In Snarling Wolf, David Fitz-Gerald’s fourth installment of an adventurous migration to Oregon, wagon wheels sidewind along and through the serpentine Snake River.
It’s summertime, hot and dangerous on the cross-country trails. Wild animals, and the titular Snarling Wolf, ominously share the wilderness with a caravan of travelers. The group has become accustomed to their daily routines, but their remote destination seems almost mystical, moving always farther away, taunting and driving them toward madness.
Widowed Dorcas Moon is determined to do anything it takes for her beloved children to survive and thrive in a new life in a new land. But this difficult trip takes its toll on her family in surprising ways, and will leave them forever changed.
Dorcas Moon deeply fears an animal attack on their unprepared people.
As a native tribal member whose name loosely translates to Snarling Wolf follows their caravan, Dorcas even begins to suspect that he is a true two-legged wolf. Dorcas learns that, in truth, Snarling Wolf is a gentle and philosophical man, and cannot help but be drawn to him. But that doesn’t stop her worrying about the attraction between him and her daughter Rose, a vulnerable girl who believes she sees and aids the dead.
Rose confesses a shocking action to her mother, which has Dorcas concerned if her daughter is telling the truth or going mad. Barely a teen, Rose and this young man Snarling Wolf proclaim they are destined to be together, convinced of this inevitability by the paranormal insights of guiding spirits.
Dorcas has much to learn from Snarling Wolf. And the young couple have much to learn about life, promises, and the inevitability of fate.
The slow-moving wagon train slithers along the Snake River, sometimes moving away only to meet it again miles ahead. There is no escaping the river’s coils—eventually they will have to plunge their wagons through this deep, treacherous water to reach the other side and, if they make it, onto the promise of the west.
From the experience of the trail so far, Dorcas knows she can’t predict what’s going to happen next, leaving a tangible danger in the air. The ever-present threat of thieves hides all along the route, including the vicious Viper who is planning and biding his time to hit when he feels the wagons are most vulnerable.
All Dorcas’s children are growing up in this wild adventure, and Dorcas is often surprised at how they each do so. Her two sons have had to step up after the loss of their dad, and the increased responsibilities bring both rewards and tribulations. Nightmares from the trail even visit Dorcas’s youngest daughter, no longer a babe in arms. One foot in front of the other, they face each day head on.
As they trudge forward, Dorcas continues to wish for a new love, yet instinctively she hesitates to embrace affection with dear Agapito. She vows she must remain a single, independent woman.
How will destiny propel this family and their fellow travelers through the wild country in the heat of the summer, and what will they find on the other side?
Author David Fitz-Gerald skillfully continues an epic, historic tale about the people of the 1850 American West. He illustrates their dreams, sacrifices, fears, joys, persistence, and love against an exciting and suspenseful backdrop. Readers will revel in raw emotion shared with the vivid and diverse characters. They’re moving slow, and despite the heat of today, winter’s coming fast. Unknown secrets lay in wait, revealed by Snarling Wolf in the miles still ahead.
Lisa Voelker’s historical fiction novel, The Spoon, takes us back to the 1950s in Hungary during the daring student uprising, and attempted revolution, in Buda and Pest. The author weaves historical facts with fiction in the form of family lore that has been handed down for generations.
We follow scores of people whose lives intersected during this uprising of 1956. The revolution was, at its inception, a time of joyous upheaval, but in less than two weeks became one of devastating dissolution. People fled Hungary by the thousands, but not before giving the Soviet Union a taste of their discontent.
Voelker introduces Rebeka, a member of the Varga family with old ties to the bourgeoisie, who lived a life of privilege on a farm east of Buda and Pest. As well as Peter, a member of the Turea family who attends Budapest Technical University, where students began demonstrating against the Hungarian Government that was under Soviet control.
Voelker’s cast of characters stems from over a dozen families, some involving four generations, so even as this story focuses on Rebeka and Peter, we get the sense that it is truly the story of a nation. It’s the story of a people who are embroiled in the ramifications of a revolution attempt that was less than two weeks long but reverberated for decades.
The national pride and courage of the demonstrators stands out.
Their resilience and continued opposition against the Soviet super-power, pushed forward by the resistance fighters, never wavered. Voelker captures that loyalty and bravery on every page, just as her well-researched novel captures the imagination.
The ultimate mystery of the book is based on actual family lore, and Voelker keeps us turning the pages to find out what the significance and importance of a particular object is. She gives clues that whet our appetites, and with perfect timing reveals the satisfying conclusion.
Rebeka and Peter move through the uprising along with friends, family, and people they meet along the way. Voelker’s mastery in developing these interesting individuals keeps us invested in their stories and their successes— and yes, sometimes their failures.
There are tragedies, as with any war-like situation, and this is an underdog story, much like many international news stories that we see today.
As philosopher George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.” This idea has been paraphrased and passed down in many variations, but the truth behind it remains, and we commit this error at our own peril.
Voelker plays with themes of liberty, freedom, nationality, family bonds, first love, war, and more.
Her ambitious novel delivers an excellent read while also making connections between the past and the present, and showing us the strength of the family myth— stories that we pass down through generations.
Lisa Voelker’s The Spoon matches the interest of any history buff, any war novel aficionado, or any reader who loves learning while they enjoy a good book.
Edged in Purple by John W. Feist welcomes readers to a place outside of time and space, a liminal space where characters of myth wait to return to their fated stories.
The Fold is a beautiful land, a near-utopia shepherded– literally– by Thetis and Peleus of Greek mythology. They raise the heroine of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, Perdita, after her father had accused her mother of betraying him with another, the whole sad story a product of his own paranoia.
Perdita’s story is proceeding as it was written. She has already met Florizel, the man who should be the hero of her romance– when her story is intersected by another. Just as The Winter’s Tale features royal courts, doomed relationships, mistaken identities, and family murder, so too does an ancient Greek drama: the Oresteia of Aeschylus, the story of Agamemnon after the Trojan War.
Orestes, the hero of that ancient tale, joins Perdita in the fold, pulling both of them from the paved road of fate.
They fall in love. Florizel goes mad with jealousy and proves that she’s MUCH better off with Orestes– as he pursues the lovers out of The Fold and into a reality that none of them are quite prepared for.
The reality they wake up in is that of the late 19th century, among the ruling class of the teetering Austro-Hungarian Empire of the Habsburgs, not far from Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s date with destiny.
Edged in Purple begins as a whimsical combination of fantasy and mythology.
Characters such as Orestes and Perdita’s adopted mother Thetis mingle with characters from the classics of literature– not just Perdita herself but nearly all of the personae from The Winter’s Tale. Peleus implies that characters from countless other stories have passed through The Fold on their way to their own endings, whether happy or not.
This setting offers a wealth of possibilities for stories to mingle and morph, which Edged in Purple explores to excellent effect.
It turns two familiar stories into one brand new adventure, transforming The Winter’s Tale into the kind of love vs. power romantic triangle that defines such stories as The Princess Bride, with Orestes, Perdita, and Florizel taking the roles of Wesley, Buttercup and Prince Humperdinck, respectively.
However, the curtain of fantasy is pulled back and the characters must inhabit the bodies of very real historical figures. And yet still, they seek to control their own fates.
After all, they managed it once, back in The Fold.
But as fantasy transforms into historical fiction, their lives become fixed to moments in time. And as Orestes– now Franz Ferdinand– learns, the wheels of history can’t be steered as easily as a story.
The two very disparate parts of Edged in Purple are equally compelling, and while that switch from fantasy fairy tale utopia to oncoming historical tragedy could send some readers for a spin, those interested in the blending of genres will be enthralled by this mirrored tale.
For readers who do make the leap, Franz Ferdinand and Sophia’s impossible happy ever after is both compelling and heartbreaking. Recommended for readers who enjoy portal fantasy, historical fiction, and tragic romance.
The fight against tyranny grips readers and obsesses authors to this day.
“Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destrruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.” — Order of the Day from Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force given before the Invasion of Normandy
Chanticleer’s Personal Connection to WWII
At Chanticleer we often take particular care to honor veterans and those who serve.
Kiffer’s father retired after 36 years of service in the Unites States Merchant Marines & Marine Corps where he served in the WWII, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He died in 1981 from one hundred percent service related injuries.
From left to right we have Kiffer’s brother Tony, her father, and Kiffer herself in Hawaii during the territory days. Her mother, Antha May, is taking the photo
David’s grandfather also served during WWII, stationed in France as a first generation Quebecois transplant in the United States
Robert Gerard Beaumier Sr. who served in WWII
My father would often tell the story of how his grandfather, Robert, was in France during World War II. At one point a dog came and wouldn’t stop barking at his unit, no matter how much they told it to go away. Finally, Robert said “Va t’en!” and immediately the dog ran off. Everyone was suitably impressed that the dog spoke French! — David
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans has an excellent summary of the lead up and importance of D-Day which we recommend you read here.
Most chilling perhaps is the closing of their thoughts that emphasize how important the landing on Normandy was:
The Normandy invasion was one of great turning points of twentieth-century history. An immense army was placed in Nazi-occupied Europe, never to be dislodged. Germany was threatened that same month by a tremendous Soviet invasion from the east that would reach the gates of Berlin by the following April. The way to appreciate D-Day’s importance is to contemplate what would have happened if it had failed. Another landing would not have been possible for at least a year. This would have given Hitler time to strengthen the Atlantic Wall, harass England with the newly developed V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets, continue to develop jet aircraft and other so-called “miracle weapons,” and finish off his killing campaign against ethnic and sexual undesirables.
It is our pleasure to share these wonderful WWII books with you from authors who have written about this time.
The JøSSING AFFAIR
By J. L. Oakley
At a time when true identities are carefully protected and information can get you killed, heroes emerge to fight the evils of Nazi-occupied Norway in J.L. Oakley’s highly suspenseful and beautifully penned historical fiction novel, The Jøssing Affair.
In a quiet Norwegian fishing village during the Nazi occupation, risk lurks everywhere. Most residents are patriotic members of the resistance, “jøssings,” but there are “quislings,” too. Those who collaborate with the Germans and tout the Nazi propaganda of Nordic brotherhood between the nations. Mistaking the two is a matter of life and death.
THE SILVER WATERFALL: A Novel of the Battle of Midway
By Kevin Miller
In The Silver Waterfall, author retired U.S. Navy Captain Kevin Miller reveals the intricate and deadly turns of the Battle of Midway, a combat shaped by transforming warfare, and one that would in turn shape the rest of WWII’s Pacific Theater.
After their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Navy seeks to draw American aircraft carriers into an ambush, to secure Japanese power over the Pacific. In a time of great upheaval for warfare technology, aircraft carriers dominated both sea and sky. So, to destroy the USS Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet, Chūichi Nagumo— commander of the Japanese First Air Fleet— brings to bear his own four carriers, HIJMS Akagi, Hiryū, Kaga, and Soryu.
GENERAL in COMMAND – The Life of Major General John B. Anderson
By Michael M. Van Ness
Michael M. Van Ness, the grandson of “the general in command,” has created a remarkable biography chronicling the adventures of a farm boy who rose high rank in the US military and served with distinction in two world wars as a combatant, officer, and sage observer.
Born in 1891, John Benjamin Anderson must have had considerable intelligence as well as patriotism and grit, since he was accepted at West Point Military Academy at age 19, an honor conferred on only 130 applicants per year—and finished in the top third of his class. He would soon serve under General Pershing in the Mexican War, giving him the experience of combat and coincidentally, his first ride in an automobile. That deployment earned him inclusion in Pershing’s ranks in World War I. It was then his diaries began, and though he protested humorously that “I hate to write,” these personal recollections give readers an up-close picture of the devastation of warfare.
COLD PEACE: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift, Part 1
By Helena P. Schrader
Amidst the ruins of Post-WWII, Berlin struggles to rebuild from the ashes, torn apart and facing down the promise of another bloody dictator. A myriad cast, all shaped by that same war, become entwined with the broken city as its hour of need approaches.
Just as Germany is divided between the Americans, British, French, and Soviets, Berlin has been cut into pieces. But the balance of the occupation powers tips eastward as the Soviet Zone surrounds the city, giving them control of all ways into and out of Berlin – save for the air. The occupation currency is worthless thanks to Soviet over-printing, leaving Berlin on a barter system of cigarettes and black-market trading. In order for Germany to recover, the Western Allies plan to introduce a new currency, even if it angers the Soviet bear.
A young boy in Norway makes a discovery while playing with his dog, opening the mystery of EO-N by Dave Mason, a detective story spanning multiple decades and both sides of the Atlantic, a deep dive into the horrors of Nazi Germany, and a heartfelt love story.
A small metal fragment leads to the discovery of a downed WWII twin-engine Mosquito fighter-bomber hidden in snow and glacial ice for nearly 75 years. The crash site yields an initial set of clues, one of which finds its way across the world to Alison Wiley, a biotech CEO in Seattle. Having recently lost her mother, and, a few years earlier, her brother in Afghanistan, she finds her days full of despair, but the discovery makes a distant connection to her long-lost grandfather, and she flies to Norway. There, she meets Scott Wilcox, a Canadian researcher assigned to investigate the discovery after his government learned that the crashed aircraft belonged to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Their attraction is both intellectual and emotional, but the quest to uncover the plane’s mysteries and the fate of Alison’s grandfather place any romance to the side.
In The Sower of Black Field, Katherine Koch’s historical fiction novel, Father Viktor Koch— a 67-year-old Catholic priest— presides over a monastery in a small German village, as the Nazi regime sweeps through the country.
The time is April, 1941. Fr. Viktor’s order, the U.S.-based Passionists, built the monastery eight years prior, providing employment for most of the villagers and remaining a symbol of their faith.
DEAR BOB: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II
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.”
Eighty Years later, and the sacrifices made in WWII still matter and the fight for a more just world continues. Thank you to everyone who has submitted books to us and been a part of our own journey and learning.
One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier by Travis Davis is a compassionate and intimate portrait of the tenuous and unforgiving First World War, as shown through the eyes of an American soldier on France’s front lines.
Based on real people and events in 1918 France, One of Four begins with a young French girl, Camille, who stumbles upon a diary lying next to an unknown American soldier. He was killed among his comrades in a German ambush near the banks of the Aire River, as he tried to protect his fellow soldiers. When Camille comes of age, she leaves her hometown to seek a better life in Paris. There, she is killed after joining a German resistance group. But before her death, she tucked the soldier’s diary in her Bible and hid it in a local bookstore.
Decades later, a man by the name of Walter travels to France with his son, Alex, to whom he’d become estranged after the painful divorce from Alex’s mother. He hopes this will be a journey of healing and exploration and that their time together will revive their shaky relationship. While there, Alex purchases the Bible left by Camille many years ago. By reading the hidden diary entries of the soldier together, Alex and Walter’s relationships takes an unexpected turn.
One of Four deftly alternates between Walter and Alex’s story—detailing their growth, reflections, musings, and dialogues—and the soldier’s diary records of his experiences in France.
The unknown soldier is among the first American to leave the United States to fight in Europe, and his diary entries recounts the excitement and joy that he and his comrades felt upon boarding the ship for France—even as an air of uncertainty casts a long shadow over their lives.
His narrations relay the enthusiastic reception the US military received in France, but the entries take on a more somber tone as he details the vivid brutality of the war amidst harsh weather conditions. Hiding in desolate muddy trenches, the soldier is worn down by the constant sound of cannons, rigorous combat training and drills, and the sorrowful deaths of his friends from disease and shell fire alike. The author presents these experiences to readers in a succinct and often fervent manner. His wish was to return home, and although his wish was not granted, his thoughts and feelings live on in the diary, even as his remains are laid to rest in the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier back in his home country.
Davis asserts, “Kindness can be found even in the worst conditions known to man; you don’t have to look far. The compassion that lies in a man’s heart is, at times, overwhelming, and those same hearts are trained to kill their fellow man.”
The text demonstrates this idea impeccably, with readers retracing the steps of the unknown soldier in the period between 1917-1918, through the bloodshed for which the war was infamous. Yet, his narrations provide an unwaveringly honest panorama of his dedication and loyalty to his fellow soldiers in the face of tremendous challenge.
This powerfully told tribute to a brave American soldier is not only emotionally resonant but also a worthy demonstration of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of insurmountable tragedy. Here, literary fiction and historical threads are woven together expertly, as the writer whisks us back to a bleak era, one that implores us to reflect and learn as we draw strength from those who came before us. Ultimately, One of Four by Travis Davis is a page-turner whose payoff upon its conclusion is well worth a read.
This post has links to each of the 16 individual CIBA FICTION Divisions’ Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners. We will have a separate post for Non-Fiction Award Winners which will include the Shorts Awards, and the Series Awards’ winners.
All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20th at the Chanticleer Banquet. It is a huge honor for us to have the opportunity to recognize all Finalists, First Place Winners, and Grand Prize Winners with you live and in-person!
One of the most memorable moments was Awarding Burl Harmon, a 100-year-old veteran, his First Place Ribbon for Military & Front Lines Non-Fiction
Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.
Now, presenting the links to the 2023 CIBA Fiction Division Awards Grand Prize Winners!
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction is:
The Shadow of War
By Timothy S. Johnston
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 OZMAAwards is:
A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance, Book 1
By Tim Facciola
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 PARANORMALAwards is:
Becoming Crone
By Lydia M. Hawke
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:
Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy
By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CLUE Awards is:
The Other Murder
By Kevin G. Chapman
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Mystery & Mayhem Awards is:
A Haunting at Linley
by Michelle Cox
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards is:
Sour Flower
by Maryanne Melloan Woods
Manuscript
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:
EXOSTAR
The Lost Space Treasure Series, Book 1
by Rae Knightly
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:
The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, and Jessica Alexanderson with Scrap University
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LARAMIEAwards is:
The Last Man
by Thomas Goodman
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHAUCER Awards is:
The Merchant from Sepharad
by James Hutson-Wiley
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GOETHE Awards is:
If Someday Comes
by David Calloway
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Hemingway Book Awards is:
The Silver Waterfall:
A Novel of the battle of Midway
by Kevin Miller
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHATELAINE Book Awards is:
A Sea of Glass
by Gail Avery Halverson
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 MARK TWAIN Awards is:
Quantum Consequence:
Physics, Lust and Greed, Book 5
by Mike Murphey
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 SOMERSET Awards is:
You Can’t Fool a Mermaid
by Judy Keesler Santamaria
We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.
The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!
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The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2023 CIBAs was Tim Facciola’s Book A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance Book 1
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Attn CIBA Winners: More goodies and prizes will be coming your way along with promotion in our magazine, website, and advertisements in Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards long-tail marketing strategy. Welcome to the CIBA Hall of Fame for Award Winners!
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A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting inJune. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. You will receive an OFFICIAL EMAIL NOTIFICATION with Digital Badges and more information.
Thank you for participating in the 2023 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.
In The Sower of Black Field, Katherine Koch’s historical fiction novel, Father Viktor Koch— a 67-year-old Catholic priest— presides over a monastery in a small German village, as the Nazi regime sweeps through the country.
The time is April, 1941. Fr. Viktor’s order, the U.S.-based Passionists, built the monastery eight years prior, providing employment for most of the villagers and remaining a symbol of their faith.
Fr. Viktor has lived in Europe for over 20 years, but balances his love of Germany, its land, its mysticism, with his American roots. He will need all his personal and religious resources over the next four years as the Nazis take hold in the village and, later, the Americans come to “de-Nazify” the town and hold its people responsible for the horrors of the Holocaust.
The village is far more Catholic than Nazi, even as the regime does its best to turn its citizens away from their faith.
They take over the monastery despite Fr. Viktor’s strenuous efforts to hold onto it. Their next major push is to remove crosses from the schools. That measure is met with a petition from the villagers, a move that threatens to land them in prison.
We get to meet several villagers who personify the conflict between their way of life and Nazi fanaticism.
Norbert and his wife and family run the local bakery, a central food supply to the villagers. His anti-Nazi stance threatens his life as well as destroying this important community resource. Helene, a woman who lost her husband who served in Hitler’s army, will do anything to protect her two sons from their forced enrollment in the Nazi youth corps.
Klaus, her oldest son, endures his militarist, cult-like corps training. Hans, the youngest, remains true to his Catholic faith. This look into the indoctrination of Germany’s children remains one of the most powerful aspects of this novel.
Among the Nazis, the party official Seiz becomes the lens through which we see even the most dedicated member recoil when he finds out first-hand the horror of the Holocaust— as it reaches deep into the village in a horrifying, unexpected way.
Faith in God, and the testing of that faith, is interwoven throughout the novel.
As Nazi horrors close in on the village, the heavily religious community finds itself questioning how a just and merciful God can allow these acts to happen. Even Fr. Viktor must dig deeply into his faith to answer the unknowable “framework” of God’s plan.
When the war nears its end, the town becomes flooded with refugees from other parts of Germany. Stories of Russian atrocities and rumors of American “gangsters” flood the small, outlying town. When liberty finally comes, the conquerors impose their own set of rigors on the people, further testing the faith of adults and children alike. Fr. Viktor is stressed to his limit as he becomes the village’s voice.
The Sower of Black Field shows us everyday Germans as peace-loving people of faith trying to survive during WWII, a side of that terrible conflict not often shown.
A picture emerges from this novel of people caught up in a conflict not of their making, resisting as they can from its evils, and finding strength in the courageous example of their pastor.
In To Pledge Allegiance: A WWI Windy City Novel by Robert W. Smith, Conor Dolon, a defense lawyer, investigates the suspicious death of his friend, and ends up unearthing horrifying family secrets as well as deeply ingrained espionage activities.
Conor, Irish-American living in Chicago, receives shocking news. His wife Maureen has been abducted by a bunch of vigilantes walking the streets of the city and sporting flag armbands. The previous evening, Maureen had agreed that her outspoken support of the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) in Ireland and her neutrality actions were becoming risky given the unpredictability of the current political climate.
Even when she eventually returns unharmed, the police officer who found her did not detain the kidnappers despite their evident presence. As Conor subsequently discovers, his wife’s captors questioned her attitude toward the Kaiser, involvement in Irish groups, and allegiance in the case of war.
When a friend is shot during a warehouse burglary, Conor is once more taken aback. He later finds out from a nurse that, despite the hospital saving his life, he unexpectedly passed away from an infection.
This friend had not previously suffered fever symptoms, so the nurse finds that stated cause strange. Conor goes out to look into his friend’s death, and bumps into a woman he’d saved earlier from hooligans pestering her during a peaceful demonstration. She turns out to be the daughter of one of his primary suspects, a ruthless and vindictive man who leads a prominent gang. But her elegant sense of style rapidly wins Conor over, almost shattering his marriage to his wife.
And as information about the affair surfaces, Conor’s wife reveals a fifteen year old secret about her involvement with one of Conor’s close friends from his early years in Chicago—the man who had helped him navigate the quagmire of the city’s politics.
The events of World War I in Europe in 1917 serve as the backdrop, instilling this story with real historical elements such as the Department of Justice approving a group of criminals and even giving them badges to carry out their violence.
An immigrant family of well-known Irish Republicans—the Clan-na-Gael—has also been well depicted. The author carefully shows the role that many organizations played in Chicago, a city which has been at the epicenter of powerful movements opposing the nation’s war policy. Readers fascinated with history and World War politics will appreciate the richness of material in this book, including details on the largest-ever patriotic group’s endeavor, fully backed by the US government, to suppress opposition and foster nationalism.
Robert W. Smith’s book To Pledge Allegiance: A WWI Windy City Novel is a story propelled by likable characters who remain true to their era.
It weaves action, romance, mistrust, familial insecurities, and war-related themes into a narrative that will hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end. An engaging, judicious and well-written work!
This post has links to each of the 16 individual CIBA FICTION Divisions’ Grand Prize and First Place Category Winners. We will have a separate post for Non-Fiction Award Winners which will include the Shorts Awards, and the Series Awards’ winners.
All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20th at the Chanticleer Banquet. It is a huge honor for us to have the opportunity to recognize all Finalists, First Place Winners, and Grand Prize Winners with you live and in-person!
One of the most memorable moments was Awarding Burl Harmon, a 100-year-old veteran, his First Place Ribbon for Military & Front Lines Non-Fiction
Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.
Now, presenting the links to the 2023 CIBA Fiction Division Awards Grand Prize Winners!
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction is:
The Shadow of War
By Timothy S. Johnston
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 OZMAAwards is:
A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance, Book 1
By Tim Facciola
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 PARANORMALAwards is:
Becoming Crone
By Lydia M. Hawke
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is:
Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy
By Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CLUE Awards is:
The Other Murder
By Kevin G. Chapman
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Mystery & Mayhem Awards is:
A Haunting at Linley
by Michelle Cox
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards is:
Sour Flower
by Maryanne Melloan Woods
Manuscript
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GERTRUDE WARNER Awards is:
EXOSTAR
The Lost Space Treasure Series, Book 1
by Rae Knightly
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:
The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, and Jessica Alexanderson with Scrap University
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 LARAMIEAwards is:
The Last Man
by Thomas Goodman
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHAUCER Awards is:
The Merchant from Sepharad
by James Hutson-Wiley
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 GOETHE Awards is:
If Someday Comes
by David Calloway
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 Hemingway Book Awards is:
The Silver Waterfall:
A Novel of the battle of Midway
by Kevin Miller
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 CHATELAINE Book Awards is:
A Sea of Glass
by Gail Avery Halverson
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 MARK TWAIN Awards is:
Quantum Consequence:
Physics, Lust and Greed, Book 5
by Mike Murphey
The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2023 SOMERSET Awards is:
You Can’t Fool a Mermaid
by Judy Keesler Santamaria
We have badges available starting with the Short List. If you need a digital badge reflecting your tier level, please email info@ChantiReviews.com with your division and rank, and we will send you one as soon as possible.
The 2023 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!
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The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2023 CIBAs was Tim Facciola’s Book A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance Book 1
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.
Attn CIBA Winners: More goodies and prizes will be coming your way along with promotion in our magazine, website, and advertisements in Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards long-tail marketing strategy. Welcome to the CIBA Hall of Fame for Award Winners!
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A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting inJune. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. You will receive an OFFICIAL EMAIL NOTIFICATION with Digital Badges and more information.
Thank you for participating in the 2023 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.
JANET OAKLEY – Award-Winning Author and Historian, and Educator
J. L. Oakley writes historical fiction that spans the mid-19th century to WW II with characters standing up for something in their own time and place. She is an award-winning author and a recipient of the 2013 Bellingham Mayor’s Arts Award; the 2013 Chanticleer Grand Prize; the 2014 First Place Chaucer Award; an Everybody Reads and Bellingham. When not writing, she demonstrates 19th-century folkways in the schools and at San Juan Island National Park. She also has a cat who thinks she’s editing.
Find out why The 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.
Lisa Voelker’s historical fiction novel, The Spoon, takes us back to the 1950s in Hungary during the daring student uprising, and attempted revolution, in Buda and Pest. The author weaves historical facts with fiction in the form of family lore that has been handed down for generations.
Edged in Purple by John W. Feist welcomes readers to a place outside of time and space, a liminal space where characters of myth wait to return to their fated stories.
One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier by Travis Davis is a compassionate and intimate portrait of the tenuous and unforgiving First World War, as shown through the eyes of an American soldier on France’s front lines.
