Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: The Long Desert Road

The 2022 CIBAs Finalists CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs)

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs). We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Chatelaine Romantic Fiction Semi-Finalists to the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards FINALISTS. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the First Place and Grand Prize Winners of the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following Finalist authors on the and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.
- Reenita Malhotra Hora – Operation Mom
- Valerie Taylor – What’s Not True
- Evie Alexander – Kissing Games
- Tonya Ulynn Brown – The King’s Inquisitor
- Carol Van Den Hende – Orchid Blooming
- Linda Cardillo – A Place of Refuge
- KC Cowan – The Bennets: Providence & Perception
- M. I. Dugast – Ekstasis – The Return of the Sovereign Heart
- Josanna Thompson – A Maiden’s Journey
- Wendy Rich Stetson – Hometown
- Marie Jones – Those We Trust
- T.K. Conklin – Outlaw’s Redemption
- Kathleen Stone – Tell Me You Love Me
- Suzanne Smith – Lilah’s Limit
- Eve M. Riley – The Refusal
- Michael Chatlien – Northern Lights
- S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian
- Gail Meath – Agustina de Aragón
- Gail Hertzog – Crossing the Ford
- Kelly Miller – Captive Hearts
- J Fremont – Magician of Light
- Alice McVeigh – Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation
- Joy Ross Davis – The Hit Man’s Wife
- Cheri Champagne – The Charming Spy
- E.E. Burke – Tom Sawyer Returns
PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CHATELAINE Awards is:
The Long Desert Road

by Alex Sirotkin

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
February 28, 2023
The 2022 CIBAs Semi-Finalists CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs). We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Chatelaine Romantic Fiction Short List to the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards SEMI-FINALISTS. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction!

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

Reenita Malhotra Hora – Operation Mom

Valerie Taylor – What’s Not True

Evie Alexander – Kissing Games

Tonya Ulynn Brown – The King’s Inquisitor

Carol Van Den Hende – Orchid Blooming

Linda Cardillo – A Place of Refuge

KC Cowan – The Bennets: Providence & Perception

M. I. Dugast – Ekstasis – The Return of the Sovereign Heart

Josanna Thompson – A Maiden’s Journey

Wendy Rich Stetson – Hometown

Marie Jones – Those We Trust

T.K. Conklin – Outlaw’s Redemption

Suzanne Smith – Lilah’s Limit

Cinda K. Swalley – The Golden Hearts Club

Emma Lombard – Grace on the Horizon

Eve M. Riley – The Refusal

S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian

Gail Meath – Agustina de Aragón

Gail Hertzog – Crossing the Ford

Kelly Miller – Captive Hearts

J Fremont – Magician of Light

Alice McVeigh – Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation

Joy Ross Davis – The Hit Man’s Wife

Cheri Champagne – To Woo A Troublesome Spy

Cheri Champagne – The Charming Spy

Daniela Valenti – Sentinel 10: The Crystal Skull

E.E. Burke – Tom Sawyer Returns

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CHATELAINEAwards is:

The Long Desert Road

by Alex Sirotkin

See the full list of Chatelaine 2021 Winners here

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 18, 2023
The 2022 CIBAS Short List CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs). We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Chatelaine Romantic Fiction Long List to the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards SHORT LIST. Short Listers below are now in competition for 2022 Chatelaine Semi-Finalists. The Semi-Finalists will compete for the Finalist positions. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALIST of the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction!

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

Reenita Malhotra Hora – Operation Mom

Valerie Taylor – What’s Not True

Evie Alexander – Kissing Games

Tonya Ulynn Brown – The King’s Inquisitor

Anthony R. Licata – Caesar Obsessed: Passion, Conquest, and Tragedy in Gaul

Jacek Waliszewski – Air Boat

Carol Van Den Hende – Orchid Blooming

Linda Cardillo – A Place of Refuge

KC Cowan – The Bennets: Providence & Perception

M. I. Dugast – Ekstasis – The Return of the Sovereign Heart

Amy Schisler – The Good Wine

Josanna Thompson – A Maiden’s Journey

Wendy Rich Stetson – Hometown

Marie Jones – Those We Trust

T.K. Conklin – Outlaw’s Redemption

Debra Whiting Alexander – A River for Gemma

Suzanne Smith – Lilah’s Limit

Cinda K. Swalley – The Golden Hearts Club

Emma Lombard – Grace on the Horizon

Eve M. Riley – The Refusal

S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian

Gail Meath – Agustina de Aragón

Gail Hertzog – Crossing the Ford

Kelly Miller – Captive Hearts

Mary Kolles and Mary James – Cyber Nothing

Mike Owens – It Had to Be You

J Fremont – Magician of Light

E.F. Dodd – Risky Restoration

Alice McVeigh – Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation

Joy Ross Davis – The Hit Man’s Wife

Cheri Champagne – To Woo A Troublesome Spy

Cheri Champagne – The Charming Spy

Daniela Valenti – Sentinel 10: The Crystal Skull

Anna Casamento Arrigo – The Shadow’s Secrets

E.E. Burke – Tom Sawyer Returns

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

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CHATELAINE Awards is:

The Long Desert Road

by Alex Sirotkin

See the full list of Chatelaine 2021 Winners here

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
January 3, 2023
The 2022 CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction – The Long List – CIBAs 2022
The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romantic Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs). We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Chatelaine Romantic Fiction entries to the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for 2022 Chatelaine Shortlist. The Short Listers will compete for the Finalist positions. All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2022 Chatelaine Book Awards novel competition for Romantic Fiction!

Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.
- Jerry Gundersheimer – Reach: A Nexus of Life and Love
- Reenita Malhotra Hora – Operation Mom
- Valerie Taylor – What’s Not True
- Evie Alexander – Kissing Games
- Tonya Ulynn Brown – The King’s Inquisitor
- Anthony R. Licata – Caesar Obsessed: Passion, Conquest, and Tragedy in Gaul
- Jacek Waliszewski – Air Boat
- Susan K. Hamilton – Stone Heart
- Carol Van Den Hende – Orchid Blooming
- Linda Cardillo – A Place of Refuge
- Antonia Gavrihel – Back to One
- KC Cowan – The Bennets: Providence & Perception
- M. I. Dugast – Ekstasis – The Return of the Sovereign Heart
- Amy Schisler – The Good Wine
- Josanna Thompson – A Maiden’s Journey
- Wendy Rich Stetson – Hometown
- D. Lieber – A Very Witchy Yuletide
- Marie Jones – Those We Trust
- T.K. Conklin – Outlaw’s Redemption
- Debra Whiting Alexander – A River for Gemma
- Suzanne Smith – Lilah’s Limit
- Patricia Ann Williams – The Garret on Boulevard Voltaire
- Cinda K. Swalley – The Golden Hearts Club
- Emma Lombard – Grace on the Horizon
- Eve M. Riley – The Refusal
- S.G. Blaise – The Last Lumenian
- Manmohan Sadana – Healing Strings
- Gail Meath – Agustina de Aragón
- Gail Hertzog – Crossing the Ford
- Kelly Miller – Captive Hearts
- Mary Kolles and Mary James – Cyber Nothing
- Mike Owens – It Had to Be You
- J Fremont – Magician of Light
- E.F. Dodd – Risky Restoration
- Clare Flynn – Jasmine in Paris
- Alice McVeigh – Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation
- Joy Ross Davis – The Hit Man’s Wife
- Cheri Champagne – To Woo A Troublesome Spy
- Cheri Champagne – The Charming Spy
- Daniela Valenti – Sentinel 10: The Crystal Skull
- Anna Casamento Arrigo – The Shadow’s Secrets
- E.E. Burke – Tom Sawyer Returns
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS!

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

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

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

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

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

The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 CHATELAINE Awards is:

The Long Desert Road

by Alex Sirotkin

See the full list of Chatelaine 2021 Winners here

We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023.

Please click here for more information.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

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

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

Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!
November 7, 2022
The LONG DESERT ROAD by Alex Sirotkin – Literary, Romantic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

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

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

For twenty years, Henry, a science writer, has been researching a non-fiction book on the universe that he intends to write. Henry’s feeling “bored, boring, and budget-conscious…the trifecta of gloom,” as he puts it. But in the middle of this ennui, his sister-in-law invites him to dinner, along with her divorced friend, Isabel Dalton, an attorney, and “the setup is afoot.”

Meanwhile, Isabel deals with a family crisis. Her daughter Lauren, newly out of rehab, gets into a severe accident with tragic consequences. Determined to stop enabling Lauren, Isabel places her in the Dusty Palms rehab facility for an extended 6-month stay. Lauren struggles through detox and nightmares, therapy sessions and medications, self-destructive escapades, and mother/daughter communications. Lauren’s thinking, actions, and attitude would justify Henry’s subsequent observation that she’s “just your average, somewhat immature, impulsive bipolar twenty two year old with a history of serious trauma, drugs, alcohol and jail.”

In an effortless blend of conversation, humor, and questioning, Henry and Isabel slowly begin to bond.

Their relationship blossoms from sushi dinners and casual banter. Henry’s fascinating diatribes about the cosmos and Isabel’s sharing of her daughter’s cunning, manipulative ways deepen their connection. When Lauren’s sudden, unexpected release from rehab threatens to derail the merging couple’s dream trip to Chile (coinciding with Henry’s last bit of research), Henry convinces Isabel that they should bring Lauren along. Amidst the desolate beauty of the hot Atacama Desert, with an infinite sea of stars and planets shining down upon them, these characters find common ground, coming to terms with their inner struggles.

Sirotkin tells a story richly layered with well-defined characters, an informative narrative, and genuine, probing dialogue. While the characters initially appear in their own chapters, their lives soon become entwined. Multiple subplots quickly move the action forward. The story uncovers a variety of personal and family issues that help these characters recognize their pitfalls. Henry’s enthrallment with the cosmos contrasts Isabel’s frustration and concern for Lauren. Finally, Lauren begins to question her own self-destructive impulses.

Clearly, much research went into this work.

The story’s focus on addiction reflects Sirotkin’s personal experience with a similar family situation. He creatively places this sense of concern within the framework of a scientific perspective. Sirotkin keeps the science complex but understandable. Henry’s enthusiasm about the wonders of the sky spreads to the reader. Atop a mountain observatory, Henry shines as a brilliant researcher who openly recognizes that scientific principles don’t necessarily conflict with faith in God in the search for truth.

The Long Desert Road thoughtfully explores family, friends, relationships, love, loss, and addiction. More importantly, it reveals the minute significance of these intertwining stories within the vast complexity of our star-studded universe. Highly recommended.

Alex Sirotkin’s The Long Desert Road was the 2021 Grand Prize Winner for the Chatelaine Awards.

November 5, 2021