Tag: writing competition

  • The 2024 I&I First Place Round Up for How-To and Self Help Guides

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA BadgeThe Instruction and Insight Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Instructional Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Lorraine Ballato’s Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardeners Guide, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the I&I 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 I&I 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 I&I Winners!

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Margaret C. Beeler – Tropetails

    Tropetails is the world’s first cocktail (and mocktail!) book centered around all your favorite bookish themes and literary tropes!

    Featuring a whopping 50 carefully curated specialty drinks, Tropetails is the perfect book to add to your bar cart, coffee table, nightstand, heck, you could even snuggle with it in bed! Is that appealing? Perhaps you’d be better off leaving it in the kitchen…but I won’t tell anyone if you decide otherwise 😉

    Each page of Tropetails has a hand-drawn illustration from “Chosen One”, to “Enemies to Lovers”, and “Who Done It”—all from your favorite genres across fiction and a unique recipe mixed to match the vibe of each different trope!

    Find it on Amazon!

    Tania Isreal – Facing the Fracture

    Foster resilience in the face of political polarization

    Unsettled by provocative news, clashing politicians, and social fragmentation, Americans struggle to navigate the challenges of living in a divided country. Facing the Fracture offers a path out of the distress and disempowerment plaguing everyday people. Grounded in psychological research, this book offers readers strategies to foster resilience in the face of political polarization.

    In this valuable book, Israel moves beyond explaining the problem of polarization to demonstrate how individuals can cope with the political divide, which seems widen with each passing day. Readers will find guidance to reduce toxic input from media, manage polarizing thoughts and feelings, and engage effectively with others. And they will learn that they have the power to improve their personal wellbeing, relationships, community, and country.

    Find it on Amazon!

    Katherine Fabrizio – The Good Daughter Syndrome

    You love your mother, but she drives you crazy.

    She controls, criticizes, and butts into your life constantly. Then, when you try to set boundaries, the pushback and resulting guilt is so bad that you tell yourself… it’s just not worth it.

    Is your mother narcissistic, borderline, or just plain difficult?

    Are you empathetic, sensitive, and kind?

    Do you feel stuck in your relationship with Mom:

    • Trying to please her but never feeling good enough?
    • Feeling responsible for Mom’s emotional well-being?
    • Struggling to set boundaries without feeling guilty or getting so much pushback that you end up thinking… it’s just not worth it?

    If so, chances are you have fallen into the hidden psychological traps that constitute The Good Daughter Syndrome.

    Many self-aware daughters of narcissistic, borderline, or just plain difficult mothers know they need to stand up to their mothers and set healthy boundaries. Yet, they can’t bring themselves to do it and don’t know why.

    They are caught in unconscious traps they can’t see or fully understand… Trapped by their difficult mother’s needs, the empathetic daughter can’t see a way to break free and still feel like a good person.

    She can’t see these traps that keep her parallelized with guilt… or going round and round having the same arguments and getting nowhere with Mom, but I can.

    Even better, I know how to escape them.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Bob Dahms – Let’s Talk About This

    Bob Dahms has had a long and diverse career in business and in business advisory roles.

    In this book he shares 50 Things You Need to Know About Starting and Managing a Small Business. Everyone who reads this book will learn something that they didn’t know before. Actually, it’s way more than 50; check it out.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Douglas A Burton – The Heroines Labyrinth

    For decades, the hero’s journey has had a major influence on storytelling and story structure. Now, Douglas A. Burton presents a groundbreaking new paradigm for writers everywhere. Sourced entirely from heroine-led fiction—a unique narrative arc has been hidden in plain sight, complete with recurrent patterns and powerful archetypes. Burton offers writers a full fledges alternative that’s both original in its presentation, yet stunningly familiar. Discover the dynamism of story, conflict, and character development in a fresh new light. From myth to literature to TV to film, The Heroine’s Labyrinth explores story structure as modeled by heroic women in fiction. Burton’s theory on story has the potential to turn prevailing views of story structure upside down.

    Inside, you’ll encounter 18 archetypal designs that form a distinctive narrative arc, each one rich with profound insights and powerful new perspectives. Discover the Masked Minotaur, the Sacred Fire, the Beast as Ally, the Poisoned Apple, and more. Novelists, screenwriters, RPG gamers, and memoirists will gain immediately useful insights in The Heroine’s Labyrinth. A must-read for writers.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Jacqui Clarke – Stop Worrying About Money

    Stop Worrying About Money Cover

    Also the Chanticleer 2024 Harvey Chute Award Grand Prize Winner!

    Take control of your money, avoid common financial pitfalls, and prepare for whatever life throws at you

    In Stop Worrying about Money, Jacqui Clarke, Australia’s best-kept money secret, delivers smart and sure-fire guidance that will see you through life’s financial ups and downs. You’ll learn to clarify your values, set goals, and be upfront and honest about your money―both with yourself and with others.

    Fact: Money comes in and goes out. The cost of living is ever increasing, big changes can come as big surprises and sometimes you’re stuck just trying to keep on top of everything. It’s time to hit pause on the distractions and get wise with your finances. With Stop Worrying about Money, you’ll re-assess what financial independence and freedom mean to you. This is the guide that will help you build a less stressful, more empowering relationship with money, starting today.

    From Chanticleer:

    Stop Worrying About Money by Jacqui Clarke serves as a lucid and candidly insightful guide to understanding the cornerstones of financial literacy, whether for a working professional, business owner, or anyone seeking to better manage their savings and investments.

    This practical and insightful approach to financial awareness endeavors to decode the mystifying fundamentals of financial freedom, wealth management, and money psychology. Rather than merely presenting facts on numbers and investments, it adopts a holistic perspective, covering principles of earning, understanding, and wisely managing money.

    Written by an experienced professional and fiscal guardian to many, Clarke’s Stop Worrying About Money paves a clear and accessible roadmap for navigating the often-chaotic terrain of financial planning.

    Read More Here

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!


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

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    Watch for our Spotlight and Hall of Fame Articles that will feature incredible books, including Lorraine Ballato’s amazing Success With Hydrangeas: A Gardeners Guide!

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

     

    Got a great Instructional Book?

    The 2025 I&I Book Awards are open through the end of September!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest
    Submit to the I&I Awards Today!
  • 10 Days left for September Non-Fiction that Guides

    Non-Fiction Closes Soon!

     

    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.

    The Chanticleer International Book Awards provide ongoing recognition that amplifies authors’ digital footprints through high-traffic website features, social media promotion, newsletter spotlights, and long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year and beyond!

    The I&I, Harvey Chute and The Mind and Spirit Awards are still open!

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

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Mind & Spirit Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment!

    • Shari Biery – It’s Your Turn How To Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being Thrive with Purpose
    • Damian Fozard – Disbelief
    • Eileen Marlowe – The Call to Connect With Spirit
    • Anne Kiehl Friedman – Higher Love: A Psychedelic Travel Memoir of Heartbreak and Healing
    • Jane Kim Yu – Journey of Awakening and Higher Consciousness

    And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Mind & Spirit Grand Prize Winner:

    Naked in the Now

    By Marijke McCandless

    Naked in the Now Cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the I&I Award for Guides and How-tos!

    • 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

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

    Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide

    By Lorraine Ballato

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Harvey Chute Award for Business and Enterprise!

    • Roger Spitz – Disrupt With Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World
    • Jenny Li Fowler – Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities
    • Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel – Cultural Intelligence for Marketers: Building an Inclusive Marketing Strategy
    • Neal Schaffer – Digital Threads: The Small Business and Entrepreneur Digital First Marketing Playbook
    • Melina Palmer – The Truth About Pricing  

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

    Stop Worrying About Money

    By Jacqui Clarke

    Stop Worrying About Money Cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The CIBAs 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 17-19, 2025) where Winners from all 28 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

    Enter Today!

  • The 2025 I&I Spotlight for Self-Help and How-To

    Mastering Life’s Skills

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    The I&I Awards can show you how!

    In an era where knowledge is power and practical skills unlock new possibilities, readers are seeking guides that deliver real results. From mastering specific crafts and hobbies to developing personal growth strategies and exploring the world through informed travel, the best instructional works combine expert knowledge with clear, actionable guidance. The Instruction & Insight Awards for How-To and Self-Help celebrate the exceptional authors who transform complex subjects into accessible learning experiences, empowering readers to expand their capabilities and enrich their lives.

    Celebrating Our Grand Prize Winner!

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    We’re proud to celebrate our 2024 I&I Division Grand Prize Winner, Lorraine Ballato for her comprehensive guide Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide. This expertly crafted work addresses one of gardening’s most beloved yet challenging plants, providing gardeners with the scientific insights and practical techniques needed to achieve reliable blooms and healthy growth. Ballato, who serves as the resident hydrangea expert at the New York Botanical Garden and has been teaching hydrangea classes for over a decade, brings both professional expertise and real-world teaching experience to this thorough guide.

    What makes Success with Hydrangeas exemplary is its comprehensive approach to solving common gardening challenges. The book features over 150 photos and illustrations across thirteen color-coded chapters that cover everything from propagation and fertilizing to pruning techniques, pest management, and achieving desired flower colors. Ballato addresses the most frequent gardener concerns like proper pruning timing, optimal watering practices, and transplanting strategies paired with clear scientific explanations and practical solutions. The inclusion of garden design applications and a detailed index ensures readers can quickly find answers when they need them most. Ballato will receive a Chanticleer Editorial Review and be invited to participate in an Author Interview, offering deeper insights into her expertise and approach to hydrangea cultivation.

    The I&I Awards recognize the remarkable breadth of instructional and self-improvement literature, encompassing categories from Travel Guides and Culinary arts to Health & Fitness, Writing Guides, and Home & Garden expertise. This comprehensive scope reflects our understanding that learning takes many forms, whether through Arts & Crafts tutorials, Nature & Environment education, Psychology insights, or Business & Money strategies that enhance personal and professional development.

    Explore All Business & Self-Help Divisions

    The I&I Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of transformative non-fiction:

    We’d love for you to join us in reading about some of our favorite guides that we’ve reviwed!

    Eating Together, Being Together Cover

    Eating Together, Being Together
    By Julian C.E. Clauss- Ehlers and Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers

    Chanticleers 2023 I&I Grand Prize Winner!

    Eating Together, Being Together is a rare, enlightening book that teaches the importance of family dining, both on the culinary side and in its benefits for childhood and young adult development beyond the kitchen walls.

    Co-authored by master Chef and Dad, Julian C.E. Clauss-Ehlers, and Ph.D. Psychologist and Mom, Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers, Eating Together, Being Together offers up their parental wisdom and expertise from the heart of the home—the kitchen.

    With informative but relaxed conversations about food choices, preparation, and related activities, the two provide great insight into how family mealtime promotes well-being in a child’s life. As involved adults, they incorporate thoughtful discussions about spending quality time with their children, sharing and mitigating bad feelings, and making wonderful memories. Ultimately, they showcase family meals as nourishment for both the body and soul.

    Within the pages of the book readers will find ways food can serve as a message of care and support, as well as a way to model kindness in the face of questions and concerns.

    Read More Here

    What's Your Name Cover

    What’s Your Name?
    By Albert Jung

    Albert Jung’s What’s Your Name?, subtitled How to Write Your Name in Han’gŭl Without Learning the Korean Language, is more than a primer for learning how to write in the Han’gŭl script — it’s a study of the evolution of the Korean writing system and, through it, the history of Korea itself.

    What’s Your Name? offers a crash course in how to write your name in Han’gŭl for anyone who attends international conferences, hosts Korean exchange students, or simply has Korean speakers in their social sphere. Although the reader quickly plunges into the components of the Han’gŭl alphabet, Jung suggests a light read for the basics, and a comprehensive read for those seeking a deeper understanding of Han’gŭl and its evolution.

    From absolute beginners to linguistics scholars and students, readers will find valuable reference material and guidance for practice in this extensive text.

    Read More Here

    Disability is Human Cover

    Disability is Human
    By Stephanie W. Cawthon, PhD

    In Disability is Human: The Vital Power of Accessibility in Everyday Life, Dr. Stephanie W. Cawthon advocates for the rights and needs of a group that is often underrepresented, ignored, or misunderstood.

    Disability is Human offers a broad scope of examples and advice that has proven to enhance lives through accessibility, whether implemented in programs, institutional practice, or daily life. The book also has a companion workbook for those interested in incorporating its ideas into programs, institutional practice, or daily life.

    Cawthon contrasts ableism against accessibility, including her own experiences as a person born deaf who uses hearing aids and sign language to communicate. She tells of a time before anti-discrimination laws were enacted to protect disabled peoples’ rights and make the world available to everyone.

    Cawthon comes to this conversation with deep, personal knowledge of the issues faced by disabled people.

    Read More Here

    Dementia Home Care
    By Tracy Cram Perkins

    An I&I First Place Winner!

    Dementia Home Care: How to Prepare Before, During, and After, by Tracy Cram Perkins, offers the lived experience of a caregiver, sharing the experiences that impressed upon her the enormity of the physical, emotional, and psychological task she undertook.

    These same experiences made Perkins aware of the dearth of practical resources for the novice embarking on this journey. She hopes to fill that gap with this comprehensive, “user-friendly” guide that goes well beyond the limits of a self-help book, impersonal how-to manual, or clinical tome. From Dementia Home Care, readers will gain new insights into human behavior and how to become an effective caregiver without sacrificing their own well-being.

    Perkins’ written voice captivates from the beginning. Her first-person accounts of caring for afflicted loved ones are both relatable and authentic. The reader will find themself laughing aloud, or filled with dread, as the author recounts actual experiences that are otherwise hard to imagine happening to oneself.

    Read More Here

    These reviews represent just a glimpse of the practical expertise and transformative guidance waiting to be discovered in today’s instructional and self-help literature.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re excited about all the outstanding instructional and self-help works we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. Throughout this year’s I&I Book Awards, we had the pleasure of promoting numerous valuable guides as they advanced through our competition tiers. The Chanticleer International Book Awards provide ongoing recognition that amplifies authors’ digital footprints through high-traffic website features, social media promotion, newsletter spotlights reaching thousands of industry professionals, and long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year and beyond!

    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.

    Don’t Let Your Expertise Go Unrecognized!

    The instructional and self-help market continues to thrive as readers seek trusted guidance for improving their skills, expanding their knowledge, and enhancing their quality of life. Whether your work provides step-by-step craft tutorials, transformative self-help strategies, comprehensive travel insights, or specialized knowledge in areas from cooking to psychology, the I&I Awards provide the recognition and promotional platform your expertise deserves.

    Instructional literature has the unique power to unlock human potential, solving problems and opening new worlds of possibility. From practical guides that help readers master tangible skills to self-help works that facilitate personal transformation, every well-crafted instructional book has the potential to become an indispensable resource. Don’t let your knowledge remain untapped—submit to the I&I Awards today and join the skilled authors who’ve found their eager audience through Chanticleer!

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    Enter the I&I Awards today! Deadline: September 30th

    You know you want it…
  • The 2025 Mind and Spirit Spotlight for Spirituality and Enlightenment!

    Finding Peace in a Busy World

    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards CIBA Badge

    The Mind & Spirit Awards Are Looking to Unplug

    In our increasingly fast-paced world, the search for inner peace and authentic connection has become more vital than ever. From mindfulness practices that ground us in the present moment to spiritual frameworks that illuminate our deeper purpose, readers are seeking guidance that nurtures both mind and spirit. The Mind & Spirit Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment celebrate the exceptional works that provide this essential wisdom, recognizing authors who offer transformative insights and practical tools for living with greater awareness, compassion, and joy.

    Celebrating Our Grand Prize Winner!

    We’re delighted to celebrate our 2024 Mind & Spirit Division Grand Prize Winner, Marijke McCandless for her inspiring guide Naked in the Now: Juicy Practices for Getting Present. This accessible and warmhearted work offers a refreshing approach to mindfulness, providing simple yet powerful practices that help readers reconnect with themselves and find peace in everyday moments. McCandless understands that many people crave more presence in their lives but feel overwhelmed by complex spiritual practices, so she offers “tiny practices” that deliver “real relief” without requiring major life overhauls.

    What makes Naked in the Now truly special is its blend of practical wisdom with gentle encouragement. The book helps readers spark insight and authenticity while quieting their inner critic through practices that can be integrated into busy schedules. McCandless shows the reader that even just five minutes a day can open doorways to the peace, vitality, and joy that already exist within us. She will receive a Chanticleer Editorial Review and has already completed her Awarded Author Interview, allowing readers to explore her insights on mindful living and practical spirituality.

    Sand ripples with a rock in the center

    The Mind & Spirit Awards honor the full spectrum of spiritual and wellness literature, encompassing categories from Enlightenment and Spirituality to Mindfulness, Meditation, Well-Being, and Energy work. This comprehensive approach reflects our understanding that spiritual growth takes many forms, whether through Motivational frameworks that inspire transformation or specialized practices that cultivate specific aspects of consciousness and healing.

    Explore All Business & Self-Help Divisions

    The Mind & Spirit Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of transformative non-fiction:

     

    One Kiss Cover

    One Kiss
    By Michelle Ashton

    One Kiss by Michelle Ashton is a poignant and emotionally unvarnished memoir of life through loss, healing, and the grim, lovely battle of being human.

    One Kiss feels like a private journal—vulnerable, scattered at times, terribly real and sympathetic. Readers walk beside someone who’s still dealing with life’s challenges—working through heartbreak, trying to heal, stumbling, getting back up, and asking big questions she hasn’t yet found the answers to.

    Much of this book circles around Ashton’s deep, complicated attachment to Noah, the man she calls “Adonis” and her “Twin Flame.” She relates with painful but relatable honesty how it feels like to wait, to hope, to wonder if you should hold on or walk away. Who hasn’t sat there refreshing their messages or praying for a sign that maybe this time things will turn out differently?

    Read More Here

    Guided, book cover, rv, cactus, monument valley

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

    A Journey First Place Winner!

    In her stunning memoir, Guided: Lost Love, Hidden Realms, and the Open Road, Kirsten Throneberry weaves together the highs and lows of a road trip packed with life wisdom, where she explores grief, spirituality, and rekindled hope.

    Throneberry’s achingly vulnerable memoir splits its readers’ hearts and tenderly sews them back together.

    In the aftermath of the devastating loss of her husband, Kirsten sells her home and takes her two small sons, two elderly pups, and eccentric mother on a year-long road trip around the United States in their new-to-them Bigfoot RV.

    Encouraged by the same spirit guides whose earlier advice for her husband’s health left her broken and untrusting, Kirsten must learn to face the open road with an equally open heart and mind.

    Read More Here

    Ask Biella
    By Syl Sabastian

    Syl Sabastian’s Ask Biella is unlike today’s typical self-help books—ones that are quickly read, interpreted, and forgotten. Instead, Ask Biella is a thoughtful and thought-through self-help reference work featuring a fictional guide from Syl Sabastian’s core series fielding deep questions from real readers. It asks its audience for a different kind of commitment to its deep sharing: a raw, self-exploratory approach in which one creates a realistic-ideal world for themselves through the process of positivity and emphasis.

    Ask Biella invites readers to turn inward for enlightenment, satisfying their questions with lasting internal empowerment rather than external compromises. Biella reveals the harmful mental habits to which we are all prone and points to the rope that can save us from ourselves. After all, according to Biella, “We, and we alone, are the creators of meaning.”

    Biella’s world is rooted in real-world wisdom with an easy-to-follow candor, and pulls from Biella’s “Dictionary-of-Power,” hyphenating and capitalizing particular words and phrases for emphasis to change how the reader engages with the text. For example, Biella hyphenates and capitalizes the phrase “Thinking-Things-Through-TO-THE-END” to capture readers’ attention, changing the way readers’ brains respond to the words via emphasis. These specific words and phrases, or “tools-of-living,” cover a wide variety of topics.

    Read More Here

    Staying Married is the Hardest Part Cover

     

    Coming Out of the Metaphysical Closet
    By Lisa Rhyne

    In her stunning and intimate memoir Staying Married is the Hardest Part: A Memoir of Passion, Secrets and Sacrifice, Bonnie Comfort takes readers on a decades-long journey of deep love, laughter, and the challenges of a long-term marriage, from first meeting her husband Bob in the late 1970s until his death in 2010.

    Throughout their life together, Bonnie and Bob have their fair share of disagreements—including where to live—but the main conflict within their marriage centers around their conflicting sexual needs and preferences.

    As a professional psychologist, Bonnie shows the highs and lows of her marriage to Bob, contrasted by her job of helping others with their emotional and relationship problems. Bonnie and Bob’s committed love for one another makes staying married both the hardest and easiest part of their lives regardless of what challenges come their way.

    Read More Here

    These reviews represent just a glimpse of the transformative wisdom and practical guidance waiting to be discovered in today’s spiritual and wellness literature.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re excited about all the inspiring spiritual and wellness works we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. Throughout this year’s Mind & Spirit Book Awards, we had the pleasure of promoting numerous enlightening titles as they advanced through our competition tiers. The Chanticleer International Book Awards provide ongoing recognition that amplifies authors’ digital footprints through high-traffic website features, social media promotion, newsletter spotlights reaching thousands of industry professionals, and long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year and beyond!

    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.

    Don’t Let Your Wisdom Remain Unshared!

    The spiritual and wellness market continues to flourish as readers seek authentic guidance for navigating life’s challenges with greater peace and purpose. Whether your work offers ancient wisdom adapted for modern life, innovative meditation techniques, energy healing practices, or motivational frameworks for personal transformation, the Mind & Spirit Awards provide the recognition and promotional platform your insights deserve.

    Spiritual and wellness literature has the unique power to heal, inspire, and awaken readers to their highest potential. From mindfulness practices that bring immediate relief to profound teachings that shift entire worldviews, every thoughtfully crafted work has the potential to become a treasured guide on someone’s spiritual journey. Don’t let your wisdom remain hidden—submit to the Mind & Spirit Awards today and join the visionary authors who’ve found their spiritual community through Chanticleer!

    Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Awards CIBA Badge

    Submit to the Mind & Spirit Awards today! Deadline: September 30th

    You know you want it…
  • The 2025 Shelley Short List for Paranormal Fiction

    The Shelley Awards for Paranormal Fiction features an image of Mary Shelley at her writing deskThe Shelley Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Paranormal Fiction. The Shelley Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

    The Shelley Awards were formerly known as the Paranormal Awards. We are delighted to be able to honor the mother of science fiction with this award!

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring magic, the supernatural, weird other-worldly stories, super humans (ex. Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman), magical beings & supernatural entities (ex. Dresden Files), vampires & werewolves (ex. Twilight), angels & demons, fairies & mythological beings, magical systems and elements. We will put them to the test and discover the best among them for the 2025 Paranormal Book Awards!

    Each of these authors is already winning with their books are now featured on our high-traffic website, shared across our social media, and promoted to our newsletter subscribers. But this is just the beginning of their CIBA journey.

    These titles have moved forward from the 2025 SHELLEY Paranormal Fiction Long List to the 2025 Shelley Awards Short List. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Shelley Semi-Finalists. Finalists will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA. 

    These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists of the 2025 Shelley Book Awards novel competition for Paranormal Fiction!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

    • AJ Humphreys – Trip: A Psychological Horror Novel
    • Amy S Cutler – A Shadow of Love
    • Amy S Cutler – To Have and To Hold To Love and To Kill an Agreement of Souls
    • Antoinette Chalmers – Midnight Stone
    • Bryan Alaspa – The Given
    • Dan Morris-Young – The Music Building
    • Diane Corso – Broken Things
    • E.L. Deards – The Lavender Blade
    • Evette Davis – The Campaign
    • George Petersen – The Summer of Haight
    • Gina Detwiler – Forever
    • H.J. Ramsay – Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead
    • Heather Murphy – Bring Out Your Dead
    • Isaac Thorne – Tab’s Terrible Third Eye
    • Jared TLC – Destiny Lane
    • Katy Nyquist – A Holy Maiden’s Guide To Getting Kidnapped
    • Keith Steinbaum – The Poe Consequence
    • Kevin S. Moul – Lander’s Gate
    • L. J. Aldon – Riddle of the Jeweled Cipher
    • Lloyd Jeffries – Embers of Shadow Ages of Malice Book III
    • Logan D. Irons – City of Wolves
    • Lou Pugliese – Blame It on the Moon
    • Louisa West – Kiss of Death
    • Mark Mustian – Boy with Wings
    • Matt Ozanich – Priestess: The Tears of Promises Book One
    • Matthew Minson – The Lupin Gene
    • Melanie Forde – Guardian of the Crossroads
    • Raquel Y. Levitt – The Seer
    • Rebekah L Webb – Burrows of Blood and Shadow
    • Sheila English – The Deadly Pieces
    • Sherri L Dodd – Moonset on Desert Sands
    • T.V. Holiday – Cataclysm Legend of the Iron Warrior Vol. 2
    • Tom Dolan – Boba Wars Zero
    • Tracy Shew – Book Group

    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, LinkedIn, and Bluesky pages. We try to tag all authors listed here on Facebook. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed @ChantiReviews on these platforms.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE! We are @ChantiReviews everywhere!

    We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

    Congratulations once more to the 2024 Shelley Grand Prize Winner

    Time-Marked Warlock

    By Shami Stovall

    Time-Marked Warlock Cover

    Click here to see the full list of 2024 SHELLEY Book Award Winners for Paranormal Fiction.

    Ready to Submit?

    Submissions for the 2026 Shelley Awards and other Speculative Fiction Divisions are open now! For other genres, we still have 25 divisions open for the 2025 CIBAs! Whether you write mystery, romance, historical fiction, or something entirely different, there’s likely a perfect fit for your work.

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest

    Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    April 17-19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

    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 14th annual conference and discover why!

    Chanticleer Authors Conference, people, CAC2025

  • Five Days Remain! August Historical Fiction to Close!

    Our 4 Historical Fiction divisions close soon!

    From left to right we have badges for Chaucer, Goethe, Laramie, and Hemingway

    Don’t let your book miss out!

    Only 5 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and begin your journey to discovery. The deadline is 8/31/25. Now is the time to make your mark!

    The Chaucer, Goethe, Laramie and Hemingway Awards are still open!

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

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Chaucer Award for Early Historical Fiction!

    • Dean Cycon – A Quest for God and Spices
    • Liz Sevchuk Armstrong – To Remain Vigilant
    • Rozsa Gaston – Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
    • C.V. Lee – Betrayal of Trust
    • Logan D. Irons – Sands of Bone
    • Jean Gill – Among Sea Wolves
    • Laura C. Rader – Hatfield 1677

    And a round of applause for the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize Winner!

    Maid Of Honour

    Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court

    By Rozsa Gaston

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Goethe Award for Late Historical Fiction!

    • Janis Robinson Daly – The Path Beneath Her Feet
    • Sandra Wagner-Wright – Sea Tigers & Merchants: A New American Generation
    • James Conroyd Martin – Napoleon’s Shadow Wife: A Novel of Countess Marie Walewska
    • Florence Reiss Kraut – Street Corner Dreams, A Novel
    • Leo Daughtry – Talmadge Farm
    • Jeza Belle – Blood Rouge
    • R.W. Meek – The Dream Collector, Book II “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh”
    • Sherry V. Ostroff – The Wall at the Sugar Factory

    And a round of applause for our 2024 Goethe Grand Prize Winner!

    Abigail’s Song

    By Alina Rubin

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Laramie Award for Americana Fiction!

    • David Fitz-Gerald – First Drive
    • Georgina Hogue – Cloud Cap
    • Heather Miller – Yellow Bird’s Song
    • C.M. Huddleston – Esther
    • Karen Lynne Klink – At What Cost, Silence? Book 1 of The Texian Trilogy
    • Charlie Steel – Tom Sharp: The Man and the Legend
    • Daniel Greene – Northern Shadows (Northern Wolf Series Book 5)

    And a round of applause for our 2024 Laramie Grand Prize Winner!

    Sarita

    By Natalie Musgrave Dossett

    Sarita cover by Natalie Musgrave Dossett with a majestic horse galloping

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hemingway Award for 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction!

    • R L Pace – Rising Son
    • Katherine Koch – The Sower of Black Field: Inspired by the True Story of an American in Nazi Germany
    • Tim Turner and Moisey Gorbaty – The Reluctant Conductor
    • Kay Smith-Blum – Tangles
    • Kathryn Gauci – Midnight in Istanbul
    • Travis Davis – One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier
    • Bharati Sen – My War, My Child
    • H. W. “Buzz” Bernard – When Heroes Flew

    And a round of applause for our 2024 Hemingway Grand Prize Winner!

    Of White Ashes

    By Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto

    Of White Ashes cover by Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The CIBAs offer 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 17-19, 2026) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.

    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!

  • 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

    Red, Black, White, book, cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    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

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    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

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    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

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    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 2024 Little Peeps First Place Round Up for Early Readers!

    Two little chicks, fresh from their eggThe Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Children’s Books and Early Readers. The Grand Prize Winner, Ruth Amanda’s book, Island Moon will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Little Peeps 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 Little Peeps 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 Little Peeps Winners!

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Kristen J Anderson – Lorelei the Lorelei: The First of Many Firsts

    Illustrated by Audrey Suau

    Lorelei the Lorelei Cover

    Seven-year-old Lorelei doesn’t know what she is more excited about for her upcoming first day of first grade, making a new best friend or finding her “uniquely special thing” that Mee-maw says every child has that makes them stand out. It’s hard to leave her parents, three-year-old brother, and their sasquatch-hunting behind, but after donning the perfect outfit (brightly colored leggings, a tie-dyed tutu, sparkly gold Mary Janes and the perfect headband), she is all bubbly inside with anticipation.

    Things at school start off great when Lorelei enters Miss Grim’s room which is as bright and cheery as the teacher herself, and Lorelei is asked by a girl named Adeline to play at recess. Could this be her new best friend? But her optimism is soon darkened by a confrontation with the braggy “superstar” of the classroom, Emily, a.k.a. “Hands,” who always needs to be the center of attention. As the day closes, Lorelei isn’t sure that she’s found this “uniquely special thing,” but she is buoyed by her budding new friendships and all she’s learned about herself.


    Lovable, mischievous, and imaginative, Lorelei brings a refreshing twist of kindness and emotional intelligence to the page. Her witty humor, hilarious honesty, and upbeat mindset of life are sure to engage even the most reluctant of young readers.

    From Chanticleer:

    Lorelei the Lorelei seeks a best friend and to figure out what makes her truly special, all on her first day of public school. In Lorelei the Lorelei: The First of Many Firsts by Kristen J. Anderson, young Lorelei finds that not everything is as she expected.

    After anxiously waiting for her dad and baby brother J.J. to get ready, and armed with the wisdom of her Mee-maw, Lorelei strides into Hillside Elementary School. She shows off her eclectic fashion and discovers that even a teacher named ‘Miss Grim’ can be welcoming. At first, Lorelei’s plans are coming together. She’s certain that Adeline, a girl who shares her exuberant nature, will be her best friend.

    But Lorelei butts heads with Emily, aka “Hands” given her impatience to be called on. As a student of ballet and future sugary-cereal-advertisement star, Emily has little patience for Lorelei taking the spotlight.

    As a newcomer to public school, Lorelei has to navigate this conflict while learning new schedules, rules, and terms. But she keeps her heart and mind open, even when she doesn’t quite understand all of her new classmates.

    Read More Here

    Find it on Amazon!

    Raven Howell – Keep Trucking

    Illustrated by Carina Povarchik

    Share the joy of the truck community as children awaken their curiosity about how transportation works. Learn where things belong, various modes of truck use, and the concept of distance as playful animals demonstrate cooperation in our cities and countries.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Julie Lomax (JuJu) – Melissa Moo Moo’s Special Lesson

    Melissa Moo Moo is a little cow with big brown eyes and a bigger heart. One day when she overhears the other cows gossiping about why she doesn’t have a lot of milk, Moo Moo feels sad. While crying herself to sleep, Moo Moo worries about what the other cows think of her.

    The next morning, Moo Moo hides behind a berry bush and watches the other cows. She thinks that if she is special, then Farmer Jack will love her and the other cows will not talk mean about her. But when Moo Moo eats a few of the berries that have fallen onto the ground, she has no idea that everything is about to change as she learns to love herself and be confident.

    Melissa Moo Moo’s Special Lesson is the charming tale of a little cow who learns the importance of just being herself.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Dr. Gerry Haller – Will’s Adventure to Candy Mountain

    Illustrated by YM Cho

     

    Will’s Grandmother has told Will about the Candy Mountain since he was a small child. One night Will is awakened by the Conductor of a train. He is told to hurry to catch the train. “What train?” “The train to the Candy Mountain, of course.” On the train, he meets a boy named Quinn and they decide to go on the adventure together. He can hardly believe he is going to the Candy Mountain. Together there are many decisions they have to make, each more mysterious than the other. What will they find?

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Shaziya M. Jaffer, Jessica Alexanderson and Brad W. Rudover – A Recycling Adventure to the Scrapyard!

    Illustrated by Adam Trask

    In this new adventure, Ellie and her friends have already accomplished the incredible feat of recycling 1 million cans. But their quest for a cleaner environment doesn’t end there! Now, they have set their sights on tackling the problem of other metal items being needlessly thrown in the trash.

    Determined to make a difference, they embark on a journey to collect everyone’s wires, Christmas lights, pots and pans, unicorn shoes and other metal items. They then take these treasures to their local scrapyard, turning them into valuable resources through recycling as metal can be recycled forever!

    They also learn about the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals. With the help of Mr. Ferrous Magglio and Gallium the Unicorn, they set off on an unforgettable journey to the scrapyard. Get ready for a thrilling and educational experience!

    We believe that your kids will not only enjoy this book but also discover that they can earn some extra cash for their piggy bank by participating in neighborhood clean-up efforts. It’s a fun and rewarding way to make a positive impact!

    From Chanticleer:

    See our review for Book 1 of this series, The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, the 2023 Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner, here!

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, & Jessica Alexanderson, is perfectly written for children between three and eight years old.

    Eye-catching colorful graphics by Adam Trask, fun characters, and a wonderfully lighthearted storyline uphold this book’s message of protecting the environment. Both children and adults will feel empowered to help our planet one can at a time.

    An adventurous young girl named Ellie wants to buy a Unicorn. To earn the money she needs, Ellie plans to collect and recycle one million cans. But she soon realizes that her plans may need to take a different track. Together with her community of friends, who show great teamwork and perseverance, environmental lessons continue on with fantastic results.

    Few books do such a fine job of combining so many life lessons while still keeping the learning lighthearted and fun.

    Read More Here

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton – I Used to Be Shy

    Illustrated by Amy O’Hanlon

    Meet Carla, our self-appointed social committee of one, who makes everyone at summer camp feel welcome. Carla spots a shy new boy who hides from others in his cabin, closing his curtain. Carla follows her heart and gathers a small group of fellow campers to coax him out to play games. With Carla’s encouragement, our new camper builds up his self-confidence, loses his fear, and learns to enjoy his new friends.

    About the authors: Mike Mirabella, an established musician and publisher of children’s books—and Lenny Lipton, who wrote the folk song “Puff the Magic Dragon”—sat in their living rooms writing songs as they babysat their disabled daughters. The bonus song “Little Brown Pony” includes the lyrics and music notations as does “I Used to Be Shy.”

    The outstanding illustrations were done by Amy O’Hanlon, an inspired artist in a family of musicians who does stage projection design for several San Francisco musicals, one of which was the Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s She Persisted, based on the book by Chelsea Clinton.

    From Chanticleer:

    In I Used to Be Shy, from the Carla Stories by Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton, Carla meets a nervous boy with physical disabilities at Camp Allbelong. Through their friendship, Carla helps him become confident enough to join in the camp games in this compassionate illustrated story about inclusion told through song.

    We begin with Carla’s bright yellow light contrasting with the boy’s deep, lonely blue representation. As their friendship grows, those two colors begin to mix, becoming a vibrant green that paints the heartwarming, pastoral scenes of Camp Allbelong. When the boy joins his peers in the center of these illustrations, his blue color takes on a new tone that reflects the expansive sky in the background.

    Amy O’Hanlon’s delightful illustrations show how one friendship can bloom to become a garden full of many relationships.

    Read More Here

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!


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

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

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

     

    The 2025 Little Peeps Book Awards are open through the end of September!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest
    Submit to the Little Peeps Awards Today!
  • The 2025 Little Peeps Spotlight for Children’s Books

    Books for Kids Make Lifelong Readers!

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Little Peeps Awards Nurture Tomorrow’s Bookworms

    The submissions for the 2025 Awards are underway, and Little Peeps closes on September 30, 2025!

    There’s something magical about watching a child discover the joy of reading – the moment when pictures and words combine to transport young minds to new worlds, teach important lessons, or simply bring smiles and wonder to bedtime routines. The Little Peeps Awards celebrate this magic, recognizing the authors and illustrators who understand that creating exceptional children’s literature is both an art and a responsibility.

    The best children’s books plant seeds of imagination, teach valuable lessons without preaching, and create positive associations with reading that can last a lifetime. From board books that introduce babies to the rhythm of language to chapter books that help young readers take their first independent literary steps, these works serve as gateways to a world of lifelong learning and discovery.

    The Art of Writing for Young Hearts and Minds

    Creating outstanding children’s literature requires a unique blend of skills: the ability to see the world through young eyes, the talent to craft stories that captivate short attention spans, and the wisdom to address important themes in age-appropriate ways. The best children’s books achieve something remarkable: they speak to children on their level while offering layers of meaning that adults can appreciate too.

    Whether it’s teaching self-esteem through relatable characters, exploring different cultures and experiences, or simply creating beautiful bedtime stories that soothe and inspire, children’s literature serves crucial developmental purposes. These books help young readers understand emotions, navigate new experiences, and develop the empathy and curiosity that will serve them throughout their lives.

    The Little Peeps Awards recognize that children’s literature encompasses a range of genres, including educational books that make learning fun, interactive experiences that engage multiple senses, and beautifully illustrated works that demonstrate how art and words can work together to create something truly special.

    Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!

    We’re delighted to honor Ruth Amanda, whose enchanting picture book Island Moon claimed the 2024 Little Peeps Grand Prize with a work that perfectly embodies the magic of children’s literature. Set in a Caribbean paradise where “warm night airs fill your heart with magic,” this gorgeously illustrated book captures the sweet sounds and sights of a tropical night—from cooing doves and whistling frogs to fairies dancing on waves of froth.

    We love Island Moon as a perfect bedtime story for little ones or a simply peaceful moment for readers during a busy day. Ruth Amanda’s vibrant illustrations, tinted with Caribbean blues and moonbeam silver, transport readers to an island paradise while her gentle, rhyming text creates the kind of soothing rhythm that makes for perfect bedtime reading. The book demonstrates how the finest children’s literature creates experiences that families can share and treasure together. In addition to ongoing promotional features, Island Moon will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Ruth Amanda will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview.

    See our Review of Island Moon Here

    Categories That Nurture Every Stage of Development

    The Little Peeps Awards welcome children’s books across every format and developmental stage:

    • Chapter Books for Grades K & 1 – Early independent reading books that help young readers take their first literary steps
    • Story Books – Narrative-driven books perfect for reading aloud and sharing family time
    • Picture Books – The beloved format where illustrations and text work together to create magical experiences
    • Self-Esteem – Books that help children build confidence and understand their unique worth
    • Educational Books – Learning-focused works that make education engaging and fun
    • Experiences – Books that prepare children for new situations or introduce them to different cultures and ways of life
    • Holidays/Traditions – Seasonal and cultural celebration books that help children understand special occasions
    • Exploring – Adventure and discovery books that encourage curiosity about the world around us
    • Interactive & Board Books – Hands-on experiences designed for the youngest readers to touch, manipulate, and explore
    • Bedtime Stories – Gentle, soothing tales crafted to create peaceful transitions to sleep

    Each category serves a different developmental purpose while maintaining the core mission of fostering a love of reading and learning.

    Celebrating Record-Breaking Excellence

    Last year’s Little Peeps Awards celebrated nearly 100 exceptional books – a testament to the incredible creativity and dedication of today’s children’s book creators. This record turnout wasn’t just about quantity; the quality of submissions demonstrated that children’s literature continues to evolve and flourish, with authors and illustrators pushing creative boundaries while never losing sight of their young audience’s needs.

    This tremendous response reflects the growing recognition that children’s literature plays a crucial role in early development and education. Publishers, librarians, educators, and families all understand that investing in quality children’s books means investing in the next generation of readers, thinkers, and dreamers.

    Looking at Children’s Literature Excellence

    Check out some of these wonderful children’s books we’ve celebrated recently!

    Lorelei the Lorelei 2 Cover

    Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas and Sewers
    By Kristen J. Anderson; Illustrations by Audrey Suau

    Lorelei, the charismatic and outspoken seven-year-old, leaps at the chance to save her school’s science fair from disaster in Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas, and Sewers, second book in Kristen J Anderson’s Lorelei the Lorelei series.

    Beyond excited for the science fair, Lorelei prepares a project with a mission. She hopes to change people’s perception about cicadas, which most consider a gross nuisance of a bug. On the day of the science fair, during a trip to the restroom, Lorelei encounters a plumbing catastrophe.

    With the help of her family and friends, Lorelei put a plan in motion to protect the school fair, while learning valuable lessons about sportsmanship, classroom behavior, and empathy. She may be silly and likeable, but some of her quirks can get her into trouble too!

    Even when she gets into trouble, Lorelei is always and unapologetically herself.

    Read More Here

    Littlest Mano at Bedtime

    Littlest Mano at Bedtime
    By Anita Dromey; Illustrations by Taranggana

    In Littlest Mano at Bedtime by Anita Dromey, illustrated by Taranggana, Mano wants to keep grazing and playing in the hills when his mamma calls him to come down to the shore.

    The rest of the goats wait for Mano, who only comes when his mamma asks him to lead the group. But Mano trips in the evening darkness and loses his chance to lead the procession. Once he and all the other goats reach the ocean, he promises not to make them wait so long next time.

    Littlest Mano at Bedtime is a great evening book for children learning to read.

    Dromey writes in a consistent rhyming scheme, making the rhythm easy to grasp and read along with.

    This story teaches the importance of listening and cooperating with others, and does so with a soft hand fitting for very young readers.

    Read More Here

    Valley of the Giant Snakes

    Valley of the Giant Snakes
    By Mac Bell; Illustrations by Andy Vanderbilt

    After crash-landing his jet, young Ace must embark on an epic adventure through the treacherous Valley of Giant Snakes in this fun tale about imagination by Mac Bell and illustrated by Andrew Vanderbilt.

    Valley of the Giant Snakes, the first installment of the Adventure Ace series, takes readers journeying with Ace through a vast and fantastical wilderness.

    Ace encounters a humongous moth gliding overhead, casting an ominous shadow on this unknown world. He weaves his way through a forest of colossal mushrooms as he walks to a mountain in the distance.

    A pair of mysterious eyes glow inside a tunnel, and a giant snake blocks Ace’s path when he backs away. Ace has only his ingenuity to make it past the beast.

    Andy Vanderbilt’s illustrations hearken back to the adventure cartoons of the 70s and 80s, with a fresh look for the modern day.

    Read More Here

    Tail of Twirls, Terrel Lefferts

    A Tail of Twirls: Kittina and the Starlight Ballerina
    By Once Upon A Dance; Illustrations by Stella Maris

    Once Upon a Dance’s captivating children’s picture book A Tail of Twirls: Kittina and the Starlight Ballerina follows an inquisitive cat as she makes a mysterious discovery.

    In Pirouette Pines, small cat Kit peers through the dirty window of an abandoned dance studio. After a desperate initial attempt to enter, Kit spots an opening. The dance photos on the walls fascinate her as soon as she walks in. Curiosity gets the best of her, and she attempts to mimic some of the dance positions.

    Her entire world changes in an instant when a voice—coming from a very unexpected source behind her—asks why she has been there every night. Kit has a cordial conversation with the animated mirror, which concludes with a pledge from the mirror to assist Kit in finding her dance.

    Kit gains proficiency quickly and is keen to learn more. But as she considers what she has learned and what she still wishes to, she is split between gratitude and despair. To complicate her learning further, Kit is taken aback by yet another startling discovery, which is swiftly followed by a directive that will have an impact on Pirouette Pines as a whole.

    Read More Here

    These works demonstrate how the best children’s literature combines entertainment with education, creating experiences that delight young readers while supporting their growth and development.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re excited about all the exceptional children’s books we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. The Chanticleer International Book Awards offers an incredible $30,000 in cash, prizes, and promotion across all divisions!

    The Little Peeps Awards provide recognition for the often-undervalued but incredibly important work of creating literature for our youngest readers. Whether you’re an author crafting your first picture book, an illustrator bringing stories to vivid life, or a publisher committed to quality children’s literature, these awards celebrate the dedication required to nurture young minds and foster lifelong love of reading.

    Plant Seeds of Literary Love

    Creating children’s literature means accepting a beautiful responsibility—the chance to introduce young minds to the joy of reading and the power of imagination. Your book could be a child’s first favorite story, the bedtime book that creates cherished family memories, or the educational adventure that sparks a lifelong interest in learning.

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    Help us nurture tomorrow’s readers—the deadline is September 30, 2025!

    You know you want it…

    Submit to the Little Peeps Awards today and help us celebrate the magic of children’s literature!

  • The 2025 Laramie Hall of Fame for Americana Fiction

    The Frontier is calling

    Submit your Americana, Western or Civil War Novels to the CIBAs!

    western themed porch with a barrel, bottles, and a hat and banjo on a chair***Tell your story today***

    You have until August 31st to share your Story with us and enter the 2025 Laramie Division of the CIBAs!

    Laramie Awards for Western Pioneeer Civil War Fiction Award

    Charles M. Russell painted the cowboy seen on Chanticleer’s very own Laramie contest badge. It is one of many such paintings he did that encompassed the Old American Wild West. An advocate for the Native Americans, Charles M. Russell also helped establish a reservation in Montana for the Chippewa people.

    Our Laramie Hall of Fame Celebrates the Grand Prize Winners of now and past years!

    Sarita cover by Natalie Musgrave Dossett with a majestic horse galloping

    Sarita
    By Natalie Musgrave Dossett

    Our review for the newest Laramie Grand Prize Winner is forthcoming. In the meantime, here is what some GoodReads readers have been saying!

    Sarita has one of the best female protagonists I have read in a novel in years. There is so much action, it is fast paced and easy to read, so you won’t want to put it down. The setting is fabulous, it is well described and I could easily imagine myself there. I had never heard of this author before, but wow, this book should get her noticed!” -Natalie

    Sarita is a riveting page-turner that captivated me from start to finish with its suspense and unexpected twists. The protagonist, Sarita, is a compelling champion for women’s voices, set thoughtfully against the backdrop of the 1920s. Her struggle and determination resonate deeply, bridging the gap between historical and contemporary experiences. Dossett’s fearless approach to storytelling, where even richly developed characters meet untimely ends, adds a layer of authenticity that truly reflects the harsh realities of the wild horse desert life in that era. This commitment to realism enhances the novel’s depth and impact, making it an unforgettable read.” -Alicia

    I was absolutely hooked on this book straight from the start, the brutal death of her brother sent Sarita on a journey to find her brother’s killer.

    I felt every emotion reading this book the writing really brought the story to life.

    Sarita found so many people affected by Javier, her strength to carry on when still struggling with the loss of JJ and worries of her father really was captivating.” -Lisa

     

    The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery
    By Thomas Goodman

    In The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery by Thomas Goodman, four men in a small, depression-era Texas town lay in wait to carry out their unique plan for a holiday heist.

    It’s December 23 and a man in a Santa Claus suit walks into a bank. But rather than his bag full of Christmas surprises, he’s brought a gun. With the element of surprise on their side, the robber and his two partners would collect the cash, while another partner waited in the getaway car. It all seemed so simple.

    At the time, Texas bankers—in order to deter crimes such as this—promised a $5,000 reward for any dead bandits, “and not one cent” for the capture of a live one. Should anything go wrong, the possibilities for disaster were clear as a Greek tragedy, but what could go wrong?

    Read More Here

    Guarded Hearts Cover

    Guarded Hearts
    By T.K. Conklin

    Guarded Hearts by T K Conklin is a sensual romance in the Wild West, with all the passion and excitement natural to the setting.

    Sparks fly between a man with an outlaw past and a woman with a terrifying gift to heal or harm. Strykes is a man haunted both by a violent childhood and his time in an outlaw gang. But he has found a place in Rimrock, where he met LaRisa, an auburn-haired woman whom the townspeople have labeled a “witch” due to her healing herbs and rumors of her “powers”.

    LaRisa has kept her distance from people, afraid of her gift of healing touch that can turn dangerous, even deadly. But, when she comes to town to deliver her medicinal herbs, she makes her way to the livery with tasks for Strykes such as shoeing her horse or fixing a spring in her wagon. He is only too happy to oblige the auburn-haired beauty. The attraction between them is instantaneous, yet they both are hesitant to act on it, fearing they would hurt the other– he from his violent past, and she from her “witch” power.

    Read More Here

    Tom Sawyer Returns
    By E.E. Burke

    Tom Sawyer Returns is the second book in The New Adventures series by author E.E. Burke.

    Readers join a now grown up and far more independent Becky Thatcher as she maneuvers her complicated life in Civil War era Mississippi. Tom has long since left, and Becky is engaged to Union Captain Alfred Temple, who offers her all the safety and security she needs in such uncertain times. But does she love him? Actually love him?

    Becky soon discovers that her heart may have other plans.

    Read More Here

    Cover of Trouble The Water by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

    Trouble The Water
    By Rebecca Dwight Bruff
    Overall Grand Prize Winner

    Robert Smalls’ life should have been one for the history books.

    Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1839. When the first shots of the Civil War were fired upon Fort Sumter, Smalls was an experienced helmsman aboard a small cargo ship plying the coastal waters of South Carolina and the neighboring states. Once the war broke out, he found himself working to support a cause that kept him, his wife, and their children locked in chattel slavery.

    But in a daring escapade that fell somewhere between a raid and a rescue, Smalls planned, with the help of his fellow crew members (also slaves) aboard the CSS Planter, to abscond with the ship, its cargo of munitions taken from Fort Sumter, and bring their families. The plan was to sail the ship as though its white officers were still on board, pretending to be carrying out their orders—at least until the ship was out of the reach of Fort Sumter’s guns.

    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 Laramie 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!

    Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com