Author: lydia-m-hawke

  • The 2025 Shelley Book Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction

    The 2025 Shelley Book Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction

    Celebrating the Best in Paranormal Fiction!

    The Shelley Awards Hall of Fame Showcases Supernatural Excellence

    ***Send us your spooky tale today!***

    The Shelley Awards (Formerly Known as the Paranormal Awards) celebrate the most compelling paranormal fiction each year. Let’s jump to our Hall of Fame and celebrate truly extraordinary supernatural tales from our Grand Prize Winners!

    The Shelley Awards for Paranormal Fiction features an image of Mary Shelley at her writing desk

    Let’s celebrate the past winners and visit the Hall of Fame for the Shelley Awards!

    Time-Marked Warlock
    By Shami Stovall

    Our newest Shelley Grand Prize Winners review is still upcoming, in the meantime here’s what GoodReads readers have been saying:

    Let’s see what did I like?

    Everything

    This is a book I will be recommending to literally everyone. Smart magic, fun characters, & a mystery to solve. Also, the narration was amazing. 10/10 will be recommending.” -Hayley

    As per usual, Shami Stovall wrote a new series that somehow manages to immediately reel you in. The magic is explained well enough and inherently simple enough to understand how it works without having to go too in depth.” -Carlos

    Amazing book! If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy, mysteries or Groundhog Day get this book. Shami keeps you on your toes as you share her world. The magic system is well thought out and the characters are engaging. 10/10″ -Karson

    To see more from this author, see her website here

    Buy the book

    Becoming Crone
    By Lydia M. Hawke

    There’s a darkness rising from the Otherworld in Lydia M. Hawke’s Becoming Crone, and only the Morrigan’s Crones can send it back. But For Claire Emerson, her first challenge is accepting the fact that she is a Crone.

    On Claire’s sixtieth, friends and family come to celebrate her milestone birthday. But with her daughter-in-law Natalie giving out advice more suitable for an 80-year-old, her neighbor Jeanne’s annual gifting of a garden gnome, and her best friend Edie cracking wise and irreverent, Claire’s milestone is more like a millstone around her neck. Fresh off a divorce, in a funk, and seeking purpose in her life, her day is only brightened by her grandson Braden gifting her an antique pendant.

    The owner of the antique shop, her neighbor Gilbert, wants to buy it back. Claire refuses for Braden’s sake and finds the pendant proves to have a value stranger than money. Other strange occurrences happen as well, including a strange, angry man, and protective crows. Determined to resolve this new mystery, Claire sets out to find the address.

    Read More Here

    Cold as Hell Cover

    Cold as Hell
    By Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

    James Crowley isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill cowboy. Nor is Cold as Hell, by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle, your typical gunslinging western.

    Although he’s got all the right characteristics – tough exterior, snarky personality, and commitment issues – Crowley is much more than he appears. Resurrected to immortality straight from death’s “sickly sweet aroma,” Crowley is duty-bound as a Hand of God to serve the White Throne in its shadow war against demonic presences called the nephilim unleashed by freezing hell.

    But it’s not all ‘good guys versus bad guys’. As Crowley learns, “good choices don’t always mean doing right or wrong things. Especially when it comes to serving a Master like [the White Throne].” Forced to be the middle man between God and the Devil, Crowley has to decide for himself how to care for the people around him and bring true justice to fruition. Forced to be the middleman between God and the Devil, Crowley has to make his own choices about how to care for the people around him and bring justice to fruition. 

    Jam-packed with simmering romance, evil yetis, reckless bar fights, and other outlaw shenanigans, Cold as Hell will warm readers’ hearts as it freezes them to their seats with anticipation.

    Read More Here

    The Devil Pulls the Strings Book Cover

    The Devil Pulls The Strings
    By J.W. Zarek

    The protagonist and all-around decent guy, Boone Daniels, is in a heap of hurt in JW Zarek’s new Young Adult novel, The Devil Pulls the Strings.

    One would think being plagued by an evil spirit wendigo since age six would be enough inconvenience to last a lifetime, but when Boone jousts with his best bud at a Ren Faire and accidentally deals a mortal blow, the hurt he experiences suddenly lands on a sliding scale of 1 to 1 million. And Boone Daniels becomes a millionaire, so to speak.

    Read More Here

     

    Soul Seeker
    By Kaylin McFarren

    The realms of demons and angels clash, as the possibility of romance, plunges the beings of Hell into chaos. Kaylin McFarren’s Soul Seeker follows the otherworldly set as they flee for their lives, uncover millennia-old secrets about one another, and face the possibility of love in a very dangerous world.

    But first, the demon, Crighton, wreaks havoc on his human target, a man named Poe, devastating the man and his family. You could say, Crighton’s at home collecting wicked souls for his boss, Lucifer. His villain persona is put into question when he meets the angel, Ariel. At first, Crighton believes the angelic Ariel would make an excellent prize for the prince of darkness, as the demon is well aware that his master adores ruining pretty things. However, when an undeniable attraction emerges between them, they wrestle with each other, pitting strength against strength. Beware any who would do anything to tear these two apart—that would spell certain death.

    Read More Here


    Congratulations again to these exception Grand Prize Division Winners in the Shelley Book Awards for Paranormal Fiction!

    From time-traveling warlocks to cosmic battles between good and evil, each of these stories found their readership through the recognition that comes with Shelley Award achievement.

     

    Your villains are shadowy, but don’t let your book fade into the darkness. 

    From time-traveling warlocks to cosmic battles between good and evil, each of these Hall of Fame winners shares one crucial element: they didn’t let their stories remain undiscovered. They took the leap and submitted to the Shelley Awards, transforming their manuscripts from hidden gems into celebrated works. In today’s saturated market, exceptional writing isn’t enough. You need strategic promotion, credible recognition, and a pathway to readers who are hungry for exactly the kind of paranormal fiction you’ve created. The Shelley Awards provide all three.

    Time is Running Out

    Deadline: June 30, 2025

    Your Supernatural Story Won’t Discover Itself

    Submit to the Shelley Awards Today

  • The 2025 Shelley Awards Spotlight for Paranormal Fiction

    The 2025 Shelley Awards Spotlight for Paranormal Fiction

    Who you gonna call for the Best Paranormal Fiction?

    The best Ghost Busters movie ever made featuring a stellar cast of four women.
    It’s a good guess, but not these folks!

    The Shelley Awards!

    The Shelley Awards for Paranormal Fiction features an image of Mary Shelley at her writing desk

    The submissions for the 2025 Awards are well underway, and Shelley closes submissions at the end of June!

    Paranormal fiction opens doorways to worlds where the impossible becomes reality—where vampires walk among us, where psychic powers shape destiny, and where the supernatural lurks just beyond the veil of everyday life. From spine-tingling mysteries to heart-pounding romances with otherworldly beings, the Shelley Awards celebrate the authors who dare to explore the realm between the known and unknown.

    Let’s Dive into the Paranormal Categories of the Shelley Awards!

    • Adventure/Mystery/Thriller combines supernatural elements with pulse-pounding action and intrigue—think Supernatural meets Sherlock Holmes, where paranormal investigators solve crimes that defy explanation.
    • Paranormal Romance is where love transcends the boundaries of the mortal world. Whether it’s vampires finding their eternal mates or witches discovering love through magical bonds, these stories prove that romance knows no supernatural limits—perfect for fans of Twilight, True Blood and Shadowhunters.
    • Magical Beings & Creatures features the fantastic inhabitants of paranormal worlds: vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, angels, and beings born from imagination. These stories explore what it means to be otherworldly in a human world.
    • Strange and Unexplained delves into the mysterious phenomena that science can’t quite explain—haunted houses, unexplained disappearances, psychic phenomena, and encounters with the truly unknown. Think The X-Files in book form.
    • Supernatural Powers focuses on characters gifted (or cursed) with abilities beyond normal human capacity: telepathy, precognition, telekinesis, or powers yet to be imagined. These stories explore how extraordinary abilities shape ordinary lives.

    The beauty of paranormal fiction lies in its endless possibilities—where else can a detective consult with ghosts, or a romance bloom between a time traveler and an immortal?

    Celebrating Our 2024 Shelley Grand Prize Winner!

    After months of reviewing entries, we announced on April 5, 2025 at CAC25 that Shami Stovall claimed the 2024 Shelley Grand Prize with her exceptional novel Time-Marked Warlock! This thrilling book delivers Groundhog Day meets the Dresden Files—featuring a captivating adventure and murder mystery that will keep readers spellbound.

    Stovall’s compelling narrative and masterful blend of time manipulation with supernatural investigation exemplify the innovative paranormal storytelling we seek to recognize. In addition to all the featured posts that have already gone out for the Shelley Awards, Time-Marked Warlock will be regularly promoted throughout the year on the Shelley Awards submission page and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame post. Shami Stovall will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Time-Marked Warlock will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.

    Looking for Your Next Paranormal Read?

    Check out some of these incredible books we’ve reviewed recently that showcase the amazing diversity of paranormal fiction!

    SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS
    By J.D. Barker

    An old and hungry thing wakes beneath the house on Wood Island. It calls out to another generation of children. In J.D. Barker’s supernatural mystery, Something I Keep Upstairs, a circle of New Castle teenagers digs up the unholy secrets of those who came before them.

    When the hermit Geraldine Rote dies without clear cause, her grandson Spivey inherits Wood Island and the historic house upon it. He plans to spend the summer as a carefree sixteen-year-old rather than submitting to another round of cancer treatments. With the help of the mysterious estate lawyer Marston, Spivey escapes his parents’ reach.

    At first, the island becomes a perpetual party, drawing an endless stream of kids and alcohol. But only a few learn the truth behind Wood Island’s dark stories.

    Read more here!

    The Monarchs Cover

    THE MONARCHS
    By Mark Sabbas

    Hounded by an authoritarian military, vicious fellow psychics, and his own mental shadows, teenage Samuel Helen seeks the only people who can help his comatose beloved Evelyn. In Mark Sabbas’s Metaphysical adventure novel, The Monarchs, Samuel has no choice but to trust a strange and powerful girl, Luna, as his guide.

    Decades after a nuclear apocalypse devastated Earth, the New Youth were born amidst rebuilding civilization. Vested with large, shining eyes and mysterious psychic power, these children are often feared as demons and taken by the Union military to be molded into weapons. Samuel himself spent most of his life in a military research facility. He grew up believing that a dark and furious power slumbered within him, eager to emerge and wreak havoc.

    But Samuel’s not quite alone in this painful world. He has the love of an orphaned non-psychic girl, Evelyn, who urges him to run away with her. And within the walls of the Facility, Samuel relies on the mentorship and counsel of the psychologist Walter. Walter’s old-world music awakens a sense of beauty and inspiration in Samuel, though he struggles to accept Walter’s belief in a beneficent cosmic power.

    Read more here!

    Becoming Crone Cover

    BECOMING CRONE: Book 1 of The Crone Wars
    By Lydia M. Hawke

    There’s a darkness rising from the Otherworld in Lydia M. Hawke’s Becoming Crone, and only the Morrigan’s Crones can send it back. But For Claire Emerson, her first challenge is accepting the fact that she is a Crone.

    On Claire’s sixtieth, friends and family come to celebrate her milestone birthday. But with her daughter-in-law Natalie giving out advice more suitable for an 80-year-old, her neighbor Jeanne’s annual gifting of a garden gnome, and her best friend Edie cracking wise and irreverent, Claire’s milestone is more like a millstone around her neck. Fresh off a divorce, in a funk, and seeking purpose in her life, her day is only brightened by her grandson Braden gifting her an antique pendant.

    The owner of the antique shop, her neighbor Gilbert, wants to buy it back. Claire refuses for Braden’s sake and finds the pendant proves to have a value stranger than money. Other strange occurrences happen as well, including a strange, angry man, and protective crows. Determined to resolve this new mystery, Claire sets out to find the address.

    Read more here!

    DREAMS And ILLUSIONS: Gabrielle Dorian Mysteries Book 1
    By Rebecca Olmstead

    Dreams and Illusions by Rebecca Olmstead is a delicate interplay of mysteries balanced on an emotional undercurrent, exploring the immutable ebb and flow of life to find resilience in the shadow of misfortunes.

    In the bustling town of Whitman, Gabrielle co-owns the boutique Belle Femme with her best friend, Kate. Radiating the tranquil aura of an empowered business owner, Gabrielle is a caring woman, but burdened with  a secret she hides from everyone. Gabrielle is blessed—or perhaps cursed—with prophetic dreams.

    Almost as if they are a glimpse into the future, Gabrielle wrestles with dreams that foretell an ominous fate. Soon she is confronted with a series of distressing events that thrust her into a mystery.

    Read more here!

    These reviews represent just a glimpse of the supernatural worlds waiting to be discovered in today’s paranormal fiction.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re so excited about all the great books we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!

    This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each advancement tier is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter! Your book deserves to be discovered.

    Don’t Let Your Supernatural Story Remain in the Shadows!

    The Shelley Awards for Paranormal Fiction features an image of Mary Shelley at her writing desk

    The paranormal world is vast and full of untold stories waiting to find their readers. Whether your tale features ancient vampires navigating modern life or psychic detectives solving otherworldly crimes, the Shelley Awards are your gateway to recognition and readership.

    Paranormal fiction has the power to make readers question reality while providing thrilling escapism. Don’t let your supernatural story remain hidden in the darkness—submit to the Shelley Awards today and join the ranks of celebrated paranormal authors who’ve found their audience through Chanticleer!

    You know you want it…

    Enter the Shelley Awards today! 

  • BECOMING CRONE: Book 1 of The Crone Wars by Lydia M. Hawke – Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Occult Fiction

    BECOMING CRONE: Book 1 of The Crone Wars by Lydia M. Hawke – Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Occult Fiction

     

    Blue and Gold Badge recognizing Becoming Crone by Lydia M Hawke for the 2023 Paranormal Grand PrizeThere’s a darkness rising from the Otherworld in Lydia M. Hawke’s Becoming Crone, and only the Morrigan’s Crones can send it back. But For Claire Emerson, her first challenge is accepting the fact that she is a Crone.

    On Claire’s sixtieth, friends and family come to celebrate her milestone birthday. But with her daughter-in-law Natalie giving out advice more suitable for an 80-year-old, her neighbor Jeanne’s annual gifting of a garden gnome, and her best friend Edie cracking wise and irreverent, Claire’s milestone is more like a millstone around her neck. Fresh off a divorce, in a funk, and seeking purpose in her life, her day is only brightened by her grandson Braden gifting her an antique pendant.

    The owner of the antique shop, her neighbor Gilbert, wants to buy it back. Claire refuses for Braden’s sake and finds the pendant proves to have a value stranger than money. Other strange occurrences happen as well, including a strange, angry man, and protective crows. Determined to resolve this new mystery, Claire sets out to find the address.

    And find it she does, after a long trek down a disused, heavily wooded, bramble-entangled road.

    It’s a stone cottage, guarded by two beings destined to teach and protect her: a female gargoyle named Keven, and Lucan the rather charming werewolf. After much resistance—not to mention an attempt on her life—Claire agrees to stay the night.

    At this point Claire is chalking up her fantastical experiences to a seemingly sudden onset of dementia. Despite her disbelief, Claire is sharp and likable, with an engaging voice and a gift for wry witticisms. “Not quite what I’d envisioned as a retirement plan,” she tells herself when she finally agrees to learn magick from Keven.

    And she needs to learn magick fast! When the mages attack, the stakes become astronomic.

    Claire collects her cat and moves into the cottage to begin her lessons. She finds her long-ago dabbling in Wiccan spells proves she already has the magick in her, but she needs to learn to control it. To Claire’s and Keven’s surprise, she finds she can tap into Air, Fire, Earth, and Water magick. Each Crone controls only one element, which means that Claire is the fifth and ultimate Crone, the Crone of Spirit.

    As her training continues, she learns the evil she’s seen began in Arthurian times, when a Slavic god named Morok possessed the wizard Merlin and began disseminating darkness and deceit upon the world. Only the Morrigan and her Crones are capable of stopping him. But each time they try to rid themselves of him, a little of the world also falls with him.

    Hawke ties this god of deceit to the lies and disinformation our world experiences today—a quiet reality check that helps ground the story. Morok’s mages even use bots to crawl the internet in search of the five pendants that, when used together, would destroy him forever.

    Becoming Crone takes its time getting through Claire’s misgivings about turning sixty before it sets her on her true path, but Hawke has created such a lively cast of characters within a fluid and vivid environment, and the story never fails to intrigue.

    Claire’s attraction to Lucan, and Edie’s disappearance, leave unanswered questions, and readers can look forward to both characters returning in the second installment of The Crone Wars series – A Gathering of Crones.

    Women readers in particular will enjoy Becoming Crone for its dynamic representation of older female characters. After all, as Keven tells Claire, “All women are witches. Or at least, they have the capacity to be so.”

    Becoming Crone by Lydia M. Hawke won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Paranormal Awards for Supernatural Fiction.

     

  • The 2024 Shelley Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction

    The 2024 Shelley Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction

    Looking for a Spooky Read this Halloween Season?

    The Shelley Awards are here to bring you Supernatural Tales!

    ***Send us your spooky tale today!***

    The Shelley Awards (Formerly Known as the Paranormal Awards) are open until October 31st!

    The Shelley Awards for Paranormal Fiction features an image of Mary Shelley at her writing desk

    Let’s celebrate the past winners and visit the Hall of Fame for the Shelley Awards!

    Becoming Crone
    By Lydia M. Hawke

    She wanted purpose. She got dark magic and war.

    Claire Emerson is adrift. After a lifetime as a wife, mother, and grandma, she never saw divorce or loneliness coming and is desperate for some sense of purpose. But when her sixtieth birthday brings a snarky gargoyle, an annoyingly sexy wolf shifter, and an unknown magical calling, she thinks she’s losing the only thing she has left: her sanity.

    Refusing to believe she’s the powerful defender of humankind her so-called protectors claim, Claire attempts a return to her safe life… only to have her powers ignite when she’s attacked by dark supernatural creatures. And without the training she was supposed to have received, she has no idea how she’ll defeat sinister mages plotting her demise.

    Can Claire overcome creaky joints and major hot flashes in time to save the world —and her own life?

    Buy it here

    Cold as Hell Cover

    Cold as Hell
    By Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

    James Crowley isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill cowboy. Nor is Cold as Hell, by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle, your typical gunslinging western.

    Although he’s got all the right characteristics – tough exterior, snarky personality, and commitment issues – Crowley is much more than he appears. Resurrected to immortality straight from death’s “sickly sweet aroma,” Crowley is duty-bound as a Hand of God to serve the White Throne in its shadow war against demonic presences called the nephilim unleashed by freezing hell.

    But it’s not all ‘good guys versus bad guys’. As Crowley learns, “good choices don’t always mean doing right or wrong things. Especially when it comes to serving a Master like [the White Throne].” Forced to be the middle man between God and the Devil, Crowley has to decide for himself how to care for the people around him and bring true justice to fruition. Forced to be the middleman between God and the Devil, Crowley has to make his own choices about how to care for the people around him and bring justice to fruition. 

    Jam-packed with simmering romance, evil yetis, reckless bar fights, and other outlaw shenanigans, Cold as Hell will warm readers’ hearts as it freezes them to their seats with anticipation.

    Read More Here

    The Devil Pulls the Strings Book Cover

    The Devil Pulls The Strings
    By J.W. Zarek

    The protagonist and all-around decent guy, Boone Daniels, is in a heap of hurt in JW Zarek’s new Young Adult novel, The Devil Pulls the Strings.

    One would think being plagued by an evil spirit wendigo since age six would be enough inconvenience to last a lifetime, but when Boone jousts with his best bud at a Ren Faire and accidentally deals a mortal blow, the hurt he experiences suddenly lands on a sliding scale of 1 to 1 million. And Boone Daniels becomes a millionaire, so to speak.

    Read More Here

     

    Soul Seeker
    By Kaylin McFarren

    The realms of demons and angels clash, as the possibility of romance, plunges the beings of Hell into chaos. Kaylin McFarren’s Soul Seeker follows the otherworldly set as they flee for their lives, uncover millennia-old secrets about one another, and face the possibility of love in a very dangerous world.

    But first, the demon, Crighton, wreaks havoc on his human target, a man named Poe, devastating the man and his family. You could say, Crighton’s at home collecting wicked souls for his boss, Lucifer. His villain persona is put into question when he meets the angel, Ariel. At first, Crighton believes the angelic Ariel would make an excellent prize for the prince of darkness, as the demon is well aware that his master adores ruining pretty things. However, when an undeniable attraction emerges between them, they wrestle with each other, pitting strength against strength. Beware any who would do anything to tear these two apart—that would spell certain death.

    Read More Here

     

    Abigail’s Window
    By Susan Lynn Solomon

    Katy Novacs is haunted, both by her past and the laughing specter that reminds her of it. When her friends bring her to Niagara-on-the-Lake in the hopes of lifting her spirits, she finds that their inn has a ghost of its own who has a tale that might save her.

    Katy comes to the Niagara Inn in a mire of sorrow, fear, and trauma. Though her friends try to help her move forward with her life, to fall in love and open herself up to other people again, Katy’s stay at the inn only seems to drain her further. Both she and her friends question her sanity as she becomes certain that she’s sharing a room with the spirit of a dead woman, but when Abigail eventually reveals herself, it is to tell Katy a story that she needs to hear—that of Abigail’s life.

    Read More Here

     

    The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove
    By Joy Ross Davis

    Award-winning author, Joy Ross Davis’ latest work, The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove, ventures beyond the paranormal into the surreal. Like Medusa on a bad hair day, the lives of characters are intertwined and twisted in a snaky snarl of conflicting human desires, terrifying inexplicable events, and the lingering afterlives of ancient, supernatural beings.

    Davis gifts us with a 21st-century legend, replete with mythological themes and creatures, and snippets of folklore and superstition melded with documented vagaries of weather, obscure herpetology, and creates a mystical potion worthy of Circe. In other words, Davis gives us a thrilling read!

    Rumors about suspicious deaths have put Preacher’s Cove, Alabama, a small, historic town notorious for powerful, killer storms, on the map. Hap Murray, Huntsville’s Channel 12 field reporter, with family ties to the Cove, arrives in town on assignment, armed with only limited knowledge of the town’s history of inexplicable deaths. The rumors speculate that the local pastor may be involved.

    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 Shelley Winners is to submit today!

    Note: The Awards don’t officially close until the deadline changes on the website! Don’t miss out!

    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! Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

  • Announcing the 2023 CIBAs Grand Prize Winners for Fiction!

    Announcing the 2023 CIBAs Grand Prize Winners for Fiction!

    A Huge Congratulations to all of the 2023 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (CIBAs) FICTION Division Grand Prize Winners!

    Every tier of the CIBAs is an important one, though few rise to be one of the coveted Division Grand Prize Winners.

    This post has links to each of the 16 individual CIBA FICTION Divisions’  Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners. We will have a separate post for Non-Fiction Award Winners which will include the Shorts Awards, and the Series Awards’ winners.

    All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20th at the Chanticleer Banquet. It is a huge honor for us to have the opportunity to recognize all Finalists, First Place Winners, and Grand Prize Winners with you live and in-person!

    100 year-old Burl Harmon sits at a table with his wife while receiving a Award Winning Blue Ribbon for his book
    One of the most memorable moments was Awarding Burl Harmon, a 100-year-old veteran, his First Place Ribbon for Military & Front Lines Non-Fiction

    Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.

    A pyramid showing the different levels of CIBA Achievement

    Want to join in the fun? Submit to the 2024 CIBAs today!

    Now, presenting the links to the 2023 CIBA Fiction Division Awards Grand Prize Winners!

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction is:

    The Shadow of War

    By Timothy S. Johnston

    The 2023 Cygnus Grand Prize for The Shadow of War by Timothy S. Johnston

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 OZMA Awards is:

    A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance, Book 1

    By Tim Facciola

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

     

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 PARANORMAL Awards is:

    Becoming Crone

    By Lydia M. Hawke

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Global Thriller

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:

    Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy

    By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Thriller Suspense Fiction Award

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CLUE Awards is:

    The Other Murder

    By Kevin G. Chapman

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Cozy Mystery Fiction Award

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

    A Haunting at Linley

    by Michelle Cox 

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Dante Rossetti Awards for YA Fiction

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards is:

    Sour Flower

    by Maryanne Melloan Woods

    Manuscript

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude Warner

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:

    EXOSTAR

    The Lost Space Treasure Series, Book 1

    by Rae Knightly

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans

    by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, and Jessica Alexanderson with Scrap University

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LARAMIE Awards is:

    The Last Man

    by Thomas Goodman

    Laramie 2023 Grand Prize for The Last Man by Thomas Goodman

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    A picture of Geoffery Chaucer as a white man with a gray goatee with the words "Chaucer Awards" across the bottom

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHAUCER Awards is:

    The Merchant from Sepharad

    by James Hutson-Wiley

    Chaucer 2023 Grand Prize

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Post 1750s Historical Fiction Award

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GOETHE Awards is:

    If Someday Comes

    by David Calloway

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Ernest Hemingway looking off to the right

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Hemingway Book  Awards is:

    The Silver Waterfall:

    A Novel of the battle of Midway

    by Kevin Miller

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Romance Fiction Chatelaine Award

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHATELAINE Book Awards is:

    A Sea of Glass

    by Gail Avery Halverson

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 MARK TWAIN Awards is:

    Quantum Consequence:

    Physics, Lust and Greed, Book 5

    by Mike Murphey

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 SOMERSET Awards is:

    You Can’t Fool a Mermaid

    by Judy Keesler Santamaria


    We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.

    The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!
    The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!

    A Brown lower case g -- the goodreads logo

    Make sure your Award gets the attention it deserves on Goodreads.com 

    In the Librarian Manual on Goodreads, you can go to your Book Edit Page — Literary Awards.

    You want to list the Award for Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Winners, and be sure to include the year and what place you received. For example:

    The year Long List, Short List, Semi-Finalist, Finalist, First Place, Division Grand Prize, or Overall Grand Prize Winner

    Note from Goodreads: “To add a new award or edit an existing award, you’ll need help from one of our volunteer librarians or a staff member.” For assistance, post in the Goodreads Librarians Group.

    Always double check that you’ve written everything correctly before posting it. The search function for Awards on Goodreads is both case and punctuation sensitive.


    The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2023 CIBAs was Tim Facciola’s Book A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance Book 1

    A Blue Button that invites you to enter the CIBAs saying "Enter Here to Win Book Awards Learn More"

    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.

    Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

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

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

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

    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.

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

    The Chanticleer Team

  • The 2023 CIBAs Grand Prize Winners for Fiction!

    The 2023 CIBAs Grand Prize Winners for Fiction!

    A Huge Congratulations to all of the 2023 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (CIBAs) FICTION Division Grand Prize Winners!

    Every tier of the CIBAs is an important one, though few rise to be one of the coveted Division Grand Prize Winners.

    This post has links to each of the 16 individual CIBA FICTION Divisions’  Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners. We will have a separate post for Non-Fiction Award Winners which will include the Shorts Awards, and the Series Awards’ winners.

    All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20th at the Chanticleer Banquet. It is a huge honor for us to have the opportunity to recognize all Finalists, First Place Winners, and Grand Prize Winners with you live and in-person!

    100 year-old Burl Harmon sits at a table with his wife while receiving a Award Winning Blue Ribbon for his book
    One of the most memorable moments was Awarding Burl Harmon, a 100-year-old veteran, his First Place Ribbon for Military & Front Lines Non-Fiction

    Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.

    A pyramid showing the different levels of CIBA Achievement

    Want to join in the fun? Submit to the 2024 CIBAs today!

    Now, presenting the links to the 2023 CIBA Fiction Division Awards Grand Prize Winners!

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction is:

    The Shadow of War

    By Timothy S. Johnston

    The 2023 Cygnus Grand Prize for The Shadow of War by Timothy S. Johnston

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 OZMA Awards is:

    A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance, Book 1

    By Tim Facciola

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Paranormal Fiction Awards

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 PARANORMAL Awards is:

    Becoming Crone

    By Lydia M. Hawke

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Global Thriller

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:

    Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy

    By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Thriller Suspense Fiction Award

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CLUE Awards is:

    The Other Murder

    By Kevin G. Chapman

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Cozy Mystery Fiction Award

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

    A Haunting at Linley

    by Michelle Cox 

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Dante Rossetti Awards for YA Fiction

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards is:

    Sour Flower

    by Maryanne Melloan Woods

    Manuscript

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude Warner

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:

    EXOSTAR

    The Lost Space Treasure Series, Book 1

    by Rae Knightly

     

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans

    by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, and Jessica Alexanderson with Scrap University

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LARAMIE Awards is:

    The Last Man

    by Thomas Goodman

    Laramie 2023 Grand Prize for The Last Man by Thomas Goodman

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    A picture of Geoffery Chaucer as a white man with a gray goatee with the words "Chaucer Awards" across the bottom

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHAUCER Awards is:

    The Merchant from Sepharad

    by James Hutson-Wiley

    Chaucer 2023 Grand Prize

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Post 1750s Historical Fiction Award

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GOETHE Awards is:

    If Someday Comes

    by David Calloway

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Ernest Hemingway looking off to the right

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Hemingway Book  Awards is:

    The Silver Waterfall:

    A Novel of the battle of Midway

    by Kevin Miller

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Romance Fiction Chatelaine Award

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHATELAINE Book Awards is:

    A Sea of Glass

    by Gail Avery Halverson

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 MARK TWAIN Awards is:

    Quantum Consequence:

    Physics, Lust and Greed, Book 5

    by Mike Murphey

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 SOMERSET Awards is:

    You Can’t Fool a Mermaid

    by Judy Keesler Santamaria


    We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.

    The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!
    The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!

    A Brown lower case g -- the goodreads logo

    Make sure your Award gets the attention it deserves on Goodreads.com 

    In the Librarian Manual on Goodreads, you can go to your Book Edit Page — Literary Awards.

    You want to list the Award for Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Winners, and be sure to include the year and what place you received. For example:

    The year Long List, Short List, Semi-Finalist, Finalist, First Place, Division Grand Prize, or Overall Grand Prize Winner

    Note from Goodreads: “To add a new award or edit an existing award, you’ll need help from one of our volunteer librarians or a staff member.” For assistance, post in the Goodreads Librarians Group.

    Always double check that you’ve written everything correctly before posting it. The search function for Awards on Goodreads is both case and punctuation sensitive.


    The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2023 CIBAs was Tim Facciola’s Book A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance Book 1

     

    A Blue Button that invites you to enter the CIBAs saying "Enter Here to Win Book Awards Learn More"

    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.

    Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

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

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

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

    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.

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

    The Chanticleer Team

  • The 2023 CIBAs Paranormal Book Awards WINNERS for Supernatural Fiction

    The 2023 CIBAs Paranormal Book Awards WINNERS for Supernatural Fiction

    The Paranormal Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Supernatural Fiction. The Paranormal Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards (the CIBAs) is looking for the best books Paranormal books featuring magic, the supernatural, weird otherworldly stories, superhumans (ex. Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman), magical beings & supernatural entities (ex. Harry Potter), vampires & werewolves (ex. Twilight), angels & demons, fairies & mythological beings, magical systems and elements.

    1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners were announced at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony by S.G. Blaise 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 PARANORMAL BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the PARANORMAL Grand Prize Winner.

    Blue and Gold Paranormal 1st Place Best in Category CIBA Badge Image

     

    Join us in celebrating the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.

    • Lydia M. Hawke – Becoming Crone

    • Joe Lyon – The Molossus of Old Man Moyer: An Original Horror Novel

    • Jo Deniau – Hologram

    • Nola Nash – House of Mirrors

    • Claire Fraise – They Stay

    • Fionn Mac Meldrum – The Shadow of Banshee Hill

    • James McKenna – An October’s Journey: Poe’s Final Gift

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 PARANORMAL Awards is:

    Becoming Crone

    By Lydia M. Hawke

    You can see all of our amazing 2023 Paranormal 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!

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

    Thank you for participating in the 2022 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.

    The Chanticleer Team