You have until September 30th to submit your book to the 2025 CIBAs!
Let’s take a look at the Grand Prize Winners for the Harvey Chute Award!
Stop Worrying About Money
By Jacqui Clarke
Stop Worrying About Moneyby Jacqui Clarke serves as a lucid and candidly insightful guide to understanding the cornerstones of financial literacy, whether for a working professional, business owner, or anyone seeking to better manage their savings and investments.
This practical and insightful approach to financial awareness endeavors to decode the mystifying fundamentals of financial freedom, wealth management, and money psychology. Rather than merely presenting facts on numbers and investments, it adopts a holistic perspective, covering principles of earning, understanding, and wisely managing money.
Written by an experienced professional and fiscal guardian to many, Clarke’sStop Worrying About Moneypaves a clear and accessible roadmap for navigating the often-chaotic terrain of financial planning.
The book begins by exploring how upbringing and personal experiences shape a person’s financial habits.
Using Behavioral Science in Marketing By Nancy Harhut
The Full Review for this book is forthcoming:
Increase engagement, response rates and the ROI of marketing initiatives with this step-by-step guide to harnessing hardwired consumer behavior and instinctive responses.
Using Behavioral Science in Marketing shows how to apply behavioral science principles in key areas of marketing, including marketing communications, email, direct mail and ad campaigns, social media marketing and sales funnel conversion strategies. Highly practical and accessible, it includes case studies and examples from AT&T, Apple, Spotify and The Wall Street Journal showing how these approaches have been used in practice.
Using Behavioral Science in Marketing also reveals how to increase consumer involvement and engagement, convey exclusivity and desirability, and prompt customer action and loyalty with scientifically proven principles such as autonomy bias, storytelling, and the Von Restorff effect.
Featuring common mistakes to avoid and key takeaways at the end of each chapter, it’s also accompanied by downloadable checklists and an interactive template to use in practice. In a highly competitive space, where even an incremental advantage can result in significant uplifts, this is a crucial resource to create stand out and successful marketing-especially for marketers in highly regulated or highly competitive environments.
A guide to achieving financial freedom in retirement, E. Alan Fleischauer’s bestseller Reconfigurement™ reveals a roadmap guided by the Mantra, “Navigate, Customize, and Thrive.”
Advances in medicine, nutrition, and longevity planning now offer unparalleled possibilities to live longer, higher-quality lives. However, looming over this rosy image is a genuine concern: the financial ramifications of a longer retirement term. More alarming is that a sizable portion of the American populace is not harnessing their 401(k) retirement plans.
In light of this scenario, can traditional investment programs with fraying safety nets, such as pensions, remain viable? Reconfigurementcombines the emotional fulfillment of making retirement dreams a reality with practical guidance that rejects the notion of a set retirement age of 65. This work’s personal tales and sound financial guidance entice readers away from the constraints of traditional retirement approaches.
Beyond Balancing The Books: Sheer Mindfulness for Professionals in Work and Life By George Marino
George Marino, a practicing CPA and Mindfulness Coach, explores the possibilities for sustainable positivity in one’s work-life through mindfulness principles and practices in his new book, Beyond Balancing the Books: Sheer Mindfulness for Professionals in Work and Life.
It would be difficult to find a profession more fraught with detail, deadlines, and distress than a typical CPA. Applying to that particular realm the idea of mindful meditation is a challenge that author Marino has taken on because it is a process he has lived. He opens his book by comparing two CPAs and their approaches to life and work-life.
Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage By Laura Huang
Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage by Laura Huang is a valuable mixture of business strategy, science, and examples, all directed to help readers develop their unique skills and strengths.
Author Laura Huang takes readers through her own journey to becoming an award-winning Harvard Business School professor. Along with real-world examples of both successful entrepreneurs and up-and-coming business students, she lays out a four-part guide on how to create your personal edge.
Creating your own edge is essential to getting ahead in life no matter who someone is or where they come from. Huang herself is a child of immigrants and was one of a few female engineering students at her university. She had to navigate her own specific challenges, figuring out what worked for her and what did not.
Instead of being in business to invent or promote the next big thing, Huang is in the business world for its rich research opportunities.
The Harvey Chute Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Business and Enterprising Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Jacqui Clarke‘s book, Stop Worrying About Money, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Harvey Chute 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!
Disrupt With Impact is the ultimate guide to thriving in today’s complex business landscapes. It offers strategies that will allow you to navigate uncertainty and change through strategic decision-making.
Covering major challenges such as sustainability, AI, geopolitics and cybersecurity, this book is your compass for exploring the uncharted waters of the future. These paradigm shifts will redistribute trillions of dollars, presenting opportunities for immense value creation, while those clinging to business as usual face growing risks of value destruction. Through fascinating research and original frameworks, Disrupt With Impactoffers the knowledge and confidence you need to lead your business through disruption.
Organizations and institutions focused on community building have a built-in group of ambassadors who embrace their message and vision. Social media managers have a unique opportunity to lean into this loyalty by creating a social presence informed by this digital engagement.
In Organic Social Media, Jenny Li Fowler outlines the important steps that social media managers need to take to enhance an organization’s broader growth objectives. Fowler breaks down the important questions to help readers determine the best platforms to invest in, how they can streamline the approval process and other essential strategic steps to create an organic following on social platforms.
Organic Social Media explains how to elevate the key growth objectives of a brand by creating or recreating its online presence. Early chapters walk readers through the planning phase, the process of strategic goal setting, platform selection, resource management and content discovery. Later chapters focus on executing these established plans and offer a strategic way to build a content calendar and track the success of social. With this book, social media managers will future-proof the online presence of any organization.
Brands not only reflect culture but actively shape societal norms and values. Move beyond performative inclusive marketing and drive the cultural conversation.
A brand today can build a marketing strategy that not only effectively resonates with audiences but also meaningfully impacts society at large. Learn how to produce inclusive marketing using an approach grounded in critical perspectives on society and the impact brands wield in shaping it. In this book, cultural theorist and strategist Anastasia Karklina Gabriel draws on social analysis, media theory, and semiotics to help marketers improve cultural fluency and future-proof brand strategy by embedding equity and inclusion into every aspect of marketing. Cultural Intelligence for Marketers explains how to create an inclusive marketing strategy using an actionable approach that draws on advanced insights into culture, identity, representation, and the power of media in driving social change.
The book offers an in-depth dive into the urgent need for cultural competence in marketing using a framework rooted in 4Cs: Culture, communication, critical consciousness, and community. It delves into practical aspects of conscious marketing, inclusive innovation, cultural insights, brand activism, social impact, and responsibility in business. It features insights from current and former marketing leaders at Wieden+Kennedy, Mindshare, Dentsu, and Saatchi & Saatchi, among others. Drawing on case studies from brands that are actively pursuing inclusive marketing strategies, including Microsoft, Pinterest, Billie, and REI, Gabriel outlines the process of deploying cultural intelligence to attain commercial advantage while transforming society for the better.
Are you a small business owner, entrepreneur, or content creator struggling to navigate the complex world of digital marketing?
Do you want to learn how to build a powerful online presence, leverage social media, and harness the power of AI tools without breaking the bank?
In Digital Threads, renowned digital marketing consultant and Fractional CMO Neal Schaffer offers actionable insights and practical strategies that have helped countless businesses and entrepreneurs achieve their marketing goals. Drawing on over a decade of experience, Neal provides a comprehensive playbook that demystifies digital marketing and empowers you.
Digital Threads is your ultimate guide to mastering digital marketing in today’s fast-paced, digital-first economy. In today’s digital-first economy, having a strong online presence and effective marketing strategy is crucial for success. Digital Threads provides you with the knowledge and tools you need to thrive. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your existing strategies, this book is your go-to resource for achieving measurable results and sustained growth.
The ultimate guide to pricing mastery and value-based pricing,The Truth About Pricinghelps you unlock the secrets of your buyers’ minds, understand their needs, and set prices that skyrocket your business’s success.
Pricing mastery made easy.A must-read for entrepreneurs seeking to determine what their customers value and set prices they want by understanding the truth about pricing—it isn’t about the price. Everything that happens before the price matters much more than the price itself. Have happier clients, boost your profits, and confidently master the pricing game with this comprehensive guide.
The SEA Shorts Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Short Stories. The Shorts Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).
The Chanticleer International Book Awards program discovers today’s best works. The SEA Short Stories Awards discovers the Best New Short Form Fiction, Narrative Non-Fiction and Essays. These books have advanced to the next judging rounds. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
These titles have moved forward from all of the 2025 SEA SHORTS entries to the 2025 SEA Shorts Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 SEA Shorts Award Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.
We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA at the 2026Chanticleer Authors Conference.
These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 SEA Shorts Book Awards novel competition for Short Stories!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
AJ Skelly – Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor
Amichai Kolberg – A Sweet and Faithful Lullaby
C. V. Lee – Her Noble Groom
Catherine Brown – Purrfect Revenge
Cathryn Devries – Son of Osivirius
Charlie Robinson – Bow Tie Sex a Serious Scientific Study
Chell Linn Araya – Don’t Talk To Strangers
Christopher Macdonald – The Wobbly Man
Dan Baltrusis Jr. – My Wife Was Right the Zombie Apocalypse
David Fitz-Gerald – A Pioneer Christmas Beyond the Oregon Trail
Don Jacobson – The Last Gift: An Austenesque Short Story
Dr. Gregory Steinberg – No More To Lose Till Death Do Us Part
Elizabeth Klein – Kingdom of Longing
Gail Heath – Minuet
Gail Noble-Sanderson – All Is Fair
Grace Haygood – A Love To Call Home
J. L Oakley – Mr. Brown Reads
Jackson Kuhl – The Island of Small Misfortunes
Jalon J Jakab – Inside the Walls
Jamie Kirkpatrick – The Dreamcatcher
Joseph Kovler – At the Corner of Hitler and Goering
Julia Marie Davis – Catbird
K. E. Adamus – Last Episode
K. E. Adamus – Sanity Test
K. E. Adamus – To Outwit the Fate
Katherine Smith Dedrick – Tangled Verdict
Kathleen Kaska – The Diary of Simone Lablanc
Kregg P.J. Jorgenson – An Accidental Muse
Kregg P.J. Jorgenson – Emotional Loss Prevention
Lasse Toft – 70 Things You Can Do While Being Hospitalized
Linda Griffin – Morgan’s Landing
Linda Harris Sittig – B-52 Down the Night the Bombs Fell From the Sky
Maggie Enriquez – The Rebirth of a Phoenix
Marie Sutro – For the First Time
Marie Sutro – Not the North Pole
Marie Sutro – You Oughta Know
Mary Ann Bernal – Anarose and Medusa’s Curse
Morris Hoffman – Boy of Heaven
Murray Eiland – Mount Zephon Gateway To Mot
Murray Eiland – Philosopher of Fire
Natia Khaduri – Leading with Love a Journey of Resilience and Impact
Paisley Summer – The Movie Theatre
PJ Devlin – Original Sins
Richard Leslie Brock – Cephalonia
Richard Leslie Brock – The Atonements
Ruud Richardson – The Spy: A Short Story
Sandra Wagner-Wright – The Life & Times of Sarah Good Accused Witch
Sarena Straus – The Patchwork Man
T.O. Paine – The Abduction
TK Sheffield – Horse Thief: A Nomad Vet with a Score To Settle Takes on Horse Thieves in a Midwest Showdown
TK Sheffield – The Glitching Ghoul: AI Terror at a Writer’s Retreat
Congratulations once more to the 2024 Shorts Grand Prize Winner for Short Prose
Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, financial literacy and strategic thinking have never been more crucial. From navigating investment complexities to building sustainable business models, professionals and entrepreneurs need reliable guidance to thrive. The Harvey Chute Awards for Business & Finance celebrate the exceptional works that provide this essential knowledge, recognizing authors who translate complex financial concepts into actionable insights that empower readers to take control of their economic futures.
Celebrating Our Grand Prize Winner!
We’re proud to celebrate our 2024 Harvey Chute Division Grand Prize Winner, Jacqui Clarke for her transformative guide Stop Worrying about Money. This comprehensive work goes beyond traditional financial advice to address the psychological and practical aspects of money management. Clarke, described as “Australia’s best-kept money secret,” delivers a holistic approach that helps readers clarify their values, set realistic goals, and build genuine financial security. Her book tackles everything from combating expense creep and avoiding common money traps to overcoming setbacks and mastering long-term planning, all while maintaining an accessible and encouraging tone.
What sets Stop Worrying about Money apart is its emphasis on financial literacy as a journey of self-awareness rather than merely a destination of wealth accumulation. As our review noted, Clarke “blends theoretical financial advice with pragmatic applications, incorporating real-life examples, case studies, and interactive exercises” that transform potentially dry subject matter into engaging and digestible content. The book addresses critical issues from building a trusted “finance village” of advisors to understanding the impact of financial decisions on personal relationships. Clarke will be invited to participate in a Chanticleer Author Interview, offering readers deeper insights into her expertise and approach to financial empowerment.
The Harvey Chute Awards recognize the full spectrum of business and finance literature, encompassing categories from traditional Finance and Investing & Money to contemporary essentials like Social Media, Technology Guides, and Communications. This comprehensive approach reflects the reality that modern business success requires mastery across multiple disciplines, whether you’re developing a Motivational framework, crafting Business Strategy, understanding Economics, or building Marketing expertise.
Explore All Business & Self-Help Divisions
The Harvey Chute Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of transformative non-fiction:
The Doctor’s Voice
By Dr. Pietro Emanuele Garbelli
A Harvey Chute First Place Winner!
Dr. Pietro Emanuele Garbelli speaks out on serious professional issues faced by modern healthcare workers, in The Doctor’s Voice.
Doctors deal with overwhelming stress, leading to burnout, illness, many of them leaving the profession, and even a higher-than-average rate of suicide. The Covid19 pandemic both heightened and helped illuminate some of the causes of this stress, prompting author Garbelli to write this book as a set of advice for his colleagues and as advocacy for broader changes in hospitals and other healthcare systems.
Garbelli highlights a common disconnect in communication—administrators and higher-ups telling doctors what to do while those doctors don’t have much opportunity to bring up the problems they encounter day-to-day.
“There is something magical about money—the way it appears and disappears, grows and shrinks, and, in a similar way of taming a hesitant wild horse, with calm assuredness and confidence, not only will you learn to control it, but you will find you can joyfully master it.” -Author Kasey J. Claytor
Claytor insists that every successful endeavor starts with an individual’s thinking and beliefs. She details this concept – and how to live with it in mind – in her new book, The Money Map: A Spiritual Guide for Financial Success.
From the onset of her business-oriented career, Claytor has drawn from her beliefs as she upholds financial success as a spiritual goal. In this volume, she takes the mystery out of money to show it as an extension of the mind, body, and spirit. Claytor ensures the beginning of an endearing journey toward clearer financial decision-making, investments, and goals by asking readers to identify the worries of their own ego and to eliminate unproductive ideas and actions.
Tax MythBusters: Don’t Fall Prey to the Tax Misconceptions, compiled by tax professional Lily Tran with essays by other financial, tax, and accounting professionals, gives valuable insight into the myths of what can and cannot be claimed as a deduction for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
This work provides tips and strategies to optimize tax planning and make the most of available deductions. As the foreword reminds the reader, “Knowledge is power when it comes to taxes,” adding that gaining a better understanding of the tax rules and regulations will allow you to “make smart financial decisions and protect yourself from unnecessary risks.”
The essays that make up this work are short, succinct, and to the point about the pitfalls and challenges that face small business owners, framing these dangers as “myths.”
Chanticleers 2022 Harvey Chute Grand Prize Winner!
A guide to achieving financial freedom in retirement, E. Alan Fleischauer’s bestsellerReconfigurement™ reveals a roadmap guided by the Mantra, “Navigate, Customize, and Thrive.”
Advances in medicine, nutrition, and longevity planning now offer unparalleled possibilities to live longer, higher-quality lives. However, looming over this rosy image is a genuine concern: the financial ramifications of a longer retirement term. More alarming is that a sizable portion of the American populace is not harnessing their 401(k) retirement plans.
In light of this scenario, can traditional investment programs with fraying safety nets, such as pensions, remain viable?Reconfigurementcombines the emotional fulfillment of making retirement dreams a reality with practical guidance that rejects the notion of a set retirement age of 65. This work’s personal tales and sound financial guidance entice readers away from the constraints of traditional retirement approaches.
These reviews represent just a glimpse of the strategic insights and practical wisdom waiting to be discovered in today’s business and finance literature.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional business and finance works we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. Throughout this year’s Harvey Chute Book Awards, we had the pleasure of promoting numerous outstanding titles as they advanced through our competition tiers. In a market flooded with millions of books, professional recognition cuts through the noise. The CIBAs provide ongoing promotion that maximizes your digital footprint and expands your readership through:
High-traffic website features
Social media promotion across established platforms
Newsletter spotlights like this reaching thousands of industry professionals
Long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each advancement tier is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter! Your book deserves to be discovered.
You wouldn’t hide a business! Don’t hide your book!
The business and finance market continues to demand fresh perspectives and proven strategies, with professionals, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking guidance they can trust and implement. Whether your work provides innovative investment strategies, practical business solutions, cutting-edge technology insights, or foundational financial education, the Harvey Chute Awards provide the recognition and promotional platform your expertise deserves.
Business and finance literature has the unique power to transform lives, build wealth, and create sustainable success. From comprehensive guides that help readers master complex financial concepts to targeted strategies that solve specific business challenges, every expertly crafted work has the potential to become an essential resource. Don’t let your knowledge remain untapped! Enter the Harvey Chute Awards today and join the distinguished authors who’ve found their professional audience through Chanticleer!
The Shelley Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Paranormal Fiction. The Shelley Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).
The Shelley Awards were formerly known as the Paranormal Awards. We are delighted to be able to honor the mother of science fiction with this award!
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring magic, the supernatural, weird other-worldly stories, super humans (ex. Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman), magical beings & supernatural entities (ex. Dresden Files), vampires & werewolves (ex. Twilight), angels & demons, fairies & mythological beings, magical systems and elements. We will put them to the test and discover the best among them for the 2025 Paranormal Book Awards!
Each of these authors is already winning with their books are now featured on our high-traffic website, shared across our social media, and promoted to our newsletter subscribers. But this is just the beginning of their CIBA journey.
These titles have moved forward from the 2025 SHELLEY Paranormal Fiction Long List to the 2025 Shelley Awards Short List. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Shelley Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.
We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA.
These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists of the 2025 Shelley Book Awards novel competition for Paranormal Fiction!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
AJ Humphreys – Trip: A Psychological Horror Novel
Amy S Cutler – A Shadow of Love
Amy S Cutler – To Have and To Hold To Love and To Kill an Agreement of Souls
Antoinette Chalmers – Midnight Stone
Bryan Alaspa – The Given
Dan Morris-Young – The Music Building
Diane Corso – Broken Things
E.L. Deards – The Lavender Blade
Evette Davis – The Campaign
George Petersen – The Summer of Haight
Gina Detwiler – Forever
H.J. Ramsay – Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead
Heather Murphy – Bring Out Your Dead
Isaac Thorne – Tab’s Terrible Third Eye
Jared TLC – Destiny Lane
Katy Nyquist – A Holy Maiden’s Guide To Getting Kidnapped
Keith Steinbaum – The Poe Consequence
Kevin S. Moul – Lander’s Gate
L. J. Aldon – Riddle of the Jeweled Cipher
Lloyd Jeffries – Embers of Shadow Ages of Malice Book III
Logan D. Irons – City of Wolves
Lou Pugliese – Blame It on the Moon
Louisa West – Kiss of Death
Mark Mustian – Boy with Wings
Matt Ozanich – Priestess: The Tears of Promises Book One
Matthew Minson – The Lupin Gene
Melanie Forde – Guardian of the Crossroads
Raquel Y. Levitt – The Seer
Rebekah L Webb – Burrows of Blood and Shadow
Sheila English – The Deadly Pieces
Sherri L Dodd – Moonset on Desert Sands
T.V. Holiday – Cataclysm Legend of the Iron Warrior Vol. 2
Tom Dolan – Boba Wars Zero
Tracy Shew – Book Group
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook, LinkedIn, and Bluesky pages. We try to tag all authors listed here on Facebook. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed @ChantiReviews on these platforms.
Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE! We are @ChantiReviews everywhere!
We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!
Congratulations once more to the 2024 Shelley Grand Prize Winner
Submissions for the 2026 Shelley Awards and other Speculative Fiction Divisions are open now! For other genres, we still have 25 divisions open for the 2025 CIBAs! Whether you write mystery, romance, historical fiction, or something entirely different, there’s likely a perfect fit for your work.
Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.
April 17-19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!
Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.
Join us for our 14th annual conference and discover why!
Only 5 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and begin your journey to discovery. The deadline is 8/31/25. Now is the time to make your mark!
The Chaucer, Goethe, Laramie and Hemingway Awards are still open!
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Chaucer Award for Early Historical Fiction!
Dean Cycon –A Quest for God and Spices
Liz Sevchuk Armstrong –To Remain Vigilant
Rozsa Gaston –Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
C.V. Lee –Betrayal of Trust
Logan D. Irons –Sands of Bone
Jean Gill –Among Sea Wolves
Laura C. Rader –Hatfield 1677
And a round of applause for the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize Winner!
Maid Of Honour
Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
By Rozsa Gaston
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Goethe Award for Late Historical Fiction!
Janis Robinson Daly – The Path Beneath Her Feet
Sandra Wagner-Wright – Sea Tigers & Merchants: A New American Generation
James Conroyd Martin – Napoleon’s Shadow Wife: A Novel of Countess Marie Walewska
Florence Reiss Kraut – Street Corner Dreams, A Novel
Leo Daughtry – Talmadge Farm
Jeza Belle – Blood Rouge
R.W. Meek – The Dream Collector, Book II “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh”
Sherry V. Ostroff – The Wall at the Sugar Factory
And a round of applause for our 2024 Goethe Grand Prize Winner!
Abigail’s Song
By Alina Rubin
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Laramie Award for Americana Fiction!
David Fitz-Gerald –First Drive
Georgina Hogue –Cloud Cap
Heather Miller –Yellow Bird’s Song
C.M. Huddleston –Esther
Karen Lynne Klink –At What Cost, Silence? Book 1 of The Texian Trilogy
Charlie Steel –Tom Sharp: The Man and the Legend
Daniel Greene –Northern Shadows (Northern Wolf Series Book 5)
And a round of applause for our 2024 Laramie Grand Prize Winner!
Sarita
By Natalie Musgrave Dossett
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hemingway Award for 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction!
R L Pace –Rising Son
Katherine Koch –The Sower of Black Field: Inspired by the True Story of an American in Nazi Germany
Tim Turner and Moisey Gorbaty –The Reluctant Conductor
Kay Smith-Blum –Tangles
Kathryn Gauci –Midnight in Istanbul
Travis Davis –One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier
Bharati Sen –My War, My Child
H. W. “Buzz” Bernard –When Heroes Flew
And a round of applause for our 2024 Hemingway Grand Prize Winner!
Of White Ashes
By Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto
The CIBAs offer a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 17-19, 2026) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
Your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
The Ozma Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Magic, Steampunk and Fantasy Fiction. The Ozma Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards discovers the best books in the Ozma Awards featuring magic, the supernatural, imaginary worlds, fantastical creatures, legendary beasts, mythical beings, or inventions of fancy that author imaginations dream up without a basis in science as we know it. Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dragons, Unicorns, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Gaslight Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, or other out-of-this-world fiction. Our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
Each of these authors is already winning with their books are now featured on our high-traffic website, shared across our social media, and promoted to our newsletter subscribers. But this is just the beginning of their CIBA journey.
These titles have moved forward from the 2025 OZMA Fantasy Fiction Long List to the 2025 Ozma Book Awards Short List. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Ozma Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.
We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA.
These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists of the 2025 Ozma Book Awards novel competition for Fantasy Fiction!
Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!
A.T. Balsara – The Great and the Small
Abigail O’bryan – Iron Rose
Anton Anderson – The Seekers Perrin Peters
Anya Rousselle – The King’s Blade
B.L. Mostyn – Heroes of Another Age
David Nos – The Final War of Wizards and Dragons
C.R. Ware – All We Have to Remember: Volume One of the Seventh Layer Saga
C.V. Vobh – Somnus Palace
Catharina Steel – Vanishings
Clifton Wilcox – The Immortal Witness
Crystal D. Grant – Lightshed
D. Dalton – Heartstealer
David Waugh – The Will of the Wayfarer the Forgotten Legacy Part One
Evette Davis – The Campaign
Evette Davis – The Gift
Helen Garraway – Sentinals Origins Part One
J Prakash – Sedna of Hanaway
J.A. Nielsen – The Winter Heir (Fractured Kingdoms, Book 2)
J.C. Wade – Summer’s Reaping
Jason P. Crawford – The Trials of Poseidon
Jeffrey L. Kohanek – The First Wizard
Kristin Wahlne – When the Tree Calls
Michael a Wexler – Jatora
Michele L. Sayre – Darke Realms: One Tough Temporary She Alpha (Arcana 2)
Molly M. Hammond – Daughter of Starlight
Nicholas Varner – Warriors of the Red Wolf
Nikhil Prabala – The Duchess of Kokora
Nikki Mccormack – Child of Vanris (The Warden’s Son Book 1)
Oleg Veretskiy – Tales of the Wandering Mists a Ukrainian Fairy Tale
Palmer Pickering – Dark Town
Philip Carlisle – Surviving Eros
R. M. Krogman – Sundering
Richard M Wagner – The Chronicles of Amerista: Griefold
S.E. Reed – The Darkness of Dying in the Light
S.G. Blaise – Eldryan Elders
Samantha Schinder – The Drowners
Sean M. Tirman – Dreamweavers LLC
Simran Sadana – Itehas
T.A. Styles – Shift: An Urban Supernatural Fantasy (The Shift Series Book 1)
Tamar Anolic – The Keepers
Ted Neill – Lost Elawn
William H. Johnston – Shards of Unbroken Will
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!
This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook, LinkedIn, and Bluesky pages. We try to tag all authors listed here on Facebook and LinkedIn. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed @ChantiReviews on these platforms.
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Submissions for the 2026 Ozma Awards and other Speculative Fiction Divisions are open now! For other genres, we still have 25 divisions open for the 2025 CIBAs! Whether you write mystery, romance, historical fiction, or something entirely different, there’s likely a perfect fit for your work.
Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.
April 17-19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!
Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.
Join us for our 14th annual conference and discover why!
Middle grade readers occupy a unique space in the literary world where they are no longer content with picture books, but not quite ready for the intense emotional landscapes of young adult fiction. Typically ages 8-12, these readers are navigating friendships, family dynamics, school challenges, and the growing awareness that the world is both more complex and more wonderful than they previously understood. The Gertrude Warner Awards celebrate the authors who craft stories for this special audience with the perfect blend of adventure, authenticity, and age-appropriate depth.
Named for the creator of the beloved Boxcar Children series, these awards honor books that capture the curiosity, resilience, and growing independence that define the middle grade experience. The best middle grade fiction respects young readers’ intelligence while acknowledging their developmental needs, creating stories that entertain, educate, and empower without overwhelming or talking down to their audience.
The Art of Speaking to Growing Minds
Writing exceptional middle grade fiction requires a delicate balance that addresses real-world challenges that resonate with young readers while maintaining the hope and possibility that characterize the best children’s literature. Middle Grade Readers are sophisticated enough to handle complex emotions and situations, but they still need stories that ultimately affirm their ability to navigate challenges and find their place in the world.
The most successful middle grade books feature protagonists who face genuine problems such as friendship conflicts, family struggles, identity questions, or external adventures, all while demonstrating the problem-solving skills, courage, and resilience that young readers can admire and emulate. These stories often explore themes of belonging, self-discovery, friendship loyalty, and family relationships in ways that feel authentic to the middle grade experience.
Whether set in contemporary schools, fantastical realms, historical periods, or mystery-filled neighborhoods, the best middle grade fiction helps young readers see themselves as capable protagonists in their own life stories while providing the escapism and entertainment that makes reading a joy rather than a chore.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re thrilled to honor Norah Lally, whose emotionally rich novel Back to Bainbridge claimed the 2024 Gertrude Warner Grand Prize with a story that Publishers Weekly’s BookLife called “a moving, empathetic must-read about growing up and discovering what matters.” The novel follows fourteen-year-old Vicki as she navigates life in a cramped apartment shared with siblings, worries about her struggling mother, and dreams about an absent father while searching for her place in the world.
What makes Back to Bainbridge exemplary middle grade fiction is its authentic portrayal of real challenges many young readers face – housing insecurity, family stress, and the universal desire to belong – while maintaining hope and discovering that sometimes the treasures we seek are already within reach. When Vicki meets Rosa from Apartment 1A and discovers the building’s basement full of forgotten stories and secrets, the novel beautifully demonstrates how friendship and imagination can transform difficult circumstances into opportunities for growth and connection. In addition to ongoing promotional features, Back to Bainbridge will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Norah Lally will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Back to Bainbridge will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Capture Every Middle Grade Adventure
The Gertrude Warner Awards welcome middle grade fiction across every genre and format:
Contemporary Middle Grade – Stories set in today’s world that explore the real challenges and joys of growing up
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Paranormal Middle Grade – Imaginative tales that transport readers to other worlds while exploring universal themes
Mystery Middle Grade – Puzzle-solving adventures that engage young readers’ problem-solving skills and curiosity
Historical Middle Grade – Stories from the past that help young readers understand different times and cultures
Adventure Middle Grade – Action-packed tales that showcase courage, friendship, and personal growth
Graphic Novels for Middle Grade – Visual storytelling that combines compelling narratives with engaging artwork
First-Third Grade Readers (10,000-20,000 words) – Longer works for beginning independent readers making the transition to chapter books
Each category serves the diverse interests and reading levels within the middle grade spectrum, ensuring that every young reader can find stories that speak to their experiences and interests.
Complete Youth Literature Recognition
The Gertrude Warner Awards bridge the gap in Chanticleer’s comprehensive youth literature celebration:
Little Peeps Awards – Picture books and early readers that introduce children to the joy of reading
Dante Rossetti Awards – Young adult fiction for teen readers navigating the transition to adulthood
Together, these three divisions ensure that exceptional youth literature receives recognition at every developmental stage, supporting readers from their first picture books through their teenage years.
Looking at Middle Grade Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding middle grade books we’ve celebrated recently!
The Ghost in the Garden
By Alisse Lee Goldenberg
In Alisse Goldberg’s engaging young adult mystery, The Ghost in the Garden, a curious 11-year-old must face the challenges of moving to a new city, losing old friends, making new ones, and encountering historic specters in her new home.
Sophie Madison seems none too happy about her recent move from the bustling city of Calgary, Ablerta to the smaller, quieter landscape of Stratford, Ontario. But upon arrival with her parents, she begins noticing the charm of the place, appearing like a step back in time. Their new house in particular catches her interest, with its tall turret topped by stained glass window panes where Sophie’s bedroom will be. In addition, the wild beauty of the backyard garden draws her in.
Soon, a mysterious blonde-headed girl named Tabitha appears in the garden.
Book of Leprechauns: The Lore Gatherers
By Jonathan Uffelman
An Ozma First Place Winner!
Three leprechauns, Molly, Shaun, and Dorker, have their lives turned upside down when a sinister figure returns to their peaceful village with greed and revenge on his mind. In Jonathan Uffelman’s middle-grade fantasy, Book of Leprechauns: The Lore Gatherers, they embark on a treacherous journey to recover their lost home.
Shaun McClanahan struggles to support his daughter Molly as she fails a crucial test for young Lore Gatherers—a subculture of Leprechauns who respect the power of stories. Though he’s weighed down by his responsibilities as the protector of his village’s communal gold stash, Shaun tries to overcome his worrying nature by trusting Molly to check on the gold by herself, hopeful that she can prove her worth to the village.
But when Molly follows her father’s magical instructions to the letter, she discovers with horror that the treasure is missing, save one ancient Roman coin.
The theft means exile for both Molly and Shaun, as gold is the catalyst for Leprechaun magic. A dangerous and unwelcoming world awaits them beyond the village’s protection.
The Greatest Matchmaker in Space: Eudora Space Kid Book 4
By David Horn
David Horn’s Eudora Space Kid series continues with another fabulous middle-grade Sci-fi novel, The Greatest Matchmaker in Space.
Horn takes us back to the decks of the Athena, an AstroLiner and the flagship for the Astrofleet of the planetary Republic. The intrepid Eudora is ready to fly into another adventure, this time as a matchmaker for Captain Jax.
Eudora loves math and science, and even though she’s only in third grade, she dreams of becoming a chief engineer on an AstroLiner. But, she would settle for Captain if that’s what they offered her. When she visits Cafeteria 1 for dessert, she finds Captain Jax, who, per usual, yells, “Get off my bridge.” He’s used to kicking Eudora off the bridge while he’s working, but he must be deeply distracted to confuse it with the cafeteria.
She notices his sad eyes and dejected manner and asks what’s wrong. To her surprise, he invites her to sit with him, and she excitedly realizes the Captain of the Athena is going to confide in her.
Mystery Force: Volume One
By Ted Neill; Illustrated by Suzi Spooner
2022 Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner!
Set in a world where magical talking creatures are a normal part of society, theMystery Forceseries by Ted Neill is a must-read for any animal-loving kid.
Book One,Mystery Force, Assemble!,begins with warehouses of previously unheard-of magical creatures being discovered and freed. Out of fear, these new creatures continue to hide, and a group of curious kids – Rasheed, Jonathan, and Jojo – decide to get to the bottom of the mystery!
In book two,The Case of the Stolen Horn,Rasheed, Jonathan, and Jojo are on the case after their unicorn drama teacher, Mr. Twinkles, is attacked, with their pegasus geometry teacher Ms. Weymont being arrested for the crime. The Mystery Force kids are determined to clear Ms. Weymont’s name by finding the real culprit.
Book three,Blazing Blizzards,confronts the Mystery Force gang with an unusual May blizzard. They waste no time in investigating the cause, trying to save their town and a newly discovered magical creature from the forces behind the terrible weather.
These works demonstrate how the best middle grade fiction combines age-appropriate storytelling with genuine respect for young readers’ intelligence and emotional capacity.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional middle grade books 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 Gertrude Warner Awards recognize the special skill required to write for middle grade readers, the ability to create stories that acknowledge young people’s growing sophistication while providing the adventure and engagement that make reading a treasured activity. Whether you’re exploring contemporary challenges, historical adventures, or fantastical quests, these awards celebrate books that respect and nurture growing minds.
Your Middle Grade Adventure Awaits
Middle grade readers are some of the most enthusiastic and loyal book lovers, and, when they discover a story that speaks to them, they become passionate advocates, sharing their favorites with friends and rereading beloved books until the covers fall off. Your middle grade novel could be the book that transforms a reluctant reader into a book lover or provides comfort and understanding to a young person navigating their own challenges.
Help us celebrate the bridge between childhood and adolescence—the deadline is September 30, 2025!
The Little Peeps Book Awards features the best of the books that we read to our children and the young people who matter so much in our lives! Love of literature starts right away, and we’re proud to support these books for kids!
Cheering on the past Grand Prize Winners for the Little Peep Awards!
Island Moon
Written and Illustrated by Ruth Amanda
Ruth Amanda’sIsland Moonis a magical moment captured in a poem.
The narrator lives on an island where the moon sings of fairies and the magic of the night. While out on a nighttime walk, the narrator breathes in the island scents and hears the waves kissing the shore. In the froth of the waves, and in the moon’s magical light reflecting on the water, the narrator sees the fairies dancing.
While describing all the animals active during nighttime, the narrator sees a tired sea turtle coming ashore to lay eggs. The moon blesses the creature, calling in the tide to aid the exhausted turtle back home to the sea. The songs of the night birds and the rays of the moon’s light follow the narrator back to bed and into their dreams.
The rhyming of the poem and illustrations are truly beautiful. In a few short lines and pages, you are transported to a tranquil night on the island of Barbados.
The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans By Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover and Jessica Alexanderson Illustrated by Adam Trask
The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, & Jessica Alexanderson, is perfectly written for children between three and eight years old.
Eye-catching colorful graphics by Adam Trask, fun characters, and a wonderfully lighthearted storyline uphold this book’s message of protecting the environment. Both children and adults will feel empowered to help our planet one can at a time.
An adventurous young girl named Ellie wants to buy a Unicorn. To earn the money she needs, Ellie plans to collect and recycle one million cans. But she soon realizes that her plans may need to take a different track. Together with her community of friends, who show great teamwork and perseverance, environmental lessons continue on with fantastic results.
Ravens Roost Written & Illustrated by Maggie Bates
Maggie Bates’s Ravens Roost is a Children’s book that explores the illustrated nighttime adventures of a woman with her friend, a small frog.
This story teaches children how to be curious about forest animals, even in the middle of a wind storm. Bates is new to writing Children’s books, and cares deeply for the natural world. Her rapport with animals likely inspired her debut tale.
Ravens Roost begins with a frog sitting on a roof, wondering where ravens go at night. The woman who lives in the house decides to help the frog follow his curiosity on an adventure. First, she climbs up a tree to watch ravens soar overhead. She admires the moon and notices the birds perching in her favorite tree. She climbs down and starts her trek along a forest path as night falls and the wind picks up. The woman tucks her frog friend into her pocket for safety. Along their journey, the frog and the woman share a special friendship.
Victoria and The Big, Brave Breath By Andrea Vaughan
Illustrated by Ryan Feltman
Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.
This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!
Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.
Great as a Button By Masoud Malekyari
Illustrated by Sebastiao Peixoto
Masoud Malekyari’s Great As a Button is a delightful children’s book that places a soulful little plastic adornment at center stage in a thought-provoking story that offers up a positive lesson about self-worth.
This tale unfolds from a first person POV as a lonely, black plastic button falls off a shirt. The button ruminates over its plight of feeling too plain to be noticed, and wishes perhaps to be a sock, a key, or a pair of glasses, i.e., a more important item that the button surmises someone would go out of their way to look for.
Only 10 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!
The Journey, Hearten, Military and Front Line and The Nellie Bly Awards are still open!
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Journey Awards for Overcoming Adversity!
Kirsten Throneberry –Guided: Lost Love, Hidden Realms, and the Open Road
Jennifer Gasner –My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis
Anne Gately –Sunburnt: A Memoir of Sun, Surf and Skin Cancer
Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden –An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness
Lindsey Henke –When Skies Are Gray
Claudia Marseille –But You Look So Normal: Lost and Found in a Hearing World
And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Journey Grand Prize Winner:
Unfollow Me
By Kathryn Caraway
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hearten Award for Uplifting Non-Fiction!
Genét Simone –Teaching in the Dark
David Hutton –Drums of a Distant Tribe
Etsuko Diamond Miyagi –Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan
Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden –An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness
Susan Cole –Holding Fast: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss
Tony Jeton Selimi –The Unfakeable Code®
And a huge round of applause for our 2024 Hearten Grand Prize Winner:
Elk Love: A Montana Memoir
By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Nellie Bly Award for Long Form Journalism!
Carla Conti – Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir
Kori Reed – Men-in-the-Middle Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority
Bonnie Bley – Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County
Sarah Towle – Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands
And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Nellie Bly Grand Prize Winner:
The Sing Sing Files:
One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice
By Dan Slepian
Congratulations to our 2024 Winners of the Military and Front Line Award for Service to Others!
Roderick S. Haynes – Unauthorized Disclosures a Navy Memoir of the 1980s
David Huntley – The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior: a WWII Final Honor
Patrick Hogan – Coincidence, You Say?
Shari Biery – It’s Your Turn How To Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being Thrive with Purpose
Max Lauker & Antonio Garcia – Number 788: My Experiences in Swedish Special Operations – Preparing for NATO and the War on Terror
Bibi LeBlanc – Wings of Freedom – The Story of the Berlin Airlift | Flugel der Freiheit – Die Geschichte der Berliner Luftbrucke
And a huge round of applause to the 2024 Military and Front Line Grand Prize Winner!
Memoirs From The Front Lines:
Four states, Two years, One pandemic
By Kim Sloan
The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.