Only 5 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and begin your journey to discovery. The deadline is 8/31/25. Now is the time to make your mark!
The Chaucer, Goethe, Laramie and Hemingway Awards are still open!
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Chaucer Award for Early Historical Fiction!
Dean Cycon –A Quest for God and Spices
Liz Sevchuk Armstrong –To Remain Vigilant
Rozsa Gaston –Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
C.V. Lee –Betrayal of Trust
Logan D. Irons –Sands of Bone
Jean Gill –Among Sea Wolves
Laura C. Rader –Hatfield 1677
And a round of applause for the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize Winner!
Maid Of Honour
Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
By Rozsa Gaston
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Goethe Award for Late Historical Fiction!
Janis Robinson Daly – The Path Beneath Her Feet
Sandra Wagner-Wright – Sea Tigers & Merchants: A New American Generation
James Conroyd Martin – Napoleon’s Shadow Wife: A Novel of Countess Marie Walewska
Florence Reiss Kraut – Street Corner Dreams, A Novel
Leo Daughtry – Talmadge Farm
Jeza Belle – Blood Rouge
R.W. Meek – The Dream Collector, Book II “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh”
Sherry V. Ostroff – The Wall at the Sugar Factory
And a round of applause for our 2024 Goethe Grand Prize Winner!
Abigail’s Song
By Alina Rubin
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Laramie Award for Americana Fiction!
David Fitz-Gerald –First Drive
Georgina Hogue –Cloud Cap
Heather Miller –Yellow Bird’s Song
C.M. Huddleston –Esther
Karen Lynne Klink –At What Cost, Silence? Book 1 of The Texian Trilogy
Charlie Steel –Tom Sharp: The Man and the Legend
Daniel Greene –Northern Shadows (Northern Wolf Series Book 5)
And a round of applause for our 2024 Laramie Grand Prize Winner!
Sarita
By Natalie Musgrave Dossett
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hemingway Award for 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction!
R L Pace –Rising Son
Katherine Koch –The Sower of Black Field: Inspired by the True Story of an American in Nazi Germany
Tim Turner and Moisey Gorbaty –The Reluctant Conductor
Kay Smith-Blum –Tangles
Kathryn Gauci –Midnight in Istanbul
Travis Davis –One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier
Bharati Sen –My War, My Child
H. W. “Buzz” Bernard –When Heroes Flew
And a round of applause for our 2024 Hemingway Grand Prize Winner!
Of White Ashes
By Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto
The CIBAs offer a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 17-19, 2026) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
Your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
Only 10 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!
The Journey, Hearten, Military and Front Line and The Nellie Bly Awards are still open!
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Journey Awards for Overcoming Adversity!
Kirsten Throneberry –Guided: Lost Love, Hidden Realms, and the Open Road
Jennifer Gasner –My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis
Anne Gately –Sunburnt: A Memoir of Sun, Surf and Skin Cancer
Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden –An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness
Lindsey Henke –When Skies Are Gray
Claudia Marseille –But You Look So Normal: Lost and Found in a Hearing World
And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Journey Grand Prize Winner:
Unfollow Me
By Kathryn Caraway
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hearten Award for Uplifting Non-Fiction!
Genét Simone –Teaching in the Dark
David Hutton –Drums of a Distant Tribe
Etsuko Diamond Miyagi –Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan
Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden –An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness
Susan Cole –Holding Fast: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss
Tony Jeton Selimi –The Unfakeable Code®
And a huge round of applause for our 2024 Hearten Grand Prize Winner:
Elk Love: A Montana Memoir
By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Nellie Bly Award for Long Form Journalism!
Carla Conti – Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir
Kori Reed – Men-in-the-Middle Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority
Bonnie Bley – Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County
Sarah Towle – Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands
And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Nellie Bly Grand Prize Winner:
The Sing Sing Files:
One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice
By Dan Slepian
Congratulations to our 2024 Winners of the Military and Front Line Award for Service to Others!
Roderick S. Haynes – Unauthorized Disclosures a Navy Memoir of the 1980s
David Huntley – The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior: a WWII Final Honor
Patrick Hogan – Coincidence, You Say?
Shari Biery – It’s Your Turn How To Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being Thrive with Purpose
Max Lauker & Antonio Garcia – Number 788: My Experiences in Swedish Special Operations – Preparing for NATO and the War on Terror
Bibi LeBlanc – Wings of Freedom – The Story of the Berlin Airlift | Flugel der Freiheit – Die Geschichte der Berliner Luftbrucke
And a huge round of applause to the 2024 Military and Front Line Grand Prize Winner!
Memoirs From The Front Lines:
Four states, Two years, One pandemic
By Kim Sloan
The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.
We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.
Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
One of our many Historical Fiction Categories, Named after German Writer, Scientist and Playwright Johan Wolfgang Van Goethe (1749-1832), Considered to be one of the most Influential and Greatest Writers of the German Language.
This Award Division covers anything after 1750, so there can be anything from The American Revolution, to the 1930s.
Let’s take a look at some of our Grand Prize Winners and Discover your next great read!
Abigail’s Song
By Alina Rubin
Our review for the newest Grand Prize Winner is forthcoming. In the meantime, here is what some GoodReads readers have been saying:
“Abigail’s Song is a powerful novel about Jewish/Gentile relationships set in 1800s England. The novel’s protagonist Abigail is a sixteen-year-old orphan who is taken in by a Jewish family after becoming severely ill on the streets. Abigail is skeptical of Jews at first but soon realizes that her prejudices were wrong and that she has been taken in by a family who genuinely loves and cares for her.
The novel offers great chemistry between Abigail, David, and the rest of David’s family. Rubin has a penchant for writing sharp dialogue and an excellent eye for detail when observing Jewish customs.” -Eric
“ABIGAIL’S SONG is a tender, heart-warming novel about young Abigail, an impoverished Catholic orphan in early 19th century England. Her path to happiness and fulfillment is blocked by death, neglect, prejudice, and ignorance, but in an almost true-Dickensian turn-of-events, she is found and adopted by a devoted, talented, and close-knit Jewish family.
Acceptance, love, music, and even romance, comes Abigail’s way, and through the course of the novel she blossoms from a needy child into a young woman who not only knows how to harness her emotional strength, but can help others do the same.” -Ana
David Calloway’s moving historical fiction,If Someday Comes: A Slave’s Story of Freedom, tells the true story of his great-grandfather George Calloway, born into slavery on January 8, 1829. in Cleveland, Tennessee.
It is a tale of determination, perseverance, and achievement before and during the Civil War.If Someday Comescovers George’s final years in slavery; detailed accounts of the Civil War and its impacts on George and his family, both Black and White.
It is a family saga of survival and endurance.
The story begins in Cleveland, Tennessee, March 6th, 1857. We meet George and his family, his wife Elizabeth, their infant daughter Baby Caroline, and the stratified world of slavery in which they live. Thomas Howard Calloway (Marsa Thom), is their White owner who owns the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, the South’s only copper mines, and the local bank. He is one of Cleveland’s prominent town leaders.
Award-winning Irish author Orna Ross has created a volume comprising the first two novels of The Irish Trilogy, drawing from her Irish birth and upbringing for a special grasp of the country’s history, how its wars and political strivings have affected its people directly, personally, over multiple generations.
Her two books take on a span of time rooted in the early 1920s and delve deeply into the interlocking fate of the extended family and ancestry of Jo Devereux. Jo, the book’s central narrator, leaves Ireland in her twenties, only returning in her forties in 1995 when she learns that her mother is near death.
The journey back will draw her into the family’s complex relationships, and reacquaint her with Rory, her former, and perhaps only, true love.
In Linda Ulleseit’s novel The Aloha Spirit, we meet the plucky heroine, Dolores, as her father leaves her.
“Dolores’s father deemed her useless when she was seven. Neither he nor her older brother, Pablo, ever said that, but every detail of their leaving told her so. Papa had tried to explain the Hawaiian custom of hānai to her. All she understood was the giving away, leaving her to live with a family not her own.”
Her story starts in 1922; the place, multi-ethnic, multilingual Hawaii. Papa, a sugar cane cutter from Spain who worked in Hawaii, decides to take his son Pablo with him to seek his fortune in California. His wife died five years earlier. He leaves 7-year-old Dolores with a large family on Oahu in an arrangement called hānai, an informal adoption. Dolores doesn’t know the family well. She feels abandoned, with no idea when or if her father will send for her or return.
Peccadillo At The Palace: An Annie Oakley Mystery By Kari Bovee
Kari Bovée’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 Bovée’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?
Someone wanted the Queen’s man dead, and he is, but was it a matter of racism, intrigue, or an accident? Annie’s search for clues points her in several directions, but is it the doctor, or the woman dressed in rags with the posh accent, or the crass American businessman and his floozy wife? All have motive. Even Annie’s husband has motive with his Irish background and ties to the Fenians and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Late Historical (Post 1750s) Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Alina Rubin’s book, Abigail’s Song will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Goethe contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
Steeped in rich historical detail, Dr. Eliza Edwards, the ingénue student in The Unlocked Path, becomes the mature mentor, steadfast in her calling to effect social change by addressing women’s health issues and guiding others to realize their dreams. In 1936, as the Depression ravages careers, Eliza re-defines her abilities, traveling to Georgia and Tennessee as she reclaims her purpose and rediscovers her ambitions. Returning to Boston, she endures heartbreak with the eruption of World War II, bringing chaos to the world and sending her sons into battle. Will her unyielding pursuit to limit suffering and save lives sustain her amid the tumultuous landscapes of 1930s and 1940s America?
In 1790 the United States has a new Constitution. George Washington presides as the first elected president. Abroad, France and Britain are at war. And by 1795 seafaring Americans are accosted on the high seas by French privateers and British naval ships.
Tensions rise as American merchants continue to trade. Among them, Hasket Derby and Captain George Crowninshield acquire wealth and build maritime empires while their sons and other adventurous young men take risks on the high seas and in the exotic ports at Isle de France, India, and China dodging accidents, disease, British warships and French privateers. A rich cargo, the turn of a card, or an unlucky storm can make or break a young man’s career. But men like Nath Silsbee fight for the chance to make their fortune and become part of America’s promise.
Women are equally determined and adventurous. Orphaned Lizzie Rowell takes a job at Ship Tavern, and meets the dashing Captain George Crowninshield Jr., a man far above her station in life. Torn between duty and desire, Geordie must choose between his family’s expectations and his growing affection for a mere tavern maid.
In this historical page-turner, family bonds are tested and romantic dreams challenged against the backdrop of ambition and adventure on the high seas. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of trade and intrigue in the new United States of America.
From Chanticleer:
Sandra Wagner-Wright’s audible version ofSea Tigers & Merchants: A New American Generation, Salem Stories Book 2continues the sagas of two prominent families that dominate the shipping industry of young Salem. Narrator Christa Lewis fully embodies the unique characters of this swashbuckling historical adventure.
Wagner-Wright takes us back to 1790. In recently independent America, the next generation of the Crowninshield and Derby families try to continue building their fortunes on the treacherous high seas. Threats of pirates, storms, and ever-changing economies drives their fates, their successes, and their failures. Wagner-Wright’s skillful pen brings to life each young person, female and male, as they variously seek out or shun a chance at love on shore.
Captain George Crowninshield and Haskett Derby duke it out for power and control of the Eastern Seaboard, with their families caught up in the contest.
Wagner-Wright shows how these merchants brave great risk through maritime exploits in France, the Netherlands, the West Indies, Africa, and Asia. During their adventures on the sea, these captains fight relentlessly for the vessels—which become as famous as those captains themselves.
Embark on a voyage through unconditional love, power, and betrayal!
How could an emperor like Napoleon Bonaparte be so captivated by the twenty-year-old Polish Countess Marie Walewska—admittedly a rare beauty but of minor nobility—that their affair would last through both his marriages? And if it wasn’t romance that first drew Marie to Napoleon, what was it?
At just eight years old, Marie finds her life forever changed by the death of her father, killed in battle against the Russians. This tragedy sparks a deep, lifelong patriotism in her as Poland is fragmented and divided among Russia, Prussia, and Austria.
A fan of Napoleon since her school days, Marie eagerly seizes the opportunity to meet him when he passes through the former Poland, his intention to secure military support for his campaign to conquer Russia. She seeks only to express Poland’s gratitude and hope he would restore the nation’s independence. She never imagined a romantic entanglement. But Napoleon, taken with her patriotism, youth, and beauty, soon sets his sights on her—and begins a campaign to win her heart.
Though Marie resists, powerful forces pressure her—just as they had in her marriage—to give in to the emperor’s desires.
Expect to be immersed in Marie’s world, where love and loyalty collide amidst a galaxy of powerful aristocrats, politicians, and military leaders. You’ll journey from Marie’s manor house on the plains of Poland to cosmopolitan Warsaw, through grand palaces in Austria, France, and Italy—before sailing to the Island of Elba, where destiny awaits.
A suspenseful family saga, love story, and gangster tale, wrapped into one great book club read . . .
Just before WWI, Golda comes to America yearning for independence, but she tosses aside her dreams of freedom and marries her widowed brother-in-law after her sister dies giving birth to their son, Morty.
In the crowded streets of Brooklyn where Jewish and Italian gangs demand protection money from local storekeepers and entice youngsters with the promise of wealth, Golda, Ben, and Morty thrive as a family. But in the Depression, Ben, faced with financial ruin, makes a dangerous, life-altering choice. Morty tries to save his father by getting help from a gangster friend but the situation only worsens. Forced to desert his family and the woman he loves in order to survive, Morty is desperate to go home. Will he ever find a safe way back? Or has his involvement with the gang sealed his fate?
Another stunning work of historical fiction by Florence Reiss Kraut, Street Corner Dreams is an exploration of a timeless question: how much do we owe the families that have sacrificed for and shaped us—and does that debt outweigh what we owe ourselves and our own hopes and dreams for a better life?
It’s 1957, and tobacco is king. Wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys the lavish lifestyle he inherited but doesn’t like getting his hands dirty; he leaves that to the two sharecroppers – one white, one Black – who farm his tobacco but have bigger dreams for their own children. While Gordon takes no interest in the lives of his tenant farmers, a brutal attack between his son and the sharecropper children sets off a chain of events that leaves no one unscathed. Over the span of a decade, Gordon struggles to hold on to his family’s legacy as the old order makes way for a New South.
A sweeping drama that follows three unforgettable families navigating the changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history, readers have been raving that Talmadge Farm is one they cannot put down. Perfect for fans of Wiley Cash and Amor Towles.
Josef Dietrick lives with his self-absorbed mother, abusive step-father, and bullying step-brother, Marteen, in 1930s Berlin, Germany. When a brutal sexual attack at the hands of Marteen’s friend, Tielo, sends Josef homeless into the streets, he is taken in by the kind-hearted Lucas and his sister Anke.
Over time, gender-fluid Josef transforms into die blaue blume,the blue flower of Schöneberg, at one of the last underground cabarets for gay men and their entertainers, known as dolls.
A raid on the Rote Schwein leads to the capture of both Josef and Lucas who are violently carted off to Dachau, the notorious death camp. Here Josef is forced to choose between his lover Lucas or his now-Nazi childhood assaulter, Tielo. Forced into a form of slavery, Josef hatches a desperate plan to save both Lucas and himself forever.
Will Josef choose self-preservation or to live authentically? Can he do both?
Sabrine, hospitalized for five years at the infamous Salpêtrière Asylum for Women, gains her release due to the intervention of her sister Julie Forette and a young Sigmund Freud. The reunited sisters are introduced to the dazzling art milieu of 1886 Paris, and soon become close friends to the leading Impressionists. Sabrine attracts a cult following as a poetess, the enigmatic “Haiku Princess.” Seemingly cured by Freud of her Grand Hysteria, Sabrine soon enters into a tumultuous relationship with Vincent van Gogh.
Jule and Sigmund Freud, alarmed by the eerie parallels between the emotionally volatile couple and their self-destructive impulses, begin an urgent search to discover the root causes for Sabrine and Vincent’s growing psychoses. Julie, ‘The Dream Collector’ seeks their most unforgettable dream for Freud’s interpretation and revelations occur.
The Dream Collector is an exploration of the psychological consequences of betrayal, abandonment–and the redemptive power of art.
When Shaindel Pogrebiski’s life is shattered and uprooted by the senseless looting and murder that follow the civil war in Ukraine in 1919, she needs to figure out how to survive. With only her young daughter, Shaindel must flee the turmoil. But where will she go? While the world seems indifferent to the bloodbath upending Shaindel’s homeland, who will take in the refugees fleeing for their lives?
The era of the anti-Jewish riots, the pogroms in Ukraine from 1918-1921, has taken on new scrutiny. Some scholars suggest that this period which resulted in great atrocities against the shtetl Jews, perpetuated by their neighbors, was really the beginning of the Holocaust. The pogroms normalized the slaughter and created ready and willing executioners for the Nazis. Their goal of making Europe Judenrein became easier.
From the elegant ballrooms of the Regency era to the trenches of the Great War, from Victorian drawing rooms to the tumultuous changes of the early 20th century, the Goethe Awards celebrate the rich tapestry of late historical fiction. Named for the great German writer who understood that literature must capture the spirit of its age, these awards honor authors who bring post-1750s history to vivid, authentic life.
Late historical fiction occupies a unique space in literature: close enough to our modern world that we can trace the roots of contemporary society, yet distant enough to feel like stepping into another universe entirely. These are the periods that shaped our current world: the rise of industrial society, the emergence of modern democracy, the birth of contemporary romance, and the social movements that defined human progress.
The Art of Bringing Recent History to Life
Writing compelling late historical fiction requires a delicate balance of thorough research and engaging storytelling. Authors must master not just the major historical events, but the daily details that make a world feel authentic—how people dressed, spoke, courted, worked, and dreamed. The best late historical fiction doesn’t just tell us what happened; it helps us understand how it felt to live through transformative periods of human history.
These stories resonate with modern readers because they explore themes that remain relevant today: social class struggles, religious freedom, women’s rights, immigration, and the eternal human desires for love, family, and belonging. Whether set in Napoleonic England or Jazz Age America, these novels illuminate both how much the world has changed and how much human nature remains constant.
The research required for excellent late historical fiction is extraordinary! Authors often spend years studying everything from period clothing to social customs, from political movements to technological innovations, ensuring that every detail serves both historical accuracy and narrative power.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re delighted to honor Alina Rubin, whose moving novel Abigail’s Song claimed the 2024 Goethe Grand Prize with a beautifully crafted story set in 1809 England. The novel follows orphaned Abigail Jones, who after losing her mother and being cast out on Christmas Eve, finds refuge with medical student Oli Higgins (born David Fridman), who is hiding his Jewish identity to pursue his profession. Through Oli’s devout, loving Jewish family, Abigail discovers both belonging and her musical talents.
Rubin masterfully explores the complex social dynamics of early 19th-century England, particularly the challenges faced by religious minorities and the rigid class structures that determined life opportunities. As Abigail grows up caught between worlds, “not Christian enough for the Gentiles, but as a non-Jew, she has no hope of marrying David.” The novel examines themes of identity, belonging, and the healing power of music that resonate across centuries. In addition to ongoing promotional features, Abigail’s Song will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Alina Rubin will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Abigail’s Song will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Span the Modern Historical Era
The Goethe Awards welcome historical fiction across the transformative periods of recent history:
Regency & Georgian – The elegant world of Jane Austen and beyond, featuring social refinement and romantic complexity
Turn of the Century – The pivotal period when the 19th century gave way to the modern world
20th Century – The dynamic decades that shaped contemporary society (excluding wartime, which belongs to Hemingway)
World/International History – Global perspectives on historical events and cultural movements
U.S. History – American stories from the colonial period through modern times
1830s-1900s, Victorian Era & Edwardian – The height of empire, industrial revolution, and social transformation
Each category represents a different window into the forces that created our modern world, from intimate personal stories to sweeping social movements.
Explore All Historical Fiction Divisions
The Goethe Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:
Laramie Awards for Americana Fiction – First Nation stories, The American frontier, pioneer tales, Civil War narratives, and contemporary westerns
Whether your historical fiction spans ancient civilizations or recent decades, Chanticleer offers a home for every period and perspective.
Looking at Historical Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding late historical fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!
Tsarina’s Jewels
By Jerena Tobiasen
Viscount Simon Nightingale-Temple seeks a life of peace with his beloved Mary after the harrowing years of the Bolshevik Revolution. But in Tsarina’s Jewels, the second book in Jerena Tobiasen’s The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles, Simon is dragged back into global conflict through his very family.
While serving in the British Embassy in Petrograd, Simon witnessed firsthand that bloody revolution and the assassination of the Tsar’s family—all but one daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, the beautiful woman who became his wife.
Maria, “Mary”, hides in plain sight among the British aristocracy, and the couple hope to settle into their lives with Simon’s parents. However, soon after his return, the highest levels of the British government force Simon into service for the newly minted MI6. Under threat of being blamed entirely for the Romanov family’s execution, Simon has no choice but to accept.
Little does Simon know he’ll soon be spying on his own brother.
Two families vie for power in mercantile 18th-century Salem.Sea Tigers and Merchants,the second book in Sandra Wagner-Wright’sSalem Storiesseries, returns to a world of treacherous storms, tantalizing wealth, and the demands of high society on its children.
Elias Hasket Derby, Sr. has kept his promise to his wife Eliza—they rule Salem. Hasket’s merchant ships bring in great fortune, while Eliza holds court as the most influential woman in the city’s social spheres. And their ambitions have grown to meet their station. Hasket launches his riskiest endeavor—theGrand Turk,a ship so massive she’s nearly too heavy to be pulled out of the docks. Meanwhile Eliza, snubbed by George Washington’s stay at another family’s mansion, insists they build a house so grand it will put all others to shame.
Such success, of course, draws the envious eye of Hasket’s competitor.
The Crowninshield family has an uphill battle before them. The patriarch, George, Sr., is unable to employ all his own sons as captains of his small fleet—leaving them to work for their uncle Hasket. But George shares Hasket’s ambition. With the support of his wife, Hasket’s sister Mary, he builds greater ships of his own. If only he could get his eldest sons to follow his wishes, all his goals would fall into place.
David Calloway’s moving historical fiction,If Someday Comes: A Slave’s Story of Freedom, tells the true story of his great-grandfather George Calloway, born into slavery on January 8, 1829. in Cleveland, Tennessee.
It is a tale of determination, perseverance, and achievement before and during the Civil War.If Someday Comescovers George’s final years in slavery; detailed accounts of the Civil War and its impacts on George and his family, both Black and White.
It is a family saga of survival and endurance.
The story begins in Cleveland, Tennessee, March 6th, 1857. We meet George and his family, his wife Elizabeth, their infant daughter Baby Caroline, and the stratified world of slavery in which they live. Thomas Howard Calloway (Marsa Thom), is their White owner who owns the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, the South’s only copper mines, and the local bank. He is one of Cleveland’s prominent town leaders.
The Last Dahomey Warriorby Dr. Amy Holda Gueye is the gripping story of a group of fearless and feared female soldiers of the Dahomey kingdom—and the young girl who withstands grave peril to stand among them.
At age 11, Nanissa becomes the youngest candidate ever chosen to be one of the legendary Dahomey Akodgjie, an all-female elite class of warriors who protect their king and the Kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin).
Left in the sacred forest with no weapons or food, Nanissa must survive ten days to earn her place on the path to becoming a Dahomey warrior. She encounters dangers during her test, but by listening to the voice of her mother she not only survives but is endowed by the spirit of the Leopard, which serves her well in battles to come.
Nanissa learns to listen to more than just the teachings of her mother. The Queen Mother, Ahosi, who trains the Akodgjie warriors also serves as mentor to the young warrior. “Observe carefully, learn quickly, listen more, speak less…If you can learn what one does not say, memorize what one never teaches, and trust your gut, the voice right here in your chest… then you will make an excellent warrior.”
Before Nanissa faces her first battle as a young woman, the Chief of a smaller tribe comes to the Palace with word that the French are coming—prepared for battle with armor and rifles.
These works demonstrate how the best historical fiction combines meticulous research with compelling storytelling to transport readers across time.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional historical fiction we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!
The Goethe Awards recognize the extraordinary research and storytelling skill required to bring recent history to authentic life. Whether you’ve spent years researching Victorian social customs, Georgian political movements, or early 20th-century cultural changes, these awards celebrate both your historical scholarship and narrative artistry.
Your Historical Vision Awaits Recognition
Great late historical fiction doesn’t just recreate the past—it helps us understand how we became who we are today. Whether your story explores the drawing rooms of Regency England, the immigrant experience in turn-of-the-century America, or the social transformations of the early 1900s, the Goethe Awards celebrate the authors who make history feel immediate and alive.
You have until August 31st to submit to the 2025 CIBAs!
Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (Better known by her Pen Name, Nellie Bly) created a new brand of Investigative Journalism. Best known for beating Jules Verne’s Around The World in 80 Days in 72 days, and even more amazingly, Going undercover to get herself put into a New York Mental Hospital to then publish an exposé on the unlivable conditions and mistreatment of marginalized women. Journalist, Novelist, Inventor and overall amazing Woman. So its only fitting that our Division for Investigative Journalism be named for the woman who made the genre.
We’re excited to celebrate the excellent caliber of work that we have had the honor of promoting in the CIBAs for Longform Journalism.
The Nellie Bly Awards are one of a kind. Check out the following books to find out why!
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, And a 20 Year Fight for Justice
By Dan Slepian
In 2002, Dan Slepian, a veteran producer for NBC’s Dateline, received a tip from a Bronx homicide detective that two men were serving twenty-five years to life in prison for a 1990 murder they did not commit.
Haunted by what the detective had told him, Slepian began an investigation of the case that eventually resulted in freedom for the two men and launched Slepian on a two-decade personal and professional journey into a deeply flawed justice system fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes and their consequences.
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justiceis Slepian’s account of challenging that system. The story follows Slepian on years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that led to a series of powerful Dateline episodes and eventually to freedom for four other men and to an especially deep and lasting friendship with one of them, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez. From his cell in Sing Sing, JJ aided Slepian in his investigations until his own release in 2021 after decades in prison.
Like Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, The Sing Sing Files is a deeply personal account of wrongful imprisonment and the flaws in our justice system, and a powerful argument for reckoning and accountability. Slepian’s extraordinary book, at once painful and full of hope, shines a light on an injustice whose impact the nation has only begun to confront.
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America By Paul Kix
Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novelYou Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.
This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.
When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.
The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.
To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.
Katz – executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”
America’s Forgotten Suffragists: Virginia and Francis Minor By Nicole Evalina
Comprehensive in its own right, America’s Forgotten Suffragists by Nicole Evelina is an essential addition to the canon of women’s suffrage and first-wave feminism.
Equal parts local history of women’s right to vote in the nineteenth century and biography of Virginia and Francis Minor, America’s Forgotten Suffragists illuminates the story of a wife-and-husband feminist duo who were the first to fight for women’s suffrage at the Supreme Court level.
We learn about the lives of Virginia and Francis Minor by way of historical records, intersecting timelines with other suffragists, and news articles and letters. Virginia Minor was raised on the new and intellectually stimulating University of Virginia campus, where her father worked. Born into a colonial settler and slave-owning family, Virginia came into her own as she grew older, forming abolitionist and feminist beliefs.
Prison From The Inside Out By William “Mecca” Elmore and Susan Simone
Prison from Inside Out: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom is an illuminating chronicle that tells the story of a man who not only survived the stoniest soil but used his experiences to thrive as a human being.
This arresting memoir is essentially a road trip of William ‘Mecca’ Elmore, a man with a tumultuous childhood, growing up in a neighborhood chock full of social problems. It is in this environment that Elmore is involved in a crime that consequently leads to his arrest and trial. The story builds upon his incarceration in various correctional facilities, his experiences, his release through a Mutual Agreement Parole Program, and his eventual redemption.
The Military and Front Line Awards recognize the extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and dedication of those who serve on the front lines—whether in military combat, medical emergencies, or other critical service roles. These powerful narratives capture the human experience behind the uniform, revealing stories of heroism, resilience, and the profound impact of service on individuals, families, and communities. From military memoirs to frontline healthcare experiences, these works honor those who answer the call to serve others, often at great personal cost.
Truth and authentic experience matter now more than ever. The Military and Front Line Awards seek exceptional non-fiction that illuminates the realities of service, the bonds forged under pressure, and the lasting effects of dedicating one’s life to protecting and serving others.
Let’s celebrate the Grand Prize Winners of the Military and Front Line Awards!
Memoirs From the Frontlines: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic
By Kim Sloan, RSN and Travel ICU RN
From Amazon:
2020, the year the world shut down. My husband and I had been living our best lives. John had been a nurse since 2001 and I’d also been a nurse since 2008. We’d been traveling the country as Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/Emergency Room (ER) travel Registered Nurses (RNs) since 2017. We arrived in Southern Georgia for our ninth assignment in the fall of 2019. We had no idea what we had signed up for when we accepted this extension for our placement there—that this small town was about to become a major epicenter for COVID—that we would see more death in those few months than in all our prior years of nursing combined. We had no idea that the world was about to completely shut down because of a virus, or that we were about to become front-line heroes!
We also worked in Tennessee, Washington state, and Las Vegas, Nevada during those years, losing patients to the Coronavirus in all three states. COVID never changed no matter what state we were working in.
While writing this memoir has been very therapeutic, my true intentions are to provide a look at my experience so others can begin their own healing process. I also want others to understand by reading this memoir that it’s ok to make mistakes, and it’s ok to apologize for those mistakes. But most of all, even throughout a pandemic and even through a mental breakdown, it’s ok to lose your “voice,” but it’s not ok to give up finding that voice once again. Dark times are ok for a short time; however, to live in the dark is not living. You need to find your light and adjust to the world that surrounds you, COVID and all!
Chasing The Daylight: One Woman’s Journey to Becoming a US Army Intelligence Officer By Joanna Rakowski
Chasing The Daylight by Joanna Rakowski is a revealing memoir that captures the rigor, intensity, and ferocity of military training in a salient style.
Ever wondered what it takes to become a soldier in one of the most powerful armies in the world?
Joanna Rakowski was born in Poland and grew up practicing dance from a young age, eventually becoming a professional classical ballet dancer and teacher. Upon her migration to the US in 1995 and the painful fallout with her friend and mentor, Chris, Joanna knew she needed to make a drastic change in her life. Her great awakening came when she decided to transform from a fragile and sensitive ballerina into a steadfast U.S. Army soldier, a goal that many close to her doubted she could accomplish.
With arresting insights, the text builds from Rakowski’s striking introduction as it describes her first day of enlistment, which was filled with uncertainties.
Lost in Beirut: A True Story of Love, Loss and War By Ashe and Magdalena Stevens
Seeking to “fill his vessel with the truth,” young Ashe Stevens joins his friends on a thrilling adventure beyond the safety of his comfortable American life to chase stardom in Beirut, Lebanon.
Leaving behind a raucous life of plenty in Hollywood – complete with hot dates, popularity, and financial success – to the unknown of the Middle East teaches Ashe to prioritize his values and beliefs. But nothing could prepare him for what’s coming next.
Journey with Ashe and his friends as they bring the rapper 50 Cent to Beirut, the “Paris of the Middle East.” Along the way, Ashe dates not one, but two drop-dead gorgeous billionaires and falls head over heels for a blonde beauty to whom he promises to devote his life. But just as business is booming and true love reaches the height of bliss, the Israeli military bombs their beautiful city, “weaving a tapestry of death all over the night sky.” The team barely makes it out with their lives in a harrowing escape, leaving their love and livelihoods behind.
Dear Bob: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War 2 By Martha Bolton with Linda Hope
During World War II, Bob Hope traveled almost ceaselessly to outposts large and small, entertaining US troops – and inspiring them; Martha Bolton brings the extent of this work to light in Dear Bob.
Writer Martha Bolton worked with and for comedian Bob Hope. Now, with Hope’s daughter Linda, she has gathered and organized the letters written to Bob by the soldiers he helped.
Hope, English born, and born to entertain, once said he could not retire and go fishing because “Fish don’t applaud.” Among his sizzling lines – and there are hundreds recorded here – he told one audience that he’d gotten a wonderful welcome when he arrived at their camp: “I received a 10-gun salute… They told me on the operating table.”
His performances could have been forgotten were it not for the letters from soldiers of every stripe, and those soldiers’ families – who did not forget him.
The Nellie Bly Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Journalistic Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Dan Slepian’s book, The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Nellie Bly contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
After three years in Europe, former journalist Carla Conti* just wanted to settle her family into the suburbs of Philadelphia. But her high school friend Scott Powell, a lawyer handling a brutal prison stabbing case, needed a favor. Before she knew it, Carla became part of the defense team and mired in the terrifying world of federal prison gangs, penal abuse, and corruption.
Then, when she agreed to write a tell-all book on the violent machinations behind the court case — with Scott’s client as an inside source — the stakes turned deadly. Two different prison gangs issued “hit orders” against the prisoner she and Scott now considered a friend, and the journalist and defense attorney were imperiled by association.
Chained Birds is a true crime memoir of Carla’s 10-year journey to advocate for federal inmate Kevin Sanders and help him re-enter society after prison. But the mission came at a cost as Carla struggled to balance her own, Scott’s, and Kevin’s safety while writing an exposé on the horrific conditions that led to the shutdown of an experimental prison program in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
This thrilling, frightening book depicts a journey filled with unlikely friendships, invisible victims of prison abuse, failings in our criminal justice system, and redemption through storytelling.
*Carla Conti is a pen name used by the author to protect her real identity for fear of retribution.
In Men-in-the-Middle, author Kori Reed interviews men across corporate America about gender equity in the workplace. This is a topic men can influence, as they hold nearly 75 percent of C-suite positions, but they don’t talk about it at the office. As it turns out, men have a lot to say! They are aware of the issues and the impacts and, at the same time, unsure of what to do. This uncertainty renders Men-in-the-Middle, even though they may be supporters, on the silent sidelines of gender equity.
Combining interviews with insights from secondary research, Reed seeks to provide a framework to understand this “silent majority” and shine the light on new perspectives and topics that often go undiscussed.
Men-in-the-Middle: Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority invites men and women to cultivate conversations by providing an orientation on perspective-taking and laying a foundation to move gender equity forward in a new inclusive way.
Murder may seem easy, and getting away with it even easier, particularly in Indian Country. Big Horn County, MT, where Ms. Bley grew up, bears the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rate of missing and murdered women and girls. Selena Not Afraid fell victim to this hidden epidemic on New Year’s Day 2020, disappearing without a trace under mysterious circumstances. Her body was discovered 20 days later in an open field, previously intensively searched. The county sheriff hastily labeled her death as “accidental hypothermia” before she could undergo a thorough examination by a coroner, a cause of death that appears all too common in Crow Indian country.
The lack of answers surrounding Selena’s disappearance and the questionable cause of her death sparked outrage in the community. Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County compellingly recounts the stories of several young Native American Indians who have gone missing or been brutally murdered in Big Horn County. This book not only raises awareness but also sheds light on first-hand perspectives from the family members of Crow and Cheyenne tribal members who were killed. Additionally, it highlights the efforts of those working to make a difference in Indian Country, aiming to reduce instances of violence against Native women. Stolen Voices a multi-award winning book delves into the deeper issues at the heart of this hidden epidemic, whose awareness is gaining momentum.
Bonnie Bley, a native of Wyoming, spent her formative years in the border reservation town of Hardin, MT, situated in the southeastern corner of Montana. Her educational journey took her to Aberdeen, SD, and Bloomington, MN, where she honed her skills and knowledge. In the late 1980s, she made Minnesota her home, and to this day, it remains the backdrop to her life.
Although Minnesota has become her primary residence, Bonnie remains deeply connected to her roots in Montana and Wyoming, considering them the bedrock of her identity. It is within this intricate tapestry of her experiences that Bonnie Bley has woven the compelling narrative of Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County. This poignant work sheds light on the stories of Indigenous People who have tragically gone missing or been murdered in the very county where she spent her upbringing, offering BONNIE BLEY a heartfelt exploration of a community’s struggles and losses.
It was family separation and “kids in cages” that drove Sarah Towle to the U.S. southern border. On discovering the many-headed hydra that is the U.S. immigration system—and the heroic determination of those caught under its knee—she could never look away again. Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands charts Sarah’s journey from outrage to activism to abolition as she exposes, layer by “broken” layer, the global deterrence to detention to deportation complex that is failing everyone—save the profiteers and demagogues who benefit from it.
Deftly weaving together oral storytelling, history, and memoir, Sarah illustrates how the U.S. has led the retreat from post-WWII commitments to protecting human rights. Yet within the web of normalized cruelty, she finds hope and inspiration in the extraordinary acts of ordinary people who prove, every day, there is a better way. By amplifying their voices and celebrating their efforts, Sarah reveals that we can welcome with dignity those most in need of safety and compassion. In unmasking the real root causes of the so-called “crisis” in human migration, she urges us to act before we travel much farther down our current course—one which history will not soon forgive, or forget.
The Military and Front Line Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoirs exploring the lives of those who serve their country and others. The Grand Prize Winner, Kim Sloan’s book, Memoirs from the Frontlines: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Military and Front line contest page year ’round!
The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!
Rod Haynes’s memoir Unauthorized Disclosures: A Navy Memoir of the 1980s portrays military life without filter, transcending glamorous and heroic images to explore the daily struggles, leadership challenges, emotional battles, and personal growth during his decade of military service.
We first meet Rod as a young man trying to navigate a directionless civilian life. The burdens of unemployment, fractured family relationships, and an identity crisis lead him to a chance encounter in Seattle with ‘Space Case’, an eccentric, troubled, yet honest character. The relationship offers a glimpse at rock bottom—which Rod fears most.
Rod decides to join the Navy because he needs employment.
We follow Rod to Officer Candidate School (OCS), a mentally and physically grueling journey toward adapting to a new leadership role. He tells of the essence of leadership taught in the school, which emerges not through the wearing of a uniform, but through sacrifice, battling doubt, and a drive to look out for others. Marching in sleeting rain, performing relentless drills, and encounters with hard-nosed instructors, Rod ultimately survives the intense pressure of military training with the assistance of a fellow Officer Candidate, a prior enlisted sailor willing to show Rod survival techniques in a high stress military training environment.
David Huntley – The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior: A WWII Final Honor
The Tomahawk Warriors, a crew of nine who perished in a 1944 B-17 Flying Fortress crash in England, was a mystery of WWII until explained in this book. It would have lain in partial obscurity if it were not for the author’s initial involuntary involvement. As a child, he witnessed what would become a dogged determination in his lifetime later to tell this story. As the faint light of dawn was breaking the morning of August 12, 1944, a crippled American B-17 bomber flew perilously close over the roof of the author’s house in Southern England. Around 30 seconds later, it crashed and exploded. In 2016, the author, David E. Huntley, after almost a lifetime, came across the story of the crew known as the ‘Tomahawk Warriors’ and recognized it as the accident he had witnessed as a child.
He started his own research and began asking himself many questions about the disaster. How did this plane crash and why, particularly in that location? For what reason was the plane misnamed ‘The Tomahawk Warrior’ through all those years? What strange circumstance led the author to come into possession of the navigator’s diary that no one knew even existed? Why did one airman not take his place on board that day and become a part of the ‘missing airman’ legend?
Despite the coincidence that the plane of the ‘Tomahawk Warriors’ and the plane of Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. crashed on the same day; Huntley revealed a further significant link between them. This incident adds a further little-known aspect about the Kennedy’s in American history.
Based on Declassified Secret Operational Records, analysis of other official and unofficial records, the author’s personal observations on the day of the accident, and his pursuit of other facts, those mysteries became fully resolved. This story provides a distinct understanding of the immense courage those young 20 to 26-year-old American airmen displayed. Mission after mission, they climbed aboard their craft and carried out their respective duties at 28,000 ft in sub-zero temperatures, hoping their electric-heated protective clothing would not short out during the 9 to 10-hour flight. They prayed that flak and enemy fighters would give them that 70 percent chance of getting back home.
The book offers vivid descriptions of those who got shot down, bailed out, and died or got captured to spend the rest of the war as POWs. The narrative places its emphasis on the lives of the heroes who served in WWII and their loved ones who have grown up in their shadows. He obtained a posthumous honor to the deceased crew, as well as a Permanent Commemorative Marker, and brought relief and closure to the descendants’ relatives. This is not a post-mortem of wartime machinery, but a window into the lives of some heroes who sacrificed themselves for a cause, as well as a personal insight into the familial relationships with their loved ones at home.
Coincidence, you say, is a book about the folks we call soldiers and police officers. The people who choose to stand guard over us by day and by night. In good weather and bad. The guardians who stand in the lurch between peace and chaos—good and evil.
It’s a tale of youthful rebellion, love, courage, resilience, and resolve not to give up despite seemingly insurmountable challenges.
The work is much more than an autobiography. It is an exploration of the various conditions the author faced throughout his life. From his earliest childhood memories right up through his retirement years.
When he was eighteen, the Vietnam War was just ramping up, so instead of waiting to be drafted, he decided to join the Army. As providence would have it, he ended up in Vietnam for three years.
After returning from Vietnam in ’69, he started having minor health difficulties, which he shrugged off. Then, in 1975, thanks to a twist of fate that changed New Jersey State law, he was appointed as a police officer for a small municipality. It is this occupational skill set and his investigative and analytical abilities that bring a truly high influence on his books.
As you read through the volumes of information, you will be absolutely stunned at what the US government had willingly dumped on Vietnam and its own troops. You will be amazed at what being a police officer really demands.
Some of the coincidental events he experienced seemed to challenge all human logic and have no rational explanation by our natural laws and standards. However, they did have meaning to him, and they profoundly changed the course of his life more than once.
It was difficult for him to put into words the emotions and energy he sensed firsthand after experiencing many strange life events. For him, they came with a deeper feeling of mysterious actions, along with a feeling of profound wonder and surprise. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was some deeper meaning behind all the twists and unexpected turns of my life.
Are you feeling buried under the demands of supporting your spouse, family, and the chaos of daily life while your own needs fall to the bottom of the list?
As a midlife woman, it’s easy to always put others first, leaving little time or energy for yourself. But now, It’s YOUR Turn to break free from the overwhelm and reclaim your life.
In It’s Your Turn, Shari Biery—a National Board Certified Purpose and Well-Being Coach and former military spouse—shares her personal journey from self-neglect to self-empowerment.
The moment she received the American Flag at her husband’s retirement ceremony marked not just the end of his career but the start of her own new chapter. After years of putting everyone else first, Shari made a powerful shift, and now she’s here to guide you in doing the same.
Through relatable stories and actionable steps, Shari shows how common it is for midlife women, especially those supporting a spouse and family, to feel overwhelmed and disconnected—and how to overcome these challenges.
Max Lauker with Antonio Garcia – Number 788: My Experiences in Swedish Special Operations- Preparing for NATO and the War on Terror
How a reluctant soldier and ranger, excelling in reconnaissance, intelligence, and covert operations, details his journey post-Cold War training to the War on Terror.
I am a soldier and a ranger – a specialist in reconnaissance, intelligence, and covert operations. I never wanted to be a soldier, but I found that I excelled at it. I have fired my weapons in anger, infiltrated terrorist groups, and made and burnt sources. Number 788 is my story.
Being good at doing bad things is not always a blessing. You can’t be the judge, only the executioner. The concept of ‘for the greater good’ always has a flip side. You are moving and living in the shadows. The ones in control grant you the ultimate power of life, but a life lived in the shadows is never your own.
My development was slow and meticulous; it was improvised and innovative. Now, I write about what it was like to be pushed past the brink of what I thought was humanly possible. I aim to share my flawed path, lessons learned, relationships forged, revelations of self and the workings of others, with the very small hope of inspiring a few new generation warriors.
I was trained at a unique time, as I joined the forces after the Cold War but just before the attacks of 9-11. During my formation, the lack of controls and regulation came with tremendous risks but also significant opportunities – I seized them. I am the product of brave officers who took action with great personal risk to save a regiment without permission and by asking for forgiveness later. Officers who believed in the saying, ‘Who Dares Wins’. I share my small place as a silent mediator between the light and shadows in the long and flawed history of Western and Nordic fighters.
The end of the Cold War and subsequent peacekeeping missions caught the Swedish military flatfooted when the War on Terror came around. The need for special operations forces was in high demand, but for the most part, Sweden lacked this niche capability. While still in its conceptual form, the International Ranger Platoon, an elite force that became a Special Purpose Unit within the Ranger Battalion, was used to fill the gap. Newly recruited, I was drawn to the challenge and adventure of it all; I took on the tough selection course – the reward was to be part of something new – the Special Purpose Units.
Explore the epic story of the Berlin Airlift in Wings of Freedom. This vividly illustrated book takes you on a gripping journey through one of history’s most daring operations-a humanitarian and logistical effort that defied all odds. From iconic aircraft to courageous pilots, this book pays tribute to the remarkable people who orchestrated this historic feat.
The story of the city of Berlin, its citizens, and the Western Allies – and the unyielding courage they displayed – resonates through time, illuminating how unity can overcome even the darkest hours of history.
Join us in paying tribute to unwavering heroes who transformed adversity into triumph. Immerse yourself in the spirit of unity and determination that saved Berlin and changed the course of history.
In 1887, a young reporter named Nellie Bly feigned mental illness to expose the horrific conditions at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, forever changing how society treated the mentally ill. Her courage to go undercover, endure personal risk, and challenge powerful institutions established a tradition of investigative journalism that continues to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to the voiceless.
The Nellie Bly Awards honor this fearless tradition, celebrating the journalists, researchers, and truth-tellers who dedicate years – sometimes decades – to exposing corruption, fighting injustice, and demanding accountability from systems that would prefer to operate in shadows. These are the stories that don’t just inform readers; they change laws, free the innocent, and restore faith in the power of persistent, ethical journalism.
The Vital Role of Investigative Journalism
In an era of instant news, social media speculation, and AI hallucinations, deep investigative work has never been more crucial. The authors recognized by the Nellie Bly Awards understand that real accountability journalism requires time, resources, and extraordinary persistence. They dig deeper than daily news cycles allow, following leads that others abandon, and asking questions that make uncomfortable people uncomfortable.
The best investigative non-fiction sparks conversations, policy changes, and sometimes legal action that creates lasting positive change. These authors transform individual investigations into broader understanding of systemic issues that affect us all.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re deeply honored to recognize Dan Slepian, whose extraordinary work The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice claimed the 2024 Nellie Bly Grand Prize with an investigation that exemplifies the very best of accountability journalism. What began as a single tip from a Bronx homicide detective in 2002 became a twenty-year personal and professional journey that ultimately freed six innocent men from prison.
Slepian’s story demonstrates the persistence that defines great investigative journalism—years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that challenged a justice system “fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes.” His work resulted not only in powerful Dateline episodes but in actual freedom for wrongfully convicted men, including his deep friendship with Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, who aided Slepian’s investigations from his Sing Sing cell until his own release in 2021.
The Sing Sing Files represents investigative journalism at its most vital, exposing systemic flaws while honoring individual human stories, requiring both professional skill and personal courage, and ultimately creating change that extends far beyond the pages of the book. In addition to ongoing promotional features, The Sing Sing Files will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Dan Slepian will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and The Sing Sing Files will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Cover Every Beat
The Nellie Bly Awards welcome investigative work across every section of the metaphorical newspaper, recognizing that corruption and injustice can emerge anywhere:
Social Science – Research-driven investigations into societal patterns and behaviors
Data Driven Reporting – Stories powered by statistical analysis and empirical evidence
Equality and Justice – Exposés of discrimination and fights for civil rights
Ethics – Investigations into moral failures in institutions and leadership
Human Rights – Documentation of abuses and advocacy for fundamental freedoms
Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants – Stories of displacement and the policies that affect vulnerable populations
Activist Groups – Investigations into movements, both positive and problematic
Crimes and Corruption – Classic investigative journalism exposing criminal behavior and institutional corruption
Environmental – Reporting on ecological crimes and environmental justice
Whistle Blowers – Stories of those brave enough to expose wrongdoing from within
Politics Regional, National, International – Government accountability at every level
Wartime/Military – Investigations into conflicts and military institutions
\Health and Medicine – Medical investigations and healthcare system accountability and interest stories
Nature and the Environment – Environmental science and conservation investigations and interest stories
Pop Culture, Social Issues, Current Events – Contemporary cultural criticism and social analysis
Home & Garden – Largely interest stories focused on how-to home changes and possible investigations that can result
Like the sections of a great newspaper, these categories ensure that no corner of society escapes the scrutiny that democracy requires.
Other August Non-Fiction Opportunities
The Nellie Bly Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of narrative non-fiction, all closing at the end of August:
Journey Awards: Courageous stories of overcoming adversity and transforming trauma into purpose
Hearten Awards: Uplifting non-fiction that inspires hope and positive transformation
Check out some of these powerful investigative works we’ve celebrated recently!
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live
By Paul Kix
Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novelYou Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.
This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.
When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.
The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.
Dave Tabler’sDelaware from Freeways to E-Wayspresents a nonlinear kaleidoscope view of Delaware’s twentieth-century history, braiding together snapshots of the state through a variety of lenses.
By dissecting the history of the state’s education system, economy, politics, war, technology, social dynamics, religion, agriculture, and conservation of the natural world, this book becomes a patchwork quilt of Delaware’s contributions to recent American history.
Tabler strategically places historical images throughout the first half of the book to help paint a vivid picture of what Delaware life has been like across the years. The second half of the book then expounds on every snapshot, allowing the reader to pursue the parts that most interest them. Tabler concludes each of these deeper dives by describing the impacts on present-day Delaware and America. These threads of connection to current events help the reader find meaning within the overall arc of history.
Italians in the Pacific Northwest
By Tessa Floreano
Tessa Floreano’sItalians in the Pacific Northwest is an inviting pictorial narrative featuring both ordinary and extraordinary individuals of Italian heritage who helped to create and develop Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Concentrating on the decades from 1880 to 1950, Floreano begins by referencing the earliest Italian explorers of the Pacific Northwest Territory, then quickly moves to the efforts of those who sought a better life through hard work and new opportunities on American shores.
Floreano’s research shows through the fascinating details of this book.
She includes stories, photographs, and memorabilia to highlight both the struggles and triumphs of these pioneering Italian Americans. From the backbreaking labor of building the road and rail infrastructure that connected this new land, to working in the coal mines, logging and milling the giant cedars, farming the soil, fishing the waters, and becoming savvy entrepreneurs, these people proved a hearty, steadfast bunch.
I Am a Prisoner of Hope
By Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, Ph.D.
Author Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, PhD, states in the very title of this book, I Am a Prisoner of Hope. He goes on to explain why this is the case and why hope is central to our beingness.
A Maasai originally from Tanzania and one of three boys in a family with eight children, Lotegeluaki has been living in the United States for many years and has seen much good and much bad, in the country and around the world. In defiance of social inequality and bigotry, Lotegelauki maintains a strong belief in human unity, “Day and night I am reminded of the fact that we as human beings, regardless of culture, language, religion, gender, skin color or social economic status, are all under God’s huge canopy, and we are convincingly related.” He reminds us, “You may not look exactly like me, but rest assured, we are not just related, but more importantly, we are siblings.”
Lotegeluaki tells the reader his experiences, the histories of places he has lived and the people he has met, and observes what each has to teach and offer humanity. He remains dedicated to the pursuit of togetherness within diversity, no matter our differences. In Chapter Four, “Grandmother’s Quilt,” he uses the metaphor of a handmade quilt with emotional overtones and ties to explain human nature and all that it entails.
To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorismSaints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.
Katz– executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”
ThroughoutSaints and Soldiers, Katz uses her decades of intensive experience to describe how a new generation of internet-born white supremacist movements followed the same trajectory as ISIS. She exposes the network of threads that link white supremacist violence such as the Christchurch massacre of 2019 to their origins on messaging platforms such as 8chan, Discord, Stormfront, and Telegram. Indoctrinating vulnerable minds with extremist neo-Nazi ideology, these violent groups use a “screw your optics” mantra that celebrates gruesome violence and the “saints” and “martyrs” that drive their hateful cause.
These works demonstrate how great investigative journalism combines rigorous research with compelling storytelling to create accountability and change.
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The CIBAs offer multiple levels of recognition designed to augment your digital footprint and provide long-tail marketing that makes you easier for readers to find. Each reward builds on the previous and continues promotion:
Long List: Recognition across our website, newsletter, and social media
Short List/Semi-Finalist: Digital badges and promotional stickers
Finalists: Conference discounts, review discounts, certificates, and genre-specific badges
First Place Winners: Coveted Chanticleer Blue Ribbon, premium review discounts, lifetime Roost membership discount, and year-round promotion
Grand Prize Winners: Awarded Editorial Book Review and Author Interview, featured on Awards page all year, promoted in Hall of Fame articles for five years
Overall Grand Prize Winner: $1000 cash prize
The Nellie Bly Awards provide recognition for work that often takes years to complete and may challenge powerful interests who would prefer these stories remain untold. Whether you’re a professional journalist, academic researcher, or citizen investigator, these awards celebrate the courage and persistence required to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to those who need advocates.
Carry Forward the Legacy
In Nellie Bly’s tradition, the best investigative journalism requires both courage and compassion—the bravery to challenge systems and the empathy to understand how those systems affect real people. Your investigation, your exposé, your carefully researched account of injustice or corruption could be the story that creates change, demands accountability, or gives voice to those who have been silenced.
