Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Marketing

  • From Words to Wonder: 6 Smart Tips for Writers Collaborating with Illustrators

    They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

    A children’s book’s illustrations are a non-reading and early reader child’s gateway into a story.

    Falling in love with books is imperative for the development of a child’s listening and attention skills, as well as their cognitive and language development. It also helps them socially and emotionally, creates bonding experiences and fosters their own creativity as they begin to express themselves through art and verbal storytelling.

    All characteristics that lay the path toward a happy, successful person later in life.

    Illustration, hand, light board, man

    Finding and working with an illustrator that you believe shares your vision is a big first step in creating a great children’s book.

    Once you are finished drafting and editing your picture book and it’s time to tackle the visual component, consider the following process to find the right illustrator, establish a great working relationship, and manage the workflow all the way through to the final product. These six tips will help you manage the project.

    1. Determine Your Scope of Work

    Never start working with an illustrator until you have a good understanding of what your project entails. Illustrators need this information so they can plan their schedules, determine fair pricing, and set a foundation of trust in your working partnership. Make it a great experience for everyone by going into the project with a carefully considered plan. Know what you need, the time-frame of the project, how they’ll be paid, and how much you have budgeted for the project.

    2. Consider Your Preferred Artistic Style

    The art produced in children’s books is as varied as the stories themselves. Fun, quirky, beautiful, and serene; the images run the gamut of styles to reinforce the plot as each page is turned. There is a lot to consider when you are thinking about your preferred style. Explore books on the market now and make a decision on the general style you prefer prior to beginning your search for an artist.

    Man, woman, drawings, black, white

    3. Take your Time Choosing an Illustrator

    Each artist brings something unique to your story, but if you don’t find one that can accurately reflect the tone of your story, you may end up causing confusion when the art doesn’t feel right with the story. Seek out illustrators that have proven they can deliver the tone and style that you desire. Zero in on three to five illustrators, view their portfolios and talk to them about their art and what inspires them, then go with the one who most closely aligns with your vision.

    4. Negotiations and Contracts

    Once you’ve found your illustrator and discussed the creative vision for your book, it’s time to get down to the business end of working with an illustrator. Before discussing schedules and pricing, do your research. Know what the typical rates are and what qualifies as a finished product: how will the images be delivered, formats, what issues could occur, and how will they be resolved, etc. Write up a simple contract that includes all the information you’ve discussed and a summary describing the style and tone will keep the vision clear for both of you as the project gets underway.

    people, man, woman, computer

    5. Now the Fun Part!

    A good practice when working with an illustrator that will ensure the project gets off on the right foot is to see a few rough sketches soon after the project gets started. Discuss them with the artist, letting them know what’s working for you, and what’s not. Be honest, but kind. Respectfully ask for the changes you wish to see and don’t forget to tell them the great things you see in their work. Pointing them toward the great things is as important as telling them what you don’t like.

    6. Checking In

    Your illustrator will need time and space to create beautiful images, and authors should respect that. But that doesn’t mean you have to be in the dark as your book comes to life with color and shape. Schedule regular check-ins or have deadlines for a specific number of pages/images. Both you and the artist will feel confident that you are moving through this process together.

    Kid, pencil, book, land, hill, sky, orange, green

    Creating a great working relationship with an illustrator will lay the groundwork for a smooth translation of your story through images and fill those young readers’ imaginations with the wonderful stories you’ve created just for them!

     Take a look at the great illustrations in these children’s picture books from Chanticleer authors! 

    Geckos in the Garden Cover

    Geckos in the Garden
    By Ruth Amanda
    CIBA Little Peeps First Place Winner

    Geckos in the Garden by Ruth Amanda is a children’s counting book that takes readers through a delightful, rhythmic, aesthetically pleasing romp past a series of hidden geckos.

    Amanda starts out with just one gecko in the garden. Every page after, one more is added amongst myriad natural details such as flowers, a snail, a palm tree, garden taps, rocks, a mango tree, leaves, a gate, a bird’s nest, a pond, and more.

    Amanda demonstrates a natural sense of narrative arc even within a counting book—readers will feel the climax of the adventure when they arrive at the ninth gecko and read the line, “I spot one—two—no, six—no, more! Nine!” The escalation of the words’ momentum makes the ninth and tenth geckos more dramatic. Furthermore, the clever dénouement includes the narrator realizing the geckos might watch them just as much as they watch the geckos, and this is written alongside an adorable picture of a gecko looking in the window of the narrator’s home.

    Read more here!

    Lily's Mysterious Odyssey Cover

    Lily’s Mysterious Odyssey

    Lily’s Mysterious Odyssey by Anne Lacourrege, illustrated by Joshua Wichterich, follows a young girl named Lily through her dreaming nautical adventure.

    Homes hold onto the history of their families. With only herself to play with in her family’s old house, Lily comes across a hidden chest of antique keepsakes, unaffected by generations of storms and floods across the New Orleans coastal area. Lily and her parents soon find even more items hidden away that paint the history of 1800s sailor Captain Harry and his family.

    That night, Lily dreams of Captain Harry’s daughter, Anne, who invites Lily to see her father’s ship. Lily’s mysterious odyssey truly begins as the ship sets sail with Lily still on board. She soon finds herself on an journey to Greece, where she learns about Greek culture and its similarities to her home when a Mediterranean cyclone hits.

    Read more here!

    Bella Brown visits a Bee Farm Cover

    Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm
    By 

    Bees frighten Bella, but a learning adventure turns her fear to fascination in J.W. Zarek’s delightful children’s book Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm.

    Bella’s bespectacled Grandma Yetta asks for help in her wildflower garden. Bella hops along with her bucket of gardening tools, surrounded by beautiful hovering butterflies. But a sudden encounter with a large striped flying insect sends Bella running.

    Grandma Yetta explains that the buzzing bee is merely curious or trying to protect her home or babies. She advises Bella to stand very still, and the bee will fly away. Bella gives it a try and sees her own fears fly away as the bee continues its journey through the garden.

    Read more here!

    granny, snow, boy, cane, basket, miracle, christmas, appalacian

    Miracle on the Mountain

    Gail Heath’s Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmasshares a message of love and redemption through the heart-warming tale of Granny, a faithful, disciplined, and generous Appalachian woman.

    On a blustery winter day, Granny starts down her home’s snowy, mountain landscape to attend Christmas Eve service in the village. When her dog, Shep, wanders off, Granny runs into Pete. The young man uses firewood collecting as an excuse to not attend service, hiding a deeper motive beneath.

    Granny asks after his grandfather, who is in the midst of a long recovery after being attacked by a boar. Pete is forlorn, casting aspersions at Granny’s message that a miracle may yet happen, especially on this of all nights. Sensing his loss of faith, Granny offers Pete a few cups of her warm chicory as she regales the miracle on the mountain she witnessed ten years ago that made her a true believer.

    Read more here!

    Lorelei the Lorelei 2 Cover

    Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs Cicadas and Sewers

    Lorelei, the charismatic and outspoken seven-year-old, leaps at the chance to save her school’s science fair from disaster in Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas, and Sewers, second book in Kristen J Anderson’s Lorelei the Lorelei series.

    Beyond excited for the science fair, Lorelei prepares a project with a mission. She hopes to change people’s perception about cicadas, which most consider a gross nuisance of a bug. On the day of the science fair, during a trip to the restroom, Lorelei encounters a plumbing catastrophe.

    With the help of her family and friends, Lorelei put a plan in motion to protect the school fair, while learning valuable lessons about sportsmanship, classroom behavior, and empathy. She may be silly and likeable, but some of her quirks can get her into trouble too!

    Read more here!

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  • Chanticleer 10-Question Author Interview Series with Ruth Amanda – Grand Prize Award-winning Author of Island Moon

    CHANTICLEER 10-QUESTION AUTHOR INTERVIEW SERIES with RUTH AMANDA,
    the CIBA Grand Prize Winning Author in the
    Little Peeps Division! 

     

    Hello friends! We have another fabulous interview for you today, with author Ruth Amanda! Her book Island Moon took home the Chanticleer 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Award in the Little Peeps Division for Early Readers, and we are excited to share with you the joyful journey she took to becoming an author and what adventures she’s planning to take readers on now. Take a minute or two and get familiar with Ruth Amanda and her incredible journey to becoming award-winning author!

     

     

     

    woman, cat, poster, book, desk, sketch pad, pencils

    Chanti: Tell us a little about yourself: Have you. always been telling such imaginative, fun stories?

    Ruth Amanda: I’ve been making up stories since I was quite small, usually with an art project to accompany it, and sometime around grade 4 or so I started writing those stories down. Not because I thought I would become a writer, but because it seemed a good way to not forget the stories.

    One of my teachers in grade 7 or so, encouraged me to enter a writing competition. I won that, along with a small cash prize, and I promptly spent the money on something important like chocolate.

    Writing seemed to be more school related for a while but when I had my kids, I would read to them endlessly and, as children are prone to do, they would ask incessant questions. “Why are the eggs and ham green?” “He should have been an accountant, not a pirate because he can count good…why isn’t he an accountant?” And so on…so I made up answers, like “There used to be flying pigs, but their meat was green and very tasty so people hunted them and ate them all. Now they are extinct, so we can’t by green ham at the grocery store and that’s also why we have no flying pigs.” “The Pirate Captain actually used to run a very profitable bookkeeping business at the docks until his competitor—Bahama Bob—stole his calculator. So the Pirate Captain snuck onto Bob’s ship late at night and stole it back, but he was spotted by the Pelican who ran security and had to flee in his boat…after that, a life of nautical crime seemed more appropriate than returning to shore and a very tedious job of ‘accountancy’ and ‘tax season’…funny thing, your Grandpa probably should have been a pirate…”)

    We would also read chapter books when they were quite small so they could be tucked into bed and I would read to them from the hallway between their bedrooms. I would tell them to close their eyes and imagine the pictures since there weren’t any in the book. Then I would go downstairs and put paper on the walls in the playroom and  doodle the characters with a magic marker for the kids to colour the next day. Together we would make up our own stories while we were coloring.

    CIBA, Blue, gold, white, Island Moon, envelope, ribbon

    Chanti: I love those creative parenting moments! Your humor and whimsy really shine through in your work. What drew you specifically to writing picture books for children?

    Ruth Amanda: I write particularly good “utter nonsense”, “total drivel”, and factual biographies of people like Stumpy (a gecko), Skippy (a bullfinch) and Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, Diddit and Bob (the Grackle crime family).

    Translation: Children’s Picture Books.

    I primarily write these in rhyme as, having grown up with a lot of Dr. Seuss in my formative years, I tend to think in rhyming couplets. (Much to the dismay of my husband.)

    I do have some plans to write for adults as well, but that means I will have to grow up first.

    Kids, blonde, book, mat, school

    Chanti: You seem to have a gift for characters whose personalities shine on every page. Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?

    Ruth Amanda: I like to think I follow the rules, but then I get gentle reminders from the people editing my work that I take liberties with punctuation and making up words.

    And of course, I often break the laws of anatomy when illustrating. I mean, really!! A buzzard with it’s pinkie in the air? Buzzards lack the necessary fingers to do so, but then it happened so… (see “There’s a Buzzard on the Balcony”, 2023, Friesen Press).

    Chanti: What do you do you like to do in your off-time? Are you always looking for new ideas?

    Ruth Amanda: I like to go hiking and camping. Anything outdoors where I may bump into cool characters like Philbert the cane toad or a pack of green monkeys. The beach is a favourite hangout, especially with a snorkel and mask! I also enjoy sketching and painting.

    “But you also illustrate your books, so that doesn’t count.” You say.

    I say “Ah, but it DOES count as a hobby because (1) I don’t pay me to illustrate which makes it a hobby and (2) I sketch and paint things that have nothing to do with my stories.”

    (Yet.)

    Sometimes a painting gives me an idea for a book.

    There should be a twelve-step program.

    Woman, pens, posters, desk, books, blonde

    Chanti: Your creative process sounds inspired. Can you talk a little more about how those story ideas actually come to you? What’s your method for developing a new book?

    Ruth Amanda: I think I come up with my story ideas in the usual way. Someone annoys me. I write their name down. I turn them into a frog (it’s a bit like witchcraft) and put them into a book.

    All kidding aside, I see possibilities in everything.

    If you were to look outside right now, you would have trouble spotting any snails. If it rains, you will instantly see thousands of them. Why? Good question. Because they can hydroplane in the puddles, which makes them go very, very fast. So, they are obviously holding races. Voila! “Ess-Car-Go!” (2024, Ruth Amanda).

    You might go to bed but wake later with your bedroom flooded with light. It’s morning!-you think. So, you get up and go to the window, only to discover that it’s a very bright full moon pouring through the window. You hear the whistling frogs, the wind, the waves, a dove who is also having trouble sleeping…and again, you suddenly have “Island Moon” (2024, Ruth Amanda).

    books, childrens, picture, watercolor

    Chanti: What do you feel your writing fosters in children?

    Ruth Amanda: I am most confident in my ability to make kids look at things they wouldn’t normally stop for in this age of electronics and social media. Most of them haven’t hunted for small lizards in the back yard ever…until now!

    I am also quite confident in my ability to entertain children. My success is measured in children’s reactions and not in book sales. Don’t get me wrong, books sales are great, but, hearing the kids laughing and talking about what’s happening in the book is all I need. Or the sleepy smiles as they head to bed. Priceless.

    My advice? Regress into your childhood. Look at things with childlike eyes and see the everyday magic that is dewdrops on spiderwebs, butterflies in aerial combat, puffins dancing polkas, and whales that snore deep in the ocean. Open up that imagination and let it spread out like a flood.

    Also, do not get too caught up in a moral or a lesson for the kids. They get school. Some of them get Sunday School or other religious instruction. If you want them to read in their own personal time, provide them some fun escapist reading.

    After all, when you take a book to read for your personal time, you likely are not picking up a text book or academic paper. You are going to grab a murder mystery, espionage, romance, or other fun reading. Don’t expect children to get enthusiastic over something you wouldn’t be enthusiastic about.

    It can have a lesson—just don’t sacrifice story.

    classroom, kids, children, mat, woman

    Chanti: Not sacrificing story for lessons really resonates with me. Writing is definitely a craft that requires ongoing development. How do you continue growing and sharpening your skills?

    Ruth Amanda: I read to a great group of kids at the local library. By great, I mean enthusiastic, inquisitive and as unruly as I was at that age. They love to question the content of the books, adore getting the globe out to see how far away the story happens, and they always provide feedback on my latest writing projects. That act of reading also means I am constantly reading work in my genre of Children’s Picture Books by my peers and writers from previous generations. I get to rediscover these stories with fresh childlike eyes as I try to anticipate what the questions will be so I can be prepared.

    I also try to write something every day even if it’s just a limerick.

    A good game of Scrabble is also useful to keep the vocabulary sharp.

    By the way, if asking for feedback from people who fall into the Picture Book target audience, be clear. Responses must be, “I don’t like it because __________” or “I like it because ___________”. This gives the opportunity for them to develop some clear communication skills, and also provides you with actionable feedback on what to tweak or which story to just scrap and move on until a better idea surfaces.

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

    Ruth Amanda: I have just released, on June 6, 2025, “Where are you, Hugh MacCoo?” which is about a young highland cow (or “coo”) that goes out hillwalking in Scotland and gets caught in some weather (as one does). The Mountain Rescue is called in to go search for him. Meantime, he has bumped into a Scottish legend. No spoilers here—buy the book. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Waterstones, Foyles, and wherever fine books are sold…(And leave a review!)

    I also have two Caribbean themed Christmas books in illustration to be released in November 15 (knock on wood), a middle grade sequel to “Cried the Raven” (2024, Ruth Amanda) that is stumbling through a plot flaw at the moment, and a developing manuscript about a hermit crab experiencing a fashion crisis due to a shortage of suitable shells on the beach.

    If I can squeeze it in, I also have a sea turtle themed colouring book in development.

    Kids, woman, blonde, window

    Chanti: Wow! You are so creative! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

    Ruth Amanda: Read their book. At the library, or buy a copy, it doesn’t really matter. Just read it. Recommend it. Leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon.

    Also, send cash. A writer needs to eat.

    Chanti: Your books are both fun to read and beautiful to look at. What excites you most about writing?

    Ruth Amanda: A blank screen and a great idea. They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly! Much like the chapter books I used to read to my kids, the pictures pop into my head as the words fill the page.

    What excites me the least about writing? Knowing that I have to bring those pictures in my head out onto the canvas and paper…that’s stressful. Especially when you have a couple of young fans asking, “Miss Ruth, I need more books. Are you writing more books?”

    Woman, palm, yellow, smile, blonde, Ruth Amanda

    Ruth Amanda lives in Barbados with her husband and a collection of wild creatures in her garden and tame creatures in her home. On most Saturdays, you can find her at the Speightstown Branch of the Barbados National Library Service where she works hand in hand with the Barbados Roaring Virtual Lions Club and the library to provide entertaining story time and activities for the kids. Ruth Amanda also conducts school visits and readings, and has some fabulous handouts for classrooms on Writing Stories and creating books.

    Ruth Amanda has been helping install book nooks in various nurseries and schools in coordination with the Kiwanis Club of Barbdos in Action and President Tracey MacWatt for the program BarbadosWorking, as well as the Child Care Board Barbados and the Barbados Association of Reading. Ruth Amanda is a strong proponent of increasing literacy worldwide, and knows that literacy begins very early. She also works in partnership with the Barbados National Library Service and the Prime Minister’s Office Division of Culture along with other authors and local creators to promote literacy in Golden Square Freedom Park, Bridgetown.

     

  • Banned Books Week Celebrates Two Pillars of a Free Society: The Freedom of Expression and the Freedom to Read

    The written word is one of the most powerful tools humans have ever created, and one of the most feared.

    It unlocks our thoughts, letting us share ideas, stories, knowledge, and emotions across time and space. It’s a tool to give everyone an equal voice, challenge our thinking, and it helps us to better understand the world in which we live. Whether it’s a diary entry, a news article, or a powerful novel, writing connects us in ways that nothing else really can. That’s why protecting access to all kinds of writing, even what makes us uncomfortable, is so important.

    Our forefathers knew the value of the freedom to express ourselves and the freedom to read.

    They felt it was so essential to a democracy they made it the very first amendment to the US Constitution.

    “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
    or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
    or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
    or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
    and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

    – The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

    The Fundamental Importance of Banned Book Week

    Banned Books Week, held annually in late September or early October, honors and advocates for the freedom to read and express ourselves by drawing attention to banned and challenged books. Since 1982, this campaign has stressed “the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.” It’s a movement dedicated to keeping material publicly available to everyone everywhere so people can develop their own conclusions and opinions through our own words.

    library, woman, books, girl

    The Top Ten Banned Books of 2025

    During times when books are continually challenged for their content by people who want to silence others, reading banned books becomes even more important. According to PEN America, the 10 most challenged books of the 2024-2025 school year were:

    1. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
    2. Breathless by Jennifer Niven
    3. Sold by Patricia McCormick
    4. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
    5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
    6. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
    7. Forever… by Judy Blume
    8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
    9. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
    10. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

    “To ban a book is to truncate the conversation about our shared humanity.”
    – Julian Spencer

    Banned Books Week Events

    There are many ways you can help bring attention to and learn more about Banned Books with fun activities for both adults and children.

      1. Educate kids about what it means to ban or challenge a book
      2. Read and discuss banned picture books
      3. Form banned book clubs and share books about banned books
      4. Engage in some “freedom to read” activism
      5. Join a “Virtual Read-Out” online event
      6. Create a banned book display. The ALA has an inspiration gallery to get you started
      7. Take banned book photos at the library and post ‘mug shots’ showing who was caught reading a banned book
      8. Host a banned book “jailbreak” and deliver banned books in your school or neighborhood Free libraries
      9. Design posters, t-shirts, or break out a button-making machine and share popular banned book slogans (e.g., “fREADom!” “I’m With the Banned!”) from around the web or in your community
      10. Create a banned book trading card scavenger hunt for kids and challenge them to collect the most cards, fill in a bingo card, or trade cards with each other

    Heart, books

    Support for Banned Books

    Banned Books Week is supported by a coalition of organizations dedicated to free expression, including American Booksellers for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Amnesty International USA, Association of University Presses, Authors Guild, Banned Books Week Sweden, Children’s Book Council, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Freedom to Read Foundation, GLAAD, Index on Censorship, Little Free Library, National Book Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, PEN America, People For the American Way Foundation, PFLAG, and Project Censored. Banned Books Week also receives generous support from Penguin Random House. Banned Books Week is ® American Library Association.

    American flag, silhouette, books

  • Celebrating the Birthdays of Ten Literary Giants — Tolstoy, Lawrence, Dahl, Christie, Sinclair, Martin, Wells, King, Fitzgerald, Faulkner

    September is a month full of birthday celebrations for ten of history greatest literary giants! 

    September is filled with the birthdays of literary greats in a broad range of genres, from fantasy and sci-fi, children’s, romance, historical fiction, and horror. We celebrate these writers for their beautiful imaginations and incredible storytelling skill. Wherever you are in the world, their names are on the best novels you’ll find in bookstores and libraries. To celebrate this monumental month of literary greats we have put together these mini-bios to reflect on their achievements.
    Birthday cake, pink, purple, yellow

    So, light the candles, pour yourself a glass of champagne and join us in a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for these amazing authors! 

    Image result for leo tolstoy

    Leo Tolstoy

    Born September 9, 1828, Leo Tolstoy is one of history’s most revered and influential writers. Born into the Russian aristocracy, he lived a life of privilege and power, first as a university student in Moscow, then as a lieutenant in the Crimean War. During this time, he wrote what is considered two of the greatest literary achievements in history, War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878). After his military service ended, he retired to a country home where a spiritual awakening years later led him to write a literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount in his nonfiction work entitled Confessions. Tolstoy became a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist as a result of his spiritual journey, and his ideas on nonviolent resistance had a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
    D.H.Lawrence in Croydon — Museum of Croydon

    D.H. Lawrence

    September 11, 1885 gave us D.H. Lawrence, a fiery, fearless English writer who stirred up controversy with books like Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Sons and Lovers, and Women in Love. Lawrence wrote boldly about love, class, desire, and the inner lives of men and women, often challenging the norms of his time. His work was sensual, psychological, and deeply human, so much so that it was banned more than once. But Lawrence believed in the power of raw emotion, personal freedom, and reconnecting with nature in an increasingly industrial world. A restless traveler, he wandered from England to Italy, Australia, and beyond, chasing inspiration and escaping censorship. Critics were divided, but his influence is undeniable. His work cracked open doors for modern literature and never quite closed them again.

    5 "Splendiferous" Facts About Beloved British Author Roald DahlRoald Dahl

    Born in Wales on September 13, 1916 to Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl grew into one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. His real life was as colorful as his characters. He flew fighter planes in WWII, invented medical devices, and penned children’s stories with a wicked sense of humor and a sense of danger camouflaged inside a child’s paradise. Dahl’s books, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG, are packed with clever kids, awful adults, and magical twists. He had a talent for mixing dark comedy with heart, creating worlds where the underdog always wins, and often in the most unexpected ways. Beyond children’s books, he also wrote macabre short stories for adults and screenplays, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. With his sharp wit and imagination, Dahl redefined children’s literature, making it a little weirder, a lot more fun, and endlessly memorable.
    77 Facts About Agatha Christie | FactSnippet

    Agatha Christie

    The indisputable “Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890 in Devon, England. As mysterious as the characters that populated her stories, Christie continues to be one of the best-selling authors of all time, even fifty years after her passing. She crafted clever mysteries with plot twists that keep readers guessing, and her iconic detectives, brainy Belgian Hercule Poirot and sharp-eyed Miss Marple, have solved everything from country house murders to exotic crimes on the Orient Express. Christie wrote sixty-six novels, fourteen short story collections, and the world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap. Known for her razor-sharp plotting and surprise endings, she made murder feel like a game, one that readers love to play. Enigmatic even in her own life, she once caused havoc by disappearing for eleven days during a particularly difficult period of her life. Today, she’s left a literary empire with countless film adaptations and has changed a genre forever through her genius for suspense and misdirection, challenging readers to find out “who done it.”
    American Author Upton Sinclair Photograph by Everett | Pixels

    Upton Sinclair

    Born on September 20, 1878, Upton Sinclair became an American writer, muckraker, and social crusader who proved words could change the world. He’s best known for The Jungle (1906), a gut-wrenching novel about the Chicago meatpacking industry that shocked readers and led to major food safety reforms. But that wasn’t all! Sinclair wrote over ninety books, tackling everything from corrupt politics to education, religion, and the press. A lifelong advocate for workers’ rights, socialism, and justice, he ran for office several times and never stopped pushing for reform. His writing wasn’t subtle, but that was the point: Sinclair wanted to wake people up. Whether exposing greed or championing the underdog, he used his pen like a sword, cutting through hypocrisy with fearless energy.
    George RR Martin's Reading Recommendations: 32 Books Like the 'Game Of Thrones' from the ...

    George R. R. Martin

    George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind A Song of Ice and Fire, was born on September 20, 1948. His epic fantasy saga inspired the worldwide sensation HBO’s Game of Thrones and redefined the fantasy genre. Known for killing off fan favorites and weaving sprawling, morally complex plots, Martin blends medieval grit with political intrigue, dragons, heartbreak, and vendettas. Before his success with his five-book series, Martin wrote sci-fi, horror, and TV scripts, including episodes of The Twilight Zone, earning a loyal cult following. With rich world-building and a knack for the unexpected, Martin’s work stands out for its realism and well-fleshed out characters that take you from heartbreak to hope and back again.
    How HG Wells invented the modern world

    H.G. Wells

    The “Father of Science Fiction,” H.G. Wells was born on September 21, 1866 to a shop keeper and domestic servant in Kent, UK. He set out on the path to become an author at the age of eight when a broken leg left him bedridden and he began reading voraciously during his convalescence. His writing was influenced by Plato‘s Republic, Thomas More‘s Utopia, and the works of Daniel Defoe. He often referenced Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in relation to his own works and the genre he’s credited with inventing, science fiction. An apt comparison with works that include The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). Wells is an expert in delivering horror through science fiction themes.
     
    Stephen King High School

    Stephen King

    Stephen King, the prolific American author best known for his work in horror, suspense, and supernatural fiction, was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine. He has published over sixty novels and two hundred short stories, many of which have become cultural touchstones. His most famous works include Carrie, The Shining, It, Misery, and The Dark Tower series. King’s writing is known for its vivid characters, psychological depth, and ability to tap into primal fears. Many of his books have been adapted into successful films and TV series, and he has won numerous awards, including the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Despite his success, King remains grounded, often writing about ordinary people confronting extraordinary circumstances. His impact on modern fiction is immense, earning him the title “King of Horror.”

    43 Best The Great Gatsby Quotes by F. Scott Fitzgerald | Sevenov

    F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Born September 24, 1896, F. Scott Fitzgerald became a literary rockstar of the Jazz Age, an age his writing helped to define through his novels. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, he shot to fame in his twenties with This Side of Paradise, a novel so fresh and bold it made him an overnight sensation. He lived fast, wrote beautifully, and enjoyed all the so-called “Golden Era” had to offer alongside his dazzling wife and muse, Zelda. Fitzgerald captured the glitz, glamour, and heartbreak of the 1920s in his classic The Great Gatsby, a timeless tale of love, ambition, and lost illusions. Though his later years were marked by struggle and fading fame, his work only grew in stature after his death. Today, he’s remembered as the voice of a Lost Generation, a designation he coined, that chased the sparkle of dreams only to see them quickly vanish into oblivion.

    Quote by William Faulkner: “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have...”William Faulkner

    Southern literary legend and Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897 in Mississippi. Known for his bold style, complex characters, and deep dives into the human psyche, he built an entire fictional universe, Yoknapatawpha County, where generations of flawed families, haunted by history, tangled with time, memory, and decay. His novels The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Light in August are famously challenging, with stream-of-consciousness narration and timelines that are packed with emotional power. Faulkner explored the South’s troubled legacy with brutal honesty and lyrical depth, influencing generations of writers. While he also wrote screenplays in Hollywood, his heart was always in literature—messy, raw, and unforgettable. His work may not be a breezy read, but it rewards those who dare to enter his strange, brilliant world.
    books, birthday, candles, stars

    Award-winning recognition isn’t reserved for only the biggest names!

    Do you want to see how your novel stacks up next to other authors’ work? Enter the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) to compete with some of the best emerging authors we’ve seen this year! 

    Does your book have what it takes? Join the authors who have taken the leap to have their work professionally vetted by one of the industry’s most respected awards programs. Each stage of the CIBA journey, from entering the Award to finding your eventual tier of achievement, is worth crowing about and celebrating with your following. Whether you’re an established author with a dedicated readership or a writer with a manuscript hoping to improve your chances of catching the right publisher’s eye, the CIBAs are well-worth the effort! Our multi-tiered advancement process ensures that every qualified entry receives multiple opportunities for recognition and promotion throughout the year.

    The CIBA Difference: Real Impact on Author Success

    Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) recognition creates the “award-winning author” credentials that help books stand out in competitive markets. Our 28 divisions across fiction and non-fiction categories provide multiple opportunities for recognition that bookstores and customers value.

    Little Peeps, Gertrude Warner, Dante Rossetti, badges, ciba

    Deadline ends for the Little Peeps, Gertrude Warner, and Dante Rossetti divisions
    on September 30, 2025!     

    Enter your Children’s, Middle Grade, or Young Adult book today!

    In an increasingly crowded book marketplace, professional vetting and third-party recognition have never been more important. The Chanticleer International Book Awards have established themselves as a trusted source for identifying excellence in independent and traditionally published books across genres. When readers, bookstore owners, and industry professionals see the CIBA seal on your book, they know it has been thoroughly evaluated and stands among the best in its category.

    Your book deserves to be discovered.
    Enter the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards today!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest

    Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

    Have questions about which division is right for your book? Contact us at info@ChantiReviews.com, and our team will be happy to help guide you to the perfect match for your work.

  • Chanticleer 10 Question Interview Series with Science Fiction Author Jayson Adams – Grand Prize Award-winning Author of Ares

    CHANTICLEER 10 QUESTION AUTHOR INTERVIEW SERIES

    with Award-Winning Author, Jayson Adams

    Author of the 2024 Cygnus Grand Prize Winner Ares

    Ares Cover

    Blue, Gold, Badge, CIBA

    Hello friends! We have another wonderful interview for you today, with author Jayson Adams! His book Ares took home the Chanticleer 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Award in the Cygnus Division, and we are excited to share with you the steps he took to becoming an award-winning author and what he’s planning next.

    Take a minute or two and get familiar with Jayson and his incredible journey to becoming award-winning author!

     

    man, ribbon, bald, blazer, book, ares, ciba, award

    Chanti: Jayson, let’s start with your background. Tell us a little about yourself—have you always dreamed of being a novelist, or did writing come into your life in a different way?

    Adams: I’ve been a science fiction fan since I was kid, but I had never really imagined myself writing novels. My passion leaned more toward computers. Even though they’re deeply technical, I saw the computer screen as a blank canvas—it was my creative outlet. I started several software companies and had the freedom to build whatever I could imagine.

    About ten years ago, I joined Google as an engineer on the Chrome browser. Over time, I grew frustrated with the division of labor in that space: product marketers decided what the product should do, designers decided how it would look and feel, and engineers were expected to bring it all to life—no questions asked. A few years in, I realized I needed a new creative outlet and turned to writing. I figured that with enough practice and a relentless drive to learn the craft, I could eventually become a decent writer.

    Chanti: We’ve definitely seen the shift from tech to writing frequently. That need for a creative outlet is undeniable. When it comes to the strengths you brought from your previous jobs to your new skills as a writer, can you talk about where you feel most confident and maybe offer some advice to anyone who struggles with that?

    Adams: Coming up with interesting plot twists. My advice to anyone who struggles in that area is the same lesson I find myself relearning from time to time: just write. When I get stuck wondering what should happen next, if I force myself to sit down and write what I do know, the ideas start to flow. And more often than not, they’re ideas I never would’ve discovered if I hadn’t put something on the page.

    Chanti: That’s such practical advice about pushing through the uncertainty! Your novel Ares has received incredible recognition. When did it really hit you that you’d become an author—not just someone who writes, but truly an author?

    Adams: It really sank in after I published my second novel, Ares. My first novel, Infernum, was well received, but who could say if that was just a fluke. With Ares earning similar acclaim, I can’t deny it anymore: I’m a writer.

    Man, blazer, bald, book

    Chanti: Two successful novels definitely prove it wasn’t beginner’s luck! You’ve established yourself firmly in science fiction. Is that where you plan to stay, or do you explore other genres as well?

    Adams: Broadly speaking, I write science fiction, but after publishing my second novel, I realized I’m straddling two sub-genres. Infernum is a space opera set a few hundred years in the future, while Ares is grounded sci-fi rooted in the near future. The tricky part is that fans of one don’t always enjoy the other. The novels I’m working on now lean toward grounded sci-fi, but I’ll likely return to space opera before long.

    Chanti: Managing reader expectations across subgenres is a challenge! When it comes to your writing approach, are you someone who follows established storytelling conventions, or do you prefer to break the rules and forge your own path?

    Adams: I follow the rules. They’re an unspoken set of agreements between author and reader that allow the reader to relax into a story. They signal what kind of world they’re entering, what matters, and what to expect. If I hand them something I’m calling a novel, they know it won’t fizzle out at 30,000 words. If I say it’s a mystery, they know there’ll be resolution. Following the rules doesn’t make you predicable, it makes you trustworthy.

    I once read The Hollow Man by Dan Simmons. The bulk of the book was the main character drifting from one random situation to the next. I kept waiting for a through line—some deeper meaning or connection to emerge. But all those events turned out to be filler, just killing time until the ending, which was probably the whole reason Simmons wrote the book. He broke the rule that says everything in the story should matter. When events don’t connect or build toward something, the reader feels tricked. I was so frustrated, I actually threw the book away.

    Chanti: That’s a compelling argument for honoring the reader contract! When you’re not crafting these intricate sci-fi worlds, how do you spend your time? What are your hobbies and interests outside of writing?

    Adams: Outside of reading, most of my time goes into writing software. I’m currently building out an app idea, though my long-term goal is to leave the tech world behind and focus entirely on writing. I’m also an artist and plan to return to life drawing, something I’ve missed.

    Jayson Adams, figure drawing, pencil sketch
    Copyright © 2000 Jayson Adams. All rights reserved.

    Chanti: It sounds like creativity flows through everything you do! Writing is definitely a craft that requires constant learning. Which books on the craft of writing have been most helpful to you?

    Adams: Understanding Show, Don’t Tell, by Janice Hardy. Before I read this book, I had a general understanding of show vs. tell. This book was fantastic as far as explaining all the different ways telling can creep into a section of prose.

    I also love The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass. Maass says that readers may not remember every plot point, but they’ll remember how a story made them feel. This is the power of emotionally resonant fiction. He does a great job of explaining how to tap into it on the page.

    Show don't tell, book, green, pencil

    Chanti: Both of those sound incredibly valuable! Marketing can be one of the trickiest aspects of being an author. What strategies have you found most effective for selling books and building your readership?

    Adams: A well-performing BookBub ad is incredibly valuable, but can be tricky to build. Ares has been out for awhile now, so Amazon lists about 100 other titles that readers also bought. I used ChatGPT to turn that list into a spreadsheet, with info like author, summary, and more, and then fed it back into ChatGPT to identify recurring themes and tropes that define an Ares reader.

    From there, I built ad copy around four tropes that resonated the most. I also had ChatGPT identify authors from that list whose work aligned with each trope. Then I created BookBub ads for each trope that targeted fans of the corresponding authors. That approach was far more effective than my earlier “try this headline” style of experimentation.

    Another thing I’ve explored is using negative reviews as a marketing tool—not to win over critics, but to help misaligned readers recognize the book may not be for them. I took screenshots of all my 1-, 2-, and 3-star reviews and fed them into ChatGPT, then asked it to gently distill the criticisms. (Screenshots let me avoid even glancing at what might be painful feedback, while still giving the AI everything it needed.) My goal was to add a line to the book description that would help readers who probably wouldn’t like the book self-select out.

    From that effort, I learned that many of Ares’s low-star reviews came from people who expected hard sci-fi and were disappointed to get something that leaned more toward mystery/thriller instead. ChatGPT crafted a short blurb that lets potential readers know that if they’re looking for hard sci-fi, Ares may not be the book for them.

    Jayson Adams, office chair, office, desk, window, computer, couch

    Chanti: That’s a genius use of AI for market research! I’m going to have to try that out! Looking ahead, what projects are you working on now? What can your readers look forward to next?

    Adams: I started working on a sequel to Ares, called King of the Moon. It follows Commander Praviraj Anand and Lieutenant Jack Bremmer from the moonbase featured in that story. But along the way, I found myself pulled into a new, unrelated novel called The Quantum Mirror, which centers on a rescue mission to a decrepit Russian space station. I plan to finish both, though The Quantum Mirror will likely arrive first.

    jayson Adams, Ares, book, Chanticleer

    Chanti: We can’t wait for either of them! Ares was such a treat, and we can’t wait to read more! As we wrap this up, we’d love to end with some advice for readers: What’s the single most important thing a reader can do to support an author they enjoy?

    Adams: If they enjoy a book, please, please, PLEASE leave a rating for it wherever they bought it. As a reader, I always look at the average rating, the number of star ratings, and the release date (how long it took to earn those star ratings). That alone tells you so much about a book’s appeal. Ratings may seem like a small thing, but they make a huge difference.

    Thank you, Jayson, for sharing your writing journey with us and for creating thought-provoking, thrilling science fiction! 

    blazer, blue, shirt, bald, man


    Jayson Adams began his career as a tech entrepreneur, achieving his dream of starting a software company, which he did at the age of 24, and retiring by the age of 30. He has worked for notable figures like Steve Jobs and has founded several successful startups, including one sold to Netscape. After a successful career in technology, he transitioned to writing science fiction around 2018, finding a new creative outlet in storytelling.

    After traveling through Europe and taking up music, he returned to computers with another start-up. He is currently working on a sequel to his award-winning novel, Ares.

  • A Review Primer: What to Know, Where to Post, How to Use a Chanticleer Editorial Review

    Editorial Book Reviews

    The Secret to Being Discovered

    When it comes to selling books, getting noticed can be just as challenging as writing the manuscript itself. Readers can look at the blurb on the back of the cover or check the customer reviews online, but how can they know the quality of the writing and whether or not they’ll be carried away with story?  

    That’s the job of a professional Editorial Review!

    books, woman, library, white shirt

    Editorial reviews are professional critiques, often written by industry experts, literary critics, or reputable publications. They offer an authoritative voice that authors can use to help shape a book’s reputation before it ever reaches the bookshelves.

    Chanticleer Book Reviews loves helping authors get their books noticed by providing professionally written Editorial Reviews they can use across all their marketing channels, both traditional and digital! In this blog post, we’ll explore what editorial reviews are, why they matter, and how authors can strategically use them to boost credibility, attract readers, and enhance their book’s visibility in a crowded market.

    girls, book, grass, pink, braid

    What is an Editorial Review?

    Customer reviews are great at relaying the emotional response casual readers experience when reading your book, but there’s little professional control and almost zero authorial control in what the content of those reviews are. Reader Reviews tend to quite brief, and often only touch lightly on themes and events in a book. Plus, there’s no guarantee that this reader is a good fit for the book as a whole.

    Editorial Reviews, on the other hand, are written by professional literary experts and provide insights into the quality of writing as well as the emotional impact these expert reviewers experienced when reading. Unlike customer reviews, Editorial Reviews are unbiased, polished assessments that focus on story elements, such as the quality of writing, originality, structure, and the overall impact provided by the narrative. From the craft of storytelling to the story itself, Editorial Reviews give readers a peek inside the reading experience to let readers know what to expect.

    Why an Editorial Review Matters

    Professional editorial reviews act as endorsements of your work. They take a deeper dive into the book, evaluating its bones and providing a sense of credibility and authority. That expert vetting can have a great influence on book sales and visibility for a new novel among booksellers and librarians (who often rely on reviews for purchasing decisions), literary prize committees, and readers who seek trusted recommendations when looking for their next book. Editorial Reviews help readers sift through the overwhelming number of books published every year, highlighting books with strong literary merit, originality, or cultural relevance and guiding readers toward quality content.

    In short, Editorial Book Reviews function as a bridge between authors, publishers, and discerning readers, which plays a crucial role in shaping the success, reputation, and cultural impact of a book.

    What to Expect from an Editorial Review

    Being reviewed by a reputable book review company, such as Chanticleer Book Reviews, is key to capturing the interest of readers through effective book marketing. Each company’s review process is different. This is ours—

    Blue, white, rooster, words

    • Clear Timeline: 6-9 weeks for standard reviews, 3-5 weeks for expedited service
    • Human Expertise: All reviews are read and written by professional reviewers whose other work you can view on our website
    • Marketing Focus: We edit each review to ensure at least 3 blurbable lines and optimize for SEO impact
    • Author Control: All paid reviews require your approval; we respect that no one knows your work better than you do

    Throughout the process, we stay in touch with the author, letting you know when your review has begun and working with you to refine it when it’s finished. We know Editorial Reviews are meant to work as a marketing tool to introduce your story to readers, and that’s why it is important to us that we offer authors and publishers the first look at their reviews to check for any comments, edits, or corrections that are needed to get it ready for their marketing. 

    How You can Use an Editorial Review

    To use your Editorial Review as a marketing tool look for all the ways, online and in-person, where you are presenting your book. Add a quote from the review to your book’s cover or an inside page, place it in a press release, ads, and promotional materials.

    I’ve used quotes from my review in tabletop signs at book fairs and readings at libraries alongside the blurb. I’ve also used blurbs on my website, in newsletters, and on social media in memes and messages. I’ve even seen them in video trailers! – Dena

    Reviews can also be part of an introductory email to bookstores and libraries, or if you are looking for an agent or publisher, an Editorial Review can provide them with a solid recommendation they can believe in. Some of our authors have purchased a review prior to their book being published for this very reason!

    When it comes to your selling sites, like Amazon, quotes from your Editorial Review can be pasted right on your book’s selling page where the customer can read an expert’s opinion alongside the customer reviews. Amazon (and Goodreads, which is owned by Amazon) are great places to post quotes from the review. In fact, don’t miss out on posting your review on these pages, as Amazon is the world’s busiest purchasing website for books, and Goodreads is specifically dedicated to readers.

    NOTE: A few years ago, Amazon changed its policy to limit access to selling pages to only the author. This move was prompted by the need to prevent fraud and keep control in the hands of the authors. It is Amazon’s policy not ours –even though Amazon ranked us highly and gave us special recognition.

    But there IS something that only you can do—

    Post a blurb from the review in the Editorial Reviews section on your book’s Amazon page!

    Amazon, computer, green, blue, laptop

    How to post an Editorial Review to Amazon

    To add an Editorial Review to your book’s Amazon selling page you must first create an Amazon Author Central account. This is the portal to your selling page to add, edit, or delete the content, all in the hopes of creating a more engaging experience for shoppers who visit your page.

    If you don’t have an Amazon Author Central account, here’s the link to get you started: 

    https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?topicID=200620850

    1. The welcome page should look like this. Click on “Books” to get started (circled in red):

    Amazon Author Central Screenshot

     

    2. Your books will pop up and you can add as many books as you like.

    Amazon Author Central Screenshot

    3. Click on the book you want to add the Editorial Review for and you’ll next see a page that looks like this:

    Amazon Author Central screenshot

    4. Press the “Add review” button and you’ll be able to place your editorial review, or a quote from your editorial review, into the data box, just like this:

    Amazon Author Central screenshot

     

    5. Press “Preview” to make sure it looks professional, then press “Submit” to make the review go live on Amazon! You can add one review or more, we suggest adding 4 or five reviews that when combined will provide a well-rounded comment on your book. After you press “Submit” you’ll see a “Success!” message pop up on your screen that will tell you it can take 3-5 days for the review to publish, but I’ve seen the turnaround be much faster than that.

    Amazon Author Central screenshot

    A Few Insiders Tips

    • For a professional look, do not post the entire review. A well-selected blurb will do nicely. Using different blurbs on different marketing pieces, your selling pages, your website, in posters, etc., will give readers considering your book a broader view of the quality and experience they’ll have when reading your book, and it will also make the blurbs fresh and enticing!
    • Be sure to use ellipses when using a quote from the review.
    • Always give attribution! We prefer “Chanticleer Book Reviews” for our Editorial Reviews.

    Editorial Reviews are powerful tools that help authors show their work has been vetted by professionals. They help build trust with readers, retailers, and the industry, and can be the final decision maker when readers are at the check stand online or at their favorite corner bookstore!

    We hope this quick tutorial helps you get the most out of your
    Chanticleer Book Review, on Amazon and across all your marketing channels! 

    Ready for Your Marketing Breakthrough?

    Limited Time: Final Summer Push for Autumn Marketing Success!

    A typewriter with Chanticleer Reviews advertising Editorial Book Reviews

    Get your book professionally reviewed and ready for fall marketing season with our Labor Day Review Sale:

    Don’t miss this opportunity to get the professional credibility your book deserves before the busy autumn reading season. Our reviews provide the marketing ammunition you need to succeed on Amazon and beyond! Complete with SEO optimization, multiple quotable lines, and the expert validation that turns browsers into buyers.

    Get your professional Editorial Review today and transform your book marketing with the credibility only industry professionals can provide.

    Sale ends soon—position your book for autumn success while this limited-time offer lasts!

  • Labor Day Book Review Sale: Get Ready for Autumn Marketing!

    Labor Day Editorial Review Sale:

    Professional Marketing Power for Your Book

    August 29 – September 5 Only

    Transform your book marketing with professional Editorial Reviews that work as hard as you do. For one week only, save big on the industry credibility that turns browsers into buyers.

    The Chanticleer Editorial Reviews Difference

    The 2025 CIBA Grand Prize Winners at CAC25
    We know the best when we see them!

    Robust SEO Package That Keeps Working

    Your review doesn’t just get published and forgotten. Each Chanticleer Editorial Review comes with our comprehensive All-In-One SEO (AIOSEO) package that maximizes your book’s digital footprint across Google, Bing, and other search engines. When algorithms change, we update your review to maintain high rankings, ensuring long-term marketing value that compounds over time.

    Human Expertise in Your Genre

    Every review is read and written by a professional reviewer who specializes in your target audience. No AI shortcuts – just expert analysis from someone who understands what makes your genre tick.

    Marketing-Ready Content

    We craft each review to provide at least three quotable lines you can use across all your marketing channels. From Amazon Author Central to book covers to social media, you’ll have professional endorsements ready to deploy wherever you need credibility.

    Complete Marketing Package Included

    Every Editorial Review comes with:

    • Mini-Marketing Kit featuring shelf-talkers and eye-catching silver-foil book stickers
    • Social media promotion across our channels with strong engagement rates
    • Newsletter promotion to our subscriber base
    • Direct links to Amazon, independent bookstores, and your author website
    • Author approval process for you to have final say before publication

    The Review Itself:

    • 450 words of professional analysis for full-length books
    • 6-9 weeks standard turnaround (3-5 weeks expedited available)
    • Triple the engagement of our competitors on social media
    • Years of ongoing SEO value as we maintain and update your review’s search rankings

    Limited-Time Labor Day Savings

    A typewriter with Chanticleer Reviews advertising Editorial Book Reviews

    Sale runs August 29 through September 5, 2025

    What Authors Say About Chanticleer

    The Silver Waterfall CoverThank you for this superb review! I am very pleased with it as it captures both the complexity of the battle and the human emotions and cost. I will leverage it in all my social media, with props to Chanticleer!

    – Kevin Miller, The Silver Waterfall: A Novel of the Battle of Midway

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Chasing the Daylight Cover

    This review has found me humbled and speechless. I have no corrections, please publish as is. I will include it on my book’s website in the Reviews section. I’m honored and truly appreciate this magnificent review.

    – Joanna Rakowski, Chasing the Daylight

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

     

    Minnesota Poems from the Outposts

    Thanks for your insightful review of my book, Minnesota Poems from the Outposts. I really enjoyed reading all your comments, which highlighted perceptions that I’d not entirely assembled in my own mind.

    – Hari Hyde, Minnesota Poems from the Outpost

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Sea Tigers & Merchants Audiobook Cover

    I am ecstatic about the book review for “Sea Tigers.” It’s amazing when a reviewer is so attuned to the story and the process of writing it.

    – Sandra Wagner Wright, Sea Tigers and Merchants

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Unlike one-and-done review services, Chanticleer Editorial Reviews become permanent marketing assets. We continue promoting selected reviews through blog posts, social media features, and newsletter highlights, ensuring your investment keeps paying dividends.

    Ready to Elevate Your Book Marketing?

    Professional recognition provides the third-party validation that turns curious browsers into confident buyers. In a crowded marketplace, editorial credibility makes the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked.

    Your book deserves professional marketing tools that match the quality of your writing. This week only, get them at our lowest prices of the year.

    Sale Price is good on Expedited Reviews and on Bulk Purchases!

    Don’t wait—this limited-time offer ends September 5th. Get the professional marketing power your book needs to succeed.

  • Happy Birthday to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – The Inspiration Behind Chanticleer’s Late Historical CIBA Category

    “One ought every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    A writer must be bold. To start from a blank screen, transfer your imagination into a story with characters you know and experiences you’ve lived, then send it out into the world for everyone to judge—well, it takes guts.

    Portrait of Goethe by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1828, paper, man, bald

    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (August 28, 1749 – March 22, 1832), the influential German writer and polymath, understood this truth just as much as writers continue to experience it today. It’s the tenacity and courage to pursue our goals regardless of our fears, and it’s something he exhibited in his own life.

    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, books, faust, elective affinities, the sorrows of young werther

    Examining the Human Experience

    Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures in Western history. With interests spanning literature, philosophy, and science, he has come to be known as a true Renaissance man, but he was not only known for his artistic talents. His curious mind led him on quests to understand nature in all its forms; physical, intellectual, and emotional.

    Best known for his dramatic masterpiece, Faust, Goethe’s writing examines themes of ambition, desire, knowledge, and redemption. His characters search for meaning beyond material success and find themselves navigating the eternal struggle between good and evil.

    Struggles that remain with us to this day.

    Goethe also influenced the Romantic movement in literature with poetry and prose and influenced the existential and psychological literature to come. The Sorrows of Young Werther, the story of a young man’s extreme response to unrequited love, drew such a response that it led to a wave of emotional identification within the reading public and lit the match of a new literary revolution focus on emotionally impactful narratives.

    Goethe, man, hat, painting, landscape, robe
    Goethe in the Roman Campagna, artist Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein Kopie, oil

    The Genius of Goethe

    Along with his successful writing career, Goethe was also a scientist, a statesman, an artist, and a philosopher. His interdisciplinary approach, thriving curiosity, and appreciation for the interconnectedness of knowledge is our lesson from Goethe. In our busy, fragmented world these important aspects of being human can often be undervalued. But as writers, we know how important they are when creating a world.

    Living Through History’s Transformation

    Goethe’s long life (1749-1832) placed him at the center of some of history’s most transformative periods—the very eras that today’s late historical fiction brings to life. He witnessed the French Revolution’s upheaval, lived through the Napoleonic Wars that reshaped Europe, and observed the early stirrings of industrialization that would transform society. The social, political, and cultural changes he experienced firsthand are precisely the subjects that modern historical fiction authors spend years researching to recreate authentically on the page.

    As we celebrate his birthday on August 28th, and again at the CIBA Awards during the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC26) in April 2026, let’s also honor the enduring power of literature to shape our understanding of the world and ourselves and challenge ourselves to think more deeply, feel more passionately, and live with greater awareness. 

    stamp, man, hair, johann wolfgang von goethe, deutschland, germany, numbers
    Stamp from Deutsche Post AG from 1999, issued for the 250th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    Final Call: Celebrate Your Late Historical Novel!

    Johanne Wolfgang von Goethe

    Time is running out! Enter the Goethe Division of the CIBA Awards and get the recognition your work deserves!

    Submissions close August 31st, just days away!

    We’re excited about all the exceptional historical fiction 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!

    Don’t wait—bring your historical vision to life before the deadline passes!

    The Goethe Awards recognize the extraordinary research and storytelling skill required to bring recent history to authentic life. Whether you’ve spent years researching Victorian social customs, Georgian political movements, or early 20th-century cultural changes, these awards celebrate both your historical scholarship and narrative artistry.

    Historical fiction helps us understand how we became who we are today. Whether your story explores the drawing rooms of Regency England, the immigrant experience in turn-of-the-century America, or the social transformations of the early 1900s, the Goethe Awards celebrate the authors who make history feel immediate and alive.

    CIBA’s Goethe Division for Late Historical Fiction

    To honor this great literary figure we’ve created the Goethe Division for Late Historical Fiction in the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA). This category is best for books with themes of

    • Regency in 1700s & 1800s
    • Turn of the Century
    • 20th Century
    • World/International History Post 1750s
    • U.S. History
    • 1830s – 1900s Victorian & Edwardian Eras

    And each work submitted will be judged on the following criteria:

    • Is the story compelling?
    • Professionalism of editing and formatting
    • Characterization
    • Continuity of storyline
    • Satisfying ending (not necessarily “happy”)
    • Intriguing opening
    • Uniqueness of story
    • Writing craft
    • World construct
    • Premise
    You know you want it…

    Enter your book into the Goethe Division today!

    Don’t let this opportunity slip away!

  • Love at First Browse: Celebrating Bookstore Romance Day and the Communities Who Love Them

    Bookstore Romance Day might just be your perfect match

    You know the feeling. Your heart swoons for them, you squeal in excitement as companions come together in love, whatever it is, you’ve found it between the pages of a book. True romance to light a fire in your heart. 

    Held every August, this delightful celebration brings together two of life’s most irresistible pleasures: independent bookstores and the romance genre. It’s a day where book lovers gather to celebrate the cozy, quirky, fiercely passionate indie bookshops that make discovering those romantic tales feel like magic.

    Bookstore Romance Day is your excuse (not that you needed one) to support a local business, shop small, and maybe fall in love with a book, a bookstore, or even both. Buying from a local independent bookstore makes the whole community better!

    woman, man, books, sale, table, shelves

    It’s time to go on a date with your town’s Indie bookstore!

    Independent bookstores are the heart and soul of their communities, championing local voices and fostering meaningful connections between readers and authors. They also provide an unrestrained avenue to books that can be overlooked by a curated algorithym that threatens to overlook great, but unknown, books.

    The space a bookstore inhabits is an intimate expression of the community itself. Every shelf reflects the personality and passion of the booksellers who hand-pick each title based on the desires of the readers they serve. It’s a great way to validate the diversity of your community through their varying interests in reading material.

    bookstore, books, open, sign

    Support Your Local Bookstore and Indie Authors!

    Frequenting an indie bookstore and supporting indie authors comes from the connection, passion, and joy of storytelling shared between themselves and their community. When a reader chooses to shop local, attend readings, or simply spread the word about a favorite new release, it’s like slipping a love note into the hands of those who pour their hearts into every page and every recommendation. These small gestures create ripples—helping authors find their readers, bookstores to keep their lights on, and neighborhoods to become rich with imagination and soul. It’s a romance rooted in reciprocity: when we show up for our bookstores, they show up for us, again and again, with stories, romance and all genres, that make us laugh, cry, and believe in happy endings.

    Kids, hearts, bookstore, sun

    Show Your Love of Bookstores and the Romance Found Inside

    Next time you stroll down to your corner independent bookstore, take a moment to think about the amazing relationship your favorite bookseller has with your community and pick up a romance to fall in love with as you celebrate Bookstore Romance Day!

    Fall in love with the romantic streaks from these Chanticleer authors! 

    Vermilion Harvest Cover

    Overall Grand Prize CIBA winner!

    Reenita M. Hora’s Vermilion Harvest weaves love and liberation into literary gold.

    “Why do love and freedom have such a complicated relationship?” This haunting question pulses through every page of Vermilion Harvest, Hora’s breathtaking debut that creates, in one of history’s darkest moments, a luminous testament to the power of love in transcending boundaries.

    A star-crossed romance sparks against the backdrop of empire.

    Set in 1919 Amritsar, Vermilion Harvest introduces readers to Aruna Duggal, a nineteen-year-old Anglo-Indian schoolteacher caught between worlds—too brown for British acceptance, too white for Indian belonging. Born from violence, raised in the shadows between communities, Aruna navigates life’s margins until she meets Ayaz Peermohammed, a passionate Muslim law student from Lahore. Ayaz’s dreams of Indian independence ignite something revolutionary within Aruna’s heart.

    Read more here…

     

    The Third Act Cover

    The Third Act

    The subtitle “A Spicy Lesbian Romance” belies the true emotional depth of Kathleen Brehony’s The Third Act. This story is a testament to the unbreakable connection between a “Tribe” of 60ish lesbian women, and the unexpected possibility of love appearing even in the darkest of times.

    The story opens as Shannon, a member of the Tribe, witnesses her lifelong best friend, Linda, pass away after a decade-long battle with breast cancer.

    Shannon has been by Linda’s side during the last part of her battle, and now she’s the friend who sends the rest of The Tribe the simple message “She’s gone.” They make a plan to come together on Labor Day weekend to celebrate Linda’s life at Shannon’s family’s beachside resort on the Jersey shore in the hopes that the closeness and comfort they’ve shared as friends all these years will help them begin to heal. When they arrive at the coastal cottage, they toast their friendship with a quote from Rumi, “Friend our closeness is this: anywhere you put your foot, you feel me in the firmness underneath you.”

    It is here, with the gathered Tribe, that we begin to understand the long, complicated history between Shannon O’Connell and Elizabeth Mathews.

    Read more here…

    Back to One

    Antonia Gavrihel shows off superb storytelling and narration skills in her audiobook, Back to One, where passion, family, and, most importantly, friendship clash in an emotionally intimate slow-burn romance.

    When Catherine Leigh meets famous actor Kyle Weston at a Hollywood party, an unbreakable bond snaps into place. But, while Cate and Kyle each acknowledge this intense connection, their life situations make a courtship impossible. Cate is happily married, and Kyle’s career leaves him with little time for any personal ties.

    The two vow to take romance off the table and love each other as best friends—or at least try to.

    Cate and her young family help reinvigorate Kyle’s strained relationship with his son Scott, while Kyle revives Cate’s acting career. This surprisingly wholesome romance focuses on the support that two true friends can give each other, and how it forms a strong foundation to lean on during difficult times.

    Back to One, Gavrihel’s debut novel, was quickly followed up with three additional books in the series of the same name. This audiobook version brings even more vibrancy to her work.

    Read more here…

    Spruce Harbor Possibilities Cover

    Spruce Harbor Possibilities

    Spruce Harbor Possibilities, the second book in David A. Stone’s Spruce Harbor series, pulls an independent bookstore owner and a savvy tech billionaire into an improbable whirlwind romance, but each with their own reasons to be guarded about love.

    Romantic Maggie Bennett’s last breakup diminished her self-confidence, and she’s since put all her energy into running her cozy literary shop in the small community of Spruce Harbor, Washington. Her best friend and co-worker Bobby wants her to get back in the dating game, but for the moment Maggie contents herself with the solace of her bookstore and her Golden Retriever, Mr. Darcy.

    That is until Jason Porter arrives in town.

    Handsome and extremely wealthy, Jason was co-founder of the Lifestar Gaming Company, recently and unceremoniously sacked by the Board of Directors and his business partner.

    Though they come from different worlds, there’s an undeniable attraction between Maggie and Jason.

    Read more here…

    Occhi Belli Cover

    Occhi Belli

    Luca Lucchesi had it all—a successful restaurant, a loving wife, an adoring mother. Then it all came crashing down. Occhi Belli by Tim McDonald explores the depths of Luca’s despair, his battle with alcohol, and ultimately his journey back to life—and love.

    Luca hadn’t planned to work in the restaurant industry but eighteen years later there he was, what one would call a “lifer.” Time flows differently in the lives of restaurant people, and it flew by for Luca. He was coming up on Occhi Belli’s tenth anniversary but felt like he’d opened it just yesterday. Luca’s vision had been a simple one—to build a great restaurant with great food and great characters. With that goal in mind, he built Occhi Belli into a hugely successful neighborhood gem in north Seattle. He’d poured his life into it and truly loved it, but at what price?

    He knows he drinks too much, but it is part of the world in which he lives. So far, he’s been lucky and has never been caught driving after drinking. Then his luck runs out.

    He totals his car, is hit with a DUI, and his life begins to unravel. His wife, Lillian, announces she’s had enough and files for divorce. After nine years of watching Luca put his restaurant and alcohol before her and their marriage, she chooses her own well-being over his. But suddenly single at thirty-six, Lillian wonders what she will do next.

    Read more here…

    Find more love between the covers with these Chanticleer articles!

    books, man, bookstore

    Celebrate the Romance Genre with Professional Recognition

    Romance is one of the most beloved and marketable genres today, and a little romance goes a long way in making any book more appealing to readers. Professional recognition helps your love story stand out in this competitive but rewarding market.

    Got a great romance read? Chanticleer Editorial Book Reviews provide the professional third-party validation that romance authors need to build credibility with readers. Our comprehensive reviews serve as powerful marketing material, giving you polished content to share with romance readers who are always hungry for their next great love story.

    A typewriter with Chanticleer Reviews advertising Editorial Book Reviews

    Confident you’ll get a great review? Consider submitting to the Chanticleer International Book Awards Chatelaine Romance Division. Whether you’re writing contemporary romance, historical love stories, romantic suspense, or steamy sensual fiction, the Chatelaine Awards recognize outstanding romance across all subgenres.

     

    Chatelaine Book Awards with a white woman holding her hands under her chin

    Award recognition adds prestige to your romance novel while providing ongoing marketing material that resonates with romance readers—one of the most loyal and enthusiastic reading communities. Romance readers trust recommendations, and professional recognition signals quality they can count on.

    The romance market rewards authors who invest in professional credibility. Give your love story the recognition it deserves.

    Explore Editorial Review services to add professional credibility to your romance writing.

    Submit to the Chatelaine Awards and join the ranks of professionally recognized romance authors.

  • 10 Question Interview with Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, Jessica Alexanderson of Recycling is Like Magic– Environmental Warriors and CIBA Grand Prize Winners

    We had the pleasure of speaking with the amazing writing team of Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, and Jessica Alexanderson (aka: Scuba Jess) recently. Together, they authored The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, the 2023 CIBA Grand Prize in the Little Peeps division.

    Jaffer, Rudover, and Alexanderson have created a program called Recycling is Like Magic (formerly Scrap University Kids), which teaches children about how they can help make our world cleaner through recycling, and their award-winning book is read to schoolchildren across the Pacific Northwest to teach them about the importance of participating in environmental projects. Here’s what we talked about: 

    Book, women, man, gray, curtain

    Chanti:Let’s start with the basics. Can you tell us a little about how your writing team came together and what inspired you to start creating books to support your recycling education mission?

    Magic: We noticed a lack of recycling education books in the children’s book genre, so, we decided to write one that would share our recycling knowledge to increase the overall recycling rate. Now, the book, along with our other efforts have encouraged our AMAZING readers and recyclers to recycle over 3,516,695 cans!

    Chanti: That’s an incredible impact! I love that you’re combining child literacy with environmental education. When you think about your roles, do you see yourselves primarily as authors or as educators?

    Magic: Yes, we are authors, and we are very happy our book was so well received, but we really think of ourselves as educators. Engaging with children by reading our book to them is a great way to introduce them to the idea that we are all responsible for taking care of the earth.

    CIBA, ribbon, book, cover, program

    Chanti: That educator mindset really comes through in your work! When it comes to writing children’s books, do you find yourselves following traditional publishing conventions, or do you prefer to forge your own path?

    Magic: As entrepreneurs, we color outside of the lines. We are always looking for ways to connect with children and seek out opportunities to get our message out to them as well as the community at large. We see our children’s books as a way to teach children through a fun story where they can identify with the characters and see themselves as recyclers. Those kids then influence the behavior of their friends and family, resulting in even more lifelong recyclers. Because of this, The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans far outweighs any public service announcement or political campaign we could have offered, and it has quickly become the catalyst for change.

    Chanti: How do you come up with your ideas for a story that is meant to grab the attention of young children?

    Magic: Our work in protecting the environment provides plenty of opportunities to be inspired. We work with people who tell us the stories of what they see and hear about the recycling efforts in their community and the results of those efforts. Our own children also provide great inspiration for our stories. Their inquisitive nature often presents the questions we aim to answer in our books.

    Shazia, trash can, kids, hand

    Chanti: Drawing from real-world experiences and your own children’s curiosity—that’s brilliant! Writing for children requires such a specific skill set. How do you continue developing and refining your craft?

    Magic: Because our books are aimed at educating children, we look for opportunities to explain difficult concepts in a way that children will understand. This helps to think about our word choice and sentence length when we’re writing.

    Chanti:That focus on accessibility is so important. Since you work as a collaborative team how do you organize your writing process? Do you have a structured approach, or is it more organic?

    Magic: Because we work as a team, we have created a repeatable process that we follow for each title, passing the book between us as we add new pages and, eventually, we end up with a story that we can edit to make sure it flows well, makes sense, and delivers a clear message. Having said that, we all generally let the process flow rather than forcing it to happen as we feel that is the best way to create a readable book that kids will enjoy. If we feel stuck we turn to nature to break through writers block—Brad Rudover goes for a walk in the forest and Scuba Jess goes for a dive (of course!)

    Chanti:I love how you each have your own way of reconnecting with nature when you need inspiration! Every writing team has their influences. Can you share some of the authors who have shaped your approach to children’s literature?

    Magic: Brad Rudover loves Dr. Seuss’s creative genius, and his bright, active characters. They are the perfect model to create the bright, active characters who love recycling in our books. Shaziya M Jaffer and Scuba Jess are influenced by Dr. Seuss’s wife, Helen Palmer, who wrote A Fish Out of Water. To learn more about the craft of writing a great children’s book, we turn to Dr. Seuss’s famous book, Green Eggs and Ham, and to learn about the business of writing we turn to From Good to Great by Jim Collins.

    Chanti:Dr. Seuss is such a perfect influence for what you’re doing! Your mission clearly extends far beyond just writing books. How has becoming published authors affected your involvement in your community?

    Magic: Our whole mission revolves around community engagement, beginning with children. As we’ve dived deeper into spreading the word about recycling, we’ve found ourselves focusing more on philanthropy and opening doors to engagment with the greater environmental movement.

    unicorn, bay, water, city, grass, book

    Chanti:That community focus is wonderful to see. What specific things are you doing to promote literacy in your region?

    Magic:  We donate our books to elementary schools that need more recycling education in our region. Shaziya M. Jaffer always says, “Our perfect readers are children who want to make the planet a better place.” And Scuba Jess relies on her experience as a diver. “I love sharing my passion for ocean conservation through underwater photography and cleanup dives, and I bring these experiences to students by visiting classrooms, hosting Zoom calls and reading our books at libraries across Washington state. My goal is to inspire kids with fun and easy ways they can help protect our oceans. With over 10 years of diving and 1,465 dives, I’ve seen firsthand how much our amazing sea creatures in Puget Sound and beyond need our help. If there’s one thing I can ask of anyone reading this: please pick up litter when you see it, never toss cigarette butts on the ground and always recycle your aluminum cans—every action makes a difference!”

    Chanti:That hands-on approach is incredible, and Scuba Jess, your diving experience adds such authenticity to your environmental message! As we wrap up, what exciting projects is the Recycling is Like Magic team working on now? Are there more books in the pipeline?

    Magic: We are always looking for ways to enact behavioral change for the betterment of society, so we work to create many educational and actionable avenues into the recycling world. We’ve followed up The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans with another book called, A Recycling Adventure to the Scrap Yard, and we have two more children’s books in mind for our four-book metal recycling series. The third book is being written now and will be called A Recycling Adventure to the Steel Mill. It focuses on the steel melting process after Daddy’s truck was shredded at the scrapyard, and we see what it will be turned into next.

    Our “Two Million Can Recycling Contest” is also a big project, with a goal to double contest participation by engaging with approximately 50 schools. It will feature more incentives for participating students, including a $500 bonus for collecting 150,000 cans, pizza parties, and more!

    Unicorn, rainbow, recycling., icon“Our goal is to eliminate metal from the waste stream within the next 30 years by providing recycling education to children.

    Given the success of our Million Cans Recycling Contest, Beverage Can Industry Champions sponsored by leading organizations driving sustainable aluminm packaging, we can say with confidence that our book is helping increase recycling rates. we can say with certainty our book is the solution to increasing the recycling rate.

    Kids gamify collecting cans which leads to immediate impact, but more importantly, it creates long-term behavioral change.  They quickly learn that throwing cans (or any metal) into the trash is an unacceptable because those materials are recyclable and valuable.” – Brad Rudover, Recycling is Like Magic!

    With the launch of our nonprofit, The Recycling Society, anyone who supports our mission can now donate or get involved. Learn more at: recyclingsociety.org