Tag: Serious Authors

  • The 2024 Harvey Chute First Place Roundup for Business and Finance

    Three Black stripes on a yellow badge CIBA BadgeThe Harvey Chute Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Business and Enterprising Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Jacqui Clarke‘s book, Stop Worrying About Money, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Harvey Chute contest page year ’round!

    The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!

    The 2024 Harvey Chute Winners were announced at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

    Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place Harvey Chute Winners!

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    Roger Spitz – Disrupt With Impact

    Disrupt With Impact is the ultimate guide to thriving in today’s complex business landscapes. It offers strategies that will allow you to navigate uncertainty and change through strategic decision-making.

    Covering major challenges such as sustainability, AI, geopolitics and cybersecurity, this book is your compass for exploring the uncharted waters of the future. These paradigm shifts will redistribute trillions of dollars, presenting opportunities for immense value creation, while those clinging to business as usual face growing risks of value destruction. Through fascinating research and original frameworks, Disrupt With Impact offers the knowledge and confidence you need to lead your business through disruption.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Jenny Li Fowler – Organic Social Media

    Organizations and institutions focused on community building have a built-in group of ambassadors who embrace their message and vision. Social media managers have a unique opportunity to lean into this loyalty by creating a social presence informed by this digital engagement.

    In Organic Social MediaJenny Li Fowler outlines the important steps that social media managers need to take to enhance an organization’s broader growth objectives. Fowler breaks down the important questions to help readers determine the best platforms to invest in, how they can streamline the approval process and other essential strategic steps to create an organic following on social platforms.

    Organic Social Media explains how to elevate the key growth objectives of a brand by creating or recreating its online presence. Early chapters walk readers through the planning phase, the process of strategic goal setting, platform selection, resource management and content discovery. Later chapters focus on executing these established plans and offer a strategic way to build a content calendar and track the success of social. With this book, social media managers will future-proof the online presence of any organization.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Anastasia Karklina Gabriel – Cultural Intelligence for Marketers

    Brands not only reflect culture but actively shape societal norms and values. Move beyond performative inclusive marketing and drive the cultural conversation.

    A brand today can build a marketing strategy that not only effectively resonates with audiences but also meaningfully impacts society at large. Learn how to produce inclusive marketing using an approach grounded in critical perspectives on society and the impact brands wield in shaping it. In this book, cultural theorist and strategist Anastasia Karklina Gabriel draws on social analysis, media theory, and semiotics to help marketers improve cultural fluency and future-proof brand strategy by embedding equity and inclusion into every aspect of marketing. Cultural Intelligence for Marketers explains how to create an inclusive marketing strategy using an actionable approach that draws on advanced insights into culture, identity, representation, and the power of media in driving social change.

    The book offers an in-depth dive into the urgent need for cultural competence in marketing using a framework rooted in 4Cs: Culture, communication, critical consciousness, and community. It delves into practical aspects of conscious marketing, inclusive innovation, cultural insights, brand activism, social impact, and responsibility in business. It features insights from current and former marketing leaders at Wieden+Kennedy, Mindshare, Dentsu, and Saatchi & Saatchi, among others. Drawing on case studies from brands that are actively pursuing inclusive marketing strategies, including Microsoft, Pinterest, Billie, and REI, Gabriel outlines the process of deploying cultural intelligence to attain commercial advantage while transforming society for the better.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Neal Schaffer – Digital Threads

    Are you a small business owner, entrepreneur, or content creator struggling to navigate the complex world of digital marketing?

    Do you want to learn how to build a powerful online presence, leverage social media, and harness the power of AI tools without breaking the bank?

    In Digital Threads, renowned digital marketing consultant and Fractional CMO Neal Schaffer offers actionable insights and practical strategies that have helped countless businesses and entrepreneurs achieve their marketing goals. Drawing on over a decade of experience, Neal provides a comprehensive playbook that demystifies digital marketing and empowers you.

    Digital Threads is your ultimate guide to mastering digital marketing in today’s fast-paced, digital-first economy.
    In today’s digital-first economy, having a strong online presence and effective marketing strategy is crucial for success. Digital Threads provides you with the knowledge and tools you need to thrive. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your existing strategies, this book is your go-to resource for achieving measurable results and sustained growth.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Melina Palmer – The Truth About Pricing

    The ultimate guide to pricing mastery and value-based pricing, The Truth About Pricing helps you unlock the secrets of your buyers’ minds, understand their needs, and set prices that skyrocket your business’s success.

    Pricing mastery made easy. A must-read for entrepreneurs seeking to determine what their customers value and set prices they want by understanding the truth about pricing—it isn’t about the price. Everything that happens before the price matters much more than the price itself. Have happier clients, boost your profits, and confidently master the pricing game with this comprehensive guide.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!


    Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2024 Harvey Chute First Place Winners!

    Three Black stripes on a yellow badge CIBA Badge

    Watch for our Spotlight and Hall of Fame Articles that will feature incredible books, including Jacqui Clarke’s amazing Stop Worrying About Money!

    Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Harvey Chute Awards!

    The tiers of achievement for the CIBAs

    Got a great Business and Enterprise Book?

    The 2025 Harvey Chute Book Awards are open through the end of September!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest
    Submit to the Harvey Chute Awards Today!
  • The 2025 Harvey Chute Spotlight for Business & Finance

    Mastering Financial Success!

    Three Black stripes on a yellow badge CIBA Badge

    The Harvey Chute Awards for Business & Finance

    In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, financial literacy and strategic thinking have never been more crucial. From navigating investment complexities to building sustainable business models, professionals and entrepreneurs need reliable guidance to thrive. The Harvey Chute Awards for Business & Finance celebrate the exceptional works that provide this essential knowledge, recognizing authors who translate complex financial concepts into actionable insights that empower readers to take control of their economic futures.

    Celebrating Our Grand Prize Winner!

    Stop Worrying About Money Cover

    We’re proud to celebrate our 2024 Harvey Chute Division Grand Prize Winner, Jacqui Clarke for her transformative guide Stop Worrying about Money. This comprehensive work goes beyond traditional financial advice to address the psychological and practical aspects of money management. Clarke, described as “Australia’s best-kept money secret,” delivers a holistic approach that helps readers clarify their values, set realistic goals, and build genuine financial security. Her book tackles everything from combating expense creep and avoiding common money traps to overcoming setbacks and mastering long-term planning, all while maintaining an accessible and encouraging tone.

    What sets Stop Worrying about Money apart is its emphasis on financial literacy as a journey of self-awareness rather than merely a destination of wealth accumulation. As our review noted, Clarke “blends theoretical financial advice with pragmatic applications, incorporating real-life examples, case studies, and interactive exercises” that transform potentially dry subject matter into engaging and digestible content. The book addresses critical issues from building a trusted “finance village” of advisors to understanding the impact of financial decisions on personal relationships. Clarke will be invited to participate in a Chanticleer Author Interview, offering readers deeper insights into her expertise and approach to financial empowerment.

    The Harvey Chute Awards recognize the full spectrum of business and finance literature, encompassing categories from traditional Finance and Investing & Money to contemporary essentials like Social Media, Technology Guides, and Communications. This comprehensive approach reflects the reality that modern business success requires mastery across multiple disciplines, whether you’re developing a Motivational framework, crafting Business Strategy, understanding Economics, or building Marketing expertise.

    Explore All Business & Self-Help Divisions

    The Harvey Chute Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of transformative non-fiction:

    The Doctor’s Voice
    By Dr. Pietro Emanuele Garbelli

    A Harvey Chute First Place Winner!

    Dr. Pietro Emanuele Garbelli speaks out on serious professional issues faced by modern healthcare workers, in The Doctor’s Voice.

    Doctors deal with overwhelming stress, leading to burnout, illness, many of them leaving the profession, and even a higher-than-average rate of suicide. The Covid19 pandemic both heightened and helped illuminate some of the causes of this stress, prompting author Garbelli to write this book as a set of advice for his colleagues and as advocacy for broader changes in hospitals and other healthcare systems.

    Garbelli highlights a common disconnect in communication—administrators and higher-ups telling doctors what to do while those doctors don’t have much opportunity to bring up the problems they encounter day-to-day.

    Read More Here

    The Money Map
    By Kasey J. Claytor

    A Mind and Spirit First Place Winner!

    “There is something magical about money—the way it appears and disappears, grows and shrinks, and, in a similar way of taming a hesitant wild horse, with calm assuredness and confidence, not only will you learn to control it, but you will find you can joyfully master it.” -Author Kasey J. Claytor

    Claytor insists that every successful endeavor starts with an individual’s thinking and beliefs. She details this concept – and how to live with it in mind – in her new book, The Money Map: A Spiritual Guide for Financial Success.

    From the onset of her business-oriented career, Claytor has drawn from her beliefs as she upholds financial success as a spiritual goal. In this volume, she takes the mystery out of money to show it as an extension of the mind, body, and spirit. Claytor ensures the beginning of an endearing journey toward clearer financial decision-making, investments, and goals by asking readers to identify the worries of their own ego and to eliminate unproductive ideas and actions. 

    Read More Here

    Tax MythBusters
    By Lily Tran

    Tax MythBusters: Don’t Fall Prey to the Tax Misconceptions, compiled by tax professional Lily Tran with essays by other financial, tax, and accounting professionals, gives valuable insight into the myths of what can and cannot be claimed as a deduction for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

    This work provides tips and strategies to optimize tax planning and make the most of available deductions. As the foreword reminds the reader, “Knowledge is power when it comes to taxes,” adding that gaining a better understanding of the tax rules and regulations will allow you to “make smart financial decisions and protect yourself from unnecessary risks.”

    The essays that make up this work are short, succinct, and to the point about the pitfalls and challenges that face small business owners, framing these dangers as “myths.”

    Read More Here

    Reconfigurement Cover

    Reconfigurement
    By E. Alan Fleischauer

    Chanticleers 2022 Harvey Chute Grand Prize Winner!

    A guide to achieving financial freedom in retirement, E. Alan Fleischauer’s bestseller Reconfigurement™ reveals a roadmap guided by the Mantra, “Navigate, Customize, and Thrive.”

    Advances in medicine, nutrition, and longevity planning now offer unparalleled possibilities to live longer, higher-quality lives. However, looming over this rosy image is a genuine concern: the financial ramifications of a longer retirement term. More alarming is that a sizable portion of the American populace is not harnessing their 401(k) retirement plans.

    In light of this scenario, can traditional investment programs with fraying safety nets, such as pensions, remain viable? Reconfigurement combines the emotional fulfillment of making retirement dreams a reality with practical guidance that rejects the notion of a set retirement age of 65. This work’s personal tales and sound financial guidance entice readers away from the constraints of traditional retirement approaches.

    Read More Here

    These reviews represent just a glimpse of the strategic insights and practical wisdom waiting to be discovered in today’s business and finance literature.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re excited about all the exceptional business and finance works we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. Throughout this year’s Harvey Chute Book Awards, we had the pleasure of promoting numerous outstanding titles as they advanced through our competition tiers. In a market flooded with millions of books, professional recognition cuts through the noise. The CIBAs provide ongoing promotion that maximizes your digital footprint and expands your readership through:

    • High-traffic website features
    • Social media promotion across established platforms
    • Newsletter spotlights like this reaching thousands of industry professionals
    • Long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year

    This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each advancement tier is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter! Your book deserves to be discovered.

    You wouldn’t hide a business! Don’t hide your book!

    The business and finance market continues to demand fresh perspectives and proven strategies, with professionals, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking guidance they can trust and implement. Whether your work provides innovative investment strategies, practical business solutions, cutting-edge technology insights, or foundational financial education, the Harvey Chute Awards provide the recognition and promotional platform your expertise deserves.

    Three Black stripes on a yellow badge CIBA Badge

    Business and finance literature has the unique power to transform lives, build wealth, and create sustainable success. From comprehensive guides that help readers master complex financial concepts to targeted strategies that solve specific business challenges, every expertly crafted work has the potential to become an essential resource. Don’t let your knowledge remain untapped! Enter the Harvey Chute Awards today and join the distinguished authors who’ve found their professional audience through Chanticleer!

    Submit to the Harvey Chute Awards today! Deadline: September 30th

    You know you want it…
  • 10 Days Left: Nellie Bly, Hearten, Journey, and Military & Front Line Book Awards close soon!

    The First set of Non-Fiction Divisions closes soon!

    Nellie Bly, Hearten, Journey, and Military & Front Line Awards

    Don’t let your book miss out!

    Only 10 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success. With over $30,000 in prizes awarded annually, now is the time to make your mark!

    The Journey, Hearten, Military and Front Line and The Nellie Bly Awards are still open!

    Best Book Grand Prize for the Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Journey Awards for Overcoming Adversity!

    • Kirsten Throneberry – Guided: Lost Love, Hidden Realms, and the Open Road

    • Jennifer Gasner – My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis

    • Anne Gately – Sunburnt: A Memoir of Sun, Surf and Skin Cancer

    • Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden – An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness

    • Lindsey Henke – When Skies Are Gray

    • Claudia Marseille – But You Look So Normal: Lost and Found in a Hearing World

    And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Journey Grand Prize Winner:

    Unfollow Me

    By Kathryn Caraway

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    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hearten Award for Uplifting Non-Fiction!

    • Genét Simone – Teaching in the Dark

    • David Hutton – Drums of a Distant Tribe

    • Etsuko Diamond Miyagi – Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan

    • Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden – An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness
    • Susan Cole – Holding Fast: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss

    • Tony Jeton Selimi – The Unfakeable Code®

    And a huge round of applause for our 2024 Hearten Grand Prize Winner:

    Elk Love: A Montana Memoir

    By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor

    Elk Love cover by Lynne Spriggs O'Connor

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    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Nellie Bly Award for Long Form Journalism!

    • Carla Conti – Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir

    • Kori Reed – Men-in-the-Middle Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority

    • Bonnie Bley – Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County

    • Sarah Towle – Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands

    And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Nellie Bly Grand Prize Winner:

    The Sing Sing Files:

    One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice

    By Dan Slepian

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    Congratulations to our 2024 Winners of the Military and Front Line Award for Service to Others!

    • Roderick S. Haynes – Unauthorized Disclosures a Navy Memoir of the 1980s

    • David Huntley – The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior: a WWII Final Honor

    • Patrick Hogan – Coincidence, You Say?

    • Shari Biery – It’s Your Turn How To Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being Thrive with Purpose

    • Max Lauker & Antonio Garcia – Number 788: My Experiences in Swedish Special Operations – Preparing for NATO and the War on Terror

    • Bibi LeBlanc – Wings of Freedom – The Story of the Berlin Airlift | Flugel der Freiheit – Die Geschichte der Berliner Luftbrucke

    And a huge round of applause to the 2024 Military and Front Line Grand Prize Winner!

    Memoirs From The Front Lines:

    Four states, Two years, One pandemic

    By Kim Sloan

    Memoirs from the Frontlines cover by Kim Sloan

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    The CIBAs offer more than just recognition — they provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.

     

    We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.

    Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 3-6, 2025) where Winners from all 25 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.

    In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.

    Let’s celebrate exceptional storytelling together!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest

    Your book deserves to be discovered

    Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

  • The 2025 Nellie Bly Hall of Fame for Longform Journalism

    Truth Matters Now More Than Ever

    Your Work can Add to the Conversation

    ***Make Your Story Known Today***

    You have until August 31st to submit to the 2025 CIBAs!

    Nellie Bly Awards

    Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (Better known by her Pen Name, Nellie Bly) created a new brand of Investigative Journalism. Best known for beating Jules Verne’s Around The World in 80 Days in 72 days, and even more amazingly, Going undercover to get herself put into a New York Mental Hospital to then publish an exposé on the unlivable conditions and mistreatment of marginalized women. Journalist, Novelist, Inventor and overall amazing Woman. So its only fitting that our Division for Investigative Journalism be named for the woman who made the genre.

    We’re excited to celebrate the excellent caliber of work that we have had the honor of promoting in the CIBAs for Longform Journalism.

    The Nellie Bly Awards are one of a kind. Check out the following books to find out why!

    The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, And a 20 Year Fight for Justice
    By Dan Slepian

    In 2002, Dan Slepian, a veteran producer for NBC’s Dateline, received a tip from a Bronx homicide detective that two men were serving twenty-five years to life in prison for a 1990 murder they did not commit.

    Haunted by what the detective had told him, Slepian began an investigation of the case that eventually resulted in freedom for the two men and launched Slepian on a two-decade personal and professional journey into a deeply flawed justice system fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes and their consequences.

    The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice is Slepian’s account of challenging that system. The story follows Slepian on years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that led to a series of powerful Dateline episodes and eventually to freedom for four other men and to an especially deep and lasting friendship with one of them, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez. From his cell in Sing Sing, JJ aided Slepian in his investigations until his own release in 2021 after decades in prison.

    Like Bryan Stevenson’s Just MercyThe Sing Sing Files is a deeply personal account of wrongful imprisonment and the flaws in our justice system, and a powerful argument for reckoning and accountability. Slepian’s extraordinary book, at once painful and full of hope, shines a light on an injustice whose impact the nation has only begun to confront.

    Buy the book here!

    You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America
    By Paul Kix

    Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novel You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.

    This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.

    When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.

    The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.

    Read More Here

    Saints and Soldiers Cover

    Saints and Soldiers
    By Rita Katz

    To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.

    Katz – executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”

    Read More Here

    America's Forgotten Suffragists Cover

    America’s Forgotten Suffragists: Virginia and Francis Minor
    By Nicole Evalina

    Comprehensive in its own right, America’s Forgotten Suffragists by Nicole Evelina is an essential addition to the canon of women’s suffrage and first-wave feminism.

    Equal parts local history of women’s right to vote in the nineteenth century and biography of Virginia and Francis Minor, America’s Forgotten Suffragists illuminates the story of a wife-and-husband feminist duo who were the first to fight for women’s suffrage at the Supreme Court level.

    We learn about the lives of Virginia and Francis Minor by way of historical records, intersecting timelines with other suffragists, and news articles and letters. Virginia Minor was raised on the new and intellectually stimulating University of Virginia campus, where her father worked. Born into a colonial settler and slave-owning family, Virginia came into her own as she grew older, forming abolitionist and feminist beliefs.

    Read More Here

    Prison From The Inside Out
    By William “Mecca” Elmore and Susan Simone

    Prison from Inside Out: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom is an illuminating chronicle that tells the story of a man who not only survived the stoniest soil but used his experiences to thrive as a human being.

    This arresting memoir is essentially a road trip of William ‘Mecca’ Elmore, a man with a tumultuous childhood, growing up in a neighborhood chock full of social problems. It is in this environment that Elmore is involved in a crime that consequently leads to his arrest and trial. The story builds upon his incarceration in various correctional facilities, his experiences, his release through a Mutual Agreement Parole Program, and his eventual redemption.

    Read More Here

     


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

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

    Be Part of the Legacy: Join the Illustrious Roster of Winners

    As the deadline for the 2025 Nellie Bly Awards creeps closer, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the exceptional achievers.

    Seeking avenues for your non-fiction prowess? Explore all our Non-Fiction Divisions that provide platforms for various genres and styles.

    With over $30,000 in rewards and prizes given away every year, what are you waiting for? Submit today!

     

  • The 2025 Nellie Bly Spotlight for Longform Journalism

    In the Tradition of Fearless Truth-Telling

    Nellie Bly Awards

    The Nellie Bly Awards Honor Investigative Journalism That Changes the World

    The submissions for the 2025 Awards are underway, and Nellie Bly closes on August 31, 2025!

    In 1887, a young reporter named Nellie Bly feigned mental illness to expose the horrific conditions at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, forever changing how society treated the mentally ill. Her courage to go undercover, endure personal risk, and challenge powerful institutions established a tradition of investigative journalism that continues to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to the voiceless.

    The Nellie Bly Awards honor this fearless tradition, celebrating the journalists, researchers, and truth-tellers who dedicate years – sometimes decades – to exposing corruption, fighting injustice, and demanding accountability from systems that would prefer to operate in shadows. These are the stories that don’t just inform readers; they change laws, free the innocent, and restore faith in the power of persistent, ethical journalism.

    The Vital Role of Investigative Journalism

    In an era of instant news, social media speculation, and AI hallucinations, deep investigative work has never been more crucial. The authors recognized by the Nellie Bly Awards understand that real accountability journalism requires time, resources, and extraordinary persistence. They dig deeper than daily news cycles allow, following leads that others abandon, and asking questions that make uncomfortable people uncomfortable.

    The best investigative non-fiction sparks conversations, policy changes, and sometimes legal action that creates lasting positive change. These authors transform individual investigations into broader understanding of systemic issues that affect us all.

    Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!

    We’re deeply honored to recognize Dan Slepian, whose extraordinary work The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice claimed the 2024 Nellie Bly Grand Prize with an investigation that exemplifies the very best of accountability journalism. What began as a single tip from a Bronx homicide detective in 2002 became a twenty-year personal and professional journey that ultimately freed six innocent men from prison.

    Slepian’s story demonstrates the persistence that defines great investigative journalism—years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that challenged a justice system “fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes.” His work resulted not only in powerful Dateline episodes but in actual freedom for wrongfully convicted men, including his deep friendship with Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, who aided Slepian’s investigations from his Sing Sing cell until his own release in 2021.

    The Sing Sing Files represents investigative journalism at its most vital, exposing systemic flaws while honoring individual human stories, requiring both professional skill and personal courage, and ultimately creating change that extends far beyond the pages of the book. In addition to ongoing promotional features, The Sing Sing Files will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Dan Slepian will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and The Sing Sing Files will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.

    Categories That Cover Every Beat

    The Nellie Bly Awards welcome investigative work across every section of the metaphorical newspaper, recognizing that corruption and injustice can emerge anywhere:

    • Social Science – Research-driven investigations into societal patterns and behaviors
    • Data Driven Reporting – Stories powered by statistical analysis and empirical evidence
    • Equality and Justice – Exposés of discrimination and fights for civil rights
    • Ethics – Investigations into moral failures in institutions and leadership
    • Human Rights – Documentation of abuses and advocacy for fundamental freedoms
    • Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants – Stories of displacement and the policies that affect vulnerable populations
    • Activist Groups – Investigations into movements, both positive and problematic
    • Crimes and Corruption – Classic investigative journalism exposing criminal behavior and institutional corruption
    • Environmental – Reporting on ecological crimes and environmental justice
    • Whistle Blowers – Stories of those brave enough to expose wrongdoing from within
    • Politics Regional, National, International – Government accountability at every level
    • Wartime/Military – Investigations into conflicts and military institutions
    • \Health and Medicine – Medical investigations and healthcare system accountability and interest stories
    • Nature and the Environment – Environmental science and conservation investigations and interest stories
    • Pop Culture, Social Issues, Current Events – Contemporary cultural criticism and social analysis
    • Home & Garden – Largely interest stories focused on how-to home changes and possible investigations that can result

    Like the sections of a great newspaper, these categories ensure that no corner of society escapes the scrutiny that democracy requires.

    Other August Non-Fiction Opportunities

    The Nellie Bly Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of narrative non-fiction, all closing at the end of August:

    September’s non-fiction divisions include Instruction and Insight (I&I), Harvey Chute, and Mind & Spirit Awards.

    Looking at Investigative Excellence

    Check out some of these powerful investigative works we’ve celebrated recently!

    You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live Cover

    You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live
    By Paul Kix

    Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novel You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.

    This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.

    When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.

    The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.

    Read More Here

    Delaware from Freeways to E-Ways Cover

    Delaware from Freeways to E-Ways
    By Dave Tabler

    Dave Tabler’s Delaware from Freeways to E-Ways presents a nonlinear kaleidoscope view of Delaware’s twentieth-century history, braiding together snapshots of the state through a variety of lenses.

    By dissecting the history of the state’s education system, economy, politics, war, technology, social dynamics, religion, agriculture, and conservation of the natural world, this book becomes a patchwork quilt of Delaware’s contributions to recent American history.

    Tabler strategically places historical images throughout the first half of the book to help paint a vivid picture of what Delaware life has been like across the years. The second half of the book then expounds on every snapshot, allowing the reader to pursue the parts that most interest them. Tabler concludes each of these deeper dives by describing the impacts on present-day Delaware and America. These threads of connection to current events help the reader find meaning within the overall arc of history.

    Read More Here

    Italians in the Pacific Northwest Cover

    Italians in the Pacific Northwest
    By Tessa Floreano

    Tessa Floreano’sItalians in the Pacific Northwest is an inviting pictorial narrative featuring both ordinary and extraordinary individuals of Italian heritage who helped to create and develop Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

    Concentrating on the decades from 1880 to 1950, Floreano begins by referencing the earliest Italian explorers of the Pacific Northwest Territory, then quickly moves to the efforts of those who sought a better life through hard work and new opportunities on American shores.

    Floreano’s research shows through the fascinating details of this book.

    She includes stories, photographs, and memorabilia to highlight both the struggles and triumphs of these pioneering Italian Americans. From the backbreaking labor of building the road and rail infrastructure that connected this new land, to working in the coal mines, logging and milling the giant cedars, farming the soil, fishing the waters, and becoming savvy entrepreneurs, these people proved a hearty, steadfast bunch.

    Read More Here

    I Am a Prisoner of Hope Cover

    I Am a Prisoner of Hope
    By Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, Ph.D.

    Author Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, PhD, states in the very title of this book, I Am a Prisoner of Hope. He goes on to explain why this is the case and why hope is central to our beingness.

    A Maasai originally from Tanzania and one of three boys in a family with eight children, Lotegeluaki has been living in the United States for many years and has seen much good and much bad, in the country and around the world. In defiance of social inequality and bigotry, Lotegelauki maintains a strong belief in human unity, “Day and night I am reminded of the fact that we as human beings, regardless of culture, language, religion, gender, skin color or social economic status, are all under God’s huge canopy, and we are convincingly related.” He reminds us, “You may not look exactly like me, but rest assured, we are not just related, but more importantly, we are siblings.”

    Lotegeluaki tells the reader his experiences, the histories of places he has lived and the people he has met, and observes what each has to teach and offer humanity. He remains dedicated to the pursuit of togetherness within diversity, no matter our differences. In Chapter Four, “Grandmother’s Quilt,” he uses the metaphor of a handmade quilt with emotional overtones and ties to explain human nature and all that it entails.

    Read More Here

    Saints and Soldiers Cover

    Saints and Soldiers
    By Rita Katz

    To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.

    Katz– executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”

    Throughout Saints and Soldiers, Katz uses her decades of intensive experience to describe how a new generation of internet-born white supremacist movements followed the same trajectory as ISIS. She exposes the network of threads that link white supremacist violence such as the Christchurch massacre of 2019 to their origins on messaging platforms such as 8chan, Discord, Stormfront, and Telegram. Indoctrinating vulnerable minds with extremist neo-Nazi ideology, these violent groups use a “screw your optics” mantra that celebrates gruesome violence and the “saints” and “martyrs” that drive their hateful cause.

    Read More Here

    These works demonstrate how great investigative journalism combines rigorous research with compelling storytelling to create accountability and change.

    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    The CIBAs offer multiple levels of recognition designed to augment your digital footprint and provide long-tail marketing that makes you easier for readers to find. Each reward builds on the previous and continues promotion:

    • Long List: Recognition across our website, newsletter, and social media
    • Short List/Semi-Finalist: Digital badges and promotional stickers
    • Finalists: Conference discounts, review discounts, certificates, and genre-specific badges
    • First Place Winners: Coveted Chanticleer Blue Ribbon, premium review discounts, lifetime Roost membership discount, and year-round promotion
    • Grand Prize Winners: Awarded Editorial Book Review and Author Interview, featured on Awards page all year, promoted in Hall of Fame articles for five years
    • Overall Grand Prize Winner: $1000 cash prize

    The Nellie Bly Awards provide recognition for work that often takes years to complete and may challenge powerful interests who would prefer these stories remain untold. Whether you’re a professional journalist, academic researcher, or citizen investigator, these awards celebrate the courage and persistence required to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to those who need advocates.

    Carry Forward the Legacy

    In Nellie Bly’s tradition, the best investigative journalism requires both courage and compassion—the bravery to challenge systems and the empathy to understand how those systems affect real people. Your investigation, your exposé, your carefully researched account of injustice or corruption could be the story that creates change, demands accountability, or gives voice to those who have been silenced.

    Nellie Bly Awards

    Honor Nellie Bly’s legacy of fearless truth-telling—the deadline is August 31, 2025!

    You know you want it…

    Submit to the Nellie Bly Awards today and help us celebrate journalism that changes the world!

  • The 2025 Hearten Hall of Fame for Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction

    Take a deep breath and smile

    A book covered in flower petals with the pages formed into a heart

    The Hearten Awards are here to bring you joy, and maybe a few tears with some of these excellent books

    **Your Story is Worth Sharing**

    You have until August 31st to share your uplifting memoir with us and enter the 2025 CIBAs!

    Enter by August 31, 2025

    Uplifting and heartwarming work is a vanishingly rare thing these days, and we love having an Awards Division that can inspire readers and writers alike. The Hearten Awards seeks true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences, travel, personal journeys, global enlightenment, and more.

    Join us in celebrating the Hall of Fame for Grand Prize Winners of the Hearten Awards!

    Elk Love cover by Lynne Spriggs O'Connor

    Elk Love: A Montana Memoir
    By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor

    Our review for the newest Hearten Grand Prize Winner is still upcoming. In the meantime, here is what some GoodReads readers have to say:

    This is a must-read for everyone who loves nature and farm life. The author adequately describes her feelings, and I felt like I was right there, hearing, seeing, and feeling everything she was talking about. A memoir not to forget.” -Ineke

    If you’re looking for an action-packed thriller, this is not it, but if you seek a slow, mind-soothing antidote to the craziness of the world, try this memoir. It’s simply beautiful in every way, the language, the setting, the message, and yes, the love. The author, then single and in her early forties, comes to Great Falls, Montana to build a museum exhibit. She meets Harrison, a widowed cattle rancher who is often rude and closed off. They slowly bond over a shared love of the land and all the beings that live there. If you have ever marveled at the colors and patterns on the feathers of a wild bird or felt blessed to see a herd of wild elk, this book is for you. If you have no experience with nature, it will reveal a new world, even if you’re reading it on your Kindle in a crowded city coffee shop. Give your brain a spa day and read this book.” -Sue

    OMG! I was so taken with this book that I had trouble putting it down. I didn’t look at it as a memoir, but I love story. The way Lynne describes life in Montana, I felt I was walking beside her. I really hope you keep writing, although it seems life is pretty busy on the ranch. I have never thought much about visiting Montana, but after reading your story, I would love to see it for myself, but only if I could experience the gift through nature and not guided tours. Thank you so much for sharing your fears and joys with me!” -Jeanie

    Find more from this author on her website

    Buy the Book

    Running Away from the Circus Cover

    Running Away from the Circus
    By Nove Meyers

    Debut author Nove Meyers breathes life into the big tent of human aspirations and desperations, from his birth into a raucous circus atmosphere to his diligent study for Catholic priesthood.

    Running Away from the Circus is a vibrant chronicle that opens with a vignette of his grandmother, clad in sequins and flying on a trapeze. She spun like a top to enthusiastic applause under the circus tent, until the fateful day when she included her young child in the act, dropping her thirty feet to the sawdust-covered floor below. But this did not prevent Nove Meyers from being born and having a story to tell.

    The boyhood described was as wild as the circus acts. He was encouraged to smoke cigarettes like his father and watched in astonishment as his mother burned up paper money, possibly to protect his uncle, a counterfeiter. Yet despite his unusual upbringing as one of the family’s third generation of circus owners, Meyers was taken regularly to Catholic church services. There, he discovered God, an entity as mysterious as the traveling circus and carnie crowds he was raised among.

    Read more here!

    Inner Trek Cover

    INNER TREK – a reluctant pilgrim to the Himalayas
    By Mohan Ranga Rao

    A disinclined traveler journeys into the heartland of the revered Mount Kalash Parikarma in Tibet. Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao follows a voyage that culminates in self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment.

    Mohan Ranga Rao, a retired Indian businessman, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when a ruthless Bangalore mob boss threatens him to sell his land at a throwaway price. The situation escalates when he discovers that his trusted lawyer has joined forces with the enemy. He can only turn to his wife for solace.

    With nothing for him to do about his land, Rao vows to trek around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain. This travel memoir traces his and his wife’s journey to the deified Himalayas, the land of Lord Shiva. Rao shares intimate details of his experience, including the spiritual transformation that he went through during his challenging high-altitude trek.

    Read more here!

    DAWGS Cover

    DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them
    by Diane Trull & Meredith Wargo

    We love our dogs. We love our cats. But what do we do when people no longer want them, use them for cruel purposes, or release them into the streets with no thought for what will happen to them? Diane Trull’s memoir with Meredith Wargo, DAWGS, shines a light on these questions.

    Trull begins the story as a fourth-grade teacher in Dalhart, Texas. One of her young students asks about an article in a local paper showing photos of adorable dogs at a shelter who were up for adoption, wondering what happened to those who weren’t adopted.

    Instead of dodging the question, and with great trepidation, she answered it with the truth: those who weren’t adopted would be put to sleep. Her tiny students were understandably shocked. Then one of them said, “I don’t want any of those dogs to die. Isn’t there something we can do to save them?”

    Read more here!

    Love Life & Lucille Cover

    Love, Life, and Lucille
    By Judy Gaman

    Award-winning author, motivational speaker, and podcast host Judy Gaman befriends a fun-loving and feisty centenarian in her CIBA Grand Prize-winning novel, Love, Life, and Lucille.

    The list of titles and accolades Judy Gaman has accrued begin to pale when she encounters Lucille Fleming for the very first time. The whole reason for the meet-up with the centenarian was specifically to get her opinions on “aging gracefully,” the featured topic of a new book Judy planned to write. What was scheduled as an hour-long interview turned into an absolutely delightful, near three-hour visit. Lucille turned the tables and began asking questions about Judy’s life with compelling earnestness—something Judy rarely experienced. She was unprepared yet exhilarated.

    Judy couldn’t stop thinking about this “dressed to the nines” woman with an ear-to-ear smile and a sturdy, affectionate hug. Her contact with this larger-than-life woman was so infectious, Judy made up an excuse—so that she could see her again. During that second meeting, the two became fast friends as they set Fridays aside as their day to get together. Before their next planned meeting, Judy learned that Lucille had gone into cardiac arrest. She was dead for three minutes before she came back full of vim and vigor as if nothing had happened. Five months later, Lucille was more than ready for TV interviews. With that, Judy made plans to write a second book about Lucille and their relationship.

    Read more here!


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

    The Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards Overall Grand Prize sticker for the CIBAs

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

    The Blue and Gold Best Book Awards for the CIBAs
    You know you want it…

     

  • The 2024 Hearten First Place Roundup for Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction

    The Hearten Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Lynne Spriggs O’Connor’s book, Elk Love will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Hearten contest page year ’round!

    The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!

    The 2024 Hearten Winners were announced at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

    Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place Hearten Winners!

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Genét Simone – Teaching in the Dark

    Teaching in the Dark Cover

    Also the 2024 Chanticleer Cover Design Grand Prize Winner for Non-Fiction!

    A young teacher buys a one-way ticket to Shishmaref, Alaska. Within minutes of landing, she finds herself dealing with unexpected, rustic accommodations, and the culture shock of living in a remote Iñuit community. She relies on her courage, resilience, and wit while enduring freezing temperatures, power outages, loneliness, and first-year teacher anxieties and missteps, but eventually realizes that those challenges pale in comparison to the life lessons she learns about the heart of teaching—lessons from her students, their culture, and their community, on the vast, windy landscape at the edge of the Chukchi Sea.

    From Chanticleer:

    How does place shape who we are—and who we’ll become? In this memoir, Teaching in the Dark, Genét Simone puts that question to the test by recounting her first year as a teacher.

    The initial year of teaching is never an easy feat, but for Simone it was especially challenging, and transformative. She spent it with Native students in the remote island village of Shishmaref, on the Arctic edge of Alaska—no small wonder the school year became an unforgettable one.

    Today, Simone has decades of teaching experience to draw upon. Yet, in this memoir she rarely employs her present voice to reflect on the past. Instead, the narrator remains in the moment: a young and inexperienced Simone, who only knows that she feels destined to be a teacher. When she signs up for the Shishmaref teaching job, she doesn’t even realize that it’s on an island.

    Equipped with snow boots and passion, she arrives on the island only to realize just how unprepared she is.

    Read More Here!

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    David Hutton – Drums of a Distant Tribe

    This is a true-life story of a crusader for peace amid the backdrop of war and personal loss. You will be captivated as you experience the poetry of life and discover an amazing intervention revealing the Afterlife.

    Walk slowly lest you miss your turn in the forest.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Etsuko Diamond Miyagi – Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan

    DIAMOND: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan tells the tale of a small girl orphaned in a hostile foreign country, who must live by her wits and courage until fate decides to favor her many years later.

    Told in the thrilling voice of an expert storyteller, this memoir reads like page-turner fiction yet is factual down to the letter. It is a compassionate look into human hearts under the worst of conditions, and at what a gentle soul will do to protect the people she loves.

    Set in the Philippines near the end of the Second World War, DIAMOND rolls back the curtain on a time and place about which little has been written. It is history. It is drama. It is a story of personal triumph.

    From Chanticleer:

    In a world ravaged by conflict and loss, Etsuko Diamond Miyagi’s memoir, Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan is a shining testament to the beauty of love and the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity.

    Etsuko enjoys a peaceful childhood on the Philippine island of Mindanao, where her father owns an abacá plantation. But they are not safe when guerilla forces destroy her village murdering everyone and leaving her as the sole survivor. This deeply personal narrative of grief chronicles Etsuko’s harrowing journey to find solace and joy after the death of her parents.

    At first, passed from house to house, Etsuko is forced to work as a domestic servant until a kind family takes her in. However, her safety and survival is once again in danger when she’s forced to leave her adopted family and take a position at Chief Doming Apostol’s estate in Magpet. It is there Etsuko receives the name ‘Diamond.’

    Diamond works for years in the Apostol household where not all is terrible. She forms a loving bond as the caretaker for the youngest of the children. When their father is imprisoned, the household falls apart, but Diamond stays.

    Read More Here!

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Rachael Siddoway and Sonja Wasden – An Impossible Life: A True Story of Hope and Mental Illness

    Also a 2024 Journey First Place Winner!

    An award-winning and best-selling memoir, An Impossible Life, tells the powerful true account of one woman’s descent into depressive and manic episodes and how she found lifesaving therapy and medication to overcome and triumph. When thirty-five-year-old Sonja Wasden is involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital by her husband and father, she is sure it is a mistake. Wife of a CEO, mother of three, and living in a beautiful suburb, Sonja’s life appears ideal. How did she get here?
    In this gripping and breathtaking narrative that makes the reader feel as though they are listening in on a private conversation, Sonja reveals her delusions and battles with mental illness, motherhood, and marriage. When all hope seems lost, this true story of perseverance is inspiring and unforgettable.

    An Impossible Life is a lighthouse of hope for those facing an all-consuming mental illness, either for themselves or for someone they love.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Susan Cole – Holding Fast: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss

    HOLDING FAST: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss is the story of leaving everything behind to follow her husband’s lifelong dream of sailing away. Many people dream of escaping reality but few actually go.
     
    Blond, blue-eyed, irreverent John bursts into Susan’s life in her twenties with a dream of sailing off. Susan dreams of settling down and doesn’t want to go. A three-year voyage with their young daughter profoundly changes their lives. A gripping adventure story and an inspirational memoir of finding our power in the unlikeliest of places.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Tony Jeton Selimi – The Unfakeable Code®

    The Unfakeable Code(R) Take Back Control, Lead Authentically and Live Freely on Your Terms.

    Meticulously researched and written by Tony Jeton Selimi, The Unfakeable Code(R) explores the fierce scientific, psychological, leadership and business impact of wearing ‘masks’, feeling stuck, powerless, out of control, and being a people pleaser, disengaged and unproductive at home and work – a growing problem in a fast-paced world full of expectations, information overload, fake news and uncertainty, which will leave behind a cosmic trail of mental health issues, acute social confusion and a significant rise in unemployment.

    Empowering readers to redefine themselves and overcome the adversity, anxiety and stagnancy likely blighting their lives, Selimi truly breaks new ground in a volume that gives you the clarity, the hope, and the code to own your power and continue to evolve into the authentic, unfakeable leader you were born to be. The Unfakeable Code(R) offers a fresh and robust five-step methodology for business, personal or professional transformation. It assists in upgrading your psychology and harmonising body-mind-heart intelligence so it can deal with any form of anxiety, conflict, and stress.

    Throughout the book, Tony J. Selimi shares inspiring actual client stories who have used the five principles to successfully liberate themselves from the emotional baggage and distress by fully completing the five-step method. It’s also been a hit among critics, too, with one recently writing, “The worldview developed here transcends science, dogma, and belief, giving readers a new code to reconnect with their true, authentic individual and the Divine within that knows how to take back control, lead authentically and live freely on your terms.” Foreword written by Dr John Demartini, a World Renown Human Behavioural Specialist.

    Find it on Amazon!


    Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2024 Hearten First Place Winners!

    Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards!

    The tiers of achievement for the CIBAs

    Got a great Fiction Book? The 2025 Hearten Book Awards are open through the end of August!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest
    Submit to the Hearten Awards Today!
  • The 2025 Hearten Spotlight for Inspiring and Uplifting Non-Fiction

    Where Hope Meets the Written Word!

    The Hearten Awards Celebrate Stories That Inspire and Heal

    The submissions for the 2025 Awards are underway and Hearten closes on August 31, 2025!

    In a world that often feels overwhelming, there’s profound power in stories that remind us of human goodness, resilience, and the possibility of transformation. The Hearten Awards—a wonderful offshoot of our Journey Awards—celebrate the uplifting and inspiring non-fiction narratives that restore faith, spark hope, and illuminate the bright threads woven through even the most challenging experiences.

    While our Journey Awards honor the courage to transform pain into purpose, the Hearten Awards recognize stories that already shine with light—memoirs of healing, guides to personal growth, family chronicles that celebrate love, and adventures that remind us why life is worth living fully. These are the books that leave readers feeling more hopeful about the world and their place in it.

    The Healing Power of Hopeful Stories

    Coffee with heart in red dishware

    Inspirational non-fiction serves a vital role in our literary landscape, offering readers not just entertainment but genuine nourishment for the spirit. These stories matter because they show us what’s possible when we choose hope over despair, connection over isolation, and growth over stagnation.

    Whether it’s a memoir of someone finding love later in life, a humorous look at family dynamics that celebrates rather than criticizes, or practical wisdom delivered with warmth and encouragement, Hearten Award submissions share a common thread: they make the world feel a little brighter. In times when positive news feels rare, these stories become beacons of possibility.

    The best uplifting non-fiction doesn’t ignore life’s challenges—it shows how those challenges can become catalysts for joy, connection, and personal transformation. These authors understand that hope is not naive optimism, but rather the hard-won wisdom that comes from choosing to see possibility even in difficult circumstances.

    Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!

    Elk Love cover by Lynne Spriggs O'Connor

    We’re delighted to honor Lynne Spriggs O’Connor, whose beautiful memoir Elk Love: A Montana Memoir claimed the 2024 Hearten Grand Prize with a story that perfectly embodies the transformative power of following your heart toward healing. At forty-two, Lynne left her East Coast life behind to pursue her dream of deeper connection with nature in Montana’s Big Sky Country, finding unexpected love with Harrison, a rancher thirteen years her senior.

    Elk Love chronicles how loneliness can give way to wonder when we’re brave enough to listen—to nature, to others, and to our own hearts. With her dog Willow as companion, Lynne discovers “a wild language that moves beyond words” in the seasonal rhythms of ranch life. In addition to ongoing promotional features, Elk Love will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Lynne Spriggs O’Connor will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Elk Love will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.

    Categories That Celebrate Every Path to Inspiration

    The Hearten Awards welcome uplifting stories across a diverse range of approaches and themes:

    • Humorous – Stories that find joy and laughter in life’s absurdities, proving that humor can be profoundly healing
    • Motivational – Narratives that inspire readers to pursue their dreams, overcome obstacles, and believe in their potential
    • Advice/Inspiration – Wisdom-filled works that offer practical guidance delivered with warmth and encouragement
    • Family and Chosen Family – Celebrations of the relationships that sustain us, whether biological or built through choice and love
    • Self-Discovery/Coming-of-Age – Journeys of personal growth that inspire readers to embrace their own transformation

    Each category represents a different pathway to inspiration, united by the belief that our stories have the power to encourage, heal, and uplift others.

    Other August Non-Fiction Opportunities

    The words "Non-Fiction CIBA Divisions Because truth Matters" over the pages of a book

    The Hearten Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of narrative non-fiction, all closing at the end of August:

    Journey Awards – Courageous stories of overcoming adversity and transforming trauma into purpose

    Nellie Bly Awards – Investigative journalism and exposé works that uncover important truths

    Military & Front Line Awards – Stories of military service and front-line experiences

    September non-fiction divisions include: Instruction and Insight (I&I), Harvey Chute, and Mind & Spirit Awards.

    Looking at Stories That Inspire

    Check out some of these uplifting works we’ve celebrated recently that showcase the power of hopeful storytelling!

    A Path to Excellence
    By Tony Jeton Selimi

    A Hearten First Place Winner!

    On the belief that life isn’t just the random cards one is dealt, A Path to Excellence by Tony Jeton Selimi offers a blueprint—the octagon of excellence—to succeed personally, professionally, and spiritually.

    Transcending the pitfalls and spontaneous stumbling blocks along the path of life can open the door to self-actualization and progression. As someone who experienced bullying, sexual abuse, early disability, and homelessness, Selimi sets on to become a beacon of light to the hopeless and marginalized.

    Within each soul lies a bud of genius waiting to blossom. This book focuses on purpose, vision, and persistence to clear the way to that fullest potential. Affirming challenges as immutable truths of life, Selimi employs Buddhist teaching and personal anecdotes to encourage a head-on confrontation with one’s struggles and promotes a feeling of gratitude. As a blend of philosophical wisdom and practical experience, the initial chapters help readers acknowledge their current life situation, perceiving challenges as epochs of potential.

    Read More Here

    Running Away from the Circus Cover

    Running Away From The Circus
    By Nove Meyers

    Heartens 2023 Grand Prize Winner!

    Debut author Nove Meyers breathes life into the big tent of human aspirations and desperations, from his birth into a raucous circus atmosphere to his diligent study for Catholic priesthood.

    Running Away from the Circus is a vibrant chronicle that opens with a vignette of his grandmother, clad in sequins and flying on a trapeze. She spun like a top to enthusiastic applause under the circus tent, until the fateful day when she included her young child in the act, dropping her thirty feet to the sawdust-covered floor below. But this did not prevent Nove Meyers from being born and having a story to tell.

    The boyhood described was as wild as the circus acts. He was encouraged to smoke cigarettes like his father and watched in astonishment as his mother burned up paper money, possibly to protect his uncle, a counterfeiter. Yet despite his unusual upbringing as one of the family’s third generation of circus owners, Meyers was taken regularly to Catholic church services. There, he discovered God, an entity as mysterious as the traveling circus and carnie crowds he was raised among.

    Read More Here

    The Best I Can Do Cover

    The Best I Can Do
    By Cheryl Landes

    Cheryl Landes’s The Best I Can Do: A True Story of Navigating the Complexities of Mental Illness and Homelessness, follows the devastation of a happy marriage as mental illness slowly takes over the mind of her husband. Landes must then make the journey back to peace.

    Cheryl and her husband, Tom, had known each other since their college days. A classic love story, Landes does a beautiful job with the set up, and then delivers the tragedy of Tom’s spiral into paranoia as their plans for the future begin to fall apart.

    The Best I Can Do tells the story of what happens when Tom insists someone is trailing him, believing a car passes by his and Cheryl’s home every day even though no one else sees it. He claims someone installed listening devices in their house and refuses to speak unless his white-noise devices are on. As his paranoia increases he locks the refrigerator with a chain and a padlock to protect himself from the certainty someone—perhaps Cheryl—wants to poison him.

    Read More Here

    Teaching in the Dark Cover

    Teaching in the Dark
    By Genet Simone

    A Hearten First Place Winner and Cover Design Grand Prize Winner!

    How does place shape who we are—and who we’ll become? In this memoir, Teaching in the Dark, Genét Simone puts that question to the test by recounting her first year as a teacher.

    The initial year of teaching is never an easy feat, but for Simone it was especially challenging, and transformative. She spent it with Native students in the remote island village of Shishmaref, on the Arctic edge of Alaska—no small wonder the school year became an unforgettable one.

    Today, Simone has decades of teaching experience to draw upon. Yet, in this memoir she rarely employs her present voice to reflect on the past. Instead, the narrator remains in the moment: a young and inexperienced Simone, who only knows that she feels destined to be a teacher. When she signs up for the Shishmaref teaching job, she doesn’t even realize that it’s on an island.

    Equipped with snow boots and passion, she arrives on the island only to realize just how unprepared she is.

    Read More Here

    Fishing with Hyenas Cover

    Fishing With Hyenas
    By Theresa Mathews

    A Journey First Place Winner!

    Theresa Mathews’ memoir, Fishing with Hyenas, is filled with adventure, love, and the spirit of an explorer, all on the high seas. In the audio version, the author herself tells this gripping story of love and death, grief and recovery.

    Mathews begins the book in a place most difficult for her. She takes us through her emotional devastation at the news of her husband’s death. We see all the stages of her grief from the initial call: denial, disbelief, bargaining, and finally acceptance. Readers will be hooked in the first chapter.

    She then deftly fills in the gaps with the backstory of how she met her husband Bart, their first date, their decision to commit to one another, and her first time she went for a ride on his Harley. These are often hilarious recaps of her anger and frustration, and her examination of what this relationship with a man who loved the sea would mean for her city-girl life.

    Mathews alternates between the present and past with perfect pacing, giving readers a balance between the immersion in and relief from the intense emotion of her husband’s unexpected death.

    Read More Here

    These stories demonstrate how the best inspirational non-fiction creates genuine connection between author and reader, offering both comfort and motivation for life’s journey.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re honored to receive the hopeful stories that authors trust us with each year. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!

    The Hearten Awards provide recognition for the often-undervalued but deeply important work of creating hope through storytelling. Whether you’re sharing your own journey of transformation, offering wisdom gained through experience, or simply celebrating the beauty you’ve found in life, these awards honor the courage it takes to choose optimism and share light with the world.

    Your Story of Hope Matters

    In a time when the world needs more hope, your uplifting story could be exactly what someone needs to hear. Whether it’s a memoir of healing, a humorous look at family life, or practical wisdom delivered with warmth, your positive narrative has the power to encourage, inspire, and heal.

    Share your story of hope and healing—the deadline is August 31, 2025!

    You know you want it…

    Submit to the Hearten Awards today and help us celebrate the transformative power of uplifting stories!

  • The 2024 CIBAs Grand Prize Winners for Non-Fiction, Shorts, Series, and the Brand New CCDAs!

    A Huge Congratulations to all of the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (CIBAs) Division Non-Fiction, Book Series, SEA Shorts, and CCDAs Grand Prize Winners!

    Every tier of the CIBAs is an important one, though few rise to be one of the coveted Division Grand Prize Winners!

    All First Place and Grand Prize winners were announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference at the CIBAs Ceremonies on Saturday, April 5th at the Chanticleer Banquet.

    Let’s take a step back and look at where we came from to make this happen.

    A pyramid showing the different levels of CIBA Achievement

    Want to join in the fun? Submit to the 2025 CIBAs today!

    Now, presenting the Non-Fiction Awards Grand Prize Winners!

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 I&I Awards is:

    Success with Hydrangeas

    A Gardeners Guide

    Lorraine Ballato

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Nellie Bly Awards

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 NELLIE BLY Awards is:

    The Sing Sing Files

    One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a 20 Year Fight for Justice

    Dan Slepian

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 HARVEY CHUTE Awards is:

    Stop Worrying about Money

    by Jacqui Clarke

    Stop Worrying About Money Cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 MIND & SPIRIT Awards is:

    Naked in the Now

    Juicy Practices for Getting Present

    By Marijke McCandless

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 HEARTEN Awards is:

    Elk Love

    A Montana Memoir

    By Lynne Spriggs O’Connor
    Elk Love cover by Lynne Spriggs O'Connor

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 MILITARY & FRONT LINE Awards is:

    Memoirs From The Frontlines

    Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic

    by Kim Sloan
    Memoirs from the Frontlines cover by Kim Sloan

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 JOURNEY Awards is:

    Unfollow Me

    by Kathryn Caraway

    Red, Black, White, book, cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Now, presenting the Shorts & Series Awards Grand Prize Winners!

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SHORTS Awards for Novellas and Long Prose:

    Something About Lizzy

    by Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi

    Something About Lizzy cover by Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi

     

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SHORTS Awards for Short Stories and Essays is:

    Dream Rut

    Navigating Your Path Forward

    by Dr Yumiko Shimabukuro
    illustrated by Jieyu Deng

    Dream Rut Navigating Your Path Forward cover by Yumiko Shimabukuro

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    A stack of books flying into the blue sky for the Book Series Awards

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 SERIES Awards is:

    A Vengeful Realm

    by Tim Facciola

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Last, but certainly not least! The DEBUT Chanticleer Cover Design Award Winners for Fiction and Non-Fiction!

    Our First ever Grand Prize Cover Design Award Winner for Fiction is

    Luna

    By Strider S.R. Klusman

    Our First ever Grand Prize Cover Design Award Winner for Non-Fiction is

    Teaching in the Dark

    By Genét Simone


    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 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Winners at CAC25
    The 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Winners!

    A Brown lower case g -- the goodreads logo

    Make sure your Award gets the attention it deserves on Goodreads.com 

    In the Librarian Manual on Goodreads, you can go to your Book Edit Page — Literary Awards.

    You want to list the Award for Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) Winners, and be sure to include the year and what place you received. For example:

    The year Long List, Short List, Semi-Finalist, Finalist, First Place, Division Grand Prize, or Overall Grand Prize Winner

    Note from Goodreads: “To add a new award or edit an existing award, you’ll need help from one of our volunteer librarians or a staff member.” For assistance, post in the Goodreads Librarians Group.

    Always double check that you’ve written everything correctly before posting it. The search function for Awards on Goodreads is both case and punctuation sensitive.


    The Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2024 CIBAs was Reenita Malhotra Hora‘s Book Vermilion Harvest: Playtime at the Bagh

    A Blue Button that invites you to enter the CIBAs saying "Enter Here to Win Book Awards Learn More"

    A Wreath with the words "CAC 2025" on it to celebrate the Chanticleer Author's Conference!

    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.

    Chanticleer Authors Conference, people, CAC2025

    • See Non-Fiction, Series, and Shorts Grand Prize Winners here!
    • See the Official Overall Grand Prize winner Post here!

    You can see all our Amazing Finalists below:

    Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    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!

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

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

    A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting in May. 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 2024 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.

    The Chanticleer Team

  • The 2024 CIBAs I&I WINNERS for Instructional and Insightful Non-Fiction

    The 2024 CIBAs I&I WINNERS for Instructional and Insightful Non-Fiction

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA BadgeThe I & I Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Instruction and Insight non-fiction that are self-help, how-to, guides, or explanatory. In non-fiction works, the author assumes responsibility (in good faith) for the truth, accuracy, people, places, or information presented.  The I & I Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best Instruction and Insight books featuring How-To, Guidance, Travel Guides, Cookbooks, Self-Help, and more. We will put books about true and inspiring stories to the test and choose the best among them. See our full list of Non-Fiction Divisions here. 

     1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners were announced at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony by Leslie Liautaud on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 at the Bellingham Yacht Club in beautiful Bellingham, Wash. The CIBA Banquet and Ceremonies were sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    This is the OFFICIAL 2024 LIST of the I&I BOOK AWARDS for Instruction & Insight First Place Category Winners and the I&I Grand Prize Winner.

     

    Instruction & Instight Blue and Gold 1st Place Badge

    Join us in celebrating the following authors and their works in the 2024 CIBAs.

    • Margaret C Beeler – Tropetails: A Cocktail and Mocktail Book for Bookworms

    • Tania Israel – Facing the Fracture How To Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation

    • Katherine Fabrizio – The Good Daughter Syndrome: Help For Empathic Daughters of Narcissistic, Borderline, or Difficult Mothers Trapped in the Role of the Good Daughter

    • Bob Dahms, MBA, CPA, CMA – Let’s Talk About This: 50 Things You Need to Know About Starting and Managing a Small Business

    • Douglas A. Burton – The Heroine’s Labyrinth: Archetypal Designs in Heroine-Led Fiction

    • Jacqui Clarke – Stop Worrying about Money

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2024 I&I Awards is:

    Success with Hydrangeas a Gardener’s Guide

    by Lorraine Ballato

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    You can see all of our amazing 2024 I&I Finalists! Congratulations to all and thank you for submitting!
    Well done climbing the CIBA Levels of Achievement!

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    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!

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

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook. Our handle is @ChantiReviews

    A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting in May. 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.

    NOTE: We will post at least two 2024 CIBA Divisions’ OFFICIAL Winners per business day starting April 14, 2025. We do a final sweep and reconciliation prior to making the Official CIBA Posts for the 2023 First Place and Grand Prize Winners. We thank  you in advance for your patience and understanding. There are many moving parts involved with the Chanticleer International Book Awards Program.

    Thank you for participating in the 2023 CIBAs! We are looking forward to reading your future entries.

    The Chanticleer Team