Tag: Cygnus

  • The 2022 SEMI-FINALIST CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction

    The 2022 SEMI-FINALIST CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up for the CYGNUS Book Awards division. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, Climate-Fiction, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 CYGNUS Science Fiction Short List to the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards Semi-Finalists! The Semi-Finalists will compete for the Finalist positions. FINALISTS will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC23.

    These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards novel competition for Science Fiction!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

    • Jay Hartlove – The Insane God
    • Melissa Diyab – Crossing Over
    • J. N. Johnson – Pig
    • Annie Williams – Maximized Entropy: Death of the Internet
    • Dana Dargos, Said Al Bizri – Einstein in the Attic
    • D. H. Ford – Rogue Reborn
    • O.E. Tearmann – Deuces Are Wild
    • Lou Dischler – Mona’s Odyssey
    • Ash Bishop – Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.
    • S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian
    • S.G. Blaise – True Teryn
    • Nik Frank-Lehrer – Future Show
    • Sydney Raeburn-Power – The Sleepers
    • Dimple Desai – The Lambda Factor
    • Isaac Petrov – The Advent of Dreamtech
    • PA Vasey – Harbinger
    • John J. Spearman – Pike’s Passage
    • Fulmer/Proto Dagg – Terminus
    • Wilson Whitlow – Consent, Vol. 1: Erdos
    • Joanna Evans – Sinai Unhinged
    • Prescott Harvey – In Beta
    • Bryn Smith – Magnus Nights: The Helios Incident

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

    Please click here to visit our pageto LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

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    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CYGNUS Awards is:

    A War in Too Many Worlds

    By Elizabeth Crowens

    Click here to see the 2021 CYGNUS Book Award Winners for Science Fiction.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 CYGNUS  Book Awards for Science Fiction.

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

    A Collage of Speakers and Blue Ribbon Winners for CAC23

     

  • The CYGNUS 2022 Short List for Science Fiction Book Awards – a Division of the CIBAs

    The CYGNUS 2022 Short List for Science Fiction Book Awards – a Division of the CIBAs

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up for the CYGNUS Book Awards division. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, Climate-Fiction, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 CYGNUS Science Fiction Long List to the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards Short List These entries are now in competition for the 2022 Cygnus Semi-Finalists. The Semi-Finalists will compete for the Finalist positions. FINALISTS will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC23.

    These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards novel competition for Science Fiction!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

    • Jay Hartlove – The Insane God
    • Timothy S. Johnston – An Island of Light
    • Melissa Diyab – Crossing Over
    • Charles Ross – The Future is a Memory
    • J. N. Johnson – Pig
    • Annie Williams – Maximized Entropy: Death of the Internet
    • Dana Dargos, Said Al Bizri – Einstein in the Attic
    • D. H. Ford – Rogue Reborn
    • O.E. Tearmann – Deuces Are Wild
    • Lou Dischler – Mona’s Odyssey
    • Ash Bishop – Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.
    • S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian
    • S.G. Blaise – True Teryn
    • Michael Simon – Extinction
    • Nik Frank-Lehrer – Future Show
    • Sydney Raeburn-Power – The Sleepers
    • Dimple Desai – The Lambda Factor
    • Isaac Petrov – The Advent of Dreamtech
    • PA Vasey – Harbinger
    • John J. Spearman – Pike’s Passage
    • E. R. Harris – Surf the Milky Way
    • U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
    • Fulmer/Proto Dagg – Terminus
    • Kristopher Clewell – The Penrose Triangle
    • Wilson Whitlow – Consent, Vol. 1: Erdos
    • Joanna Evans – Sinai Unhinged
    • Prescott Harvey – In Beta
    • Bryn Smith – Magnus Nights: The Helios Incident

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

    Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CYGNUS Awards is:

    A War in Too Many Worlds

    By Elizabeth Crowens

    Click here to see the 2021 CYGNUS Book Award Winners for Science Fiction.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 CYGNUS  Book Awards for Science Fiction.

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

    A Collage of Speakers and Blue Ribbon Winners for CAC23

     

  • The CYGNUS 2022 CIBAs Long List for Science Fiction

    The CYGNUS 2022 CIBAs Long List for Science Fiction

    Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

    The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up for the CYGNUS Book Awards division. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, Climate-Fiction, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 CYGNUS Science Fiction entries  to the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2022 Cygnus Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC23.

    a Wreath surrounds CAC 2023 for the Chanticleer Authors Conference
    Save the Date! CAC23 is April 27-30, 2023 at the Hotel Bellwether

    These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards novel competition for Science Fiction!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

    • Jay Hartlove – The Insane God
    • Timothy S. Johnston – An Island of Light
    • Melissa Diyab – Crossing Over
    • Charles Ross – The Future is a Memory
    • Sebastian Dax – Grasp of Erebus
    • J. N. Johnson – Pig
    • Annie Williams – Maximized Entropy: Death of the Internet
    • Dana Dargos, Said Al Bizri – Einstein in the Attic
    • D. H. Ford – Rogue Reborn
    • O.E. Tearmann – Deuces Are Wild
    • Lou Dischler – Mona’s Odyssey
    • Ash Bishop – Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.
    • S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian
    • S.G. Blaise – True Teryn
    • Steven Paul Terry – Star Revelations
    • Michael Simon – Extinction
    • Nik Frank-Lehrer – Future Show
    • Sydney Raeburn-Power – The Sleepers
    • Dimple Desai – The Lambda Factor
    • Isaac Petrov – The Advent of Dreamtech
    • PA Vasey – Harbinger
    • Sandra J. Jackson – Dancing in the Wind, Book 3 Escape Series
    • Dana Hayward – Entropy
    • John J. Spearman – Pike’s Passage
    • Steve Ramirez – The Great Migration
    • E. R. Harris – Surf the Milky Way
    • U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
    • Fulmer/Proto Dagg – Terminus
    • J. B. Christensen – Dylan McLeod-Vexor City
    • Lucien Telford – The Sequence
    • Kristopher Clewell – The Penrose Triangle
    • Wilson Whitlow – Consent, Vol. 1: Erdos
    • Chris Black – NORAD’s Ghost
    • Joanna Evans – Sinai Unhinged
    • James McGill Jr – The Alien Agenda: The Earth is a Garden
    • Prescott Harvey – In Beta
    • Alex Usher – The Age Of Obsidian
    • Bryn Smith – Magnus Nights: The Helios Incident

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews. FB rules — not ours.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

    Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

    Click here to see the 2021 CYGNUS Book Award Winners for Science Fiction.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 CYGNUS  Book Awards for Science Fiction.

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27 – 30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

    A Collage of Speakers and Blue Ribbon Winners for CAC23

  • Part Three of Three Official Postings of the 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs) Overall Grand Prize and Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners

    We are deeply honored and excited to continue to announce the 2021 Winners of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs) with our third and final of three official postings.

    CIBA Grand Prize Ribbons!

    The winners were recognized at the CIBA ceremonies held on June 25th, 2022 in-person and by ZOOM webinars  at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether, Bellingham, Wash.

     

    The CIBA announcements were made LIVE with Chanticleerians participating and interacting from around the globe and North America.

    Raising our glasses to cheer the CIBA Winners!

    We want to thank all of the CIBA judges who read each and every entry and then comment, rate, and rank within each of the 25 CIBA Divisions. Without your labors of love for books, the Chanticleer International Book Awards would not exist. THANK YOU!

    A pyramid showing the different levels of CIBA Achievement

     

    We want to thank all of the authors and publishers who participated in the 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards (the CIBAs). Each year, we find the quality of the entries and the competitiveness of the division competitions increasing exponentially. We added a new level to the judging rounds in 2019—the premier Level of FINALIST per each CIBA Division. The CIBA judges wanted to add the Finalist Level of Achievement as a way to recognize and validate the entries that had outstanding merit but were not selected for the very few First Place Award positions within each genre division.

    This post will recognize the First Place and Grand Prize Winners for the

    Seven Non-Fiction Divisions:

    Journey, Hearten, Harvey Chute, Mind and Spirit, I & I, Military & Frontline and Nellie Bly

    along with the FIRST Winners for the 

    Short Story, and Book Series Awards,

    and concluding with the 

     OVERALL 2021 GRAND PRIZE WINNER 

    for the 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards 

    For the Cygnus, Ozma, Paranormal, Global Thrillers, M&M, Clue, Little Peeps, Gertrude Warner, and Dante Rossetti Book Awards, please click here for Part 1.

    For the Laramie, Chaucer, Goethe, Hemingway, Chatelaine, Mark Twain, and Somerset Awards, click here for Part 2.


    Journey Narrative Non-Fiction

    The JOURNEY Book Awards for

    Narrative Non-Fiction, Memoirs, and Biographies 

    Grand Prize Winner is

     

    BETTER OFF BALD: A Life in 147 Days

     

    The Journey First Place Category Winners are:

    • Rosie McMahan – Fortunate Daughter: A Memoir of Reconciliation
    • Rosemary Keevil – The Art of Losing It: A Memoir of Grief and Addiction
    • Heather Haldeman – Kids and Cocktails Don’t Mix: A Memoir
    • Kathleen Lockyer – The Broken Wing Dance — Love, loss, trauma and how nature led me back to my wild self
    • C.L. Olsen – The Home for Friendless Children  

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

     

    The INSTRUCTION and INSIGHT Book Awards

    for How-To Guides, Travel Guides, Cook Books, Self-Help, and Enlightenment

    Grand Prize Winner is 

     

    THE BLACK FOSTER YOUTH HANDBOOK by Angela Quijada-BanksBlack Foster Youth Handbook Cover

    The I & I  First Place Category Winners are:

    • Wendela Whitcomb Marsh – Recognizing Autism in Women and Girls
    • Geraldine Clouston and Susan Weintrob – indieBRAG Eat, Read & Dream Cookbook
    • Jim & Jessica Braz – Baby Out of Wedlock
    • Phoebe Walker – Freedom Found – Productive and Joyful Living In Spite of Chronic Pain
    • M. J. Simms-Maddox, Ph.D. – A Handbook for Emerging and Seasoned Authors        

    Congratulations to the Inaugural 

    AWARD WINNERS for the

    Military and Front Line Book Awards

    of the CIBAs

    The MILITARY & FRONT LINE Book Awards

    for Service to Others Non-Fiction 

    Grand Prize Winner is

    Dear Bob Military & Front Line Grand Prize Badge

    DEAR BOB: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondance with the G.I.s of World War II by Martha Bolten with Linda Hope

    Dear Bob Cover

    The Military & Front Line  First Place Category Winners are:

    • Vicki Cody – Fly Safe: Letters from the Gulf War and Reflections From Back Home
    • Grover Nicodemus Street RN, Sandra de Abreu Guidry-Street MD, & Ja-ne de Abreu – Chasing the Surge: Life as a Travel Nurse in a Global Pandemic
    • Margaret Thomson – The World Looks Different Now
    • Burl Harmon – Combat Missions
    • George Farag – Unbecoming My Father’s Son: A Memoir

    Nellie Bly Awards

    The NELLIE BLY Book Awards

    for Investigative and Long Form Journalism Non-Fiction 

    Grand Prize Winner is

    America's Forgotten Suffragists Virginia and Francis Minor Nellie Bly Grand Prize Badge

     

    AMERICA’S FORGOTTEN SUFFRAGISTS: Virginia and Francis Minor
    by Nicole Evelina

    America's Forgotten Suffragists Virginia and Francis Minor Cover

    The Nellie Bly First Place Category Winners are:

    • Dori Jones Yang – When the Red Gates Opened
    • Dr. Kate Dolan – Beating Drug Addiction in Tehran: a Women’s Clinic
    • Abe Streep – Brothers on Three: A True Story of Family, Resistance, and Hope on a Reservation in Montana
    • Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D. – Advancing the Good Society:  Real Advocacy Journalism in Action

    Three Black stripes on a yellow badge CIBA Badge

    The HARVEY CHUTE Book Awards

    for Business & Enterprise Non-Fiction 

    Grand Prize Winner is

    Beyond Balancing the Books Harvey Chute Grand Prize Badge

    BEYOND BALANCING THE BOOKS by George Marino

    Balancing the Books Cover Image

     

    The Harvey Chute First Place Category Winners are:

    • Stan Bernard, MD, MBA – Brands Don’t Win: How Transcenders Change Games
    • Thomas Wideman – Welfare Cheese to Fine Caviar: How to Achieve Your Dreams Despite Your Upbringing
    • Kate Dixon – Pay Up! Unlocking Insider Secrets of Salary Negotiation
    • Cash Nickerson – Negotiating As a Martial Art

    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards

    The MIND & SPIRIT Book Awards

    for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction

    Grand Prize Winner is

    Grand Prize Badge for Enlighten Up by Beth Gibbs

    ENLIGHTEN UP! by Beth Gibbs

     

    The Mind and Spirit First Place Category Winners are:

    • Mike Lutz – Jesus Speaking
    • Reagan J. Pasternak – Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet With No Apologies
    • Tammy Green – Living Without Skin: Everything I Never Knew About Fierce Vulnerability
    • Starr Regan DiCiurcio – Divine Sparks: Interfaith Wisdom for a Postmodern World    

    The HEARTEN Book Awards

    for Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction

    Grand Prize Winner is

    2021 Heart Grand Prize Badge for DAWGS by Diane Trull and Meredith Wargo

     

    DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them
    By Diane Trull and Meredith Wargo

    Cover of DAWGS

     

    The Hearten First Place Category Winners are:

     


    The SHORT STORY Book Awards

    for the CIBA Short Story Collections

    Grand Prize Winner is

    New York Give me your best or your worst Shorts (collections) Grand Prize Badge

    NEW YORK: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens

    New York Give me your best or your worst cover

     

    The Shorts First Place Category Winners are:

     

    • Leah Angstman – Shoot the Horses First
    • Susannah Dawn – I’m Not What I Used To Be, Yet I Am Who I’ve Always Been – Excerpts From My Journey
    • Domenick Venezia – The Edwerd Chronicles
    • Frances Howard-Snyder – Through a Glass Darkly 
    • Helena P. Schrader – Grounded Eagles 

    The SHORT STORY Book Awards

    for Short Stories, Novelettes, and Novellas

    Grand Prize Winner is

    Grand Prize Badge for Toni Ann Johnson's Homegoing

     

    HOMEGOING by Toni Ann Johnson

    Homegoing Cover

    The Shorts First Place Category Winners are:

     

     

    • Gina Detwiler – Before: Jared’s Story
    • M. K. Wiseman – Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel
    • Elizabeth Wolf – The Royal Foetus: A very short novel based on the very short life of King Louis XVII
    • Lindy Miller – Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
    • Vicky Oliver – A Valentine to my Mothers and Other Dubious Role Models
    • Kourtney Spadoni – In The Underwood

     

    The BOOK SERIES Book Awards

    for Fiction Series

    Grand Prize Winner is

    THE GUINEVERE’S TALE TRILOGY by Nicole Evelina

    The three books in the Guinevere's Tale Trilogy

    Daughter of Destiny, Camelot’s Queen, and Mistress of Legend

     

    The Series First Place Category Winners are:

     

    Ozma Book Awards for Series – Fantasy Fiction

    • M. K. Wiseman – The Bookminder series

    Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Series – Young Adult

    • Pamela Beason – Run for Your Life

    Chatelaine Book Awards for Series – Romantic Fiction

    • Janet K. Shawgo – Look For Me Series

    CLUE Book Awards for Series – Thriller/Suspense

    • Kaylin McFarren – Threads

    Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards for Series – Mysteries / Cozy and Not-so-Cozy

    • Amy S. Peele – A Transplant Medical Murder Mystery series

      Laramie Book Awards for Series – Americana / Western Fiction

      • E. Alan Fleischauer – JT Thomas’s Series – Western series

       


      CONGRATULATIONS to ALL! 

      The 2021 CIBA Overall Grand Prize Winner

      And NOW for the 

      2021 CHANTICLEER INT’L BOOK AWARDS

      BEST BOOK

      and

      OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNER

      The Devil Pulls the Strings Book Cover

      THE DEVIL PULLS THE STRINGS

      by J.W. Zarek

      J.W. Zarek will also be awarded $1,000 USD in recognition of her 2021 BEST BOOK of the YEAR – Chanticleer International Book Awards – Sponsored by Chanticleer Reviews & Media. 

      A Chanticleer Review of The Devil Pulls the Strings will be featured in the in the Chanticleer Reviews OnWord Magazine (print and epub) along with other promotional and marketing opportunities along with an interview with the author, J.W. Zarek.

      Thank you J.W. Zarek for participating in the 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards. We look forward to receiving future work in our CIBAs.

      CONGRATULATIONS J.W. Zarek! 

      Six Grand Prize Winners with J.W. Zarek, the 2021 Overall Grand Prize Winner!

      From all of us at Chanticleer International Book Awards and Chanticleer Reviews. 

      Looking for your Division? Check out our previous posts:

      For the Cygnus, Ozma, Paranormal, Global Thrillers, M&M, Clue, Little Peeps, Gertrude Warner, and Dante Rossetti Book Awards, please click here for Part 1.

      For the Laramie, Chaucer, Goethe, Hemingway, Chatelaine, Mark Twain, and Somerset Awards, click here for Part 2.


      THANK YOU to VCAC21 SPONSORS and FRIENDS

       

      And to FRIENDS of CHANTICLEER REVIEWS:

      Cathy Ace, J.D. Barker, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Bradley Metrock, Jessica Morrell, Scott Steindorff, and Paul Hanson of Village Books


       

      We will post more photographs and information. Do check back and subscribe to the Chanticleer Reviews e-news letter.

      We have exciting news for the Chanticleer Community on the horizon so do stay tuned!  

      You know you want a coveted Chanticleer Reviews Blue Ribbon! 

      Submit your works (manuscripts or novels published after or on January 1, 2019, are accepted) to the prestigious Chanticleer International Book Awards today! Entries are being accepted into the 2022 CIBAs in all 18 fiction divisions and seven non-fiction divisions. 

      Be sure to register early for the 11th Chanticleer Authors Conference that will start on April 23rd, 2023 with the 2022 CIBA banquet and ceremony scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 25th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.

      Be well. Stay Healthy. Take Care!

      An email will go out to all 2021 CIBA award winners prior to October 30, 2022, with instructions, links, and more information about the awards packages. We appreciate your patience. As stated many times before “One does not need to be present at the CIBA ceremony and banquet to win. But it sure is a lot more fun!”

      As always, please contact us at Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

      We need good books, now more than ever!

      The Chanticleer Reviews Team

    • The 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards (#CIBAs) Overall Grand Prize and Division Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners | Part One of Three

      We are deeply honored and excited to announce the 2021 Winners of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs). The Finalists were recognized at the Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Ceremonies, and the First Place Category and Grand Prize Winners were announced June 25th, 2022 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether, Bellingham, Wash.

       

       

      The 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2021 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards Banquet and Ceremony took place over June 23-26,  2022, with the CIBA Banquet happening on June 25th. Each year, Chanticleerians from around the globe come together to celebrate and cheer each other on at the annual CIBA banquet and awards evening at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether that is situated on beautiful Bellingham Bay, Washington State.

      Meeting in-person for the first time since lockdown began brought such joy into our lives. The ability to celebrate, hug, and learn together with the extra space provided by the Hotel Bellwether made this a truly unforgettable experience. Champagne was poured and shared as the 2021 CIBA Grand Prize Division Award Winners were announced. Thank you to all who joined us in-person and virtually to make the CIBA Ceremonies a success!

      The 2021 Grand Prize Winners in attendance!

      After two virtual conferences, it was a joy and pleasure to feel the energy of an in-person crowd! It was amazing to have such a marvelous event with presenters like Cathy Ace, Judy Gaman, Betsy Graziani Fasbinder, Jessica Morrell, Nicole Evelina, Jodé Millman, Oriana Leckhert, Diane Garland, and more!

      We are already excited and gearing up for our next conference in nine short months! Save the date for CAC23 April 27-30, 2023.

      At the June 25th, 2021 Ceremonies, we were overjoyed to recognize the 18 Fiction and 7 Non-Fiction CIBA Divisions for the First Place Category and Grand Prize Winners!

      First of all, we want to thank all of the CIBA judges who read each and every entry and then comment, rate, and rank within each of the 25 CIBA Divisions. Without your labors of love for books, the Chanticleer International Book Awards would not exist. THANK YOU!

      A pyramid showing the different levels of CIBA Achievement

       

      We want to thank all of the authors and publishers who participated in the 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards (the CIBAs). Each year, we find the quality of the entries and the competitiveness of the division competitions increases exponentially. We added a new level to the judging rounds in 2019—the premier Level of FINALIST per each CIBA Division.

      The CIBA judges wanted to add the Finalist Level of Achievement as a way to recognize and validate the entries that had outstanding merit but were not selected for the very few First Place Award positions within each genre division. Promotional Stickers are available to those who have advanced in the CIBA Tiers of Achievement here

      A Recap of the CIBA Selection Process

      • The 2021 CIBAs have 18 Fiction Divisions and 7 Non-fiction Divisions.
      • First Place Category award winners were selected for each one of the 25 divisions from an overall field of titles that progressed to the Premier FINALIST Division Level from the Division Semi-Finalists positions from the Shortlists, the Long List, and the infamous beginning slush pile rounds.
      • One Grand Prize award winner was selected from the First Place Category Award Winners for the 25 CIBA divisions.
      • One Overall Grand Prize award winner was selected from the 25 divisions of Grand Prize Award Winners

      This post will recognize the First Place and Grand Prize Winners for Cygnus, Ozma, Paranormal, Global Thrillers, M&M, Clue, Little Peeps, Gertrude Warner, and Dante Rossetti Book Awards.

      For the Laramie, Chaucer, Goethe, Hemingway, Chatelaine, Mark Twain, and Somerset Awards, click here for Part 2.

      For the Journey, Hearten, Nellie Bly, I&I, Mind & Spirit, Harvey Chute, Military & Frontline, Series, and Shorts Awards, click here for Part 3

      THANK YOU to CAC22 SPONSORS and FRIENDS

       

       

      CIBA Grand Prize Ribbons!

      We are honored to present the

      2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards

      Grand Prize Winners 

      The 2021 CIBA Winners! 


      Cygnus Award for Science Fiction

      The CYGNUS Book Awards

      for Science Fiction Novels

      Grand Prize Winner is 

       

      A WAR IN TOO MANY WORLDS by Elizabeth Crowens

       

      • J.W. Zarek – The Devil Pulls the Strings 
      • Sarah Lahey – Nostalgia Is Heartless, Book Two 
      • Akosua Sankofa – Monmouth Deep
      • Rhett C. Bruno – Vicarious  
      • Steven Seril – The Destroyer of Worlds: ‘An Answer to Every Question’
      • Charlene Newcomb – Echoes of the Storm    

       


      The OZMA Book Awards

      for Fantasy Fiction

      Grand Prize Winner is 

      Plague of Flies Grand Prize Badge

       

      PLAGUE OF FLIES: Revolt of the Spirits by Laurel Anne Hill

      Plague of Flies Cover

       

      • David Fitz-Gerald – Waking Up Lost
      • Allegra Pescatore – Where Shadows Lie
      • L. A. Thompson – Isle of Dragons
      • J.W. Zarek – The Devil Pulls the Strings
      • KC Cowan – Asa’s Redemption             

      Paranormal Fiction Awards

       

      The Paranormal Book Awards

      for Supernatural Fiction

      Grand Prize Winner is

      The Devil Pulls the Strings Paranormal Grand Prize Badge

      THE DEVIL PULLS THE STRINGS by J.W. Zarek

      The Devil Pulls the Strings Book Cover


      The GLOBAL THRILLER Book Awards

      for High Stakes Thrillers, Lab Lit, and Suspense Novels

      Grand Prize Winner is

      Grand Prize Badge for Ron McManus The Chameleon

      THE CHAMELEON by Ron McManus

      • Timothy S. Johnston – Fatal Depth
      • J Lawrence Matthews – One Must Tell The Bees
      • Norman M. Jacobs, MD – A Divine Wind
      • Randall Krzak – Mission: Angola (Xavier Sear Thriller Book 1)
      • Andrew Kaplan – Blue Madagascar 

      Clue Awards for Suspense Thriller Novels

      The CLUE Book Awards

      for Thrillers, Suspense, Legal, Detective, and Procedural Crime Novels

      Grand Prize Winner is 

      Grand Prize Badge for Shelley Nolden The Vines

       

      THE VINES by Shelley Nolden

      The Vines Cover

       


      Cozy Mystery Fiction Award

      The M & M Book Awards for Mystery & Mayhem

      for Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries

      Grand Prize Winner is

      Ophelia's Room M&M Grand Prize Badge

      OPHELIA’S ROOM by Michael Scott Garvin

       

      Ophelia's Room Cover

      • Lori Roberts Herbst – Double Exposure
      • Cam Lang – The Concrete Vineyard
      • Eileen Charbonneau – Death at Little Mound
      • Codi Schneider – Cold Snap: A Viking Cat Mystery
      • Darryl Wimberley – A Star in her CrownChasing Cleopatra 

      Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

      LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards for

      Early Readers and Picture Books

      Grand Prize Winner is 

      VICTORIA AND THE BIG BRAVE BREATH by Andrea Vaughan


       

      The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude Warner

      GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards

      for Middle Grade Fiction

      Grand Prize is

      FISHING FOR LUCK by Murray Richter

      Fishing for Luck Cover

       

      • Sean March – Little Wade and Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap
      • J. B. Spector – The Sunlit Curse, The Mer-Prince Adventures
      • Ben Gartner – Sol Invictus
      • Jay Spenser – The Barn Owl Mystery
      • Gloria Two-Feathers – Buck: Keeper of the Meadow
      • Didem Saracel – Story of Carbon            

      Dante Rossetti Awards for YA Fiction

      The DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards

      for Young Adult Fiction

      Grand Prize Winner is

      TARO Legendary Boy Hero of Japan Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Badge

      TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan by Blue Spruell

      TARO Legendary Boy Hero of Japan Cover

       

      • P.H.C. Marchesi – Florissant
      • Blue Spruell – TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan
      • Rektok Ross – Ski Weekend
      • Nancy Thorne – The Somewhere I See You Again
      • Mark Wakely – A Friend Like Filby
      • Glen Dahlgren – The Game of War: The Trials of Dantess, Warrior Priest  

      Congratulations to ALL!

      We will email each winner with more information about their prize packages and more information.

      Be sure to FOLLOW and LIKE us Facebook and on Twitter @ChantiReviews

      Not seeing your Awards Division? Check out the links below!

      For the Laramie, Chaucer, Goethe, Hemingway, Chatelaine, Mark Twain, and Somerset Awards, click here for Part 2.

      For the Journey, Hearten, Nellie Bly, I&I, Mind & Spirit, Harvey Chute, Military & Frontline, Series, and Shorts Awards, click here for Part 3

      And the OVERALL GRAND PRIZE for the 2021 CIBAs!

      We are now accepting entries into the 2022 Chanticleer International Book Awards.

      Click here for more information and submission deadlines: https://test.chantireviews.com/contests/

      As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please email us at Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com — We will try to respond within 3 business days.

      Thank you for joining us in celebrating the 2021 CIBA Winners! – The Chanticleer Team

    • The 2021 CIBAs Finalists for Fiction!

      A Huge Congratulations to all of the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (CIBAs) Finalists!

      Every tier of the CIBAs is an important one, though few manage to rise this far in the ranks.

      For our Fiction Authors, this post has links to all of the Finalist Awards for the 16 CIBA Divisions we have for fiction. We will have a separate post for Non-Fiction and one more post for the Shorts Awards for both Individual Works and Collected Works, as well as the Series Book Awards.

      All Finalists in attendance will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, and we will announce the Winners at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, June 25th at the Chanticleer Banquet. We can’t express how excited we are to be able to do this in person with our fully vaccinated and boosted staff in a healthy metro area.

      Now let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.

      A pyramid showing the different levels of CIBA Achievement

      The remaining tiers are the First Place Winner, the Grand Prize Winners, and finally, the coveted Overall Grand Prize Winners. The Overall Grand Prize Winner takes home the $1000 and more! See the Book Award details here.

      Now, presenting the links to the Fiction Awards Finalists

      The Official 2021 CIBA Lists of the First Place and Grand Prize Winners for all Divisions of the CIBAs will start to be posted June 29th, 2022.

      Now Accepting Entries into the 2022 CIBAs.

      If you don’t submit, you can’t win!

      We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.

      The 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference is June 23-26, 2022

      Don’t Delay, Register Today!


      Goodreads Icon

      Make sure your Award gets the attention it deserves on Goodreads.com 

      In the Librarian Manual on Goodreads, you can go to your Book Edit Page — Literary Awards.

      You want to list the Award for Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Winners, and be sure to include the year and what place you received. For example:

      The year Long List, Short List, Semi-Finalist, or Finalist.

      Note from Goodreads: “To add a new award or edit an existing award, you’ll need help from one of our volunteer librarians or a staff member.” For assistance, post in the Goodreads Librarians Group.

      Always double check that you’ve written everything correctly before posting it. The search function for Awards on Goodreads is both case and punctuation sensitive.


      The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2020 CIBAs was Rebeca Dwight Bruff’s book Trouble the Water

      Cover of Trouble The Water by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

      The 202 Best Book Grand Prize Badge for Trouble the Water by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

      This year  we introduced the Non-Fiction Division for Military and Front Line Book Awards. These books focus on Narrative Non-Fiction that highlights the lives of service members, medical workers, and generally those who engage in public service. This is a division we’ve been waiting to launch for years, and we felt this was the year to make it happen. While we still are updating our site for this division, all 24 of our other CIBAs are now accepting entries for 2022.

      The competition is already heating up!

      Submit today!

      Remember, you don’t have to be present to win, but it sure is a lot more fun! The CIBAs Ceremonies will also be livestreamed for those who can’t attend in person. Information about how to watch will be sent out by the week of the Conference to all finalists.

      The  esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

      Join us for our 10th annual conference and discover why!

      Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with experts in the business and marketing and promotion for authors from Kickstarter to Hindenburg.

    • Happy Earth Day 2022! Celebrating our Environmental Authors

      Happy Earth Day 2022! Celebrating our Environmental Authors

      Reading for a Better Earth Day

      Being a Rooster, Chanticleer is pretty keen on the idea of Earth Day.

      It may surprise you to hear that Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated for the past 50 years! You can read our last article that focused on the origins of Earth Day, as well as the powerful impact literature can have on the environment, as happened with Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.

      Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring

      This year, we want to take time to recognize and cheer on some of the Chanticleer authors who have made their own contributions to environmental literature. While nature focused writing can fit into almost any genre, the genres we most often see with environmental stories are: Global Thriller Awards, Journey Awards, Little Peeps Awards, Hearten Awards, and, of course, our Cygnus Awards with the rise of the Cli-Fi genre!

      Books show where we put our focus and attention, and we’re glad that these authors did such a great job highlighting the world in their work!

      WISHES, SINS, and the WISSAHICKON CREEK
      By PJ Devlin
      Somerset First Place Winner

      Wishes Sins and the Wissahickon Creek

      The award-winning Wishes, Sins, and the Wissahickon Creek by PJ Delvin is a contemporary masterpiece in short story collections. Highly Recommended!

      PJ’s newest book, The Chamber is available for purchase now! You can also read our review of her first book, Wissahickon Souls, here.

      KILLING DRAGONS: Order of the Dolphin, Book One
      By Kristie Clark

      Killing Dragons Order of the Dolphin Book 1 cover

      A smart, science fiction thriller that will have readers looking twice at dolphins – and scanning the waters for something far more menacing. Highly recommended.

      Kristie Clark is a pediatrician with the heart of a writer. She always knew that she wanted to write and began writing poetry in middle school. Her mother read to her at night, instilling a love of books. As a child, C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series impacted her greatly, and as a teenager, she began reading science fiction for fun, enjoying books by Arthur C. Clarke.

      Big congratulations are in order for Kristie Clark as this book recently made the Finalists list for our Global Thriller Awards. Her newest book, Dragon Gold, is on the Finalist list for the Cygnus Awards, and her short story “Dragon of the Sea” is a Finalist for the Shorts Awards. Way to go Kristie!

      All Book Award Winners will be announced at the Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

      A DIVINE WIND
      By Norman M. Jacobs MD, MS

      A Divine Wind Book Cover

      An intelligent techno-thriller that won’t leave you even after the final page is read. Highly recommended!

      Norman M. Jacobs MD, MS is an award-winning writer and former bookstore owner. He’s a scientist and physician and has published many newspaper and scientific articles. He has a master’s degree in physics, passed a PhD exam in physics at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed a residency program in radiology at Duke University Medical Center with specialty training in neuroradiology. Congratulations Norman on being a Finalist in the Global Thriller Awards! 

      KOBEE MANATEE® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard
      By Robert Scott Thayer
      Illustrated by Lauren Gallegos

      Kobee Manatee Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard book cover image

      Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard is a fantastic journey showcasing fun, friendship, and the necessity of keeping our oceans clean.

      You can find all 4 of the Kobee Manatee® books here!

      Robert Scott Thayer always had a passion for manatees, oceans, weather, and sea life. He is also an award-winning recording artist who writes and sings in the pop, jazz, and children’s genres. Robert’s newest children’s tune, Kobee’s Song, is available on iTunes.

      Lauren Gallegos earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration from Cal State Fullerton in 2009 and has been illustrating ever since. When it comes to stories, Lauren has always loved books that warm the heart and touch the soul; timeless narratives that speak to your inner child. As a young girl she loved to pour over illustrations that were rich and full. Lauren still loves books that take you to mysterious places and let your imagination run wild with possibilities. Her biggest illustration influences are Chris Van Allsburg, Loren Long, Chris Sheban, Arthur Rackham, and Scott Gustafson to name only a few.

      Over
      By Sean P. Curley

      In a world where the rich obtain immortality, a forbidden love can either bridge the gap of unimaginable inequity or drive the disparaging classes even farther apart. A science-fiction novel with an earthly conscious.

      Sean Curley’s new book, Anika’s Gift is making good progress through the cover design process, and ARCs are being sent out now. Sean is a renaissance man who loves new experiences, diversity, and challenges (though more intellectual than physical). He is also the author of the the 2014 Chaucer Grand Prize for Early Historical Fiction with his book PropositumSean will also be at the Chanticleer Authors Conference June 23-26, 2022!


      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 updates from our authors:

      Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

      VIRTUAL and IN-Person –  June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

      FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

      The  esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

      Join us for our 10th annual conference and discover why!

      Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.

       

    • April is for Aliens! Spring into the Spotlight for the Cygnus Book Awards for Science Fiction

      Beam me up, Scotty!

      April is the Spotlight Month for the Cygnus Science Fiction Book Awards!

      Michael Burnham, Captain of the USS Discovery in the big chair
      Our favorite newest Star Trek Captain, Michael Burnham. Her catchphrase is “Let’s Fly.”

      The Cygnus Awards are one of our original Book Awards here at Chanticleer,

      **Don’t miss the ship!**

      Beam your work to us by April 30th to enter the 2022 CIBAs!

      Cygnus Award for Science Fiction
      Science Fiction April 30

      Science Fiction often asks the question: What Could Be? At Chanticleer, we seek to discover those strange new worlds, from Space Opera to Alternate History, and Cli-Fi to YA Sci-Fi. Wherever your book lands on the Speculative Fiction spectrum, there’s a good chance that it will fit in here with us!

      Let’s take a look at the Hall of Fame for Grand Prize Winners of the Cygnus Awards

      The Luna Missile Crisis by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle.

      Luna Missile Crisis Cover

      Will a knockoff weapons salesman end peace between Humans and Vulbathi? Alien tech and a spectacular cast of characters drive The Luna Missile Crisis into high gear and will have readers screaming for more! Highly recommended!

      Jaime Castle and Rhett C. Bruno  are the Audible #1 bestselling authors of The Buried Goddess Saga (Aethon Books, Audible Studios), and The Luna Missile Crisis, amongst other works. Rhett C. Bruno is also a USA Today Bestselling & Nebula Award nominated Sci-Fi/Fantasy Author.

      A cowboy with glowing blue eyes

      Don’t miss out on the duo’s next work! You can preorder Cold as Hell, the first book in their new Black Badge Series today.

      Insynium by Tim Cole

      Appropriate to a novel about time travel, there is considerable time-shifting from chapter to chapter that will require readers to stay on their toes as they work through this 500-page novel. And like any skilled author who plants clues neatly in the text – clues that are keys to resolving the overarching mysteries in the book – Cole does the same. What can we say? Here’s an impressive novel by a major new talent, and one we highly recommend keeping an eye on.

      Insynium is Tim Cole’s Debut novel. We are shivering with anticipation and hope at the prospect of something new from him!

      The Korpes File by J.I Rogers

      An award-winning space opera that’s sure to gather a dedicated audience. One of our favorites! Recommended!

      When not writing Award Winning novels, J.I. Rogers writes Award Winning Shorts, having recently won two six-word story challenges. The most recent of which being “Inherited ruin. Forged a new Empire.” Visit Rogers’ website here for even more excellent Sci-Fi! The second book in the series, The Korpes Agenda, is out now, and we’re excitedly waiting for the next book to finish revisions!

      The Future’s Dark Past by John Yarrow

      “The catastrophic Purge War at the end of the twenty-first century destroys planet Earth, jeopardizing the future for the remnants of humanity. Horrific repercussions roll across the ages until, generations later, a scientific group called the Time Forward Project harnesses a deep-space wormhole in which they can travel through time. They find the portal unstable and shrinking, but they have little choice but to take desperate, drastic measures and journey back to prevent the war.”

      Straight from John Yarrow’s website! The Story Plant Publishing company will publish the full trilogy starting with Future’s Dark Past! You can preorder The Future’s Dark Past today, and the sequel, Time Unfolded, is expected to come out in the Summer of 2023!

      Over by Sean P. Curley

      In a world where the rich obtain immortality, a forbidden love can either bridge the gap of unimaginable inequity or drive the disparaging classes even farther apart. A science-fiction novel with an earthly conscious.

      Sean Curley‘s new book, Anika’s Gift is making good progress through the cover design process, and ARCs are being sent out now. Sean is a renaissance man who loves new experiences, diversity, and challenges (though more intellectual than physical). He is also the author of the the 2014 Chaucer Grand Prize for Early Historical Fiction with his book PropositumSean will also be at the Chanticleer Authors Conference June 23-26, 2022!


      Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Cygnus 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:

      Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

      VIRTUAL and IN-Person –  June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

      FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

      Seating is Limited. The  esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

      Join us for our 10th annual conference and discover why!

      Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.

    • OVER by Sean P. Curley – Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Environmental

      OVER by Sean P. Curley – Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Environmental

      Over is a sci-fi novel of big ideas: the scourge on the future by today’s environmental negligence, the effects of biological warfare, even the development of a faster-than-light warp drive that opens the door to a future among the stars.

      In this dystopian future, humankind must grapple with the repercussions from a technological advancement that essentially imparts immortality: immortality to a very few. Less than 30,000 of the world’s inhabitants, the privileged class, Overs, and the resentment of the billions of people who don’t fit into that category, aptly named, Unders.

      Not only do the Overs have eternal life as their trump card, they also have a lock on the world’s economy, technology, medicine, and the ultimate say on who gets the benefits of their largesse, and who do not. There is even a global robotic “mind” that helps the Overs control every aspect of the planet—and that “mind” secretly gives birth to a “daughter.”

      To say that the Overs rule is a benign dictatorship would be putting it mildly.

      But the Overs must kowtow to the ruling familias who base their operations from Sri Lanka. These overlords do not respond kindly to threats against their near absolute rule.

      Into this frothy brew comes Jaames (cq), a rebel leader in Denver where most of the action takes place; Demetrius, the Over’s boss of bosses for The Americas; and Anika, Demetrius’ comely daughter who has a mind of her own and a relentless and ultimately fatal attraction to Jaames.

      Over is not a typical plot-structured, character-driven novel. Curley sets the planet up as the primary character and everything else falls secondary. While this may be jarring to some in regard to traditional plot, characters who are not fully fleshed out, and linking cause and effect in a character-rich and technologically-advanced society, Over stands strong as a powerful read – especially for its meditations on how our actions endanger our planet and our future, and for the author’s take on the upsides and downsides of a benign Immortal dictatorship. There’s much to think about, and no easy answers.

      Curley plans at least two more books based on the plot and characters in Over and we wait with anticipation as to what this master-geo-political-environmentalist author comes up with. In a world where the rich obtain immortality, a forbidden love can either bridge the gap of unimaginable inequity or drive the disparaging classes even farther apart. A science-fiction novel with an earthly conscious.

      5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews