Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: CBR writing competition

The Horse Lover: A Cowboy’s Quest to Save the Wild Mustangs by H. Alan Day with Lynn Wiese Sneyd – Non-Fiction/Memoir

Thousands of wild mustangs now have a sanctuary to call home thanks to one man: H. Alan Day. This is his story.

Perhaps you’ve heard of a horse whisperer: a person who gently and patiently communicates with an animal. Multiply that by 1,500 and you have H. Alan Day, a cattle rancher from the southwest turned horse herder who takes on what would seem to be an unimaginably huge project.

The Horse Lover: A Cowboy’s Quest to Save the Wild Mustangs, is Day’s story of Mustang Meadows Ranch in the Sand Hills of South Dakota, the first government-sponsored wild horse sanctuary established in the United States.

In beautifully vivid prose, Day transports us to the prairie, as in this passage: “The sun highlighted the horses, now twelve hundred strong, creating a canvas of golds, bronzes, beiges, blacks, and deep browns that stretched out before me.”

Day’s youth played a critical role in his success and interest with horses as he grew up on a 200,000-acre cattle ranch straddling the high deserts of southern Arizona and New Mexico. After college, he returned to manage Lazy B, the family ranch, for the next 40 years. Later, he (hesitantly) purchased 35,000 acres in South Dakota and dedicated it as a horse preserve for 1,500 wild mustangs. Relying on a herd medication program he used at Lazy B, he trained the group of mustangs, those considered unadoptable, to follow a lead horse from the wild through the gates and into the horse meadow.

However, it wasn’t always easy. Initially, Day scoffed at the idea. “Come on, wild horses? I was a cattle rancher…”

Thanks to a heartfelt and informative introduction by his sister, Sandra Day O’Connor (the first female US Supreme Court Justice who retired in 2008 after 25 years on the bench), we learn that wild mustangs, formerly running free, breeding and multiplying, were being captured, sold, or destroyed. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) took care of many of them; however, the remainder was considered unadoptable.

Day remained stalwart facing dangers, frustrations, and heartbreak and had to deal with government red tape. Through his eloquent and moving story, he shows us the resolve and passion required for undertaking South Dakota ranching.

It’s no surprise Horse Lover is well written and poignant; in 2002, Day partnered with his sister to co-author the family memoir, “Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest,” which went on to become a New York Times bestseller.

Horse lovers will not want to miss this book – and witness the magic of thousands of horses running wild. The rest of us will marvel at what Day was able to accomplish in this story of loyalty and hope.

January 25, 2017
Contest Rankings for the Chanticleer Book Awards – The Latest 411

Genre Grand Prize Winners

Authors and writers from around the world (from more than 35 countries) submit their latest works to the Chanticleer International Writing Competitions. The winners of these novel writing contests are recognized at the annual Chanticleer Book Awards Ceremony and Banquet that takes place at the annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and 3 Day Book Fair.

We have recognized each of the 14 genres that are represented First Place category winners along with announcing the genre GRAND PRIZE Award Winners and then top the evening by announcing the Overall Grand Prize Winner for the year’s Best Book Award. At this year’s ceremony, we will also recognize a new level of award winners, the Short Listed award winners.

Books that have reached the Short List or the Semi-Finalist rounds have been read completely. These are books that we love and that we want to give extra recognition. However, only a handful will go on to achieve First Place Category Positions and only one of these will be awarded the genre’s grand prize.

The Short Listed Award Winners (aka Semi-Finalists) will compete for the 5 coveted First Place Category Position within each of the offered genre novel competitions. Conference and Banquet Attendees who have been awarded a Short List position will be recognized on stage at the awards ceremony and their books will have the opportunity to be available in the 3 Day Book Fair managed by Village Books.

Short Listed titles may use the digital badges below for website, digital, and social media promotion. “Short Listed by Chanticleer Reviews” stickers are available to Short Listers. Authors may use “Short Listed by Chanticleer Reviews on their Short Listed titles.

For more information about the Chanticleer International Book Awards, please click here.

We are grateful for our contests judges — for theirs is truly a labor of love!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com

January 25, 2017
CYGNUS BOOK AWARDS – Short List 2016
These titles are in the running for the 5 First Place Book Awards for the 2016 CYGNUS Science Fiction Novel Writing competition!

Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up from the 2016 CYGNUS Finalists to the Short List. The novels will now compete for the First Place Category Positions!

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to FINALISTS LIST of 28 titles, and now has moved forward to the SHORT LIST of 15 titles for the 2016 CYGNUS Book Awards. They are now 2016 Cygnus Semi-Finalists as they compete for the limited First in Category Positions of the 2016 CYGNUS Book Awards in the last rounds of judging.

Each of the titles below have earned the CYGNUS AWARDS SHORT LIST bragging rights!
- Jonathan Renshaw – Dawn of Wonder
- Robert L. Slater – Straight Into Darkness
- Sean P. Curley – Over
- K.N. Salustro – Unbroken Light
- Greg McLeod – King of Dreams
- Nikki McCormack – Dissident (Forbidden Things Book One)
- Gary Grossman – OLD EARTH
- Elizabeth Crowens – Silent Meridian: The Transparency of Time
- Ryan London – Prophecy of the Immortals
- Cyril Adams – The Peace Proxy
- L. Woodswalker – Tesla’s Signal
- Jesikah Sundin – ELEMENTS (The Biodome Chronicles #2)
- Jim Musgrave – Life in 2050
- Dennis M. Clausen – The Accountant’s Apprentice
- Sara Stamey – The Ariadne Connection
- Stephanie R. Sorensen – Toru: Wayfarer Returns
- Tiffany Pitts – Wizzy Wig
- Rhett C Bruno – Titanborn
Good Luck to each of you as your works compete for the CYGNUS Awards First Class Category Positions.

We hope to see you at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet on April 1, 2017.
January 17, 2017
Five Guns Blazing: A Pirate Novel by Emma Rose Millar and Kevin Allen – Historical Romance

Containing exquisite historical imagery and diction in addition to brutal sensory detail of what life was like in 1700’s London and the Caribbean, particularly regarding the slave trade are portrayed in Emma Rose Millar’s and Kevin Allen’s Five Guns Blazing. The word choices, spelling, and dialogue are not only authentic to the time period, they contain a palpable amount of emotional heft.

Laetitia Beedham, the daughter of a criminal, ends up on the ‘Revenge,’ piloted by known pirate John ‘Calico Jack’ Rackham. When Rackham and his two lady friends, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, are captured by pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet, Beedham must save her friends while a price hangs over her own head.

Laetitia Beedham’s story begins at age 11 as she watches her chronically reprehensible mother sentenced to a workhouse. Since no provisions are made for the motherless at the time, Laetitia joins her mother in the workhouse disguised as a boy and referred to as “Nathaniel.” Her time in there is short and tragic, but she makes a few friends who introduce her to a life with a slightly better potential for a girl in her circumstances.

After her mother offends the law again, both mother and daughter are tossed onto the brutal steer of a ship on its way to the Caribbean to work off the transportation sentence. As a temporary slave, Laetitia learns a few hard lessons about what existence is like for those poor people chained to a life of permanent servitude and unforgiving masters.

Halfway through the book, the pirate ship arrives and Beedham’s mother, true to her nature, sells Laetitia for five guineas to the infamous pirate, ‘Calico Jack’ Rackham, in exchange for her daughter’s maidenhead. Known on the ship only as “Beedham,” Laetitia is constantly unsure of her place, looking for anyone to give her the nurturing that she didn’t get from her birth mother – especially from Pierre Bouspeut, who (like Jack, Mary, and Anne,) is a true-to-life character. In pirates, Laetitia finds unexpected allies, people who care for her and help her along the way. Much to the delight of the reader, these characters aren’t carbon-copy stereotypes of pirates we’ve come to know and expect.

There are many elements of story that work to tie the character, Laetitia, firmly in place. We get to know her and grow to love her as the thread of her tale is woven into historical characters’ narrative. In Laetitia, we see a bit of Cinderella as well as many of the Caribbean folk tales, which only lends flavor and familiarity to her plight. Sometimes she has trouble reflecting and learning not to trust those who betray her, yet the authors’ purposeful use of significant poetic symbolism adds much-needed justice to Laetitia’s tragic tale.

Though this book is advertised as a pirate novel, the pirates don’t show up until almost halfway through. When they do, though, the story picks up a significant pace. Knowing that Calico Jack, Pierre Bouspeut, Anne Bonny, and Mary Reed were real people adds to the overall historical appeal.

Five Guns Blazing is a dark, rich, historical 18th-century tale that weaves real pirates into a fictional story with many unexpected twists and turns. A must read for those interested in immersing themselves in 18th-century life, textures, and shadows.

January 14, 2017
The CLUE Awards for Thriller/Suspense Novels 2016 – Official Finalist Listing
The CLUE Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genres of Thriller and Suspense Novels. The CLUE Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners at the Chanticleer Authors Conference April 2, 2017!

The CLUE Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are:
- Suspense/Thriller
- Detective/Crime
- Private Eye/Noir
- Legal/Medical/Police Procedural
- Spy/Espionage
The following titles will compete for the Short List (Semi-Finalists) Positions.

This is the OFFICIAL FINALIST POSTING of Authors and Titles that have made it to the Finalist List of the CLUE 2016 Novel Writing Contest. Good luck to all as the works compete for the 2016 CLUE SHORT LIST!
- Craig Anderson – Grabbed and Gone
- Ken Baysinger – El Camino
- Phillip Buchanon – Sexual Departure
- Timothy Burgess – The Never-Ending Swell
- Pamela Crane – A Secondhand Life
- Elaine Williams Crockett – Do Not Assume
- Don Daglow – The Fog Seller
- Dermot Davis – Fatal Eclipse
- Denise Dearth – Blind Redemption
- Joshua Andrew Dickson – Canon
- Donna Dillon – Dreamcatcher Chronicles: Little Girl Lost
- Keith Dixon – The Innocent Dead
- Jack and Sue Drafahl – D.N.A.
- Gregg Dunnett – The Wave at Hanging Rock
- A.S.A. Durphy – The Thing Speaks for Itself
- Lonna Enox – Striking Blind
- Danielle Esplin – Give It Back
- Alan J. Field – The Chemist
- Zach Fortier – Baroota: The Hunting Ground
- Patrick M. Garry – The Illusion
- John Herman – My Father’s Son
- Clint Hollingsworth – The Sage Wind Blows Cold
- Tina Meggs Keller – Baptism by Fire
- Matt Kilby – The Road Cain Walks
- Christopher Leibig – The Black Rabbit
- Christopher Leibig – Almost Mortal
- Christopher Leibig – Montanamo
- Michael Byars Lewis – Veil of Deception
- Kara Lumbley – Never Alone
- LS Cahn – The Trus Game
- Ken Malovos – Fatal Reunion
- James Marshall Smith – Silent Source
- Kaylin McFarren – Banished Threads
- A.B. Michaels – Death Runs on Time
- A.B. Michaels – Sinner’s Grove
- A.B. Michaels – The Lair
- M. Ruth Myers – Maximum Moxie
- Toby Neal – Wired In
- Dana Ridenour – Behind The Mask
- Bjarne Rostaing – Epstein’s Pancake
- Janet Shawgo – Archidamus
- Ben A. Sharpton – 2nd Sight
- James G. Skinner – The Goa File
- Lee Strauss – Gingerbread Man (A Marlow & Sage Mystery – A Nursery Rhyme Suspense)
- E.V. Stephens – Accountable
- Cary Allen Stone – After the Evil: A Jake Roberts Novel, Book 1
- Susan Strecker – Nowhere Girl
- Luke Swanson – The Ten
- Keith Tittle – A Matter of Justice
- Lawrence Verigin – Seed of Control
- Timothy Vincent – Prince of the Blue Castles
- Jim Weber – Jehovah: A Novel
- P. K. Williams – Buried Beneath
- Manning Wolfe – Dollar Signs: Texas Lady Lawyer vs Boots King
- DM Wolfenden – Carly
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to all of the CLUE Finalists as they compete for the coveted First Place Category positions.

First In Category announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in.

The CLUE Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category winners will be announced and recognized at the April 2nd, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. To be present when your name is called, register for the Chanticleer Author Conference.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2017 CLUE Awards writing competitions for Thriller, Suspense & Mystery Fiction. Please click here for more information or to enter the contests.
December 22, 2016
The WARSAW CONSPIRACY by James Conroyd Martin – a political tale of gripping suspense

This gem could be read as a stand-alone novel even though it is James Conroyd Martin’s conclusion to his gripping historical saga on Poland. The Warsaw Conspiracy is preceded by Push Not the River and Against a Crimson Sky; you do not need to read the first two books in the trilogy to appreciate and enjoy it, but why would you cheat yourself out the total immersion?

The book covers the Polish revolt of the 1830’s, known as the November Rising or the Cadet Revolt. Martin uses this tumultuous time in Polish history as the backdrop for his sweeping novel. It starts with an armed rebellion of young Polish officers in Warsaw and soon grows as the cadets are joined by other Polish sympathizers in a grandiose stand against the Russian Empire. The uprising is ultimately crushed by the Russian Army and Poland is placed firmly under Russian control. Martin expertly weaves historical figures and events with a cast of fictional characters that carry the story through to its emotional end.

Martin centers his tale on one extended family giving the story the feel of a family saga set within the greater true-to-life struggle of a nation. This method lends well to the overall scope of the work and the overarching story contained within the pages of this lengthy 510-page novel. Yes, like the other novels in this saga, this book is huge, and will not disappoint readers who love to curl up with a thick juicy novel.

The family dynamic is a key to the success of this novel. In particular, the relationships centered on Anna, one of the main characters, were fleshed out well, and in effect made her one of the book’s more endearing characters. To drive the story, Martin gives us an excellent Villain we love to hate: Viktor, the head of the Russian secret police, who is as complex and intriguing as he is dastardly. A family man who lovingly kisses his family goodbye in one scene, and in the next, we see him torturing Poles under the guise of extracting confessions. Add to the drama, brothers Mical and Jozef who find themselves caught up in a plot to capture the Grand Duke of Russia. Here you have a story filled with gripping tension that builds throughout the book.

Author James Martin makes this well-known revolt in Polish history come alive, jump from the pages and captivate the reader. This book is nothing short of a true testimonial to the Polish people and their drive to remain an independent nation. Filled with unstoppable action, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and unforgettable characters, this breathtaking page-turner will remain with readers long after they close their books.

November 17, 2016
GOETHE Book Awards for post-1750 Historical Fiction – the 2016 FINALISTS
The Goethe Novel Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of post-1750s Historical Fiction. The Goethe Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners at the Chanticleer Authors Conference April 1, 2017!

Because we received an unprecedented amount of entries for the 2015 Chaucer Awards we divided the writing competition into two separate awards for 2016: The Chaucer Awards for pre-1750’s historical fiction and the Goethe Awards for post-1750 historical fiction. We have moved entries that are post 1750 to the 2016 Goethe Awards tracking and judging rounds.

This is the Official Finalists List of the Authors and Titles of the Goethe 2016 Novel Writing Contest.

The Goethe Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Regency, Victorian, 1700s/1800s, Turn of the Century, 20th Century, World Wars and Other Wars, World/International History post-1750, and U.S. History.

The following titles will compete for the SHORT LIST (Semi-Finalists):
- Rich DiSilvio – My Nazi Nemesis
- Lars D. H. Hedbor – The Darkness: Tales From a Revolution – Maine
- Anthony Cunningham – Skyesong
- Sandra Perez Gluschankoff – Franzisca’s Box
- S. Thomas Bailey – Blind Faith-The Gauntlet Runner
- Emma Rose Millar & Miriam Drori – The Women Friends: Selina
- Michael Sheahan – The Sean
- J.P. Kenna – Lost Utopia
- Brigitte Goldstein – Death of a Diva–From Berlin to Broadway
- C.T. Wells – The Kingdom of the Air
- Joe Vitovec – Full Circle – A Refugee’s Tale
- Connie Hertzberg Mayo – The Island of Worthy Boys
- Paula Butterfield – Forever Free: A Novel of Edmonia Lewis
- Linda Cardillo – The Boat House Cafe
- Amy Wolf – The Misses Bronte’s Establishment
- Lucinda Brant – Deadly Affair: A Georgian Historical Mystery
- Carrie Kwiatkowski – Running Before the Wind
- Elizabeth Crowens – Silent Meridian
- J.L. Oakley – The Jossing Affair
- Duncan Stewart – In Their Finest Hour
- Meredith Pechta – Dividing Prejudice
- David Selcer – Lincoln’s Hat
- Tom Glenn – The Last of the Annamese
- Ivan Light – Deadly Secret of the Lusitania
- Eleanor Webster – No Conventional Miss
- Darryl Wimberley – Paul Bunyan
- Carol M. Cram – A Woman of Note
- Jude Berman – Angel
- Joe Corso – Lafitte’s Treasure
- Sherman Smith – Golden City on Fire
- Nancy Foshee – Ephemeral Palaces
- Jeremiah Clark – American Slave
- M.C. Nelson – Chrysalis: A Novel
- Alethea Williams – Naapiikoan Winter
- Neal Katz – Outrageous, The Victoria Woodhull Saga, Volume 1: Rise to Riches
- Teresa Healy Janssen – The Ways of Water
- Suzette Hollingsworth – Sherlock Holmes and the Dance of the Tiger
- Darryl Wimberley – A Seeping Wound
- A.B. Michaels – The Depth of Beauty
- Vanda – Juliana
The Goethe Finalists will compete for the Goethe Awards First In Category Positions, which consists of Four Judging Rounds. First Place Category Book Award winners will automatically be entered into the Goethe GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition, which has a cash prize of $200. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.
- All First In Category Book Award Winners will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.
- First In Category winners will compete for the Chaucer Awards Grand Prize Award for the $200 purse and the Chaucer Grand Prize Ribbon and badges.
- TEN genre Grand Prize winning titles will compete for the $1,000 purse for CBR Best Book and Overall Grand Prize.
- A coveted Chanticleer Book Review valued at $345 dollars U.S. will be awarded to the winning title.
- CBR reviews are published in the Chanticleer Reviews magazine.
- A CBR Blue Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals
- Digital book award stickers for on-line promotion
- Adhesive book stickers
- Shelf-talkers and other promotional items
- Promotion in print and on-line media
- Review of book distributed to on-line sites and printed media publications
- Review, cover art, and author synopsis listed in CBR’s newsletter
- Contests are based on merit and writing craft in all the Chanticleer Writing Competitions.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us at Info@ChantiReviews.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!
Good Luck to all the Goethe Finalists as they compete for the coveted First Place Category positions.

First In Category announcements will be listed in our social media postings as the results come in.

The 2016 Goethe Grand Prize Winner and First Place Category Winners will be announced at the April 1st, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference to be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions for the 2017 Chaucer Awards and the Goethe Awards writing competitions for Historical Fiction. Please click here for more information or to enter the contests.
November 3, 2016
September Spotlight: Fall leaves shed to make way for new beginnings, and a new contest from Chanticleer!

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September winds blow away leaves to make way for the new, but at Chanticleer the new and the old walk hand in hand, as we call for submissions to the brand new Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers and the long running Clue Awards for Suspense/Thriller/Mysteries.

Young Adult has been one of our most popular competitions since Chanticleer began. The number of entries was getting larger and larger, and we were stretching the limits of “YA” more and more. Finally, it became clear we needed to divide the contest. We decided to make 2 contests: the Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Books, which we introduced earlier this year, and the Little Peeps Awards for Children’s Books.

So bring us your chapter books, story books, picture books, activity books, and educational books for children. We are excited to see all of your entries!

The Clue Awards have, on the other hand, have had a long history of winners.

The Clue Awards for Thriller/Suspense Fiction, History of Winners:

2015

Blood Relations by Lonna Enox won the Clue Award category for “Mystery” and then went on to take home the 2015 Clue Grand Prize.
“Not many books leave me with the urge to immediately re-read them, but Blood Relations most certainly did. The subtlety of the details and clues written throughout the mystery surfaced only after I finished reading. It is an amazing talent for an author to leave you wanting to re-read her novel. And this well-written and entertaining book made me do so.”

Lonna Enox is a former high school and college English instructor. She grew up on a ranch in New Mexico, where she learned to love critters, reading, and “wide open” spaces. She is a wife, mom, and grandmother, as well as the proud owner of 4 rescue pets–3 cats and a dog. Aside from an early stint as a newspaper reporter, she also spent 10 years as a freelance magazine writer. She is happiest exploring a wildlife refuge, cuddling little ones and critters, or snuggled up reading a good mystery.

2014

The Red Ribbon by Rachel B. Ledge won the Clue Award category for “Historical Thriller” and then went on to take home the 2014 Clue Grand Prize.
“The Red Ribbon proves a satisfying romp for fans of historical fiction, with its glittering ballrooms, bloody frays, mysterious subplots, mistaken identities, and voices from the grave.”

Award winning author Rachel Ledge grew up in Idaho, Texas, Utah and California attending 14 schools by the time she graduated high school. She never could quite settle down in one place and now lives in Singapore and Sydney, Australia, with her husband. She can be found sitting up late at night reading anything with a compelling story line.

2013

The Raggedy Man by Clyde Curley won the Clue Award category for “Classic Detective” and then went on to take home the 2013 Clue Grand Prize.
“Mr. Curley has written an engrossing debut novel that immerses the reader in the lives of the characters and the city they inhabit. His story world is one that you don’t want to leave behind. His characters are fully-realized, living and breathing human beings struggling to make their way through days complicated by the best and worst of the human condition, and his writing is exquisite in its detail.”

Clyde Curley earned a B.A. and a California Teaching Credential at San Francisco State College (followed later by an M.A.T. from Portland State University) and went on to a 31-year career teaching high school in Oregon. He chaired the English Department at Milwaukee High School and taught Special Ed. Language Arts to ninth-graders and Honors Survey of English Literature to twelfth-graders. An avid folk musician, he resides with his wife, Susan, in Bellingham, Washington.

2012

Saving Hope by Liese Sherwood -Fabre won the first CLUE Award for Mystery/Thrillers.

“Sherwood-Fabre creates a cliffhanging thriller not only with literary skill and authenticity regarding life, crime, and medicine in Russia (Sherwood-Fabre lived there as an adult), but also with great emotion and story telling ability. Deception, underworld crime, the FSB (formerly the KGB), a mother’s love, and a ticking clock to save the world from a deadly virus makes for a great page-turner.”

In Moscow in 1998, Liese Sherwood-Fabre came across a New Yorker article about Iran recruiting unemployed bio-weapon scientists. That story, along with her own experiences and observations during her five years in Russia inspired her novel Saving Hope—now available through Musa Publishing. Dr. Sherwood-Fabre had joined her husband four years earlier in Moscow after he moved there to assist in the privatization of Soviet businesses and industries. “Those were heady days,”Dr. Sherwood-Fabre recalls. “The country experienced a huge influx of foreign assistance and interest from Western companies in expanding into that region.”

The Little Peeps Awards have yet to make history, but we are excited to see what authors and illustrators will submit.

Your book could earn a place in our hall of fame for 2016 Best Books.

All you have to do is to enter your manuscript or published novel in either of these terrific contests!

The September 30th deadline for submissions, for both writing contests, is going to be here before you know it. Don’t miss this opportunity to earn distinction for your novel. Enter our contests today!

All category winners have the opportunity to attend our spring Award Gala ceremony that takes place during the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference where they will be whisked up on stage to receive their ribbon in a magical evening including dinner, networking opportunities, and celebrations–not to mention free reviews, and the chance to win the grand prizes and cash![/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”transparent” class=”” id=””]What are the Little Peeps and Clue Awards?[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”3_5″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Our Little Peeps Awards are the Chanticleer Reviews search for the best Children’s books of 2016!

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience of Early Readers. Story books, Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books & Educational Books we will put them to the test and choose the best Children’s Books among them.

Our CLUE Awards are the Chanticleer Reviews search for the best Thriller/Suspense Fiction books of 2016!

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime solving, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For light-hearted Mystery and Suspense entries see ourMystery & Mayhem Awards)[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#606060″ border_style=”solid” padding=”10px” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year!

~$1000 Overall Grand Prize Winner
~$2800 in Genre Grand Prizes
~$28,980 in reviews, prizes, and promotional opportunities awarded to Category Winners

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September 23, 2016
DOCTOR KINNEY’S HOUSEKEEPER by Sara Dahmen — The LARAMIE Grand Prize winner – captivating and heartwarming

A timeless and heartwarming romantic historical fiction amidst a dramatically painted panorama of pioneer life in America’s heartland.

Recently widowed, easterner Jane Weber hopes for a secure, quiet position as a housekeeper to a physician in the newly forming Dakota Territory, never imagining the many turns that life has in store for her.

Dr. Patrick Kinney welcomes Jane’s application because she did simple nursing chores during her late husband’s illness. Arriving in Flats Junction she is met by the auburn-haired doctor, the independent and rather acerbic general store proprietress Kate, and an enigmatic Sioux landlady, Widow Hawks.

Each evening when she leaves the doctor’s house after their companionable supper, a cowboy named Bern walks her to Widow Hawk’s strange dwelling. To the doctor’s delight, Jane displays talents as a cook, gardener, and secretary. But, still depressed after a dutiful marriage and sudden widowhood, she cannot fathom that the Doctor would show an interest in her as a woman, believing instead that he is courting Kate.

Soon she begins to perceive some fault lines in the pleasant exterior of Flats Junction, notably the violent prejudice of some people, including Bern, against Native Americans like her newfound confidante, Widow Hawks. And soon, too, Jane will have to reveal that she is pregnant with a child conceived shortly before the death of her husband.

After a series of traumatic events force Jane to acknowledge her strong feelings for Patrick, she resolves to leave Flats Junction and start her life over yet again. But she doesn’t reckon on the good doctor’s equally strong feelings or the lengths he will go to in winning her over.

Author Sara Dahmen has clearly researched the era, vernacular and settings of her richly complex story. She brings into focus the joys and deprivations of life on the American frontier, the rigid proprieties that pertained in relations between the sexes, and the cutting edge of racial hatred that rankled towards the local displaced and marginalized American Indians.

She sheds light on fascinating small details of everyday life in 1881—cookery, clothing and medical care. Dahmen also conveys a keen awareness of the sometimes desperate needs of a woman’s heart, as her heroine wavers between her unexpected passion for Patrick and the possibility of a respectable, but unexciting, match with someone else.

Captivating and vividly portrayed, “Doctor Kinney’s Housekeeper, ” is a delightful read that is refreshing and original as it is entertaining.

September 16, 2016
New Issue of Chanticleer Reviews Magazine — FALL 2016

We are excited to present the latest issue of the Chanticleer Reviews e-magazine!

This issue features an exclusive interview with Kathy L. Murphy, the Queen of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Find out more about her 650 book club chapters in this article, written by Sean Dwyer, on page 7.

What is your WRITER Horoscope? Check out page 38 to see what the stars have in line for your writing life.

As a special treat for the cold Autumn days ahead, we have included a heartwarming short story by Sean Dwyer, The Mystery of the Little Match Girl.

And, we are always excited to spotlight our Chanticleer Award Winners.

The majority of the magazine is dedicated to our reviews, including some great new book discoveries from Historical Fiction to Children’s Books to Westerns to Cozy Mysteries and chilling Thrillers. Not to mention some reviews of Chic-lit, Science Fiction, and Self-Improvement. And, with Halloween right around the corner, we had to include reviews of top Paranormal reads!

We want to thank award-winning author and artist, Nancy Canyon, for allowing us to feature her artwork on the cover, “Pink Adler.”

Hint: You can always find saving discount codes in every issue!

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Click “Follow Publisher: chantireviews“!

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Special Offer: Those who subscribe now will receive a free paid one year subscription when we take the magazine from an e-zine to a print magazine.

We hope you enjoy reading this new issue of the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine. Don’t delay! Subscribe today!

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September 15, 2016