Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Chanticleer Author Conference

  • Spotlight on Strider Klusman – Award Winning Author and Podcaster

    STRIDER KLUSMAN – Award Winning Author and Host of the Author in the Headlights Podcast

    An award winning, first place author of the Chanticleer International Book Awards, Strider began his writing career after twenty-five years as a fire fighter/EMT. The emotions and experiences of those calls carry themselves through every story, bringing true ‘been-there’ reality to the scenes.

    With additional years as a business owner, general contractor, designer, wildland firefighter, big game guide, ski instructor, back packer and sword fighter, his wide range of knowledge is intricately woven throughout his stories.

    To date, Strider has written YA (young adult), NA (New adult), and general fiction in the realm of: sci-fi western, light steampunk, dystopian (post apocalyptic), gaslight (early mechanism era) and just good fun reading.

    Strider’s sessions will include a LIVE interview from Author in the Headlights as well as mini-interviews with authors at the conference. He will also be on panels focused on YA fiction, series writing, and podcast creation.

    Still thinking about Registering for the Chanticleer Authors Conference?

    Register Today!

    We have a stellar line up of speakers for CAC24, with multiple options to attend.

    Find out why The 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.

  • Spotlight on Kianne Burgess- Social Media Manager for D.D. Black

    KIANNE BURGESS – Social Media Manager for D.D. Black, TikTokker, Social Media Manager 

    Kianne works as the full-time social media manager for the Bestselling Thriller author D.D. Black, handling his presence across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. She focuses specifically on boosting sales and cementing his digital footprint through long tail digital marketing. As social media always changes, Kianne constantly is learning the newest and best ways to continue to build upon an already successful platform.

    A writer herself, Kianne is currently working on the first book in a fantasy series. She plans on publishing her debut novel near the end of 2024. Her dream of being a writer has found a solid ground in her work with D.D. Black and allowed her to make even better inroads into the indie publishing community. She will be presenting a session on TikTok 101 for writers who are just getting started and are curious about BookTok and Reels.

    Still thinking about Registering for the Chanticleer Authors Conference?

    Register Today!

    We have a stellar line up of speakers for CAC24, with multiple options to attend.

    Find out why The 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.

  • Screenwriter and Producer Kim Hornsby to Present Books to Film Sessions at CAC24

    We are thrilled to have Kim Hornsby present

    at the

    2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference focusing on Books to Film! 

    Kim Hornsby is a USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author along with being a sold, multi-optioned, and produced screenwriter. Her Chanticleer Paranormal Book Awards winning novel, The Dream Jumper’s Promise,  is in development with plans to film in late 2024. We are excited for  her Romcom Christmas movie, Christmas in Crystal Creek, that is slated for filming in 24/25. She teaches adaptation of books to scripts across North America. Kim has a diverse portfolio of scripts and novels that include Christmas, thrillers, and stalkers, although not in the same story.

    Kim Hornsby, a young white woman with blonde hair and glasses wearing a stylish yellow jacket with a blue scarf
    Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2024, Kim Hornsby

    We are beyond thrilled to have this long-time Chanticleerian join us again at CAC24 where she will present, teach, sit on panels, and participate. Kim will share her Books to Film journey with us along with the Tips and Tricks she has picked up on it. Don’t miss out on her special Kaffeeklatsch session either!

    Sessions that Kim Hornsby will present:

    • Writing the Hollywood Adaptation Master Class Workshop – Please click here to register for Kim’s Master Class. 
      • This book to film class is specifically an adaptation guide. Learn how to take your book, extract the scenes needed for a movie and turn it into a script. She concentrates on Plotting and Formatting (for film) with all the tips and tricks.
      • Thursday, April 18, 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.
    • Learn the Power of Pitch Decks, Log Lines, and Quick Pitches to Your Own Original Story to make an exec or producer realize they have to have this movie.
    • From Novel to Production – The Story of Dream Jumper’s Promise
    • How to Write the “TV movie” (which covers Hallmark Christmas, Lifetime Thrillers, and the 9 Act Script).
    • Why Write a Series Panel
    • Multi-Author Anthologies – the Why and How Panel In this session, Kim will touch on how she got her USA Bestseller status through a targeted campaign with other authors.
    • Life After You Finish Your Screenplay – How to market your work, yourself, be seen by producers, execs, studios. How to get a Lit Manager or Agent and if you need one.

    All this and more, at the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the Chanticleer International Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony. 

    CAC24  Dates:  April 18th – April 21st, 2024 

    • Thursday, April 18th – Master Classes
    • Friday and Saturday, April 19th & 20th – Keynote Luncheons, Conference Sessions, Kaffeeklatsches, Networking “Happy Hours”
    • Saturday Evening, April 20th – The 2023 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony
    • Sunday, April 21st – Book Fair by Village Books (more info to come regarding Sunday’s activities). We have a few surprises in mind 🙂

    CAC24 and the 2023 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony will be held at the Sheraton Four Points on Lakeway Avenue, Bellingham, Wash.  Centered amid popular downtown attractions, the Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel & Conference Center is a haven of contemporary comfort and conveniently located. 

    Discounted room rates are available until the block is filled or March 18th. Click here to access the link and info. 

    Please check back often for the latest information about CAC24!

    Don’t Delay! Register Today! Seating is limited.

     

     

  • Maggie Marr, Atty who Represents Creators to Present at CAC 23

    We are thrilled to announce Maggie Marr of Maggie Marr Legal (MML) to present at the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    Maggie Marr, atty

    MML is a law firm with twenty years of experience in guiding Creatives through TV deals, film deals, packaging and sales, contracts, distribution, production legal, branding, financing legal, trademarks, copyrights, and licensing.

    Maggie started in the mailroom at ICM (International Creative Management) with her law degree and law experience firmly intact and worked her way up to agent. She has negotiated deals and has worked with Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount, Hallmark Channel, Universal, BET, and Hulu.

    She and her team negotiate deals for films, books, and screenplays along with filing for trademarks and copyrights along with drafting contracts and agreements.

    As a former ICM motion picture literary agent, she worked on such projects as Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Underworld, Last First Kiss, Bourne Identity, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Game of Thrones, as well as, a host of books to film and TV projects. Her extensive background in entertainment and intellectual property law led her to found Maggie Marr Legal, a boutique intellectual property law practice dedicated to the needs of Hollywood’s creatives.

     

    Maggie has written the penultimate overview and guide of how to get your books into the film and TV market titled Books to Film & TV: What Every Author Needs to Know. 

    We are thrilled to announce that Maggie Marr will teach a three-hour workshop on Books to Film & TV on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at CAC23. Along with the workshop, she will also present several sessions during the conference (Friday and Saturday)  on copyright law, contracts, entertainment and publishing representation, and more.

    Click here to register for CAC23. 

    Click here to register for Maggie’s Book to Film 3-hour workshop.

     

     

  • Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach at KickStarter, Oriana Leckert to speak at CAC22

    Oriana Leckert is the Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach at Kickstarter

    Oriana Leckert is a curly haired woman with a shell necklace and black top in front of a yellow background
    Photo Credit Lauren Renner

    Oriana Leckert helps creators bring a marvelous array of literary projects to life. She’s written and edited for Vice, MTV News, Slate, Hyperallergic, Gothamist, Atlas Obscura, and many more. Her first book, Brooklyn Spaces: 50 Hubs of Culture and Creativity (Monacelli, 2015), grew out of a multi-year project chronicling the rise and fall of under-the-radar creative places across New York City. Follow her at @orianabklyn on Twitter/Instagram.

    Kickstarter Logo, which is the company name in big block green letters

    Kickstarter Fundraising is an excellent way to make money off your book before you publish. Avoid the pitfalls and mistakes early users make by coming to Oriana’s session! You can learn more here.

     

    Still thinking about registering for the 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference?

    VCAC22 Sparkles

    Now’s the time!

    We have a stellar line up of speakers for CAC22, with options to attend in person and virtually. Find out why The 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 June 23-26, 2022 at the beautiful Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, WA. 

  • Jodé Millman to present a Session on “Protecting Your Artistic Rights” at Chanticleer Authors Conference | CAC22

    We are delighted to welcome Jodé Millman to present “Protecting Your Artistic Rights” at CAC22!

    Jode Millman wearing a scarf with skulls

    Jodé Millman is a life long resident of Poughkeepsie, New York, which serves as the setting for her crime fiction. Her writing draws upon her many years as an attorney to capture the tensions that arise when a small community is rocked by tragedy.

    Author of the best-selling SEATS: NEW YORK Theatre guidebook, her debut thriller, The Midnight Call was released by Immortal Works Publishing in 2019. The Midnight Call won the 2020 Bronze IPPY Award, the American Fiction Award for Legal Thriller, was short-listed for the 2019 Clue Award, and received the First Place Blue Ribbon as “Best Police Procedural” by Chantireviews.com.

    Jode will present the following session at CAC 22:  The Writer’s Law School: Protecting Your Artistic Rights

    For writers, it’s difficult to obtain information about protecting your rights in your creative projects. And if you do, it’s difficult to decipher the “legalese.”
    In this workshop designed for writers, we’ll cover the basics of copyrights, trademarks and key provisions of publishing contracts so that you’ll understand the fine print without having a law degree. 
    Details
    In this session, you’ll learn:
    • The differences between Copyright, Trademarks, Patents and Service Marks
    • The Copyright Registration Process and the CASE law
    • What is the Public Domain?
    • What is the Fair Use Doctrine?
    • Which Business Entity is best for my writing career?
    • What are the Right of: Privacy, Libel and Slander?
    • The Anatomy of a Publishing Deal-Contract Basics
    • Resources to help you protect your rights 

    Read the review of The Midnight Call here!

    Her new thriller, Hooker Avenue is being released by Level Best Books in April 2022.

    Millman developed “The Writer’s Law School,” an educational program designed to inform writers and artists about how to protect their artistic rights. Jode has presented the program to international writing associations, arts organizations and libraries. The schedule for her session on Law and Writing is TBA.

    Presently, she also co-hosts and co-produces Backstage with the Bardavon Podcast. The program invites the listener backstage for intimate conversations with musicians and performers appearing at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and UPAC in Kingston, NY. Find it wherever you listent o fine podcasts. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters In Crime, and Romance Writers of America.

  • Tana Hope — Posture Expert to present at VCAC21

    Tana Hope — Posture Expert to present at VCAC21

    We are delighted to welcome Tana Hope back to the Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    After a year working from home, we need the advice and guidance of Tana Hope more than ever! See her at #VCAC21

    Tana’s sessions at VCAC 20 were fabulous! We invite you to listen to this international speaker and hear her tips for making micro-adjustments in your routine that will greatly improve your health and well-being. And get more oxygen to your brain the next time you have writer’s block! Hearing Tana present her sessions is priceless!

    Join us for one or all of Tana’s Sessions at VCAC 21! 

    Tana Hope’s Conference Sessions:  Note from Tana: You can miss Part 2 and still attend Part 3! However, each day I will present new information! 

    • 4/22, 2 p.m. Writers: Improve Your Productivity and Your Health by Correcting Posture – Part 1
    • 4/23, 2 p.m. Writers: Improve Your Productivity and Your Health by Correcting Posture – Part 2
    • 4/24, 2 p.m. Writers: Improve Your Productivity and Your Health by Correcting Posture – Part 3

    Tana Hope

    Tana Hope is a certified Perfect Posture Instructor and a certified 3MAP practitioner (Acupuncture Meridian, Muscle, Massage, Anatomy & Physiology).  Tana helps people understand the basic fundamental principles of how body functions and to learn how to operate the body in harmony and operate wisely based on the body design principals to produce maximum performance and longevity.

    Tana’s knowledge base is due in part from her unique multi-culture background. Tana was born & raised in Korea, has lived in Japan and now in the U.S. Tana’s work history includes the Korean National Congress, U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Octel Communications, and U.S. Customs District office.

    Tana designed and delivers The HOPE (Healthy Optimal Posture Education) Workshop to help people understand the basic fundamental principles of how body functions and to learn how to operate body in harmony and operate wisely based on the body design principals to produce the maximum performance and longevity.

    Click here for more information about the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Int’l Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony.

    VCAC21 laurel wreath

     

  • Jessica H. Stone – VCAC21 Author and Presenter | VCAC21

    Jessica H. Stone – VCAC21 Author and Presenter | VCAC21

    Jessica H. Stone is now confirmed for VCAC21!

    We are delighted to welcome long time Chanticleerian Jessica H. Stone at #VCAC21

    Jessica H. Stone out on a sailing trip

    Jessica H. Stone (Jes) is the author of The Last Outrageous Woman, a First Place Winner of the Somerset Women’s Literary Fiction Awards— Chanticleer International Reviews. Her mystery, Blood on a Blue Moon, won first place in Murder and Mayhem—Chanticleer International Reviews and Best Mystery in the Black Magnolia Publishing Awards. She is currently working on a thriller. jessicahstone.com

    An avid sailor, Jessica and her Border Collie, Kip McSnip – the Famous Sailing Dog, sailed together for sixteen years. They cruised the Caribbean, navigated Puget Sound traversed Canada’s waters, sailed the Mexican coast, wandered the Sea of Cortez and crossed the Pacific Ocean. Kip celebrated his eighteenth birthday as they crossed the equator for the first time. Their experiences led to the popular book, Doggy on Deck:  Life at Sea with a Salty Dog and the long-running syndicated column, Cruising with Critters.

    Jessica’s VCAC 21 Session is an interview with J.D. Barker – Writing Craft for Mystery, Suspense, & Thriller Novels – with Jessica Stone

    To Register for VCAC 21, please click here. 

    Check out our review for her book: THE LAST OUTRAGEOUS WOMAN

    Life is meant for living –outrageously in Jessica Stone’s latest novel, The Last Outrageous Woman.

    Eighty-six-year-old Mattie’s life is dwindling away at Florida’s Restful Palms Retirement facility but she has a plan—an outrageous plan. And it just might work. Taking advantage of a crisis situation, Mattie tricks a staff member into signing a release paper that will be their ticket out.

    Each woman has a secret longing to be fulfilled. For Mattie, it’s a sea voyage as described to her by a long-lost lover; food-obsessed Dolores wants to honor her Irish heritage by kissing the Blarney Stone; quiet, easily dominated Edna has a dream of riding a camel—in Egypt; Rose never got to say goodbye, her way, to her deceased brother buried somewhere in Wisconsin; and Helen remembers how her two sons, both killed in military service, loved Australia, leaving her with the desire to go there and pet a kangaroo.

    Continue Reading Here

    Click here for more information about the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Int’l Book Awards and Ceremony.

  • Paul Hanson – Bookstore Owner and Publisher – Presenter for VCAC21

    Paul Hanson – Bookstore Owner and Publisher – Presenter for VCAC21

    Paul Hanson will be joining us at the Chanticleer Authors Conference!

    We are delighted to welcome Paul Hanson to #VCAC21! He often can be found running our Book Fair almost single-handedly, Paul is a force to be reckoned with!

    Paul Hanson in a suit -- possibly at his wedding to the fabulous Kelly Evert

    Paul is one of three co-owners of Village Books in Fairhaven and Lynden. As a writer, a publisher, and former President of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, he’s been an advocate for independent bookstores and independent publishers and authors. He programs the Chuckanut Writers Workshops and Classes and has been one of the Chuckanut Writers Conference planners since 2012. Village Books’ Publishing Division has helped hundreds of local writers to publish their works.

    Author Event at Village Books
    Village Books, a corner stone of the Writing Community here in Bellingham and Lynden, Wash.

    Paul’s VCAC 21 Conference Sessions 

    WORKSHOP – Wednesday Morning at 9:10 a.m.  until 11:30 a.m. April 21, 2021   

    How to get Your Books on Independent Booksellers Shelves across North America – The WHY, WHAT, and HOW with Paul Hanson, Village Books

    If you want to register for Paul’s WORKSHOP but are not registered for VCAC 21, Click here to register 

    VCAC 21 Session on Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PST 

    Expand Your Readership  by Expanding  Your Distribution and Selling Platforms with Chelsea Bennett, Simon-Pierre Marion, Paul Hanson,  &  Susan Faw

    To Register for VCAC 21 Click Here 

    Village Books and Paper Dreams is a community-based, independent bookstore and gift shop located in the Historic Fairhaven Village on the southside of Bellingham and in the iconic Waples Mercantile Building on Front Street in Lynden, Washington. Since 1980, we have been “building community one book at a time.” Village Books and Paper Dreams is a place to meet your friends, talk books, or just while away an hour or two among our shelves or at Evolve Chocolate + Cafe deliciously perched on the mezzanine of Village Books in Fairhaven, overlooking the Village Green. If you’re in the neighborhood come on in to explore!

    VCAC21 laurel wreath

    Click here for more information about the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Int’l Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony.

  • Jessica Morrell – Author and Presenter at VCAC21

    Jessica Morrell – Author and Presenter at VCAC21

    The inimitable, always-in-demand,  Jessica Morrell will be joining us at the Chanticleer Authors Conference

    Jessica Page Morrell
    Jessica Page Morrell – Editor Extraordinaire!

    We are delighted to welcome Jessica Morrell to VCAC21! One of the primary contributors to the Chanticleer writing blog, Jessica’s tips and advice are invaluable lessons that benefit all authors.

    Each year we offer writing craft sessions from the best editors and authors in the publishing industry. This year we are excited to announce that we have Jessica Page Morrell as a teacher of the Master Writing Class Sessions.

    Master Class: Story People: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Jessica P. Morrell ©

    It sometimes does take a village to bring a story to life. With that in mind, we’ll discuss the many roles for your story people from protagonist to minor characters, and delineate their impact on the plots and protagonist. However, we’ll also cover the outliers in fiction and the chaos, conflict, zest, and realism they add to your story world. So we’ll be covering anti-heroes, oddballs, wretches, naughty, pain-in-the-butt types, innocents, along with villains and bad and bad ass women.

    We’ll touch on other topics—how to differentiate characters via voice, creating characters based on backstories and main traits, and the importance of secondary characters to make things happen. Because living, breathing characters come from readers experiencing them through a specific emotional lens supplied by viewpoint, voice, and a character’s observations.

    To further expand our discussion we’ll also cover immersive, intimate viewpoint and narrative distance. Please bring your favorite imaginary folks to the workshop.

    If you are not registered for VCAC21, but would like to take Jessica’s Master Writing Class, please click here. 

    Conference Session:  Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 10:15 a.m.

    Power Writing, Word by word, sentence by sentence using language to create tension, emotion, action and resonance.

    Click here for more information about the VCAC 21 Schedule. 

    Jessica understands both sides of the editorial desk–as a highly-sought after developmental editor and author. Her work also appears in multiple anthologies and The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazines.  She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examines the technical aspects of writing that emphases layering and subtext. Her books on writing craft are considered “a must have” for any serious writer’s toolkit. Read some of Jessica’s writing here.

    VCAC21 laurel wreath

    Click here for more information about the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Int’l Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony.