Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Gertrude Warner Book Awards

The CIBAs 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Long List
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2023 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction entries to the 2023 Gertrude Warner Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2023 Gertrude Warner Shortlist. The Short Listers will compete for the FINALIST positions. Finalists will be selected from the Short List. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC24).

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 20st, 2024 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2023 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2023 CIBAs.

The 2023 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Long List
- Tomás Pérez-Zafón – Trotter and the Twins: The Magic of Imagination
- Sue C Dugan – SOS
- Carrie Sword – The Gospel of the Reindeer
- Gregory Saur – Drowning Hate
- Jenna L. Campbell – Camp Silversand and the Lost Heart of the Lake
- Gabriel Bietz – The Adventures of Arya and Krishna Betta Fish
- Alex Paul – The Amarrat Invasion
- Hans Ness – Rolo the Pet Earthling
- Jason Colpitts – Corrine and the Secret Mountain Colony
- Marsha Tufft – The Sea Turtle Spy Project: Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures? Book 4
- Chris Norbury – Little Mountain, Big Trouble
- V Knox – Snow Behind the Door
- Zane Re-Bloom – The Magic of Moon & Herbs
- Malinda Andrews – Awaken
- Marsha Klopmeier Tufft – The Buoyancy Project: Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures, Book 2
- Peter Serko – Hattie’s War
- Andrew Dolberg and Rob Long – The Great Weather Diviner: The Untold Origin of Punxsutawney Phil
- Vincent M. Miceli – The Last Triceracorn, Book One
- J.T. Tenera – Erift’s Journeys: The Dark Messengers
- Liese Sherwood-Fabre – Wilhelmina Quigley: Magic School Dropout
- Mel Sobolewski – Second Chances Moonlight Mile Ranch
- Eileen Hobbs – Under the Golden Rain Tree
- Caryn Rivadeneira – Frankinschool (Book 1): Monster Match
- Elizabeth R. Jensen – Fire & Wolves: A Tale of Etria
- David Swindell – The Wonderful Friendship
- Maxine Rose Schur – The Word Dancer
- Kevin Dunn – Vicious is My Middle Name
- Nikita Kapoor – Pack of the Lost – The Uninviting Forest
- J.T. Tenera – Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest
- Paisley Summer – The Butterfly Nebulae
- Sheri Graubert – Molly Shipton, Secret Actress
- Rae Marsh – Love, Maggie-Chronicles of 3rd Grade
- David Nos – Kordan The Wizard
- Barbara Gold – Operation Save PawPrints, an Izzy Rose Green Mystery
- Ryan OBrien – Adventures Through the Magic Portal
- Susan Diamond Riley – The Sea Witch’s Revenge: A Delta & Jax Mystery
- Rae Knightly – EXOSTAR (The Lost Space Treasure Series, Book 1)
- Alisse Lee Goldenberg & Joseph Goldenberg – Lucky At Bat
- Mark Cheverton – Facing the Beast Within
- Lynne Howard – Dylan Dover: Into The Vortex
- L.T. Caton – Find Me In Time: Meeting Columbus
- Cintia Alfonso Fior – Moraline
- Rae St. Clair Bridgman – The Kingdom of Trolls
- Ben Gartner – One Giant Leap
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:

MYSTERY FORCE, Volume 1

by Ted Neill and Suzi Spooner

The 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC24 on April 20, 2024. Save the date for CAC24, scheduled April 18-21, 2024, our 12-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

April 18-21, 2024! 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 12th annual conference and discover why!
September 12, 2023
Gertrude Warner Hall of Fame — Celebrating Middle Grade Readers

Engaging young readers chapter by chapter!

Your adventure begins with The Gertrude Warner Awards

***Tell us your story today***

You have until August 31st to share your story and enter the 2023 CIBAs!

Submit today!

Embark on an enchanting voyage through the realms of Middle Grade Fiction with the Gertrude Warner Book Awards. These awards transcend genres, uniting tales that ignite youthful imaginations with captivating exploits. Whether whisked away to far-off lands, unraveling mysteries, or forging friendships, these stories cocoon young readers in a world of adventure. Every story invites exploration and engagement, fostering a love for reading that lasts a lifetime. The Gertrude Warner Awards celebrate authors who craft stories that spark curiosity, empathy, and the joy of discovery.

Inspire your inner child with the Grand Prize Winners of the Gertrude Warner Awards!

Fishing For Luck
By Murray Richter

During the pre-internet era of 1980, Kevin and his friends just want to enjoy a good fishing adventure, but troubles from the past come back to complicate their carefree boyhood in Murray Richter’s novel, Fishing for Luck.

As the group prepares their fishing raft for its maiden voyage, Kevin tries to solve these problems himself before anyone else knows of them, but no matter what he tries, the situation only gets worse. His parents seem on the verge of a divorce, his mentor struggles to find his long-lost love, and his sister just wants her bike back already. As Kevin takes on more and more responsibility to avoid what seem to be inevitable consequences, will he be able to see that this is all too much for one kid to handle and ask those he trusts for help?

Fishing For Luck is a wild ride of pre-teen hijinks reminiscent of the golden age of coming-of-age comedies and sitcoms we all know and love. Our young main character gets into a situation where everything goes wrong, and scrambles to fix it before anyone notices. Kevin’s predicament becomes engrossing with an extra dose of danger.

Read More Here

Kassy O’Roarke Cub Reporter
By Kelly Oliver

In this first installment from the new Kassy O’Roarke Pet Detective Series, award-winning author Kelly Oliver delivers a fun and engaging kid-friendly literary experience. Here is a story intended for middle-graders, Cub Reporter proves a quality blend of adventure and mystery involving a smart, inquisitive 12-year old with aspirations of becoming a spy.

As a reporter for her school paper, Kassy’s hoping to nab a front-page scoop and win the honorable Thompson Award for Journalism. Unfortunately, help from her pesky, but the well-intentioned younger brother, sets in motion a roller coaster of calamities she never expected. From animal-nappings and a mixed-bag of clues to car chases and rescues from entrapment, ultimately the constant reinforcement from family, friends, and a menagerie of furry companions bring positive lessons to the forefront of this likable tale.

Amidst popular classics like Emil and the Detectives and the resurgence of the Nancy Drew mysteries, Oliver has hit the mark with this bright and entertaining series opener. Though geared toward a younger audience, readers of all ages can look forward to more investigative capers on the horizon featuring the creative escapades of Kassy and company. Highly recommended!

Read More Here

The Valley of Death – Arken Freeth series book 5
By Alex Paul

The Valley of Death, Book Five in the Arken Freeth Middle-Grade series, continues the story of a heroic young man in a land before time.

The book is the latest chapter in the swashbuckling saga of Arken Freeth, a hero who will eventually become the central figure of his era, 11,000 years before the Roman era, as powerful and wise as Alexander the Great would be to his time. The many readers of the award-winning series know his adventures as a teenager in the land of the Neanderthals, or Nanders as they are called, along with his royal friend Asher, heir to the throne of Tolaria, and the young woman Talya. They know his Nander blood brother Ord, the evil pirate Yolanta, king of the Tookans, and the vile Gart whose life he saves despite their difficulties.

These familiar figures return in the latest thrilling installment. A war between the leading factions of the time, the Amarrats, the Lanthians, and the Tolarians is on the brink. The central prize that all desire: ownership of the necklace of Tol, which possesses enormous powers such as foretelling the future to those who own it. The quest to own the necklace is such that war is being threatened by the Amarrats against the Lanthians in order to possess it. Arken, who placed the necklace in the hands of the Nanders, is now the one person who can successfully stop the bloodshed by retrieving the necklace.

Read More Here

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:

MYSTERY FORCE, Volume 1
by Ted Neill and Suzi Spooner

See the rest of the 2022 Gertrude Warner Winners here

Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Gertrude Warner Winners is to submit today!

Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

Submit to the CIBAs Today!

Don’t miss your chance to light up the minds of young readers everywhere. Send us your Middle Grade Reader stories by the end of August for the chance to be recognized and celebrated for your amazing work!

The Gertrude Warner Awards is your next step!

The 2022 Grand Prize Winners from CAC23!

And remember! Our 12th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC24) will be April 18-21, 2024, where our 2023 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up. Sign up and see the latest updates here!

August 22, 2023
Spotlight on the 2023 Gertrude Warner Awards Celebrating Middle Grade Fiction
The Gertrude Warner Awards are calling

Can your Middle Grade Fiction come out to play?

Enter by August 31, 2023

Does your work focus on the key point of development between become a child and an adult? Do you find yourself drawn to work like the Redwall series or the Chronicles of Prydain, but you want to make a different mark for it? We’re ready for your ideas that will whisk young readers away on thrilling adventures, sparking their imaginations and ignite their love for storytelling. Join the CIBA 2023 Gertrude Warner Awards—an arena designed to honor and elevate outstanding middle-grade fiction.

The Gertrude Warner Awards:

Named in honor of the revered author of “The Boxcar Children” series, the Gertrude Warner Awards hold a unique place in our heart. Gertrude Chandler Warner’s timeless tales have enchanted generations of young readers, and now, we invite you to follow in her footsteps and leave your indelible mark on the world of middle-grade fiction.

Submitting to the CIBAs is a great way to help promote your book. We partner with other major supporters of indie and traditionally published authors like ALLi, IBPA, Reedsy, and Book Award Pro to bring the unique excellence of our Book Awards to you. Whether you sign up in the hopes of winning a Blue Ribbon, Author Interview, or Editorial Book Review Package, know that each time your book advances in our tiers you will receive regular promotion on our website, social media, and Newsletter!

Celebrating First Place and Grand Prize Gertrude Warner Winners!

The Gertrude Warner Awards have previously celebrated remarkable authors who’ve breathed life into middle-grade fiction. Here’s a glimpse of our esteemed winners from the last year:
- Alex Paul – The King’s Armada, (Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals) Book 6 of 6
- J.K. Pinsel – KAZI
- Didem Saracel – Story of Universe
- Ben Gartner – People of the Sun
- U. W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union
And the Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:

MYSTERY FORCE, Volume 1 by Ted Neill and Suzi Spooner

Submit to the CIBAs Today!

Now is your chance to weave narratives that linger in young hearts and minds. Prepare to make your mark as we open the doors for submissions to the 2023 Gertrude Warner Awards. Your masterpiece could be the next cherished tale inspiring future generations.

Submit your middle-grade fiction manuscript or recently published work before the August 31, 2023, deadline. Let your storytelling prowess shine as you venture into the vibrant world of the Gertrude Warner Awards.

Submit Today!

The Gertrude Warner Awards Winners will be announced at the CIBAs Ceremony on April 20, 2024 in Bellingham, WA and will be sp0nsored by the Chanticleer Authors Conference.
August 15, 2023
2022 GERTRUDE WARNER CIBAs Finalists for Middle Grade Fiction
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Semi-finalists to the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards 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 First Place and Grand Winner of the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

The 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Finalists
- Joy A. Burke – Surviving Christmas
- Cicek Bricault – KyRose Takes A Leap
- Sam Hooker & Lindy Ryan – Hemlock N Glitter
- S.P. O’Farrell – Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London
- J.K. Pinsel – KAZI
- Alex Paul – The King’s Armada: Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, Book 6
- Bo Gannon – Rabbit Tracks – The Trail to Gettysburg
- Ana Cortes – Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Fútbol Tryouts
- Ben Gartner – People of the Sun
- PJ McIlvaine – Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet
- Jon & Di Nelson – Spooky Stuff – Back Pocket Summer Camp Tales
- Didem Saracel – Story of Universe
- Christian A. Shane – Salmon Survivor
- Ted Neill & Suzi Spooner – Mystery Force Volume 1: Books 1-3 of the Mystery Force Series
- Ellen Dee Davidson – WIND
- Tamra Andrews – Mirror Child: Book One: The Woolgatherer
- U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
- JK Noble – HALE: The Rise of the Griffins
- J. B. Spector – The Amethyst Tower, Book 2 of The Mer-Prince Adventures
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards was:

Fishing for Luck

by Murray Richter

See the full list of 2021 Gertrude Warner Winners here

The 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 11-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

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!
February 22, 2023
M.J. EVANS 10 Question Author Interview Series – Middle Grade Fiction, Book Discovery, Horseback Riding

CHANTICLEER 10 Question Author Interview Series with
M.J. Evans

M.J. Evans Author!

We met M.J. Evans a little while ago, not far off the beaten path. I would love to tell you that we met on the trail, and honestly, now that I think about it, I suppose we can say that. The author trail, that is.

We were delighted to connect through our global CIBAs where M.J. won First in Category in our 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle Grade!

What’s that? You don’t know what our CIBAs are nor how they can help enlarge the digital footprint of your novel? Where have you been? I mean, it’s not a secret! Check out more about the CIBAs here.

I found M.J. to be engaging, vivacious, and an all-around talent in so many ways. I’m so very excited to introduce you to our friend and Chanticleerian, M.J. Evans.

Chanti: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?

Evans: Most important to know about me is that I am a mother of five and a grandmother of twelve. My family is my world. I am also a former teacher of middle school and high school so you can know that I love being with teenagers. I have been a horse-lover since birth…I call it “being born with manure in my blood!” I started taking riding lessons when I was eight. When I wasn’t on a horse, I was reading both fiction and non-fiction books about them. Thus, I developed a love of reading as well.

Chanti: That’s funny. Manure in the blood. Actually, as a kiddo who grew up on a farm, I totally get that. Talk about genre. What genre best describes your work?

PINTO! by M.J. Evans

Evans: Fantasy has always been a favorite genre of mine so combining fantasy and horses seemed like the perfect fit. I have expanded my horse stories into “coming-of-age” and “historical fiction” to challenge myself. PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History won me the Chanticleer Gertrude Warner Book Award! I have written four non-fiction books, one coming-of-age novel, one picture book, and nine fantasies for middle-grade readers and young adults. You can probably guess that my favorite genre is fantasy. I love reading fantasy and I love writing fantasy. It is so much fun creating worlds and characters. I love to let my imagination run away with me. Regardless of the genre, because of my love for horses, most of my books are about horses or horse-based fantasy creatures.

The Sand Pounder by M.J. Evans

I had so much fun doing research for PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History, that I decided to do another historical fiction. It is called Sand Pounder and is about the Coast Guard’s mounted beach patrol during WW2. I love this story.

The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy by M.J. Evans

I am now just publishing my THIRD Historical fiction about a little-known horse story. The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy is based on the life of the famous Arabian Stallion Witez II. It will be released on Feb. 28th.

Chanti: This release is just around the corner! Best of luck, Margi! What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies. (I think I know the answer…)

Evans: I am a serious equestrian. I love to compete in Dressage. I currently have two horses right in my backyard. If I am not in the arena working on dressage, I am on the trails in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I do a lot of story creating in my head while riding on those trails.

Chanti: That’s cool. And is there a blue ribbon around Amara’s shoulders? Lovely! Okay, back to the interview… What areas in your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?

Evans: One of my strengths is dialogue. I think I am good at it as a result of all the theater I have done. I always recommend to other authors who are struggling with this to read it out loud as though you are on a stage. Does it make sense? Does it flow logically? Does it fit the characters’ personalities and situations?

Chanti: Great advice.

Evans: My other strength is world building. This is important for fantasy books. I have a sticky note on my computer with the words: Smell, Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste. This reminds me to include as many of the senses in my descriptive narrative as I can so the reader can feel like they are there with the characters. This creates a world the reader can both picture and experience.

Chanti: Oh, I love how you include the senses! This is a great way to elevate your writing to the next level – keep it relatable, engaging, and hard to put down. It’s important to work on your craft. What do you do to grow your author chops?

Evans: I am always taking classes to improve my writing. Lately they have all been webinars! I am not a “formula” writer so the creative writing classes that I have taken that just focus on a certain formula are not helpful to me. I also don’t outline or do storyboards. I create the entire story in my head before I start writing. Once I start writing, I don’t look back until I get the story out of my head and onto the computer. That first draft is my foundation.

“Until you have the foundation, you only have an idea! Once I get the foundation, I can go back and embellish and edit…two, three, four, five times, however many revisions it takes.” – M.J. Evans

Just to give you an example: since I write for Middle-Grade and Young Adult, I need to hit the industry standard for length (word count). Take YA for example. Those books need to be 60,000 to 80,000 words. My Centaur Chronicles series is four books that are all about 65,000 words in length when they are finished. But the first draft is only about 45,000 words. So, you see, I do a lot of enhancing and building upon that foundation.

Chanti: You are such a professional! No wonder your works are doing so well. What craft books have helped you the most?

“My favorite craft book is The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. I use it all the time!” M.J. Evans

Chanti: That’s a good book. What do you do in your community to improve/promote literacy?

Evans: For seventeen years now I have been donating my time to dozens of Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. As such, I guided the students as they wrote their one-act plays for competitions. Over those years, I took all of my teams to the state finals and seven teams to the world finals. I also donated my time to speak to dozens of upper elementary and middle school students in both public and private schools. I teach them my favorite writing tips to get them excited about both writing and reading. I have been a volunteer writing mentor for Denver Public Schools, and volunteered to speak at the Jefferson County Public Schools writing workshops. I also donate my time to promote literacy at public libraries and independent bookstores as a guest speaker.

Chanti: I love that about you. Good job! Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.

Evans: You must know who your audience is. Most of my books are about horses. I know where to reach horse people. My Colorado trail guidebooks are in tack and feed stores in the Denver area. That is where horse people go on a regular basis! I also sign books at horse events such as the National Western Stock Show and The Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. I find that “hand-selling” is both fun and profitable because I love being with and talking to people and I love making connections with my readers.

I have also found that submitting my books to literary award competitions and then having the bonus of winning adds credibility to my books. I have those beautiful stickers that I can put on the cover that catches the eye of prospective buyers. I also love attending award ceremonies and meeting other authors. I have made some great friends that way and we help each other with our books.

I enjoy doing author visits at schools. Of course, as a former teacher, I feel very comfortable in the classroom. But this is part of knowing who my audience is and going to them.

Chanti: Those are all good things to do that are proven to pay off. What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

Evans: I am now just publishing my THIRD Historical fiction about a little-known horse story. The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy is based on the life of the famous Arabian Stallion Witez II. It will be released on Feb. 28th.

Chanti: Now, M.J., do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?

Evans: No. Because I have the story worked out in my head before I start to write I always know where I am going. The key is to set the time each day to write and stick to it! However, I do have one trick that works. Never stop writing at the end of a paragraph. Always quit right in the middle of a paragraph or even in the middle of a sentence. Then, when you return, you already have a start.

Chanti: What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

Evans: First: If you like a book PLEASE POST A REVIEW ON AMAZON, GOODREADS, and BARNES & NOBLE. Of those, the most important is Amazon as all their algorithms for promoting a book are based on reviews. Second: TELL YOUR FRIENDS! Third: GIVE BOOKS FOR GIFTS!

Chanti: Don’t you wish that was just an automatic thing people did? Reading is great – don’t get me wrong, but if you truly love something, take that extra step and share your thought, thumbs up, 5-star ratings… Doing so does more for an author than you can possibly imagine.

If you liked this interview, please give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. And don’t forget to check out M.J. Evan’s books! You will be happy you did.

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mjevansbooks/?hl=en

Website http://www.dancinghorsepress.com/

February 16, 2023
The CIBAs 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Semi-Finalists
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Short List to the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards SEMI-FINALISTS. 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 FINALISTS of the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

The 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Semi-Finalists
- Joy A. Burke – Surviving Christmas
- Cicek Bricault – KyRose Takes A Leap
- Sam Hooker & Lindy Ryan – Hemlock N Glitter
- S.P. O’Farrell – Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London
- J.K.Pinsel – KAZI
- L.K. Keenan – Seb Artigas Gone Wrong
- Alex Paul – The King’s Armada: Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, Book 6
- Bo Gannon – Rabbit Tracks – The Trail to Gettysburg
- Ana Cortes – Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Fútbol Tryouts
- Ben Gartner – People of the Sun
- PJ McIlvaine – Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet
- Jon & Di Nelson – Spooky Stuff – Back Pocket Summer Camp Tales
- Didem Saracel – Story of Universe
- Christian A. Shane – Salmon Survivor
- Ted Neill & Suzi Spooner – Mystery Force Volume 1: Books 1-3 of the Mystery Force Series
- Ellen Dee Davidson – WIND
- Tamra Andrews – Mirror Child: Book One: The Woolgatherer
- U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
- JK Noble – HALE: The Rise of the Griffins
- Wilson Whitlow – Mystery of the Khar Chuluu
- J. B. Spector – The Amethyst Tower, Book 2 of The Mer-Prince Adventures
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards was:

Fishing for Luck

by Murray Richter

The 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 11-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 24, 2023
The CIBAs 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Short List
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Long List to the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards 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 SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

The 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Short List
- Joy A. Burke – Surviving Christmas
- Cicek Bricault – KyRose Takes A Leap
- Ketevan Alexander – Two Days with Zio
- Sam Hooker & Lindy Ryan – Hemlock N Glitter
- S.P. O’Farrell – Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London
- J.K.Pinsel – KAZI
- L.K. Keenan – Seb Artigas Gone Wrong
- Barbara Hills – The Sun and the Starlings
- Alex Paul – The King’s Armada: Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, Book 6
- Alan Frost – Time Travelers of the Caribbean
- Bo Gannon – Rabbit Tracks – The Trail to Gettysburg
- Ana Cortes – Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Fútbol Tryouts
- Anthony Feinman – I’M FAT! A Critters Adventure
- Ben Gartner – People of the Sun
- PJ McIlvaine – Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet
- Jon & Di Nelson – Spooky Stuff – Back Pocket Summer Camp Tales
- Didem Saracel – Story of Universe
- Christian A. Shane – Salmon Survivor
- Andres Leopoldo Faza – Pomme’s Wondrous Journey
- Jason Colpitts – Corrine and the Underground Province
- Ted Neill & Suzi Spooner – Mystery Force Volume 1: Books 1-3 of the Mystery Force Series
- Ellen Dee Davidson – WIND
- Tamra Andrews – Mirror Child: Book One: The Woolgatherer
- U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
- Marc Remus – The Chocolate clouds
- JK Noble – HALE: The Rise of the Griffins
- Wilson Whitlow – Mystery of the Khar Chuluu
- J. B. Spector – The Amethyst Tower, Book 2 of The Mer-Prince Adventures
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards was:

Fishing for Luck

by Murray Richter

The 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 11-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 10, 2023
The CIBAs 2022 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle Grade Fiction – The Long List
The Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Middle Grade Fiction. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

The Gertrude Warner Book Awards competition is named for Gertrude Chandler Warner, the wonderful author of The Boxcar Children.

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Contemporary Middle Grade, SFF & Paranormal Middle Grade, Mystery Middle Grade, Historical Middle Grade, Adventure Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them. For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards here and for Children’s Literature see our Little Peeps Awards here.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction entries to the 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2022 Gertrude Warner Shortlist. The Short Listers will compete for the FINALIST positions. Finalists will be selected from the Short List. 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 Gertrude Warner Book Awards novel competition for Middle Grade Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

The 2022 Gertrude Warner Book Awards Long List
- Tanya Volkova – The Enchanted Wind
- Joy A. Burke – Surviving Christmas
- J. Bruno – The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk
- Cicek Bricault – KyRose Takes A Leap
- Ketevan Alexander – Two Days with Zio
- Sam Hooker & Lindy Ryan – Hemlock N Glitter
- S.P. O’Farrell – Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London
- J.K.Pinsel – KAZI
- L.K. Keenan – Seb Artigas Gone Wrong
- Barbara Hills – The Sun and the Starlings
- Alex Paul – The King’s Armada: Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, Book 6
- John Pliska – The Secret of the Park Street Dragon Warriors
- Elizabeth M. Grieco – Paws in Paris: The Adventures of Tenny and Bella
- Alan Frost – Time Travelers of the Caribbean
- Bo Gannon – Rabbit Tracks – The Trail to Gettysburg
- Ana Cortes – Marco, Pablo, & Olivia: Fútbol Tryouts
- Anthony Feinman – I’M FAT! A Critters Adventure
- Ben Gartner – People of the Sun
- Robert Cole – Squirrels Going Nuts
- PJ McIlvaine – Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet
- Jon & Di Nelson – Spooky Stuff – Back Pocket Summer Camp Tales
- Charlotte Stuart – Not Me: Speluncaphobia, Secrets & Hidden Treasure
- Charlotte Stuart – Moonlight Can Be Deadly (A Discount Detective Mystery)
- Didem Saracel – Story of Universe
- Christian A. Shane – Salmon Survivor
- Andres Leopoldo Faza – Pomme’s Wondrous Journey
- Jason Colpitts – Corrine and the Underground Province
- Ted Neill & Suzi Spooner – Mystery Force Volume 1: Books 1-3 of the Mystery Force Series
- Ellen Dee Davidson – WIND
- Tamra Andrews – Mirror Child: Book One: The Woolgatherer
- U.W. Leo – ARKO: The Dark Union (A Sci-fi Adventure Series)
- Marc Remus – The Chocolate clouds
- JK Noble – HALE: The Rise of the Griffins
- Wilson Whitlow – Mystery of the Khar Chuluu
- Didem Saracel – Story of Oxygen
- J. B. Spector – The Amethyst Tower, Book 2 of The Mer-Prince Adventures
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards was:

Fishing for Luck

by Murray Richter

The 2023=2 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards winners will be announced at CAC23 on April 29, 2023. Save the date for CAC23, scheduled April 27-30, 2023, our 11-year Conference Anniversary!

Submissions for the 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards are open until the end of August. Enter here!

Don’t delay! Enter today!

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
December 2, 2022
FISHING For LUCK by Murray Richter – Middle Grade Fiction, Family & Friendships, Coming of Age

During the pre-internet era of 1980, Kevin and his friends just want to enjoy a good fishing adventure, but troubles from the past come back to complicate their carefree boyhood in Murray Richter’s novel, Fishing for Luck.

As the group prepares their fishing raft for its maiden voyage, Kevin tries to solve these problems himself before anyone else knows of them, but no matter what he tries, the situation only gets worse. His parents seem on the verge of a divorce, his mentor struggles to find his long-lost love, and his sister just wants her bike back already. As Kevin takes on more and more responsibility to avoid what seem to be inevitable consequences, will he be able to see that this is all too much for one kid to handle and ask those he trusts for help?

Fishing For Luck is a wild ride of pre-teen hijinks reminiscent of the golden age of coming-of-age comedies and sitcoms we all know and love. Our young main character gets into a situation where everything goes wrong, and scrambles to fix it before anyone notices. Kevin’s predicament becomes engrossing with an extra dose of danger.

Rudy and Preech, Kevin’s friends, make a close-knit group with him that loves fishing, pranking each other, and learning from their mentor, Preech’s uncle.

Kevin cares deeply about his friends and family, and part of his desire to solve his problems on his own comes from a wish to protect them. He faces the dilemma that if he tells anyone, then the people he cares about will face harm. During the parts of the story where he’s with Rudy and Preech, but can’t share what is going on, they still manage to cheer him up because they’re great friends who understand each other.

Fishing For Luck shows that we don’t always give kids enough credit.

They are smart and can have great ingenuity, yet they may not have thought fully about the consequences of their actions. However, Kevin and his loyal gang face the problem head-on and try to find a solution.

Author Murray Richter creates a funny and creative middle-grade story that people of all ages can enjoy. Kevin is a relatable character with a big heart and strong beliefs, dealing with a spiral of misfortune. Don’t miss out on this story of kids taking on the world in Fishing For Luck.

Fishing for Luck by Murray Richter won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction, and the audiobook, performed by actor/narrator Kirby Heyborne is available now!

November 16, 2022
Awardingly August! Three CIBA Divisions Close in August! Don’t Miss Out!
Submitting your writing for a Book Award is pretty cool!

Maybe it won’t help you physically beat the heat, but it will help your book stand out when compared to others! From gold stickers to blue ribbons, the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (CIBAs) is a great step on your publishing journey.

In August we have three submission deadlines coming up:
We’ve worked hard to hit the ground running as things continue to open up and life continues its onward march! We now have work listed on Reedsy, The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, AWP, Shaw Guides, and more! We are honored to be a trusted voice in the Writing Community, and can’t wait to keep fulfilling our mission of discovering today’s best books!

We want to take a moment to recognize the Grand Prize Winners of these extraordinary awards:

Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction

Blue Spruell’s TARŌ: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan

Adventure, classic tales, fantasy, and exciting action combine in TARŌ: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan, a well-poised debut novel by award-winning author Blue Spruell.

In the turbulent final decades of the sixteenth century, feudal Japan reeled in mayhem as the central hereditary dictatorship collapsed, and tyrannical powers fought to control the empire. TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is the story of how one man revolutionized a nation by taking its reigns and forging a new destiny through his depths of compassion and determination.

See the full list of Dante Rossetti Winners here

Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle Grade Readers

Murray Richter’s Fishing for Luck

The review for this one is forthcoming, but it’s a fast-paced novel of amazing sorts! A great book for young readers that will keep your head spinning and guessing what will happen next!

See the full list of Gertrude Warner Winners here

Chatelaine Book Awards for Romantic Fiction

Alex Sirotkin’s Long Desert Road

Alex Sirotkin’s debut novel, The Long Desert Road, navigates the emotional arcs of life in contrast with the greater expanse of the cosmos. Here a young woman must face her addictions while the people around her try to move beyond her backlash.

We meet Henry Spinoza, a 44-year-old quirky science writer. He ponders his life as half over, looks for the right woman, and wonders if there isn’t more to existence.

See the full list of Chatelaine Winners here

Why submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards Program?

Don’t Delay! Enter today!

Book Awards are a great way to market indie and traditionally published books. Making sure to select a reputable Awards Program is key to having your Book Award (or Editorial Book Review) do the most for you!

While you can see the full list of CIBA Winner Benefits here, these are some of the best parts of the CIBAs. The highlights of the over $30,000 worth of Cash Prizes and Awards that go out are the $1000 for one Overall Grand Prize Winner; a host of benefits from our sponsors like Hindenburg, Kickstarter, and Lulu; Editorial Reviews for the Grand Prize Winners; and, of course, the coveted Blue Ribbon. On top of all that, your book will be posted on our high-traffic website at every tier where it advances. Even those who make the Long List join a longstanding community of writers

You Know You Want It

What do our authors have to say about it?

“I so appreciate your generosity of spirit and your wonderful gift for supporting writers.” – Dorothea L Bonneau

“Thanks to all the volunteers, readers and judges whose work make these awards possible.” – Darryl Wimberly, author of A Star in her Crown

“Thank you so much for the information, and to Chanticleer for the honor. I sincerely appreciate your formatting, the buildup and excitement that is generated by your tiered announcements and overall approach to the awards.” – Natalie Symons, author of Lies in Bone

“Thank you all for such hard work tonight! Very proud to have won the grand prize. You all did a wonderful job.” – Jaime Castle, co-author of The Luna Missile Crisis

“I’m so excited to have received First Place for the Goethe Awards for 20th Century Historical Fiction” – Pamela Jonas, author of For Love of Family: A Slovak Immigrant Novel

The CIBAs are waiting. Enter today!

SEPTEMBER SUBMISSION DEADLINES ARE FAST APPROACHING!
- CLUE BOOK AWARDS SUSPENSE / THRILLERS
- Little Peeps Early Readers and Picture Books
The 2022 Division Award Grand Prize and First Place Winners for the each of the Divisions of the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards will be ANNOUNCED on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, Bellingham, Wash.
August 17, 2022