The Little Peeps Awards is our Division for the Children and Early Readers in your life. Introducing books from a young age creates lifelong Readers!
Finding the best books for a child is hard. While these books may be small, writing for children provides it’s own challenges. Needing to provide a moral to the story, something that teaches the reader without being obvious. Plus, adorable, bright and colorful art to go along with the story. For this age range, books need to stimulate imagination, creativity, and learning.
We also have some other Divisions aimed at younger age ranges. For Middle Grade (ages 6-13) see Gertrude Warner. For Young Adult (ages 14-18) see Dante Rossetti.
We’re excited to celebrate all the wonderful children’s books that are submitted to us!
Check out these great Early Reads!
ISLAND MOON By Ruth Amanda
Ruth Amanda’s Island Moon is 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.
LET’S WORK SMARTER: Harmony Lane Adventures Book 2
By Katharine Mitropoulos
Katharine Mitropoulos’s Let’s Work Smarter, the second book of the Harmony Lane Adventures series, begins on a beautiful day at the Harmony Lane Farmer’s Market. There the residents are hoping to reach their fundraising goal to fix up the local playground.
The next day, after having met their fundraising goal, Mouse takes charge dividing everyone into groups, each with their own job to do. Kangaroo, Frog, and Kitten are tasked with planting a flower garden, which turns out to be hard work! They decide they just need to work harder to get the job done but end up making a mess. Cheetah and Mole work hard while cleaning up the sandbox, causing sticks and leaves to get all over the place. Painting the fence are Giraffe, Bear, and Bunny, who all have their own plan for the design.
YIMBY: Yes! In My Back Yard!
By Sheryl Recinos, illustrated by Amanda Ravensdale
In YIMBY! Yes In My Back Yard!, Sheryl Recinos presents a simple yet powerful story that speaks to the heart of human kindness and the need to help our fellow man.
Most people are familiar with the term NIMBY, the acronym for “Not In My Back Yard”, referencing opposition to the construction of something perceived as undesirable in one’s neighborhood. But this passionate and heart-warming children’s book offers a positive transformation to the word.
With their park damp from the rain, seven snails line up for their next thrilling race in Ruth Amanda’s Ess-Car-Go!
Frogs, bugs, birds, and even a curious cat come to cheer on the famous snail racers, from the stylish Sterling to the easily-distracted Sherlock. And as each one runs into their own kind of trouble; this trophy could go to anybody!
In Nutshell Regatta by Jonna Laster, the narrator’s grandmother reveals adventures in nature that could easily be missed without her watchful eye.
With her wise guidance, clouds turn into campers, dandelions hold moon yokes, leaves sing, and a broken branch takes on the form of a fox. Most importantly, twigs and pebbles become sailors who embark on a grand regatta in their nutshell sloops and sailboats.
Thank you for joining us to celebrate these wonderful works for children!
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs Levels of Achievement is so worthwhile! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each list is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter!
“What’s a Chatelaine?” A Chatelaine is a small belted chain used to hold on to useful objects. The image we used for the Awards is a painting of Jane Morris, drawn by Dante Rossetti with whom she had a passionate love affair. Her life was the inspiration of Pygmalion which became My Fair Lady.
The Shorts Awards accepts Fiction and Non-Fiction!
The Shorts Awards are fairly self-explanatory. Individual works are $45 and collections are $99. We do accept collections and anthologies, and you can even sneak poetry into the mix! Some incredible creative work has come through the Shorts Awards, and we’re delighted to have it as the fastest growing new Book Award Division!
Named for the Author of The Boxcar Children Series. While Gertrude Warner wrote the original 19 books, books in the series are still being written, 100 years after the first (the first book was published in 1924), with over 200 Boxcar children books now published by other writers. Warner (1890-1979) was a Sunday School teacher until 1918, when the male teachers in her community of Putnam, Connecticut were being called to serve in WW1. She continued to be a grade school teacher until 1950. She started writing the Boxcar Children while home sick, and many of the aspects of her books have inspiration in her life.
The Categories of The Gertrude Warner Awards are:
Contemporary Middle Grade
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Paranormal Middle Grade
Mystery Middle Grade
Historical Middle Grade
Adventure Middle Grade
Graphic Novels for Middle Grade
First-Third Grade Readers
Long time submitters to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards know that there’s the official date, and then the date where the change over happens. Until the year has been updated to 2025, your work will still be considered for the 2024 Awards. Reach out to info@ChantiReviews.com with any questions!
Only days remain 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 Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction, the Shorts Awards, and the Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction are still open! Will your book make the cut?
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.
Let’s dive into the Tiers of Achievement!
The Long List
At the Long List looks to celebrate work that has some sort of gem that pulled it forward and speaks to our first readers. There is no limit for us on how many people can make a Long List, though that’s no guarantee of making it through!
The Short List
The Short List offers all the benefits of the Long List: Promotion on our high traffic website, featured social media posts, and in our wide-reaching newsletter. Additionally, authors are now eligible for the first of our digital badges!
The Semi-Finalists
The Semi-finals repeats all the benefits of before, bringing the number of times your book has been promoted up to three times in three different places across the web! We do this to maximize your digital footprint and honor our commitment to long-tail digital marketing for our incredible authors!
The Finalists
There’s a definite change in tone when we reach the Finalist stage. At this point, the competition boils down to who will be the First Place Category Winner! Finalists receive discounts for the Chanticleer Authors Conference and even on our Editorial Book Reviews. And, of course, their badge and stickers are updated for their new status, as well as receiving a fourth round of promotion.
The First Place Winners
One of the most coveted positions. The First Place Winners receive an even better discount on reviews, a huge discount on our membership program, and our Blue Ribbon Winners package! They’re promoted again in our annual Round Up articles celebrating winners for each division as they close, and are linked to in each list the following year.
The Grand Prize Winner
There can only be one (per division)! The Grand Prize Winners receive everything above as well as being featured on the Book Award page for the entire year, an Awarded Editorial Review, and an Author Interview to help promote their work! Then they’re featured in our annual Hall of Fame posts for the next five years. We also ask Grand Prize Winners to share any of their success stories with us for us to promote and share on our website!
You know you want it…
The Overall Grand Prize Winner
Truly, only one. The Overall Grand Prize Winner receives all the promotion above as well as a $1000 cash prize and invitation to present at the following Chanticleer Authors Conference.
After all is said and done, we give away over $30,000 in prizes to the incredible authors who submit to the CIBAs! We can’t wait to have you join them!
Congratulations again to the 2023 Overall Grand Prize Winner
Tim Facciola for A Vengeful Realm
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 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.
The original cover of the Boxcar Children by Gertrude C. Warner
The Gertrude Warner Award for Middle Grade Fiction is named for the Author of The Boxcar Children Series. While Gertrude Warner wrote the original 19 books, books in the series are still being written, 100 years after the first (the first book was published in 1924), with over 200 Boxcar children books now published by other writers.
Gertrude Chandler Warner (1890-1979) was a Sunday School teacher until 1918, when the male teachers in her community of Putnam, Connecticut were being called to serve in WW1. She continued to be a grade school teacher until 1950. She started writing the Boxcar Children while home sick, and many of the aspects of her books have inspiration in her life. She grew up across the street from the railroad station, and her love of nature, plant collecting and gardening led to the Second book of the Boxcar Children, Surprise Island, being about the children making a nature museum out of things they collected. A student of hers once recalled the flower and stone collecting contests she held for the students.
Author of the beloved Boxcar Children’s series
Her books feature the children being young sleuths, solving mysteries where ever they go, without the help of the adults around them. While her books did have many critics about how independent she portrayed the children and inspired childhood rebellion, Warner saw it as why children liked the books so much.
Middle Grade Fiction is aimed for the ages of 6-13. We also have divisions for younger (Children’s Picture Books and Early Readers) and (14-18 years-old) Young Adult. For those, see Little Peeps and Dante Rossetti.
The Categories of The Gertrude Warner Awards are:
Contemporary Middle Grade
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Paranormal Middle Grade
Mystery Middle Grade
Historical Middle Grade
Adventure Middle Grade
Graphic Novels for Middle Grade
First – Third Grade Readers
Children can read and love the same genres as books for older age ranges. Adventures, Mysteries and Speculative Fiction can be for everyone!
From the desk of Anya Mueller, Team Chanticleer
Check out some of our favorite Middle Grade Reads we’ve recently reviewed!
BOOK Of LEPRECHAUNS: The Lore Gatherers By Jonathan Uffelman First Place Winner in the OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction
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.
MYSTERY FORCE: Volume One By Ted Neill Illustrated by Suzi Spooner Grand Prize Winner in the Gertrude Warner Awards
Set in a world where magical talking creatures are a normal part of society, the Mystery Force series 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.
ELVIA And The GIFT Of PASSION: A Tale by Moons-Light Series, Book 3 By Ruthy Ballard
Ruthy Ballard’s latest middle-grade novel, Elvia and the Gift of Passion, takes us to another planet in a distant galaxy. But the journey begins grounded on Earth.
Elvia lives a dull-as-dishwater life with her boring parents, Sally and Earl Hill. She dreams of living in Tanzania (or on Mars) after a DNA test reveals she is 99.1% Zulu, with a dash of Irish to explain her red hair.
When her mother wins a safari in a work raffle, Elvia’s dreams start to materialize. As the stubborn and dissatisfied daughter of two overprotective parents, Elvia does what any child in her situation would do; she ditches them. In the meantime, her parents try to fit in some relaxation and see the sights without their daughter.
Thank you to everyone who submitted to the 2024 Gertrude Warner Awards! We can’t believe that the whole adventure starts again when the Gertrude Warner Awards close on August 31st, 2024.
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs Levels of Achievement is so worthwhile! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each list is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter! Your book deserves to be discovered.
The Short Story Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Short Stories, Collections and Novellas. The Grand Prize Winners, Mack Little’s book, Shelter in A Hostile World and Catherine Brown’s story The Heart of Kublai Khan’s Menagerie Keeper will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Shorts 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!
Who knows what treasures will be found when this ancient trunk is finally Unlocked?
In much the same manner as Pandora, each Paper Lantern Writer takes a turn opening an old wooden chest, digging out stories spanning seven centuries. The individuals in these tales—heroes, villains, and in between—are more than people from the past. Whether they are making mayhem, waging war, or quietly holding their families together, their strength and fortitude shines on the page. From the Swinging Seventies to the Middle Ages, these characters gather, keep, and spill the secrets of their souls.
Moving, bold, and funny, this collection of essays by Elizabeth Rau captures the poignancy of ordinary life through the voices of everyday people–children, friends, neighbors, and even the mail carrier. In vivid and lyrical prose, she chronicles her childhood in the Midwest, her many years as a newspaper reporter, and, above all, her plunge into motherhood in middle age. At a time when some writers tend to grouse about raising children, Rau revels in her good fortune and the day-to-day: teaching her younger son how to read using “Garfield” comic books; encouraging her older son to design his grandmother’s gravestone; observing the motley crew of boys who patronize “the yellow house” for years, bringing their wit, charm, and stuff, from yo-yos to baseball gloves. Along the way we meet characters in her neighborhood, like Ed the mailman whose true passion is growing and selling daylilies because they are “beautiful and resilient and won’t die on you.” Engaging, yet never indulgent, the collection elevates moments we take for granted into luminous stories about the experience of home.
This work is a manuscript. Sean also won a 2018 First Place in the Journey Award for his Book A Quest For Tears (Find that Locally and our review for it here). He has also recently been awarded with Village Books Literary Citizenship Award. Congratulations Sean!
A dangerous expedition. A precious artifact. A race against time.
Museum curator and expert in antiquities AnaRose Preston accepts the challenge to find one of Christianity’s holy relics concealed in the hilt of a legendary dagger. Traveling throughout contemporary France, she rushes to solve a historical mystery. But members of a secret society stand in her way. AnaRose risks her life to locate the weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.
We’re so caught up in wishful thinking that we fail to acknowledge the drawbacks associated with them. It’s the way of the universe; you need to give up something dear to you in order to achieve something dearer. With that being said, there is a balance that needs to be met for everything to work in perfect harmony. But what happens when you’ve bitten off more than you can chew? What happens when your granted wish has consequences you did not ask for?
Presenting a narrative that begins with a grave warning, condensing into a plot that will send shivers down your spine. A narrative that will toy with you, allowing you to find comfort only to take it away when you least expect it.
Rose is swept off her feet by young German Sebastian, who shares many of her passions and dreams. The world is their oyster—until it is not, with the rising drums of war reinforcing their differences and proving an obstacle to any relationship dreams each may have harbored.
As Rose throws herself into the rigors of being an Army nurse, cleaning up after the infantry’s battles, she can’t help but wonder how the pain and suffering she witnesses fits into the beliefs and ideals she once held.
From issues of patriotism and opportunity to confrontations with the “lottery of fate” that transforms dreams and dreamers alike, A Kind of Homecoming represents a vivid story of war and transformation that will appeal to libraries and readers seeking succinct yet powerful explorations of World War I’s impact on individual ambitions.
From fiction to humor, short-story narrative to poetry —
Brian Feutz has an affinity for the music of words. A wide range of life experiences and interests converge in a lively perspective that challenges conventions and stimulates thought.
The author of mystery suspense novels, A.J. McCarthy is always on the lookout for new ideas. Her friends and family are cautious, concerned they may become a victim in her next novel. Those who are more adventurous offer up ideas and are willing to sacrifice certain family members for the cause. A.J. bides her time, waiting for the right moment and the perfect victim. She hides behind a quiet façade, and few know what she’s really thinking.
A.J. grew up reading Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, and many other masters of mystery and suspense. A lifelong love of the genre evolved. She’s a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. When she isn’t writing, chances are she is reading.
Some men hold secrets that are far darker than war. An old oath obligates Ulf Bodvarsson to join King Harald Hardrada’s army of Norsemen, seeking to assert his claim to the English crown. Yet near Stamford Bridge, enemies await, seeking to fulfill their own oaths of blood. The struggle that awaits them all will decide who rules and who dies.
This gritty historical fantasy novella gives new readers an excellent introduction to the dynamic grimdark world created by Logan D. Irons. Start the series that is perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin, Bernard Cornwell, Joe Abercrombie, John Gwynne, and Mark Lawrence.
Marie Sutro is was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, which served as the setting for her debut novel, Dark Associations. As soon as she learned to read, she developed an insatiable appetite for books. With each new story, Marie became more fascinated with the transformative power of words. The magic she discovered in those printed pages sparked an ardent desire to write, which continues to this day.
Marie remains committed to sharing the knowledge that has brought so much joy to her life. She volunteers with California Library Literacy Services, helping adults improve their reading and writing skills. Marie is also a member ofSisters in Crime, where she has served on the board of her local chapter. She currently serves on the board of Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.
Writing didn’t become a priority for Robert until recently. In 2023, he published his first novel, “Elodia’s Knife,” a historical epic set in the late 4th century CE, when the Western Roman Empire was on the brink of collapse. The book tells the story of a young Gothic girl who flees her abusive husband and finds refuge in Roman territory. She uses her wits and strength to survive and rise to power in a world that seeks to crush her.
The novel’s ordinary characters are made extraordinary by the world-shaking events of their time. Its unconventional story is bursting with confusion and danger, all precisely framed by the known historical record. “Elodia’s Knife” is a testament to Robert’s love of history, adventure, and suspense.
Troubled family relations, modern social justice issues, deeply personal choices.
Activist Xander Wallace and his straitlaced father do not have an easy relationship. Jim’s views on race, immigration, gender, sexuality and even Millennials alienate his son no matter how hard Xander tries to find common ground. Toss in Jim’s second marriage ten months after Xander’s mother died and it’s a volatile cocktail. How, against this backdrop, will Xander ever dare to bare his soul and reveal his greatest secret?
Robert Phillips passed on August 8, 2024. He is deeply missed. Here is a note from Robert’s family:
Robert retired from his life-long career as a software engineer at the beginning of the COVID lockdown, and immediately focused his time and energy on caring for Mom and writing his first historical fiction novel. Elodia’s Knife was published in 2023, and received numerous local awards and accolades. Not one to let time go to waste, he immediately started writing the sequels.
Dad never stopped missing Mom after her death, and spoke about her with love and reverence regularly. But he also continued to grow his own community here in Bellingham, working out at ProFitness Northwest under the expert care and compassion of our trainer Christy, connecting with writers in Whatcom County through the Village Books writers group, and volunteering his time and energy with the lively set-building crew at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. He travelled to visit friends and family in British Columbia, Alberta, Israel, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Texas, New Mexico, and North Carolina.
Dad and I talked in January of 2024. He was clear and definite in his intentions. He wanted to use whatever remaining time he had to finish the sequels to Elodia’s Knife, to spend time with friends and family, to live fully and pain-free for as long as possible.
If you knew Robert and would like to donate in his memory, his family asks that donations be sent to End of Life Washington,which is a powerful and critical advocacy group here in Washington, and was an incredible support to me as we prepared for his death: https://endoflifewa.org/ or The Bellingham Theatre Guild, which creates incredible local theater with an all-volunteer crew: https://bellinghamtheatreguild.com/.
Reviews for both of the sequels to Elodia’s Knife will be coming soon. We are honored to be able to continue to remember and celebrate Robert and his writing.
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2023 Shorts First Place Winners!
Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Shorts Awards!
Everyone likes a good book, and kids are no different.
The Gertrude Warner Awards celebrate Middle Grade Fiction, which means books aimed for kids of ages 8-13. This isn’t our only Division aimed for younger readers! For Young Adult (14-18), see Dante Rossetti, and for Children’s see Little Peeps.
Lets take a look at and celebrate the Past Grand Prize Winners of the Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction!
EXOSTAR By Rae Knightly
A piece-of-scrap. That’s how the townsfolk on Trinket’s planet label her. The twelve-year-old is determined to prove that she’s more than just a discarded android, but her prosthetic leg and blue veins in her hands make her wonder about her true identity. Trinket knows that she must get off-world before the cruel and powerful Remnants send her to the scrap yard, but things take a turn for the worse when the Remnant Supreme Leader discovers her existence.
Trinket could be the key to a lost spaceship that is rumored to hold the greatest hoard of gems in the galaxy, and the Supreme Leader wants it. As the alien civilizations of the Magnus Star Cluster wake up to the possibility that the legendary treasure exists, a frantic hunt for the lost spaceship – and its key – pits Trinket against an enemy that will stop at nothing to get what they want.
To uncover the truth about her identity, Trinket must confront the evil Supreme Leader or get to the treasure first. But what if the truth is too shocking to bear?
Award-winning author Rae Knightly presents EXOSTAR, Book 1 in The Lost Space Treasure Series, which thrusts a young girl into a universe full of alien civilizations and an epic hunt to uncover the greatest treasure of all. This witty upper middle-grade science fiction story with a cast of unforgettable characters is perfect for the space explorers of tomorrow and fans of Alita, The Prometheus Project, Hana Hsu, and Dragon Pearl. Ideal for readers aged 10+.
Mystery Force: Volume 1 By Ted Neill and Suzy Spooner
Set in a world where magical talking creatures are a normal part of society, the Mystery Force series 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.
During the pre-internet era of 1980, Kevin and his friends just want to enjoy a good fishing adventure, but troubles from the past come back to complicate their carefree boyhood in Murray Richter’s novel, Fishing for Luck.
As the group prepares their fishing raft for its maiden voyage, Kevin tries to solve these problems himself before anyone else knows of them, but no matter what he tries, the situation only gets worse. His parents seem on the verge of a divorce, his mentor struggles to find his long-lost love, and his sister just wants her bike back already. As Kevin takes on more and more responsibility to avoid what seem to be inevitable consequences, will he be able to see that this is all too much for one kid to handle and ask those he trusts for help?
Fishing For Luck is a wild ride of pre-teen hijinks reminiscent of the golden age of coming-of-age comedies and sitcoms we all know and love. Our young main character gets into a situation where everything goes wrong, and scrambles to fix it before anyone notices. Kevin’s predicament becomes engrossing with an extra dose of danger.
In this first installment from the new Kassy O’Roarke Pet Detective Series, award-winning author Kelly Oliver delivers a fun and engaging kid-friendly literary experience. Here is a story intended for middle-graders, Cub Reporter proves a quality blend of adventure and mystery involving a smart, inquisitive 12-year old with aspirations of becoming a spy.
As a reporter for her school paper, Kassy’s hoping to nab a front-page scoop and win the honorable Thompson Award for Journalism. Unfortunately, help from her pesky, but the well-intentioned younger brother, sets in motion a roller coaster of calamities she never expected. From animal-nappings and a mixed-bag of clues to car chases and rescues from entrapment, ultimately the constant reinforcement from family, friends, and a menagerie of furry companions bring positive lessons to the forefront of this likable tale.
Amidst popular classics like Emil and the Detectives and the resurgence of the Nancy Drew mysteries, Oliver has hit the mark with this bright and entertaining series opener. Though geared toward a younger audience, readers of all ages can look forward to more investigative capers on the horizon featuring the creative escapades of Kassy and company. Highly recommended!
The Valley of Death – Arken Freeth series book 5 By Alex Paul
The Valley of Death, Book Five in the Arken Freeth Middle-Grade series, continues the story of a heroic young man in a land before time.
The book is the latest chapter in the swashbuckling saga of Arken Freeth, a hero who will eventually become the central figure of his era, 11,000 years before the Roman era, as powerful and wise as Alexander the Great would be to his time. The many readers of the award-winning series know his adventures as a teenager in the land of the Neanderthals, or Nanders as they are called, along with his royal friend Asher, heir to the throne of Tolaria, and the young woman Talya. They know his Nander blood brother Ord, the evil pirate Yolanta, king of the Tookans, and the vile Gart whose life he saves despite their difficulties.
These familiar figures return in the latest thrilling installment. A war between the leading factions of the time, the Amarrats, the Lanthians, and the Tolarians is on the brink. The central prize that all desire: ownership of the necklace of Tol, which possesses enormous powers such as foretelling the future to those who own it. The quest to own the necklace is such that war is being threatened by the Amarrats against the Lanthians in order to possess it. Arken, who placed the necklace in the hands of the Nanders, is now the one person who can successfully stop the bloodshed by retrieving the necklace.
Remember to add your next reads to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account! Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Chatelaine Winners is to submit today!
Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!
Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Here are some recent achievements from our authors:
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 Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction, The Shorts Awards, and the Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction are still open!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Chatelaine Award for Romance!
Liese Sherwood-Fabre – Wilhelmina Quigley: Magic School Dropout
Kevin Dunn – Vicious is My Middle Name
Alisse Lee Goldenberg & Joseph Goldenberg – Lucky At Bat
Ben Gartner – One Giant Leap
Sue C Dugan – SOS
And a huge round of applause for the 2023 Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner:
Exostar: The Lost Space Treasure Series Book 1 by Rae Knightly
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.
Submissions for the 2024 Shorts Awards are open through August 31st!
The Shorts Awards is one of the newest divisions at Chanticleer, but it didn’t have the normal ramp up time to become one of the biggest powerhouses in our Book Awards! If you want to put your work to the test, submit it to the Shorts Awards today!
Shelter in A Hostile World By Mack Little
Our review of the 2023 Shorts Grand Prize Winner for Collections will post any day now! In the meantime, this is the second Grand Prize Winner Mack Little has sent us, and you can see our review for Daughter of Hades here!
The Heart of Kublai Khans Menagerie Keeper By Catherine Brown
A Manuscript
God, The Mafia, My Dad and Me By Lori Lee Peters
God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me by Lori Lee Peters begins in the voice of a child, compelling not just for its narrative honestly, but for the fact that it might not be reliable. As the book opens, we learn that this narrator firmly believes she will be killed.
Readers can easily see through the childlike hyperbole, but that doesn’t detract from the intrigue. How did a kid come to such an extreme conclusion? Is there any seed of truth to it? These questions will hook readers from the start.
Author Peters set out to write a book about her dad. God, the Mafia, My Dad, and Me tells the true story of her father, and his fascinating work helping the FBI tackle Mafia activity in Lodi, California. Yet in the end, this is a memoir in which the compelling lead character – young Lori – overshadows her father in many ways.
New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst By Elizabeth Crowens
Prepare to be carried away to bustling, vivacious streets as you read Elizabeth Crowens’ New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst.
This captivating literary anthology is a love letter to the great city from a group of brilliant artists and authors, which delves into the multifaceted lives of New Yorkers.
Short fiction and a few poems describe the ins and outs of New York living. Murder mysteries, revenge, family struggles, family sagas, and, of course, the most important questions regarding real estate. Finding the perfect place to live in the city may be difficult, but this story brings into vivid relief the heart of what makes New York special: the people.
Homegoing by Toni Ann Johnson is an intimate portrait of a middle-aged African-American woman dragging herself hand over hand out of grief and despair.
This story begins with her aching, echoing pain after the one-two punch of a miscarriage and the dissolution of her marriage. Her journey takes her back to the upper-middle-class white suburb where she grew up, through childhood memories that refuse to be denied and to, of all times and places, a funeral.
Something and someone is supposed to be buried. Certainly the deceased. But quite possibly the woman who has held on to her losses and her grudges long enough to poison her own future.
Robin Lee Lovelace evokes a world in which the mystical intertwines with the everyday in Savonne, Not Vonny, a coming-of-age story set in rural Louisiana.
Nine-year-old Savonne lives in a small room at the back of Mama Gwen’s whorehouse, in Indianapolis in the ’60s. Her mama is one of the working girls, and her father is Mama Gwen’s own son. Savonne’s daddy dotes on her, and Mama Gwen loves Savonne like the daughter she never had; the two of them together make a loving home for Savonne, in the midst of their raucous brothel.
By contrast, Savonne’s birth mother rarely pays her any mind. A “crazy-ass woman” with a temper “as hot as a Mississippi afternoon,” Coco is not at all opposed to beating the bejesus out of someone. In a fury one night, she does something that cannot be undone, and in her headlong flight out of town, she takes Savonne with her.
Vacationers from all walks of life converge on Portofino II-317C, South Carolina, a quaint blue beach house, in Pierce Koslosky Jr.’s short story collection, A Week at Surfside Beach.
From May 30th-December 26th each group of people comes to stay one week at a time, to forget their cares of the big city, to work, to celebrate, or to simply get away. Surfside Beach has much to show them, including temperamental weather.
The small town itself offers a charming supermarket where fishing supplies, whoopie pies, and local southern favorites can be found. The Christmas vacationers, the final of the thirteen beach house renters, struggle to find a tree in time; a real tree simply wouldn’t allow enough space for the family to sleep, and the fake tree would cost too much. But they find arts and crafts supplies in town, to fashion a paper Christmas tree during a day of rainy weather.
Remember to add your next reads to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account! Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Chatelaine Winners is to submit today!
Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!
Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Here are some recent achievements from our authors:
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Middle Grade Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Rae Knightly’s book, EXOSTAR will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Gertrude Warner contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention all year ‘round!
The Amarrat army continues its march across the northern land route to attack Lanth. But Arken Freeth has been critically wounded by his encounter with a deadly Tant and may not survive to lead the Nanders to war. Meanwhile, the Amarrat armada is crossing the Circle Sea to rendezvous with their army at the River Zash.
Zuul, the Amarrat king has equipped Yolanta, king of the Tookans, with a fleet of twenty fighting ships, and he is leading the Amarrat armada across the Circle Sea. Yet Yolanta is plagued by doubts about his loyalty to Zuul after he invaded Yolanta’s mind.
Lanth is frantically preparing to defend itself as Arken’s friend, Asher, sails to the Nander Water Cave. He is accompanied by his mother, the Queen of Tolaria, who plans to read the Necklace of Tol in hopes of divining a strategy to defeat the Amarrats.
The collision of these forces is inevitable. But who will win the battle at sea against the Amarrat Armada?
LITTLE MOUNTAIN, BIG TROUBLE is an inspirational story about a young boy with a big dream and the courage to chase that dream no matter the obstacles.
Twelve-year-old EJ is a short, unpopular, shy, self-described loser. He lives with his mother and younger brother on the wrong side of town and spends every other weekend with his hard-to-please, deadbeat father. Because surviving school and his home life are challenging enough, EJ’s the last kid you’d expect to dream of someday climbing Mount Everest …
… until he’s matched with a volunteer Big Brother. Russ is the opposite of EJ in almost every way. Despite their differences, they bond over helping EJ achieve his mountain-climbing dream. Their first goal is to hike to Minnesota’s highest point, Eagle Mountain.
But when a ferocious thunderstorm strikes in the middle of their trek, EJ and Russ are plunged into a life-or-death crisis. Fighting his loser self-image with every step toward safety, EJ learns that standing tall has nothing to do with height and everything to do with determination, heart, and courage.
A missing father. A mother bewitched. Wilhelmina must use her unpredictable magic to catch whoever—or whatever—is stalking her parents. Will her powers be enough to restore her family?
When Wilhelmina accidentally sets her remedial magic class on fire, she is sent to live in the ordinary world with a mother she barely knows. Her adjustment gets off to a very rocky start. She has sudden, unexplainable bursts of magic—mostly while navigating the middle-school minefield—and her mother’s behaving like she’s under some spell. Despite her handicapped magic, Wilhelmina vows to get to the bottom of it all—even if she could vanish without a trace just like her father.
“Wilhelmina Quigley: Magic School Dropout” is a fish-out-of-water story with touches of mystery, fantasy, and humor. A witty tale of enchantment.
With a partially-shaved head, purple Doc Marten boots, and the sinking realization that no one in a fifty-mile radius has ever heard of her favorite all-female punk band Lite Brite, 13-year-old Sydney Vicious Talcott wants to be anywhere but her new home of Beaver Dam, NC, especially when mean girl Brittany Winters treats her like the punch-line to every joke. But just as life begins to seem more tolerable with her two new book-nerd friends and a growing appreciation for the beauty of the Appalachian mountains, Sydney discovers that a shady corporation is planning to build an environmentally-damaging asphalt plant right next to the school. Her attempts to work through the system to stop the plant’s construction fail, so it’s up to Sydney to fight the corporation and their political lackeys the only way she can, using the do-it-yourself tools she has learned from punk rock. But before she can triumph, Sydney, her family, and friends must endure bullying, harassment, immigration raids, and more.
Lucky At Bat follows the story of a young boy named Jack and his two rescue rats-Lucky and Gus-Gus. When Jack discovers that Lucky has a talent for baseball, the little rat becomes the mascot and secret batting coach for Jack’s Little League team. Unfortunately, a rival team considers Lucky’s presence “cheating,” and tensions rise, resulting in a terrible accident. Lucky and Jack wonder if maybe a ballpark is no place for a rat.
Now it’s up to Jack’s teammates and Gus-Gus to show both Lucky and Jack that they are special and important, and they should not give up on their dreams, no matter how big those dreams may be.
From Chanticleer:
Alisse Lee and Joseph Goldenberg, a mother and son team, knock their new middle-grade novel, Lucky at Bat, out of the park.
This story follows ten-year-old Jack and his pet rats. Baseball is a major theme, and with Joseph as illustrator, Lucky and Gus Gus come to life. Their mutual friendship and support raise them up against the forces that would try to bring them down.
When Gus Gus and Lucky arrive in Jack’s life, he is thrilled to have pets and wants to share his life and passions with them. One of those passions is baseball, and Lucky finds something appealing about the game. When Jack’s little league team begins playing, he invites both his pets, but only Lucky goes.
When the team meets Lucky, they make him their mascot, and turn around their losing record.
I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.
Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!
Thirteen-year-old Brandon, Amy, and their family are on a cruise to Bermuda when hurricane-force winds sink their ship. Brandon and Amy escape into a life raft. Brandon needs to use his wits to keep himself and his sister safe until they are rescued by The City of Benares—an evacuee ship with children fleeing from the Germans during WWII. They seem to have gone back in time!
Although their situation is confusing and seems like a dream, not all is terrible when Brandon meets the beautiful Eleanor, who is going to New York to escape the London bombings. They can’t comprehend why they have gone back in time. The atmosphere on the ship is fun, even though the threat of the German torpedos is real. When the ship is sunk by a torpedo, Brandon, Amy, and Eleanor escape and are rescued by the Titanic. They remember what happened with the iceberg and know they must leave and plan their escape. They leave the Titanic to be rescued by the SS Austria—a wooden ship from the 1800s—where the passengers view them suspiciously. When the Austria burns and sinks, they are adrift until they find land, spot a small plane taking off from the jungle, and know they’ve discovered a way home.
H.G. Wells once described the purpose of a short story to be “The jolly art, of making something very bright and moving; it may be horrible or pathetic or funny or profoundly illuminating, having only this essential, that it should take from fifteen to fifty minutes to read aloud.”
A Story doesn’t need a long winding plot to get it’s point made. Compelling characters and plot twists in 5 pages can have much the same effect as 100.
In 1846, Edgar Allan Poe wrote an essay called The Philosophy of Composition. In it he described his theories on writing Short Stories, using The Raven as the example. He had 3 theories for writing – Length, Method and ‘Unity of Effect.’
According to Poe, the limits on the length of a short story is what makes them so good.
In his words “For it is clear that the brevity must be in direct ratio of the intensity of the intended effect.” On length, Poe said for one of his stories: “[W]hat I conceived the proper length for my intended poem – a length of about one hundred lines. It is, in fact, a hundred and eight.”
In terms of method, He states that a writer should first think of how they want a story to end. Of course, that’s just how he wrote, you can start from the beginning, or the end, or maybe the middle. His last theory is everything together. Emotion, Length, Tone, and making them all work together.
The Shorts Awards launched just a few years ago and is already one of our most competitive divisions!
Your Short Fiction and Non-Fiction deserve to be discovered!
There are several options when submitting to the Shorts Awards to match your type of writing:
Single Story or Essay – also great for Novellas and Novelettes!
Short Story Collection
Novelette Collection
Novella Collection
Essay Collection
You can also submit anthologies to any of the collection options! Just pick the one that best describes the type of work found in the anthology! This includes anthologies with a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and even poetry!
Let’s dive into some wonderful short work that we’ve reviewed recently!
THE GARDEN PLOT DIARIES
By Endy Wright
Shorts Finalist
Endy Wright’s The Garden Plot Diaries is a delightful collection of four short stories about life, relationships, and consequences.
Wright captures the gossip and rivalries between factious groups of town folk, all between sixty and ninety-something, who have known each other since childhood and carry the grudges to prove it. Our delightful narrator professes, “I am a rambling old man with a tale to tell and in no hurry to tell it.” So, settle in.
A WILD REGION: Tales and Stories from the Heartland By Robin Lee Lovelace “Savonne, not Vonny” won the Shorts Grand Prize!
A Wild Region: Tales and Stories from the Heartland by Robin Lee Lovelace is a wonderful collection of Weird fiction (emphasis on Weird), showcasing the oddities and fantastic adventures which hide among the everyday people of the midwestern United States.
Lovelace opens with ‘Virgie’s Headless Chicken’, setting the tone for the full collection as Virgie attempts to reproduce a circus sideshow act. Lovelace shares her familial inspiration for this story in a fascinating preface.
NEW YORK: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst By Elizabeth Crowens Shorts Grand Prize Winner
Prepare to be carried away to bustling, vivacious streets as you read Elizabeth Crowens’ New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst.
This captivating literary anthology is a love letter to the great city from a group of brilliant artists and authors, which delves into the multifaceted lives of New Yorkers.
Short fiction and a few poems describe the ins and outs of New York living. Murder mysteries, revenge, family struggles, family sagas, and, of course, the most important questions regarding real estate. Finding the perfect place to live in the city may be difficult, but this story brings into vivid relief the heart of what makes New York special: the people.
A WEEK at SURFSIDE BEACH By Pierce Koslosky, Jr. Shorts Grand Prize Winner
Vacationers from all walks of life converge on Portofino II-317C, South Carolina, a quaint blue beach house, in Pierce Koslosky Jr.’s short story collection, A Week at Surfside Beach.
From May 30th-December 26th each group of people comes to stay one week at a time, to forget their cares of the big city, to work, to celebrate, or to simply get away. Surfside Beach has much to show them, including temperamental weather.
The small town itself offers a charming supermarket where fishing supplies, whoopie pies, and local southern favorites can be found. The Christmas vacationers, the final of the thirteen beach house renters, struggle to find a tree in time; a real tree simply wouldn’t allow enough space for the family to sleep, and the fake tree would cost too much. But they find arts and crafts supplies in town, to fashion a paper Christmas tree during a day of rainy weather.
WISHES, SINS, and the WISSAHICKON CREEK By PJ Devlin Somerset First Place Winner
Wishes, Sins, and the Wissahickon Creek by PJ Devlin emulates the lives of fictional characters brimming with hope and promise yet living a truthful life of existence in the gorgeous setting of Pennsylvania’s Wissahickon Creek.
The book encompasses ten short stories making it a complete work of fiction. Devlin creates characters which are rich in both experience and struggle. Not only do they live in a real world created by Devlin, but her characters, a mix of children and adults, both struggle with daily, real-world issues most Americans deal with. The stories are all relatable in this sense, which makes the text come alive, page after page.
Thank you to everyone who submitted to the 2024 Shorts Awards! We can’t believe that the whole adventure starts again when the Shorts Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards close on August 31st, 2024.
This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs Levels of Achievement is so worthwhile! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each list is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter! Your book deserves to be discovered.
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Late Historical (Post 1750s) Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, David Calloway’s book, If Someday Comes will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Goethe contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
The Spoon is historical fiction based on the personal anecdotes of survivors of what we now know as the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. At the heart of The Spoon is the true story of two people incongruously brought together during the maelstrom of this historic event; a story that is embodied in one small heirloom and remembered and shared through the generations when the family gathers each year for Christmas.
From Chanticleer:
Lisa Voelker’s historical fiction novel, The Spoon, takes us back to the 1950s in Hungary during the daring student uprising, and attempted revolution,. The author weaves historical facts with fiction in the form of family lore that has been handed down for generations.
We follow scores of people whose lives intersected during this uprising of 1956. The revolution was, at its inception, a time of joyous upheaval, but in less than two weeks became one of devastating dissolution. People fled Hungary by the thousands, but not before giving the Soviet Union a taste of their discontent.
Voelker introduces Rebeka, a member of the Varga family with old ties to the bourgeoisie, who lived a life of privilege on a farm. She is contrasted by Peter, a member of the Turea family who attends Budapest Technical University, where students began demonstrating against the Hungarian Government that was under Soviet control.
Conor Dolan, a young Irishman, travels to Chicago in 1903 to visit his older brother; instead, he finds a mystery. His journey sparks a quest to peel away secrets and rediscover a dead sibling he idolized but never really knew as he strives to learn the true meaning of brotherhood.
His search reveals an Irish Republican plot to assassinate a visiting British royal. In the process, he is drawn into an alliance with two women: a mesmerizing Jewish widow and a struggling young Irishwoman. Each teaches Conor existential truths of life and love in her own way.
But the brother he finds may not be the brother he remembers. A Long Way from Clare is a story of Chicago’s early twentieth century immigrants and one man’s struggle with both bigotry and justice in an unforgiving city where no good deed goes unpunished.
From Chanticleer:
Twenty-four-year-old Conor Dolan had intended to surprise his older brother and catch up after years apart. However, what he finds when he arrives in Chicago will spark a harrowing mystery, in A Long Way from Clare by Robert W. Smith.
Kevin, a beat cop in twentieth-century Chicago’s worst neighborhood, was found six weeks before Conor’s visit, in what the police have dubbed a suicide. However, Conor has his doubts. Each time he asks people about Kevin, he is met with resistance and denial. When Conor speaks with Detective Flynn, the man assigned to Kevin’s case, his suspicions become certainties. Flynn’s bizarre behavior, the minimal effort on the police’s part to investigate, and the men following Conor at every turn convince him to stay in Chicago rather than return to his home in Springfield.
Conor’s determination to find answers to Kevin’s death lead him in a dangerous dance with darkness amidst the shadows of Chicago’s underworld.
The year is 1884. Rolla Alan Jones, an ambitious dreamer fresh out of an East Coast engineering school, is commissioned to design and build the first water system in Spokane Falls, Washington, a booming town of twenty-thousand. He is everyone’s golden boy for five years until the city burns down on August 4, 1889. The once-celebrated engineer is scapegoated for the catastrophe alleging his system yielded inadequate water pressure. Asked to resign, betrayed by his friends, shunned by the community, and abandoned by his pregnant wife and three-year-old son, Rolla must find the strength to reinvent himself or return to New York as an abject failure. Based on a true story, Water Fire Steam is a story of forgiveness and redemption for anyone who has ever had to claw their way back from an unwarranted accusation.
Lillian Lorraine was a naive 15-year-old chorine on Broadway when she attracted the notice of the notorious 41-year-old Florenz Ziegfeld. Accustomed to getting what he wanted, Ziegfeld took Lillian under his wing and into his arms, giving her coveted numbers in the Ziegfeld Follies and taking control of her career. But Lillian’s rebellious spirit chafed against him, refusing to play according to his rules, and nearly destroying her own career in the process. The Adored One follows her through rise and fall after rise and fall as she comes of age in a world where her youthful beauty was an asset-and a liability.
From Chanticleer:
Step into the glittering world of fame and betrayal in Susanne Dunlap’s The Adored One. At just four years old, Leleanne de Jacques, aka Lillian Lorraine, began her acting career. After fleeing an abusive husband in San Francisco, Mary Anne, Lillian’s mother, moves to Philadelphia, seeing her daughter’s talent as their potential meal ticket.
Soon after arriving in Philadelphia and changing her daughter’s name, Mary Anne relocates them both again to New York, where she puts Lillian in front of artists who see her potential for print ads. Lillian soon meets Fred McKay, her first talent agent, and she begins performing in Lee Shubert productions.
When Florenz Ziegfeld sees Lillian onstage, he knows he must have her, both in his productions and his bed. At only sixteen, Lillian signs with Broadway’s biggest producer. She begins to spiral soon after. Drinking and partying become a staple in Lillian’s life, and she is soon keeping more secrets than her young heart can handle. Florenz’s obsession, Mary Anne’s domineering, and Lillian’s own need for approval lead her down a dangerous and lonely path. Losing every friend she ever makes as well as a part of herself, Lillian wonders if the prize of fame is really worth the cost.
Samantha Lockwood, Day Sets, and Harriet Robinson come to Fort Snelling from very different backgrounds. It’s 1835 and the world is changing, fast, and they are all struggling to keep up. After she refuses another suitor he’s chosen for her, Samantha’s father banishes her to live in the territory with her brother. He, too, tries to take over her marriage plans—but she is determined to find her own husband, even when her choices go awry.
Day Sets demands that her white husband create a school to educate their daughter, supporting her father’s belief that his people must learn the ways of the white man in order to ensure the tribe’s future. Until events prove her father wrong. Harriet’s life in the territory is more like that of a free person than anywhere she’s lived. She even falls in love with Dred Scott and dreams of a life with him. But they are both enslaved, and she keeps being reminded of how little control she has over her own fate. As their cultures collide, each of these three women must find a way to direct her own future and leave a legacy for her children.
Based on a true story, Catherine’s Mercy brings to life Irish reformer and Sisters of Mercy founder Catherine McAuley.
In 1824, Catherine, a Catholic spinster of 44, unexpectantly inherits millions. However, she doesn’t use it to climb the social ladder or snare a husband; she uses it to fulfill a lifelong dream of building a refuge for the poor and sick of Dublin, Ireland. That an unmarried woman would dare propose such a thing is so scandalous, even her own brother calls it “Kitty’s Folly.” Society turns against her. The Church tries to take over. Catherine must defend her choices or lose not only her inheritance, but her reputation and life’s calling.
One of the first women who seeks Catherine’s help is Margaret, a maid in the house of Lord Montague, the loudest of Catherine’s detractors. Daring to protect herself from his advances and rebel against his maxim of total obedience, Margaret is forced to flee for her life. She desperately approaches Catherine for help, setting off a series of events that haunt Catherine all her days and prompt a rule that holds today, in the real-life Sisters of Mercy.
William Maz – The Bucharest Legacy: The Rise of the Oligarchs
The CIA is rocked to its core when a KGB defector divulges that there is a KGB mole inside the Agency. They learn that the mole’s handler is a KGB agent known as Boris. CIA analyst Bill Hefflin recognizes that name—Boris is the code name of Hefflin’s longtime KGB asset. If the defector is correct, Hefflin realizes Boris must be a triple agent, and his supposed mole has been passing false intel to Hefflin and the CIA. What’s more, this makes Hefflin the prime suspect as the KGB mole inside the Agency.
Hefflin is given a chance to prove his innocence by returning to his city of birth, Bucharest, Romania, to find Boris and track down the identity of the mole. It’s been three years since the bloody revolution, and what he finds is a cauldron of spies, crooked politicians, and a country controlled by the underground and the new oligarchs, all of whom want to find Boris. But Hefflin has a secret that no one else knows—Boris has been dead for over a year.
The Short Story Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Short Stories, Collections and Novellas. The Grand Prize Winners, Mack Little’s book, Shelter in A Hostile World and Catherine Brown’s story 
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Late Historical (Post 1750s) Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, David Calloway’s book, If Someday Comes will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Goethe contest page year ’round!
