori’s father through Lori’s eyes, so he seems larger-than-life. Lori herself becomes the truly fascinating figure, especially as her life grows more complex with age. At first, the book holds little suspense, as young Lori unpacks the seemingly-straightforward details of her and her father’s life. Yet what seems to be an idyllic childhood starts to break down as the narrator reveals her complicated family dynamics and very real fears. Lori’s fear of God takes on a literal meaning, far beyond religion. In fact, it starts to tear apart her life.

Author Peters provides every detail with remarkable calmness, giving a window into the adult writing the story.

Yet the book maintains the voice of a child until near the end, which may leave readers wishing for more reflection from present-day Lori. Instead, we walk closely with young Lori through the twists and turns of a childhood plagued by fear. Her father’s challenges dealing with the Mafia undercover become more tangible, and in some ways, easier to face. They seem to pale in comparison to Lori’s nebulous personal troubles, especially since she’s so afraid to speak them out loud.

Peters includes moments from her father’s perspective, recreated from later research. These recreations feel less lively than other scenes, but ultimately, the book is more memoir than biography. Scenes increasingly focus on Lori’s life as time progresses, and readers will feel drawn in by the truthful way she relates her struggles.

God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me avoids traditional chapter headings, and initially jumps back and forth through time, which can create some confusion. However, later sections settle into a steady rhythm as Lori enters adulthood, plagued by growing anxiety and secret issues with grasping reality itself.

Watching her slowly confront, then overcome, these inner problems is the heart of the book, and provides an ending even more satisfying than her father’s win over the Mafia.

As a narrator, Lori offers compelling moments of honesty and understanding, such as when she goes through a messy divorce with vast compassion for her soon-to-be ex. When she grows up, the adult Lori emerges as a stronger and more reliable narrator, giving readers reflection and depth that ties the book together. This warm and thoughtful voice that will keep readers invested throughout the story.

God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me by Lori Lee Peters won Grand Prize in the 2022 CIBA Shorts Awards for Novellas, Collections, and Anthologies.

March 22, 2024
The 2023 Shorts Award FINALISTS for Novellas, Essays, and Collections
The Short Story Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in Short Stories, Essays, and Novellas. The Short Story Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards program.

The Chanticleer International Book Awards program discovers today’s best works. The Short Stories Awards discovers the Best New Shorts in Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Short List to the Shorts Book Awards Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC24).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

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

These titles are the FINALISTS of the 2023 Shorts Book Awards novel competition for Collections, Novellas, and Essays!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
- Seán Thomas Dwyer – Tiptoeing Past the Dragon
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. – Miami Vengeance: A Griffin Knight Conspiracy Mystery
- Elizabeth Chesla – You Cannot Forbid the Flower
- Celaine Charles – Stained Glass Secrets and Star Wishes
- David Joseph – I Didn’t Know What to Say, So I Just Said Thanks
- Louise Lenahan Wallace – The Windows of his Heart
- Brittany Eden – Wishes
- J. I. Rogers – The Korpes File Series – Short Stories: Vol 1
- Liese Sherwood-Fabre – The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 4
- D. C. Gomez – Recruited
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. – The Windy City Terror: A Griffin Knight Horror Mystery
- Vali Benson – Blood and Silver
- Mary Ann Bernal – AnaRose and the Templar’s Quest
- JuJu – The Costly Wish
- Jeffrey Matthews – The Case of the Disappearing Beaune: A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Story
- Gary Baysinger – A Kind of Homecoming
- Paper Lantern Writers – Unlocked
- Scott Swanson – Philly’s Bridge And Other Northwest Stories
- Elizabeth Rau – The Good Slope
- Mack Little – Shelter in a Hostile World
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

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

God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me

by Lori Lee Peters

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

Old Man Baseball

by Mike Murphey

See the full list of Shorts 2022 Winners here (Collections and Novellas)

And Here (Short Stories and Essays)

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Shorts Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2024.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

The Chanticleer Authors Conference

Featuring authors like D.D. Black, Screenwriter Kim Hornsby, book doctor Christine Fairchild, and Mark Berridge, our twelfth annual conference is shaping up to be excellent! You won’t want to miss out on the best tips around the business of being an author!

April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

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

Join us for our 12th annual conference and discover why!
March 14, 2024
The 2023 Shorts Award FINALISTS for Short Stories and Essays
The Short Story Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in Short Stories, Essays, Novelettes, Novellas, Short Story Collections and Anthologies. The Short Story Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards program.

The Chanticleer International Book Awards program discovers today’s best works. The Short Stories Awards discovers the Best New Shorts in Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Short List to the Shorts Book Awards Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC24).

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

Note: These are for Short Stories and Essays. There is a separate post for Novellas, Collections, and longer Essays

These titles are the FINALISTS of the 2023 Shorts Book Awards novel competition for Collections and Anthologies!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
- Catherine Brown – The Heart of Kublai Khan’s Menagerie Keeper
- Catherine Brown – Finding Namaste
- Luray Embers – No Cat Is An Island
- A.J. McCarthy – A Rock
- A.J. McCarthy – The Strike
- Brian Feutz – Pity the Peasants
- Alice McVeigh – Pride and Perjury: A Jane Austenesque short story
- Brittany Eden – Candles in the Dark from Fantasea
- Logan D. Irons – Bridge of Kings
- PJ Devlin – Sea Purses
- Susan Lynn Solomon – Sabbath
- Marie Sutro – Son Down
- Larry Sherrer – Spirit Letters
- Sharon E. Cathcart – Rose in Bloom
- S.M. Stevens – The Wallace House of Pain
- Robert S Phillips – The Great River
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging!

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me

by Lori Lee Peters

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

Old Man Baseball

by Mike Murphey

See the full list of Shorts 2022 Winners here (Collections)

and here (Short Stories and Essays)

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Shorts Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2024.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

The Chanticleer Authors Conference

Featuring authors like D.D. Black, Kim Hornsby, book doctor Christine Fairchild, and Mark Berridge, our twelfth annual conference is shaping up to be excellent! You won’t want to miss out on the best tips around the business of being an author!

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

Join us for our 12th annual conference and discover why!
March 14, 2024
The 2023 Shorts Award Short List for Novellas, Essays, and Collections
The Short Story Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in Short Stories, Essays, and Novellas. The Short Story Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards program.

The Chanticleer International Book Awards program discovers today’s best works. The Short Stories Awards discovers the Best New Shorts in Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Long List to the Shorts Book Awards Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Finalist positions.

All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC24).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

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

These titles are in the running for the Finalists of the 2023 Shorts Book Awards novel competition for Collections, Novellas, and Essays!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
- Michele L. Sayre – A Ghoulish Good Time – Tales to Make You Scream
- Seán Thomas Dwyer – Tiptoeing Past the Dragon
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. – Miami Vengeance: A Griffin Knight Conspiracy Mystery
- Elizabeth Chesla – You Cannot Forbid the Flower
- David Joseph – I Didn’t Know What to Say, So I Just Said Thanks
- Louise Lenahan Wallace – The Windows of his Heart
- Brittany Eden – Wishes
- J. I. Rogers – The Korpes File Series – Short Stories: Vol 1
- Liese Sherwood-Fabre – The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 4
- D. C. Gomez – Recruited
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. – The Windy City Terror: A Griffin Knight Horror Mystery
- Vali Benson – Blood and Silver
- Mary Ann Bernal – AnaRose and the Templar’s Quest
- JuJu – The Costly Wish
- Jeffrey Matthews – The Case of the Disappearing Beaune: A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Story
- Elizabeth R. Jensen – Fire and Wolves: A Tale of Etria
- Ekta R. Garg – The Truth About Elves
- Gary Baysinger – A Kind of Homecoming
- Paper Lantern Writers – Unlocked
- Celaine Charles – Stained Glass Secrets and Star Wishes
- Scott Swanson – Philly’s Bridge And Other Northwest Stories
- Turtle – A Grading of the Human Species
- Laurie Stevens – The Devil and Daniela Webster
- Mack Little – Shelter in a Hostile World
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

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

God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me

by Lori Lee Peters

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

Old Man Baseball

by Mike Murphey

See the full list of Shorts 2022 Winners here (Collections and Novellas)

And Here (Short Stories and Essays)

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Shorts Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2024.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

The Chanticleer Authors Conference

Featuring authors like D.D. Black, book doctor Christine Fairchild, and Mark Berridge, our twelfth annual conference is shaping up to be excellent! You won’t want to miss out on the best tips around the business of being an author!

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

Join us for our 12th annual conference and discover why!
February 12, 2024
The 2023 Shorts Award Short List for Short Stories and Essays
The Short Story Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in Short Stories, Essays, Novelettes, Novellas, Short Story Collections and Anthologies. The Short Story Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards program.

The Chanticleer International Book Awards program discovers today’s best works. The Short Stories Awards discovers the Best New Shorts in Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2023 Long List to the Shorts Book Awards SHORT LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2023 Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC24). The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

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

Note: These are for Short Stories and Essays. There is a separate post for Novellas, Collections, and longer Essays

These titles are in the running to be Semi-Finalists of the 2023 Shorts Book Awards novel competition for Collections and Anthologies!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.
- Catherine Brown – The Heart of Kublai Khan’s Menagerie Keeper
- Catherine Brown – Finding Namaste
- Luray Embers – No Cat Is An Island
- A.J. McCarthy – A Rock
- A.J. McCarthy – The Strike
- Brian Feutz – Pity the Peasants
- Alice McVeigh – Pride and Perjury: A Jane Austenesque short story
- Brittany Eden – Candles in the Dark from Fantasea
- Logan D. Irons – Bridge of Kings
- Sallie Barr Palmer – Conversation with a Vampire
- Susan Lynn Solomon – Sabbath
- Marie Sutro – Son Down
- Larry Sherrer – Spirit Letters
- PJ Devlin – Sea Purses
- Morgan Sloan – The Awakening
- Sharon E. Cathcart – Rose in Bloom
- S.M. Stevens – The Wallace House of Pain
- Robert S Phillips – The Great River
- George T. Arnold – Confession of a “Grammarholic”
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging!

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me

by Lori Lee Peters

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

Old Man Baseball

by Mike Murphey

See the full list of Shorts 2022 Winners here (Collections)

and here (Short Stories and Essays)

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Shorts Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2024.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2023 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference April 18-21, 2024! Register Today!

The Chanticleer Authors Conference

Featuring authors like D.D. Black, book doctor Christine Fairchild, and Mark Berridge, our twelfth annual conference is shaping up to be excellent! You won’t want to miss out on the best tips around the business of being an author!

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

Join us for our 12th annual conference and discover why!
February 8, 2024