You have until August 31st to submit your story and enter the 2025 CIBAs!
Named for Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales (and Name giver of a certain rooster named Chanticleer), This Division was our first Historical Fiction category. Due to us receiving so many amazing Historical Fiction submissions, we had to split it into a few more Divisions. For Post 1750 History, see The Goethe Awards. For 20th and 21st Century Wartime History, see The Hemingway Awards. For Western and Americana History, see The Laramie Awards.
Let’s Take a look back in more recent history at the Grand Prize Winners of the Chaucer Award!
Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court Book 1 of the Anne Boleyn Chronicles
By Rozsa Gaston
Our newest Grand Prize Winner has a release date for Early August, and we are very excited to see it come out!
Anne Boleyn’s path to Henry VIII’s heart—and the throne—begins not in France, but at the court of Europe’s most powerful woman, Margaret of Austria.
Anne enters the world of the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands as one of Margaret’s eighteen maids of honour, who thrive under the guidance of their highly intelligent ruler.
Anne struggles with cliques and jealousies at court, and when Erasmus of Rotterdam arrives with ideas of reform, Anne starts to question tradition and sets her sights high, determined to leave her mark on the world.
But political machinations intervene, cutting short Anne’s time at Margaret’s court, and launching her to France.
Armed with the skills learned under the Netherlands’ brilliant ruler, Anne inches closer to her destiny…
Can she achieve her ambitious desires? Will Margaret’s formidable example influence Anne’s future?
Or will this young maid struggle to blossom in a man’s world…?
Joshua Ibn Elazar, the eager son of a Jewish merchant, travels to al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule) to prove himself in his father’s business. But he finds an unwelcoming, degrading society waiting for him, and begins a journey of misfortune and anger in James Hutson-Wiley’s historical fiction novel, The Merchant from Sepharad.
Shortly after arriving in the city of Lishbunah, al-Andalus, Joshua is tricked out of the gold for his living expenses. Worse yet, he learns that Jews in Lishbunah suffer under oppressive laws, holding far less status than Muslim citizens. He can only find help in Lishbuna’s Jewish community, meeting Rabbi Hiyya al-Daudi and his son Yaish, who house and feed him.
They tell him that his father’s colleague, Essua, who was to help Joshua manage a shipment of flax and sugar, has been arrested. Though Essua is eventually released, Joshua fails to secure storage for his goods, as the makhzan (warehouse) he rented is given to a Muslim merchant instead. In his fury at the city’s prejudice, he sets fire to the makhzan, and is forced to flee.
Mack Little’s historical fiction novel Daughter of Hades explores the lives of slaves during the age of pirates.
Little’s research shines in her thoughtful presentation of the Caribbean islands, the escaped slaves who found freedom amongst them, the lives of buccaneers and maroons, and their daring and dangerous exploits.
On the first page, Little introduces us to Geraldine, or “Dinny”, running for her life from her owner, Owen Craig, who has just raped her.
Dinny’s father had arranged for her to be removed from the plantation before Craig molested her, but he’d miscalculated Craig’s lust. Dinny is rescued by her twin brother, Jimmie, and Leixiang, and taken to the Hades, a pirate ship captained by the buccaneer Duff.
Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin shows the thrilling heights to which Empress Theodora rose and the crushing depths to which she fell, in the latter half of her life. This story picks up from Fortune’s Child, the first volume of this epic duology.
This half of Theodora’s incredible journey opens at its close – as she succumbs to the cancer that drove her to dictate the record of her life. She left the task of recording her meteoric rise from actress to empress in the hands of the scribe and historian Stephen, even though she imprisoned him for several years out of fear that he would reveal her greatest secrets.
Politics is a deadly game in the days of Kings and their competing 14th-century B.C. Egyptian factions. Official diplomat, Lord Hani, is on a royal assignment when he discovers even the king’s motives are suspect. Hani begins to fear for the welfare of his family and himself, as he gets a sinking feeling that the hunter has become the hunted. He’s the live bait, the Bird In A Snare.
Can Lord Hani find out who is responsible for the mysterious assassinations and the shifting armies’ alliances before becoming the one they target next?
The Laramie Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Western and American Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Natalie Musgrave Dossett’s book, Sarita will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Laramie 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!
Grab your hat, step into your boots, and strap on those spurs. Your cow pony is saddled up and ready to ride the trail from San Antonio to Abilene.
Seph Vermillion grew up dirt poor. As long as he can remember, he’s been pushing a plow and arguing with a mule. A couple of times a year, a trio of bandits ravage the family farm and make off with their savings.
Pa never returned home after the war. Seph’s siblings have been gone so long, he doesn’t remember what they look like. When Ma dies after a long illness, Seph trades the family farm for a horse named Sheriff. The kid next door tells Seph about the Deatherage Longhorn Cattle Ranch. The allure of adventure beckons. They partner up and hit the trail. Lacking skills, they are the last cowboys hired and agree to work for half pay.
The outfit’s top hand, Stoke Moreland, pranks, taunts, and threatens Seph. Why does the seasoned cowboy seem intent on driving him off? Seph doesn’t know much about self-defense, but he is tired of being a victim and feeling violated. How long can he turn the other cheek?
The trail is fraught with hazards from perilous river crossings to the mother of all stampedes. When they realize they’re being tracked, followed, and hunted, a growing sense of doom overwhelms the fledgling outfit of cowboys who are still wet behind the ears. The outlaws that plagued Seph’s past have followed them and they are determined to take the herd. Their plan is simple: pit the cowboys against each other, pick them off one by one, and stampede the beeves.
Since they left San Antonio, the drovers have looked forward to whooping it up at the end of the trail. That was before somebody began killing cowboys. Now, Abilene seems like an impossible dream. Will anybody make it to the end of the trail?
Grab your slicker, fetch your bedroll, and swing up into the saddle. Sign on with the Dagger D, Angry R brand—First Drive is calling your name.
This work is a manuscript. Telling a fictionalized version of a true story, Anne Lang and her attempt in 1891 to be the first woman to climb Mt Hood. We hope she has luck in getting this book published as well as the new manuscript she is working on!
In 1849, mercurial Rollin Ridge leaves his family behind to avoid hanging after avenging his father and grandfather’s assassinations.
After his crime, Rollin runs west with his brothers to mine California gold, packing sin and grief in his saddlebags. Through letters home, he finds his justice only after unearthing how the father’s sins have followed the son. Within the frame, from 1827-1835, Rollin’s parents, Cherokee John Ridge, and his white wife, Sarah, uncover illicit slave running, horse theft, and whiskey dealings across Cherokee territory. To end these inhumane crimes and fight Cherokee removal with President Andrew Jackson, John runs for Principal Chief, opposing the incumbent, Chief John Ross. John and Sarah must decide-fight discrimination and land greed, defy Georgia’s violent pressures and remain on his people’s ancestral land, or sign a treaty and uproot a nation and their family west.
Their story began in 1775 amidst a war between brothers, amongst fathers, sons, cousins, and even betwixt husbands, wives, and daughters. As America’s Revolutionary War gripped the colonies, five siblings found themselves alone in a land engulfed in war. Forced to survive on their own, they found no recourse but to flee their palatial Virginia home.
Five Ballinger children, Esther, Lovely, Samuel, Joshua, and Benjamin, must search within themselves for the will to survive, first in Virginia’s wilderness and then, forced to flee once more, in North Carolina’s Watauga settlement. Some go off to war. Others find ways to provide for their wellbeing. Most find love grows even in the darkest of circumstances.
C.M. Huddleston, author of six award-winning historical novels, including Caintuck Lies Within My Soul, once again weaves a captivating story with rich historical detail. This Revolutionary War tale brings American history to life.
Adrien Villere suspects he is not like other boys. For years, he desperately locks away his feelings and fears—but eventually, tragedy and loss drive him to seeking solace from his mentor, a young neighbor Jacob Hart. Jacob’s betrayal of Adrien’s trust, however, results in secret abuse, setting off a chain of actions from which neither Adrien’s wise sister, Bernadette, nor his closest friend, Isaac, can turn him.
At What Cost, Silence presents two contrasting plantation families in a society where strict rules of belief and behavior are clear, and public opinion can shape an entire life. Centerstage are the Villeres, a family less brutal than the Harts, but no less divisive. Often-absent Papa Paien Villere guards several secrets he has kept from everyone—including one which could destroy his entire family. Years after Jacob’s betrayal, Adrien falls hopelessly in love with his former mentor’s erotically precocious and beautiful young sister Lily—whose father has affianced her to a wealthy older man.
What will happen if Lily’s violent brother learns of Adrien and Lily’s clandestine affair? Will Adrien aid in freeing Isaac—an enslaved Black man—as promised? Will Bernadette find the unconventional life she seeks? Or will their entire world end as states secede and war creeps ever closer?
TOM SHARP: The Man and the Legend is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, and carefully-woven mixture of fact and fiction about a young, wounded Confederate soldier from Marion County, Missouri, who became a famous and respected Westerner.
Discharged from his enlistment, Tom Sharp joined a wagon train and traveled west. He aimed to earn his fortune, homestead a ranch, marry Katherine Durrett, the lovely young lady he was betrothed to, and start a family. On his dangerous and exciting quest, Sharp encountered renegades, Indians, and slavers–as well as frontiersmen who taught him how to survive in the mountains and on the plains.
Although many of the tales are based on actual events and adventures that Tom Sharp experienced, author Charlie Steel engages his craft as a master storyteller and embellishes and adds situations to honor the accomplishments and integrity of this great man from Colorado.
Tom Sharp’s life, embellished or not, is a story that needs to be told. He was a soldier, buffalo hunter, meat provider for the California and Oregon gold miners, meat provider for the Union Pacific Railroad workers, multiline telegraph pole cutter for the railroad, deputy sheriff, rancher, established and ran a copper stamping mill, built and operated Buzzard Roost Trading Post, bred thoroughbred horses, raised cattle, and was an advocate for Indians, especially Chief Ouray and his band of Utes.
Steel writes a story that rivets the reader creating well-rounded characters that provide a unique and more realistic perspective of the West.
Not all adversaries go quietly into the long cold night…
Entrapped and snared by Union forces, General Lee has surrendered. Celebrations take hold of the North as the Confederacy crumbles without their hero. Yet Wolf’s war isn’t over. Diehard rebels still operate in the field, led by the secret organization the Knights of the Golden Circle, including Wolf’s nemesis, Marshall Payne.
Their plot? Kill the president and let the war rage on.
Wolf and his men rush to Washington, D.C., to meet the enemy head-on. But these enemies do not march and fight as armies do; they lurk in the shadows waiting to strike. Can Wolf and his motley crew keep the assassins at bay?
The epic finale of the bestselling and award-winning military historical fiction series is filled with danger, conspiracy, and revenge as the North’s most unlikely heroes are tasked with the impossible.
The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Historical Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Rozsa Gaston’s book, Maid of Honour 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!
A Quest for God and Spices begins an epic journey across the ancient world. In the year AD 1200, a new pope agitates for a renewed crusade to reconquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem. European monarchs largely ignore his call, too involved with squabbles among themselves. The pope chooses two men-Brother Mauro, an older monk, and Nicolo, a young, striving merchant-to traverse the treacherous political, religious, and mercantile terrain of medieval Europe and the Byzantine Empire to seek out the powerful Presbyter John, a mysterious king in the Far East who has promised to put his wealth and vast armies to the service of the pope’s crusade. Nicolo’s task is to guide Mauro, but a corrupt cardinal has secretly charged the young man with finding the source of the precious spices that ensure the Venetian and Arab trade monopoly. Nicolo’s youthful exuberance, carelessness, and desire to be important jeopardize their mission, while Mauro’s knowledge of scripture and pagan works has not prepared him for the schemes of doges and emirs, clergymen and kings.
As Sir Harry Percy patrols England’s rugged North, even the Scots, his frequent adversaries, admire his audacity and courage. Claiming his ceaseless vigilance means his spurs never cool, they call him Hotspur.Yet when Harry questions royal corruption, Richard II bestows another name: traitor.
Escaping death, Harry joins Duke Henry Bolingbroke, whose fortune Richard stole and who leads a campaign to improve Richard’s governance. Soon, though, Henry, too, acts despotic, ordering executions without fair trials and plotting to seize power directly. Alarmed, Harry exacts a vow from him to notoust Richard. But Henry violates his oath, inciting a mob to force Parliament to make him King Henry IV. Harry boycotts Henry’s coronation but, realizing he serves the nation regardless of who wears the crown, later returns to duty, with Henry’s backing.
Will their reconciliation last? And can Harry’s newfound love with an ex-abbess protect him not only from threats on the borders but those in dark palace corners? Never has his motto, Esperance—Hope—mattered more!
With his ancestral manor in ruins, Philippe strives to forge a new family legacy. But a relentless knave is determined to cause his downfall.
1470, Isle of Jersey. Heart-broken by his father’s death, Philippe returns home to shoulder the hereditary mantle of seigneur. Coming of age during an oppressive occupation, he aspires to reconstruct the fiefdom based on values of prosperity and compassion.
Despite his misgivings, he acquiesces to the arranged marriage with the new governor’s daughter, Margaret. She brings with her a substantial dowry that will help him achieve his objectives. As love blossoms between them, life seems perfect.
However, a longtime rival lurks, determined to thwart Philippe at every turn. As Philippe’s power and influence on the island grows, their quarrel escalates to new levels of treachery. When the feud turns deadly, can Philippe survive the ordeals that await and safeguard the future for his family?
Betrayal of Trust is the riveting second novel in The de Carteret Chronicles: Legacy of Rebels historical fiction series and tells the story of Margaret Harleston, one of the island’s heroines. If you like political intrigue, treachery, and formidable adversaries, prepare to be captivated by this true tale of bravery.
Ninety years have passed since the Christians wrested control of Jerusalem from their foes, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s army is a pile of corpses strewn about the Horns of Hattin. The few survivors stumble back for the only place of refuge spared of Saladin’s wrath, Jerusalem.
Robert Cutnose reluctantly joins with the Lord Balian de Ibelin in an attempt to defend a city of refugees from Saladin’s army. Both men have drawn the ire of old enemies within the Order who secretly wish to bring them down. And hidden within Saladin’s ranks, assassins lurk, cultivating their own end to the conflict. Even while the city teeters on the brink of annihilation, a princess seeks to assert her birthright over the crown. The fate of Cutnose and the Kingdom of Jerusalem hangs by a thread, and there is no guarantee of survival of anyone involved.
Continue the gritty war-torn journey through the crusades and the Noctis Bellum, a shadow war spanning centuries between the Order and the Hunted.
1150: The Whale Road. An epic medieval adventure, set in the Viking world of 12th century Orkney. To change their doom, Skarfr and Hlif must pay the price.
Warrior-poet Skarfr embarks on a death-defying pilgrimage with his ruler, Jarl Rognvald, from the wind-whipped shores of Orkney to the Holy Land. He is one of the few men trusted by the Jarl, whether facing sea-monsters or murder.
Fifteen ships sail on the ‘whale road’ in the pilgrims’ fleet. The only woman among the ‘sea wolves’, Hlif is respected as much for her practical skills as for her mystical gifts. Yet beneath her indomitable façade lies a secret – she is handfasted to Skarfr, their love forbidden by the Jarl’s decree.
As tensions rise, Skarfr is torn between fealty to his Jarl and devotion to Hlif. One oath must be broken but which one? How can he steer a course between loyalty and love without losing his honour?
Also a 2024 Chanticleer Cover Design Award First Place Winner!
Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devoted husband, father, and skilled military scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantly obeys orders to guide a brutal attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.
After the catastrophic event, Benjamin is burdened with guilt and longs for peace. But the Algonquians, led by the revered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts town of Hatfield, capturing over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wife Martha and their three young daughters.
Hatfield 1677 is a tale of three interwoven yet diverging journeys of strength and survival. Benjamin is driven by love and remorse to rescue his family; Martha is forced into captivity and desperately striving to protect her children; and Ashpelon is willing to risk everything to ensure the safety and freedom of his people.
Based on the lives of the author’s ancestors, this riveting and unforgettable novel gives voice to three vastly different experiences in North America during a time before the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and a battleground; equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty and happiness were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.
From the vast landscapes of the American West to the intimate stories of families building new lives on the frontier, from First Nation narratives that honor indigenous wisdom to contemporary tales that prove the western spirit lives on, the Laramie Awards celebrate the full spectrum of Americana fiction from Mexico through Canada. These are tales of courage, independence, survival, and the eternal quest for home and belonging.
Americana fiction captures the willingness to venture into unknown territory, the determination to build something lasting from nothing, and the complex relationships between different cultures that have shaped this continent for generations. Whether set in the dusty streets of frontier towns or the modern ranches of today’s West, these stories explore themes that remain fundamentally American: freedom, justice, family, and the land that shapes us all.
The Enduring Appeal of Americana Stories
The best Americana fiction explores the complex realities of life across different eras and cultures. These stories explore how the American mythos shapes lives across the continent, sometimes inspiring, sometimes haunting, always powerful.
From the epic scope of pioneer journeys to intimate family dramas played out against vast landscapes, Americana fiction offers readers the chance to explore their roots and understand how the character was forged. These stories resonate because they deal with universal themes: survival, family loyalty, moral courage, and the search for justice, all while remaining distinctly grounded in American soil and values.
Contemporary westerns prove that these themes remain relevant today, showing how the frontier spirit adapts to modern challenges while maintaining its essential character of independence, resilience, and connection to the land.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re thrilled to honor Natalie Musgrave Dossett, whose powerful novel Sarita claimed the 2024 Laramie Grand Prize with a story that Kirkus Reviews called “a powerful tale of revenge and perseverance in the face of danger.” Set in 1920 along the Texas-Mexico border, the novel follows nineteen-year-old Sarita after her younger brother JJ is killed by tequila smuggler Javier Salsito de Ortega, and the Texas Rangers refuse to help due to Prohibition and border issues.
Determined to seek justice and prove herself worthy of inheriting the family ranch, Sarita crosses the Rio Grande into a world of deadly threats that proves far more dangerous and complex than she imagined. Dossett masterfully weaves together elements of thriller and historical fiction, creating what reviewers have compared to True Grit for its “plucky young girl on a mission to set her turbulent, dusty world right.” In addition to ongoing promotional features, Sarita will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Natalie Musgrave Dossett will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Sarita will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Span the American Experience
The Laramie Awards welcome Americana fiction across every tradition and time period:
Western Romance – Love stories set against the backdrop of the American West, where hearts are as wild as the landscape
Adventure/Caper – Action-packed tales of outlaws, lawmen, and those caught between justice and survival
Classic – Traditional westerns that honor the genre’s golden age while bringing fresh perspectives
Civil War/Prairie/Pioneer – Stories of the conflicts and journeys that shaped the American frontier
Contemporary Western – Modern stories that prove the western spirit lives on in today’s America
Americana – Broader American stories that capture the national character and experience
First Nation – Indigenous narratives that honor the voices and perspectives of those who have lived in North America since time immemorial
Each category represents a different facet of Americana fiction, from traditional frontier tales to contemporary explorations of what it means to live here today.
Explore All Historical Fiction Divisions
The Laramie Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:
Whether your historical fiction explores ancient civilizations, recent decades, or the distinctly American experience, Chanticleer offers recognition for every period and perspective.
Looking at Americana Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding Americana fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!
Cold As Hell
By Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle
The 2022 Paranormal (Now Shelley) Grand Prize Winner!
James Crowley isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill cowboy. Nor isCold as Hell,by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle, your typical gunslinging western.
Although he’s got all the right characteristics – tough exterior, snarky personality, and commitment issues – Crowley is much more than he appears. Resurrected to immortality straight from death’s “sickly sweet aroma,” Crowley is duty-bound as a Hand of God to serve the White Throne in its shadow war against demonic presences called the nephilim unleashed by freezing hell.
But it’s not all ‘good guys versus bad guys’. As Crowley learns, “good choices don’t always mean doing right or wrong things. Especially when it comes to serving a Master like [the White Throne].” Forced to be the middle man between God and the Devil, Crowley has to decide for himself how to care for the people around him and bring true justice to fruition.Forced to be themiddlemanbetween God and the Devil, Crowley has to make his own choices about how to care for the people around him and bring justice to fruition.
Jam-packed with simmering romance, evil yetis, reckless bar fights, and other outlaw shenanigans,Cold as Hellwill warm readers’ hearts as it freezes them to their seats with anticipation.
Guarded Heartsby T K Conklin is a sensual romance in the Wild West, with all the passion and excitement natural to the setting.
Sparks fly between a man with an outlaw past and a woman with a terrifying gift to heal or harm. Strykes is a man haunted both by a violent childhood and his time in an outlaw gang. But he has found a place in Rimrock, where he met LaRisa, an auburn-haired woman whom the townspeople have labeled a “witch” due to her healing herbs and rumors of her “powers”.
LaRisa has kept her distance from people, afraid of her gift of healing touch that can turn dangerous, even deadly. But, when she comes to town to deliver her medicinal herbs, she makes her way to the livery with tasks for Strykes such as shoeing her horse or fixing a spring in her wagon. He is only too happy to oblige the auburn-haired beauty. The attraction between them is instantaneous, yet they both are hesitant to act on it, fearing they would hurt the other– he from his violent past, and she from her “witch” power.
But when Strykes arrives at her isolated cabin, riddled with bullets, LaRisa knows she must use her healing touch to save him.
David Fitz-Gerald concludes theGhosts Along the Oregon Trailseries with a grand finale for an eclectic cast of characters, as the long wagon train is finallyRolling Hometo their new lives in the wild west of Oregon.
With the end of the trail just out of reach, however, their hopes dwindle and their hunger rages. The rigor of the western environment continues to test their determination and threaten vows of heartfelt romance. These weary people ache and mourn losses, while seeking new ways to survive and pull each other forward in the face of impending winter.
This wagon train of travelers will also face venomous villains who have been lurking in the shadows, outlaws waiting for their best opportunity to pounce.
Now they feel the traveling train is at its weakest, and strike without mercy. Dorcas and her family are in a desperate situation, clinging to the hope of a better life ahead. But even if they can hang on to reach that final destination, they doubt whether the life they’d planned in Oregon is still the future they want.
InLoving Beth, a Christian historical romance by Bonnie Rose Ward, a young woman finds herself in dire straits when her widowed mother dies unexpectedly.
Beth’s father had taken out loans to improve their property, but he was killed in the Civil War, leaving his wife and daughter to struggle to keep up with the payments. Now, Beth is alone without any means to keep her home—finding and taking in two young, abandoned children certainly doesn’t help. But even amidst her troubles, Beth’s thoughts keep going back to the mysterious and handsome stranger who found and brought home the body of her mother.
Life is not easy in her tiny settlement in West Virginia, and young, pretty Beth finds that it is not about to get any easier. The new banker holds a grudge toward her for having rejected his advances, and the man’s snobbish wife is determined to make Beth’s life even more miserable. The loans that Beth and her mother worked to pay each month are suddenly due in full— but the banker’s unwanted and ugly advances are foiled with the appearance of the mysterious stranger.
These works demonstrate how the best Americana fiction combines authentic historical detail with compelling characters and universal themes that resonate across generations.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional Americana fiction we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!
The Laramie Awards recognize stories that capture the Americana spirit in all its complexity—the courage of pioneers, the wisdom of First Nations, the romance of the frontier, and the ongoing evolution of the American dream. Whether your story spans vast landscapes or focuses on intimate family dramas, these awards celebrate the distinctly Americana experience.
Your Americana Story Awaits
Great Americana fiction doesn’t just tell stories about the past—it explores what it means to be here now, what values we’ve inherited, and how those values continue to shape us today. Whether your tale unfolds in a frontier town, a contemporary ranch, or the complex borderlands where cultures meet, the Laramie Awards celebrate the authors who understand that the story of North America is still being written.
In an age when stories spread by firelight and traveling minstrels, when legends were born from whispered tales and historical truth blended seamlessly with mythic storytelling, Geoffrey Chaucer understood the power of narrative to capture both the spirit of an age and the eternal human condition. The Chaucer Awards, inspired by the great poet whose “Prior’s Tale” gave Chanticleer its very name, celebrate this same tradition and honoring authors who bring the distant past to vivid life through masterful storytelling.
As Chanticleer’s first historical fiction division, the Chaucer Awards represent our foundational commitment to discovering exceptional historical narratives. From the mists of pre-history through the grandeur of the Renaissance, these awards recognize the unique artistry required to transform ancient civilizations, legendary figures, and distant eras into compelling contemporary fiction.
The Art of Ancient Storytelling
Writing early historical fiction demands extraordinary imagination and research skills. Authors must recreate worlds where written records are scarce, daily life was vastly different from our own, and the very foundations of modern society were still being formed. These storytellers serve as literary archaeologists, piecing together fragments of history, legend, and human nature to create authentic worlds that feel both historically grounded and emotionally true.
The best early historical fiction doesn’t just transport readers to distant times—it reveals the timeless aspects of human experience that connect us across millennia. Whether exploring the political intrigue of Tudor courts, the epic journeys of Celtic heroes, or the daily struggles of medieval peasants, these stories illuminate how courage, love, ambition, and family loyalty have remained constant throughout human history.
The challenge of early historical fiction lies in making ancient worlds accessible to modern readers while respecting the fundamental differences in how people thought, believed, and lived in earlier eras. The most successful works achieve this delicate balance, creating stories that feel authentically historical yet emotionally immediate.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re delighted to honor Rozsa Gaston, whose meticulously researched novel Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court claimed the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize with a fresh perspective on one of history’s most infamous queens. Set in 1513 Europe, the novel follows young Anne Boleyn during her formative time as one of eighteen maids of honor at the court of Margaret of Austria, Europe’s most powerful woman, before her fateful journey to France and eventually to Henry VIII’s court.
Gaston’s work exemplifies the scholarly depth and narrative skill that defines exceptional early historical fiction, exploring how Anne’s ambitious character was shaped by her early experiences with political intrigue, intellectual reform, and the complex dynamics of European court life. As one reviewer noted, this is “a young Anne in whom I absolutely believe, and who does much to explain the woman she’d become.” In addition to ongoing promotional features, Maid of Honour will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Rozsa Gaston will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Maid of Honour will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Span the Ancient World
The Chaucer Awards welcome early historical fiction across the full spectrum of pre-1750s history:
Pre-Historical Fiction – Stories from before recorded history, exploring humanity’s earliest experiences
Ancient Historical Fiction – Classical civilizations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and other ancient empires
Dark Ages, Medieval, Renaissance – The transformative periods that bridged ancient and modern worlds
Elizabethan/Tudor – The golden age of English history and literature
1600s – The century of exploration, scientific revolution, and political upheaval
World/International History Pre-1750s – Global perspectives on early historical periods
Americas – Historical Fiction Pre-1750s – Stories from the indigenous and colonial Americas
Legend Based pre-1750s Historical Fiction – Arthurian tales, Beowulf, and other mythic narratives
Norse/Celtic – Stories from the rich traditions of northern European cultures
Each category represents a different window into humanity’s distant past, from intimate personal stories to epic tales of kingdoms and empires.
Explore All of Our Historical Fiction Divisions
The Chaucer Awards anchor Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:
Whether your historical fiction explores recent decades or the distant past, Chanticleer offers recognition for every period and perspective.
Looking at Early Historical Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding early historical fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!
The Tale of the English Templar
By Helena P. Schrader
Far from the romantic legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Helena P. Schrader’sThe Tale of the English Templarfaithfully captures the harsh decimation of the Knights Templar. Schrader offers a sobering, immersive look at one of history’s darkest betrayals. This is historical fiction worthy of legend with its feet planted firmly in research—not myth.
Set in the early 14th century, the novel captures the downfall of the Knights Templar at the hands of French King Philip IV. With the Pope’s reluctant cooperation, the Templars are accused of heresy and tortured until they confess to crimes they didn’t commit. The king’s true motive? Their immense wealth.
Among those captured is Sir Percy de Lacy, an English Templar who is swept up in a raid by local French soldiers and caught in a mass arrest on Friday, October 13th, 1307. What follows is a harrowing account of imprisonment, torture, and unlikely survival.
Gregory Michael Nixon’sDiomedes in Kyprios, book 2 in the DiomedeiaSeries,continues the adventures of the godlike yet all too human hero, Diomedes of Tiryns, as he seeks to discover a meaningful destiny in the chaos of the Bronze Age Collapse.
We begin after the fall of the Hittite Empire, four years after the destruction of Troy. He emerges from the dark river that runs through the underworld where the sacrifice of the Hittite Great King has just occurred, and he has rescued the Hittite Queen from certain death. Nearly drowned but still alive, he recalls only that he had vowed to reunite with the former Queen of the Hittites, the woman he loves named Lieia, at Paphos on the island of Kyprios (ancient Cyprus).
Lieia must undergo her own “odyssey” to get to Paphos to meet Diomedes. She depends on her band of protectors, but they pay for fare aboard a ship with evil men who cannot be trusted.
Elodia is a young woman driven by dreadful circumstances to act with deadly force in the Robert S. Phillips novelElodia’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.
Shelter in a Hostile World, second installment in Mack Little’s Love and Peace series, is an epic tale of resistance, desire, and tragedy, saturating readers in the complexity of Igbo culture.
Little paints a character-rich portrait of the horrors of enslavement and the unthinkable violence against women in the Caribbean, locking people together in relationships molded by adversity.
Set in 17th century Igboland—the invaded region of Nigeria — and on the island of Barbados, Shelter in a Hostile World is a searingly brief novel packed with mesmerizing prose. It blends genres to create a literary language entirely its own.
Throughout Little’s story, readers follow the life and loves of Badu Obosi, a haunted revolutionary escaping enslavement to protect his daughter from sexual violence.
InMistress of Legend, the enticing finale of Nicole Evelina’sGuinevere’s Taletrilogy, matters are life-and-death by the second sentence, pulling readers deep into Guinevere’s fate in this retelling of Arthurian legend.
We come upon heroine Guinevere in the midst of an ill-fated romance with Lancelot. It’s far from her first troubled entanglement, but the stakes rise as she’s severely injured and faces even more threats, pursued by possible enemies. The novel’s beginning is woven with backstory, which adds suspense to the drama unfolding in Guinevere’s present. This summarizing might be slow for readers familiar with the series, but makes the story accessible for those who haven’t picked up the first two books.
Many more characters appear, waving the web of intrigue Guinevere finds herself caught in.
These works demonstrate how the best early historical fiction combines rigorous research with compelling storytelling to bring ancient worlds to vivid life.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional early historical fiction we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!
The Chaucer Awards recognize the extraordinary scholarship and imagination required to recreate distant worlds and ancient civilizations. Whether you’ve spent years researching medieval manuscripts, exploring archaeological evidence, or reimagining legendary tales, these awards celebrate both your historical dedication and narrative artistry.
Your Ancient Tale Awaits
Great early historical fiction serves as a bridge between past and present, helping modern readers understand both how much the world has changed and how much human nature remains constant. Whether your story unfolds in a medieval castle, an ancient marketplace, or the legendary courts of Arthurian Britain, the Chaucer Awards celebrate the authors who keep the distant past alive through the power of exceptional storytelling.
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.
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 deadliest 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 Five Amazing Grand Prize Winners to share with you!
Of White Ashes
By Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto
Our review for the newest Grand Prize Winner is forthcoming. In the meantime, here is what GoodReads readers have been saying:
“In “Of White Ashes,” Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto tell the tales of two individuals and how their lives intertwine during one of the most horrific times in history: World War II. Based on the true stories of Mr. Matsumoto’s parents, this utterly captivating novel represents historical fiction at its finest, and most heartbreaking.” -Amy
“Constance and Kent have written an insightful story about the experience of Japanese Americans during WWII. The weaving of a love story with history is so well done and it draws the reader into the story and inspires you to turn page after page. Ultimately, it is about the human story to survive, grow and find love amidst the circumstances life brings to us. Artfully done, many lessons from the past but lessons we can use for the future.” -Michael
“I found my favorite novel of the year, in this tragic but beautiful story of two families, each experiencing WWII in different countries and in different ways, who meet and are able to blend their experiences and suffering into rich and satisfying lives.”
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 4th to June 6th 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
The Hemingway Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of 20th Century Wartime Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto’s book, Of White Ashes, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Hemingway 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!
Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place Hemingway Winners!
R.L. Pace – Rising Son
After centuries of self-imposed isolation, the Empire of Japan has re-emerged onto the world stage.
From their poverty-stricken farm in a remote village, the Sakai family sends their eldest son to the New World to begin life in the cane fields of Hawaii. There he is forced to adapt to a new climate, culture, and searing racial intolerance. With his new “picture bride”, the young man must flee the grueling sugar plantations for California, where their immigrant dream continues to elude them. Finally arriving on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, they will try to raise a family in a new era of hope.
Meanwhile, the son of a Japanese consular attaché, born and schooled in the USA, is whisked back to his homeland for military training in the tense months before the outbreak of WWII. His assignment to a clandestine spy operation targeting the western United States leaves him stranded with severe injuries. His recovery, his tenuous situation, and a newly kindled romance finds him questioning his true allegiance. Is Japan his homeland, or is it the US where his heart calls him?
From the splendid palaces of tsars, emperors and sugar barons to the dirt floor hovels of society’s most desperate, many of the historical figures who shaped the modern world come to life. Experience through these characters how simple misunderstandings, poor statecraft, and devastating wars whipsaw the lives of those they rule, often with tragic consequences.
Rising Son is an epic saga spanning a century in the lives of two families as their challenges, secrets, and desires intertwine. It is the story of simple people navigating a difficult world. A story of fear, of racial bigotry, of deception, honesty and love. Equal parts romantic adventure and cautionary tale.
A Priest’s Courage. A Village’s Redemption. A True Story of Faith and Resistance in the Third Reich.
In a Bavarian village gripped by Nazi tyranny, an American priest’s faith will be tested like never before.
Father Viktor Koch has spent the war quietly ministering to his parish, keeping their faith alive under the watchful eyes of Nazi authorities. But as Germany crumbles in 1945, a shocking discovery thrusts the village into a moral crisis.
A mass grave of concentration camp victims lies on the village’s border. When American liberators demand justice, the commander gives the villagers an impossible choice: unearth and bury the dead within 24 hours—or face mass execution.
With time running out, Father Viktor must summon extraordinary courage to protect his people. But can he convince the Americans of the villagers’ humanity, or will the legacy of Nazi atrocities condemn them all?
Inspired by true events, The Sower of Black Field is a poignant and gripping historical novel of resilience, faith, and redemption.
From Chanticleer:
In The Sower of Black Field, Katherine Koch’s historical fiction novel, Father Viktor Koch— a 67-year-old Catholic priest— presides over a monastery in a small German village, as the Nazi regime sweeps through the country.
The time is April, 1941. Fr. Viktor’s order, the U.S.-based Passionists, built the monastery eight years prior, providing employment for most of the villagers and remaining a symbol of their faith.
Fr. Viktor has lived in Europe for over 20 years, but balances his love of Germany, its land, its mysticism, with his American roots. He will need all his personal and religious resources over the next four years as the Nazis take hold in the village and, later, the Americans come to “de-Nazify” the town and hold its people responsible for the horrors of the Holocaust.
The village is far more Catholic than Nazi, even as the regime does its best to turn its citizens away from their faith.
Tim Turner & Moisey Gorbaty – The Reluctant Conductor
Feeling stifled as a Jew living in a Moldovan shtetl, violinist Elazar just wants to find love and eventually succeed his father as conductor of the family band and hardware business. But that could take years, and in 1922 Kalarash, there are very few girls his age and he’s known all of them since he was a child. He would love to move to Kishinev, Odesa, or Kyiv on his own and become a musician, but he knows it would kill his mama, and he’d feel guilty for the rest of his life.
At his cousin’s wedding in Kishinev, Elazar falls for Ita Kaplan, a wealthy heiress from Bolgrad, a key trade city on the Black Sea near the Romanian border, but she shuns him because she dreams of moving to Paris and becoming a painter. He then loses his heart to Mariam Gabashvili, the blossoming daughter of a local vintner, but his papa forbids him from marrying her because she’s not Jewish.
History-the rise of Stalin, his brutal takeover of Ukraine, and later Hitler’s invasion of the USSR-grants Elazar’s wishes in ways he never dreams, sending he and his family on an epic flight to Uzbekistan, where they endure the war, and then back to Moldova, where they pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
In this stunning novel based on true events, Tim Turner and Moisey Gorbaty brilliantly re-create Jewish life in the Soviet Union, where, while life was punishing and brutally unfair, one violinist finds music in devastation and conducts his family-his orchestra-in such a way as to not let the horrors defeat them or hate to overcome them.
When a harpooned whale offers proof the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is endangering all life in the Columbia River Basin, Luke Hinson, a brash young scientist, seizes the chance to avenge his father’s death but a thyroid cancer diagnosis derails Luke’s research. Between treatments, he dives back in, making enemies at every turn. On an overnight trek, Luke discovers evidence that Mary, his former neighbor, embarked on the same treacherous trail, and her disappearance, a decade prior, may be tied to Hanford’s harmful practices mired in government-mandated secrecy.
A love story wrapped in a mystery, this stunning Cold War home-front tale reveals the devastating costs of the birth of the nuclear age, and celebrates the quiet courage of wronged women, the fierce determination of fatherless sons, and the limitless power of the individual.
Tangles is a genre-defying must-read for our time.
‘Meet me near the Galata Bridge in thirty minutes. On the quay – the Karaköy side – at the pier, opposite Ali’s Fish Tavern. Don’t be late.’ There was a slight pause. ‘Make sure you’re not being followed.’
‘How will I recognise you?’ I asked.
‘You won’t. I will recognise you.’ There was a click and the line went dead.
Istanbul 1943. A place where you can easily lose yourself: an intoxicating mix of the orient – sweet and sensual – combined with an ever-present sense of adventure, intrigue, and danger. A place where the unknown lurks in the shadows of its famous winding streets and minarets; in every nightclub and backstreet cafe; on every ferry ride which makes you wonder if you will reach the other shore; and perhaps most of all, in the arms of every beautiful woman who declared her love for you.
Elliot Caldwell, an OSS agent operating from neutral Turkey, finds himself entangled in a dangerous mission to aid the Austrian resistance group known as CASSIA or the Maier-Messner group, which delivers vital information about Nazi armaments factories, including the production of the infamous V-2 rocket.
But after two men are found murdered, Elliot is forced to conclude there is a traitor in the network. In a cat and mouse game to uncover who it is, the network suffers a crushing blow with devastating consequences.
Based on real events, this is the story of one of the most important resistance groups of WWII, whose contributions were crucial for Operation Crossbow and Operation Hydra, both preliminary missions for Operation Overlord.
Also a 2024 Chanticleer Cover Design First Place Winner!
From New York Harbor to the battlefields of France, relive World War I through the eyes of an unknown soldier, as told through his diary. See how the 100-year-old diary brings a father and his estranged son back together by retracing his experiences fighting in the battlefields of France in 1917 – 1918 to his final resting place—the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
His diary was found next to his lifeless body by a young French girl who witnessed his death and bravery as he tried to protect his fellow soldiers. How the unknown soldier felt and what he experienced fighting on the Western Front in World War One —his day-to-day struggles and life as a private and then as an NCO. As he led his men into combat. The pride and fear he felt and the overwhelming stress he encountered, sometimes frozen with fear from the sheer brutality of modern warfare from all sides. His bravery in combat and leadership in training and on the battlefield. How he coped as he watched his fellow soldiers, battle buddies, and friends die one after another. Some from battlefield injuries from conventional weapons and gas attacks, but also diseases from the unsanitary conditions of trench warfare and influenza. His only wish was to come out alive, a wish that would never come true.
But return home, he did.
From Chanticleer:
One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier by Travis Davis is a compassionate and intimate portrait of the tenuous and unforgiving First World War, as shown through the eyes of an American soldier on France’s front lines. Based on real people and events in 1918 France,One of Fourbegins with a young French girl, Camille, who stumbles upon a diary lying next to an unknown American soldier. He was killed among his comrades in a German ambush near the banks of the Aire River, as he tried to protect his fellow soldiers. When Camille comes of age, she leaves her hometown to seek a better life in Paris. There, she is killed after joining a German resistance group. But before her death, she tucked the soldier’s diary in her Bible and hid it in a local bookstore.
Decades later, a man by the name of Walter travels to France with his son, Alex, to whom he’d become estranged after the painful divorce from Alex’s mother. He hopes this will be a journey of healing and exploration and that their time together will revive their shaky relationship. While there, Alex purchases the Bible left by Camille many years ago. By reading the hidden diary entries of the soldier together, Alex and Walter’s relationships takes an unexpected turn.
A law student at Dhaka University, Afsana’s future is bright. Her greatest concern is whether or not her parents will approve of her marriage. When they do, the young bride knows she can face anything the future holds.
Then war breaks out.
Six years later, she encounters a ghost from her past—her first husband, presumed dead in the fighting.
My War, My Child vividly and compassionately tells the story of Bengali birangona, the war heroines, whose lives were brutally torn apart by the 1971 War for Independence. Though the fight resulted in the freedom and independent nation so craved by the Bengali people, hundreds of thousands of women’s lives were devastated, leaving them to scrape together the pieces and carry on as best they could—often with children and orphans forced upon them.
This is a piece of history you’ve never heard before, an inside look at the resilience and strength of women around the world.
For B-24 bomber pilot Al Lycoming, the mission was history in the making. For Women’s Airforce Service Pilot Vivian Wright, it was a chance to put her skills to the ultimate test…and share in the burden of combat.
Dispatched to Benghazi on mysterious orders, Al Lycoming finds nearly 200 other B-24 bombers being assembled…and a top secret assignment that will catapult them all into seemingly impenetrable Nazi defenses.
Their mission: a daring low-level attack on Hitler’s extensive oil refineries.
But when his co-pilot falls ill at the last moment, Al secretly finds help from an unlikely source—Vivian.
Together, the two fly towards dark skies filled with enemy flak and fighters…and into the pages of history.
With perspectives from American and German pilots alike,When Heroes Flewmasterfully weaves together one of the most dangerous and incredible aerial operations of World War Two with a riveting tale of bravery, suspense, and self-sacrifice.
Ernest Hemingway understood that war reveals both the worst and best of human nature, the capacity for cruelty and the resilience of the human spirit, the cost of conflict and the bonds forged in extremity. The Hemingway Awards carry forward this literary tradition, celebrating authors who explore the profound impact of modern warfare on individuals, families, and entire generations caught in history’s most turbulent moments.
From the trenches of World War I to the complex conflicts of the 21st century, these stories preserve experiences that must not be forgotten. They honor the soldiers who fought, the civilians who endured, the families who waited, and the communities forever changed by the reverberations of war. In an age when conflicts can feel distant or abstract, wartime literature serves as an essential bridge to understanding war’s true human cost.
The Sacred Trust of Wartime Stories
Writing authentic wartime fiction requires both historical knowledge and deep empathy for human suffering. These stories serve as witnesses to history, preserving experiences that statistics and headlines cannot capture. They help readers understand that behind every battle, occupation, or campaign are individual human stories of courage, sacrifice, love, and survival. Whether based on family histories, extensive research, or personal experience, these narratives create emotional connections that ensure historical events remain meaningful to new generations.
The authors recognized by the Hemingway Awards understand that wartime fiction carries special responsibilities, to honor those who served and suffered, to accurately portray the complexities of conflict, and to illuminate the lasting impacts of war on both individuals and society.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re deeply honored to recognize Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto, whose powerful novel Of White Ashes claimed the 2024 Hemingway Grand Prize with a story that captures the emotional impact of tragic events from a child’s heart and perspective. Inspired by their own family histories, the authors craft a sweeping narrative that follows two Japanese Americans whose lives are shattered by Pearl Harbor: Ruby Ishimaru, who loses her liberty and is forced from Hawaii to mainland incarceration camps, and Koji Matsuo, who endures the menacing clouds of war in Japan while concealing a dangerous family secret.
When destiny brings Ruby and Koji together in post-war California, their magnetic chemistry must overcome the deep wounds of trauma that threaten to make their love another casualty of war. Of White Ashes exemplifies the finest wartime literature by illuminating “the remarkable lives of ordinary people who endure seemingly unbearable hardship with dignity and patience,” creating a story that compels reflection on both human resilience and the ongoing risk of history repeating itself. In addition to ongoing promotional features, Of White Ashes will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Of White Ashes will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Honor Every Wartime Experience
The Hemingway Awards recognize the full spectrum of modern wartime stories:
World War One – The Great War that changed the world forever, exploring the conflict that introduced modern warfare’s devastating scale
World War Two – The global conflict that defined a generation and reshaped international order
Women in War – Stories of the often-overlooked contributions and sacrifices of women during wartime
Occupation/Diaspora – Narratives of displacement, internment, exile, and the struggle to maintain identity under oppression
Espionage – The shadowy world of intelligence, resistance movements, and the moral complexities of wartime secrets
Love in Wartime – Romances tested by separation, danger, and the uncertainty that war brings to every relationship
Specific Campaign/Theater/Battle – Focused explorations of particular military operations, battles, or theaters of war
Each category represents a different lens through which to examine war’s impact on the human experience, from the grand sweep of global conflict to the intimate stories of individual survival and love.
Explore All Historical Fiction Divisions
The Hemingway Awards complete Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:
Laramie Awards for Americana Fiction – First Nation stories, the American frontier, pioneer tales, Civil War narratives, and contemporary westerns
Whether your historical fiction explores ancient civilizations, peaceful periods, or the specific crucible of modern warfare, Chanticleer offers recognition for every historical perspective.
Looking at Wartime Literature Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding wartime fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!
The Rocket Man’s Daughter
By Bruce Gardner
The Rocket Man’s Daughter: A Novel of Family, Faith and Resistance in Nazi Germany by Bruce Gardner tells a harrowing story of German life under the Nazi Regime from 1934 to 1945.
Through the experiences of a young woman whose family is torn by competing loyalties, this riveting tale shines a rarely seen spotlight on some of the most heart wrenching moral dilemmas faced by German civilians and soldiers caught up in the crucible of fascist tyranny and war.
Klara Neumann is the Rocket Man’s Daughter. She’s only fourteen in 1934 when the Führer, Adolf Hitler, finally eliminates all rivals and consolidates his control of Germany under the Nazi Party.
Klara’s family represents a microcosm of the country’s middle socio-economic class, working in government-sponsored roles that demand slavish obedience to the Führer and his decrees. Her father, Erich, is the quintessential ‘rocket man’, a university professor dragged into the Nazi war machine to help his friend and colleague Dr. Wernher von Braun develop the deadly new V-2 rockets intended to terrorize Germany’s future enemies. Her mother, meanwhile, strives to be a dutiful Nazi wife, her brother an honorable Wehrmacht army officer, and her elder sister Elke the devoted leader of a female Hitler Youth section.
A towering achievement,Broken Faces: Historical Romance Based on True WWI Eventsby Chris Karlsen and Jennifer A Conner follows two young people who, for different reasons, embark on a journey to restore the self-esteem torn from wounded soldiers by bloody conflict.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 plunged Europe into one of the most horrific wars in history. Daily British papers featured articles about a bleak future. London quickly felt the effects of the war, with stores closing and basic goods in limited supply.
Abigail Belorman, a young American woman and talented sculptor, had relocated to Britain with her newlywed husband Theo, the US ambassador to England. Pained by Theo’s emotional neglect, Abigail finds comfort in visiting injured soldiers who had returned from the front to a nearby hospital. Each of the young men there has a story to tell and wounds to recover from. Some, however, suffered irreparable damage to their faces, along with any chance at a normal life taken from them, and they will be forced into isolation.
Crossroads of Empire by Michael J. Cooper brings readers back into sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair’s journey through the battlefields of WWI. The adventures and the war itself pick up right where the award-winning Wages of Empire left off.As in the first book, Evan begins his part of this story by going missing, this time not just from his father’s perspective, but from his own. Severely injured during his service with the Flemish resistance, Evan is discharged from a French field hospital. He’s on his way back to England by hospital ship when it is sunk by a German U-boat. When he reaches British shores as the sole survivor in a lifeboat, he’s left with amnesia and has no memory of who he is.
Evan’s search for his own identity leads him to Rosslyn Castle, the Sinclair family’s ancestral home in Scotland. There he unravels secret family histories and connections long buried. Finally, with assistance from a wise woman, Evan regains his memory. Without the protection the amnesia provided, he faces a host of painful and traumatic memories.
One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier by Travis Davis is a compassionate and intimate portrait of the tenuous and unforgiving First World War, as shown through the eyes of an American soldier on France’s front lines. Based on real people and events in 1918 France,One of Fourbegins with a young French girl, Camille, who stumbles upon a diary lying next to an unknown American soldier. He was killed among his comrades in a German ambush near the banks of the Aire River, as he tried to protect his fellow soldiers. When Camille comes of age, she leaves her hometown to seek a better life in Paris. There, she is killed after joining a German resistance group. But before her death, she tucked the soldier’s diary in her Bible and hid it in a local bookstore.
Decades later, a man by the name of Walter travels to France with his son, Alex, to whom he’d become estranged after the painful divorce from Alex’s mother. He hopes this will be a journey of healing and exploration and that their time together will revive their shaky relationship. While there, Alex purchases the Bible left by Camille many years ago. By reading the hidden diary entries of the soldier together, Alex and Walter’s relationships takes an unexpected turn.
Everything We Had, book one of Tom Burkhalter’s No Merciful War series is an inexorable thrill that will grip readers tight. It starts with a poker game, through which a main character’s luck soon becomes evident. But will that luck hold out?
Jack—the poker player—and Charlie—Jack’s older brother—have been separated by war, even though that war has yet to be declared.Everything We Hadfocuses more on the machinations leading up to US involvement in World War II than on actual combat. The gears of war that have so many young men caught in them move with gradual but inevitable force, and soEverything We Hadtakes a more thoughtful approach to a historic moment in time.
Connecting with the characters is a gradual process as you get to know the intricacies that make up their individual personalities. This sets the reader up to feel the emotions of the characters as they face an uncertain fate, and throughout the book the author’s clear and methodical research shines with details such as specific views, locations, and—most notably—comprehensive descriptions of the airplanes Jack and Charlie pilot. This allows the reader to become deeply familiar with the motivations of the characters and the capabilities of the airplanes they fly.
These works demonstrate how the best wartime literature combines historical accuracy with profound emotional truth to honor both history and humanity.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re honored to receive the wartime stories that authors trust us with each year. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!
The Hemingway Awards provide recognition for stories that preserve crucial historical experiences while exploring the timeless themes of courage, sacrifice, and resilience. Whether you’re drawing from family history, extensive research, or historical records, these awards celebrate both the literary craft and moral responsibility required to tell wartime stories with authenticity and respect.
Your Wartime Story Matters
In an era when the veterans of major 20th-century conflicts are passing away, preserving their experiences through literature becomes increasingly important. Your wartime story, whether based on family history, historical research, or imagined experiences grounded in historical truth, helps ensure that the lessons of war and the resilience of the human spirit are not forgotten.
You have until August 31st to submit to the 2025 CIBAs!
Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (Better known by her Pen Name, Nellie Bly) created a new brand of Investigative Journalism. Best known for beating Jules Verne’s Around The World in 80 Days in 72 days, and even more amazingly, Going undercover to get herself put into a New York Mental Hospital to then publish an exposé on the unlivable conditions and mistreatment of marginalized women. Journalist, Novelist, Inventor and overall amazing Woman. So its only fitting that our Division for Investigative Journalism be named for the woman who made the genre.
We’re excited to celebrate the excellent caliber of work that we have had the honor of promoting in the CIBAs for Longform Journalism.
The Nellie Bly Awards are one of a kind. Check out the following books to find out why!
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, And a 20 Year Fight for Justice
By Dan Slepian
In 2002, Dan Slepian, a veteran producer for NBC’s Dateline, received a tip from a Bronx homicide detective that two men were serving twenty-five years to life in prison for a 1990 murder they did not commit.
Haunted by what the detective had told him, Slepian began an investigation of the case that eventually resulted in freedom for the two men and launched Slepian on a two-decade personal and professional journey into a deeply flawed justice system fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes and their consequences.
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justiceis Slepian’s account of challenging that system. The story follows Slepian on years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that led to a series of powerful Dateline episodes and eventually to freedom for four other men and to an especially deep and lasting friendship with one of them, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez. From his cell in Sing Sing, JJ aided Slepian in his investigations until his own release in 2021 after decades in prison.
Like Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, The Sing Sing Files is a deeply personal account of wrongful imprisonment and the flaws in our justice system, and a powerful argument for reckoning and accountability. Slepian’s extraordinary book, at once painful and full of hope, shines a light on an injustice whose impact the nation has only begun to confront.
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America By Paul Kix
Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novelYou Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.
This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.
When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.
The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.
To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.
Katz – executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”
America’s Forgotten Suffragists: Virginia and Francis Minor By Nicole Evalina
Comprehensive in its own right, America’s Forgotten Suffragists by Nicole Evelina is an essential addition to the canon of women’s suffrage and first-wave feminism.
Equal parts local history of women’s right to vote in the nineteenth century and biography of Virginia and Francis Minor, America’s Forgotten Suffragists illuminates the story of a wife-and-husband feminist duo who were the first to fight for women’s suffrage at the Supreme Court level.
We learn about the lives of Virginia and Francis Minor by way of historical records, intersecting timelines with other suffragists, and news articles and letters. Virginia Minor was raised on the new and intellectually stimulating University of Virginia campus, where her father worked. Born into a colonial settler and slave-owning family, Virginia came into her own as she grew older, forming abolitionist and feminist beliefs.
Prison From The Inside Out By William “Mecca” Elmore and Susan Simone
Prison from Inside Out: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom is an illuminating chronicle that tells the story of a man who not only survived the stoniest soil but used his experiences to thrive as a human being.
This arresting memoir is essentially a road trip of William ‘Mecca’ Elmore, a man with a tumultuous childhood, growing up in a neighborhood chock full of social problems. It is in this environment that Elmore is involved in a crime that consequently leads to his arrest and trial. The story builds upon his incarceration in various correctional facilities, his experiences, his release through a Mutual Agreement Parole Program, and his eventual redemption.
The Military and Front Line Awards recognize the extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and dedication of those who serve on the front lines—whether in military combat, medical emergencies, or other critical service roles. These powerful narratives capture the human experience behind the uniform, revealing stories of heroism, resilience, and the profound impact of service on individuals, families, and communities. From military memoirs to frontline healthcare experiences, these works honor those who answer the call to serve others, often at great personal cost.
Truth and authentic experience matter now more than ever. The Military and Front Line Awards seek exceptional non-fiction that illuminates the realities of service, the bonds forged under pressure, and the lasting effects of dedicating one’s life to protecting and serving others.
Let’s celebrate the Grand Prize Winners of the Military and Front Line Awards!
Memoirs From the Frontlines: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic
By Kim Sloan, RSN and Travel ICU RN
From Amazon:
2020, the year the world shut down. My husband and I had been living our best lives. John had been a nurse since 2001 and I’d also been a nurse since 2008. We’d been traveling the country as Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/Emergency Room (ER) travel Registered Nurses (RNs) since 2017. We arrived in Southern Georgia for our ninth assignment in the fall of 2019. We had no idea what we had signed up for when we accepted this extension for our placement there—that this small town was about to become a major epicenter for COVID—that we would see more death in those few months than in all our prior years of nursing combined. We had no idea that the world was about to completely shut down because of a virus, or that we were about to become front-line heroes!
We also worked in Tennessee, Washington state, and Las Vegas, Nevada during those years, losing patients to the Coronavirus in all three states. COVID never changed no matter what state we were working in.
While writing this memoir has been very therapeutic, my true intentions are to provide a look at my experience so others can begin their own healing process. I also want others to understand by reading this memoir that it’s ok to make mistakes, and it’s ok to apologize for those mistakes. But most of all, even throughout a pandemic and even through a mental breakdown, it’s ok to lose your “voice,” but it’s not ok to give up finding that voice once again. Dark times are ok for a short time; however, to live in the dark is not living. You need to find your light and adjust to the world that surrounds you, COVID and all!
Chasing The Daylight: One Woman’s Journey to Becoming a US Army Intelligence Officer By Joanna Rakowski
Chasing The Daylight by Joanna Rakowski is a revealing memoir that captures the rigor, intensity, and ferocity of military training in a salient style.
Ever wondered what it takes to become a soldier in one of the most powerful armies in the world?
Joanna Rakowski was born in Poland and grew up practicing dance from a young age, eventually becoming a professional classical ballet dancer and teacher. Upon her migration to the US in 1995 and the painful fallout with her friend and mentor, Chris, Joanna knew she needed to make a drastic change in her life. Her great awakening came when she decided to transform from a fragile and sensitive ballerina into a steadfast U.S. Army soldier, a goal that many close to her doubted she could accomplish.
With arresting insights, the text builds from Rakowski’s striking introduction as it describes her first day of enlistment, which was filled with uncertainties.
Lost in Beirut: A True Story of Love, Loss and War By Ashe and Magdalena Stevens
Seeking to “fill his vessel with the truth,” young Ashe Stevens joins his friends on a thrilling adventure beyond the safety of his comfortable American life to chase stardom in Beirut, Lebanon.
Leaving behind a raucous life of plenty in Hollywood – complete with hot dates, popularity, and financial success – to the unknown of the Middle East teaches Ashe to prioritize his values and beliefs. But nothing could prepare him for what’s coming next.
Journey with Ashe and his friends as they bring the rapper 50 Cent to Beirut, the “Paris of the Middle East.” Along the way, Ashe dates not one, but two drop-dead gorgeous billionaires and falls head over heels for a blonde beauty to whom he promises to devote his life. But just as business is booming and true love reaches the height of bliss, the Israeli military bombs their beautiful city, “weaving a tapestry of death all over the night sky.” The team barely makes it out with their lives in a harrowing escape, leaving their love and livelihoods behind.
Dear Bob: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War 2 By Martha Bolton with Linda Hope
During World War II, Bob Hope traveled almost ceaselessly to outposts large and small, entertaining US troops – and inspiring them; Martha Bolton brings the extent of this work to light in Dear Bob.
Writer Martha Bolton worked with and for comedian Bob Hope. Now, with Hope’s daughter Linda, she has gathered and organized the letters written to Bob by the soldiers he helped.
Hope, English born, and born to entertain, once said he could not retire and go fishing because “Fish don’t applaud.” Among his sizzling lines – and there are hundreds recorded here – he told one audience that he’d gotten a wonderful welcome when he arrived at their camp: “I received a 10-gun salute… They told me on the operating table.”
His performances could have been forgotten were it not for the letters from soldiers of every stripe, and those soldiers’ families – who did not forget him.
The Laramie Book Awards
The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Historical Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Rozsa Gaston’s book, Maid of Honour will be promoted for years to come in our 
