Writing coach, editor, and award-winning author John DeDakis brings his storytelling and editing know-how to CAC2025!
While telling a story is a feat that belongs to the creative mind, an editor relies on both his creative mind and his logical mind to shape a story. Finding strong and vulnerable points in a story isn’t always an easy job, especially when a deadline looms over your head, but when your career has taken you into a busy newsroom like Sr. Editor John DeDakis, you’ll find your story elevated to its highest level in no time at all!
The Path to Network Newsrooms
John DeDakis knows a lot about shaping a story into its finest form. He began his writing career in 1969 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, covering the 1970 anti-Vietnam war riot as a journalist for his campus radio station. He went on to receive his Bachelors of Arts in Journalism, then joined the U.S. Army as a Special Events Reporter at The American Forces Network in Europe where, from 1972-74, he had the opportunity to interview many notable people, including legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock.
DeDakis’s career in news reporting continued after his service when he became a reporter for a local NBC affiliate station in Madison, Wisconsin. That move led to the position of General Assignment Correspondent with CBN News in Virginia, and, eventually to his role as CBN’s White House Correspondent during the last three years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency from 1983 to 1988. Through that position he interviewed two Presidents, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
Into the Editing Room and Onto the Bookshelves
In 1988, DeDakis took his skills to CNN for a 25-year stint as first a writer, then as the writing supervisor of CNN’s “Daybreak.” He also provided copy edits for the network’s major anchors and became the Senior Copy Editor for the Emmy and Peabody-Award winning news program “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
DeDakis hasn’t slowed down since leaving the business of broadcast news. Instead, he transitioned into a career as a novelist and turned his attention full time to creating high-intensity thrillers with his indomitable character Lark Chadwick. Introduced in his debut novel, Fast Track, she is the title character in the Lark Chadwick Mystery series that includes six books and counting.
A Beacon of the Writing Community
With a desire to share his knowledge and experience with other writers, DeDakis has become an invaluable asset to the greater writing community. His writing coach and editing services, his journalism and creative writing workshops, and his podcast offer advice for authors and journalists as they strive to elevate their own writing with the skills DeDakis learned over the course of his career.
DeDakis has racked up a long list of achievements since becoming a published author. He served as the Writer in Residence at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, taught university level writing courses, and was a guest lecturer at American University in Washington, D.C., joining an illustrious list of guest speakers that includes legendary White House Correspondent Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer of CBS News.
Whether he is editing a news story or he’s making news with his growing list of thrillers, John DeDakis is dedicated to bringing clear and concise writing to his fans. Through his training at the news desk, he’s honed his editing skills to a fine point and gained an intuitive sense of how to tell a story that’s as compelling as any news flash you’ll find on the nightly news.
Chanticleer is excited that the accomplished novelist, journalist and editor, John DeDakis, will be joining us this year at CAC2025!
Chanticleer is thrilled to host John DeDakis at theChanticleer Authors Conference (CAC2025)and the International Book Awards (CIBA) on April 3-6, 2025, to share her knowledge with Chanticleer authors.
Don’t miss out on this chance to learn from author, coach, editor, and podcaster John DeDakis!
Thriller and Horror Author Alexandrea Weis sat down for a 10-Question Interview with Chanticleer!
We had the pleasure of speaking with Alexandrea Weis recently. The author of more than a dozen books, her YA Thriller Have You Seen Me? took home the 2022 Clue Grand Prize for Thriller/Suspense. Weis is an award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice register nurse, and historian born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Here’s what we talked about:
Chanticleer: Thank you so much for making the time for this interview. To start, when did you realize you that you were an author?
Weis: Probably after I published my third book. It wasn’t a fluke anymore, and I had readers interested in my stories. I began to believe I could do this professionally. Being an author is really a mindset, but it doesn’t happen overnight. You put your first book on the market and doubt you can do it again. By the third book, you’re looking forward to writing your next story.
Chanticleer: I love the idea of embracing the author mindset and the way in which you slowly build up confidence. What sort of stories do you write? What genre do you write and what led you there?
Weis: Thriller/Horror. It was a progression for me to this genre, but I love the challenge of tying all the elements together and keeping the reader guessing about the outcome. It also allows me to utilize my nursing experience by incorporating forensic aspects that are so important when writing thrillers. In addition, I write about the area where I live, Southeast Louisiana, as often as I can. We have such a rich history that lends itself beautifully to this genre.
You can get a visceral sense of Weis’ genre from the books on her site.
Chanticleer: Thriller and Horror could definitely interact with nursing experience in some fascinating ways. When you’re writing how do you interact with the conventional rules of writing?
Weis: I believe that when you break the rules, you create an exciting and unpredictable story. That doesn’t mean breaking away from the expectations of specific genres—readers expect certain things—but I try to push those boundaries.
Chanticleer: We owe so much innovation to people who push boundaries. What about outside of writing? Tell us a little about your life outside of being an author.
Weis: I’m a permitted and certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, so when I’m not writing, I’m working with orphaned and injured wildlife. With Hurricane Francine passing through our area recently, I’ve been busy with displaced babies after the storm. You haven’t lived until you’re surrounded by hungry baby squirrels. I love working with wildlife and rescuing domestics as well.
Chanticleer: That sounds both adorable and also quite difficult. The number of hurricanes and “once in a lifetime storms” we experience these days is terrible. Sorry for the tangent. How do you come up with your ideas for a story?
Weis: I am constantly coming up with ideas. I can drive to the grocery store and have a new idea for a book series. I love working history into my stories and often find ideas when reviewing Louisiana folklore. I was raised in the French Quarter, so the history of the area has always become ingrained. We lived in an old Creole Cottage with a rich past representing the French and Spanish influences on the city. I was also raised around Cajuns and learned a great deal about tales associated with the swamps, including fanciful legends blended with historical facts. It’s a colorful place to live, and everywhere you turn, there is a terrifying account about a haunted stretch of marshland or the ghostly encounters inside a Creole cottage in the French Quarter. It is fodder for the imagination and has always inspired me to weave the magic of where I live into my books.
Chanticleer: That’s so cool! We just had a post celebrating Anne Rice’s birthday, and I know she grew up in the same area. So, moving from how you come up with your ideas, how structured would you say you are in your writing?
Weis: I usually have a pretty detailed outline, especially when working on a thriller. So many elements need to be addressed and fed into the ending; you need a well-thought-out progression of the storyline. When writing outside of that genre, such as when I’m tackling a romance or paranormal story, I’m not as strict in sticking with my outline.
Chanticleer: I love outlines as suggestions for the path rather than hard and fast. What about craft – how do you grow as an author?
Weis: Take risks. For me that was writing in genres I wasn’t comfortable with. I started romance and had reservations about moving into thrillers, but once I wrote my first one, I found the challenge addictive. I’m always looking to move into an area I’m not familiar with to learn and grow. I’ve also stretched my creative chops into writing screenplays and television shows. It’s a different form of writing, but it also teaches you to put as much into a scene while using the least words possible. It also helps hone dialogue skills.
Chanticleer: That courage to try new things is an inspiration. What new things are coming up as you continue to grow and challenge yourself?
Weis: I have two series I’m working on. The St. Benedict Series, with Lucas Astor is set around my hometown of Covington, Louisiana, along the Bogue Falaya River. It’s a thriller/horror series about a powerful family and their fall from grace. I love this series and its characters. I’m also working on The Basin Series. The first book, Cypress Hill, will be out next year. This is a spooky thriller set in the creepy Atchafalaya Basin and filled with local legends. The cast of characters are close to my heart and unforgettable.
The Bogue Falaya River
Chanticleer: Those both sound amazing! We’ll definitely keep an eye out for them. As we prepare to wrap up, I’m curious: What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Weis: Let us know what you think! Either by review, email, posting on social media, or whatever a reader feels comfortable with, but please reach out. Every writer loves to hear from readers, especially if you loved the book. You so often work in a bubble, and to get words of encouragement, or even criticism, from a reader is valuable feedback. Writers always listen to what readers have to say. So don’t be shy.
Chanticleer: Writing truly happens with a community with reviews and outreach being one of the best ways for readers to participate with writers. Thank you for that advice. Finally, at the end of the day, what excites you most about writing?
Weis: There’s nothing better than finishing a book, bringing all the elements together, and realizing you’ve created a, hopefully, compelling story. It’s an incredibly satisfying experience. That’s what keeps me going.
Alexandrea Weis won the Clue 2022 Grand Prize for her YA Thriller Have You Seen Me?
Weis is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Horror Writers Association (HWA). She lives with her husband outside of New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
Celebrating the 4th of July – Independence Day in the U.S.A.
In July 1776 the United States declared Independence from England. As more than politics heat up, it can be difficult to talk about our Independence Day in a complex and nuanced way.
John Dunlap printed copies of the Declaration of Independence in his Philadelphia shop on the night of July 4, 1776. (National Archives Identifier 301682)
Click here for the National Archives Link that will give you a closer look at this historic event.
Since US Independence was declared, the path to voting rights for all has been a long one getting from there to here, and there’s still more work to be done. You can read an abridged history of the journey of voting rights for women and people of color here, with special attention paid to the 19th Amendment.
Of course, we also have Juneteenth, which was celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time this year. The holiday celebrates a June 19, 1865 proclamation that freed enslaved peoples in Texas. Texas then, in 1979, became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday. You can learn more about Juneteenth here.
Clearly, the US Independence Day has a deep, rich history that still lives on and evolves today. The traditions to celebrate the Fourth of July also continue to change and grow with the world. Here in the Pacific Northwest, as we recover from a heatwave that saw record temperatures in areas without infrastructure like air conditioning to manage it, people are reconsidering fireworks that might contribute to an early fire season—a fifth season that no one is happy about. This doesn’t mean that vaccinated people can’t gather safely now, just that we rethink the best ways to maximize our celebration while being mindful of our community responsibilities.
Here in Bellingham, Wash., there will be a free fireworks display that will be launched from a barge in the middle of our beautiful Bellingham Bay in honor of Independence Day. The fireworks should be visible from multiple viewpoints. Because Bellingham’s sunset is 9:15 p.m. and our twilight continues to 9:57 p.m., the fireworks will start at 10:15 p.m. PST.
It is also a time to remember those who serve and have served to preserve our nation’s independence and democracy.
To that end, we want to recognize some of the wonderful titles that have come up that made us think differently about climate and the environment. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Author Gene Helfman, noted academic expert on aquatic biodiversity, delivers a fictional tale about an orphaned orca (killer whale) named Sam and the humans who seek to change his life in Beyond the Human Realm.
The book opens from Sam’s viewpoint. On display for humans, whom he calls “split-tails” or “logriders,” Sam relies on the humans now for food in his too-small habitat. In exchange, he must perform tricks such as carrying balls and leaping about, actions he performs reluctantly if at all. There’s one split-tail that he likes, though, a female who speaks to him gently. Sam allows her to ride on his back as one of his tricks. When a female companion arrives in his habitat Sam falls in love and the pair produces a baby. All seems blissful until the split-tails take his baby, and his partner dies of grief. Continue Reading here…
A search for the truth behind Lusca, the legendary sea dragon, leads to areas far more menacing than a mere myth in Kristie Clark’s Killing Dragons: Order of the Dolphin.
Eva Paz is a doctorate-level marine biologist at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS), performing research on whistle-signature spectrograms. Even though Eva believes she’s close to a breakthrough in dolphin-human communication, her statistics may not be enough to keep the grant she needs to continue her work and support her employment at RIMS. Her connection with a petite Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named Taffy, an animal trained by the Navy, and Taffy’s mate, Finn, go back thirteen years during a horrific time in Eva’s life. Continue Reading here…
KOBEE MANATEE® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard
By Robert Scott Thayer
Author Robert Scott Thayer and illustrator Lauren Gallegos bring to life another beautifully told tale in the fourth book in the series, Kobee Manatee® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard.
In the engaging and increasingly popular Kobee Manatee® children’s book series, the lovable sea cow and friends are off to help Cousin Quinn clean up the plastic that’s littering the ocean area around her new underwater eating establishment. The 500-mile journey across the water turns into an enlightening adventure, as these characters face unexpected challenges and dilemmas, many brought on by the harmful effects of climate change and ocean pollution. Continue Reading here…
Climate Fiction and Thrillers
NATURE’S CONFESSION
By JL Morin
Dante Rossetti First Place Winner
In a dystopian near-future where nobody is safe, the world is ruled by a ruthless capitalist. Humankind’s last hope may be a fourteen-year-old named Boy. Part sci-fi, part diverse love story, Nature’s Confession by J.L. Morin is an ecological coming of age novel that spans the universe.
The story opens with Boy, so-called because he hasn’t reached an age where he will be named yet for security reasons, managing to survive in the dystopian world he calls home. On next year’s earth, humanity is essentially enslaved by a worldwide corporate government, not for the people or by the people; but, one that operates to ensure its citizens are brainwashed, downtrodden, and too exhausted to be able to offer any sort of resistance. When Boy stays after school one day, he meets a man who turns out to be his long-time idol—Tyree. Tyree is a member of the resistance and recruits Boy to help him and their cause, believing that Boy may be their last hope. Continue Reading here…
A DIVINE WIND
By Norman M. Jacobs MD, MS
A Divine Wind by Norman M. Jacobs MD, MS is a technothriller that will keep readers glued in their seats until the last page is read.
Working in secret, one government experiments with technology that allows them complete control over the weather. If the user guides the technology with a heavy hand, the weather will strike like a weapon; likewise, if those at the control wield compassion, calm weather that nourishes the land will result. Calculated strategies could deploy storms against one’s foes. Of course, any intentions to channel the weather for good may produce scattered, unintended, and deadly consequences. There’s an old saying, “An ill wind may blow nobody any good.” However, a divine wind may unite people if they don’t kill one another first. Continue Reading here…
OVER
By Sean P. Curley
Over is a sci-fi novel of big ideas: the scourge on the future by today’s environmental negligence, the effects of biological warfare, even the development of a faster-than-light warp drive that opens the door to a future among the stars.
In this dystopian future, humankind must grapple with the repercussions from a technological advancement that essentially imparts immortality: immortality to a very few. Less than 30,000 of the world’s inhabitants, the privileged class, Overs, and the resentment of the billions of people who don’t fit into that category, aptly named, Unders. Continue Reading here…
This Independence Day, we wish you the following:
May your family and loved ones be close and happy. May we share in the benefits of a community that cares for and loves each other.
Happy Fourth of July from Sharon & Kiffer & David and the whole Chanticleer Team!
And Remember! You can join the Chanticleer Family Anytime!
Sign up for our Newsletter here! Join our online community, The Roost, here for discounts and special offers!
Keep an eye out for new information about our 10th Anniversary Conference, CAC2022! More information will be posted here, and until then you’ll be able to see what we did in the past.
VCAC 21 featured Bestselling Crime Author Cathy Ace, J.D. Barker – Master of Suspense, C.C. Humphreys – Historical Fiction with a twist, Jessica Morrell – Top-tiered Developmental Editor, and more!
Check out our Editorial Services here and our Manuscript Overviews here, OR, if your work is already polished to a fine shine, it’s time to submit to our Editorial Reviews here and our Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) here!
Football, love, racism, and murder are the subjects of interest Kevin G. Chapman uses in his latest crime novel, Fatal Infraction.
Racial tension, throwing the game, and a love triangle all play a part in why the team’s controversial quarterback, Jimmy Rydell is dead. NYPD homicide detective Mike Stoneman and his partner, Jason Dickson, put their personal lives on hold after Rydell’s body turns up frozen in New York City’s Central Park. Who hated Jimmy enough to end his life? Readers soon find out what made the quarterback a possible target.
The brutal way Jimmy dies drives the cops to chase any lead on every turn of the page with little evidence to go on. Waiting for the body to thaw leaves time for the cops and detectives of the NYPD to question all involved, including team members, girlfriends, Jimmy’s agent, and friends.
How many times does a first-round draft pick end up dead in a metropolis like New York City?
As the community becomes more agitated due to racial tension, the news reporters hound the players and people of interest to get the best insight and first story – the details of the murder. The sports reporters play the game, too, but they have an in with the players’ lives that the other reporters and the cops do not. Through myriad lies and deceptions, one truth becomes clear – someone is hiding something, and the cops and detectives know it.
When the detectives uncover the murder of a possible witness and friend of Jimmy, the plot thickens. Can the detectives save a life while also solving the murder? That’s a question readers will find out for themselves.
In the midst of the murder investigation, Jason and Mike face their own challenges that deepen each character’s growth and carry the series forward. Those subplots and several others weave a tapestry of topical social issues into the murder mystery. Although Fatal Infraction is the fourth book in the Mike Stoneman series, it stands on its own as a strong, relevant who-dun-it that will undoubtedly lead new readers to the first book in the series.
Chapman’s style of storytelling and his extraordinary attention to detail in this present-day crime novel leaves no topic unturned before the murder of famous quarterback Jimmy Rydell is put to rest. The dialogue and prose of this intense crime novel resonate with authenticity and a style all its own. In short, Fatal Infraction will capture readers’ attention from the beginning to the end – with no timeouts.
Four friends fight for their country and combat their own hidden specters in this novel about underwater battles on a nuclear submarine and the struggle to live life on land.
Dan is disaffected with the Navy and his life aboard a submarine carrying nuclear weapons where “there is nowhere to hide” – even from his friend, Trevor, who thrives on bullying him. When a freak accident releases him from duty, he becomes trapped in a different, more emotionally perilous way.
Trevor, who often flies into inexplicable rages, wants to stay on board the sub when the Gulf War suddenly heats up as a way avoid facing Tara, a beautiful woman who loves him unreservedly.
But Trevor doesn’t get his way when Nathan bumps him from the crew heading for the Persian Gulf. Nathan missed the birth of his first child. He has just begun to get to know him and renew his relationship with his wife Heather when he goes back to war, leaving everyone in a state of shock and surprise.
And there’s Jags, the clown/philosopher of the quartet, who accidentally (or not) shoots himself in the foot to avoid going to the Gulf.
Heather welcomes Dan, who had planned to live with Nathan. Dan becomes an awkward but kindly baby-sitter who watches as the abandoned wife of his good friend falls apart emotionally and needs more comfort than he is prepared to give. Trevor, forced to spend time with Tara, can no longer escape his childhood demons. Meanwhile, Jags has decided to marry a stripper. The three buddies on land are drawn even closer together as the subtleties of this multi-layered plot weave together. Nathan’s sudden return provides an unexpected opportunity for each to show his true mettle, not as warriors but as rehabilitated, redeemable people.
The author, Michael D. Durkota, is a former submariner. In this hard-to-put-down debut novel he has crafted vivid descriptions of life inside a tin box carrying extremely dangerous cargo under the sea–from the bland meals, the surprisingly good coffee, and the sense of claustrophobia that for some is neatly balanced by a comforting sense of undeviating routine. Durkota has made each of his characters believable, each one coming to his private accommodation to the rigidly scheduled life in the Navy and the spontaneity and unpredictability of life on dry land. Too, Durkota depicts Heather and Tara as real, robust women with nearly broken hearts, trying to salvage the loves they thought were lost forever.
Once in a Blue Year is a mesmerizing story of four friends who sometimes act like enemies and sometimes beat seemingly impossible odds to rescue their pals in a crunch.
Thriller and Horror 
Alexandrea Weis won the Clue 2022 Grand Prize for her YA Thriller 
