Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Heartwarming

DOG SOLDIER MOON by McKendree Long – Historical Post-Civil War Western

In this second novel of McKendree Long’s Western trilogy, the adventures of Thomas “Dobey” Walls and Jimmy “Boss” Melton continue, taking in the turbulent post-Civil War years on the Western frontier. An unforgettable read!

The year is 1866, and the Gray Army has long since surrendered to the Yankees. Dobey and Boss’s friend, Jimmy Ridges, having recently ridden with General Stand Watie’s Confederate Cherokees, travels to Canadian Fort in north Texas, hoping to meet up with his sweetheart Amanda Watson. Along the way, Jimmy spends the night in a Cheyenne hunters’ camp and receives a gift from Chief Black Kettle, a woman named Serenity Killer. Aptly named, the young Cherokee has the potential to cause Jimmy all manner of problems with his lovely bride-to-be.

Thus McKendree Long begins his second novel, Dog Soldier Moon, reuniting readers with the memorable characters of No Good Like It Is. We ride along with Dobey and Boss and their families as they struggle to make a life for themselves in post-Civil War Texas. Back East, the war may be over, but out West, resentments still run high. Divided loyalties during the war have now hardened into feelings of anger, resentment, and betrayal. Memories of wartime atrocities and injustices are festering wounds in the mind of Boss Melton and others.

As with No Good Like It Is, Long goes far beyond the simplistic notion of the Civil War as told in American history texts to accurately portray the daily challenges faced by homesteading families, freed slaves, American Indians robbed of their ancestral lands, and ex-soldiers who face the disrespect of the Union army. Heart-warming and at times hilarious adventures are juxtaposed with gritty and emotionally wrenching moments such as Custer’s 1868 attack on Chief Black Kettle’s Cheyenne camp at Washita.

In Dog Soldier Moon and its prequel No Good Like It Is, author McKendree Long displays a natural gift for storytelling that will delight aficionados of the Western genre and have them anxious to read the next in the series.

July 20, 2015
AMEERA, UNVEILED by Kathleen Varn – Chick Lit

Ameera, Unveiled is inspirational story of how, with courage to chase her dreams, Kat transforms herself to become Ameera, the exotic belly dancer of the Palmetto Oasis Middle Eastern Dance Troupe. This is a story about of how exhilarating and frightening it feels to take yourself out of your comfort zone and chase your dreams, and the amazing experiences you can have just by trying.

Kat spent most of her life doubting herself and her abilities–especially her ability to learn how to dance. Now at the age of 48, she finally feels comfortable enough in her life to finally pursue her dream of dancing by enrolling in a belly dancing class taught through the local high school. Through each lesson she timidly works up the courage not only to learn to dance, but to discard the self-doubt that she had burdened herself with for too long.

Kat finds herself having to battle with her inner-critic’s heavy doses of self-doubt, and anxiety. The story reflects on how some women allow their inner critic to dictate their lives for far too long.

Kat’s journey is about how hard it is to overcome years of believing you aren’t good enough to do something, but how what happens when you go ignore your inner self critic and follow your dreams. Kat realizes it’s not about a lack of talent that is holding her back, but her own self-doubt.

The author, Kathleen Varn, skillfully weaves scenes of everyday women transforming into exotic belly dancers. She vividly portrays, with detailed descriptions of their well-practiced routines and dance moves, and how through their diligence they are able to wow their audiences.

The dancers develop such a strong sense of individualism and self worth as they learn to move in exotic ways. The delightful interactions between each of the dancers is inspirational as they bond as a troupe.The camaraderie developed within the troupe is one of friendship and support that only a sisterhood of girlfriends could create.

And the troupe will need all the support and confidence that they can muster when they are surprised by one of their dance gigs when it turns out to be held at a clothing optional resort in Jamaica. Kat finds herself out of comfort zone in more ways than one as do several others of the sisterhood. But with each other for friendship and motivation, they are all empowered to explore, take chances, and believe in themselves.

Ameera, Unveiled by Kathleen Varn, is a coming of age story of a diverse group of middle-aged woman supporting each other to follow their dreams and to go outside their comfort zones and routines. Reading Kat’s journey made me want to put on a shimmery scarf, an exotic flowing skirt, and learn to move in a fashion beyond my own comfort zone. It is an inspiring and fun story that reminds us that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and unlock your inner goddess.

July 1, 2015
SECRETS, LIES, and CHAMPAGNE HIGHS by Jeanette Hubbard, a cozy mystery

Jeanette Hubbard’s Secrets, Lies, and Champagne Highs is a chick-lit quirky drama set in Oregon with crazy characters galore, an abundance of twists, and non-stop hi-jinks.

Claudie O’Brien is interrupted while attempting to commit suicide with champagne and pills by the side of a river. Peter, who has taken to driving a tow-truck after being laid off from his job as a vice principal, finds her while camping with his friends. Meanwhile, Peter’s wife Chrystal yearns for a more elegant life. A floundering real estate agent, she now works as a hostess at a restaurant, resents her stepdaughter’s lack of interest in fashion, and has embarked on an affair with a quack doctor.

Peter and Chrystal have just finished converting their garage apartment for his aunt when she dies suddenly. In order to receive the appropriate rezoning permits, they must find someone to establish residency there. Chrystal finds Claudie in the hospital and convinces her to pose as the aunt and live in the apartment for a year. Claudie, who figures she has nothing better to do and could use a distraction, agrees.

Add in a deadbeat son cooking meth in a barn, a woman coming out of a month-long coma, an out of work English professor fired for seducing a teenager, secret identities, and an accidental death, and you have a recipe for nonstop hi-jinks.

Claudie rediscovers a reason for living as she helps Peter’s children learn to cook and discover the truth about their stepmother. A subplot involving the proposed building of a spiritual retreat and miracle cures is amusing and timely.

A polished writer, Hubbard weaves the multiple plot threads together deftly. This reviewer would like to see a more central focus on one or two of the characters instead of an ever-revolving cast of protagonists, which makes it hard for the reader to root for a favorite. The novel’s ending quickly ties up the threads of the many ongoing dramas and mysteries, but feels abrupt after so much build up. Overall, Secrets, Lies, and Champagne Highs is a fast-paced small town mystery with interesting characters that ends before it has really begun to explore the complex web of crimes and connections Hubbard sets up, which may be a prelude for a series. Nevertheless, fans of the chick-lit genre along with those who enjoy quirky dramas will enjoy escaping to Oregon and will be satisfied by Hubbard’s skillful writing craft. We look forward to enjoying more of Claudie O’Brien’s escapades.

The Secrets, Lies, and Champagne High’s strong development of its Oregon setting helps create a world of quirky people and familiar locations. Hubbard’s novel has a multitude of characters and twists that will keep readers turning the pages.

May 22, 2015
Can a Gorilla Identify the Criminal? Read the 1st in the NEEMA Mystery Series by Pamela Beason for 99cents – Left Coast Crime Special

Neema is a “signing gorilla” that is part of an animal communication research project (think KoKo). She is the only witness to a crime. Lives are at stake and the clock is ticking. Read Chanticleer’s review here. In honor of Crimelandia Left Coast Crime Scene in Portland, Oregon, Pamela Beason is putting her Chanticleer Grand Prize winner THE ONLY WITNESS on sale for 99cents.

March 13, 2015
THE DEVIL’S MUSIC by Pearl R. Meaker

The last thing Emory Crawford – loving wife, empty nester, knitter, library volunteer, blue-grass fiddler, and an avid reader of Miss Marple mysteries – would ever expect to find at quiet Twombly College, was an on-campus murder. The victim was a friend, fellow bluegrass musician, and bestselling author, Dr. Archibald Finlay Dawson.

When the police arrive, college president Jarius Twombly declares that he wants the whole thing kept as quiet as possible during the conference. And he wants the murderer arrested before it is over, while everyone is still in attendance. He assigns Jebbin Crawford, college chemistry professor (and Emory’s husband), to monitor and report on the investigation. His friend and lab partner, Dr. Chatterjee, known as Chatty, will conduct the actual forensics analysis.

The stunned Emory seeks furry comfort with her two cats, Hortense and Kumquat, and her dog, Sophie. She finds liquid comfort in the form of hot chocolate in one cup and herbal tea in the other. As curiosity consumes her, Emory begins asking herself questions: Who could have wanted to kill Dr. Dawson? Who had an alibi for the time of the murder? Then she wonders aloud just what her favorite mystery series sleuth, Jane Marple, would do. The cats stare at her.

Pearl R. Meaker, the author of The Devil’s Music, introduces us to a range of intriguing and peculiar characters as Emory, a self-acknowledged Miss Marple wannabe, begins her own investigation in her own non-threatening way. After all, she is a grandmother who knits and bakes cookies.

The author delightfully takes us through Emory’s transformation from empty nester homemaker to crime-solver in The Devil’s Music. Emory must wrestle with self-doubt as she begins to trust her own investigative deductions. While the scientists use their labs and research methods to solve the crime, Emory precedes to continue seeking clues and answers in her own way.

We learn that Emory is quite well-read, and that her broad collection of interests aids her in astutely and stealthily gathering information. Meaker deftly weaves in fascinating bits of Salem witch trials history, old superstitions, the powers of herbal tinctures, the symbolism of flowers, and Bluegrass music. One can almost hear the devil’s music, a specific type of Bluegrass—practically a character itself in the mystery—as Emory discovers the missing pieces to the puzzle.

The inquisitive and delightful Mrs. Emory Crawford, who uses her intuition and her knitting projects to solve crimes, will surely become a favorite sleuth to cozy mystery fans. Her quirky sidekicks with their interesting peculiarities, along with the locals of this quaint college town in the heartland of America, add touches of humor to this mystery.

Classic mystery readers will not be disappointed with The Devil’s Music’s plot twists and intriguing puzzles in this entertaining whodunit by Pearl R. Meaker. We look forward to the next book in this winsome new cozy mystery series.

February 12, 2015
The Mystery & Mayhem Awards 2014 – Official Finalists List
The M&M Awards recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Classic Mysteries. The M&M Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Writing Competitions.

More than $25,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2014 writing competition winners!

The M&M Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Amateur Sleuth, Romance, Animals, Cooking/Knitting/Hobbies, Blended Genre, Medical/Lab, Travel, Humorous, Historical, Classic British, Y/A, and Senior Sleuth.

The following titles will compete for the FIRST IN CATEGORY Positions and Awards Packages.

The Finalists Authors and Titles of Works that have made in through the first three rounds of the M&M 2014 Novel Competitions are:

Danger Comes Home by Judy Alter

No Place Like Rome by Julie Moffett

Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger

Civil Blood by Linda Triegel

Grand Theft Death by Ann Philipp

Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles by Wendy Delaney

The Deep End by Julie Mulhern

Peete and Repeat by Karen Musser Nortman

The Only Clue by Pamela Beason

Sati and the Rider by Winslow Eliot

Behind the Walls by Elaine L.Orr

Find Me Again by Janet K. Shawgo

Murder on the Bermuda Queen by Cheryl Peyton

The Ghost of Laurie Floyd by Courtney Mroch

Tax Cut by Michele Lynn Seigfried

Kauai Temptations by Terry Ambrose

The Wham Curse by Virgil Alexander

Contempt of Court by Ken Malovos

Her Father’s Daughter by Kate Vale

Who Killed Tom Jones by Gale Martin

Sydney West by R. McKinsey

Parchman Redeemer by Michael H. Thompson

Ladd Springs by Dianne Venetta

The Green Remains by Marni Graff

Killed Milk by Stephen Kaminski

Dead Silent by Amy Beth Arkawy

Summerville by JoHannah Reardon
The M&M Finalists will compete for the M&M First In Category Positions, which consists of Four Judging Rounds. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the M&M GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the $1,000 purse.
- All First In Category Award Winners will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.
- First In Category winners will compete for the M&M Awards Grand Prize Award for the $250 purse and the M&M Grand Prize Ribbon and badges.
- TEN genre Grand Prize winning titles will compete for the $1,000 purse for CBR Best Book and Overall Grand Prize.
- A coveted Chanticleer Book Review valued at $325 dollars U.S. CBR reviews will be published in the Chanticleer Reviews magazine in chronological order.
- A CBR Blue Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals
- Digital award stickers for on-line promotion
- Adhesive book stickers
- Shelf-talkers and other promotional items
- Promotion in print and on-line media
- Review of book distributed to on-line sites and printed media publications
- Review, cover art, and author synopsis listed in CBR’s newsletter
- Award winning books may be eligible to be included in the Chanticleer Collections (which sell and promote the winning titles) in North America through Promontory Distribution. The Chanticleer Collection is represented toIndependent Book Stores and major bookseller chains such as Barnes & Noble and Books A Million through an exclusive agreement with Promontory Distribution for our vetted Chanticleer Collection. Participating in the Chanticleer Collections is not required.
- The Chanticleer Collection is our way of helping new Indie authors find North American distribution for their titles, but is in no way mandatory. Self-published and Indie published authors in our pilot program have found the CC to be extremely beneficial in increasing sales and readership.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. We promise to reply.
- Default First in Category winners will not be declared. Contests are based on merit and writing craft in all of the Chanticleer Writing Competitions.
Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to all of the M&M Finalists as they compete for the coveted First In CATEGORY positions for the 2014 M&Ms.

First In Category announcements will be made in March 2014. Results will be announced in social media as they come in.

The M&M Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the September 29th Chanticleer Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2015 M&M Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is March 30th, 2015. Please click here for more information.
February 11, 2015
JOURNEY AWARDS for Narrative Non-fiction FIRST PLACE Category Winners
Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored to announce the First Place Category Winners for the JOURNEY Awards 2014, a genre division of the Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Award Writing Competitions.

The Journey Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer Book Reviews Blue Ribbon Awards Writing Competitions.

First Place Category Winners for the Journey Awards are:
- Global Enlightenment: Thwarted Escape by Lopamudra Banerjee
- Personal Journey: The Breast is History, by Bronwyn Hope
- Career Experiences: Caregiving Our Loved Ones by Nanette J. Davis, Ph.D.
- An Era Memoir: Soviet Letters by Alex Posoukh
- Travelogue Experiences: Moroccan Musings by Anne B. Barriault
- True Action: Waking Reality by Donna LeClair
- How-to/Life Experiences: The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from my Silent Son by Annie Lubliner Lehmann
- Best Manuscript: Five Thousand Brothers in Law: Love in Angola Prison by Shannon Hager
CONGRATULATIONS!

The 1st Place Category Winners compete for the JOURNEY AWARDS 2014 GRAND PRIZE position. The 2014 JOURNEY category winner was announced at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala in September 2015. See the Grand Prize Winners.
- The deadline for entries into the Journey Awards 2014 was Feb. 28, 2014.
- The deadline for entries into the Journey Awards 2015 is Feb. 28, 2015.
GRAND PRIZE Overall Journey Awards Winner from 2013:

Christine Smith, More Faster, Backwards: Rebuilding David

To view the 2013 JOURNEY Award Winners, please click here.

To compete in the 2015 Journey Awards or for more information, please click here.

THE DEADLINE TO ENTER THE 2015 JOURNEY Novel Writing Competitions is February 28th, 2015.

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CBR’s rigorous writing competition standards are why literary agencies seek out our winning manuscripts and self-published novels. Our high standards are also why our reviews are trusted among booksellers and book distributors.

Please do not hesitate to contact Info@ChantiReviews.com about any questions, concerns, or suggestions about CBR writing competitions. Your input and suggestions are important to us.

Thank you for your interest in Chanticleer Book Reviews international writing competitions.

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February 2, 2015
Metaphors of Healing by Dr. Harish Malhotra

One rarely sees a self-help book from a practicing psychotherapist that offers more humor and appeal to the common denominator in all of us than this collection of brief stories: Metaphors of Healing : Playful Language in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life. Dr. Malhotra offers a simple, but brilliant, idea: Use the healing language of metaphor as a therapeutic strategy and a curative approach for daily life.

Metaphors of Healing organizes metaphors by themes, including “The Daily Grind,” “Dating,” “Being a Better and Happier You,” and “Addiction,” among the 14 chapter titles. For instance, try reading “Is the Left Lane Too Fast?” as a metaphor for slowing down, easing the professional load, and getting reacquainted with our family. Its appeal is in the simplicity of applying the idea toward easing anxiety and cutting back on the “daily grind” most of us know too well. In addition, we gain a visceral sense of how the self-imposed pressure to succeed contributes to everyday unease and unnecessary fears.

Another feature of Metaphors is how easily one remembers a story, but forgets most of the high-minded advice of a therapist. If the story fits (and most of these have the superb quality of fitting very well) a client can leave his therapy session with an entirely new way of dealing with his or her issue. For instance, he says, “A dead-end road is not the same as a dead end journey.” We can always find another route more effective than the lost cause we thought was our destiny.

Malhotra’s training in both psychotherapy and behavioral approaches offered flexibility for initially coping with his patients’ various maladies. Shifting to metaphor when confronting dis-ease, he discovered, incorporated an even broader spectrum: healing words from unexpected sources. Who knew a figure of speech could have such transformative powers?

Malhotra aims to move people beyond their negativity, beyond their holding on to old problems, and even beyond their expectations to achieve a lifestyle free of judgment and criticism. I found his ideas on marriage as mindfulness exercises very significant—he speaks of empathy as the path to marital happiness: “Walking in the moccasins of one’s spouse” contributes to compassion and forgiveness, opening the door to an enduring love.

The author is not a Pollyanna, an everything-is-beautiful-if only-you employ-a-metaphor to your life issues. Change requires commitment and persistence. We all seek successful relationships, whether we are talking about a difficult boss, an annoying neighbor next-door or our beloved spouse. Malhotra stresses how precious any relationship can be when it is working, even when it is very challenging. The healing power of any relationship blooms only under certain conditions, however: practicing the difficult virtues of restraint and diligence.

This is not a book to be read in one sitting or all at once. It is one that the reader will find herself/himself picking up again and again taking in a chapter or a metaphor to ponder and, perhaps, adapt. It will become, more or less, a gentle companion that guides and inspires. One will find, on reflection and on rereading, that these simple stories contain deep insight and wisdom. Clinicians and those seeking to increase their understanding of themselves and their fellow humans would benefit immensely from reading Metaphors of Healing.

January 17, 2015
An Editorial Review of “How to Make a Pot in 14 Easy Lessons” by Nicola Pearson

How to Make a Pot in 14 Easy Lessons by Nicola Pearson is the story of Joe, a potter, and Lucy, the British actress he has fallen in love with. Needless to say to anyone who has attempted pottery, throwing a pot together from lumps of earth is not easy—and that doesn’t take into inconsideration that the pot will survive the firing process! Hence, Pearson’s insightful basis for this delightful and unique love story.

Lucy and Joe’s lifestyles could not be more different: Lucy is following a plan she has created for herself so she can experience working in theaters around the world, while Joe lives a simple life in the lush countryside of Western Washington, making his clay pots and expecting the unexpected with each firing of the kiln.

Each phase of their relationship is based on the metaphor of making pots, a process that is as fluid and unpredictable as life.

The story begins just as Joe has convinced Lucy to abandon her plan to travel to Australia to work as an actress and instead, move to Seattle. Even as Lucy agrees and boards the plane to fly out of Kennedy Airport in New York, she is troubled. One part of her is thrilled to be moving closer to Joe, while another part is worried that she has abandoned her passionate career plans for a man, something she promised herself that she would never do.

Thus begins the journey of two people, one certain in the beginning that he wants to marry, the other troubled by emotions and impulsive decisions she doesn’t understand.

While Lucy becomes more certain as time passes that she has made the right decision, Joe becomes less certain, less convinced that their relationship can work. Unpredictable events outside the couple’s control will force clarity on both, pushing them to confront their feelings and their relationship.

Pearson has painted in vivid detail the lives of these two characters, as well as the ups and downs of a developing relationship. Her elaborate descriptions of the Pacific Northwest immerse the reader in the beauty of the Skagit Valley countryside where Joe builds his pots. Joe’s five acres, his home, and the minutiae of his daily life are depicted in such picturesque fashion as to bring the setting alive as a character in the novel. Readers will also enjoy the entertaining characters who add color and foils to Pearson’s captivating story.

Pearson’s skill in describing the art of pottery making as a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of one’s life is unique and urges the reader to think about the lessons learned by the characters long after finishing the book. Fans of women’s fiction will certainly be waiting for more stories from this author.

November 23, 2014
An Editorial Review of “Fatal Induction” by Bernadette Pajer

Set against the backdrop of a national tragedy—the assassination of President McKinley—Fatal Induction by Bernadette Pajer follows Professor Benjamin Bradshaw as he scrambles to catch a killer. The year is 1901 and Seattle is a vibrant and up-and-coming city. Bradshaw, a professor of electrical engineering and a passionate inventor, has entered a new invention competition for a device that will carry the sounds of a musical theater production through telephone wires to listeners in the comfort of their own homes.

Bradshaw is unaware that a seemingly trivial domestic concern at home is about to sweep him into the underworld of Seattle. With the needling of his housekeeper, Mrs. Prouty, Bradshaw inspects a peddler’s cart that has been abandoned near his house. “Ralph’s Redeeming Restorative” is emblazoned across the side and upon further investigation, Bradshaw discovers a small and well-loved doll inside the cart that must surely belong to a young girl.

Bradshaw turns to good friend Detective James O’Brien for help in locating the girl and her father. He discovers the missing peddler’s body in his own neighborhood and quickly realizes that the only witness to his murder may be his missing daughter, Emily, which puts her in grave danger.

When Bradshaw finds that solving the murder of a roving peddler is not high on the police department agenda, he must rely on his own skills of deduction to locate Emily. Bradshaw finds himself delving into the seedy underbelly of Seattle, the wicked tenderloin district. Death threats are quick to follow and Bradshaw finds himself embroiled in something much larger and more far-reaching than he ever suspected. Bradshaw has something else to cope with as well—his growing affection for a young woman named Missouri, the niece of his best friend and a woman Bradshaw feels he can never be with.

Pajer’s vivid writing takes readers to this exciting time that is in the crossroads of scientific investigation and innovation, when automobiles and horse drawn carts compete for the same streets, and the United States reels with political unrest and social upheaval. Readers will warm to the curmudgeonly and reserved professor who has a heart of gold and a penchant for investigation. All four books in the series have earned the peer reviewed Washington Academy of Sciences Seal of Approval for scientific accuracy.

Like all important novels, this mystery has wider implications for the larger world than the story is set in. We posit that the Professor Bradshaw series is on its way to being considered a classic in the mystery genre.

“Fatal Induction” by Bernadette Pajer was awarded the Overall Grand Prize for Best Book in the Mystery and Mayhem Awards 2013, a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

March 28, 2014