Chanticleer Book Reviews

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The 2024 JOURNEY Awards Semi-Finalists for Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction
The Journey Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Journey Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences, travel, personal journeys, global enlightenment, and more. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2024 Journey Non-Fiction SHORT LIST. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC25).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Four Points by Sheraton sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2024 Journey Book Awards novel competition for Overcoming Adversity in Non-Fiction!

Join us in celebrating the Semi-Finalist authors and their works in the 2024 CIBAs.
- Michael Salsbury – Running From Tragedy
- Lynne Spriggs O’Connor – Elk Love: A Montana Memoir
- Jane Kim Yu – Journey of Awakening and Higher Consciousness
- Tamra McAnally Bolton – His 100th Year
- Kirsten Throneberry – Guided: Lost Love, Hidden Realms, and the Open Road
- Irena Smith – The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays
- Jennifer Gasner – My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis
- Kathryn Caraway – Unfollow Me
- Jill Vanneman – The Betterment Campaign
- Linda M. Lockwood – Sky Ranch: Reared in the High Country
- Etsuko Diamond Miyagi – Diamond – The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan
- Karen Elizabeth Lee – The Village That Betrayed its Children
- Liz Alterman – Sad Sacked
- Anne Gately – Sunburnt – A memoir of sun, surf and skin cancer
- Natalie Kohlhaas – Hello Anxiety My Old Friend: Harness Your Invisible Superpower
- Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden – An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness
- Léonie Rosenstiel – Protecting Mama: Surviving the Legal Guardianship Swamp
- Ernestine Whitman – Countermelodies: A Memoir in Sonata Form
- Jacqueline Acho – Cancer Culture: Fixing the Landscape by Infusing Empathy
- Kathi N. Miner – The Committed Professor – My Fall from the Lectern to the Ward
- Bridey Thelen-Heidel – Bright Eyes
- Ginelle Testa – Make a Home Out of You
- E. Adrienne Wilson – I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf: A Young Woman’s Journey with Liver Cancer
- Lindsey Henke – When Skies Are Gray
- Heidi Beierle – Heidi Across America – One Woman’s Journey on a Bicycle through the Heartland
- Claudia Marseille – But You Look So Normal: Lost and Found in a Hearing World
- Mary Jumbelic, M.D. – Here, Where Death Delights
- Lisa Rhyne – Coming Out of the Metaphysical Closet
- Tracy Mayo – Childless Mother: A Search for Son and Self
- Marsha Jacobson – The Wrong Calamity
- David Vass – Liar, Alleged
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

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

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

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

Barbed: A Memoir

By Julie Morrison

See the full list of 2023 First Place Journey Winners here!

We are now accepting submissions into the 2025 Journey Book Awards for Overcoming Adversity in Narrative Non-Fiction.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 3 – 6, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!
October 30, 2024
The 2024 Global Thriller Hall of Fame for High Stakes Suspense!

The World is in Danger

But your Global Thriller Novel can save it!

***Submit Your Novel Today!***

You have until October 31st to enter the 2024 CIBAs before this message will self-destruct!

We’re here to celebrate the past Grand Prize Winners that showed us just how high stakes the suspense can be!

Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy
By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke

Talk about a ripped-from-the headlines thriller in Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy!

In this multinational geopolitical thriller by Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke, a power-crazed Russian oligarch wants to usurp the current Russian dictator to take his place as the head of the government. He forms his own paramilitary force to steal priceless paintings from a Vatican church with plans to resell them for billions to fund his campaign. But why stop there? He also explodes illicit small-scale atomic weapons to further destabilize the Russian leader and cast himself as the country’s new czar.

Meanwhile, a crazed U.S. right wing military adjutant buys loads of AK-47s from the Italian mafia to arm U.S. paramilitary groups intent on enforcing their own far-right views in America.

Read More Here

Hybrid Hysteria
By Charlie Robinson

Two professors uncover a conspiracy to sterilize liberal Americans with specially-manufactured electric cars, in Charlie Robinson’s thriller, Hybrid Hysteria.

Dr. Theresa Lauzon, endowed assistant professor at SUNY-Canton’s Department of Automotive Engineering, comes to Charlie “CC” Cavanaugh, university Chaplain and physics PhD, with two troubling revelations.

First, while testing an electric car donated by the Gauss Hybrid Electric Automobile Company (GHEA), she’d discovered troubling spikes in its battery’s electromagnetic field. She connects these spikes to a rash of infertility and miscarriages along the Pacific coast, where GHEA cars have boomed in popularity.

Second, Theresa is pregnant, and the father is GHEA’s technician-on-loan to SUNY-Canton, Jay Fish. And though Fish recently disappeared from campus, Theresa has much more complicated problems.

Read More Here

The Chameleon
By Ron McManus

The Chameleon: A Jake Palmer Novel by Ron McManus takes on one of the most terrifying issues in the modern world: nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists.

Amidst the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, the world’s superpowers recognize that both nations possess large nuclear arsenals, which intelligent, well-armed fanatics threaten to steal for their own nefarious purposes. If these weapons went off, they could easily lead to World War III. To prevent this, the U.S. eagerly takes on the role of supervising the security of these weapons in both countries.

In this terrorism thriller, India and Pakistan clash over the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan’s leaders decide to secretly deploy a variety of nuclear weapons to the front, sending them along backroads in unmarked trucks. But in a carefully planned attack, terrorists kidnap one of these vehicles containing three nuclear weapons, before substituting a precise duplicate truck to take its place. The theft is not discovered until the decoy truck reaches its destination.

Read More Here

The Bucharest Dossier
By William Maz

Bill Hefflin is a man apart—apart from life, apart from his homeland, apart from love

At the start of the 1989 uprising in Romania, CIA analyst Bill Hefflin—a disillusioned Romanian expat—arrives in Bucharest at the insistence of his KGB asset, code-named Boris. As Hefflin becomes embroiled in an uprising that turns into a brutal revolution, nothing is as it seems, including the search for his childhood love, which has taken on mythical proportions.

With the bloody events unfolding at blinding speed, Hefflin realizes the revolution is manipulated by outside forces, including his own CIA and Boris—the puppeteer who seems to be pulling all the strings of Hefflin’s life.

The Bourne Identity Meets John le Carre’s The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

Buy it here!

Solstice Shadows
By Avanti Centrae

Something really nasty is afoot in the world as the Russians attempt to build a super quantum computer so powerful that it will be able to hack into America’s computer capabilities, bypassing even our most advanced protection and control or shut down every computer in the U.S.

As we find out about halfway through Solstice Shadows: A VanOps Thriller, the second book in Avanti Centrae’s VanOps thriller series, they’ve run a test of their capabilities by using a prototype to shut down Manila in the Philippines, a city of nearly 14 million people. The test shuts off its electrical power, lights, traffic signals and causes its citizens to tear the city apart. A fine test case for its potential impact on the USA.

All they need to complete their evil system is some rare superconductivity material that appears to have come from a meteorite that allegedly landed on Earth at roughly the same time as Moses led his people out of Egypt. The clue to its location is an ancient star map dating back to those times now in the possession of Maddy Marshall, the heroine of the VanOps’ first book. Also in her possession are slivers of the actual meteorite that she can activate with her mind, giving her the ability to meld with the ancient material and hurl deadly fireballs at an enemy.

Read More Here

The Moving Blade
By Michael Pronko

The Moving Blade by Michael Pronko won GRAND PRIZE in the CIBA 2018 Global Thriller Awards for Lab Lit and High Stakes Thrillers!

What exactly was Bernard Mattson up to when he committed seppuku* at his Tokyo home – or, was it murder? This is just one of many questions Michael Pronko incites in readers in his latest novel, The Moving Blade.

Another set of questions: What was so important about Mattson’s collection of rare Japanese shunga—centuries-old erotic art—that someone ransacked the house for it while his family attended his funeral? Or was it all about the significant role that the elderly Mattson had in formulating, then turning against, the SOFA** agreements, and the book he intended to publish about the unfairness of the agreements to Japan today?

Read More Here

Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Global Thriller Winners is to submit today!

Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

Submit to the CIBAs Today!

Now is your chance to touch the hearts of readers everywhere. Your Thriller story deserves to be discovered, and you can submit to the 2023 Chatelaine Awards by the end of the month. Don’t miss this chance to give your book the recognition it deserves.

The Global Thriller Awards is your chance to shine!

The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!

And remember! Registration for the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference is open now! Space is limited and seats are already filling up. Sign up and see the latest updates here!

October 29, 2024
The 2024 Hemingway Hall of Fame for 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction

The Past Always Impacts the Present

Enter by October 31 to be considered for the 2024 Hemingway Book Awards for Wartime Fiction!

Wartime Fiction set in the twentieth century asks us to reflect most keenly on the most difficult times in our recent history. At Chanticleer, we are here to face war time history with the Hemingway Awards in Historical Fiction; Romance and Romantic Fiction; Mysteries, Thrillers, and Suspense Fiction of the time; Literary works and Satire and anything else that author imaginations can dream up.

To read more about Ernest Hemingway, please click here.

Please note that fictional accounts of the United States Civil War should be submitted to the Laramie Book Awards for Americana Fiction. It is sobering to note that more human life was lost in the Civil War than in ALL of the wars, battles, and skirmishes that the U.S. has participated in added together. Civil wars are considered to be the most deadly of all wars.

Historical Book Awards here at Chanticleer Reviews and the CIBAS.

The CIBAs started with one historical fiction division, The Chaucer Book Awards, which split off the Goethe Book Awards for post-1750s historical fiction. Then the Goethe Book Awards split off a new division, the Hemingway Book Awards for Wartime Fiction.

The Hemingway Awards might be young, but we already have Four Amazing Grand Prize Winners to share with you!

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

In The Silver Waterfall, author retired U.S. Navy Captain Kevin Miller reveals the intricate and deadly turns of the Battle of Midway, a combat shaped by transforming warfare, and one that would in turn shape the rest of WWII’s Pacific Theater.

After their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Navy seeks to draw American aircraft carriers into an ambush, to secure Japanese power over the Pacific. In a time of great upheaval for warfare technology, aircraft carriers dominated both sea and sky. So, to destroy the USS Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet, Chūichi Nagumo— commander of the Japanese First Air Fleet— brings to bear his own four carriers, HIJMS Akagi, Hiryū, Kaga, and Soryu.

But the Americans had cracked the Japanese communication codes, so as the First Air Fleet launches their provoking attack against the Midway Islands, the American carriers are already steaming into position. From June 4^th to June 6^th of 1942, planes filled the skies above the remote Pacific waters, both American and Japanese pilots dashing back and forth, knowing that either they sink the enemy’s carriers, or they’ll have none of their own to return to.

Read More Here

RUNNING WITH CANNIBALS
By Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith tells the story of a forgotten war and the fractured peace that follows in his powerful historical fiction novel, Running with Cannibals.

It has been said that “War is hell.” It has also been opined that “It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” Running with Cannibals is a no-holds-barred, candid portrayal of a war that is glossed over in U.S. history, the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902. It was the first war fought overseas by the U.S.

Running with Cannibals begins with an unnamed man on the run from an unjust accusation bought with blood and money.

Read more here!

EO-N
By Dave Mason

A young boy in Norway makes a discovery while playing with his dog, opening the mystery of EO-N by Dave Mason, a detective story spanning multiple decades and both sides of the Atlantic, a deep dive into the horrors of Nazi Germany, and a heartfelt love story.

A small metal fragment leads to the discovery of a downed WWII twin-engine Mosquito fighter-bomber hidden in snow and glacial ice for nearly 75 years. The crash site yields an initial set of clues, one of which finds its way across the world to Alison Wiley, a biotech CEO in Seattle. Having recently lost her mother, and, a few years earlier, her brother in Afghanistan, she finds her days full of despair, but the discovery makes a distant connection to her long-lost grandfather, and she flies to Norway. There, she meets Scott Wilcox, a Canadian researcher assigned to investigate the discovery after his government learned that the crashed aircraft belonged to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Their attraction is both intellectual and emotional, but the quest to uncover the plane’s mysteries and the fate of Alison’s grandfather place any romance to the side.

At first, the crash doesn’t appear exceptional, until certain contradictory and confusing clues emerge that make it clear that the circumstances that led to the plane’s fate were anything but simple.

Read more here!

THE QUISLING FACTOR
By J. L. Oakley

During World War II “quisling” became a byword for a particular type of traitor, one who not only betrays their own country but also actively collaborates with the invaders. The origin of the term was taken from an actual person, a Norwegian named Vidkun Quisling, who didn’t merely cooperate with the Nazis but actually headed a collaborationist regime in his own country.

The Quisling Factor takes place in the immediate post-war period, as the Nuremberg Trials are gearing up in Germany. Norway is conducting its own post-war legal purge of collaborators at all levels of government.

The story is a direct follow-up to the author’s award-winning World War II novel, The Jøssing Affair. This second novel focuses on the physical and emotional toll of war, and its precarious weight of peace on the survivors.

Read more here!

Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Hemingway Winners is to submit today!

Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

You know you want it…

Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

October 29, 2024
Building Frankenstein’s Monster: Creating Characters That Move Your Readers

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
—Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Writers of every genre all face the challenge of creating meaningful, memorable characters that are fully fleshed out and believable. It’s a feat of magic that, if done right, creates the kind of characters that readers connect with and may even glance something they recognize within themselves.

Get out your scalpels my writing friends, because today we’re going to dissect how to create a great character!

When a writer sets out to create a memorable character they assume the role of a mad scientist, taking pieces of a person’s physical, intellectual, and emotional self and mixing them together to create their version of the type of person they need for their plot. It’s a delicate procedure of hitting the right mark, without going over the top or leaving them flat and uninteresting. If done right, a writer can create an unbreakable link between their characters and the reader, regardless of whether it’s a human, animal, or even a monster!

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a great example of this. The plot’s profound exploration of human nature, ethics, and the consequences of scientific ambition makes for fertile ground for showing the complexities of her realistic and fantastical characters. The sympathy Shelley is able to elicit from the reader for her “Monster” makes the novel resonate with readers across all boundaries and offers rich lessons for writers looking to craft their own unforgettable personas.

Here’s a deep dive into how Shelley developed her characters and what we can learn from her approach.

1. Complex Protagonists

One of the most striking features of Frankenstein is its dual protagonists: Victor Frankenstein and his creation, often referred to as “the Monster.” Both characters are distinctly different, multi-dimensional, and able to elicit empathy despite their flaws.

Lesson: Embrace Complexity

When creating characters, avoid the temptation to make them purely good or evil. Victor is ambitious and passionate, but his hubris leads to tragedy. The Monster, on the other hand, starts as a blank slate, driven by a desire for companionship and understanding but ultimately succumbs to despair and violence. By portraying your characters with a mix of virtues and vices, you invite readers to explore the complexities that are ingrained inside each character.

2. Strong Drive

Shelley provides compelling motivations for her characters, which drive the narrative forward. Victor’s desire to have dominion over life and death through his creation stems from a blend of intellectual curiosity and personal loss. The Monster’s longing to find his humanity in the love and acceptance he expects to receive from others illustrates the fundamental human need for connection.

Lesson: Define Clear Motivations

When crafting your characters, think deeply about what drives them. Their goals should be relatable, allowing readers to understand their choices, even when those choices lead to tragic outcomes. Clear motivations can create a strong emotional bond between the reader and the character, which makes each individual journey more impactful.

3. Relationships that Shape Identity

The relationships between characters in Frankenstein are critical in shaping their identities and trajectories. Victor’s relationships with his family, friends, and the Monster highlight themes of isolation, responsibility, and the consequences of neglect. The Monster, a blank slate at his incarnation, responds to Victor’s mishandling of his care with a combination of confusion and sadness until he eventually becomes a dark force who turns to self-imposed isolation to save himself.

Lesson: Develop Interconnected Relationships

As you build your characters, consider how their relationships influence their development. Interactions with others can reveal vulnerabilities and strengths, adding depth to your characters. Show how relationships can uplift or destroy, creating a dynamic that enriches the narrative.

4. Thematic Depth

Shelley’s characters are not just vehicles for the plot; they embody the novel’s themes of ambition, isolation, and the quest for understanding. The struggles of both Victor and the Monster reflect broader questions about humanity’s place in the world.

Lesson: Infuse Characters with Thematic Significance

Think about how your characters can serve as representations of the themes you want to explore. Their experiences should resonate with the central ideas of your story, prompting readers to reflect on larger questions. When characters embody your themes, their journeys become more profound and thought-provoking.

5. Evolution Through Conflict

Both Victor and the Monster undergo significant transformations throughout the novel. Their encounters with conflict force them to confront their values, desires, and the repercussions of their actions.

Lesson: Allow Characters to Grow and Change

Conflict is essential for character development. Whether it’s internal struggles or external challenges, ensure your characters face obstacles that force them to grow. By the end of their journey, they should reflect on their experiences and provide a satisfying arc that resonates with the reader.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein offers a masterclass in character creation. By embracing complexity, defining clear motivations, developing meaningful relationships, infusing thematic depth, and allowing for character evolution through conflict, you can craft characters that leave a lasting impression on your readers.

As you write, remember that characters are not just components of your story; they are the heart and soul that breathe life into your narrative. Take a page from Shelley’s playbook, and let your characters inspire, challenge, and engage your audience in a dialogue that transcends time and space.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating a literary icon, Mary Shelley!

Do you have a book that deserves to be discovered? You can always submit your book for an Editorial Review with Chanticleer!Chanticleer Editorial Review Packages are optimized to maximize your digital footprint. Reviews are one of the most powerful tools available to authors to help sell and market their books. Find out what all the buzz is about here.

Is your book an Award Winner?

Submitting to Book Awards is a great way to get your book discovered! Anytime you advance in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards, your name and book are promoted right here on our website, through our newsletter, and across social media. One of the best ways to engage in long tail marketing!

The Shelley Awards for Paranormal & Supernatural Fiction are open through Oct 31st!

Don’t miss out on your chance to introduce your characters to new readers!

Chanticleer Editorial Services – when you are ready

Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

Tools of the Editing Trade

Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).

If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or David at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or DBeaumier@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.

We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!

Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.

A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service: https://test.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

And we do editorial consultations. for $75. https://test.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

Writer’s Toolbox

Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.

Writers Toolbox a few more Helpful Links:

The INCITING INCIDENT: STORY, SETBACKS and SURPRISES for the PROTAGONIST – A Writer’s Toolbox Series from Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk

ESSENCE of CHARACTERS – Part One – From the Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writer’s Toolbox Series

October 28, 2024
The 2023 Somerset First Place Winner Roundup for Literary and Contemporary Fiction!

The Somerset Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Contemporary and Literary Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Judy Keeslar Santamaria’s book, You Can’t Fool a Mermaid, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Somerset 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!

The 2023 Somerset Winners were announced at the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

Join us in celebrating the 2023 First Place Somerset Winners!

David Fitz-Gerald – If Its the Last Thing I Do

It’s 1975, and Misty Menard unexpectedly inherits her father’s business in Lake Placid, New York. It never occurred to her that she could wind up as the CEO of a good old-fashioned manufacturing company.

After years of working for lawyers, Misty knows a few things about the law. Her favorite young attorney is making a name for himself, helping traditionally owned companies become employee owned, using a little-known, newly-passed law. When he offers to help Misty convert Adirondack Dowel into an ESOP, pro bono, Misty jumps at the chance.

The employees are stunned, the management team becomes hostile, and the Board of Directors is concerned. Misfortune quickly follows the business transformation. A big customer files for bankruptcy. A catastrophic ice jam floods the business. Stagflation freezes the economy. A mysterious shrouded foe plots revenge. Misty’s family faces a crisis. The Trustee is convinced something fishy is going on, the appraiser keeps lowering the company’s value, and the banker demands additional capital infusions. Misty thought she had left her smoking addiction and alcoholism in the past, but when a worker’s finger is severed in an industrial accident, Misty relapses.

Disasters threaten to doom the troubled company. After surviving two world wars and the Great Depression, it breaks Misty’s heart to think that she has destroyed her father’s company. All she wants is to cement her father’s legacy and take care of the people who built the iconic local business. Can a quirky CEO and her loyal band of dedicated employee owners save an heirloom company from foreclosure, repossession, and bankruptcy?

From Chanticleer:

If It’s The Last Thing I Do by David Fitz-Gerald tells the story of Misty Menard, a 69-year-old woman who in 1975 returns to her upstate New York hometown to attend the funeral of her beloved father. She is dumbfounded to find she has inherited his business, making wooden dowels and buttons.

A receptionist for most of her adult life, with no business experience, she is at best ill-suited to the job. Personal problems hang over her as well, as a divorcee determined to keep sober and cigarette-free while in weekly therapy. But to keep her father’s memory alive, she is determined to keep the business afloat while she decides what to do with it in the long term. The last thing she imagined she would be doing on the cusp of 70 was running a business.

She turns the business into an employee-owned enterprise, an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan.) This gives her employees a shot at owning part or all of the business. The skill with which If It’s the Last Thing I Do integrates ESOP into its story, making it digestible, is among its many pleasures.

Read More Here

Find it Locally and on Amazon

J.A. Wright – Eat and Get Gas

Thirteen-year-old Evan Hanson is always the last in her family to know what’s going on—at least, that’s how it feels. Her father, Gene, who’s been meaner since he began serving in Vietnam, isn’t around much, and she likes it better that way. But then her brother, Adam, gets drafted and her anti-war mother, Endura, takes him across the border to Canada, leaving Evan alone with Gene and her younger, special needs brother, Teddy.

When he realizes Endura isn’t returning, Gene takes Evan and Teddy to Eat and Get Gas, his mother’s café and gas station in Hoquiam, Washington. There, as well as her no-nonsense but loving grandma, Evan encounters Aunt Vivian, a teasing but caring know-it-all; Uncle Frankie, injured in Vietnam and suffering from PTSD; Paco, the draft dodger Frankie is hiding; Hal and Hubert, the strange but gentle next-door neighbors who play the piano like virtuosos and help out when they’re needed; and Louanne, Frankie’s reserved, sensitive sister. She is drawn in particular to Louanne, who was disfigured by a car accident that killed the rest of her and Frankie’s family.

At Eat and Get Gas, Evan finds a new freedom, and she starts to carve out a place for herself by helping in the café and sorting mail for Uncle Frankie, who runs a postal route in addition to running the gas station. She eventually, too, learns some of the family secrets she’s been kept in the dark about—and comes to understand that her mother isn’t coming back any time soon.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

B. Lynn Carter – Jus Breathe

It started the day she heard Daddy slur, “She ain’t mine. You had the nerve to name her Dawn. Look at her! You shudda named her Midnight!” Then Daddy left… for good. And the loving music that had filled Dawn’s life went silent.

That was the day that a “Midnight” Duckling appeared in the mirror, took up residence in her chest, and controlled her ability to breathe. That was the day she learned to recognize “leaving time” . . . her superpower.

Couched in speculation, Jus Breathe is the tale of a young Black woman’s struggle to defy her inner “Duckling” and embrace her true self. Set in New York City during the turbulent sixties, it’s an improbable love story with precarious impulses, secret pasts, and inner demons.

Dawn, a survivor, flees her stepfather’s violent home. While struggling to go to college, she perfects sofa-surfing and hones her ability to leave situations in an instant. But in the mist of the chaotic uprising that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, serendipity spins Dawn into Danny’s world.

Toxically in love, no longer a “leaver,” Dawn realizes that in order to survive, she must break free of Danny’s dominance. But that Duckling, who’s allied with Danny, threatens to squeeze the life-breath from her if she dares to leave . . . that ugly, midnight-black Duckling, she has to kill.

From Chanticleer:

A young woman strives to survive without a home, even as she must fight herself and her instincts, in Jus Breathe by B. Lynn Carter.

“It’s more like I walked away,” I said, fractured memories of the day I left surging into my mind. “My mother married herself a husband. It’s like the tale of the evil stepfather, I guess.” The words were spilling out. “On the first day that we moved in with him, he almost broke my jaw. So I left. She had to let me; you know – the survival thing. She knew. We both knew.”

In New York City during the tempestuous 1960s, Dawn flees an abusive family situation after her father leaves the family and her mother remarries. Determined to stay in education, she couch-surfs with friends and explores her contacts through school. Dawn manages to live and even graduate. With the help of sympathetic teachers and a social worker who believes in her, she goes to college. Dawn finds friends and boyfriends and makes her own way toward adulthood.

And then her life goes awry again, though this time, she has a harder time choosing whether to run.

Read More Here

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Leslie Liautaud – Black Bear Lake

Adam Craig still has nightmares about the last summer he spent on the shores of northern Wisconsin’s Black Bear Lake.

The Chicago stock trader thinks he has it under control – until fallout from an explosive August in 1983 threatens his marriage. So Adam returns to remember that month-long family reunion, where he was busy wrestling with developing adolescence, a parent’s failing health, and watching his cousin Dannie’s desperate cries for help. At 14, Adam’s fear and anger were constantly threatening to pull him under while the current running through his family flowed, inevitably, toward tragedy.

It was too much to bear back then. But will reliving those painful memories hurt or help Adam as his adult life teeters on the edge of collapse?

Find it Locally and on Amazon

James Gish Jr. – When Blackbirds Dream

Jennifer Gold – Halfway to You

An ambitious podcaster and her reclusive interviewee embark on a life-altering journey to uncover long-lost truths in this immersive story about love, travel, and family secrets.

Forty years ago, aspiring writer Ann Fawkes left the United States for a Mediterranean adventure that opened her heart to travel and love. After a chance encounter propelled her into the publishing world, she released her first novel, an instant bestseller―and the last book she ever wrote.

Now, Ann lives a reclusive life in the San Juan Islands, hiding from the public and its probing questions. But when podcaster Maggie Whitaker convinces Ann to sit for an interview, Ann agrees on one condition: Maggie must keep her story off the record.

Determined to change Ann’s mind before she loses her job, Maggie agrees. But as she learns about Ann’s life―particularly the love affair that inspired her novel and the decisions she made in its wake―Maggie realizes Ann’s story intersects with her own in shocking, life-changing ways.

A sweeping, heart-wrenching novel that spans decades and continents, Halfway to You explores the distances we create between ourselves and the ones we love most and what it takes to finally bridge them.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Donna Norman-Carbone – All That Is Sacred

When Lynn and her husband set out for a weekend retreat to repair their rocky marriage, icy roads lead to a fatal collision that ends Lynn’s life. Stranded between the physical world and the afterlife, Lynn experiences the grief of her loved ones as they process her death.

Lynn’s life-long friends are tortured by not only loss but also unspoken wounds in their friendship. With clever influences from above, Lynn coaxes them to reunite at a beachside cottage on the one-year anniversary of her death. Determined to prompt their healing so they can help her family move on, Lynn reminds them of a sacred promise, hoping it will lead to truths they can’t face on their own. Will it be enough to remind them of the power of their bond?

As Lynn struggles to repair the relationships she left behind, she soon realizes the greatest challenge will be letting them go.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Nova Garcia – Not That Kind of Call Girl

Julia Navarro, a plucky newspaper call center manager, juggles like a pro—not tennis balls but quirky employees, cranky customers, and a sleazy boss. Pregnant and short on time to complete her “get ready for baby checklist,” Julia rushes to fill a job vacancy by hiring Carmen Cooper, a shy, inexperienced college student.

When Julia finds out Carmen never made it to work, she and a newsroom pal go undercover to find out why. Their shocking discovery leads them to cook up a half-baked plan to save Carmen from a Hollywood legend turned hermit, a man she calls “Papa.”

Will the gamble pay off or pave a path of twists, turns, and tragedy?

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2023 Somerset First Place Winners!

You can see our Spotlight on the Somerset Awards here!

Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

Got a great Fiction Book? The 2024 Somerset Book Awards are open through the end of October!

Submit to the Somerset Awards Today!

October 27, 2024
The 2024 M&M Mystery and Mayhem Long List for Cozy and Not-so-Cozy Mysteries!
The Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Light-Hearted and Cozy Mysteries. The M&M Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards.)

These titles have moved forward in the first look rounds from all 2024 M&M entries to the 2024 M&M Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2024 M&M Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC25.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Bellingham Yacht Club sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2024 Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards novel competition for Cozy Mysteries!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Tawn Skousen – Seashells and Scoundrels
- Anna St. John – Clocked Out
- A.J. McCarthy – Smoke and Secrets
- Brooke Maddaleni – Next Door
- Valerie Taylor – A Whale of a Murder
- David T. Isaak – Things Unseen
- Bob Kelly – Chicago Detective Jack Fallon in the Mystery of the Exotic Escort Murders
- ML Barrs – Parallel Secrets
- Claire Dowley – Mud
- S.A. Reeves – The Bookshop Mysteries: A Bitter Pill: A Small Town Cozy Mystery
- C.B. Wilson – Labradored to Death
- Marlene M. Bell – A Hush at Midnight
- E. W. Finke – The Sweet Bounty
- Brooke Maddaleni – Let Me Go
- MJ Mac – A Shiver on the River: A Kennedy Reeves Mystery
- Sallie Barr Palmer – A Dinner to Die For
- Andrea Barton – The Godfather of Dance
- Charlotte Stuart – In$urance to Die For (A John Smith Mystery Book 2)
- Don Stuart – Censure and Repeal: A Washington Statehouse Mystery
- Patrick E. Craig – The Boy In Blue Denim
- TK Sheffield – Model Ghost
- Nancy Raven Smith – Bushwhacked in the Outback – A Land Sharks Cozy Mystery Adventure
- Lori Roberts Herbst – Graven Images
- Jennifer S. Alderson – Collecting Can Be Murder
- Jordan Garde – Final Rest: A Windmerle Falls Mystery
- Ann Philipp – The Zucchini Fairy Murder
- Kris Courtney – Florida Retirement Is Murder
- Gail Noble-Sanderson – A Cup of Revenge – A Drew Davies Railway Mystery – Book 2
- Elizabeth Crowens – Bye, Bye Blackbird
- Roxanne Dunn – Murder Richly Deserved
- Jeanne Matthews – If Two Are Dead
- M. K. Graff – Death in the Orchard: A Trudy Genova Mystery
- Aaron Woolsey – The Butler Did It
- Brandon Lawniczak – Lake Level
- Timothy Stecker – The Moth
- Joy Ann Ribar – The Medusa Murders
- Shannon Bennett Riester – Heists and Horoscopes
- Christine Knapp – Murder on the Books
- Lorenzo Petruzziello – The Taste of Datura
- Margaret A. Blenkush – Welcome to Bellechester
- Mary Seifert – Creeps, Cache & Corpses
- Robert Sells – An Affair with Murder
- Kathleen Donnelly – Hunting The Truth
- TK Sheffield – Model Wave
- Tracy Carter – Lawyers, Dogs, and Money
- Colette Tajemna – The Corpse in the Trash Room
- D.R. Ransdell – Dervla Alarms the Nanas
- Lyndsay Constable – The Puzzled Heiress
- M. S. Spencer – In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key
- Chris Chan – Nessie’s Nemesis
- Steve Lindahl – Ginger’s Shoes
- Rolynn Anderson – When Winds Howl
- Karen Gilleland – Diamond and the French Blue
- E. Alan Fleischauer – Sherlock and The Tiger: Book 2, The Egg and More
- Michelle Bennington – Dumpster Dying
- Jonny Thompson – The Limestone Manor
- Miriam Verbeek – The Forest
- Zaida Alfaro – In the Key of Dead: A Miami Music Mystery
- Kari Bovee – The Pryce of Conceit
- L. J. Aldon – Riddle of the Haunted Hoard
- Lori Robbins – Murder in Fourth Position
- Luke Swanson – Curtains on A Christmas Carol
- Sharon Lynn – Death Takes a Fall: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

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

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2023 M&M Grand Prize Winner

A Haunting at Linley

By Michelle Cox

Click here to see the full list of 2023 M&M Book Award Winners for Cozy Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2025 M&M Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 3 – 6, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!
October 25, 2024
The 2024 Clue Long List for Suspense/Thriller Fiction
The Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

These titles have moved forward in the first look rounds from all 2024 CLUE entries to the 2024 Clue Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2024 Clue Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC25.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the Bellingham Yacht Club sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2024 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
- Christopher Mele – Goodwill’s Secrets
- Pamela Beason – If Only
- Jeff Nania – Musky Run
- John DeDakis – Enemies Domestic
- George St. Georges – AI: Opening
- Charlotte Stuart & Don Stuart – Midnight for Justice
- Hannah D Sharpe – Between Lies and Revenge
- Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Tree Pose
- Meredith Forde – The Protectee
- M.K. Tod – That Was Then
- Cathi Stoler – Out of Time: A Nick Donahue Adventure
- Tony Ollivier – The Tokyo Diversion
- D.W. Layton – Otello’s Oil: A Saga of Blood and Oil
- Lisa Towles – Codex
- T.O. Paine – The Delusion
- M.M. Cochran – The Button Collector
- Peter Berk – First Line of Defense
- Allison McKenzie – The Unexpected Hostage
- Sandra J. Jackson – Letting Go of September
- Charlotte Stuart – Raven’s Legacy
- Lisa Malice – Lest She Forget
- Corey Lynn Fayman – The Esmeralda Goodbye
- Marie Still – My Darlings
- Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Change of Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Novel
- Jeannee Sacken – The Rule of Thirds
- Steven Walker – Gunny Mac Private Detective Trouble in Chinatown
- Patrick Greenwood – Shores of Okinawa
- Chad Boudreaux – Homecoming Queen: A Small Town Political Thriller
- Betsy Hartmann – Last Place Called Home
- J T Owens – The Fisherman Returns
- Ron Singerton – Ruptured
- Michael Grigsby – Forecasting Error
- Jeffrey Jay Levin – Deep Cover, The Unknowing Agent
- Dr. Sandra Tanner – Spirited Unraveling
- Saralyn Richard – Murder Outside the Box
- Sean Hagerty – Jones Point
- Kathryn Caraway – Unfollow Me
- Nannette Potter – Pierce the Darkness
- TJ Stecker – The Moth
- Mike Van Horn – The Fireteam
- Amy Morris-Young – Doolittle 2
- Dana J. Summers – Hell’s Heart
- AG Flitcher – Black Rose Cocoon
- Dave Lager – Revelations
- Carl Vonderau – Saving Myles
- Robert Allen Stowe – The Fires of Rubicon
- Chris Chan – She Ruined Our Lives
- Ray Collins – The General’s Briefcase
- Ray Collins – Motive for Murder
- Lo Monaco – Fallen In A Dark Uneven Way
- Lisa Towles – Terror Bay
- Sharon Michalove – Dead in the Alley
- Colleen Coyne – Bewept
- Shanessa Gluhm – A River of Crows
- Miriam Verbeek – The Forest
- Michael Pronko – Shitamachi Scam
- Wendy Bayne – Dark Entity
- Steve Lazarus – Call Me Sonny
- Sharon Lynn – IoT Gaslight
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us on Facebook.

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

We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

Congratulations once more to the 2023 Clue Grand Prize Winner

The Other Murder

By Kevin G. Chapman

Click here to see the full list of 2023 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2025 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

April 3 – 6, 2025! Save the Date for Registration!

Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!
October 23, 2024
The 2023 First Place Global Thriller Roundup for High Stakes Suspense!

The Global Thriller Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of High Stakes Thrillers. The Grand Prize Winner, Ralph R. ‘Rick’ Steinke’s book, Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Global Thriller contest page year ’round!

The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the continued love and promotion for your book!

The 2023 Global Thriller Winners were announced at the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

Join us in celebrating the 2023 First Place Global Thriller Winners!

D.L. Wilburn Jr. – The God Protocol: Dragon

In the simmering summer of 2023, as the United States and China silently battle for supremacy in Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence, the world teeters on the brink of a technological singularity. Amidst this high-stakes arena, George Isaacson, a seemingly inconsequential social media conspiracy theorist, stumbles upon a trail of secrets. He spins a tale weaving together NASA’s clandestine findings, whispers of First Contact with extraterrestrial beings, and a shadowy global cover-up. Skepticism meets his claims, yet as the veil of deception lifts, George’s narrative reveals startling truths, thrusting him into the spotlight as an unlikely hero.

‘The God Protocol’ is not just a novel; it’s a technothriller odyssey that interlaces the enigmatic lore of the Anunnaki with the cutting-edge realms of AI Sentience and Nanotechnology. It’s a story of international conspiracy and cover-ups, set in a near future where advanced technology blurs the lines between myth and reality. Prepare for a journey that escalates into an awe-inspiring finale, challenging the very fabric of existence and leaving readers gasping for air.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Glenn Dyer – Trust No One

Algiers. Winter 1943. Conor Thorn is devastated. He’s been fired from the OSS. His wife, Emily, has been fired from MI6. They allowed their morals to bend certain truths concerning the outcome of their last mission. Forever dedicated to defeating Axis powers, these skilled operatives jump at the chance to secretly help General Eisenhower deal with a political time bomb threatening Allied harmony and to redeem their honorable standing. To recover a rumored archive holding the truth about an assassination plot, they must travel deep into perilous Axis territory.

In the crosshairs of those determined to keep the information out of Allied hands, Conor and Emily fall victim to a violent assault. Though the resulting injuries leave him severely concussed and confused, Conor refuses to stand down while his beloved ventures deeper into danger.

Can Conor and Emily piece together a political puzzle in time to keep Allied unity from fracturing?

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Mark James – Friendship Games

An American aircraft carrier blows up and sinks in the Persian Gulf. Was it an accident? A terrorist attack? Does it matter?

Maybe not.

Not after decades of hostility and brinkmanship between the United States and Iran. And certainly not after a known Iranian-funded and supported terrorist organization launches an attack on an American naval facility in the middle of rescue operations.
Iran is convinced that the United States is about to embark on a full-scale war and seek nothing short of regime change. They aren’t wrong. Iran strikes first. And they have some tricks up their sleeve. But nothing ever goes to plan.

This book is a warning.

The next war may be like no other in American history.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Randall Krzak – Ultimate Escalation

Punjabi militants seek to distance themselves from Indian and Pakistani dominance and interference. With the dissolution of British India in 1947, families were ripped apart as the Punjabi region was split between the two countries. Limited attacks within each country caused further persecution and heartache. The militants have no idea how to achieve their desires–until the appearance of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Nikolaev, a disgraced Spetsnaz colonel. He offers the militants a means to spark a conflict between the two nuclear powers. Russian subs sold on the black market and manned by Iranian and Russian sailors will surface off the coasts of the two countries and destroy Karachi and Mumbai. Propaganda machines will levy accusations against each country, leading to escalation of hostilities, pushing the countries to the brink of nuclear war. The Bedlam organization fields their three teams to counter the violence and seek to restore calm before it’s too late. Will they be successful, or will South Asia become a smoking ruin?

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Cobra Pose

Australia is a surfers’ paradise … but this nefarious surfing on the ‘net’ … will destroy the global financial system. It’s not just a rippling ‘scam’ job. Has Australia been infiltrated at levels they’ve never known?

Elaina Williams uses a Cobra Pose in her Yoga studio to boost her energy – she will need it! Elaina’s father, Edward, is in trouble. He’s disappeared.

As a solicitor and now yoga instructor, Elaina drags Ric, a man she’s fallen for, into the bursting web of techno-thrilling intrigue.

Ric Peters has just returned from a disastrous trip to Indonesia. Ric bills himself as a photojournalist. Elaina suspects he shoots more than just photographs. Ric has insight into the journey he and Elaina must take. He knows Elaina isn’t ready for what’s going to happen. There are too many moving parts for him to control.

Time is running out before The Cobra and The Wolf strike with their heist. They are extending their fangs towards Australia’s ‘golden coastline’ to bite into and destabilise financial institutions worldwide.

Find it on Amazon

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2023 Global Thrillers First Place Winners!

You can see our Spotlight on the Global Thriller Grand Prize Winners, including Ralph R ‘Rick’ Steinke’s incredible book Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy here.

Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

Got a great High Stakes Suspense Thriller? The 2024 Global Thriller Book Awards are open through the end of October!

Submit to the Global Thriller Awards Today!

October 22, 2024
The 2023 Shelley Book Awards First Place Roundup for Paranormal Fiction!

The Shelley Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Supernatural Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Lydia M Hawke’s book, Becoming Crone will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Shelley 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!

The 2023 Shelley/Paranormal Winners were announced at the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

Join us in celebrating the 2023 Shelley (formerly Paranormal) First Place Paranormal Winners!

Joe Lyon – The Molossus of Old Man Moyer

Former convict Jimmy Myer finds himself in a precarious situation, transporting the corpse of a well-known psychic, when an unexpected detour brings him face-to-face with the Molossus. This mythical creature is rumored to grant its keeper immense wealth, albeit at a harrowing price—the inevitable violent demise of its host. Currently, the beast is in the possession of Old Man Moyer, a billionaire with a sinister reputation, who is hell-bent on escaping this fatal fate.

As Jimmy becomes entangled in this eerie narrative, he navigates a world filled with mysterious mediums, determined detectives, and ghostly onlookers. The journey is fraught with danger and intrigue, leading to a gripping climax that forces readers to ponder a disturbing question: Can any treasure justify the cost of one’s life?
The Molossus of Old Man Moyer unfolds as a mesmerizing tale of greed, destiny, and the supernatural, challenging the boundaries between the material and the mystical.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Jo Deniau – Hologram

Ever since holographer David Leone turned forty, he’s feasted on spicy memories of his lost love, “Lu,” who’s now a famous movie star. When the ghost image of a child appears in a holographic portrait of a bride and groom, David’s determined to capture clues to Lu’s traumatic childhood. But he must first invent a device to pre-screen space for holographic traces. Funded by the bride’s millionaire father, David goes back to Lu’s old home. But he’s ill-prepared to survive the hazards of this staging ground, including the home’s mercenary owners, a lapse in his tree-climbing prowess, and Lu’s return to Circleville.

A threat less obvious to David is that his discoveries might make him famous-for all the wrong reasons.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Nola Nash – House of Mirrors

Sometimes the only ones who see us for who we truly are, are the mirrors.

The small historic town of Franklin, Tennessee, hides a grisly past behind its pristine Hallmark movie façade. While the glories of the town’s history and its architecture are meticulously preserved, the hauntings left behind by the darker side of that history are kept tucked away in the local ghost tours. When a new couple moves into the Bennett House, the town is brought face-to-face with the spirits of their past that have been trapped for a century and a half in mirror prisons that now reside on the Bennett House walls. Can Ruby Baxter, local tour guide, historian, and reluctant medium help the lost souls find the homes they belong in and peace with their own pasts so they can finally rest? Or will town prejudices against the spirits hold them hostage? Will the mirrors help Ruby find her purpose and finally see herself as others do?

Woven through the modern quest for helping the souls of the past find their voices and peace, are the Five Bloodiest Hours of the American Civil War – The Battle of Franklin. Mirroring events in the modern tale, the story of humanity, fear, and sacrifice of the soldiers and citizens whose experiences and names were left out of the history books is finally told so that they, too, can be seen for who they truly were.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Claire Fraise – They Stay

There’s no way she’s going to believe in ghosts. But when her sibling is kidnapped, the only clues she has come from the other side…

Shiloh Oleson loves her six-year-old brother more than life. So the headstrong teen’s world shatters when he goes missing after tee-ball practice and her abusive father gives up the search. But the devastated girl doesn’t know what to think when a weirdo classmate claims a dead spirit told her his location.

Outright rejecting any paranormal garbage, Shiloh and her friends frantically investigate a similar disappearance in the hope of uncovering the truth. But all the desperate teenager unearths are disturbing secrets about her family, the school… and a sinister force on her tail.

Can the determined young woman bring the little boy home before all hell breaks loose?

They Stay is the first book in the bone-chilling They Stay YA supernatural thriller series. If you like relatable characters, unearthly mayhem, and endings that leave you wanting more, then you’ll love Claire Fraise’s spine-tingling story.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Fionn Mac Meldrum – The Shadow of Banshee Hill

In 1818, Cillian Valour, an Irish rebel’s son with limited prospects, is determined to marry his longtime love, Martha Ashworth, daughter of a local landlord. When her father forbids their engagement, Cillian turns to the heavens for help in an act of desperation-but it is a mysterious stranger that answers his call. After accepting an offer too good to refuse, Cillian and Martha are forever changed. Together, the star-crossed lovers turn away from the light and cut a swath of horror and misery across the land-until one night in Rome, the unthinkable happens.

Emily Corvo’s life in modern-day Boston is upended by the murder of her mother and the disappearance of her father. Learning that her mother was callously slaughtered by something not of this world, Emily vows to rescue her father and avenge her mother by hunting down those responsible. But she may find that only by trusting the enemy can she quench her thirst for vengeance.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

James McKenna- An October’s Journey: Poe’s Final Gift

In this elegant work of literary fantasy, a young, 19th century attorney receives a strange birthday gift from his friend, Edgar Allan Poe, who convinces him to defend a woman and her two grown children who have been arrested for practicing witchcraft. The trial is to be held in an old Puritan town that has somehow “fallen out of time,” and the verdict of the case will determine the fate of many more than just the three souls on trial. Navigating as a stranger in an even stranger land, he must piece together the truth of the most bizarre case of his career.

Find it Locally and on Amazon

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2023 Paranormal First Place Winners!

Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

Got a great Fiction Book? The 2024 Shelley Book Awards are open through the end of October!

Submit to the Shelley Awards Today!

October 22, 2024
Ten Days Remain! The Somerset Awards and the Humor and Satire Awards!
The Final Fiction Divisions of this years Award cycle close in less than 2 weeks!

10 days left to submit!

Don’t let your book miss out!
- The Humor & Satire Award for Allegorical Fiction
- The Somerset Award for Contemporary and Literary Fiction
Only 10 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!

The Humor and Satire Award for Allegorical Fiction , The Somerset Awards for Contemporary and Literary Fiction and are still open!

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Humor & Satire Awards for Allegorical Fiction!
- Eileen O’Finlan – All the Furs and Feathers
- Allyson Rice – The Key to Circus-Mom Highway
- Marco Ocram – The Awful Truth About The Herbert Quarry Affair
- Lou Dischler – The Rising
- Steven Mayfield – The Penny Mansions
- Tom Strelich – Water Memory
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Humor & Satire Awards Grand Prize Winner:

Quantum Consequence

by Mike Murphey

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Somerset Awards for Contemporary and Literary Fiction!
- David Fitz-Gerald – If It’s the Last Thing I Do
- J.A. Wright – Eat and Get Gas
- B. Lynn Carter – Jus Breathe
- Leslie Liautaud – Black Bear Lake
- James Gish, Jr. – When Blackbirds Dream
- Jennifer Gold – Halfway to You
- Donna Norman-Carbone – All That is Sacred
- Nova Garcia – Not That Kind of Call Girl
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Somerset Awards Grand Prize Winner:

You Can’t Fool A Mermaid

By Judy Keeslar Santamaria

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.

Let’s celebrate exceptional storytelling together!

Your book deserves to be discovered

Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

The Humor and Satire Awards and The Somerset Awards
October 21, 2024