An ill-fated Spanish expedition in 1541 plays into present-day concerns about preserving Santa Cruz County’s (Arizona) heritage and environment. Along with an engaging yarn, Jane and Carl Bock offer the reader food for thought by presenting a microcosmic picture of the mindless destruction of time-honored customs, traditions, and mores in the pursuit of money and power.
When deputy sheriff Calvin Creede of the Sonoita substation in Santa Cruz County receives a call from Maria Obregon, the widow of Calvin’s best friend, neither suspect where the call will lead.
Maria has discovered the partially exposed remains of an old pickup in the San Carlos Wash, an arroyo near her goat farm on the 40,000 acres, Rocking M cattle ranch. The vehicle had not been visible before. Nothing new there, as frequent flooding reveals items previously buried in the sand. But this seems different because Maria’s dog, Boomer, is behaving as if there’s something still hidden inside the cab.
Calvin’s investigation of the find, from running its license plate, unearthing it, and solving a 1995 missing person case, to determining that the driver had been murdered, has a domino effect. In winnowing facts from legend and gossip, he also unearths lifelong grudges, rivalries, and broken hearts that continue to impact families in the community.
Concurrent with the murder investigation, Calvin must address the lawless behaviors of radical environmentalists, drug and human traffickers, and unethical antiquities hunters, which all, in varying ways, relate to the decades’ old murder. If this weren’t enough to sift through, he also must deal with his feelings for Maria, to whom he’s pretty sure he’s just become engaged.
Coronado’s Trail contains multiple levels of storytelling and subplots, and in the Bock’s skillfully crafted narrative where everything fits like an intricate puzzle. In addition to a complex and compelling plot, the authors’ use of imagery adds a visceral dimension to the mood and tone that is sure to transport readers to experience the mountains shimmering in the heat, the rumble of thunder in the distance, the cooling monsoon rains… you get the picture. By the time the last page is turned and the novel complete, a kinship to Arizona’s high desert will be in your bones. All this to say, after vicariously traveling Coronado’s Trail, you may wish to walk it for yourselves.
Coronado’s Trail took home the M&M Grand Prize for Mysteries in the 2017 CIBAs.
Annie Fuller, a part-time clairvoyant/landlady, is determined to improve her life. As the daughter of a financial investor, Annie knows a great deal about bookkeeping and investments. Putting her knowledge to good use with her fledgling accounting business, the pretty widow seems on-track again since moving to San Francisco, opening her home to boarders, and transitioning from her former job as the fortune-telling Madame Sibyl.
Having agreed to marry attorney Nate Dawson, she can almost touch the happiness she deserves after her disastrous first marriage, but when Nate is hired to defend a woman accused of murdering her boss, Annie turns private investigator in an attempt to help her fiancé with his first solo criminal case. At first, Nate’s biggest obstacle is the client herself, Florence Sullivan, who refuses to even speak to him for several days. Soon the issue becomes the sheer number of suspects who wanted Joshua Rashers, the ruthless owner of a printing company, dead. But as Annie and Nate’s sister Laura begin to dig deeper into the lives of Rasher’s family and employees, they will soon face deadly dangers of their own.
Strong personas form the nexus of this series, which features many of the same characters in both novels and novellas. Most of the characters have elaborate backstories that really “flesh out” the novel’s plot, but a familiarity with the previous stories isn’t a necessity for the reader. Readers will fall in love with Annie’s intelligence, Laura’s tenacity, Nate’s devotion, and Florence’s fortitude. Throw in the eclectic boarders and one feisty Boston Terrier, an unforgettable cast emerges that readers will adore.
Though the dynamics between characters is interesting, the real value of the novel lies within its portrayal of the struggle for women in the late nineteenth century. Set in the 1880s, the events of the novel aren’t far removed from the Civil War that ravaged the country, and while that war was fought for the equality of all men, subjugation of women would continue for another fifty years. And though the plot makes use of actual suffragette Emily Pitts Stevens, the novel covers much more than women’s suffrage. It explores all aspects of prejudice against women, including the rights of female workers and business owners as well as a woman’s place in the marriage relationship. From Annie’s financial independence to Laura’s dream to become a lawyer, the women fight for a place in a literal man’s world. Even Annie’s upcoming nuptials bring questions of propriety over personal enjoyment, and every woman in the novel–married or single–feels the bite of mental bondage in some way and none more than Florence who is being tried in the media based in part because of the sensationalism of her gender.
Learning about girls, boys, and love is a part of growing up. It’s these lessons that shape a person’s future and mold the soul. Authors V. & D. Povall show that even when forgotten, the Secrets of Innocence have an astounding way of making themselves known. And, what do these secrets reveal? In this second book of the suspense-mystery series, The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic, Sarah’s psychic powers reveal clues that weave a gripping story of discovery.
Sarah Thompson, although still learning how to manage her powerful psychic abilities, emerged stronger after her adventures in The Gift of the Twin Houses. She opened her heart to her new family and left behind the fear of being different. It’s when she finds an unconscious man on the side of the road that the peaceful life she yearns for is sorely tested. This man has been severely beaten and cannot remember anything, not even his name. The victim finds a friend in Sarah, and in a volunteer nurse who names him Daniel after a character in the stories she reads to comfort him during his recovery.
Meanwhile, Sarah’s supernatural abilities conjure up a movie in her subconscious. It shows clues to an intriguing puzzle. Does this story tie in with the man she saved? Who is this movie spirit that is communicating with her, and why? Despite the impromptu scenes playing out sans warning, she is determined to help Daniel discover who he is and what has happened to him.
Sheriff Williams is investigating Daniel’s assault case, and refuses any help from Sarah. He is suspicious of her powers. Undeterred, Sarah and her husband Conrad pursue their own independent search for the truth. When Sarah discovers and confronts the Sheriff about his own disturbing secret, he is stunned that she could possibly know what he has successfully kept hidden for so many years. Even more surprising is that through her powers he sees a glimmer of hope in the truth to his Secrets of Innocence.
The authors are a husband and wife writing team that has also authored screenplays, science fiction and murder-mystery novels, in addition to this suspense mystery series. Their background in different cultures and experiences leap off the pages of this sophisticated, character study that is set within a spellbinding puzzle. The writing is imaginative, vibrant, and exciting. The anticipation of what may come binds you to the story, as it builds to final revelations which are breathtaking.
A compelling examination of the depths of deception, regret, and violence that can motivate a person’s actions, whether for noble or ignoble purposes. Secrets of Innocence reveals the profound impact people have on each other.
Secrets of Innocence won 1st Place in the 2018 CIBAs, Somerset Awards for Literary Fiction.
Six-year-old Sarah Salas blurts out a piece of information she could not have known at a friend’s birthday party. The neighbors begin to gossip about this, calling wee Sarah “evil” and “witch.” In a jiffy, things get uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, Sarah’s parents to sell their home and relocate to protect their daughter.
From that moment on, Sarah’s parents beg her to ignore and suppress her natural psychic abilities. Completely. What’s a six-year-old to do?
Sarah, eager to please her parents, buries her abilities throughout her life. As a consequence of suppressing such a strong aspect of her character, Sarah inhibits the most essential part of herself: the ability to be transparent, intimate with another living soul. So much so, that her first fiancé leaves her at the altar. Suffering the humiliation, she shuts down another part of herself: her sexuality.
And the story would end there, but for the fact that upon her early retirement, Sarah heads out to parts unknown, driving with a purpose, but lacking conscious intent. She is, for the first time in decades, allowing that ‘other’ part of her to lead the way. It is only when she truly lets go of the restraints set upon her in childhood that she finds herself in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington state.
Following a private path, she stops her car in front of a beautiful and compelling home. The house has a note attached to the door indicating it is for sale.
This house, she knows, must be the reason why she’s here.
What follows is a whirlwind of characters, both living and deceased, that import their stories into a meaning narrative that forms the basis of the book. And there are a lot of stories to be told: from forbidden love to murder and more. As Sarah opens up to her long, supposedly dormant psychic talents, she creates a path toward understanding the people who once lived in this house – and its twin – and how they wove their DNA into the rooms, floors, and wall, and moreover, how they affect the lives of those still living. The gift is in the telling, and how love conquers all.
Husband and wife writing team, David and Victoria Povall, bring their talents to the page to introduce the characters in book one of The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic series. The writing is fine with a sweet romance set in the middle of it that lovers of paranormal romance books of a certain age will relish. What is clear, is there are plenty more storylines and adventures in store for Sarah Salas and her rediscovered psychic abilities – and more romantic adventures with her handsome soulmate. A paranormal romance with a happy ending and a promise of more to come! A win!
The Gift of the Twin Houses by V&D Povall is also available on Barnes & Nobles and iBooks.
The CLUE Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense, Thriller, Crime, & Mystery Novels. The CLUE Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Information about the #CIBAs Long Lists and Short Lists and Announcement Rounds.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2018 Long List (aka the Slush Pile Survivors) to the SHORTLIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2018 CLUE SEMIFINALISTS positions.
The coveted First Place Category Winners of the 2018 CLUE Book Awards will be selected from the Semi-Finalists in the final rounds of judging.
The First Place Category Winners will be announced at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony. The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the CLUE GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The 16 CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.
These titles are in the running for the SEMIFINALIST positions of the 2018 CLUE Book Awards novel competition for Suspense, Thriller, Crime, and Mystery Novels.
The Official 2018 CLUE Book Awards SHORTLIST:
Lauren E. Rico – Reverie (Reverie Trilogy, Book 1)
Pamela Beason – The Only One Left
Timothy S. Johnston – The War Beneath
Saralyn Richard – Murder in the One Percent
Timothy Burgess – California Son
Philip Derrick – Facing The Dragon
Cheryl L. Reed – Poison Girls
E. V. Stephens – Shortcuts
Nick Airus – The Manifesto Murders
Lawrence Verigin – Beyond Control
John Young – The Nexus
Melodie Hernandez –Forgotten Rage
CL Gibson – The Urge
Kara Lumbley – As the Ribbons Fall
Chief John J. Mandeville – Pine Village Co-op Murders
Zach Fortier –Chakana
Nicholas Kellum –Briar Falls
Kara Wolfe – Number Four
Elaine Williams Crockett – Do Not Ask
Carl and Jane Bock – Swamp Guide
Karen Dodd – Scare Away the Dark: A Stone Suspense
The CLUE Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at theApril 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
We are now accepting submissions into the 2018 CLUE Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is September 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
Rene Fomby’s gripping novel, Resumed Innocent, is both a courtroom drama and a personal drama. In the book’s forward, Fomby tells readers that the story is “semi-autobiographical,” noting that as a criminal law attorney, he has found that “The reality of day to day criminal practice in Texas is simply too unreal to be believed.” And, yet, he manages to convince the reader of the gruesome reality of crime scenes as well as the harsh reality of courtroom politics. The guilty aren’t always those being held in jail cells; attorneys and judges don’t escape Fomby’s scrutiny, and the reader is made aware of just how complicated criminal law in Blair County, Texas, truly is.
Fomby opts for a female protagonist to relay what’s just and unjust in a criminal law attorney’s daily life. Samantha Tulley, Sam for short, a widow with a small daughter, is as sharp as they come. She’s savvy enough to detect when a defendant is being railroaded or a judge is being underhanded. Her intelligence and wit, however, put her at risk for reprisals, acts of vengeance that will put her life at risk and have the reader turning pages as quickly as possible to keep up with a plot that escalates with action and suspense.
Her clients, people accused of heinous crimes, are beyond fortunate to have Sam representing them. She defends a woman accused of plunging a knife into her former boyfriend multiple times and a man accused of murdering his wife and two small children. In one of the most riveting chapters of the book, the reader observes voir dire, jury selection, and witnesses Sam calculating who will and won’t support her client, all the while maintaining an expression that would sink her most formidable opponent at the poker table. This chapter alone would make the book a worthy read, but it’s packed with fascinating nuggets of courtroom drama throughout.
Sam’s personal life is equally fascinating but also fraught with danger. Her deceased husband was the son of an eccentric member of the Catholic Traditionalist Movement, a group that rejects Vatican II and believes mass should be celebrated only in Latin. William Tulley didn’t approve of his son’s marriage to Sam, a Jewish woman, and is now demanding that a paternity test to be done on Sam’s young daughter. His first wife, Luke’s mother, resides in Italy and holds information that will enlighten Sam as to her father-in-law’s motives. Sam has enough enemies, in and out of the court system, to keep the reader guessing who is attempting to harm – even kill her. She has an advocate, however, in Harry, her intern who is a law student at Baylor University and whose family has had their own run-ins with Sam’s father-in-law.
This book will certainly appeal to lawyers and law students, but also to anyone who loves a good courtroom drama. It’s also for readers drawn to strong female characters. Sam Tully is a working mother, a widow, an advocate for the wrongfully accused, and the friend you’ve always wanted. You’ll finish this novel eager to continue her adventures in a forthcoming book.
Twenty-four-year-old Kitty Charente is trying to put her life back together. Working as a switchboard operator for a perfumer based in New York City, Kitty wants to put the death of her husband, Phillipe, and the miscarriage of her baby behind her and move forward. But when her boss, Jack, gives her the task of wining and dining an out-of-town salesman, Luke Kayenta, Kitty’s world is turned upside down overnight.
Luke isn’t like Jack’s usual salesmen. In fact, Kitty’s certain he’s much more when she secretly watches him perform a strange ceremony on the eighty-sixth floor of the Empire State Building.
Unbeknownst to Kitty, Luke has come for her. Charged with delivering a deathbed letter from Philippe, Luke is drawn to more than Kitty’s grief. Beyond his promise to deliver the smuggled letter, the stories Philippe shared of his beautiful dark-haired wife helped Luke escape his imprisonment in Spain and brought him halfway around the world to find her. Now that he’s found her, he doesn’t want to let her go, despite the danger surrounding him. Kitty follows his reckless path through the twisting, wartime streets of New York, but will their newfound love be able to protect them from Luke’s pursuers?
The rebirth of Luke’s tormented soul is the real jewel in this novel, book two of the Code Talker Chronicles. Luke isn’t a Spaniard as Kitty’s been told but a Navajo code talker, and he’s keeping more secrets than the forbidden letter. Tortured in Spain at the hands of Nazis, Luke has yet to truly escape his persecutors and have his mind released to live–and love–again.
Luke yearns for the simple life of a rancher back in his home state of Arizona. His invaluable work in the intelligence service has cost him more than a pound of flesh, but his chance at love and life with Kitty, his continual inspiration, is built upon a fragile ledge of espionage and the memories of her heroic husband, and now the woman he loves is charged with the task of testing whether his very mind has been compromised.
In a world of half-truths, crooked policemen, spies, and impersonators, the real question is who to trust. Watch Over Me shows a lively caricature of 1940s New York spinning wildly in the madness of espionage, where secrets and sacrifices threaten the bond of love and the hope of family.
Watch Over Me by Eileen Charbonneau won First Place in the 2017 CHATELAINE Awards.
While attending a swanky Washington DC party for the District’s movers and shakers, Federal Judge Warren Alexander notices a Jaguar approaching the mansion amid the darkness with the barrel of a rifle protruding from the driver’s window. Up the hill, Senator Tom Marriner has just arrived surrounded by a Secret Service detail as he exits an armored van. Seconds later, a bomb is discovered in the van’s gas tank, the timer counting down, 13, 12 …
The senator, shielded from behind by Secret Service agents, scurries down the hill away from the mansion, toward the gunman. It’s a trap. Alexander sprints for the Jaguar to intercede. The van explodes. The senator and his protection detail are thrown to the lawn. The Jaguar races off. Alexander finds the senator dead, a single gunshot to his chest.
Alexander, a former profiler with fifteen years of FBI experience insinuates himself into the case. Why was the senator shot, and by whom? He soon learns the assassinated senator, as head of the Judiciary Committee, had put Alexander’s name forward to replace a retiring Supreme Court justice. He eventually realizes the motivation for the senator’s assassination may have its roots in an unsolved rape and murder of a teenage girl forty years before in the small town of Grey Lake, Maine, and involved some of the most powerful names in Washington.
When it is uncovered that the murder weapon used to kill Senator Marriner was a rifle owned by Judge Alexander and that Alexander’s wife had recently threatened the senator’s life, the judge realizes the aftermath of the assassination, and the plot behind it may have the power to destroy both his family and career.
Elaine Williams Crockett is a talented author with an engaging style. The story has more twists than an angry rattlesnake, which will make it hard for mystery lovers and those who favor political intrigue to put it down or get a decent night’s sleep. Crockett’s characters are well fleshed out, interesting, and believable. The novel contains mild violence, though nothing overly graphic.
As mentioned earlier, Elaine Williams Crockett is a talented author who has the ability to be a rising star in this genre dominated by Lee Child, Vince Flynn, and Michael Connelly. She’s on my watch-list and I look forward to reading her work in the future.
Do Not Assume won 1st Place for Crockett in the 2016 CLUE Awards.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]September brings countless clues and unsolved mysteries! Who will crack the case and emerge a winner? Stay tuned…
The game’s afoot this September with thrilling adventure, nail-biting suspense, keen detective work, and more. Perhaps you’ll need a private eye on the case or follow police procedural to the letter. What’s certain, while authors work hard at crime solving, when September draws to an end, all of our cases will be closed!
What are the CLUE Awards? Thrillers, Suspense, the grip of Mystery. CLUE is all about the uncertain– detectives and private eyes, cops and criminals; those who have something to hide and those who hunt to bring those dark secrets to light. CLUE novels thrive on questions and build suspense with each turning of the page. For writers who scatter pieces of a mystery throughout their stories, and readers who enjoy putting those pieces together, CLUE is the genre of choice.
The deadline is just around the corner! Who will survive the Slush? Who will be Longlisted and Shortlisted?
Who will take home the prize at CAC19 on April 27th?
Kaylin McFarren, CLUE Grand Prize Winner
Avoid the crime of letting this deadline slip by!Send in your stories of thrilling detectives, super sleuths, daring and flawed police detectives today. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
As the September 30th deadline for submissions draws closer, don’t miss this opportunity to earn distinction for your novel. Enter today!
All category winners have the opportunity to attend our Awards Ceremony on April 27, 2019, that will take place during the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. First Place category winners will be whisked up on stage to receive their custom ribbon and await to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. It’s an exciting and electrifying evening of dinner, networking, and celebrations!
First Place category winners and Grand Prize winners will each receive a stunning awards package well worth the price of entry into the CLUE Awards competitions.
The CLUE Awards for the best Thriller & Suspense Fiction novels
HALL of FAME
The Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2017:
Twisted Threadsby Kaylin McFarren won the “Suspense/Thriller” category in the Clue Awards and then took home the Clue GrandPrize! Twisted Threads is the fourth book in her Threads Series set on a cruise ship, “With killers on the loose and no avenue for escape, tension is ratcheted to a breaking point, forcing everyone to choose between love and loyalty – or deeply held honor – in order to survive.”
Kaylin McFarrenis a multi-award winning author who has earned more than forty national literary awards. “She keeps a glass of wine close by while writing love scenes, Kleenex on her desk while writing heartbreakers, and has been known to empty a box of chocolates when she’s completely stumped.“
1st Place Category Winners in 2017:
Do Not Askby Elaine Williams Crockett
100 Days of Terrorby Larry Temple
The Butcher’s Billby SMartin Roy Hill
The Criminalist: A Novel of Forensic Science Suspenseby John Houde
Aged in Charcoalby Jeffrey Ridenour
Grand Prize Winner of 2016:
A Matter of Justice by Keith Tittle won the “Suspense/Thriller” category in the 2016 Clue Awards and went on to win the Grand Prize! “Author Keith Tittle rings all the challenges in this complex, gripping mystery. His story combines diverse elements lending the story opportunity for multiple mayhems. Jeff Dawes is a believable hero – determined, diligent, dogged by past failures that spur him to try harder. The setting – Portland, Oregon, with its scenic natural environs makes for a variety of well-staged scenarios.“
Keith Tittleis “…a lifelong history buff, baseball fan, and resident of the Pacific Northwest, and lives with his wife in southwest Washington.” Keith is working on the second novel in this series.
In 2015, Lonna Enox’s Blood Relations won the CLUE Grand Prize. This is the second book in Lonna’s Sorrel Janes Mysteries series set in the contemporary Southwest. In Blood Relations, “… a tangled web of mystery and lies, [proves that] the truth can only be discovered if the seeker can survive.“
Lonna Enox says this about herself, “I’m a ‘what if’ person. I’m also curious, and ask lots of questions, read about things, try things, & always investigate.”
The Red Ribbon by Rachel B. Ledge won the 2014 Clue Grand Prize. This historical fiction thriller set in London 1773 about a young woman who struggles to adjust to life after witnessing the murder of her closest friend by the man she loves.
“Rachel B. Ledge is an award-winning author of historical novels with elements of suspense, romance, and time travel. She grew up in Idaho, Texas, Utah and California due to circumstances that didn’t involve the military. An expat since 2008, she and her husband lived in Sydney for five years before sailing to Singapore, where they lived on a boat for a while before transitioning onto terra firma. She can be found sitting up late at night, reading anything with a compelling storyline.”
True Crime: Gayle Nix Jackson forOrville Nix: The Missing JFK Assassination Film
Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2013:
In 2013, Clyde Curley took home the Grand Prize for his novel Raggedy Man, the first in the Detective Toussaint Novels. Here’s a top-notch detective murder mystery set in the Pacific Northwest, Portland Oregon, to be exact. “His novels are prodigious—yes they come in at more than 500 pages, but you will be wishing it were longer—and are page-turners that tackle and explore the big ethical and societal issues of today. Curley’s deft use of murder mysteries to microscopically explore society’s ethical issues is nothing short of brilliant.” – Chanticleer Reviews
Clyde Curley tells us “…this is all that matters: I’ve grown up and now I’m an author. For me, the permanence of art stands as a bulwark against the slings and arrows of outrageous real life. The highest, richest form of art is that which is formed from words—the first and most important attribute of humans striving to behave less like animals and more like gods.”
Pamela Beason’s Mystery/Thriller, The Only Witness tied for Grand Prize in 2012. The Only Witness is a marvel of story-telling. Pamela Beason’s novel is one of those rare gems that is intelligent and informative but also embracing and charmingly accessible.
A former private investigator, Pamela Beason “…lives in the Pacific Northwest. Pam challenges the human assumption that we are the superior species. Each of her titles takes readers on an adventure while reminding us that drifting through life is not enough; you have to live it…”
1st Place Category Winners in 2012:
Shadow Gamesby Jeanette-Marie Mirich
Corporate Insanity by Tom Pors
New Smyrna Swing by D.D. Queens
Made in Chinaby Mark Reutlinger
Mrs. Kaplan in the Soup; The Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger
Murder Strikes a Pose, A Downward Dog Mystery by Tracy Weber
Your book could earn a place in our CLUE hall of fame for the CIBA 2018 Best Books.
All you have to do is to enter your manuscript or published novel.
We are looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime solving, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For light-hearted Mystery and Suspense entries see our Mystery & Mayhem Awards) [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#606060″ border_style=”solid” padding=”10px” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]
Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year!
All First in Category Winning Titles will be placed in the queue to receive a covetedChanticleer Book Review Package (value $395) for the winning title (reviews are non-transferable)and go on to compete for the genre Grand Prize and the Overall Grand Prize.
The Overall Grand Prize Winner is namedChanticleer Reviews Best Book of the Yearand awarded the$1000 prize
All Winners receive a Chanticleer Prize Packagewhich includes a digital badge, a ribbon and a whole assortment of goodies
All Sorrel Janes wants to do is vanish. And for a while, she does just that.
As a former television crime reporter in Houston, Sorrel is surrounded by danger, but after her husband’s murder by a drug cartel, she flees her life of minor stardom, changes her name, and moves to the usually quiet town of Saddle Gap, New Mexico.
After opening a small shop selling consigned crafts and beginning a career as a nature photographer, Sorrel thinks she finally has what she wants most: a peaceful life. It doesn’t hurt that she’s caught the eye of handsome sheriff’s deputy Chris Reed, either. But when an old photograph from her days as a reporter shows up on a body found murdered “cartel-style,” she is suddenly thrust back into her old life. Soon the violence spreads. She receives a mysterious package, and though she fears for her fragile new existence, her curiosity won’t let her rest until she knows the truth about her connection to the victim. This adventure, however, may be more than she can handle.
Striking Blind has a depth of characters that please and intrigue. Even characters not featured in the main storyline have significant development. From Teri, Sorrel’s pregnant best friend and star employee to the murder victim in the prologue, characters have extensive backstories, creating round, believable personas that enhance the featured mystery. As Chris Reed points out, Sorrel, like her equine namesake, is stubborn and feisty, the trademark of a great protagonist and detective.
The extensive history given in the previous two novels won’t be overwhelming if this is the reader’s first experience with the series. With the descriptions of Sorrel’s everyday-life, her inability to cook and her cantankerous cats, the reader feels a real connection to Sorrel. Persistence and curiosity make her a believable former reporter and a victim unwilling to stand still while someone threatens her and her new life.
Lovers of romance and paranormal won’t be disappointed either. The flirty banter and interaction with hunky cop Chris Reed make for a pleasant distraction in the action, and with the promise of more romance to come, readers will want to continue this series. To add supernatural flavor, Sorrel is commanded by a dream entity to help the “weeping child,” and though she never fully finds the answer to this midnight task, it haunts her until the end.
From the gruesome death in a mysterious cave at the opening until the very end, this edge-of-your-seat mystery will keep readers following the Sorrel Janes Mysteries series just as the lead character follows every clue – to the end.
Striking Blind by Lonna Enox won 1st Place in the 2016 CLUE Awards.
An ill-fated Spanish expedition in 1541 plays into present-day concerns about preserving Santa Cruz County’s (Arizona) heritage and environment. Along with an engaging yarn, Jane and Carl Bock offer the reader food for thought by presenting a microcosmic picture of the mindless destruction of time-honored customs, traditions, and mores in the pursuit of money and power.
The CLUE Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense, Thriller, Crime, & Mystery Novels. The CLUE Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
In 2015, Lonna Enox’s 
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In 2013, Clyde Curley took home the Grand Prize for his novel 
Clyde Curley tells us “…this is all that matters: I’ve grown up and now I’m an author. For me, the permanence of art stands as a bulwark against the slings and arrows of outrageous real life. The highest, richest form of art is that which is formed from words—the first and most important attribute of humans striving to behave less like animals and more like gods.”
