Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: First Place Winner

The 2022 I&I CIBAs Short List for Instructional and Insightful Non-Fiction
The I & I Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Instruction and Insight non-fiction that are self-help, how-to, guides, or explanatory. In non-fiction works, the author assumes responsibility (in good faith) for the truth, accuracy, people, places, or information presented. The I & I Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best Instruction and Insight books featuring How-To, Guidance, Travel Guides, Cookbooks, Self-Help, and more. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from the 2022 I&I Non-Fiction Long List to the 2022 I&I Book Awards SHORT LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2022 I&I Semi-Finals. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finals of the 2022 I&I Book Awards novel competition for Instruction and Insight Non-Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Tana Hope – Healthy Habits for Desk Potatoes
- Kenneth Nixon Jr. – Born Into Crisis
- John W. Feist – Pocket Japan: a concise guidebook for business travelers to Japan
- Deborah Vinall, PsyD, LMFT – Trauma Recovery Workbook for Teens
- Kip and Pam Rosser – Vegetarian Tales From the Mushroom Rooms
- Natalie Dale, MD – A Writer’s Guide to Medicine. Volume 2: Illness & Injury
- Kerrin Margiano – Enjoy the Gift of Childhood
- Simran Sadana & Meena Iyer – Ramayana Through Ikebana
- Michael J. Freeman Ph.D. – Freeman Explains! The Things That Can Change That Should Be Changed
- Matthew J. Louis – Mission Transition: Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles to Your Post-Military Career
- Gene Berardelli – Schnooks, Crooks, Liars & Scoundrels: A Field Guide to Identifying Political Buffoons
- Wendela Whitcomb Marsh – Dating While Autistic: Cut Through the Social Quagmire and Find Your Person
- Mitzi Perdue – Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Christopher H. Volk – The Value Equation: A Business Guide to Wealth Creation for Entrepreneurs, Leaders and Investors
- Daniel Shyti – American Gaslighting: How America Is Being Systematically Taught to Hate Itself
- Ellen Notbohm – Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew
- Gustavo J. Gomez, Ph.D. – Hair Loss: Options for Restoration & Reversal 2nd Edition
- Ann E Feldman – Building Communities of Trust: Creative Work for Social Change
- Margaret Tran – The Actions
- E. Alan Fleischauer – Reconfigurement
- D. Terrence Foster, MD – The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life
- Tracy Cram Perkins – Dementia Home Care, How to Prepare Before, During, and After
- Sandy Gerber – Emotional Magnetism – How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships
- Donna McCart Welser – Rue’s Butterfly
- Jocelyn Jones – Artist: Awakening the Spirit Within
- Benjamin Plumb – The Satisfied Introvert: A Memoir About Finding Safety in an Extroverted World
- Daryl Potter – Even the Monsters. Living with Grief, Loss, and Depression
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.

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post.

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.

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the 2021 I&I Awards is
Ángela Quijada-Banks for The Black Foster Youth Handbook

Click here to see the 2021 I&I Book Award Winners for Instruction and Insight Non-Fiction

We are now accepting submissions to the 2023 I&I Book Awards for Instruction and Insight Non-Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2024.

Please click here for more information.

See our Full List of Non-Fiction Divisions here!

Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

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!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
February 23, 2023
THE RIVER By STARLIGHT by Ellen Notbohm – Historical Fiction, Family Fiction, Homestead Era

Set in the early twentieth century, The River by Starlight by Ellen Notbohm follows Annie (Analiese) Rushton, a woman struggling against her lot in life.

After a messy divorce leaves her separated from her only child, Annie returns home to her emotionally unavailable and dying mother. A betrayal of Annie’s own mind destroyed her marriage and took away any hope of seeing her daughter again. When she finds a letter from her oldest brother hidden in a drawer by her mother, she decides to join him on his homestead in Montana. Once settled into her new life, she soon forms a whirlwind romance with local business owner Adam Fielding.

After they marry, Annie wants nothing more than another child, despite the certain risk of her postpartum psychosis returning.

A string of losses and sickness keeps the passionate couple from their dream of a family until the stress drives them apart. After a jarring separation, Annie gives birth to and loses custody of a little girl she names Nora. Once Annie becomes a member of society again, she works hard to get Nora back from the orphanage and builds a life where they can be together.

The River by Starlight is historical fiction at its finest. Parenthood and mental health frame this contrast of love and loss. Throughout the story, Annie is asked how she can just forget the past and move on so easily. The reality is that she does not forget, she must move on to survive. The pain of the past is a character of its own in the story. Its presence and weight are held between Annie, those she loves, and those who love her. Annie struggles to swim her way through troubled waters in a world that believes it would be better off if she drowned. She embodies strength against all odds and the power of love that never dies.

The River by Starlight by Ellen Notbohm won First Place in the 2018 CIBA Goethe Awards for Post-1750s Historical Fiction.

February 17, 2023
James Hutson-Wiley, Award Winning Author

Thank you! Only problem with the manuscript review is that I had to completely re-write the manuscript – I learned a great deal from the exercise. – James Hutson-Wiley, author of Chaucer First Place Winner The Sugar Merchant

February 14, 2023
The 2022 I&I CIBAs Long List for Instructional and Insightful Non-Fiction
The I & I Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Instruction and Insight non-fiction that are self-help, how-to, guides, or explanatory. In non-fiction works, the author assumes responsibility (in good faith) for the truth, accuracy, people, places, or information presented. The I & I Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best Instruction and Insight books featuring How-To, Guidance, Travel Guides, Cookbooks, Self-Help, and more. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 I&I Non-Fiction entries to the 2022 I&I Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2022 I&I Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2022 I&I Book Awards novel competition for Instruction and Insight Non-Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2021 CIBAs.
- Tana Hope – Healthy Habits for Desk Potatoes
- Kenneth Nixon Jr. – Born Into Crisis
- John W. Feist – Pocket Japan: a concise guidebook for business travelers to Japan
- Deborah Vinall, PsyD, LMFT – Trauma Recovery Workbook for Teens
- Kip and Pam Rosser – Vegetarian Tales From the Mushroom Rooms
- Natalie Dale, MD – A Writer’s Guide to Medicine. Volume 2: Illness & Injury
- Kerrin Margiano – Enjoy the Gift of Childhood
- Simran Sadana & Meena Iyer – Ramayana Through Ikebana
- Michael J. Freeman Ph.D. – Freeman Explains! The Things That Can Change That Should Be Changed
- Matthew J. Louis – Mission Transition: Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles to Your Post-Military Career
- Gene Berardelli – Schnooks, Crooks, Liars & Scoundrels: A Field Guide to Identifying Political Buffoons
- Wendela Whitcomb Marsh – Dating While Autistic: Cut Through the Social Quagmire and Find Your Person
- Mitzi Perdue – Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Christopher H. Volk – The Value Equation: A Business Guide to Wealth Creation for Entrepreneurs, Leaders and Investors
- Daniel Shyti – American Gaslighting: How America Is Being Systematically Taught to Hate Itself
- Ellen Notbohm – Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew
- Gustavo J. Gomez, Ph.D. – Hair Loss: Options for Restoration & Reversal 2nd Edition
- Ann E Feldman – Building Communities of Trust: Creative Work for Social Change
- Margaret Tran – The ACTIONS
- E. Alan Fleischauer – Reconfigurement
- D. TERRENCE FOSTER, MD – The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life
- Tracy Cram Perkins – Dementia Home Care, How to Prepare Before, During, and After
- Sandy Gerber – Emotional Magnetism – How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships
- Donna McCart Welser – Rue’s Butterfly
- Jocelyn Jones – Artist: Awakening the Spirit Within
- Jennifer Browdy – Purposeful Memoir as a Quest for a Thriving Future
- Linda Kolsky – Heavenly Hindsights: How One Mother Found Meaning in Life After the Death of Her Child
- Benjamin Plumb – The Satisfied Introvert: A Memoir About Finding Safety in an Extroverted World
- Daryl Potter – Even the Monsters. Living with Grief, Loss, and Depression
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.

This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post.

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.

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the 2021 I&I Awards is
Ángela Quijada-Banks for The Black Foster Youth Handbook

Click here to see the 2021 I&I Book Award Winners for Instruction and Insight Non-Fiction

We are now accepting submissions to the 2023 I&I Book Awards for Instruction and Insight Non-Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2024.

Please click here for more information.

See our Full List of Non-Fiction Divisions here!

Winners will be announced at the 2021 CIBA Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

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!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at info@ChantiReviews.com.
January 31, 2023
MOROCCAN MUSINGS by Anne B. Barriault – Travelogue, Moroccan History, Multi-Cultural

Anne B. Barriault’s Moroccan Musings is a creative blend of personal journal, travelogue, and historical narrative about an ancient culture and civilization.

The slim three-part volume delivers contemplative vignettes that showcase Barriault’s draw to the intoxicating beauty of this North African country and the openness and sincerity of its people. Early on Barriault relates that her story was born of wanderlust, curiosity, ignorance, yearning, and desperation. In the aftermath of the tragic events of 9/11, her quest for knowledge about the Middle East grew, along with a desire to better understand Islam and the Muslim world.

Inspired by a trip to Italy where Arab-Islamic cultures had been present in the 13th and 14th centuries, Barriault ultimately joined a “Moroccan Discovery” museum tour group. The experience gave a voice to her writing as she described her visit to a region that was “sensuous, intoxicating, spiritual, and earthbound.” From olive groves, cork tree orchards, and dogs rooting for flavorful white truffles, to the contrast of an unremarkable Moroccan home exterior and its interior of marble floors, colorful tiles, filigree arches, silk & brocade fabrics, and calligraphic Koranic blessings, Barriault invites readers along on her excursion.

She reflects on the beauty, friendliness, and curiosity of the young people she meets in a place where adolescent boys are taught the art of selling and trading, as they entice visiting foreigners to speak bits of the Arabic language. Meanwhile, three generations of women in the central marketplace show the changing culture, the covered elders, their daughters in European attire wearing the hijab head scarf, and a granddaughter defying tradition by choosing clothing inspired by pop stars.

In part two of this travel memoir, Barriault showcases her solo journey to Fes.

Here she notes that her first trip to Morocco was “through the lens of a five-star hotel.” “This time around was the lifting of the romantic veil.” She details an ancient city with shops, houses, and astonishing artisanship. Free concerts in the public square, along with a sacred music festival offer enticement with their carnival-like atmosphere. Lunch with a hosting family features an array of delectables from salads and couscous to roasted meat, along with fresh fruit and the ritual of mint tea. Unfortunately, she puts future travel plans on hold due to the restless discontent in the country.

Part three in this trilogy of essays finds Barriault on a family trip to Marrakesh for Christmas of 2018.

With time’s passing, the area is now home to 2 million people. A new museum has opened to preserve the city’s heritage, and the Moroccan King and Queen are now divorced. Barrialult spends Christmas in the desert, artfully describing the beauty of the sand dunes changing color with the light, a flavorful tagine lunch at camp, and a precarious ride aboard a long-lashed camel with its “camelicious thoughts and sideways glance of bemusement.” From the ancient Berber influence that permeates the city and the five times daily call to prayer, to the Western presence that finds Marrakesh a modern-age mecca for the likes of expatriates, rock stars, and hippies, Barriault’s revelations are rich, sensory, and alive.

Moroccan Musings by Anne B. Barriault won First Place in the 2014 CIBA Journey Awards for Narrative Non-Fiction.

December 30, 2022
MEGGE Of BURY DOWN: Book One of the Bury Down Chronicles by Rebecca Kightlinger – Historical Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Coming of Age

Megge, a young girl living in thirteenth-century Britain, struggles to find her own path in Megge of Bury Down by Rebecca Kightlinger.

The daughter of a healer with both practical and spiritual abilities, Megge should by rights have become her apprentice on her sixth birthday, as had others in her family before her. Megge should have become a woman of Bury Down, the sacred burial site of the previous owners of The Book of Seasons and The Book of Time. Her mother, one of two twin girls, had been entrusted with The Book of Seasons, an ancient tome of knowledge of the physical world created and maintained by mystical seers. Brighida, Megge’s cousin and the daughter of her mother’s sister, has been charged with keeping and inscribing The Book of Time, a celestial guide.

The girls, almost identical in age, are expected to take up the mantle as protectors. However, while Brighida is an obedient and skillful apprentice, Megge fears the power contained within her mother’s book.

Megge hears strange voices and feels frightening sensations whenever she touches the Book of Seasons. She refuses her destiny, much to her family’s confusion and dismay, and chooses instead the life of a shepherd and weaver. The only person who seems to support Megge’s choices is Morwen, the elderly bard and shepherdess who lives with the family, but even she, with her cryptic messages, seems to be pushing Megge toward another terrible fate.

However, when dangerous strangers start spouting hate and disturbing the peaceful village near Megge’s home, she may have no choice but to embrace her role. As destiny and fate work against her, Megge must decide whether to take the easy path or become the person everyone else believes her to be.

Megge’s fear underpins the story, stemming from the unknown, the fear of what happens to her when she first touches the book but also the fear of the fate for which everyone thinks her destined.

This novel follows Megge’s growth as she grapples with that fear throughout her early years. Initially, her determination not to become a healer seems to her mother to be nothing but childish stubbornness. However, with age and a series of misfortunes, her fear transforms into worry over what she may inadvertently do to injure her family.

Her fear, and Brighida’s perfection – both physically and as an apprentice – create a level of self-consciousness that makes Megge doubt her every ability. As a plain, shapeless girl, Megge thinks herself beneath the role of a seer, choosing instead to hone her skills in the field and at the loom. Though her work helps give the family much-needed funds, it is far from the mystical beauty that her family expects of her.

She doubts her path as a Shepherd, with an unshakable voice inside her saying that she truly is a protector.

Megge sees glimpses of what she might become. This second-sight angers and confuses her as it both confirms her abilities and brings into sharp focus her role in destroying the ideal life she enjoys with her family. She often debates following her mother just to feel loved, as though she belongs in this family of exceptional women with astounding abilities. But the fear of her looming disaster weighs more heavily than any rejection could.

The world-building in this series is exceptional. The reader is immediately immersed in the complex environment of Bury Down.

As the daughter of twin caul bearers, Megge and Brighida should be sworn protectors of twin books at once the same and yet vastly different, just like the girls themselves. Their family obligation dates back one thousand years, and the novel begins with a scene from that era. Herbalism combines with spiritualism to create a world where both work seamlessly together in a completely plausible way.

The history of Murga, the first seer, weaves with Megge’s present in a retelling that allows the reader to learn of Megge’s important role just as Megge does. The rich tales spun by Morwen also develop the plot and create engaging moments of realization. It’s a world that will leave the reader thinking about Megge’s story long after closing the novel.

Megge of Bury Down by Rebecca Kightlinger won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Paranormal Awards for Supernatural Fiction.

December 7, 2022
IN The UNDERWOOD by Kourtney Spadoni – Graphic Novels, Mental Health, Coming of Age Memoirs

In the Underwood by Kourtney Spadoni is a memoir in graphic novel form, a thoughtful and gentle story about a young girl struggling with mental health issues, and learning how to keep them at bay as she grows up.

What if Alice’s adventures in the strange and fabulous Wonderland were the result of a mental health crisis instead of a story? In the Underwood draws metaphors inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and evokes the mood of Robert Frost’s classic poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

Author Spadoni relates with a simple narrative and delicate art style how as a child she was prone to severe bouts of anxiety, leading to her crying uncontrollably in her classes and avoiding other children in social situations.

She describes episodes in which she withdraws and attempts to hide within herself. A cat, in Wonderland and in real life, appears and acts as an occasional guide through the fantasy land, where a mad queen in red tells her over and over again that she’s not good enough, that she’s weak, before she eventually learns to stand up to the queen.

Ultimately, she manages to tell herself that despite her fears, “it’s not the end of the world.” This phrase becomes her personal talisman. Through her ups and downs, she steps forward and through the darkness before coming out on the other side, addressing her fears and eventually conquering them.

In the long run, Spadoni comes out of her shell, gains friends, develops a group with whom to share similar interests, and learns how to control and deal with the anxiety that overwhelmed her when she was younger.

However, later on, depression comes for a visit, and she has to step up for another fight—a fight she is now better equipped to win.

The art and coloring of In the Underwood match the mood of the work, and like the Frost poem, they conjure the depth and even the darkness and stillness of the night. The words themselves seem to swirl in a mist, sometimes vivid and sometimes faint, reflecting the author’s mind, both when it’s at its lowest and darkest and when it’s at its strongest.

Kourtney Spadoni’s tale about battling mental illness as a youngster, told in vibrant graphic novel form, is a winning combination and should be a go-to for young people in crisis.

In the Underwood by Kourtney Spadoni won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Shorts Awards in the Graphic Stories category.

October 14, 2022
MISSION: ANGOLA: Xavier Sear Thriller, Book 1 by Randall Krzak – Global Thriller, Action, Suspense

Rescuing the son of an Angolan official turns convoluted and deadly in Krzak’s latest thriller, Mission: Angola.

Peter Mwanga, the son of Angolan cabinet minister Colonel Mwanga, is a doctor at the Christian Aid Mission DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). While he converses with foreign missionaries at a village hospital, a raid nearly overtakes the area, and Congolese Marxist Jonah Alimasi and his rebels kidnap Peter.

Almost four thousand miles north in Lisbon, Portugal, government official João Regaleira calls Xavier Sear—an American ex-CIA operative and the best man in his wedding—inviting him to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. Soon afterward, he receives word from an old friend that Theo Mwanga, Peter’s father, is asking for assistance in negotiating his son’s release. Hours later, the first sign of danger surfaces when João and his wife are accosted by a pair of thugs.

The attackers are apprehended, but the threat is clear. Further conversation with Theo convinces João that he should go to Angola only with Sear by his side.

João heads out first to meet with Theo, and Sear leaves a day later. Each experiences dangerous situations en route to their rendezvous point. Regrouped, the troupe encounters a heinous scene—a sign of more involvement from perilous political factions, including Russians and a diamond mine.

Sear has no choice but to devise an alternative strategy to locate Peter, one that comes with significant risks. He readies the group, outnumbered by their enemies, their chances of survival from the rescue mission slim at best.

Award-winning author Randall Krzak introduces a new thriller series featuring a spunky yet brusque ex-CIA operative.

Mission: Angola opens with sharp contrast as scenes morph from the horrific massacre of a poor village to the serenity of João and his wife discussing plans for their upcoming 20th anniversary in posh surroundings.

Sear’s entrance comes at the invitation of João, and the remaining cast follows. Krzak envelopes his characters by carefully accentuating nuances of culture, food, and political strife. Using appropriate terminology, Krzak captures the sights, sounds, and smells befitting both Portugal’s beauty and Angola’s rough and hot terrain.

Krzak’s writing style is nothing less than sure.

With a cast covering an array of personas—from well-developed to highly elusive characters, Krzak’s storytelling naturally flows to create short, concise, cliffhanging chapters. Chapters identify locations, such as Fortaleza de São Miguel, Luanda, Angola; Lisbon, Portugal; and the rebel camp in the DRC, to name only a few. Those sites provide readers with behind-the-scene segments between the various factions and Sear’s rescue plan, which build unrelenting tension up to the story’s apex and beyond.

Mission: Angola has enough twists, turns, and suspense to satisfy thriller fans and feed their expectations for the next in the Xavier Sear series.

Mission: Angola by Randall Kzark won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Global Thriller Awards for High Stakes Suspense.

September 14, 2022
THE KISSING RABBI by Andy Becker – Small Town Fiction, Jewish Community, Contemporary Social Issues

Based on a true story, Andy Becker’s tale The Kissing Rabbi is a smart, witty, and engaging novel that takes readers into the heart of a Jewish community in the Pacific Northwest.

Here a young, self-serving rabbi sets a town on edge when his salacious desires and personal financial agenda are brought to light by the people he was brought there to serve.

Rabbi Mishegas Dreidel, a young orthodox leader, arrives in the quiet town of Destiny, Oregon. His intentions seem noble as he opens up a synagogue in his basement and establishes a flock of dedicated followers.

Over the next decade, the ever-present counselor builds friendships with his congregants, invites them to dinner, and shows concern for their spiritual well-being. With a wife and nine children to support, he encourages donations from his believers and secures a monster loan to build a beautiful house of worship. He becomes the central cog in a world that he sculpted.

Unfortunately, this rabbi is not the wholesome spiritual leader he claims to be.

Dreidel pushes his unwanted advances on several of the women in the community, seeking to explore his sexual proclivities under the guise that he wants to improve his own marital relationship.

This proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing also involves himself in several secretive monetary dealings. These reach the point where lawyers and the high Jewish court system must get involved to decide whether this narcissistic religious principal must be ousted from his position.

Becker’s absorbing and evolving storyline is well-paced, with a central character whose unstable and remorseless responses to these accusations keep readers invested.

With a colorful cast of characters from rabbis and congregants to attorneys, victims, and investigative reporters, we witness Dreidel’s fall from grace. Comments like “…a half-truth is still a whole lie,” and “You can’t put a black hat on a pig and call him a rabbi!” show the anger of this wronged town.

In a nod to the recent “Me too” movement, Becker delivers a timely cautionary tale, yet infuses the story with touches of wit and humor.

The sprinkling of Yiddish words used throughout brings cultural flavor to the narrative. The appearance of a rabbi group that goes by the moniker TUCAS, (Torah, Understanding, Compassion, Atonement, and Solidarity), an acronym reminiscent of the Hebrew word for butt (tuchas), and other humorous touches bring a balance to the dark clouds invading this suburb.

While the accosted women, both young and old, initially sympathize with the young rabbi’s plight, his phone calls, texts, and unwanted advances force them to recognize the troubled zealot for what he truly is. These shocking revelations divide a community that ultimately hopes for truth and redemption.

In the tradition of Jewish storytellers, Becker’s narrative voice provides a glimpse into orthodox traditions but also examines the nature of human foibles and frailty.

Here that duality is clearly showcased in a patriarchal enclave and the man who holds power over it. Greed, hubris, and narcissism appear as the root of his evil undoing.

Against the backdrop of a warm and welcoming environment, Becker delivers a world turned upside down by their beloved leader, and readers will see that inevitably “the kugel hits the fan!” within this thought-provoking, entertaining story.

The Kissing Rabbi by Andy Becker won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Mark Twain Book Awards for Humor and Satire Fiction.

September 7, 2022
PAST THIS POINT by Nicole Marby – Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Nicole Mabry draws from her own life, the impact of a deadly snowstorm, and the subsequent shutting down of the subways to create Past This Point, an action-packed dystopian novel featuring a strong woman who seeks a way out of a world gone mad.

Karis Hylen is working in New York City a massive snowstorm shuts down the city. A total quarantine of the city becomes quarantine for half of the nation.

In the introductory chapters of this daily progression, the reader will quickly realize that Karis, with her Latino family heritage, is nobody’s fool. Karis has a strong will. Her seemingly only chance to beat quarantine’s eerie hold and join her unaffected family in California is thwarted when she isn’t allowed to take her beloved dog Zeke on the flight. She switches into survivalist mode, searching empty apartments around her for food. Along the way, she befriends a mother with two little girls still living there. They all help and bolster one another for a while – until Karis’s luck turns and she becomes even more determined to get out of the horror-infused city.

After battling several ill-intentioned men, she finds one man of character, an Englishman named Ollie, who shares her vision of escape.

Karis has always been unlucky in her relationships with men, but they both know that to remain in New York City will be their death. Luckily Zeke, who has almost developed the ability to speak in human language, approves of Ollie, who supports Zeke when the dog adopts a starving kitten they find.

Frequent phone calls with Karis’s family sustain the couple’s hopes as they face minute-by-minute struggles to get out of the now sealed-off eastern half of the US and through the medical and military checkpoints on the border. These official strictures prove almost as life-threatening as the mysterious virus itself.

Mabry is new to the world of wordsmithing but proves herself up to the challenge.

Her profession in photography has garnered awards and attention, and her prose may draw similar kudos. Like Karis, she has lived in California and New York City and has a canine companion who accompanies her on photographic forays. Readers will yearn for more of her dynamic stories – and perhaps a sequel to the questions raised in this intriguing debut offering.

Past This Point by Nicole Marby won First Place in the 2019 CIBA Global Book Awards for High Stakes Thrillers.

August 23, 2022