Only 14 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Paranormal Awards for Supernatural Fiction!
Joe Lyon – The Molossus of Old Man Moyer: An Original Horror Novel
Jo Deniau – Hologram
Nola Nash – House of Mirrors
Claire Fraise – They Stay
Fionn Mac Meldrum – The Shadow of Banshee Hill
James McKenna – An October’s Journey: Poe’s Final Gift
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Paranormal Awards Grand Prize Winner:
Becoming Crone
by Lydia M Hawke
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Global Thriller Awards for High Stakes Thrillers!
D. L. Wilburn Jr. – The God Protocol: Dragon
Glenn Dyer – Trust No One
Mark James – Friendship Games
Randall Krzak – Ultimate Escalation
Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Cobra Pose
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Global Thriller Awards Grand Prize Winner:
Jake Fortina and The Roman Conspiracy
By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Hemingway Awards for 20th Century Wartime Fiction!
J.L. Oakley – The Brisling Code
Kathryn Gauci – In the Shadow of the Pyrenees
Michael J Cooper – Crossroads of Empire
Ivan Luiz Hernandez – Isla Vulnerable
Linda Stewart Henley – Kate’s War
Jerena Tobiasen – Tsarina’s Crown
William McClain – Alice’s War
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Hemingway Awards Grand Prize Winner:
The Silver Waterfall
A Novel of The Battle of Midway
by Kevin Miller
The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
We’ve heard that the beginning of the school year has been busier than expected! With that in mind, both Little Peeps and the Gertrude Warner Awards have had their submission dates extended until the end of October! Just remember to submit before you take anyone out to Trick or Treat!
There’s still time!
Thank you to all who have submitted to the Little Peeps and Gertrude Warner Awards so far, and thank you to those who let us know they needed more time!
To Celebrate Spooky Season, here are some of our favorite books with spooky stories or themes of bravery!
Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath By Andrea Vaughan and Illustrated by Ryan Feltman Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner
Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.
This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!
Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.
The friendship that the bear and the girl share is sweet and endearing, as if the bear is an allegory for a friend or family member.
A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes By Kizzie Jones and Illustrated by Scott Ward
A unique fairytale by author Kizzie Jones, A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes: How MORE Dogs Came to Be adds the third book her series that began with How Dachshunds Came to Be: A Tall Tale about a Short Long Dog, followed by the award-winning title, A Tall Tale about a Dachshund and a Pelican: How a Friendship Came to Be.
This tall tale begins on the beach one autumn day where a big storm is fast approaching a girl and her dogs, stopping their play and forcing them to retreat indoors. The next day the girl and the dogs decide to go clean up the debris left by the storm, and it is not long before they see what sort of costumes they can create with the various kinds of debris scattered along the beach.
The dressed-up dogs ask the girl if she would be upset if they stayed dressed up. The girl wonders if the dogs would change on the inside as well. they reply,
“We’d be changed and transformed—we’d be diff’rent outside. Yet, inside, our hearts are still caring and kind.”
That night the girl sends her wish to the ocean for the dogs to become the dogs they costumed themselves to be and goes to sleep hoping her wish will be granted.
Henry Castlewaite and the Portrait of Doom By Richard Groseclose
When 11-year-old orphan Henry Castlewaite is delivered to his new foster family in tiny, rural Terwilliger Tennessee, the only sure thing is he is back in the town where he grew up, but that’s about it. After a terrible accident, Henry is suffering from amnesia and doesn’t remember that he’s a wizard, no matter how many times his chaperone from the Castle Family Trust tells him that this is so.
But Henry is a wizard who doesn’t remember anything about his powers or his past, only that he will see his best friend Gwendolyn on the school bus in the morning. It is also clear that while Henry may not remember much about Terwilliger, the residents of the little town remember a lot about him. Especially his new family, where the other boys tease him unmercifully and the local gossip girls haven’t decided whether they have crushes on him or want to vilify him at every turn.
He even has mortal enemies he does not recall. But he also has another friend, Ben, who seems to come from an even stranger background than Henry. And who appears to have amnesia as well.
Vampire Boy By Aric Cushing Gertrude Warner 1st Place Winner
Full of fun and quirky characters, author Aric Cushing invites readers to join him in a world where Halloween never ends. The tale begins with the prophesied birth of the white-haired Alex Vambarey, who draws the attention of a darkling vampire named The Deleter.
After being saved by all the citizens of Hillock Green, the plot then shoots forward to the eve of Alex’s departure to school. He is an adventurous boy who takes this new chapter in his life in stride, and after saying goodbye to his parents, Alex begins the rather long journey to school. There he meets a whole cast of absurd characters and makes fast friends who help him solve the school riddle.
Creative influences such as any of the Tim Burton films show up strongly in the book’s visual imagery, most notably when Alex travels through a tree and descends a terrifying staircase. Even though the inspiration of Tim Burton is strong, Cushing still creates a unique land of Halloween.
The Supernatural Pet Sitter By Diane Moat Gertrude Warner 1st Place Winner
A talented and creative author, Diane Moat, presents a magical world hidden within a New England town where Witches, Warlocks, and Gnomes live together peacefully. That is until one day, something strange happens to the Familiars in the neighborhood. Someone or something had taken the magic from Frank the parrot a month previously, and now the same thing has happened to the tortoise King Arthur.
This is where Pepper Neely, pet sitter of the supernatural, comes in. Gnomes are magical people who can connect with supernatural creatures. Pepper has a unique aptness with her connection to animals, and she quickly became the neighborhood pet-sitter. With the help of her best friend and witch-in-training Luna, the two go against the well-meaning wishes of their parents to get to the bottom of what is happening to the Familiars. As usual, that is easier said than done when the Witches and Gnomes start to clash over the danger at hand. Pepper also discovers an ability that will change the meaning of what it is to be a Gnome.
Maryanne Melloan Woods won the Grand Prize in the Dante Rossetti Division of the 2023 Chanticleer International Book Awards for his novel, Sour Flower. The Dante Rossetti Book Award recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Young Adult fiction genre. The Dante Rossetti Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
The Young Adult division includes:
Contemporary Young Adult
SFF & Paranormal
Dystopian/Edgy/Urban
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Historical Young Adult
YA Adventure/Romance
Join us in getting to know the incredible writing of the Dante Rossetti’s newest Grand Prize Winner: Maryanne Melloan Woods!
Chanti: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with us. To start, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing.
Woods: I come from a family of writers: my parents and brother were all journalists, and my sister writes songs and poetry. So, when I was little I just thought that was what people did! But I can remember at age eight making a firm decision that I wanted to be either a writer or an actor. When I became a playwright (and later a TV writer), I developed a way to do both; I act out the parts in my head when I write scripts, and now novels.
A bit more on my writer’s journey: I remember when I was a teenager seeing a TV show where they interviewed TV comedy writers who worked in a “writers room” and I thought: that’s what I want to do.
But how does a Jersey girl make that jump? I was lucky enough to go to a high school that had a playwriting class, and then got to be part of a wonderful playwriting program at Drew University. After that I got involved in New York theater, and then took a deep breath and made the jump to L.A, where I was lucky enough to land a great agent. I wrote my “spec scripts” (which are scripts you write for existing TV shows that you use as writing samples) and my agent sent me around on meetings.
Partners is an American sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence.
Just driving on to movie lots for the meetings blew my mind! And then when I finally landed my first sitcom-writing job – which was “Partners” with Jon Cryer – and met the other writers, I had the feeling that I had stumbled into some magical land where everyone spoke the same secret language I knew, and cared about the same things I did, like creating vivid characters, how to craft a joke etc.
I learned so much about the craft of comedy and writing in general from that job and the ones that followed. But after several years in Hollywood, I felt a strong pull back to the New York area (where I promptly met my husband and just stayed.) I knew I wanted to work in theater again, but I was also interested in the possibilities of YA fiction, which was really heating up at the time.
My first novel, Lazarus, originally started its life as a TV pilot that didn’t get picked up. But I just couldn’t let go of the story. So, I dug deep, read all the recommended YA fiction I could, and settled on two that I really studied, because I thought they were so good. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (maybe you’ve heard of it) and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Those books were my training for learning a new form and ultimately writing Lazarus.
As I became a novelist I found I could use the storytelling skills I’d learned as a scriptwriter. Writing a first person narrative is a bit like writing a very long (and well-structured) monologue. I’m working from inside the characters’ minds again.
In my new novel Sour Flower, I found I could use the comedy writing chops I learned as a sitcom writer. There’s a lot of humor in the book, as well conflict and trauma.
Chanti: What an incredible start! That’s so wonderful that you were able to connect with a group that spoke the same language as you. Finding your “people” is so critical in the writing world. Would you talk more about genre, comedy, and your own writing?
Woods: My “lane” for much of my career has been comedy. Comedy-writing comes easily to me; I understand how it works. Sour Flower is a coming-of-age story that is initially quite comedic but ends up exploring deeper themes such as family dysfunction and substance abuse.
However, when the idea for my first novel, Lazarus, came to me, I knew it wasn’t a comedy, it was a mystery. And mysteries of course require very intricate and precise plotting plus clues and misleads, which DIDN’T come as easily to me. So, I studied the form and found the authors I liked best in this new genre (Ruth Ware tops my list.)
I had already learned so much about giving book characters a deep emotional life from Suzanne Collins, and while she doesn’t write mysteries, per se, she is the queen of the cliffhanger chapter ending. I found that to be an essential device in crafting Lazarus, which evolved into a paranormal thriller. I had to dig extra deep to write a YA thriller, using every element of craft I’d ever learned plus learning new ones that suited the genre. I think I have a handle on it now and indeed my forthcoming novel, The Last Howl of the Westerlakes, is also a mystery/thriller. So, I guess I would say that if you’ve honed your storytelling craft well, you can learn to write in a new genre. All of my work has comic elements, but if I had to label my novel-writing genre now, I’d call it “voice-driven YA fiction.”
Chanti: It sounds like you’ve done an amazing job creating a personal canon of books to help inform your writing and work. To ask something adjacent, what do you think about writing rules? Do you follow them, make up your own, or some combination?
Woods: I follow the rules that I learned starting as a theater major with a concentration in playwriting. I always think in terms of three acts, a structural form which goes back to Aristotle, and I’ve found that structure works well for writing novels too. In “Act One,” which is usually about the first quarter of a story, you’re setting up your characters and story and getting the reader/audience engaged. You’re also establishing tone, setting and genre. The protagonist’s journey begins, and you set up the desire line they’ll pursue until the story’s conclusion. In the middle section of Act Two, their journey becomes more and more challenging, with many setbacks and adversaries. In the last act of your story, you’re building to the climax of the piece, in which your protagonist finally battles their toughest opponent. I’ve found that this structure works in any genre or form: mystery novel, sitcom script, sci-fi western feature, or what-have-you. It’s what readers/audiences want and expect from a story.
Chanti: And speaking of story expectations, how do you come up with your story ideas?
Woods: I get little kernels of ideas, or mental images that play out like a short video. I’ve learned that if I keep coming back to it, there’s something there that I have to pay attention to. Something that I want to explore more deeply.
The idea for Lazarus came to me in the form of an image: a teen girl surrounded by the bleak, harvested cornfields of her prairie hometown, grimly intent on solving a murder. I knew that the girl was a great, natural detective, in fact she had better detective instincts than all the adults around her, including her police chief father. I knew that she had a love of funky thrift store fashion and that, at only 16, she had a profoundly deep relationship with her charmingly wise-ass boyfriend. And I knew that he had died, but that the death was a minor impediment to a love as great as theirs.
I was working in TV at the time so initially Lazarus was a pilot. It got me a lot of meetings around Hollywood, but ultimately didn’t get picked up. But I couldn’t let go of the story; it really resonated with me. So, I turned my attention to YA fiction.
Sour Flower is based on the upbringing of a friend of mine who was the responsible kid growing up with free spirit hippie parents in San Francisco. She wanted more from life than the day-glo, stoner chaos she saw around her, and managed to make her own way. I carried that story around in my back pocket for years; originally I thought it would make a great feature script. But when I started writing YA, I knew it would be perfect for a coming-of-age novel.
My next book, Last Howl, was based on an image again, this time of an idyllic suburban backyard garden party that’s suddenly disrupted by an unseen shooter. Stay tuned for that one!
Chanti: You have so many irons in the fire! With so many projects, how structured are you in your writing work?
Woods: In a word: very! With every project I write I outline and outline and then outline some more. I need to know where I’m going and have to know the progression of every chapter before I can start fleshing it out. Some writers can start without a road map, but I can’t. That said, many elements of the story change when I transition from outlining to actually writing. In both novels I’ve completed, I realized halfway through that the way I was taking the story wasn’t going to work. So, I had to put the central story line up on blocks and re-examine it. Once I figured out how to take the story in a better direction, more outlining! Luckily in both cases, the story flowed more smoothly, and everything finally clicked into place. It’s funny – I start out knowing the story will change, but I need to have a complete outline at the outset regardless. Go figure.
When not writing, Maryanne’s favorite hobby is playing and singing with The Johnny Woods Band.
Chanti: With that structure in mind, how do you approach your writing day?
Woods: I try to write for three to four hours every weekday morning. Particularly once I have an outline, I know what chapter or scene I’m going to write that day, so I just have at it. I usually only write one chapter a day. As far as writer’s block goes, I don’t generally have it, but I used to sometimes back in L.A. when I knew I had to have a spec script ready for hiring season in the spring. There was so much pressure. I got some great advice from a friend once: “Just sit down and write badly for a at least an hour.” You give yourself permission to start working whether it’s perfect or not. And before you know it, you’re in the flow, and you’re probably not writing too badly after all.
Chanti: You’ve named so many great authors and books. Can you offer up five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work?
Only five..? That’s gonna be hard! Since I’ve already mentioned John Green and Suzanne Collins I’ll skip over them here. I swoon over the writing style of both Markus Zusak and Fredrik Backman. Their storytelling chops, writing style and wisdom about the human condition never fail to amaze me. They make me try to raise my game. I love E. Lockhart’s great, out-of-the-box writing. She’s taught me to break rules and reach further in my descriptions. I think Ruth Ware is the best thriller author working today. I’ve learned so much about crafting mysteries, especially pace, suspense and misleads – from her. And for humor I’d have to say David Sedaris. I snort-laughed all the way through his book Me Talk Prety [sic] One Day. And his books aren’t just funny, they’re wise, relatable and heart-breaking too.
Maryanne and her husband, Johnny Woods at Haight Ashbury, a key location in Sour Flower.
Chanti: Those authors are amazing! It sounds like you have such a good base for your writing life. What areas would you say you are most confident in for your writing and what advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?
Woods: I’m most confident in developing multi-layered characters, and writing dialogue. I have an exercise I use every time I start a project that helps me to flesh out the characters so I know how to write in their voice. First I explore each character’s wants, needs and fears. Then I figure out how each main character could be in conflict with every other main character. The latter part of the exercise often gives me good story ideas, as well as a deeper understanding of each character.
Chanti: That sounds like such an excellent plan! I’ll have to try that in my next project. As we wrap up, we’d love to know what you’re working on now.
Woods: I am really juggling right now. I have a TV pilot – a family dramedy – that I need to finish. Then I’ll get back to writing my new YA thriller, The Last Howl of the Westerlakes. At the same time, I’m working with a composer on my new musical, The Storm. And if you happen to be in Alabama in February you can see the premiere of my family musical, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? at Birmingham Children’s Theater. So definitely many irons in the fire!
Chanti: We know Sour Flower is currently a manuscript. For aspiring authors with incredible writing like yours that’s looking for the right home, what sort of a place are you looking for in terms of placing it?
Woods: I’m looking for an editor who likes YA lit with equal parts humor, heart and angst. One who loves good character/voice-driven stories, who has the skills and background to point out the things I’ve missed and help to make this novel as good as it can be. I’m also looking for a well-established publishing house that has the resources to support and promote a solid YA offering.
Thank you Maryanne for taking the time for us to interview you!
Maryanne Melloan Woods is best known as a writer/producer for TV shows such as NBC’s Suddenly Susan, Fox’s Partners and Showtime’s The Chris Isaak Show, among others. Her screenplay, Steve, won “Best Comedy Feature Script” at the 2016 Nashville Film Festival. Her screenplay Match Made in Heaven won the Scriptation Showcase Screenwriting Competition in 2021.Her complete TV and film writing credits can be found here: Maryanne Melloan Woods – IMDb
Her YA novel Lazarus, a paranormal thriller, was published by Owl Hollow Press in 2020. Her second book, a coming-of-age YA novel entitled Sour Flower, won the 2023 Chanticleer International Book Awards’ Dante Rossetti Grand Prize for YA Fiction (it is not yet published.) She is currently at work on her third novel, a thriller titled The Last Howl of the Westerlakes.
Maryanne holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Drew University and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from The American Film Institute.
She is a member of the Writers Guild of America, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The Dramatists Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Diwali, or the “Festival of Lights”, is celebrated around the world with family gatherings, prayers, and festivities that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries. The festival marks the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, and has been a profound source of inspiration in Indian literature throughout history.
From ancient epics to contemporary novels, Diwali has been depicted India’s rich cultural significance and the deep-rooted traditions.
The origins of Diwali come from within the deep cultural history of Indian literature. Ancient Indian texts, particularly the Ramayana describes the festival as a celebration to honor Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after his victory over the demon king Ravana. In Valmiki’s epic, the joy of the citizens lighting oil lamps (diyas) to welcome Rama symbolizes the triumph of righteousness and good over evil, light over darkness. This theme of victory is echoed in various forms across different literary genres, capturing the essence of hope and renewal in the original story.
The stories that keep it alive!
Diwali is steeped in and immortalized in various forms of literature. Tales of goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of wealth and prosperity, and Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, are recounted in regional literature and oral traditions. These stories emphasize the spiritual significance of Diwali, reminding readers of the importance of virtues such as generosity, compassion, and humility.
Moreover, regional tales often present a more localized version of Diwali, reflecting the diverse customs and rituals practiced across India. Each region brings its unique flavor to the festival, enriching the literary landscape and showcasing the country’s cultural pluralism.
Diwali in Poetry
Indian poetry has beautifully encapsulated the spirit of Diwali, often intertwining personal emotions with collective celebrations. Poets like Rabindranath Tagore have used the festival as a lens for enlightenment and spiritual awakening. In his works, the lighting of lamps becomes a symbol of the inner light that guides individuals through darkness, echoing the belief that each person carries the potential for goodness.
Contemporary poets have also embraced Diwali, infusing it with modern sensibilities. For instance, in urban settings, Diwali is portrayed not just as a festival but as a time of reflection on social issues, consumerism, and environmental concerns. This nuanced representation enriches the literary tapestry of the festival, making it relevant to today’s world.
Fiction and Diwali
In novels, Diwali often serves as a backdrop for significant plot developments and character arcs. Writers like Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy have woven Diwali celebrations into their narratives, using the festival to explore themes of identity, community, and belonging. For instance, in The God of Small Things, the chaotic yet joyous atmosphere of Diwali reflects the complexities of familial relationships and societal norms.
Short stories also find a place for Diwali, where the festival acts as a catalyst for change. Authors like Ruskin Bond capture the essence of childhood nostalgia and innocence associated with Diwali, portraying the festival as a time of discovery and learning. These narratives often highlight the values of love, forgiveness, and unity that the festival embodies.
A New Perspective on the Festival of Lights
In recent years, contemporary Indian authors have begun to explore the complexities of Diwali in a globalized world. Novels set against the backdrop of migration, urbanization, and multiculturalism depict how the festival is celebrated away from home. This exploration reveals the challenges of maintaining traditions while adapting to new environments, highlighting the ongoing relevance of Diwali in a changing society.
It’s time to light up the night during Diwali!
Diwali is more than just a festival; it is a profound cultural phenomenon whose roots in ancient text continue to be explored and expanded upon in today’s literature. It symbolizes hope, unity, and the enduring human spirit, giving light to even the darkest of themes. As we celebrate Diwali, let’s reflect on contemporary Indian authors who continue to share their cultural heritage with the world with stories that illuminate the human condition and the need for hope, happiness, and love.
Interested in exploring the wonderful storytelling of Indian authors? Check out these amazing Indian authors!
Operation Mom By Reenita Malhotra Hora
Grand Prize Chatelaine Award Winner
Master storyteller Reenita Malhotra Hora’s YA romance Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man takes us on a charming journey through the life of one teen, Ila Isham.
Hora introduces Ila and her best friend Deepali, two boy-crazy teens on a summer quest. Readers will fall in love with the smart, sassy, angst-filled, rebellious Ila. A typical teenage girl, Ila lives in Mumbai with her mom and Sakkubai, their house manager. Ila’s mother calls her obsessed, but that seems unfair. Is she obsessed just because her every waking minute is spent thinking of Ali Zafar, famous pop icon, singer, and heartthrob? Or is she obsessed with fellow classmate Dev?
Dharma, A Rekha Rao Mystery
By Vee Kumari Grand Prize M&M Award Winner
A complex murder mystery always requires a little spice. In Dharma, A Rekha Rao Mystery, that extra seasoning is provided by the casting of an Indian American woman as the amateur sleuth, despite her realistic fears for her personal safety.
Professor Rekha Rao is no Bollywood Mighty Girl. She’s a whip-smart American-born 32-year-old college instructor who must deal with her own PTSD after the murder of her father and her unstoppable passion for releasing the man wrongly convicted of her father’s slaying. That obsession is the reason Rekha was dismissed from her old teaching position. The scene is set for deep, personal involvement in the murder of a colleague, a fellow professor who is killed. And a rare, centuries-old statue excavated from an archeological dig in India is the murder weapon.
Inner Trek By Mohan Ranga Rao Grand Prize Hearten Award Winner
A disinclined traveler journeys into the heartland of the revered Mount Kalash Parikarma in Tibet. Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao follows a voyage that culminates in self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment.
Mohan Ranga Rao, a retired Indian businessman, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when a ruthless Bangalore mob boss threatens him to sell his land at a throwaway price. The situation escalates when he discovers that his trusted lawyer has joined forces with the enemy. He can only turn to his wife for solace.
With nothing for him to do about his land, Rao vows to trek around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain. This travel memoir traces his and his wife’s journey to the deified Himalayas, the land of Lord Shiva. Rao shares intimate details of his experience, including the spiritual transformation that he went through during his challenging high-altitude trek.
Night Jasmine Tree
By Debu Majumdar
First Place Somerset Award Winner
Shankar, a recently retired professor of physics, and his wife, Durga, have left Michigan to resettle on Long Island with their son’s family in Debu Majumdar’s award-winning novel, Night Jasmine Tree.
While the migration from the Midwest to the East Coast is a small one, considering both characters moved from India decades before, the move spurs Shankar to ponder the life he left behind and to reassess his relationship with his sisters and parents.
In India, there are many different cultures, the main sprouting from the Hindu faith and political structure, the caste system.
In the West, we may be familiar with this caste system, we mostly are all aware of the ‘untouchables.’ However, what we may not understand, is how rigid the caste systems truly are. Durga and Shankar are not from the same caste. Shankar is Brahmin, his wife is of a lower caste. This difference is enough for Shankar’s family to reject her outright and disown him.
In the sparkling tradition of Diwali, the Festival of Lights
May the light of Diwali illuminate your home and heart with happiness and prosperity.
Happy Diwali from Sharon, Kiffer, David, Dena, Scott, Anya, Andy, and the whole Chanticleer Team!
Thank you for being part of the Chanticleer Family!
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The Global Thriller Awards is our Division for all the Spy stories, International Conspiracies, and Science based novels. While some of the categories in this Division may have overlap with some others, Global Thriller stands strong in it’s quest to portray potentially World-Destroying Events.
The Categories in Global Thriller for High Stake Suspense are are:
Historic: Theater of War, Spycraft, and more!
Lablit: Real Science meets “What-If?” scenarios that feel all too plausible!
Science Fiction: Sometimes the threat comes from outside our known reality like Alien or Predator
Dramatic: Classic Die Hard style consequences
Action/Adventure: ‘Nuf said
Cybertech: Also known as Cyberpunk. Typically a Dystopian like story, commonly with 1980’s aesthetics and Futuristic technology.
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:
Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy
By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke
For our Spotlight Articles we love to highlight some of the best High Stakes Suspense Thrillers that have come our way! Pull out your pen and paper, because your list of books to read is about to get longer!
MAJOR JAKE FORTINA And The TIER ONE THREAT
By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke
Why would Iranian terrorists break into a Paris cemetery and steal the bones of an American Jewish WWI veteran? The answer lies in the deadly parallel history of WWI and the Spanish flu, but it’s a mystery that Jake Fortina will have to uncover in Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke’s thriller, Major Jake Fortina and the Tier One Threat.
During WWI, the Spanish Flu killed millions of people—some estimates as high as 100 million—but a Jewish nurse tossed off the flu like a cold and continued to serve her country. Iran’s leaders believe the DNA in her bones will let them develop a virus that could kill Americans and Israelis by the millions while simultaneously developing immunity for Iran’s own population.
This threat drives the story as it reaches deep into multiple countries and their governments, who collectively try to figure out the importance of the bones theft and, ultimately, what to do about it.
REVENGE: A Bruce and Smith Thriller Book 2 By Randall Krzak
Randall Krzak raises the bar of the thriller genre with Revenge, the action-packed second book in the Bruce and Smith series.
Javier retires from the Army and his despised desk job at the Pentagon. He lived for the action of working in the field, so as a civilian, he tries to build an international investigative agency called The Brusch Agency. Thanks to his connections from the military, he can do exactly the work he wants, with the people he chooses.
Krzak sets up this book meticulously, building conflicts in the first several chapters. Javier needs to apply for his concealed-carry permit and private investigator’s license while finding office space for his agency, but his plans are staggered as his condo is broken into and trashed. Despite his investigation and that of law enforcement, the culprit remains a mystery.
In The Brisling Code, a fast-paced first installment of her historical thriller series, Oakley weaves a brilliant portrayal of the perils met by the Norwegian Resistance during WWII.
Layered perspectives—from resistance workers, traitors, and even an SS Officer—create a rich world through which readers can understand the sacrifices that were made to free our world from the tyranny of Nazi Germany.
Immersed in volatile Nazi-occupied Bergen, Norway, fearless young intelligence agent Tore Haugland and his team of organizers work tirelessly to protect the essential work of the Norwegian resistance.
APOCALYPSE In OUR TIME: The Accountant’s Apprentice Book 3 By Dennis M. Clausen
In The Accountant’s Apprentice III: Apocalypse In Our Time by Dennis M. Clausen, the director of a homeless shelter sees subtle changes in the community around him, changes that are both worrisome and bizarre—portending a change to the world beyond human understanding.
The story of Justin Moore, director of a homeless shelter in San Diego, continues. In the previous books in the series, he has met individuals who seem to be not quite of this world. A.C., a mysterious man in a wheelchair who played an important role earlier in the trilogy, is gone as of the third book, but his wheelchair is now being used by another man— seemingly catatonic and with no name. This man is known only as “Levi” by the staff at the bus depot where he was found, but Justin finds there is something more to him beneath the surface. Levi seems to have certain things in common with A.C., but with unique abilities. Justin is warned by a woman that the man he knows as Levi may be dangerous, but is he? And who is she, anyway?
So many questions are raised, and Justin has few if any answers. In the previous book, he saw a demonic army gathering on the horizon. Was that real? A.C. had given Justin a limited ability to see the future, and a horrifying promise of things to come:
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs Levels of Achievement is so worthwhile! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each list is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter!
The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Childrens and Early Readers. The Grand Prize Winner, Scrap University’s book, The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Little Peeps contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
Lacinda the Lion was born in a tiny town where being a Super Youneek Beast wasn’t always celebrated. Her friends and family didn’t know quite what to think of her! She faces some challenges and curious eyes when she goes to school for the first time, but there’s an awesome learning moment for all at the end of the day! This book is a touching story about being unique, gaining self-esteem, and celebrating exactly who you are!
When some think of Death Valley, a barren wasteland comes to mind. Far from it, the area, now a protected national park known for its extreme temperatures, is teeming with a diverse range of endemic species, plants, and terrain. Fish in the Desert explores the fascinating and tiny ‘pupfish,’ the world’s rarest fish who have withstood the harsh conditions of Death Valley since the Pleistocene epoch.
The story follows Adele, a young girl, on a road trip with her family to Death Valley National Park in Southeastern California near the border with Nevada. Adele spots a beautiful and tiny blue and purple fish that the park’s Aquatic Ecologist tells the family is called a pupfish, an endangered fish species renowned for its ability to exist with the intense heat and salt and even adapt to a changing ecosystem over thousands of years.
Young readers will learn that the tenacious pupfish, originally among many types of sea life, is the only species to have survived the climate change and extreme conditions of Death Valley and that there are even subspecies of pupfish that evolved separately in different pools of water.
Is there anything more fun than hunting for geckos in your garden? This delightful counting book, told in whimsical rhyming couplets, invites readers to explore the wonder and joy of tromping through nature to look for geckos.
There’s one on the patio! And another in the shrubs! Before you know it, the whole morning will go by happily hunting geckos. Readers will find one, two, three, four… well, you get the idea. Geckos are everywhere, and they’re oh so much fun to discover.
From Chanticleer:
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.
Grandma took a handful of nutshells from her sweater pocket. I saw empty peanut and walnut shells and asked what they were for. Grandma smiled, “Not shells but sloops and sailboats. This is the HMS Goober”.
From Chanticleer:
In Nutshell Regatta by Jonna Laster, the narrator’s grandmother reveals adventures in nature that could easily be missed without her watchful eye.
With her wise guidance, clouds turn into campers, dandelions hold moon yokes, leaves sing, and a broken branch takes on the form of a fox. Most importantly, twigs and pebbles become sailors who embark on a grand regatta in their nutshell sloops and sailboats.
Three ships come to the forefront of the story. Two of them sink, their twig sailors swimming safely to a nearby lily pad, while one continues on. Its passengers Burt the pebble and Betula the birch twig encounter what appears to be disaster, but when they fall over a waterfall, the grandmother guides the narrator to listen close. When they hear a faint “yipeeeeee” from the bottom of the waterfall, it’s clear that all has turned out well.
Patience and kindness are important when you want to make new friends, but it’s hard not to consider what it would be like to have a gangly giraffe or chilled-out polar bear as a pal.
A friendship mission prompts two boys to regard would-be companions of many shapes and sizes, and their imaginative adventures hatch brand new, unexpected buddies.
The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Historical Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, James Hutson-Wiley’s book, The Merchant from Sepharad will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Chaucer contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
Marie de France was a 12th Century poet, considered to be the earliest known female poet writing in French. Her work is still read and was also an influence on the genre of Chivalric Romance. One of her works is a series of 102 fables, some translated from Aesop, the ones in the series she wrote have a focus on Female characters. Fable 51 is considered an early version of the Raynard the Fox tale, which was an inspiration for Chaucer while writing the Canterbury Tales, specifically the Nun’s Priest’s Tale, the tale also starring a certain rooster named Chanticleer.
Venice in 1509 is on the brink of war. The displeasure of Pope Julius II is a continuing threat to the republic, as is the barely contained fighting in the countryside. Amid this turmoil, noblewoman Justina Soranzo, just sixteen, hopes to make a rare love marriage with her sweetheart, Luca Cicogna. Her hopes are dashed when her father decides her younger sister, Rosa, will marry in a strategic alliance and Justina will be sent to the San Zaccaria convent, in the tradition of aristocratic daughters. Lord Soranzo is not acting only to protect his family. It’s well known that he is in debt to both his trading partners and the most infamous courtesan in the city, La Diamante, and the pressure is closing in.
After arriving at the convent, Justina takes solace in her aunt Livia, one of the nuns, and in the growing knowledge that all is not strictly devout at San Zaccaria. Justina is shocked to discover how the women of the convent find their own freedom in what seems to her like a prison. But secrets and scandals breach the convent walls, and Justina learns there may be even worse fates for her than the veil, if La Diamante makes good on her threats.
Desperate to protect herself and the ones she loves, Justina turns to Luca for help. She finds she must trust her own heart to make the impossible decisions that may save or ruin them all.
A duty he believes in. A general he idolizes. But when doubts surface, will he stay true to honor or the chance to return to the woman he loves?
Poland, 1620. Jacek Dąbrowski scents war in the air. Away from the battlefield for five years, the renowned fighter yields to a growing itch and answers the general’s request to help lead the army against the Ottomans. But he’s torn between duty and family when the perils of combat force him to leave his defenseless wife behind.
Attending war councils and taking command of problematic noblemen, Jacek starts to doubt the mission and the sacrifice of being far from his loved ones. But his loyalty to his commander could put him on an irreversible path to disaster…
Will Jacek’s call to arms prove to be his death song?
Set in the late 4th century CE, Elodia’s Knife tells the gripping tale of a young Gothic girl who kills her abusive husband and flees his family’s retribution by rafting across the Danube River into Roman territory. Against the backdrop of a crumbling empire and the looming threat of Gothic invasion, Elodia must use her wits and her strength to rise to power in a world that seeks to crush her. With unforgettable characters, pulse-pounding action, and a vivid sense of historical detail, this is a must-read for anyone who loves adventure, romance, and history.
From Chanticleer:
Elodia is a young woman driven by dreadful circumstances to act with deadly force in the Robert S. Phillips novel Elodia’s Knife.
What Elodia hoped would be her leap away from danger instead left her surrounded by perilous threats that now threaten to consume her. Armed with her courage, determination, instincts, and a trusty knife, Elodia faces a hostile world in foreign territory.
Not all are against her though. Allies– even a friend– can be found, if Elodia can summon the bravery to listen to her feelings and own deep wishes.
Young Elodia is unhappily married to an abusive husband. But when he tries to attack her again, she strikes back and kills him.
Margaret of Austria was the most significant political negotiator of early 16th-century Europe. About as Austrian as French fries are French, she was born in Brussels in 1480, raised in France, married and widowed in Spain, then married and widowed again in Savoy by age twenty-four.
In 1506 Margaret’s life turned upside down when her brother Philip of Burgundy unexpectedly died in Spain. With their mother Juana of Castile insane, four children, heirs to the Habsburg empire, were left behind in the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands.
Margaret stepped in and took the reins.
Appointed by her father, Maximilian I, Margaret became governor of the Netherlands, then widened her role to broker the 1508 Treaty of Cambrai where Europe’s princes united against Venice.
Ferdinand of Spain, Henry Tudor then Henry VIII of England, Louis XII of France, and Louise of Savoy for Francis I all came to Margaret’s negotiation table. Under her deft diplomacy princes saw reason and wars were averted.
Enjoying political power, Margaret avoided remarriage. Then Henry VIII’s right-hand man Charles Brandon turned her world upside down.
Margaret’s court attracted Europe’s brightest, including the young Anne Boleyn. Yet halfway through her rule Margaret was ousted by enemies. She won back her position with a comeback strategy as astute today as it was in 1517.
Journey to the Renaissance with Margaret of Austria, who shot the fortunes of the House of Habsburg to the stars while setting a winning precedent for female rule in the Netherlands.
Now nearly seventeen, Megge and Brighida must endure another brutal loss.
As they perform the rites of transition that precede a burial, Megge accepts a daunting new charge that carries consequences not even her cousin the seer can predict. It brings visions. Dreams. And voices that come to her as she goes about her work.
A silken voice beckons her back to the cliffs of Kernow, which she has seen only in dreams.
A commanding voice orders her back.
And the menacing voice she’s heard since she was a girl is now ever at her ear, bringing a haunting new meaning to her grandmother’s words, “You’re never alone.”
But only when the tales of an old woman, a stranger to Bury Down, echo those voices and conjure those cliffs does Megge embark on a journey that leads to a secluded cove they call The Sorrows and a destiny none of the women of Bury Down could have foreseen.
From Chanticleer:
In The Lady of the Cliffs, an ambitious sequel in the Bury Down Chronicles by Rebecca Kightlinger, a teenager embarks on a journey that will bring her face to face with unexpected destiny.
The year is 1286 CE in Cornwall, England. At the turn of her seventeenth year, Megge and her cousin Brighida find themselves dealing with a new loss, one that breaks both their hearts. As heirs to the Book of Seasons and Book of Times respectively, they have to protect the books from sinister hands as they hold knowledge and wisdom that must one day be united. The power of these two books calls for a duty that is far greater than any woman of Bury Down has ever borne.
As they take part in a final right of passage that the women of Bury Down perform for their dead, Megge, an apprentice weaver, takes on new challenges that Brighida, an apprentice seer, cannot foretell. Megge begins having dreams and visions. In one of her dreams, she sees a rolling sea drive itself into a cove at the foot of a cliff, and a silken voice asking her to return to the cliffs of Kernow, a place that she has only seen in her slumber.
1461, Isle of Jersey. Disillusioned by war, Sir Philippe de Carteret returns home to hang up his sword and embrace his duties as seigneur of the island’s most powerful manor. Desiring to raise his son in peace and safety, he is dismayed when news arrives that the impregnable fortress of Mont Orgueil Castle has been breached.
He seeks assistance from England to expel the invaders. But amid the chaos of the Wars of the Roses, his pleas go unheeded. To safeguard his son and preserve the family legacy, de Carteret pledges fealty to the new lord. Hopeful that the French will rule benevolently, his illusions are quickly shattered when their tactics turn brutal.
With spies everywhere and unsure of whom to trust, can de Carteret build a rebel force and lead them on a quest to liberate the homeland he loves?
David Calloway’s moving historical fiction, If Someday Comes: A Slave’s Story of Freedom, tells the true story of his great-grandfather George Calloway, born into slavery on January 8, 1829. in Cleveland, Tennessee.
It is a tale of determination, perseverance, and achievement before and during the Civil War. If Someday Comes covers George’s final years in slavery; detailed accounts of the Civil War and its impacts on George and his family, both Black and White.
It is a family saga of survival and endurance.
The story begins in Cleveland, Tennessee, March 6th, 1857. We meet George and his family, his wife Elizabeth, their infant daughter Baby Caroline, and the stratified world of slavery in which they live. Thomas Howard Calloway (Marsa Thom), is their White owner who owns the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, the South’s only copper mines, and the local bank. He is one of Cleveland’s prominent town leaders.
Lincoln wins the 1860 election and the White community reacts fearfully. Fort Sumter is attacked, the War begins. The families of East Tennessee are mainly pro union, including Thomas Calloway. Cleveland is ‘occupied’ by the Confederate Army. The Union men flee to join the US Army or hide out in the nearby hills.
George and his family begin to help ‘runaway’ slaves escape north, eventually helping White men to escape to the Union Army. The Confederates take all the guns and food from the Union families.
Times get desperate: Marsa Thom is stripped of all his properties and must go into hiding among the caves in the mountains. George risks his life making repeated trips to the caves to take food and clean clothes to Marsa Thom for the duration of the war. Without the protection of Marsa Thom, George’s family is in constant danger of cruel punishments, violence, and exploitation.
Union and Reb troops fight over the tiny town and vital rail line, with control passing back and forth between the two sides. Treachery and desperation add to the suffering of both the White Calloways and the Black Calloways.
George becomes the undeclared head of both the White and Black families. With grit and determination, he provides for all, protecting them throughout the war.
“I found that to understand America, you must first understand the Civil War. George was then, and remains, a hero of our family.” – David Calloway
This account honestly and vividly depicts an era in history that should never be forgotten.
Those that love the history of the Civil War will be fascinated by this retelling.
David Calloway expresses his hope for the day when America will rise beyond the racist heritage that the founding fathers left behind. This award-winning historical masterpiece, If Someday Comes, combines the author’s relatives’ direct experiences and extensive, meticulous historical research to deliver a story that readers will appreciate through to the very end.
The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Thriller and Suspense Mysteries. The Grand Prize Winner, Kevin G Chapman’s book, The Other Murder will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Clue contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
In this gripping opening to a detective series, we dive into a world where the line between accident and foul play blurs. The story begins with the mysterious crash of an Amertec Electronics company jet, just after it takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on a dreary, rain-soaked day with low visibility. While the National Transportation Safety Board deems it an accident, the victim’s wife insists it was murder.
Enter the protagonist, a seasoned former NTSB investigator turned independent aviation accident sleuth. He takes on the case, only to find himself caught in a web of intrigue that points to deliberate sabotage. As he digs deeper, an additional murder ties back to Amertec, thickening the plot and confirming his suspicions of foul play.
The investigation soon reveals a complex puzzle with international implications. Working mostly solo, our detective finds himself in need of assistance and turns to an old flame and a retired Washington D.C. police officer. Their journey into the underbelly of air traffic and corporate espionage is fraught with danger, challenging their wits and courage.
The narrative weaves a tale of high-stakes and suspense, taking readers on a behind-the-scenes exploration of the aviation world. The story not only captivates with its thrilling plot but also educates, offering insights into the intricacies of air travel and investigation
Detectives McGuire and Cortes take on a gruesome homicide case in Long Beach, California, and navigate the complex role of being the murder police in an area marked by homelessness, drug abuse, and gang violence. With little but their combined decades of detective experience to go off of, they investigate personal and gang-related motives in an attempt to identify and arrest their suspect. When a severed hand is found in the desert nearly 100 miles away, their years-long investigation crosses jurisdictions, and they must connect the dots before the bloodbath continues. Saint Bloodbath explores the true story of multiple heinous crimes, but perhaps more importantly, highlights the lives and experiences of the victims, their peers, and the investigators who sought to bring a murderer to justice.
For Detective Ebony Jones, crime is always personal. But this time, it strikes too close to home.
A pop-up thunderstorm marched its way across the Hudson River, ambushing a young couple’s kayaking trip. The woman miraculously made it back to shore, but her fiancé remains missing. Ebony and her partner are the first responders who rush to the river to assist in rescuing the capsized boater.
The victim’s identity shocks Ebony to the core. Kyle Emory, the ex-boyfriend of her estranged best friend, attorney Jessie Martin, is the man who never made it out of the water. The accident ignites a firestorm between the two friends, pitting them against each other in a race to discover whether Kyle survived or whether he met his untimely demise. Under pressure from the chief and the DA, Ebony needs to solve the mystery, while Jessie seeks justice for the sake of the daughter she shares with Kyle.The investigation leads them through the dark worlds of social media, online sports betting, and extreme sports. Along the way, they uncover lies and betrayals and gather a list of dangerous suspects who are all linked to the accident survivor, Kyle’s mysterious fiancée. Even more, the discovery that Kyle possessed his own life-shattering secrets has trapped Ebony between her career and her lifelong friendship with Jessie. Yet neither Ebony nor Jessie will stop until they discover the truth about the drowning, even if it destroys their friendship and their lives.
But the evidence is as murky as the secretive Hudson River. Only the river knows whether Kyle’s tragic death was an accident, a suicide, or something more sinister.
In this seventh book of the series, Clive and Henrietta return to England to find Castle Linley in financial ruin. When Clive’s cousin, Wallace, invites an estate agent in to assess the home’s value, the agent is later found poisoned, throwing all of the Castle’s guests into suspicion. Clive and Henrietta are soon drawn into an investigation, which is slowed by an incompetent local inspector and several unexplained phenomena—the cause of which many, especially the frail Lady Linley, believe to be the workings of the ghost of a hanged maid.
Meanwhile, Gunther and Elsie have begun life on a farm in Omaha. Circumstances are difficult, but they are content—until Oldrich Exely appears, proposing an option Elsie finds difficult to ignore. Melody Merriweather, still masquerading as a nun to aid Elsie’s escape, likewise finds it difficult to ignore a letter with tragic news from home, while Julia, on the other hand, receives a very different sort of letter from Glenn Forbes.
Back in England, Clive is called away to London on suspicious business, leaving Henrietta to carry on with the investigation alone. When she is mysteriously locked in the study one night, however, things take on a more deadly, supernatural feel, leaving her to fear that Lady Linley’s “ghost” might just be real after all…
Deputy Mattie Cobb and her sister, Julia, travel to Mexico to visit their mother, but when they arrive, they discover that she and her husband have vanished without a trace. Back in Timber Creek, Mattie finds a chilling note on her front door telling her to look for “him” among the standing dead up in the high country.
The sheriff’s department springs into action and sends a team to the mountains, where Mattie’s K-9 partner, Robo, makes a grisly discovery—a body tied to a dead pine tree. Mattie is shocked when she realizes she knows the dead man. And then another note arrives, warning that Mattie’s mother is in desperate straits. In a last-ditch gambit, Mattie must go deep undercover into a killer’s lair to save her mother—or die trying.
“Drop the case!” Bashed over the head and tossed overboard into the cold, dark water of a Los Angeles marina, combat veteran turned litigator Eric Ridge struggles to stay alive—and discover who is trying to kill him. And why. No matter the answer, one thing is certain: Eric Ridge does not abandon his clients and will not drop the case. The question is, what case was his assailant yelling about? Working with his legal team—including his best friend and his computer-whiz wife—Ridge is ultimately drawn into the sinister world of the Raven Society, a secretive cabal that controls the courts by coercing or killing judges. And anyone else who gets in their way. In a race against the clock, will Ridge and his team survive to use the evidence they’ve developed? Or will they suffer the same fate as others who have dared to confront The Raven Society?
The Dante Rossetti Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Young Adult Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Maryanne Melloan Wood’s book, Sour Flower will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Dante Rossetti contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year!
Newly orphaned Magnolia Parker must protect her sick little brothers, but when the authorities send the boys to an unknown orphan asylum, Magnolia calls on her unwavering grit to bring them home. She’s lost everything but still has a secret weapon-a promise from Eleanor Roosevelt, the most famous woman in America. Setting out on a cross country quest, she befriends two unlikely travelers: Hop, a migrant worker with a big heart, and Red, a young girl traumatized into silence. Hunger and dust storms aren’t the only dangers this found family faces on the rails. After an assault, they’re forced to outrun the police, all while trying to track down the First Lady. But time is running out and Magnolia’s chance to reunite her siblings depends on one thing-finding Eleanor.
Award-winning historical author Kerry Chaput is back with a touching story of loss and survival set in America’s Great Depression. With vivid details and unforgettable characters, Chasing Eleanor takes readers on an adventure of the heart, where a young woman finds hope in the most unlikely places. A touching tribute to the great Eleanor Roosevelt, this adventure-filled story will entertain and inspire all ages.
How do we face life when everything we knew to be the truth was in fact a lie? If there was a God, why did he allow her to die? Jarrod must travel to Hawaii to bury his love in an exotic world only to return to solve the mystery behind her sudden death.
Fighting off the grief, denial, and anger, Jarrod must bargain with God to help him fight off his depression while accepting Dru’s death. If he loved her enough when she was alive, could he love her enough to let her go?
Walk with Jarrod and Dru as they explore the wonders and excitement of young love. Experience the newness and freshness that we’ve all but forgotten.
Spense is the unfortunate younger son of Lord Ferrous, with a growing talent for the magical arts and a larger talent for finding trouble, most often in the form of botched spells. Dewy is a Fae princess who tends to disappoint her aunt, the Summer Queen, through her-ahem-carefree life choices. A chance encounter-and another botched spell-leaves Spense bonded to Dewy and able to control her will. But it’s a violation of magic. Not to mention devastating to Human-Fae relations. To free Dewy and save Spense’s kingdom, they must journey through faerie territories-facing feral magic, treacherous wilderness, and their own distractible hearts. Unless that’s just the effect of The Claiming…
From Chanticleer:
The illegitimate son of a human king accidentally binds himself to a Fae princess in J.A. Nielsen’s YA adventure, The Claiming. As war bears down on the kingdom of Telridge, can the two of them break the spell in time?
Lord Ferrous, ruler of Telridge, smells conflict coming for his people. Even so, he denies a mysterious request from the king of the Winter Fae, and sets his sons to prepare their land for war. His eldest, Prince Dirk, gathers his knights and begins to evacuate the common people to the protection of Telridge castle. His younger son Spense, born out of wedlock to the castle’s head cook, uses his finicky magic to Claim a bridge over a powerful river. If he succeeds, the passing will be barred to their enemies. But he fails to realize that the powerful living force he encounters isn’t the bridge at all.
Dewy, crown princess of the Summer Fae, is Claimed instead of the bridge. Her aunt, Lady Radiant, must exile her from their lands. While Dewy’s careless spirit chafed under Radiant’s authority, she grieves for her lost home.
When her step-grandmother, a retired opera singer, dies of cancer in 1970, 15-year-old Eli Burnes runs away with a draft-dodger, thinking she’s on the road to adventure and romance. Instead she’s embroiled in a world of underground Weathermen, Black Power revolutionaries, snitches and shoot-first police. Eventually Eli is rescued by her father, who turns out both more responsible and more revolutionary than she’d imagined. But when he gets in trouble with the law, she finds herself on the road again, searching for the allies who will help her learn how to save herself.
When Rhone leaves his home in the desert badlands, he finds himself in the Capital Stronghold, a big city where the styles take a bit of getting used to. With Aundrea’s help, he’s enrolled in the OPR’s academy, learning what it takes to be an effective agent. Far too soon it’s graduation, and time for his first assignment.
The little harbor town of Corgy isn’t much to look at, but Rhone finds his cover story as one of the gentry is useful, even if the mayor develops an instant dislike to him.
As an agent, it’s his job to fix problems, but nobody said anything about pirates. When Captain Black, of The Backwater Mistress mentioned, “If you could see the action, as from the eye of a bird flying over, you would be one step ahead of the game,” Rhone took it to heart, and with the help of Stone, his unique friend, and Bella, the erstwhile waitress at The Common House, develops an unexpected and rather up-lifting method to do just that. Whether he survives it, is another matter.
From Chanticleer:
Luna, the second book in Strider S.R. Klusman’s YA Rhone and Stone Series, follows Rhone and his alien partner Stone as they develop a ship that can sail through the air.
The two train to become agents for the Office of Public Recrimination, urged to join by their friend – and now boss – Aundrea. Rhone struggles through training with the help of his trusty partner, but a much more difficult test remains before them – their first assignment.
Aundrea sends them to Corgy, a port town, without explaining their mission. But it doesn’t take long for Rhone to encounter troubles from shore and sea alike.
He and Stone meet Mayor Dugan, who takes an instant dislike for Rhone, posing as a wealthy merchant’s son. But it’s his front, designed so by the ladies of the OPR, and commands a great deal of respect and authority from the locals, if not Bella. Sometimes it’s difficult not to forget his actual purpose for being at Corgy. As an agent of the OPR, he must solve the town’s greatest problem, a rash of pirate attacks on Corgy’s vital ocean-borne trade; if they continue, Corgy won’t survive.
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Paranormal Awards for Supernatural Fiction!
The stories that keep it alive!
David Calloway’s moving historical fiction, If Someday Comes: A Slave’s Story of Freedom, tells the true story of his great-grandfather George Calloway, born into slavery on January 8, 1829. in Cleveland, Tennessee.
The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Thriller and Suspense Mysteries. The Grand Prize Winner, Kevin G Chapman’s book, The Other Murder will be promoted for years to come in our 
