Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Best Books

Hot Marketing Tips are Shared in the 10 Question Author Interview with MICHELLE COX – Author Interviews, Marketing, Craft of Writing
Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards Grand Prize winner Michelle Cox graciously shares her writing life and knowledge with us along with some hot marketing tips and tools! Read on!

“When I finally decided to try writing, the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.” – Michelle Cox

Michelle Cox, award-winning author, at work in her writing lair

Chanticleer: Thanks for coming by, Michelle. Tell us what genre best describes your work? And, what led you to write in this genre?

Cox: Well, that’s a great question! I usually at least place as a semi-finalist in three different categories at the Chanticleer awards, for example, so that should be a pretty good indication.

My series is set during the 1930s in Chicago, so that qualifies it to be historical fiction, but it’s also mystery and romance. I guess “romantic-suspense” would be the best way to describe the series, but without the bare-chested guys on the cover.

They always say to write what you would want to read, and this is it! I set the series set in my favorite era; added a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance; flavored it with the haves- and the have-nots of the era, as well as a touch of the English aristocracy; and then stocked it with lots of characters and subplots weaving in and out . . . sheer heaven!

Chanticleer: And that’s why we love you and your books! What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.

Cox: I no longer have any! I used to have hobbies before writing took over my life. If I do have a few minutes here and there, I still love to garden and bake, but my real love, however, is board games. I’m a fanatic and have become a sort of a collector now.

Playing games with Michelle Cox! Did the butler do it?

Chanti: That sounds like a lot of fun! So, how do you approach your writing day?

Cox: As soon as my kids get on the bus at 6:50 am, I make my second cup of coffee and sit down at my desk. I’m not allowed to do any social media, though I do always do a quick email check to see, you know, if I won the Pulitzer or something (it’s always no), and then I start working on whatever manuscript I’m currently on. My brain is its crispest early in the morning, so I have to use that time for the work that takes the most concentration. There’s something to be said about productivity when you know you only have a limited time to write. There’s no room for writer’s block or procrastination. When you know you only have so much time, you have a way of just sitting down and doing it.

When I reach whatever my writing goal is for that day, I spend the next five to seven hours (until the kids come home) doing marketing and PR—anything from writing the blog or the newsletter or articles or interviews, taping podcasts, setting up events, answering email, attending to social media, etc. It’s really a full-time job, though, sadly, the actual writing, the part I love, is the part I get to spend the least on.

Chanti: Marketing pays off, right? Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.

Cox: My series is known for the plethora of rich characters scattered throughout and the big saga-like plots. I was definitely influenced in this by my early favorites: Louisa May Alcott, Catherine Cookson, and Charles Dickens. My other two favorites would be Anthony Trollope and Jane Austin for their subtlety in character and their overall ability to use language so beautifully.

Chanti: I cannot argue with your choices. These are delicious authors – and novels!

I know you gave us a snapshot of your work-day earlier, but could you give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.

Cox: Wow! That’s a great question, but so hard to answer. All marketing is pretty elusive, isn’t it? It’s a constant process of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s also important to remember that what works for one person, might not work for everyone. It’s not an exact science. If it were, we’d all be rich!

But, in general, here are some good marketing tips that I have found to work:
- Try to figure out where your readers are. Most of my readers, for example, are on Facebook, so that’s where I spend most of my social media time.
- Think of yourself as a brand and try to match your posts accordingly. I post things about myself or the book or writing, but mostly old recipes, period drama news, or old stories from the past (which constitute my blog). Also, I’m very careful never to post anything religious or political. This is a business, and the more you see yourself that way and follow basic business protocols, the more successful you’ll be.
- Try to build your newsletter list by offering a freebie (such as free story, writing tips, a webinar, a prequel). Personally, I do it by running contests with really big prize packages. I make sure to state that the contest winner will be picked only from my newsletter subscribers. I pay a designer to create a beautiful graphic of the prizes, post it on FB, and then boost the post. Not only does this get me a lot of new subscribers (sometimes up to 1,000!), but it exposes the series to new readers as well!
- Build your network. Join online author groups (I am part of a fabulous private FB group organized by my publisher, She Writes Press. We all share ideas, marketing tips, and offer support and advice, especially to the newer authors just coming on board. It’s a collective wealth of information.) or real-world groups in your area. Don’t be jealous of the success of others, but help each other as much as possible. As my publisher, Brooke Warner has said, “There’s room for everyone at the table.”
- Show up at other authors events, write reviews, help promote whenever possible. Go to conferences to meet not just readers, but other authors who can potentially help you. Remember that you are a business, and you need to do work within your community to begin standing out.
- For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
- Also in this category would be to try to get a Bookbub deal, which, as we all know is really tough. Again, for Book 2 of the series, we submitted four times, trying to get a deal with the book being priced at .99 cents. I finally decided to offer it for free, and we cleverly put a buy link to book 3 at the end of Book 2. Bookbub then offered me a deal, and I had over 55,000 downloads in one day! Hopefully, a lot of those people will go on to buy Book 3 at full price.
- Lastly, if the first book of your series is free, either permanently or occasionally, you can join Book Funnel, in which you “bundle” your book with others of a similar genre with each author promoting the bundle to their social network, which exposes your series to a whole new crop of readers. Readers are able to download your free book in exchange for their email address. So not only are you getting readers hooked on your series (hopefully!), but you’re building your subscriber/newsletter list.
Chanti: You could teach a Master Class on this at CAC20! Let’s chat about this later.

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

Cox: Book 5 of the series is currently in production and scheduled to be released in Spring 2020. I said I was going to take a break from the series after that, but I admit, I’ve already started sketching out Book 6 – I can’t help it!

But what’s really exciting is a new stand-alone novel, The Love You Take, that I wrote, also based partially on a true story and set in Chicago in the 1930s. It’s a really fabulous book if I do say so, about a “backward” girl who has to go and live at a home for “bad girls” after she unwittingly becomes pregnant. I’m currently querying agents for it.

Chanti: Sounds intriguing. Please keep us updated. Who’s the perfect reader for your book?

Cox: Though some men enjoy my books, the primary audience is women. Anyone who loves Downton Abbey; Upstairs, Downstairs; Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the old black and white films, like The Thin Man . . . basically any period drama or old movie . . . will love my series. I can’t tell you how many people have written to me to tell me that the series is so visual, that reading it was like watching a movie. It’s delightful escapism; people tell me all the time they feel like they’ve been transported back in time after reading them.

Chanti: I know that’s why we read your books #delightful! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

Cox: Tell a friend! Research shows that the number one thing that influences people to buy books is word-of-mouth. If you like a book, recommend it to friends or your book club. The second best thing is to write a review! People seem wary of doing this, telling me that they’re nervous about what to write.

“Nonsense!” I say.

A review can be one sentence: “This was a great book; I enjoyed it!”

There. Done.

You don’t have to go into a lengthy reworking of the synopsis (why do people do this?) or delve into symbolism or themes or whatever. Just give your one-sentence opinion!

Chanti: I’ve been telling my non-writing friends this for years… Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?

Cox: Not really! I have a lot of story ideas in my head, and thus I usually have the opposite problem. This is where outlining can really help. If you have a pretty weighty outline sketched out, then when you sit down to write each day, you pretty much already know what you’re supposed to write that day. Likewise, I enjoy taking an evening walk (or I try to, anyway!), during which I think about tomorrow’s chapter and what needs to go into it. Sometimes I even voice record if I have a really good idea or some strands of dialog. There’s something about walking—moving the legs back and forth, back and forth—that seems to stimulate something in the brain. They say that Dickens used to walk the streets of London for hours in the wee hours of the night. Now I know why!

Chanti: Time to reflect and let your mind wander. Movement really does help with this. What excites you most about writing?

Cox: Creating something out of nothing. I’ve always been a really creative person. Looking back, I see now that I’ve always been striving to create, and for a long time it took on many different forms. As a kid, I was always trying to illustrate Louisa May Alcott’s books or write little fan fiction stories based on Jo March. As I got older, it took the form of gardening and decorating the house, and then baking and then creating elaborate kids’ birthday party invitations! When I finally decided to try writing (long story), the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.

Chanti: We hope you do, too, Michelle. What a fabulous interview! Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Speaking of sharing, if you like what you’ve read, please “like, comment, and share!” Sharing is caring, baby!

The CIBA Grand Prize Winners

Michelle Cox is a multi-award-winning author who recently spent some time with us at CAC19. This year was particularly special because Michelle won the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize for Mystery & Mayhem Awards!

and took 1st Place in the Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction – both awards are in honor of her book, A Promise Given. We will probably never stop celebrating this – it’s just too much fun!

To find out what Michelle’s up to next, Find and Follow her here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Michelle’s Website: http://michellecoxauthor.com/
July 5, 2019
In Celebration of Mother’s Day – Interesting Tidbits, Some History, and a Few of Our Favorite Books
Photo by George Dolgikh of Giftpundits

While mothers are as varied and diverse as the many varieties of flowers in the world, none of us would be here without them! When I think of the word “mother,” there is no possible way I can disassociate the word from my mother. She is strong-willed, strong-minded, and strong-opinioned. And her love rivals the strength of the greatest army the world has ever known. She is my mother. She is the one person who loves me enough to tell me when I am wrong and, yet, loves me anyway.

How and When was “Mother’s Day” Started

As all things of Western Civilisation seem to have started in ancient Greece it seems (reference: My Big Fat Greek Wedding), so did Mother’s Day. Well, sort of, honoring the goddess, Cybele/Rhea (depending on time and region). The early Christian Church co-opted the day, calling it “Mothering Sunday,” a festival day in which the faithful would return to the church of their birth.

When is Mother’s Day Celebrated Around the World?
- Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, in the USA, Canada, most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, the Philippines, and South Africa.
- The UK and Ireland celebrate Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday in Lent.
- Most Arab countries celebrate Mother’s Day on March 21st (vernal equinox).
- Most East European countries celebrate Mother’s Day on March 8th. For a complete overview of the dates of Mother’s Day around the world see Mother’s Day on Wikipedia.
The Rise of Mother’s Day in America

Before the Civil War, Ann Jarvis and her friend, Julia Ward Howe decided to set up regional clubs, “Mothers Day Work Clubs” designed to teach young mothers how to care for their infants. Their involvement and the clubs continued throughout the Civil War and once the war ended, they held a Mothers’ Friendship Day and invited both Union and Confederate soldiers and their mothers to attend. Big strides toward reconciliation were made through the efforts of these women.

The women who inspired Mother’s Day were social activists, abolitionists, suffragettes, and educators who wanted to make their world – and their children’s world a much better place. And that is something to celebrate!

It was all made a legal holiday when Anna Jarvis, inspired by her social activist mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis, decided to memorialize a day in which to celebrate her mother. In 1907, three years after her mother’s death, she did just that. She chose a white carnation to inspire people to remember their mothers and what they sacrificed for them.

“Its whiteness is to symbolize the truth, purity and broad-charity of mother love; its fragrance, her memory, and her prayers. The carnation does not drop its petals, but hugs them to its heart as it dies, and so, too, mothers hug their children to their hearts, their mother love never dying. When I selected this flower, I was remembering my mother’s bed of white pinks (flowers)…” – Anna Jarvis (quote)

It wasn’t until 1914 that Woodrow Wilson signed a decree that designated the second Sunday in May as the United States official day to celebrate Mother’s Day. Of course, Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world (in at least 49 countries) on different days.

It should be noted that Anna Jarvis wasn’t very happy with the commercialization of Mother’s Day and she fought long and hard to try and get it withdrawn as a national holiday, but we all know how that ended. And if you don’t, well, let’s just say it is a most intriguing mystery…

Suggested Reads

Because mothers are incredibly diverse in their habits and reading lists, we invite you to dive into our reviews and choose what’s you think your mother would like to read most and to perhaps enjoy the books yourself.

Chanticleer Mother’s Day Reading List!

Jaimie Ford‘s Love and Other Consolation Prizes is powerful storytelling from a master storyteller! Jaimie Ford breathes to life a little-known piece of Seattle history spanning the early to the mid 21st century. And a truly unique story of the many ways a mother’s love can manifest itself.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is a disturbing look into what those who should know better, choose to do to society’s most vulnerable during the 30-years between 1920 and 1950 at the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.

Dian a F orbes‘ Mistress Suffragette examines the facts of life, the challenges of social restrictions, and the woes of youthful love through the eyes of a sharp-minded, sharp-shooting young woman. Mistress Suffragette is now available on Audible!

Nicole Evelina‘s Madame Presidentess is a fascinating story of a woman’s meteoric rise from rags to riches, from subservience to achievement – based on a true story that was instrumental in propelling the Suffragette Movement.

A Theory of Expanded Love by Caitlin Hicks is a bold, authentic, & captivating –a young teen in the 1960s confronts doctrine when it threatens to outweigh compassion.

Caregiving Our Loved Ones by Nanette Davis, Ph.D. Dr. Davis passes on her knowledge to caregivers for dealing with the ongoing emotional, financial and health toll of taking care of someone who will never get better.

Nick Adams‘ Away at War: A Civil War Story of the Family Left Behind is a rich and fascinating account of day-to-day life in rural America in the mid-19th century set against the backdrop of the Civil War. Taken from primary sources, this narrative brings to life all that was loved and all that was lost.

This is just the beginning of our list! To find more amazing reads in every genre, please click here to discover our favorites!

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

Electronic Bibliography:

Mother’s Day Photo Attribution: https://giftpundits.com/our-free-photos/

History.com

Wikipedia

http://www.calendarpedia.com/when-is/mothers-day.html
May 12, 2019
The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers – Grand Prize and First Place Catergory Winners – 2018 CIBAs
We are excited and honored to officially announce the Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Winners for the 2018 Gertrude Warner Book Awards at the annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards ceremony. This year’s ceremony and banquet were held on Saturday, April 27th, 2019 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.

We want to thank all of those who entered and participated in the 2018 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

Denise Ditto Satterfield, the author of the Bettina’s Best First Day, The Tooth Collector Fairies, Grand Prize Winner of the Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers (CIBA), announced the First Place Award Winners at the Chanticleer International Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony.

PublishDrive and Hindenburg Systems awarded additional prizes to the 2018 Gertrude Warner Book Award winners. Thank you!

2018 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers First in Category Winners
- Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth by Alexander Edlund
- Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend by Cheryl Carpinello
- The Portals of Peril by Jules Luther
- From the Shadows by KB Shaw
- Tallulah’s Flying Adventure by Gloria Two-Feathers
- Vampire Boy by Aric Cushing
- The Adventures of Rug Bug by Kay M. Bates
Congratulations to the First Place Category Winners of the 2018 Gertrude Warner Book Awards!

And now for the Gertrude Warner Book Awards GRAND PRIZE WINNER for Middle-Grade Readers

Manuscript

The PORTALS of PERIL by Jules Luther took home the Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers

An email will go out to all First Place Category Winners and Grand Prize Winners with more information, the timing of awarded reviews, links to digital badges, and more before May 31st, 2019 (approximately four weeks after the awards ceremony). Please look for it in your email inbox.

When we receive the digital photographs from the Official CAC19 professional photographer, Dwayne Rogge of Photo Treehouse, we will post the Gertrude Warner award winners on this page.

Click here for the link to the 2018 Gertrude Warner Semi-Finalists.

This post will be updated with photos and more information. Please do visit it again!

The deadline for submissions into the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards May 31, 2019 Midnight (PST).

Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 18th, 2020, for the 2019 CIBA winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

As always, please contact me directly at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
May 4, 2019
2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards Update for the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference & CIBAs

The 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC) and the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) for 2018 wrapped up on Sunday, April 28th at five o’clock in the afternoon. Attendees and presenters began arriving on Wednesday, April 24th to participate in the Master Writing Craft workshops presented by the internationally bestselling author—Master of Suspense J.D. Barker and Top Senior Editor, Jessica Page Morrell.

This unique and progressive conference was jammed packed with sessions serious authors featured sessions and workshops on the business, marketing, and technologies of publishing and of being an author. CAC19 attendees were also offered advance writing craft sessions and workshops. Hollywood was also represented at #CAC19 with Scott Steindorff, the ‘Hollywood Bookman’ and Major A-list Film Producer – and president of Stone Village Productions shared with us in his sessions and interviews his knowledge about “What Hollywood Wants,” “How to Construct Big Ideas,” “How Storytelling is Changing,” and more.

2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards

The 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards winners for sixteen divisions were announced on Saturday evening at the CIBA banquet and awards ceremony along with the 2018 Overall CIBA Grand Prize in conjunction with the annual Chanticleer Authors Conference. The ceremony was held at the ballroom of the luxurious Hotel Bellwether on the waterfront of Bellingham, Wash.

The CIBA celebration began at six o’clock in the evening with a cocktail party. Hindenburg Systems out of Denmark had a drawing for three excellent prizes that included a 2-year subscription to their state-of-the-art audiobook and podcast software systems, a one-year subscription, and a really cool Hindenburg computer/commuter bag during the cocktail party.

A coveted Chanticleer Blue Ribbon—You know you want one!

The Chanticleer International Book Awards Ceremony

The CIBA Banquet and Ceremony began at seven-thirty in the evening with the banquet catered by the Hotel Bellwether and the Executive Chef Peter Birk. We began the CIBA announcements at eight o’clock with an explanation of the judging rounds and process. There were sixteen presenters who individually recognized all of the CIBA Semi-Finalists who were in attendance before announcing his or her division’s First Place Category winners for each of the sixteen divisions. PublishDrive and Hindenburg Systems presented each CIBA Blue Ribbon Award Winner with a prize certificate. After a short intermission, the awards presenters announced and recognized each divisions’ grand prize winners. Each one of the CIBA Grand Prize Award Winners was presented with a grand prize package from PublishDrive and Hindenburg Systems along with the coveted grand prize ribbons. The 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards ceremony concluded with the announcement of the 2018 Overall Chanticleer Book Awards Grand Prize winner.

Professional photographer Dwayne Rogge of Bellingham based Photo Treehouse was available during the cocktail hour to take headshots and souvenir photos. He and his assistant also took photographs to record the award winners and division grand prize winners. These photos will be for digital download available by May 20, 2019. The link to the website for the complimentary digital photos will be emailed to all of the conference attendees. Printed photos will also be available for purchase on the website.

The CIBA winners will be revealed—please standby…

2018 CIBA Award Winners Announcements

We will begin creating the website posting that recognizes the First Place Award Winners and the Grand Prize Winners of the sixteen divisions of the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards starting today, April 29, 2019. We appreciate your patience with us as it takes time to double-check, create the links, recognize the winners and create the website posts. The CIBA website postings announcements will be in the order of the sixteen divisions’ submission deadlines starting with the Cygnus Book Awards for Science Fiction moving on to the last submission date for the Instruction & Insight Book Awards. We appreciate your patience as we move through the list.

Each of the 2018 CIBA divisions winners will be posted on the homepage of the Chanticleer website under WRITING CONTEST NEWS.

Please visit the Chanticleer Reviews’ website for more of our exciting updates and CIBA announcements! We will also post to our social media platforms:

Twitter: @ChantiReviews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chantireviews/ @ChanticleerBookReviews & Media

Instagram: @ChantiReviews

Hashtags: #CAC19 #CIBAs

We thank you for your patience!

SAVE the DATE: The next Chanticleer Authors Conference is scheduled for April 17 – 19, 2020 with Master Classes held on Thursday, April 16, 2020. We will announce the 2019 Chanticleer International Book Award Winners on April 18, 2020.

April 29, 2019
10 Question Interview with Multi-Award-Winning Author, MICHELLE RENE – Book Discovery, AuthorLife, Book Marketing

* On the weekend of her new release, The Dodo Knight, we invite you to get to know one of our favorite authors, the incomparable, Michelle Rene!

Recently I had the opportunity to interview the creative advocate and the 2017 CIBA Overall Grand-Prize Winning Author, Michelle Rene, in our 10 Question Interview Series. It is no wonder her novels, short stories, and articles are consistently gaining recognition and winning awards. She is not only over-the-top talented, she is also generous with her time.

Michelle Rene won the CIBA Overall Grand Prize in 2017 for her novel, Hour Glass, a unique and entertaining twist on the Calamity Jane legend, complete with engaging characters and extraordinary storytelling! A novel we highly recommend.

Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?

Michelle Rene: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I actually spent a whole summer vacation hand-writing a two-hundred-page novel when I was thirteen. However, I was also very invested in art. I had my first artist job in video games at age sixteen, so when it was time to choose my career/college path, I chose to go to art school.

While art was paying the bills, I continued to write, honing my craft and learning all I could about

this ever-changing literary world. It was in 2014 that my first novel was published. I Once Knew Vincent went on to receive several indie awards, including Chanticleer’s First in Category for the Chaucer Award.

Since then, I’ve had numerous novels, novellas, short stories, and essays published. Several went on to win significant indie awards. I’m extremely proud to say my novel, Hour Glass, won Chanticleer Review’s Best Overall Book Award for 2017.

Chanticleer: We are very proud of your Overall WIN, as well! Congratulations! Let’s talk about genre. What genre best describes your work? And, what led you to write in this genre?

Michelle Rene: I have a love/hate relationship with genre. The necessities of it are obvious. In the world of marketing, we have to know how to market a story and who to market it to. As far as my reading habits, I just look for a good story. I don’t really care what kind of story. In writing, I like that same freedom.

That being said, I would say I write historical fiction and speculative fiction. Every once in a while, they overlap. I call myself a creative advocate, and most of my life has been in the pursuit of creativity. Writing speculative fiction quenches that thirst.

As for historical fiction, I’m a huge museum buff, and history fascinates me. I count it a duty to try to make time periods and historical figures come to life as something more than names and dates on a page.

Chanticleer: That’s what we love about you – and that’s why Hour Glass won! Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?

Michelle Rene: I’m not a fan of writing rules. The idea is rather rigid for something as creative as writing. I think there are good practices and guidelines to be aware of, but I always cringe when I hear someone say, “you can’t…” when criticizing someone’s stylistic choice. For every hard-and-fast writing rule, there is someone who broke it beautifully.

My advice for emerging authors who ask for my “rules” is rather unimpressive. Don’t give up. That’s my only rule for writing. Keep going. Write more. Figure out your voice through trial and error.

Chanticleer: Really, that’s the best advice anyone could give. Don’t Give Up. We should make t-shirts… What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.

Michelle Rene: I’m a trained artist, so I like to paint, sculpt, draw, etc. I’m a firm believer in the idea that all creative ventures work toward telling a story in some way. I adore museums, reading, audiobooks, and learning new things. I’m also a belly dancer and occasionally perform at festivals and Renaissance fairs.

Chanticleer: I’ve seen your costumes! You’re serious about everything you do. That’s very impressive. Where do your story ideas come from?

Michelle Rene: I have no idea. Get it?

Seriously, I tell everyone that my muse is extremely abusive. I once read that an author pictured her muse as this quiet girl who whispered beautiful, creative things to her through the bars of a vent.

Mine is a sledgehammer-wielding jerk who shows up when I’m trying to sleep and regularly bashes in my head until I write the story. Sometimes, I see something interesting at a museum or a get inspired by a painting, but the story I want to tell hits hard and is a nuisance until I write it.

Chanticleer: Good for you to pay attention to that muse. I mean, how could you help but pay attention! Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.

Michelle Rene: I have an extremely eclectic taste in reading, so this will look like a random list. Harper Lee because To Kill a Mockingbird was one of the first books I read over and over again. She showed me how to inject poetry in your prose in a simple way. David Sedaris because I’ve never laughed so hard in my life, and he taught me about humor in the absurd. Mary Roach because I never knew I liked reading or writing nonfiction until I read Stiff. Neil Gaiman because he has the same skeptical beliefs I do about genres and writes that way. Finally, Charlaine Harris because she’s one of the only authors who can write about vampires, shifters, and fairies, and I’ll eagerly read every book in her series.

Chanticleer: Great list of authors. I, too, love Mary Roach for Stiff, but I suppose that’s no surprise to those who know me… Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.

Michelle Rene: There are two things I’d list here. One is a slow burn marketing technique, and the other is a quick one. The quick boost is to run a sale (either discounted or free) and blast it through every social media and subscription channel you can for the day the sale begins. I’m not a believer in keeping your book discounted for more than a few days though.

The slow burn technique takes a lot more effort but has the longest tail of benefit. Go to conferences, enter contests, and teach classes where you can. If you do those things, you will connect with amazing people who can help you along the way in ways you can’t imagine yet.

Some of Michelle Rene’s other books for you to explore!

Alice Liddell was the muse for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. But before the book was published, a rift opened between Carroll and the Liddell family. Also dubbed the “Liddell Riddle,” historians still speculate as to what happened to separate the famous author and his muse. Michelle Rene has imagined a beautiful and heart-breaking story of a special friendship and its unfortunate end. Told from the viewpoint of Alice herself, The Dodo Knight will transport you to Victorian England… and into the heart of a very special little girl. Pick up your copy of The Dodo Knight today!

Chanticleer: Good tips. Thank you for those. What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

Michelle Rene: I’m working on two projects. One is a sci-fi mystery series about a psychoanalyst who can go into peoples’ minds. Currently, I have the first book done and am working on number two in the series.

The other project is a historical fiction novel based Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. She was a Civil War surgeon when women weren’t allowed to do that, and she was the only woman to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Chanticleer: Oh, both sound delicious! I cannot wait to read them. Speaking of readers, what is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

Michelle Rene: Rate our books, review our books, tell your friends, and share our posts. In today’s literary world, there is a sea of books coming out every day. Word of mouth is our best long-term sales generator. If you tell people you liked my book, they are more likely to believe you than any advertisement I put out there.

Chanticleer: This is so true. Thank you for saying that. What excites you most about writing?

Michelle Rene: It is a powerful and equalizing force in the world. As long as you can string sentences together, you have a voice. Your story can be told. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Your wallet and waistline have no bearing. You don’t even have to be formally educated. Everyone’s story is possible, and stories change the world.

Chanticleer: Thank you, Michelle, for participating in our 10-Question Author series. You are delightful!

Don’t you want to follow and like everything Michelle does? I do! Please check out her links – and share this interview with your friends!

https://twitter.com/MRene_Author

https://www.michellereneauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mrene.author/

https://www.instagram.com/mrene_author/

mewing_arts@yahoo.com

Michelle’s Bio:

Michelle Rene is a creative advocate and the author of a number of published works of science fiction, historical fiction, humor and everything in between. She is the author of novels, short stories, essays, and video games.

She has won indie awards for her historical fiction work. Her novel, Hour Glass released to rave reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly. It won Chanticleer Review’s “Best Book of the Year” award in 2018. Her experimental novella, Tattoo, released with a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and was listed in Foreword Reviews top eight sci-fi/fantasy books this spring.

When not writing, she is a professional artist and all-around odd person. She lives as the only female, writing in her little closet, with her husband, son, and ungrateful cat in Dallas, Texas.

April 7, 2019
The SEMI-FINALISTS for the PARANORMAL Book Awards for Supernatural and Paranormal Fiction – the 2018 CIBAs
The PARANORMAL Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction. The Paranormal Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring magic, the supernatural , weird otherworldly stories, superhumans (ex. Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman) , magical beings & supernatural entities (ex. Harry Potter), vampires & werewolves (ex. Twilight), angels & demons, fairies & mythological beings, magical systems and elements. We will put them to the test and discover the best among them for the 2019 Paranormal Book Awards!

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2018 Long List to the SHORTLIST and have competed for the 2018 PARANORMAL Book Awards SEMIFINALISTS positions.

All Semi-Finalists will receive official notification by email and will be tagged in a Facebook Announcement and promotion—if they are following Chanticleer Reviews on Facebook. Facebook will only allow us to tag those who follow CR on FB. Click on this Semi-Finalist badge link to the downloadable digital badge and for information about Semi-Finalists book stickers.

Congratulations to the Paranormal Book Awards Semi-Finalists!
- Christine Grabowski – Dickensen Academy
- Vince Bailey – Path of the Half Moon
- K.A. Banks – Anthesteria
- Gina Detwiler – Forsaken
- Jeny Heckman – The Sea Archer
- Nick Korolev – The 13th Child
- Franklin Posner – Suburban Vampire Ragnarok
- Linda Watkins – Storm Island: A Kate Pomeroy Mystery
- Elaine Williams Crockett – Do Not Ask
- London Clarke – The Meadows
- Joy Ross Davis – Peaches and Lace
- Joy Ross Davis – Countenance
- C.A. Larmer – Do Not Go Alone (A Posthumous Mystery 2)
- Claudia Herring – Obsessions of a Djinni
- C.A. Larmer – Do Not Go Gentle
- Joy Ross Davis – The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove
- Olivia Bernard – The Balance and the Blade
- Anne Francis Scott – Lost Souls
- Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Mr. Hitchcock
- Andrea Murray – Something New
All SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

These titles are in the running for the First Place Category Winner positions of the 2018 Paranormal OZMA Book Awards novel competition for Supernatural and Paranormal Fiction. Good Luck to All!

Grand Prize Ribbons!

The First Place Category Winners will be announced at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony. The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the PARANORMAL GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The 16 CBR Grand Prize Divisions Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Paranormal Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is October 31st, 2019. Please click here for more information.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
February 4, 2019
The SEMI-FINALISTS for the 2018 DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Young Adult Fiction. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs).

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about twelve to eighteen. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Romance, Literary, we will put them to the test and choose the best Young Adult Books among them.

These Semi-Finalists will compete for the coveted limited positions of the First Place Category Winners of the 2018 Dante Rossetti Book Awards in the final rounds of judging. The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the Dante Rossetti GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The 16 CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.

These titles are in the running for the limited First Place positions of the 2018 Dante Rossetti Book Awards novel competition for Young Adult Fiction.

All Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference and CIBA Banquet & Ceremony.

Good luck to all in these next final rounds of judging to see which titles will move forward.

CONGRATULATIONS to SEMI-FINALISTS for the 2018 DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards:
- Mara Gan – Joined
- Dan Morales – The Scouts of St. Michael Operation Archangel
- Robert Wright Jr – Unwanted
- Alexander Edlund – Keelic and the Pathfinders
- KB Shaw – From the Shadows
- Tom Edwards – The Honourable Catherine
- Carmela A. Martino – Playing by Heart
- Gina Detwiler – Forlorn
- Cheryl G. Bostrom – Climb, Run, Drown
- Alex Paul – Tookan Attack
- Lynn Yvonne Moon – Whispers
- Tiffany Brooks – Reality Gold
- Andrea and William Vaughan – 2nd Gen
- Molly Lazer – Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale
- Jacinta Jade – Change of Chaos
- Chuck Vance – Sneaking Out
- Andrea Murray – Something New
- Susan Faw – Soul Sacrifice
- Sarah Mendivel – Sam’s Theory
- Christy Nicholas – The Enchanted Swans
- Jennifer Alsever – Ember Burning: Trinity Forest Book 1
All Short Listers and SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

Grand Prize Ribbons!

Good Luck to each of you as your works competes for the 2018 Dante Rossetti Book Awards First Place category positions and the Dante Rossetti 2018 Grand Prize.

To view the 2017 Rossetti Book Awards winners, please click here.

The Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Winner and the seven First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Dante Rossetti Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is May 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
December 2, 2018
Books for Veterans Day – Honoring Those Who Have Served in the Armed Forces
Veterans Day honors and celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

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

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

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

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

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

Chanticleer International Book Awards Grand Prize Winner

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

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

A Mystery & Mayhem Book Award First Place Winner

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

Wait For Me – Janet Shawgo    WWII and Historical Romance

Goethe (formerly Chaucer) Book Awards First Place Winner

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

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

Goethe Book Awards Grand Prize winner for Historical Fiction

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

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

Shortlisted for the Somerset Book Awards

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

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

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

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

Chatelaine Book Awards First Place Award Winner

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

Non-Fiction Works that were written by Veterans

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

I & I Book Awards – Grand Prize Winner

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

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

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

Shortlisted for the Journey Book Awards

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

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

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

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife by Barbara McNally

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Semper Fi – Kiffer
November 10, 2018
The CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction Semi-Finalists for the 2018 CIBAs
The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBA).

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from Long Listers (Slush Pile Survivors) to the SHORTLIST and have now moved on to the SEMI-FINALISTS list of the 2018 Cygnus Book Awards. These entries are now in competition for the limited First Place Category Positions for the 2018 Cygnus Book Awards. The 2018 Cygnus Book Awards Semi-Finalists will be recognized at 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. The First Place Positions along with the CYGNUS Grand Prize Award Winner will be selected from this Semi-Finalist list and will be announced at the Awards Gala on Saturday, April 27th, 2019

We will make the SEMIFINALISTS Digital Badge and Book Stickers available before the end of November 2018 and will email the link and the Semi-Finalist notification to those whose works made the list.

Deadline for 2018 CYGNUS Book Awards submissions was April 30, 2018. We are now accepting entries into the 2019 CYGNUS Awards.

ENTER CYGNUS Book Awards for 2019 TODAY
Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles are in the running for the top 2018 CYGNUS Book Awards novel competition for Science Fiction First Place Category positions! Good Luck to All!
- Matthew D. Hunt – Solar Reboot
- Sarah Katz – Apex Five
- Paul A. Vasey – Trinity’s Legacy
- Catori Sarmiento – The Fortune Follies
- Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington – It Takes Death to Reach a Star
- Timothy Vincent – Jack Out of the Box
- Isadora Deese – Right of Capture
- Jim Cronin – Recusant
- Lou Dischler – Meet Me Under the Comet
- Richard Mann – Zeus 25 – Jory and Zenobia
- Justine Avery – The One Apart: A Novel
- Pamela LePage – Virtuous Souls
- Denise Lammi – Lucid World
- Mark Daniel Seiler – River’s Child
- Samuel Winburn – Ten Directions
- Rhett C Bruno – Titan’s Wrath
- J. I. Rogers – The Korpes File
- Ted Neill– The Selah Branch
- Gareth Worthington – Children of the Fifth Sun
- Alexander Edlund – Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth
Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up from the 2018 CYGNUS SHORTLIST to the Semi-Finalists List.

The CYGNUS SemiFinalists positions will compete for the limited CYGNUS First-In-Category Positions. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the CYGNUS GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

John Yarrow, CYGNUS Grand Prize Award Winner for The FUTURE’S DARK PAST (2017)

James R. Wells Awarded the Cygnus Grand Prize for THE GREAT SYMMETRY (2015)

All SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

Congratulations to the Semi-Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to each of you as your work competes in the 2018 CYGNUS International Book Awards.
The CYGNUS Grand Prize Winner and the Five First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at the April 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

Bennett Coles CYGNUS Grand Prize for VIRTUES of WAR (2013) The series was picked up by TITAN U.K.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 CYGNUS Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 CYGNUS Book Awards is April 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
October 13, 2018
J. D. Barker, MASTER of SUSPENSE, to Keynote and Present at #CAC19

The author of the international bestselling thriller novel series, The Fourth Monkey and The Fifth to Die, along with the highly anticipated gothic horror prequel to Bram Stoker’s masterpiece, Dracul, will keynote and present at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

J.D. Barker successfully published his debut as an indie and sold enough copies to land on the radar of the traditional publishers in a BIG way including seven-figure advances, two feature films, and a television program. He’ll open his toolbox and explain exactly what he did to make it happen. This is a not-to-be-missed session for any aspiring author or the seasoned veteran trying to find their place in today’s publishing world.

“Not since Hannibal Lecter had a friend for dinner has a serial killer been so skillfully rendered on the page.”
—Taylor Elmore, Writer/Producer of Justified and Limitless

“This book is seriously brilliant: the best serial killer thriller I’ve ever read.”
—Lisa Milton, Executive Editor HarperCollins HQ

“The Fourth Monkey has one of the most ingenious openings that I’ve read in years. This thriller never disappoints.”
—James Patterson, #1 NY Times Bestselling Author

Sold at auction to CBS Films with Bill Todman, Marc Webb, and Taylor Elmore attached, by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency, Angela Cheng Caplan of Cheng Caplan Company Inc. and attorney Wayne Alexander.

“J.D. Barker is a one-of-a-kind writer and that’s a rare and special thing. Stephen King comes to mind and Lee Child, John Sandford. All one-of-a-kinds. Don’t miss anything J.D. writes.”
—James Patterson, #1 International Bestselling Author

“Barker knows how to evoke chilling imagery and will have readers anxiously looking over their shoulders with each terrifying “clickity, click, click.”
— Library Journal

~Film rights optioned by Paramount with Andy Muschetti (IT, Mama) attached to direct!
~Named a Fall 2018 Buzz Book by Publisher’s Lunch!
~Named one of Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 Books of Fall 2018!
~Starred review at Library Journal!

“Brilliant… Close your windows. Lock your doors. Turn the lights on. Place a silver crucifix around your neck, and make sure to have a few sharp wooden stakes nearby. In other words, prepare yourself for a transfixing journey into the diabolically delicious world of DRACUL — if you dare.”
—Chanticleer Reviews

J.D. Barker’s debut novel that he self-published in 2014 is Forsaken. This is his indie novel that drew the attention of agents and traditional publishers to his debut thriller series, The Fourth Monkey, which lead to pre-empts and auctions worldwide with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt picking up for the U.S. and HarperCollins in the U.K.

J.D. Barker (Jonathan Dylan Barker) is an internationally bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural.

J. D. Barker, Master of Suspense, and Intl’ Bestselling Author

We are thrilled to announce that J.D. Barker, Master of Suspense, will keynote and present at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

We first met JD in New York at the Writers Digest Conference this past August. Clearly thrilled to hear about Dracul, we were also quite impressed with Mr. Barker himself. He struck us as professional (serious), engaging (doesn’t take himself too seriously), and approachable (willing to share what he knows about writing with those who are working hard on their own craft).

In other words, JD Barker is a #SeriousAuthor who, when we asked him to join us at CAC19 as a keynote speaker and to present share his journey and knowledge with Chanticleer authors, not only did he graciously accept but said to count him in for all three days! April cannot come soon enough for us because we cannot wait for you to meet him. Below are a few samples of J.D. sessions for #SeriousAuthors at #CAC19

Below are a couple of the sessions he will present:

MAKING THE LEAP FROM INDIE TO TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

J.D. Barker successfully published his debut as an indie and sold enough copies to land on the radar of the traditional publishers in a BIG way including seven-figure advances, two feature films, and a television program.

He’ll open his toolbox and explain exactly what he did to make it happen. His sessions are not to be missed by any aspiring author or seasoned veteran trying to find their place in today’s publishing world.

CROSSING GENRE and WHY YOU SHOULD DO IT!

From the moment you send out your first query letter, your work will be labeled by agents, publishers, and booksellers. Instead of resisting the urge to be labeled, J.D. will teach you why you should consider labels a way to make your books, and your author platform, more marketable.

Learn how to avoid the genre box and tell the story you want to tell to the largest possible group with the help of J.D. Barker who has successfully crossed over from horror, to paranormal, to thriller, and back again.

DID WE TELL YOU HOW EXCITED WE ARE THAT JD BARKER IS KEYNOTING at CAC!

Register for CAC19 today! Registrations are limited.

October 10, 2018