The CHATELAINE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards ( The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs).
The Semi-Finalists’ works will compete for the Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be announced and recognized at the CAC21 banquet and ceremony. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremonies April 21-25th, 2021 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. at the 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2020 Chatelaine Book Awards LONG LIST to the 2020 SHORT LIST and now have progressed to the 2020 Semi-finalists.
Sara Stamey– Pause
Linda Stewart Henley –Estelle: A Novel
Lindy Miller –The Magic Ingredient
Alexandrea Weis –The Christmas Spirit
Mary Ting –When the Wind Chimes
Linda Lee Graham –A Thimbleful of Honor
F. E. Greene –Some Place Like Home
Gayle Woodson –After Kilimanjaro
Rebekah N. Bryan –Jenna with the Red Pen
Michael Aloysius O’Reilly –Romeo and Juliet Are Alive and Well in California
R.Harrington– Veronica
R.A.R. Clouston –Cry Savage Tears
Eileen Charbonneau –Mercies of the Fallen
Tammy Mannersly –Drawn to Him
Beverly Allie –Where the Monarchs Dance
Elizabeth Crowens –Dear Mom, The Killer is Among Us
Harper McDavid –Zapata
Carol Van Den Hende –Goodbye, Orchid: To Love Her, He Had to Leave Her
Gail Noble-Sanderson –The Lavender Bees of Meuse
Holly Brandon –Life in the Chastity Zone
Michelle Cox –A Child Lost
Tina Sloan –Chasing Cleopatra
Barb Warner Deane –The Whistle Stop Canteen
These titles are in the running for the Finalists of the 2020 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romantic Fiction.
Which of these works will move forward in the judging rounds for the 2020 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romantic Fiction?
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The 2020 CIBA FINALISTS will be announced at VCAC21, April 21 -24, 2021.
Which of these works will advance to the Finalists positions? The excitement continues to build!
The Semi-Finalists’ works will compete for the First Place Winner positions, and then all will be recognized in the evenings at VCAC21 April 22-24th from 6-8 p.m. PST.
The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 23 CIBA divisions Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category Winners and Grand Prize Division Winners the CIBAs Ceremonies June 5th, 2021 virtually (Free) and LIVE at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
Appreciating International Women’s Day and looking at Women’s Fiction
The theme for 2021’s international Women’s Day is Choose to Challenge. We thought an excellent challenge to offer to our wonderful Chanticleerians would be to read more women’s fiction. To read more about International Women’s Day, click here. To jump into it though, we first want to define the genre.
While one might the that the Chatelaine Awards would be the location of Women’s Fiction, especially with the image of Jane Morris being used when her story could be written as an excellent example of women’s fiction. If you’re interested in entering the Chatelaine Awards you can click here, and if you want to read more about our most recent Spotlight for the Awards, click here.
Jane Morris’ life is often said to be the inspiration for Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw’s My Fair Lady. Morris trained herself into being a lady, learning French and Italian while reading anything she could get her hands on. She was a renowned embroiderer, even running an embroidery company that did quite well. She was also the muse of pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Rossetti (the model for our Rossetti Awards). By the end of her life, she even managed to purchase the home she lived in so that her daughters would have an inheritance to support them after her death.
Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle
While Morris could be a great subject for a book of women’s fiction, her story is often peppered with romantic narratives, even in fictional retellings like My Fair Lady. It’s true that her husband and Rossetti all rented an apartment together, which allowed for Morris and Rossetti to have an affair while her husband was in Iceland, presumably with her husband’s knowledge as the painter and the subject were considered an open secret, though it seems a painful one for William Morris.
Surrounded by so much romance and intrigue, we couldn’t help but have Jane Morris’ portrait by her lover be the representation of the Chatelaine Awards, which leads us to the use of William Somerset Maugham as the representative of the Somerset Awards.
The Somerset Awards focuses on:
Contemporary Theme
Adventure/Suspense
Literary
Women’s Fiction + Family Themes
Satire/Allegorical
Magic Realism
Action/Adventure
Connections
Social/Psychological Themes
To read more or to enter the Somerset Awards, click here.
Of course, here we want to focus on the women’s fiction portion of that, though there is overlap. Somerset’s first novel that won him critical acclaim was Liza of Lambeth, (1897) which propelled him to become one of the highest paid authors of the turn of the century. He was inspired to write this novel while he was working as an obstetric clerk and medical student at a hospital in a working-class district of London. Somerset is known for his “shrewd understanding of human nature.Britannica
In the novel, Liza, like many women in novels of this era, has her life dictated by the men who surround her, unable to break free of the desires and expectations that surround her, ultimately leading to her death. This examination of consent and the harmfulness of denying women agency can be seen reflected in the urgency of the suffrage movement.
With his story of Liza, Somerset focuses on the hardships women face, especially concerning domestic violence and abuse. He highlights the lack of consequences men face for treating women like animals, and the ways in which people ignore clear signs of abuse as something that isn’t their problem or maybe even deserved. The novel Somerset writes is a critique of the time in which he lives, but is it women’s fiction?
Almost there…
Probably not by today’s standard.
Women’s fiction is difficult to define. Generally, we think Amy Sue Nathan did a good job in this article here, but our take is a little more personal. First, we do think that for a book to be considered in the genre of women’s fiction, it obviously has to focus on women. The next point is that the plot progresses alongside the narrator’s self, whether that be self-discovery, self-preservation, or even perhaps self-destruction (though storylines with a negative outcome can be difficult to fit into this genre).
Since Somerset’s telling of Liza’s story focuses on the ways in which she is denied agency rather than the ways in which she can focus on the self
The struggle with whether or not a book is women’s fiction resolves around the fact that the protagonist must be the one who, as Nathan says, “saves herself.”
The driving force of women’s fiction is the motivation of the main character to get herself from point A to point B to point C, learning and changing and growing and making mistakes along the way. What makes a women’s fiction main character tick is the methods by which she learns and changes and grows and makes mistakes. – Amy Sue Nathan
Even a little growth
Since the focus of women’s fiction is often growth, unhappy endings don’t always necessarily fit. Of course, endings that aren’t unhappy won’t automatically be happy, and women’s fiction often ends up with a complex ending that leaves the reader thoughtful and reflective on their own growth as they read along with the main character.
Of course a book that is considered women’s fiction can have many other themes, and could even fit into other Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) beyond the Somerset Awards. You can see the different genres in the books below:
HARD CIDER by Barbara Stark-Nemon
Women’s Literature, Literary, Women’s Fiction
Grand Prize Winner in Somerset Awards (2018)
Abbie Rose Stone is a woman determined to follow her newly discovered dream of producing her own craft hard apple cider while navigating the ups and downs of family life with her grown sons and husband.
Abbie Rose knows how to deal with adversity, and dives headfirst into this new chapter of her life with energy and passion. She describes her early adulthood years of infertility struggles and the hardscrabble way she built her young family through invasive medical procedures, a surrogate attempt, and adoption barriers.
FROM LIBERTY to MAGNOLIA: In SEARCH of the AMERICAN DREAMby Janice Ellis, Ph.D.
Black History, Discrimination & Racism, Memoir, Non-Fiction
Grand Prize Winner in Journey Awards (2019)
As a black woman on a cotton farm in Mississippi in the 1960s, Janice Ellis could have resigned herself to a life full of status quo: never speaking up for herself, never speaking out against injustice or racism. Instead, she never let unsettling times define her or hold her back, even as a witness to some of the ugliest racial violence this country has seen. In her candid and thought-provoking memoir, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream, Ellis vividly depicts her life in the South during the height of the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements.
Through fluid and skillful writing, Ellis recounts the battles she encountered due to her skin color or due to her gender: an abusive husband, discouragement to further her education, sexual and racial discrimination in the workplace, a lack of support from friends and family when she runs for election. Despite these mounting obstacles, she goes on to earn her Ph.D., lands leadership roles and furthers her career, and even runs for mayor in a major US city. Her faith in God and her unwavering belief that the American Dream should be accessible and attainable to everyone are what lead her.
WE DID WHAT WE COULD by Nancy H. Wynen
Historical Fiction, WWII Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction
Nancy Wynen’s We Did What We Could is a well-conceived, smart, character-driven novel set across a grand European landscape. Here a formidable trio of young women groomed for mere social status demonstrates their strength, endurance, and courage as they move beyond the walls of academia to experience careers. The three must also deal with relationships, family expectations, and life issues amidst the often devastating and upending climate of war.
Lady Archer is a widow from the Great War. As Assistant Head Mistress at St. Martin’s School, she feels girls should receive solid educations and prepare for real professions. With her high level of social ties, Archer looks for “future perfect leaders” within each new graduating class, possessing ideal traits of intelligence and creativity. In May of 1936, Archer sets her sights on three such proteges whose memorable antics foretell their potential for more significant life accomplishments.
The SHAPE of the ATMOSPHEREby Jessica Dainty
Literary, Psychology, Women’s Fiction
Jessica Dainty’s, The Shape of the Atmosphere is remarkable for its startling realism, its gritty young heroine, and its hopeful conclusion.
When Gertie’s father and sister are killed in an accident on Gertie’s sixteenth birthday in 1957, she is left with one cherished memory: viewing the heavens with her father on the night of the world-changing Sputnik flight.
After the funerals, Gertie wounds herself as a way of coping with her inner anguish, after which her alcohol-addicted mother commits her to an insane asylum. Such institutions were considered modern and scientifically advanced for their time, but as author Jessica Dainty frankly depicts, Gertie’s new home is a combination prison and torture chamber. The naïve but intelligent girl soon becomes acquainted with such therapies as immersion in icy cold water and electroshock (both designed to calm the inmates), as she gradually gets to know her fellow patients, the women on Ward 2.
DISOWNED – The RED-HEELED REBELSSeries Novel One by Tikiri
Women’s Adventure, Thriller/Suspense, International Crime
Spanning three continents and taking on crucial issues of child marriage and human trafficking, Disowned features a brave teen heroine struggling against international criminality with nothing but her wits and grit.
Asha, born in Tanzania, is still a child when her parents are tragically killed while on a family safari in Kenya. Within a short period of time she is transported to Goa, India, to live with relatives she has never met. Her grandmother is an angry, culture-bound crone, her aunt and cousin living, as Asha now must, under the old woman’s seemingly heartless sway.
PECCADILLO at the PALACE: An Annie Oakley Mystery by Kari Bovée
Historical Thrillers, Women’s Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction
Grand Prize Winner in Goethe Awards (2019)
Kari Boveé’s Peccadillo at the Palace, the second book in the Annie Oakley Mystery series, is a historical, mystery thriller extraordinaire. Fans of both genres will thrill at Boveé’s complex plot that keeps us guessing from its action-packed beginning to the satisfying reveal at the end.
The book opens with the Honorable Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show to England on a voyage to perform for Queen Victoria. They are not on the high seas long, when Annie’s beloved horse, Buck, jumps overboard. Her husband and the Queen’s loyal servant, Mr. Bhakta, jump in to save the horse, or was Mr. Bhakta already dead before he reached the water? Thus, begins the mystery of who killed Mr. Bhakta, leaving all to wonder, is the Queen safe?
We appreciate you spending time with us in celebration of International Women’s Day!
Looking to join the Chanticleer family?
Register for VCAC 21 here! Registration will include access to video recordings of the conference. April 21- 25, 2021. Multichannel Marketing for Authors and Intermediate and Advanced Writing Craft
See all our Chanticleer International Book Awards here.
Chanticleer’s own online community offering a private place to discuss craft and marketing with authors, in addition to receiving steep discounts on many Chanticleer services. Read more here.
Grace Michelle never asked for stardom or fame. Content to sew costumes with her mentor Lucile, Lady Duff Gordon, Grace doesn’t need adoration from anyone. Still, when her sister Sophia, a rising starlet in the Ziegfeld Follies, begins a rapid downhill spiral and then ends up dead, Grace is thrust into the spotlight by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
Florenz, or Flo, was her savior, rescuing Grace and Sophia from a life on the streets when they were mere children. He enrolled the girls in dance, voice, and acting lessons, too. Now, Grace feels obligated to take up the reins and save his floundering Follies. Grace knows her sister’s death was no accident and definitely not the suicide those around her believe. However, the only place to find the truth is California, where her sister was last seen alive with her new husband, Jack Pickford, brother to the famous actress Mary Pickford.
When Flo sends Grace to Hollywood on a promotional tour, Grace reluctantly agrees, even though it means traveling with Chet Riker, a private investigator indebted to mobster and Flo’s financier, Joe Marciano. Haunted by Sophia’s death and overwhelmed by the pressure to bring Flo success, Grace doesn’t need to fall for the handsome stranger, but neither can deny the longing they feel. As Grace gets closer to the truth, she realizes everyone is keeping secrets, even Chet, and the only person she can rely on is herself. But will she be enough?
A significant issue raised within the novel is that of female independence. At twenty years old, Grace is just beginning to understand who she is and what she wants from life. Having moved from seamstress to junior designer, she is finally on the path she most desires, one spent in the shadows of the stage, not in the gleaming gel lights her sister so loved.
As Grace finds her voice literally and figuratively, she knows she cannot follow in her sister’s footsteps, neither on stage nor in life. As she investigates Sophia’s death, she becomes emboldened and more sure of herself. Grace learns to challenge those in power, people who would have terrified her before. The more strength she finds, the more righteous anger develops. Though she will fulfill her obligatory role in Flo’s latest scheme, Grace vows to fight for freedom once the promotion trip is over and to never again allow a man to take care of her but to put her own feet on the ground when and where she chooses.
Chet Riker is more than just a pretty face. Tall, dark, and handsome, he fits the image of most romance heroes; however, Chet’s story adds another layer to this period thriller. Chet is haunted by his memories of World War I, a man with a complicated past, but not in the expected “brooding hunk” way. Chet was given up by his mother when he was a boy. Old enough to remember her, Chet spent his life wanting to find her again someday, but when he does, he discovers she is dying and in need of an expensive operation. Money is needed, and that need leads him indebted to a vicious mobster. That debt takes him to Flo, who then attempts to use him in an illegal scheme and eventually sets him up as an unwitting conspirator in his machinations to use Grace. He knows he must pay off his debts or risk his PI career–and possibly his life. Torn between his anger at being used by these two men and his newfound love of Grace Michelle, Chet will have to decide between honor and honesty or ruthlessness and reputation. His story, much like Grace’s, will force him to fight for independence or to remain a captured pawn in a game of titans.
Set against the glamorous stage of the Roaring Twenties, this star-studded whodunnit will not disappoint fans of mystery and history. Grace in the Wings won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Mysteries.
As we step toward Valentine’s in quarantine, we might be a little further from our loved ones than normal, but hopefully that doesn’t mean we’re further away from love. Just like we can stay in touch with each other in different ways, we can take a moment to appreciate the different types of love we still have access to.
Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else. Like all young men, you greatly exaggerate the difference between one young woman and another…. And the only way to make sure of that is to keep changing the man; for the same man can never keep it up. – George Bernard Shaw
Now we like Shaw for his obscure connection to our Chatelaine Awards, which you can read about here (the long and short of it is that Shaw based Eliza Doolittle’s character from My Fair Lady off of Jane Morris, the woman, Jane Morris, in the Chatelaine portrait by Dante Rossetti).
Anyway, Shaw’s opinion on the ability of men to offer variety aside, did you know the Greeks have seven different names for love? Let’s dive in!
The Greeks Seven Names for LOVE with Recommended Book Titles from Chanticleerian Authors whose works we love.
1) Eros:
Eros is what we normally think of when we first hear the word love, the romantic and the passionate. Here are some great titles we recommend for the Eros readers out there.
Heart of a Few by Jon Duncan: It isn’t distance that makes the heart grow fonder in this novel, but the thrill of trying to save the world from fascism in WWII. Here the aristocratic Livy Ashford falls for pilot Jamie Wallace. Like the couple’s passion for each other, the reader’s own delight will draw them through this book in a flash!
The Skeptical Physick by Gail Avery Halverson: Fire, plague? Nothing can keep these Simon McKensie and Catherine Abbott apart! Gail Avery Halverson dives deep into the romance and the historical details that inspired the background setting for this whole novel. Winner of the Grand Prize in the Chatelaine Awards
2) Philia:
Philia is more of the love for our intimates and friends, those who we choose to keep close to us. Titles for the friendly readers out there.
Victorian Town by Nancy Throne: A Time Traveling young woman finds friendship and joy in the past. Abby Parker never quite felt she belonged at home, but a magic ring that transports her back in time gives her a chance to make real connections and stand out in a time where outspoken women are often pushed to the side. First Place Category Winner in the Dante Rossetti Awards
Mischief and Mayhem by L.E. Rico: Jameson O’Halloran might be surrounded by steamy looking men, but don’t be fooled. This story focuses most on the ties of family and the family we choose as we move through this veil of tears to live our best life. First Place Category Winner in the Chatelaine Awards
3) Ludus
Ludus is a close cousin of Eros, the playful, flirtatious love that is a little harder to make work over a Zoom room. For all you sassy flirts, we recommend the following
Love’s Misadventures by Cheri Champagne: The title says it all as you jump into Miss Anna Bradley’s hurried search for a husband, being in danger of forever living as a spinster at the ripe old age of 25. Written in the tradition of Jane Austen for the modern reader, this novel features debonair gentlemen who can keep their distance and pack a picnic, while delightful friendships make up a wonderful background cast of characters. First Place Category Winner in the Chatelaine Awards
Secrets Revealed by Kate Vale: Sometimes what’s meant to be fun and easy turns into something more, as happens when Owen Haskins and Faith Russell’s initial tense relationship breaks through to romantic as the casual adversaries turn into casual lovers and then maybe more. First Place Category Winner in the Chatelaine Awards
4) Storge
Storge is the unconditional love that we hope comes from family, chosen or otherwise. These titles are great reads for those who love family connection.
Promise of Tomorrow by T.K. Conklin: When Shyfawn Tucker’s adventure with her friend Mabel leads to disaster, the two need to figure out how to survive on their own. Meanwhile, Shyfawn’s sister Jo isn’t the type to sit around while her family is kidnapped. A story rich in romance, but that explores the ties that bind family together and what it means to find the best in everyone while still being true to yourself.
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes you Knew by Ellen Notbohm: A beautiful book for parents who are struggling to better understand their children. Probably the highlight of the list is 10. “Love me unconditionally.” Don’t base approval on an “if” along with an emphasis on people with autism being whole and not promoting a harmful narrative of fixing people. A thoughtful look at the ways we can unconditionally accept people regardless of difference. Winner of the Grand Prize in the Nonfiction Instructional & Insight Awards
5) Philautia
Philautia is probably the most forgotten love we need to try and remember, which is self-love.
Hard Cider by Barbara Stark-Nemon: After building up a family and life that she can be proud of, Abbie Rose isn’t one to call it quits. She embarks on a totally new career path to keep living life to the fullest and be the truest version of herself that she can be. Winner of the Grand Prize in the Somerset Awards
The Knock by Carolyn Watkins: Sometimes understanding your family’s love means loving yourself when they can’t be there. Carolyn Watkin’s beautiful look at childhood with a deployed parent will tug on your heartstrings. First Place Category Winner in the Little Peeps Awards
6) Pragma
Pragma is another good overlapping love that’s usually connect to other loves. This one encompasses committed, companionate love.
Seize the Flame by Lynda J. Cox: A story of forgiveness and finding a way to love again. Will Drake Adams and Jessie Depre be able to overcome the traumas of their past and their current betrayals to find love together again?
My Sister’s Super Skills by Lauren Mosbeck: Sometimes commitment and love mean helping our family through tough times. Mosbek does an excellent job laying out fun tools to help kids deal with anxiety and depression, especially with the current state of the world. First Place Category Winner in the Little Peeps Awards
7) Agápe
Agápe: The last and biggest love that is empathetic and universal love.
Blossom – The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury by Anna Carner: The story of how Carner and her husband took a deer into their family and then try to raise awareness to keep her safe. Balanced with reflection of Carner’s own youth, a beautiful reminder that we are all connected with the tone of a nature thriller. First Place Category Winner in the Journey Awards
The Last Outrageous Woman by Jessica Stone: Sometimes a past lover’s dream can take you places you never dreamed possible. That’s what happens eighty-six-year-old Mattie decides to embark on a worldwide adventure with her best friend Edna and Edna’s niece. It’s a whirlwind of fun where each woman seeks fulfillment in their own way while jumping into an international stage and connecting with the wider world at large.
Do you have another type of LOVE to add to the list? We do!
BIBLIOPHILIA – The LOVE of BOOKS
Are you a Bibliophile? We are!
Here are some of Kiffer’s favorite earworms (aka lyrics) concerning love.
Because all you need is love. Love is all you need. The Beatles
Love will bring us together. Captain and Tennille
Love lifts us up where we belong. Joe Cocker and Buffy Sainte-Marie
What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Hal David
Happy Valentines Day! From all of us Chanticleer Reviews!
Love comes in many forms and so do our contests! Submit here! Want to tell us about some of the favorite loves you’ve read? Talk to us on Twitter, Facebook, or join us here on The Roost.
The old adage “You can’t go home again” is often very real, but for Vera Eastman, it is a massive understatement. Vera left home eleven years ago after losing her mother to breast cancer, changed her name, and began a very successful career as a porn star. Her seven-figure salary and multimillion-dollar, female-owned porn business might be acceptable in SoCal, but in her hometown of Grenadine, Michigan, she is a pariah. After a breast cancer scare, Vera goes back home to fulfill her mother’s bucket list. With an estranged father, a grandmother she believes is dead, and a sexy ex-boyfriend who haunts her dreams, Vera wants to get in, keep a low profile, and run back to her best friends and fellow porn stars, Jasmine and Payton. But when she discovers her grandmother is still alive and her ex is now an even sexier fireman, Vera knows leaving may be easier said than done.
When Vera wrecks her exotic sports car, she has the perfect excuse to stick around awhile despite the stares and hateful whispering that surround her everywhere she goes in town. But the longer she lingers, the more demons there are to confront – and more questions arise within her whether her financial success is genuinely the kind of success she really wants.
Family isn’t just those connected by blood. Sometimes, the strongest familial bonds are those people create by choice. When Vera left home, she met the women who would become her lifesavers, Jasmine and Payton. These women are beyond important to Vera. They gave her a family when her own had deserted her and forced her away. Without Payton, Vera would never have gotten clean and turned her life around. Though many would argue becoming a porn star isn’t exactly a significant life change, that change, partially facilitated by Payton, created the career for which Vera feels very accomplished. Throughout the novel, the text messages between these three women add more than just humor. It’s that “girl-bond,” with which many women identify. They are her rocks, giving her advice and acceptance.
Another important theme of the novel is a lesson Vera learns throughout her journey through her mother’s bucket list. Home isn’t really a place. It is a feeling. From the moment she sees Jack Reeves, her childhood sweetheart and one true love, memories flood her heart and leave her stunned in their ferocity. The familiarity gives Vera a feeling of true peace, a comfort she hasn’t had since her father told her to go and never come back. Though she had been in relationships since she left Grenadine at eighteen-year-old, she had never really connected with anyone. Jack, as it turns out, feels the exact same way. The two have more than history; they have love, undeniable and complete. She comes to see that he is home, more than any location can ever be, and he accepts her with open arms, just like a home should, and not even a successful career can take the place of that feeling.
Prejudice is another significant part of the novel. Grenadine is a small town with all the drama contained therein. Everyone knows everyone, and news travels faster than social media. Vera immediately feels that prejudice, getting kicked out of her B&B before she even unpacks her suitcase despite her pleas to allow her to stay since that is one item on her mother’s list. Though Vera feels no shame in her porn-star status, she can’t help but be affected by some of the townspeople’s disdain. When she rear-ends the most prominent, loudest busybody in town, her hopes of getting out unscathed in this emotional battleground are shattered.
Despite her kindness and philanthropy, many refuse to see her as more than trash, especially her own father. Without Jack, her feisty Grandma Bea, and her lifelong friend Franky, she would have run away and never looked back–again! But Vera isn’t the only character who daily runs the gauntlet. Franky experiences his own brand of prejudice as a trans man, and Grandma Bea, the owner of an adult novelty store known as Happy Endings, isn’t exempt either. However, Grenadine isn’t a typical small town, and somehow, Vera, Bea, and Franky all find a place in this anomalous cast of characters that will keep the reader smiling.
Fire Trucks, Garter Belts, and My Perfect Ex by Heather Novak won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Chatelaine Awards for Romance books.
Jameson O’Halloran never asked for her life to be so complicated and unpredictable. She never asked for a cheating husband, never asked to be in charge of her father-in-law’s life, and indeed never asked for her brother-in-law to show up looking so irresistible. Since her recent divorce, Jameson has focused on rebuilding her life without the dream family she always wanted. Her toddler, Jackson, takes up most of her time, and when she isn’t caring for him, she is helping her sisters run the family pub in Mayhem, Minnesota, after the death of their father. Jameson is NOT looking for love, not now, maybe not ever again. Still, when her ex-father-in-law suffers a stroke, she is forced into the very delicate position of health proxy for the seriously ill man she still considers family. However, she isn’t alone. Big Win Clarke named a co-proxy, his estranged second son, Scott. Scott, a Project Peace employee, has spent the last ten years abroad, running from his father and from himself, but when he is called to his unconscious father’s bedside, he knows those years spent abroad were a mistake, one he may never get to correct if his father doesn’t recover. When he lays eyes on his beautiful ex-sister-in-law, he can’t deny the attraction drawing him to her. Together they must uncover the truth behind the mystery that sent him running years earlier and hopefully find themselves along the way.
The family bond is a strong theme within this novel. The contrast between the close-knit O’Hallaron sisters and the volatile Clarke brothers is significant to every part of the plot. The “Whiskey sisters,” Hennessy, Jameson, Walker, and Bailey, function as a solid unit. Named by their pub-owning father, these girls share more than their unique names; they have solidarity, which is touching and profound. Even when they argue, they know the immense love they have for each other will never fade. Pulling together to run the family business after their father’s death, these women willingly sacrifice for the legacy left them by their parents. Having lost their mother, the girls have been both mother and sister to each other. They celebrate triumphs and mourn their loss as one, filling in the gaps in their lives with sibling unity. Jameson can’t fathom going days without seeing her sisters, holding them, confiding in them, let alone years.
On the other hand, Scott and Win Clarke (junior) have never had and likely never will have that bond. The brothers have spent their lives at odds with one another, keeping secrets and driving a wedge in what could be the most enduring relationship of their lives. For Win, jealousy pushes him to exploit Scott’s weaknesses, and Scott’s need to escape keeps him from discovering the truth behind his family history and from forging a bond with his ill father. Just like the Whiskey sisters, the Clarke brothers have also lost their mother, but where that draws the women closer, it only serves as the catalyst for pushing the men apart. It isn’t until Scott begins to lean on Jameson that he finally sees what family should be. The Whiskey sisters show Scott the strength behind sibling loyalty and help him face the revelation that changes his life.
Like most novels of this genre, this second installment of this series is chocked-full of romance but with a refreshing burst of humor that will leave the reader LOLing! Scott Clarke is sigh-worthy on every level, and like most male protagonists in a romance novel, he struggles with the notion of settling down and committing to any woman. He’s unsure he can give up his nomadic life while feeling drawn to the idea of a home of his own, a family to come home to every night. Jameson has been hurt in a way only adultery can hurt. She feels unworthy of love and bitter that her picket-fence dream has been shattered by the only man she’s ever loved. In many respects, the plot is traditional for the genre, but the light-hearted nature of Scott and Jameson’s budding relationship is the real gem. In scene after scene, these two–and many of the other characters as well–will leave the reader in stitches. One of the novel’s best parts is Scott’s interaction with Siri, a novelty he has just discovered since his return to civilization after years in remote locations with Project Peace. Numerous chapters end with Scott’s philosophical discussions with his voice-activated assistant, and his first experience with Facetime is priceless! With scenes that will leave you swooning mixed in, the reader will not be disappointed with this clean, wholesome romance.
Character building, not just for the protagonist but with the entire cast of Mayhem, is a strength of the whole Whiskey Sisters series. From psychic baker to gossipy priest to celebrity cat sweater maker, the characters shine. Each of the O’Hallaron women has her own distinct personality, offering a promising glimpse of what is to come in the series. The reader will love her visit to this picturesque town and long for the cozy comfort of O’Halloran’s pub. The entire town is a unique tapestry with love woven into every scene. [Read our review of Blame it on the Bet the first book in the Whiskey Sisters’ series.]
Mischief and Mayhem won First Place in the CIBAs 2019 Chatelaine Awards for romantic fiction.
Shyfawn Tucker and her friend Mabel just wanted a little excitement, a chance to see New Orleans, but after their arrival, they are drugged, kidnapped, and taken to the rugged, lawless town of Larksdale. They are to work as prostitutes in a saloon owned by their kidnapper, a ruthless man named Jared. Soon Shyfawn learns that she will be saved from servicing Jared’s clientele, but will become the virgin singer to draw more patrons to the already-thriving business. Mabel, however, suffers a terrible fate, and Shyfawn vows to protect as many of the women forced into service as she can.
Unbeknownst to Shyfawn, her older sister Jo is planning a rescue mission. Jo enlists the help of David and Matthew Reeves, brothers who own ranches near Rimrock, several days’ ride from Larksdale. Matthew reluctantly agrees although he barely knows Jo and goes along to keep David safe more than anything, but as soon as he sees the captivating Shyfawn, he can’t keep his eyes or mind off of her. A difficult mission is made even more impossible when Jared vows to never stop looking for Shyfawn, and not even the undeniable attraction between Matthew and Shyfawn will be enough to keep her safe.
Promise of Tomorrow is set in the American West, in the 1830s. It’s a rough and tumble community that places women as property. T. K. Conklin paints an authentic picture of the Old West, even though at times, we may cringe at the treatment women endured. Women were considered property, often bought, sold, raped, and disowned for the crime of being taken advantage of. Shyfawn’s story of abduction exemplifies this sad scenario. Though the author spares her heroine the burden of rape, Shyfawn is still a captive, a prisoner, kept for the entertainment and profit of Jared, who treats most of “his” women as disposable, and she is under constant threat of rape if she misbehaves. Though she escapes, Shyfawn knows her past involvement, though completely involuntary, with the saloon will forever taint her reputation and will make finding a decent husband nearly impossible. Townspeople will judge regardless of her guiltless purity, and she can never return to her hometown of Charlotte. Even Matthew worries about what her reputation will do for his own when he brings her to work as a cook at his ranch.
A surprising plot element is a connection the Tucker sisters have to the paranormal. All three sisters have some “otherworldly” ability. To mention more here might be a dead giveaway!
Conklin has done a great job at creating a world in the same vein as Deadwood – jacked up on romance. Even as the author gives us scenes of trauma true to the Old West, she elevates the positive themes of family, belief in better days, and finding one’s purpose in life. Shyfawn never feels sorry for herself despite the horrors around her. Her optimistic attitude leads her to shake off her sadness and look for the good in virtually everyone. She befriends the ranch hands despite their sordid pasts and even manages to see good in some of the men who hold her captive. She is able to remain positive when her chances are bleak, and her playfulness with everyone–especially Matthew–gives the novel humor and creates a fun, good ole fashioned Western.
Promise of Tomorrow by T. K. Conklin won the CIBAs 2018 First Place in the LARAMIE Awards for Western Fiction and placed as a Semi-Finalist in the CIBAs 2019 Chatelaine Awards.
In the second in a series by author Halverson, an aristocratic, intellectually curious young woman has fallen in love with a young physician, a commoner whose radical experimentations have jeopardized his reputation. The couple is just recovering from the professional and personal rigors of dealing with London’s plague victims when the city is overwhelmed by fire. Their services are needed now more than ever.
Supported by mentor hospital administrator Father Hardwicke in his medical endeavors, Simon McKensie is finally on the verge of marrying the woman he adores, Catherine Abbott. Even the wealthy, protective Aunt Viola has come to terms with the fact that, though she might not approve the match on social grounds, she sees that Catherine will be happy with Simon.
If winning her aunt’s approval and administering aid to plague victims wasn’t enough, just days before their planned nuptials, a fire breaks out that threatens to delay them yet again. Worse, Catherine sustains a severe injury on her way to the hospital to help Simon treat burn victims. It seems that there may not be a wedding. But Simon acts quickly and effectively to save the life of his beloved, exchanging wedding vows with her even as she is barely recuperating from her accident.
The couple enjoys a short respite of marital bliss until their world comes crashing down again as Simon, experimenting with the new innovative field of blood transfusion, is accused of the murder of one of his patients. It will take all of Catherine’s energy and ingenuity to try to save him from the gallows, as enemies who have long despised his radical approaches rush forward to heap accusations on him.
Halverson follows the storyline begun in her earlier novel, The Boundary Stone. She has built and now sustains the romance between Catherine and Simon – emphasizing his scientific daring and her unusual willingness to step outside the expected role of women of her time and class – against a background of chaos, terror, and death. The author has drawn heavily on factual material about the horrendous fire that began in a little London bakery and destroyed thousands of houses and churches, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, leaving up to 70,000 homeless. Aggravating factors depicted included the Lord Mayor’s selfish unwillingness to act to contain the fire in its early hours, while in contrast, the rather flippant, fun-loving King Charles II steps in once the true extent of the damage becomes evident. Both these real people are characters in the narrative, along with Lady Wilbraham, a brilliant but unsung female architect, but will she be able to save McKensie from the gallows? Halverson brings many nameless figures in history to life to create a vibrant reality and a dynamic plot. Something all historical fiction fans crave.
With a loving and highly adventurous duo, readers will be looking for Part 3 of this impressive saga.
The Skeptical Physick won the CIBA 2019 Grand Prize in the CHATELAINE Book Awards for romantic fiction.
Irish-born Gillian McAllister knew she was meant for bigger things than a quiet life among her large extended family. Leaving home at seventeen against her protective father’s wishes, Gillian is looking for adventure – and that’s exactly what she finds. She was a nanny for a maharaja, a caretaker for WWII internees, and a nurse on the Isle of Man before finally becoming a wife, mother, and grandmother in London, Canada, where she spent the majority of her eighty-nine years.
However, with only weeks to live after being stricken by cancer, she knows her time with her beloved granddaughter and namesake is truly precious. Before she goes, she wants to pass on the poems that capture her long, adventurous life to the junior Gilly in hopes the girl will use the poems to write about her adventure – her hidden love story.
While on vacation in Canada, the teenage Gillian meets and falls madly in love with Christian Hunter. Her love of Christian consumes her, but she leaves him at the cusp of a war that soon alters the world’s course. Destiny isn’t finished with the pair, and they reunite after the carnage to find their love is as fiery and fierce as ever. However, even a love this strong can’t outrun fate, and Gillian is determined to find a way to show her beloved granddaughter the truth before it is too late.
The character relationships between Gillian and others is a perfectly developed part of the novel. Gillian’s attachment to her granddaughter is more than just a name. Young Gilly is an aspiring novelist. Both women understand the importance of storytelling and the impact of words. From the moment Gilly was born, Gillian felt the connection between them and believes only Gilly can breathe life into her adoration of Christian Hunter. She entrusts her poems to Gilly without disclosing the story, allowing the girl to uncover the secret hidden for over fifty years. Watching their last days together unfold is touching and reminiscent for any reader who has shared a bond with a grandparent.
Gillian’s secret love, Christian, is another meaningful relationship. From the time she was young, Gillian knew someone was waiting for her, someone drawing closer with each day, someone staring at the same moon and longing for another. When she meets Christian, she just knows as does he, and though, ultimately, Gillian comes to realize that devoting herself to one man when the world is waiting may not be what she truly wants. But Gillian cannot deny the connection between them. The two are the epitome of opposites attract with his easy-going, unrushed personality, but he immediately sees the effect she has on others, her zest for life. No matter how hard either tries to drown out the thought of the other, they can’t escape their entwined destinies, and their contrary natures create a perfect balance. The dance of fate between Christian and Gillian is thrilling and will keep the reader wondering until the end.
The gorgeous settings of Gillian’s life are an integral part of her history. The richly painted scenes are beautiful and inspiring for the character as well as the reader. From the sweeping sea cliffs to the serenity of Gillian’s cottage on the Isle of Man, the setting becomes its own character. Gillian both embodies and is affected by the scenery. In the quiet of a winter-draped meadow and the countryside teeming with life, Gillian sees herself and the many lives she’s lived.
A beautiful theme within this novel is the simple notion of loving life. Even before she steps out into the adult world and leaves Ireland, Gillian knows that life is for living. She wants to squeeze every drop of adventure possible from the time she is given and feast on all that it has to offer. Her ingenuity, spunk, and spicy attitude create an unquenchable need to travel, to meet people, and, most importantly, to make the world a better place. She refuses to settle for a mediocre life and rejects the moderation others preach and try to instill in her. Her “magnificent obsession” isn’t diminished by anything – not heartbreak, a world war, or even death. She lives with passion and gusto, fostering the belief in others that love and laughter, stories and adventures, make life worth living. Her sprawling life’s story is more than just survival and lost love. It’s about finding joy and purpose amongst death and destruction.
The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley won 1st Place in the CIBAs 2015 CHATELAINE Awards in the category of 20th Century Historical Fiction.
Miss Annabel Bradley needs a husband before she is officially an old maid. At the ripe age of twenty-five, she has been virtually “shelved” by the ton. Anna is eager to begin a family, and though she’s been reared on a healthy diet of adventure novels, she is willing to settle for any suitable match as long as she can begin the family she has always wanted. Anna knows exactly with whom she wants to share her life, her lifelong friend Lane Mason. Growing up on neighboring estates, Anna and Lane couldn’t be more perfect for each other, and even though they both know their marriage would provide an easy companionship, Lane has a secret that forces him to keep Anna at arm’s length. Despite loving Anna since they were teenagers, he can’t in good conscience marry her without first finding a solution to his problem. Anna isn’t willing to wait forever, and when another lord of the peerage shows interest in her, Anna must decide whether to follow her heart or take what might be her only chance for a family, but after Lane and Anna are kidnapped, both make life-changing decisions that seal their fates.
Love’s Misadventures has all the hallmarks of a romance lover’s dream. The wealthy, most-desired gentleman of the season, Lord Devon is the hunky blonde heartthrob, unafraid to come to the rescue of his lady love but sensitive enough to pack the perfect picnic. Annabel embodies the smart, ahead-of-her-time heroine who doesn’t want to settle for a loveless marriage but will do whatever she must to protect her family, and even though the novel has that comfort-food feel, it gives the reader with one huge surprise. Lane is a virgin. Not only is Lane inexperienced in the ways of love, but he also isn’t even sure he can perform his “husbandly duties.” While it is entirely typical to find this trait in the female protagonist, seeing it in the hero makes this novel a standout.
The friendship between Lane and Annabel will leave the reader touched and a little envious. So often, the plot of romance novels has lust that evolves into love, but Love’s Misadventures begins with friendship, a lasting friendship, that is put through so many challenges. Like a horse in a race, Lane doesn’t realize how fortunate he is to have found the love of his life in his best friend until he stands to lose her to another man, and Anna will sacrifice respectability to find love in the arms of the man who knows her better than anyone in the world.
In Cheri Champagne’s first novel in the Mason Siblings Series, readers will find the love and fire they expect from a historical romance but with refreshing twists that make the novel all its own.
Love’s Misadventures won First Place in the CIBA 2017 CHATELAINE Awards for Romantic fiction.
The CHATELAINE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards ( The #CIBAs).
Heart of a Few by Jon Duncan
Shyfawn Tucker and her friend Mabel just wanted a little excitement, a chance to see New Orleans, but after their arrival, they are drugged, kidnapped, and taken to the rugged, lawless town of Larksdale. They are to work as prostitutes in a saloon owned by their kidnapper, a ruthless man named Jared. Soon Shyfawn learns that she will be saved from servicing Jared’s clientele, but will become the virgin singer to draw more patrons to the already-thriving business. Mabel, however, suffers a terrible fate, and Shyfawn vows to protect as many of the women forced into service as she can.
In the second in a series by author Halverson, an aristocratic, intellectually curious young woman has fallen in love with a young physician, a commoner whose radical experimentations have jeopardized his reputation. The couple is just recovering from the professional and personal rigors of dealing with London’s plague victims when the city is overwhelmed by fire. Their services are needed now more than ever.
