Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Book to Film

Chanticleerians in the News: Go from Page to Screen with Kim Hornsby

Masterclass Instructor, USA Today Bestselling Author, and Chanticleer Keynote Kim Hornsby invites you to join her on the next adventure!

Realize your book-to-screen dreams in Greece this fall!

When your mission is to Discover Today’s Best Books, you come across good news regarding authors!

Kim Hornsby came to Chanticleer as a First Place Winner for the Paranormal Awards (now Shelley Awards) almost a decade ago for her book Dream Jumper, which has been optioned for film. She gave the Friday keynote at the last Chanticleer Authors Conference where she shared insights from her journey from bestselling novelist to produced screenwriter—and she’s ready to show authors how to follow in her footsteps.

Braving Rapids is streaming now!

Hornsby’s family adventure film Braving Rapids launched May 15th across streaming platforms, bringing her rafting screenplay to life with what she describes as “a darling puppy” and a heartwarming story about a grieving family’s healing journey. And the good news keeps coming as her Lifetime Thriller, Secret Life of My Other Wife recently premiered on LMN!

This Amazon #1 and USA Today bestselling author wants to share her book-to-screen expertise. Hornsby is heading to the Greek Isle of Patmos this September 20-25, 2025 to mentor writers at an exclusive retreat focused on transforming novels into screenplays.

Beautiful Patmos, Greece

Authors can learn to write a screenplay while staring at the cerulean Aegean Sea, and already one Chanticleer author has signed up for the adventure. For authors dreaming of seeing their stories on screen, this is a rare opportunity to learn from someone who’s actually done it. From her island home off Seattle, Hornsby has transformed her Chanticleer-recognized paranormal fiction into a multimedia success spanning streaming platforms, cable networks, and film options.

Registration is open now, and spots are limited!

Ready to turn your own stories into award-winning successes?

You know you want it…

Don’t miss out! Several Chanticleer International Book Award divisions have deadlines fast approaching. Kim’s journey from Shelley Award winner to produced screenwriter shows exactly what recognition can launch. Whether you’re crafting paranormal fiction for our Shelley Awards or working in any of our genre divisions, professional recognition opens doors to opportunities you might never have imagined.

Submit your manuscript today before deadlines close!

June 20, 2025
Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC25) is Almost Sold Out!
There’s still time to Register for the Chanticleer Authors Conference!

First, we want to take a moment to congratulate all our Finalists again! You can find the full lists of Finalists in each division below!
- Finalists for Fiction
- Finalists for Non-Fiction
- Finalists for Shorts and Series
- CCDA Finalists for Fiction and for Non-Fiction
These wonderful authors put themselves out there, and we are honored to have been able to promote them throughout the 2024 CIBA year and beyond! Good luck in these final rounds of judging!

What to Expect at CAC25!

Publishing as the Hub of Technology

The world of publishing continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. Technology has become central to every aspect of the industry, from writing and editing to marketing and distribution. At Chanticleer, we take pride in offering a conference that embraces the latest in publishing technologies. Our event provides a comprehensive look at the best tools and strategies authors can use to build their brands, market their work, and increase sales. We’ll explore everything from AI and metadata management to cutting-edge marketing techniques, ensuring you are well-equipped to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

Register today!

In addition to offering invaluable business and marketing insights, we are also featuring select advanced writing craft classes to help authors take their writing to the next level. Whether you’re looking to improve your storytelling techniques, explore new narrative structures, or refine your manuscript, CAC25 has something for everyone.

Headliners

J. D. BARKER- Int’l Bestselling Thriller Author

J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels, including DRACUL and the wildly popular 4MK series. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, and optioned for both film and television. Barker resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.

CHRISTINE FAIRCHILD – Author, Book Doctor, and Dialogue Expert

Christine Fairchild offers 35+ years experience as a writer, editor, and book doctor. She’s conducted celebrity interviews (XFiles, SciFiMall.com), edited for technical giants (Microsoft, Hitachi), and served as a marketing/readability specialist for consumer products (DHL, Cingular, AT&T). She now specializes in Suspense fiction and helps authors take their work, and their career, to the next level through her online workshops, classes at conferences and one-on-one book-doctoring of clients’ novels. She also writes suspense and historical fiction, so she understands the challenges authors face in their craft and the publishing industry.

KIM HORNSBY – USA Today Bestselling Author, Producer, and Screenwriter

Kim Hornsby is a USA Today Bestselling Author and Produced Screenwriter known for adapting her novels to screenplays. With 16 novels and as many screenplays Kim is also a movie producer, with Braving Rapids, a Family Adventure and Secret Life of My Other Wife, a Lifetime Thriller slated to release early ’25. Comfort & Joy starts filming for a Christmas ’25 release as well as Christmas in Crystal Creek. She teaches her method of adapting from book to film at conferences nationally including Chanticleer, the RWA and PNWA. Her Christmas Romance novels and Suspense Mystery novels have sold over half a million books and she’s thrilled write happy-ending stories for her readers.

A mother, dog owner, kayaker, painter, and avid adventurer, Kim loves to travel but when home she writes from a desk overlooking her forested acreage on an island off Seattle conjuring up entertainment with gutsy heroines amongst diverse and inclusive characters to represent real life.

www.KimHornsby.info

See the full list of faculty here!

Can’t make it on Friday? Saturday-only passes are available! These passes include lunch, the banquet, and participation in the Saturday Book Fair at the Bellingham Yacht Club, followed by the Village Books Book Fair the next day at their flagship store in Fairhaven!

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com. We try our best to reply within 3 business days.

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!

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the 2024 CIBAs! We wish you all the best of luck during these final rounds of judging and hope to see you at CAC25, April 3 – 6, 2025!

Best regards,
Kiffer Brown, David Beaumier, Dena Weigel, Anya Mueller, Scott Taylor, Argus Brown
and Team Chanticleer
March 19, 2025
Diving Into New Adventures in Writing – Kim Hornsby’s path to becoming an award-winning screenwriter

Fearing the unknown isn’t something that weighs on author Kim Hornsby’s mind. Throughout her adventurous life, she has found herself in the most unusual environments–scuba diving with whales and dolphins, performing in front of an audience as a singer, and writing her first book while overseas to adopt her daughter.

Kim Hornsby is unstoppable!

An Adventurous Spirit

Hornsby’s path to becoming a writer is one many of us are familiar with. A family event—in this case, the adoption of her daughter—created an opportunity for writing that was seen by her group of friends and family through emails sent out as updates on the adoption process. Encouraged by the reception of her missives, she was prompted by friends to write a book about the process. Hornsby did write about their adoption story but chose to write it as a fictionalized version of what they experienced. This led to a career path that has taken her novels to bookshelves all around the world and screenplays that have been made into Hollywood movies!

Diving deep into this new adventure, Hornsby wrote her first novel for publication. The Jumper’s Promise kicked off The Dream Jumper series, and Hornsby hasn’t stopped since! Today, she’s the author of multiple standalone novels as well as several series with themes as diverse as light romantic, police procedural, paranormal, and suspense thriller. Hornsby’s books have been on the USA Today and Amazon bestseller lists, and her award-winning screenplays have been made into movies for television.

Coming Full Circle

Hornsby’s writing career has come full circle with the publication of her screenplay, Braving Rapids (movie released in 2024). It’s a child’s story of her own adoption told through her adoption of an abandoned wolf cub. It’s a beautiful full circle story that illustrates the fact that love doesn’t have to born into the family. Love can be welcomed into the family with all the intense emotion that is needed to claim one’s heart.

The Jumper’s Promise also completes a full circle for Hornsby, with the movie version of her first published book currently under production. The story revolves around her experience as a scuba diving instructor, combining dark supernatural suspense elements with the excitement and adventure she experienced as part of Maui’s scuba diving scene. To be able to adapt this compelling story into a producible screenplay is a monumental achievement for an author’s first published novel, and it perfectly illustrates Hornsby’s ability to create stories that resonate on the page as well as on the screen.

Sharing Her Specialized Knowledge with Authors

After years of focusing on her own work, Kim Hornsby is now sharing the knowledge she’s gained with other authors through two writing advice books, Book to Screenplay – Writing the Adaptation: A Guide for Beginner Screenwriters and Christmas in Whistler/Slippery Slope Christmas – Novel and Script: The Adaptation of Book to Screenplay. Both provide valuable information, with the former offering a comparison of her novella with the screenplay that was based on the book, along with explanations of how the story evolved to be more cinematic.

Kim is presenting a workshop on Plotting and Writing a Movie – From First Idea to the Last Page

Are you a storyteller? Have you ever wondered how to write a movie? It’s easier than you think.

It all starts with an idea and a main character. In this romp through storytelling, produced screenwriter Kim Hornsby will teach you the surprisingly simple process of movie storytelling from the opening shot on the big screen to when the credits roll.
Learn the art of crafting your story while comparing movie writing to book writing. By the end of the class, you will have the opening scene to your screenplay with a clear idea of how to continue with the rest of the story using the ten essentials of screenwriting.

Write a screenplay! You know you want to.

Kim Hornsby is a USA Today Bestselling Author and Produced Screenwriter known for adapting her novels to screenplays. With 16 novels and as many screenplays Kim is also a movie producer, with Braving Rapids, a Family Adventure and Secret Life of My Other Wife, a Lifetime Thriller slated to release early ’25. Comfort & Joy starts filming for a Christmas ’25 release as well as Christmas in Crystal Creek. She teaches her method of adapting from book to film at conferences nationally including Chanticleer, the RWA and PNWA. Her Christmas Romance novels and Suspense Mystery novels have sold over half a million books and she’s thrilled write happy-ending stories for her readers.

A mother, dog owner, kayaker, painter, and avid adventurer, Kim loves to travel but when home she writes from a desk overlooking her forested acreage on an island off Seattle conjuring up entertainment with gutsy heroines amongst diverse and inclusive characters to represent real life.

www.KimHornsby.info

As her reputation as a superb author rises, we see Kim Hornsby taking on new adventures at every opportunity. It is the continuation of a sense of adventure that permeates her life, and I feel encouraged in my own writing career to take a leap of faith, too.

Chanticleer is thrilled to bring Kim Hornsby back to the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC2025) and the International Book Awards (CIBA) on April 3-6, 2025, to share her knowledge with Chanticleer authors.

Don’t miss out on this chance to learn from author and screenwriter Kim Hornsby!

Register now! Space is limited!

Follow this link to reserve your spot at this special event!

March 7, 2025
Spotlight on Lisa Spicer- Producer, Editor and Writer
LISA SPICER – Producer, Editor, Writer

Lisa Spicer has worked in television, film, and video production for over 30 years as producer, writer, and editor. Starting in the documentary unit at KCTS/PBS Seattle, she worked there later on the Bill Nye the
Science Guy show, earning 3 Emmys. As an independent documentary producer, she has worked in Kenya, Mexico’s Lacandon rainforest, Northern Cheyenne and Lummi Indian reservations, Boulder, Seattle, and Bellingham.

Lisa has a BA in Broadcast Journalism and certificates in Filmmaking and Screenwriting (UW). Mid-career she earned an MA in Anthropology (WWU). Integrating anthropology into documentary, she
co-produced Homeless in Bellingham, an award-winning web series and documentary, and served as Consulting Anthropologist for the feature documentary, Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie.

Recently finishing an historical novel, Radio Smokva, she’s now writing about her back-to-the-land childhood and publishing a weekly series on Substack, Collective Effervescence: Research About the Counterculture.

Lisa will lead a workshop called How to Read a Film, with a focus to enhance your fluency in the language of film. Rooted in the practice of mise-en-scene, learn how meaning is conveyed through elements such as camera angle, set design, motif (shapes), lighting, actors, sound, all of which work together in support of the narrative.

Tips and Tools with the Screen in Mind – by Lisa G. Spicer
- Writing for the screen or with the screen in mind, whether narrative or non-fiction (documentary) film.
  
  Ex: From any story, what is selected to be scripted and filmed? How is it framed (what do we see)?
  
  Ex: Screenplays are written in present tense
- As related to writing, film borrows from theater by using elements of mis en scene and motif.
  
  Ex: How do theater directors use props and costume to support the narrative?
  
  Writing for film or with film in mind can be informed by the craft and how films are actually made.
Ex: Basic camera terminology, used throughout entire process: writing, filming, editing.
Still thinking about Registering for the Chanticleer Authors Conference?

Register Today!

We have a stellar line up of speakers for CAC24, with multiple options to attend.

We have a stellar line up of speakers for CAC24, with multiple options to attend. Find out why The 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 April 19-21, 2024 at the Four Seasons By Sheraton in Bellingham, WA.
April 2, 2024
Screenwriter and Producer Kim Hornsby to Present Books to Film Sessions at CAC24
We are thrilled to have Kim Hornsby present

at the

2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference focusing on Books to Film!

Kim Hornsby is a USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author along with being a sold, multi-optioned, and produced screenwriter. Her Chanticleer Paranormal Book Awards winning novel, The Dream Jumper’s Promise, is in development with plans to film in late 2024. We are excited for her Romcom Christmas movie, Christmas in Crystal Creek, that is slated for filming in 24/25. She teaches adaptation of books to scripts across North America. Kim has a diverse portfolio of scripts and novels that include Christmas, thrillers, and stalkers, although not in the same story.

Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2024, Kim Hornsby

We are beyond thrilled to have this long-time Chanticleerian join us again at CAC24 where she will present, teach, sit on panels, and participate. Kim will share her Books to Film journey with us along with the Tips and Tricks she has picked up on it. Don’t miss out on her special Kaffeeklatsch session either!

Sessions that Kim Hornsby will present:
- Writing the Hollywood Adaptation Master Class Workshop – Please click here to register for Kim’s Master Class.
  - This book to film class is specifically an adaptation guide. Learn how to take your book, extract the scenes needed for a movie and turn it into a script. She concentrates on Plotting and Formatting (for film) with all the tips and tricks.
  - Thursday, April 18, 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.
- Learn the Power of Pitch Decks, Log Lines, and Quick Pitches to Your Own Original Story to make an exec or producer realize they have to have this movie.
- From Novel to Production – The Story of Dream Jumper’s Promise
- How to Write the “TV movie” (which covers Hallmark Christmas, Lifetime Thrillers, and the 9 Act Script).
- Why Write a Series Panel
- Multi-Author Anthologies – the Why and How Panel In this session, Kim will touch on how she got her USA Bestseller status through a targeted campaign with other authors.
- Life After You Finish Your Screenplay – How to market your work, yourself, be seen by producers, execs, studios. How to get a Lit Manager or Agent and if you need one.
All this and more, at the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the Chanticleer International Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony.

CAC24 Dates: April 18th – April 21st, 2024
- Thursday, April 18th – Master Classes
- Friday and Saturday, April 19th & 20th – Keynote Luncheons, Conference Sessions, Kaffeeklatsches, Networking “Happy Hours”
- Saturday Evening, April 20th – The 2023 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony
- Sunday, April 21st – Book Fair by Village Books (more info to come regarding Sunday’s activities). We have a few surprises in mind 🙂
CAC24 and the 2023 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony will be held at the Sheraton Four Points on Lakeway Avenue, Bellingham, Wash. Centered amid popular downtown attractions, the Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel & Conference Center is a haven of contemporary comfort and conveniently located.

Discounted room rates are available until the block is filled or March 18th. Click here to access the link and info.

Please check back often for the latest information about CAC24!

Don’t Delay! Register Today! Seating is limited.
January 24, 2024
Chanticleer Authors Conference – Update and Latest Info by Kiffer Brown
Learn from the Best at CAC 23!

~Book to Film Workshop – What Every Author Needs to Know~

~How to Use Magazine Features to Promote Your Works~

~Travel Writing – How To and Breaking In to the Business~

~Podcasting for Authors~

~Narrative Fiction Podcasts vs Audiobooks~

~Decoding the Amazon Algorithm~

~Outlining Your Books, Pacing & Plotting, Genre Specific Editing~

~Kickstarter Publishing – Primer and How-To ~

~Exercising and Building Good Movement Habits for the Writing Life~

~BookBub and Book Funnel Selling Platforms~

~Increasing Your Email List and Expanding Your Readership~

~Book Covers that Sell~

~ChatGPT – What is it and What does it mean for authors and content creators~

~Multi-Channel Marketing for Authors ~

~How to be Your Own Book Publicist~

~Alphabet Soup (SEO, ISBNs, BISAC, Meta-Data) for Book Distribution and Discovery~

and many more sessions on the marketing and business side of being an author and publisher

Don’t Delay – Register Today!

Only Four Weeks until the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference

and the

2022 Chanticleer International Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony

Join us at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether on beautiful Bellingham Bay!

There are FIVE different registration packages available!
1. Book to Film 3-Hour Workshop with Maggie Marr, Atty – Creative Representation
2. 3-Day All Inclusive Registration with CIBA Ceremony and Banquet with options for discounted Book to Workshop, Companion Pass Option, and CIBA Dinner Guest option.
3. 2-Day Registration Pass with Awards Banquet – Saturday and Sunday & Book Fair
4. “Locals” Basic Day Pass for Saturday and Sunday Registration – No Awards Banquet. Book Fair included
5. CIBA Banquet and Ceremony Only for Saturday Evening
Join Us for the Crowning Event

of the

Chanticleer Authors Conference

the CIBAs Annual Banquet and Ceremony

The Icing on the Cake, the Crowning Event, the Highlight of the conference is the CIBA Banquet and Awards Ceremony that is held on Saturday evening of the conference.

The CIBA Banquet and Ceremony

First, we start with a cocktail hour (five-thirty in the afternoon with a cash bar, complimentary appetizers are served at six o’clock in the evening.

Most every one is dressed to impress – either “in brand,” posh, or “after-five” special. Of course, this is Bellingham, so there will always be those who bring out their best fleece and wool socks!

The ceremony photographer is set-up to take complimentary headshots, group photos, and, of course, photograph the ceremony announcements and presentations. After the event, he continues with division group photos, winner photos, cheering sections photos—a lot of photos—that attendees may download digitally for free!

Our CAC23 photographer is Dwayne Rogge of PhotoTreeHouse Photography, Bellingham, WA.

FINALIST attendees are given a Finalist Ribbon to attach to their name badge upon registration pick-up—btw.

Also, there are many different lodging options for different budgets and needs. Click here for more info

Who will take home the coveted Chanticleer Blue Ribbons?

At seven o’clock in the evening, each attendee is handed a ceremony program with all the Finalists listed by division.

Next, we are seated for a lovely dinner catered by the Hotel Bellwether. Acknowledgements, a short keynote presentation, and recognition of the Finalists in attendance during the salad course.

Then we enjoy the Northwest inspired dinner prepared by the Hotel Bellwether’s Executive Chef Marcello Mazzoleni.

After dinner, coffee and dessert (the cash bar stays open the entire time!) are served and we begin the announcements for the Division First Place Award Winners. We have a small break and photo opportunities.

Next, we announce the Division Grand Prize Winners. And, finally, the Overall GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the 2022 CIBAs!

More photos are taken!

At the end of the glorious evening, we all head to the Hotel Bellwether’s fireside bar to gather and enjoy each others company and congratulate the winners.
March 24, 2023
LEARN FROM THE BEST at the Chanticleer Authors Conference – April 2023 – Kiffer Brown
LEARN FROM THE BEST AT CAC23

It exactly two months before

the annual Chanticleer Authors Conference!

LEARN from the BEST!

As many Chanticleerians have learned over the years, we rarely can list our presenters six-months or even four-months, two-months in advance. Why? Because many of the experts we have had the honor and privilege of them presenting at the annual Chanticleer Authors Conferences are contingent upon us being flexible with our schedules and accommodating with their schedules.

This year is no different, especially with everything opening back up. We are thrilled to have Maggie Marr along with Eric Lucas and Reenita Mohltra Hora presenting at CAC23 as well as a few more other surprise presenters that we are awaiting confirmation.

So, please stay tuned for more info! Meanwhile, REGISTER TODAY – Seats are limited!

Book to Film Workshop – presented by Maggie Marr, Atty, Creative Representation

Maggie has negotiated deals and has worked with Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount, Hallmark Channel, Universal, BET, and Hulu.

We are thrilled to announce that Maggie Marr will teach a three-hour workshop on Books to Film & TV on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at CAC23. Along with the workshop, she will also present several sessions during the conference (Friday and Saturday) on copyright law, contracts, entertainment and publishing representation, and more during CAC23.

Eric Lucas is a long-term professional writer and editor; former Associate Editor at Alaska Airlines Magazine. His work is published in venues with millions of readers each month, around the world. He has eight books to his credit, including Michelin Travel Publications, MSN.com, and other travel guides.

He is presenting sessions at CAC23 on:
- - Essentials of Good Writing for Professional Contributors
    
    How to Successfully Approach Magazine Editors
    
    How to Use Magazine Features as Incredibly Useful Springboards to Books
    
    Travel Writing Kaffeeklatsch
    
    Copy Writing – Editing Tips
    
    and more!
REENITA MALHOTRA HORA – Podcaster & Broadcast Journalist & Contributor
Reenita Malhotra Hora is the CEO of Chapter by Episode Productions. She has years of experience growing organizations from startups to medium-sized businesses through storytelling, creative marketing and business strategy. Hora has also written seven books.

She has contributed to Reuters, the South China Morning Post family section, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN, Asian Investor, Times of India, Business Line, Bloomburg on-air news reporter, writer, and producer, Rolling Stone, and the Economic Times.

Reenita will present sessions on podcasting, finding your audience, how to write interesting content to expand readerships, marketing tips and tools for authors, and more.

Stay tuned for more info!

Handy Links

CAC23 Registration

Lodging Options

Maggie Marr Books to Film Workshop

FACULTY

Please do not hesitate to contact Kiffer at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or David (Author Outreach) at DBeaumier@ChantiReviews.com with any questions or concerns.

Hope to see you soon! – Kiffer
February 27, 2023
The 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference, the 2020 CIBA Announcements, and an Update – by Kiffer Brown
Happy Spring to our Northern Hemisphere Chanticleerians!

Happy Autumn to our Southern Hemisphere Chanticleerians!

What a crazy and challenging past year it has been! We are certainly looking forward to warmer and longer days here in the Pacific Northwest!

Spring here brings tidings of the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC)!

But, alas, this spring CAC will be VCAC once again due to Covid.

However, we have an exciting line-up of ACE Presenters for VCAC 21.

The VCAC 21 Sessions will be LIVE and INTERACTIVE!

Learn from the Best at VCAC 21!

The Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference will take place April 21 – 24, 2021 via ZOOM webinar.

VCAC will feature bestselling international crime and mystery author Cathy Ace.

VCAC 21 and the 2020 CIBA Finalists Announcements will be broadcasted over ZOOM live from the Hotel Bellwether’s Admiral’s Room. Please scroll down for more information.

WEDNESDAY, April 21, 2021 (you may register for these separately from VCAC or combine) Registration is Required for the Master Class and the Workshop.
- 9:10 a.m. until noon — Book Distribution/Production WORKSHOP by Paul Hanson, Village Books
  - How to get Your Books on Independent Booksellers Shelves across North America – The WHY, WHAT, and HOW with Paul Hanson, Village Books
- 1 – 4:30 p.m. — Master Writing Class with Jessica Morrell
  - Story People: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly as taught by Jessica P. Morrell
We’ll discuss the many roles for your story people from protagonist to minor characters, and delineate their impact on the plots and protagonist. However, we’ll also cover the outliers in fiction and the chaos, conflict, zest, and realism they add to your story world. To further expand our discussion we’ll also cover immersive, intimate viewpoint and narrative distance. Please bring your favorite imaginary folks to the workshop.

Click here to Register for Jessica’s always in demand Master Writing Class.

Click here to learn how to navigate getting your books on the shelves of Indie Bookstores with Paul Hanson, Village Books.

You may register for one or both of these without registering for VCAC21.

Click here to Register for VCAC 21 and check out Jessica’s always in demand Master Class and Paul’s workshop on how to get into national distribution to Indie Bookshops.

April 22, 23, & 24 Sessions – 9:10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. PST.

VCAC21 Registration is Required for Attendance

The next three days, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, will offer the VCAC Sessions. These sessions will be held one at a time through out the day. These one hour-long sessions will be LIVE and Interactive with Q & A periods and discussion.

The day sessions will include Cathy Ace, crime and mystery author sharing her writing craft and marketing tips along with other stellar presenters.

Learn from the Best at VCAC21!

Click here for more information about VCAC 21 Faculty.

Click here for the VCAC 21 Schedule.

Click here to register for VCAC 21

The 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Announcements

The 2020 CIBAs FINALISTS

We will announce the titles and authors whose works advanced from the 2020 CIBA Semi-Finalists position to the Premier Finalists Level starting at 6 p.m. on April 22, 23, & 24 according to the following schedule:

Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. PST
- CYGNUS – Science Fiction
- Paranormal – Supernatural Fiction
- OZMA – Fantasy Fiction
- Mystery & Mayhem – Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries
- CLUE – Suspense & Thriller
- Global Thrillers – High Stakes and Lab Lit
- Dante Rossetti – Young Adult Fiction
Click here to Register to Attend this 2020 CIBA Finalists Announcement Event. A confirmation will be sent you from ZOOM for this Chanticleer CIBA Event held on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 6 p.m.

Friday, April 23, 2021 at 6 p.m. PST
- Laramie – Americana & Western Fiction
- Goethe – Post 1750s Historical Fiction
- Chaucer – Pre 1750s Historical Fiction
- Chatelaine – Romantic Fiction
- Mark Twain – Satire, Allegory, and Humor Fiction
- Somerset – Literary and Contemporary Fiction
- Gertrude Warner – Middle-Grade Readers
Click here to Register to Attend this 2020 CIBA Finalists Announcement Event. A confirmation will be sent you from ZOOM for this Chanticleer CIBA Event held on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 6 p.m. PST – Non-Fiction Divisions
- Hearten Book Awards – Uplifting, Humorous, Inspirational
- Harvey Chute – Business, Enterprise, and Finance
- Mind and Spirit Book Awards
- Nellie Bly – Investigative and Long Form Journalism
- Instruction & Insight Book Awards – How – To and Guides, Cookbooks
- Journey Book Awards – Memoir, Survival and Trauma accounts
- Little Peeps – Early Readers and Picture Books
Click here to Register to Attend this held on Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 6 p.m.2020. A confirmation will be sent you from ZOOM for this Chanticleer CIBA Event.

The 2020 CIBA Finalists announcements will be on FACEBOOK LIVE and on ZOOM webinars. Attendance is Free but Registration is Required for Each Day that you want to attend.

2020 CIBA 1st Place and Grand Prize Winners

and the

2020 Winners of the SHORTS and FICTION SERIES

The 2020 CIBA First Place and Grand Prize Winners along with the SHORTS and FICTION Series Winners will be announced on June 5, 2021 at the HYBRID CIBA Ceremony and Dinner.

The CIBA Ceremonies will be ZOOMED LIVE and on FaceBook LIVE Events.

Attendance is FREE, but Registration is Required. All VCAC registered attendees will automatically be registered and will be sent the ZOOM Link.

We will broadcast via ZOOM and FaceBook LIVE the 2020 CIBA WINNERS Announcements from the Hotel Bellwether on JUNE 5, 2021 starting at 3 p.m. PST

After VCAC 21 and the FINALISTS announcements, we post the link on how to register for this FREE Event. The link and registration from will be posted by May 1, 2021.

After the announcements, we will host a HYBRID VIRTUAL/LIVE Happy Hour for the virtual and in-person attendees at the Hotel Bellwether.

Because our Chanticleer Team and Local Chanticleer Authors will be vaccinated, we are having small dinner event to celebrate VCAC21 and the 2020 CIBA Winners.

It will be our first gathering since the initial Shelter-In-Place orders of early March 2020. And we are EXCITED. If you have been fully vaccinated and live within driving distance or want to fly in, we invite you to join us for an evening of camaraderie and celebration. If you would like more information about attending and participating, please email KBrown@ChantiReviews.com

SAVE the DATE for CAC 22

We have

2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference

and the

2021 CIBA Book Awards Gala & Banquet

Scheduled for April 7 – 10, 2022

at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
April 17, 2021
Cathy Ace | VCAC21 Headliner Crime and Mystery

Cathy Ace | VCAC21 HEADLINERS

Crime and Mystery Writer

Cathy Ace is an entertaining speaker; over the years she’s chatted engagingly, made complex Powerpoint presentations, and read her work or hosted and been Master of Ceremony for various events and conferences. She’s done this at venues as diverse as a plant nursery in Canada, a dazzling Livery Hall in the City of London, and a grade 12 schoolroom.

Having run her own post-graduate marketing communications training company in the UK for a decade, and having traveled the world as a management trainer, she’s now able to take all that experience and be an “edu-taining” speaker who is funny, insightful, knows her stuff and can speak about topics ranging from the broad base of The History of Mystery, to more intimate and personal topics such as how she plans, plots and writes her bestselling mysteries.

BIG NEWS FOR CATHY…Her Cait Morgan Mysteries have been optioned for TV by the UK production company Free@Last TV, which is responsible for the hit TV series based on MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin books (Hamish MacBeth series). The same company has optioned The Wrong Boy, with plans for it to be broadcast as a three-part miniseries, in Welsh and English.

Below are the titles for the Cait Morgan Mysteries in all their glory! A fraction of the books Cathy Ace has written!

And forthcoming from Cathy Ace: Book 10 of the Cait Morgan Mysteries, The Corpse with the Iron Will

From the website of Cathy Ace:

Welsh criminal psychologist and globetrotting sleuth, Cait Morgan, and her retired-cop husband Bud Anderson, are enjoying some well-deserved peace and quiet at home, in moody, mountainous British Columbia. The sudden death of a neighbor is a significant loss for them both, so Cait’s honored when Gordy Krantz’s “unusual” will requests that she eulogize him at his memorial.

However, delving into the dead man’s background becomes a pressing priority when a puzzling theft, and some surprising discoveries, put our favourite sleuths on high alert. Might someone living in their seemingly tight-knit – and certainly off-beat – rural community have wanted their neighbor dead? And if so, are more people they know at risk?

The tenth Cait Morgan Mystery from Bony Blithe Award-winning author Cathy Ace, The Corpse with the Iron Will, forces Cait and Bud to use the skills they’ve honed tackling cases around the world to unmask a killer who’s too close to home for comfort!

ISBN print: 9781999223076 (will be available for pre-order from your local bookstore or library from mid-May 2021)

ISBN e-book (all platforms): 9781999223083 (will be available for pre-order for platforms other than amazon from late-March 2021)

Click here for more information about the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Int’l Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony.

March 26, 2021
Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference & 2019 CIBAs – A Recap and Opportunity
We did it!

We held our first ever VIRTUAL:
- Chanticleer Authors Conference
- CIBA Ceremonies
- Workshops
- Master Writing Classes
Were the sessions Instructive? Enlightening? Entertaining?

Here is what the attendees are saying:

“Thank you again and again for a wonderful two weeks! Tremendous range of content and presentation. I enjoyed everything and learned much that I can apply now.” ~~ Judy Santamaria, author of Jetty Cat Palace Cafe

“Your workshops have been incredibly instructive, and I’m greatly looking forward to the next one with Donald Maass.” ~~ John Middleton Simpson
“Thank you again for all your hard work on this year’s conference. Truly you three are on the cutting edge and allowing us to all see into the future of publishing. And thank you for including such an excellent array of presentations – broad-based and informative on so many levels.” ~~Gail Noble-Sanderson, author of The Lavender Meuse Trilogy

“I’m writing to say how much I enjoyed the conference this year.” ~~ John W. Feist, author of Blind Trust

“Amazing job you did on presenting a VCAC!” ~~JP Kenna, author of Joel Emmanuel

“Hi Kiffer, Well, you guys did it! In my opinion, you pulled off a really good awards ceremony and I enjoyed attending by Zoom. I look forward to next year, in-person, fingers crossed.” ~~Tim Cole, science fiction author

“Hi Kiffer, I’m really enjoying my first (V)CAC! Thanx for a great conference! Very much appreciate all the work you and Sharon have done getting this conference and classes set up for everyone!” ~~ Susannah Dawn, author of Search for the Armor of God

“How wonderful that the virtual conference was such a roaring success! You should be so very proud – and you are probably relieved as well! Thank you so much for all your hard work and making it wonderful for all the attendees!” ~~Alex Paul, author of the Middle-Grade series — Arkeen Freeth

“We had a blast at the Chanticleer Authors Conference—held in our living room…Since in-person conferences are on an indefinite hold, Chanticleer moved everything to Zoom and did a wonderful job at that…a good time was had by all. We missed the scenery and human connection, but were grateful Chanticleer was able to pull off such a great virtual conference. Hopefully, we can toast in person next year.” ~~V & D Povall, authors of Jackal in the Mirror

And the love notes continue to come in! We are grateful and appreciative of each one!

Were there any problems?

Sandra L R from Australia: “Sorry All. That last message was from my cat running over my keyboard.”

Mark S. M: “Sitting here over and over agreeing with so many points out loud. I think I might be annoying my wife.”

What Made VCAC20 So AWESOME?

The presenters and attendees!

And we all learned new ways of doing things—together!

Learn from the Best!

Below is a sampling of the sessions that we recorded and are available on the VIMEO video platform.

Many of you who attended VCAC have been able to rewatch some of your favorite sessions at your convenience that have been uploaded to VIMEO.

Now, we are making the videos available to those who did not register for VCAC. You can access these videos on VIMEO!

You can click here to see the sessions that have been uploaded. We upload new videos weekly! Scroll down to see the list.

Film and Entertainment Sessions

Book to Film Panel Discussion with Top Hollywood Producer Scott Steindorff, and Top International Best-selling authors Robert Dugoni and J.D. Barker. Both of whose novels have been optioned for film and TV. Moderated by Chris Leibig, Paranormal Grand Prize winner for his legal thriller/paranormal novel Almost Mortal.

Exploration of New and Revolutionary Ways of Storytelling including Delving into Immersive, Mixed Reality, and Digital Art –Scott Steindorff, CEO of Stone Village Productions Steindorff is well-known in the industry for acquiring and adapting literary properties, and delivering commercially successful and award-winning television series and films.

It Takes a Village to Make a Film – Authors, Actors, Screenwriters, Producers, & Directors a Discussionwith film producer Scott Steindorff, author & actress Tina Sloan, author Chris Humphreys, and Bellingham’s own Talking to Crows film production company with Cassidy and Stacy Moderating the Panel.

Writing Craft Sessions & Master Writing Classes

Robert Dugoni – Plotting the Opening: One Chance to Make A First Impression

Chris Humphreys – Writing Fiction–Chris examines how to both fictionalize real characters and realize fictional ones.

Donald Maass — Writing Craft

Marketing & Promotion & Distribution Sessions

A Multi-prong Approach to Book Marketing with Sean Dwyer – Non-Fiction, Michelle Cox – Historical Fiction, J.I. Rogers – Science Fiction, and Kiffer Brown

How to Create Awesome Audiobooks on a Budget–C.C. Humphreys and Elana Mugdan along with Hindenburg Systems’ expert Jonathan Hurley

Voice-Driven Technology and the Future of Publishing – Paul Cutsinger – Head of Amazon’s Alexa Project

5 Reasons Why You Should Publish Your Epubs on Bookchain –Simon-Pierre Marion

Bookbub and Book Discovery Services for Readers with Pamela Beason

Why Amazon Alexa Should Be Telling Your Story – Chatables founders Amy Stapleton and Wayne Richard

Don’t be Left OUT and OFF the Airwaves – Intro to Podcasting with Hindenburg Systems’ expert Anita Michalski

Technical Workshops with Hindenburg Systems

Audiobook Creationwith Jonathan Hurley, Hindenburg Systems

Podcast Editing, Broadcasting, Distributionwith Anita Michalski, Hindenburg Systems

IF you missed the Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference, now is your chance to access the video recordings of the live sessions, workshops, and masterclasses.

Here is the link, where if you did not register for VCAC, you can look through the VOD (Videos on Demand) on VIMEO and purchase just the ones that are of interest OR the whole collection for $275 – a savings of approximately $300.

Remember, if you did register for VCAC20, your access to videos is included with registration. Contact DBeaumier@ChantiReviews.com if you haven’t received your VCAC access codes for all VCAC registrants.

Please email Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com if you have any questions or comments.

Each night of the six day virtual conference, we capped off the evening with the CIBA Awards Announcements.

Here is a link to the original schedule for more information: https://www.chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/chanticleer-authors-conference-schedule/

Click here to see the 2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards announcements!

Part One

The 2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards Overall Grand Prize and Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners (CIBAs) – Part One

Part Two

Part Two – The 2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards Overall Grand Prize Winner and Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners

Part Three

Part Three – The 2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards Overall Grand Prize Winner, Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners – CIBAs

The 2019 Overall Chanticleer International Book Awards Grand Prize Winner – 2019 CIBAs

And if you would like to watch the videos of VCAC20, they are uploaded to VIMEO and our available to watch on demand for a fee. Just click on this link.
October 26, 2020