You have until August 31st to submit your story and enter the 2025 CIBAs!
Named for Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales (and Name giver of a certain rooster named Chanticleer), This Division was our first Historical Fiction category. Due to us receiving so many amazing Historical Fiction submissions, we had to split it into a few more Divisions. For Post 1750 History, see The Goethe Awards. For 20th and 21st Century Wartime History, see The Hemingway Awards. For Western and Americana History, see The Laramie Awards.
Let’s Take a look back in more recent history at the Grand Prize Winners of the Chaucer Award!
Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court Book 1 of the Anne Boleyn Chronicles
By Rozsa Gaston
Our newest Grand Prize Winner has a release date for Early August, and we are very excited to see it come out!
Anne Boleyn’s path to Henry VIII’s heart—and the throne—begins not in France, but at the court of Europe’s most powerful woman, Margaret of Austria.
Anne enters the world of the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands as one of Margaret’s eighteen maids of honour, who thrive under the guidance of their highly intelligent ruler.
Anne struggles with cliques and jealousies at court, and when Erasmus of Rotterdam arrives with ideas of reform, Anne starts to question tradition and sets her sights high, determined to leave her mark on the world.
But political machinations intervene, cutting short Anne’s time at Margaret’s court, and launching her to France.
Armed with the skills learned under the Netherlands’ brilliant ruler, Anne inches closer to her destiny…
Can she achieve her ambitious desires? Will Margaret’s formidable example influence Anne’s future?
Or will this young maid struggle to blossom in a man’s world…?
Joshua Ibn Elazar, the eager son of a Jewish merchant, travels to al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule) to prove himself in his father’s business. But he finds an unwelcoming, degrading society waiting for him, and begins a journey of misfortune and anger in James Hutson-Wiley’s historical fiction novel, The Merchant from Sepharad.
Shortly after arriving in the city of Lishbunah, al-Andalus, Joshua is tricked out of the gold for his living expenses. Worse yet, he learns that Jews in Lishbunah suffer under oppressive laws, holding far less status than Muslim citizens. He can only find help in Lishbuna’s Jewish community, meeting Rabbi Hiyya al-Daudi and his son Yaish, who house and feed him.
They tell him that his father’s colleague, Essua, who was to help Joshua manage a shipment of flax and sugar, has been arrested. Though Essua is eventually released, Joshua fails to secure storage for his goods, as the makhzan (warehouse) he rented is given to a Muslim merchant instead. In his fury at the city’s prejudice, he sets fire to the makhzan, and is forced to flee.
Mack Little’s historical fiction novel Daughter of Hades explores the lives of slaves during the age of pirates.
Little’s research shines in her thoughtful presentation of the Caribbean islands, the escaped slaves who found freedom amongst them, the lives of buccaneers and maroons, and their daring and dangerous exploits.
On the first page, Little introduces us to Geraldine, or “Dinny”, running for her life from her owner, Owen Craig, who has just raped her.
Dinny’s father had arranged for her to be removed from the plantation before Craig molested her, but he’d miscalculated Craig’s lust. Dinny is rescued by her twin brother, Jimmie, and Leixiang, and taken to the Hades, a pirate ship captained by the buccaneer Duff.
Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin shows the thrilling heights to which Empress Theodora rose and the crushing depths to which she fell, in the latter half of her life. This story picks up from Fortune’s Child, the first volume of this epic duology.
This half of Theodora’s incredible journey opens at its close – as she succumbs to the cancer that drove her to dictate the record of her life. She left the task of recording her meteoric rise from actress to empress in the hands of the scribe and historian Stephen, even though she imprisoned him for several years out of fear that he would reveal her greatest secrets.
Politics is a deadly game in the days of Kings and their competing 14th-century B.C. Egyptian factions. Official diplomat, Lord Hani, is on a royal assignment when he discovers even the king’s motives are suspect. Hani begins to fear for the welfare of his family and himself, as he gets a sinking feeling that the hunter has become the hunted. He’s the live bait, the Bird In A Snare.
Can Lord Hani find out who is responsible for the mysterious assassinations and the shifting armies’ alliances before becoming the one they target next?
The Laramie Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Western and American Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Natalie Musgrave Dossett’s book, Sarita will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Laramie 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!
Grab your hat, step into your boots, and strap on those spurs. Your cow pony is saddled up and ready to ride the trail from San Antonio to Abilene.
Seph Vermillion grew up dirt poor. As long as he can remember, he’s been pushing a plow and arguing with a mule. A couple of times a year, a trio of bandits ravage the family farm and make off with their savings.
Pa never returned home after the war. Seph’s siblings have been gone so long, he doesn’t remember what they look like. When Ma dies after a long illness, Seph trades the family farm for a horse named Sheriff. The kid next door tells Seph about the Deatherage Longhorn Cattle Ranch. The allure of adventure beckons. They partner up and hit the trail. Lacking skills, they are the last cowboys hired and agree to work for half pay.
The outfit’s top hand, Stoke Moreland, pranks, taunts, and threatens Seph. Why does the seasoned cowboy seem intent on driving him off? Seph doesn’t know much about self-defense, but he is tired of being a victim and feeling violated. How long can he turn the other cheek?
The trail is fraught with hazards from perilous river crossings to the mother of all stampedes. When they realize they’re being tracked, followed, and hunted, a growing sense of doom overwhelms the fledgling outfit of cowboys who are still wet behind the ears. The outlaws that plagued Seph’s past have followed them and they are determined to take the herd. Their plan is simple: pit the cowboys against each other, pick them off one by one, and stampede the beeves.
Since they left San Antonio, the drovers have looked forward to whooping it up at the end of the trail. That was before somebody began killing cowboys. Now, Abilene seems like an impossible dream. Will anybody make it to the end of the trail?
Grab your slicker, fetch your bedroll, and swing up into the saddle. Sign on with the Dagger D, Angry R brand—First Drive is calling your name.
This work is a manuscript. Telling a fictionalized version of a true story, Anne Lang and her attempt in 1891 to be the first woman to climb Mt Hood. We hope she has luck in getting this book published as well as the new manuscript she is working on!
In 1849, mercurial Rollin Ridge leaves his family behind to avoid hanging after avenging his father and grandfather’s assassinations.
After his crime, Rollin runs west with his brothers to mine California gold, packing sin and grief in his saddlebags. Through letters home, he finds his justice only after unearthing how the father’s sins have followed the son. Within the frame, from 1827-1835, Rollin’s parents, Cherokee John Ridge, and his white wife, Sarah, uncover illicit slave running, horse theft, and whiskey dealings across Cherokee territory. To end these inhumane crimes and fight Cherokee removal with President Andrew Jackson, John runs for Principal Chief, opposing the incumbent, Chief John Ross. John and Sarah must decide-fight discrimination and land greed, defy Georgia’s violent pressures and remain on his people’s ancestral land, or sign a treaty and uproot a nation and their family west.
Their story began in 1775 amidst a war between brothers, amongst fathers, sons, cousins, and even betwixt husbands, wives, and daughters. As America’s Revolutionary War gripped the colonies, five siblings found themselves alone in a land engulfed in war. Forced to survive on their own, they found no recourse but to flee their palatial Virginia home.
Five Ballinger children, Esther, Lovely, Samuel, Joshua, and Benjamin, must search within themselves for the will to survive, first in Virginia’s wilderness and then, forced to flee once more, in North Carolina’s Watauga settlement. Some go off to war. Others find ways to provide for their wellbeing. Most find love grows even in the darkest of circumstances.
C.M. Huddleston, author of six award-winning historical novels, including Caintuck Lies Within My Soul, once again weaves a captivating story with rich historical detail. This Revolutionary War tale brings American history to life.
Adrien Villere suspects he is not like other boys. For years, he desperately locks away his feelings and fears—but eventually, tragedy and loss drive him to seeking solace from his mentor, a young neighbor Jacob Hart. Jacob’s betrayal of Adrien’s trust, however, results in secret abuse, setting off a chain of actions from which neither Adrien’s wise sister, Bernadette, nor his closest friend, Isaac, can turn him.
At What Cost, Silence presents two contrasting plantation families in a society where strict rules of belief and behavior are clear, and public opinion can shape an entire life. Centerstage are the Villeres, a family less brutal than the Harts, but no less divisive. Often-absent Papa Paien Villere guards several secrets he has kept from everyone—including one which could destroy his entire family. Years after Jacob’s betrayal, Adrien falls hopelessly in love with his former mentor’s erotically precocious and beautiful young sister Lily—whose father has affianced her to a wealthy older man.
What will happen if Lily’s violent brother learns of Adrien and Lily’s clandestine affair? Will Adrien aid in freeing Isaac—an enslaved Black man—as promised? Will Bernadette find the unconventional life she seeks? Or will their entire world end as states secede and war creeps ever closer?
TOM SHARP: The Man and the Legend is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, and carefully-woven mixture of fact and fiction about a young, wounded Confederate soldier from Marion County, Missouri, who became a famous and respected Westerner.
Discharged from his enlistment, Tom Sharp joined a wagon train and traveled west. He aimed to earn his fortune, homestead a ranch, marry Katherine Durrett, the lovely young lady he was betrothed to, and start a family. On his dangerous and exciting quest, Sharp encountered renegades, Indians, and slavers–as well as frontiersmen who taught him how to survive in the mountains and on the plains.
Although many of the tales are based on actual events and adventures that Tom Sharp experienced, author Charlie Steel engages his craft as a master storyteller and embellishes and adds situations to honor the accomplishments and integrity of this great man from Colorado.
Tom Sharp’s life, embellished or not, is a story that needs to be told. He was a soldier, buffalo hunter, meat provider for the California and Oregon gold miners, meat provider for the Union Pacific Railroad workers, multiline telegraph pole cutter for the railroad, deputy sheriff, rancher, established and ran a copper stamping mill, built and operated Buzzard Roost Trading Post, bred thoroughbred horses, raised cattle, and was an advocate for Indians, especially Chief Ouray and his band of Utes.
Steel writes a story that rivets the reader creating well-rounded characters that provide a unique and more realistic perspective of the West.
Not all adversaries go quietly into the long cold night…
Entrapped and snared by Union forces, General Lee has surrendered. Celebrations take hold of the North as the Confederacy crumbles without their hero. Yet Wolf’s war isn’t over. Diehard rebels still operate in the field, led by the secret organization the Knights of the Golden Circle, including Wolf’s nemesis, Marshall Payne.
Their plot? Kill the president and let the war rage on.
Wolf and his men rush to Washington, D.C., to meet the enemy head-on. But these enemies do not march and fight as armies do; they lurk in the shadows waiting to strike. Can Wolf and his motley crew keep the assassins at bay?
The epic finale of the bestselling and award-winning military historical fiction series is filled with danger, conspiracy, and revenge as the North’s most unlikely heroes are tasked with the impossible.
The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Historical Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Rozsa Gaston’s book, Maid of Honour will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Chaucer 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!
A Quest for God and Spices begins an epic journey across the ancient world. In the year AD 1200, a new pope agitates for a renewed crusade to reconquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem. European monarchs largely ignore his call, too involved with squabbles among themselves. The pope chooses two men-Brother Mauro, an older monk, and Nicolo, a young, striving merchant-to traverse the treacherous political, religious, and mercantile terrain of medieval Europe and the Byzantine Empire to seek out the powerful Presbyter John, a mysterious king in the Far East who has promised to put his wealth and vast armies to the service of the pope’s crusade. Nicolo’s task is to guide Mauro, but a corrupt cardinal has secretly charged the young man with finding the source of the precious spices that ensure the Venetian and Arab trade monopoly. Nicolo’s youthful exuberance, carelessness, and desire to be important jeopardize their mission, while Mauro’s knowledge of scripture and pagan works has not prepared him for the schemes of doges and emirs, clergymen and kings.
As Sir Harry Percy patrols England’s rugged North, even the Scots, his frequent adversaries, admire his audacity and courage. Claiming his ceaseless vigilance means his spurs never cool, they call him Hotspur.Yet when Harry questions royal corruption, Richard II bestows another name: traitor.
Escaping death, Harry joins Duke Henry Bolingbroke, whose fortune Richard stole and who leads a campaign to improve Richard’s governance. Soon, though, Henry, too, acts despotic, ordering executions without fair trials and plotting to seize power directly. Alarmed, Harry exacts a vow from him to notoust Richard. But Henry violates his oath, inciting a mob to force Parliament to make him King Henry IV. Harry boycotts Henry’s coronation but, realizing he serves the nation regardless of who wears the crown, later returns to duty, with Henry’s backing.
Will their reconciliation last? And can Harry’s newfound love with an ex-abbess protect him not only from threats on the borders but those in dark palace corners? Never has his motto, Esperance—Hope—mattered more!
With his ancestral manor in ruins, Philippe strives to forge a new family legacy. But a relentless knave is determined to cause his downfall.
1470, Isle of Jersey. Heart-broken by his father’s death, Philippe returns home to shoulder the hereditary mantle of seigneur. Coming of age during an oppressive occupation, he aspires to reconstruct the fiefdom based on values of prosperity and compassion.
Despite his misgivings, he acquiesces to the arranged marriage with the new governor’s daughter, Margaret. She brings with her a substantial dowry that will help him achieve his objectives. As love blossoms between them, life seems perfect.
However, a longtime rival lurks, determined to thwart Philippe at every turn. As Philippe’s power and influence on the island grows, their quarrel escalates to new levels of treachery. When the feud turns deadly, can Philippe survive the ordeals that await and safeguard the future for his family?
Betrayal of Trust is the riveting second novel in The de Carteret Chronicles: Legacy of Rebels historical fiction series and tells the story of Margaret Harleston, one of the island’s heroines. If you like political intrigue, treachery, and formidable adversaries, prepare to be captivated by this true tale of bravery.
Ninety years have passed since the Christians wrested control of Jerusalem from their foes, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s army is a pile of corpses strewn about the Horns of Hattin. The few survivors stumble back for the only place of refuge spared of Saladin’s wrath, Jerusalem.
Robert Cutnose reluctantly joins with the Lord Balian de Ibelin in an attempt to defend a city of refugees from Saladin’s army. Both men have drawn the ire of old enemies within the Order who secretly wish to bring them down. And hidden within Saladin’s ranks, assassins lurk, cultivating their own end to the conflict. Even while the city teeters on the brink of annihilation, a princess seeks to assert her birthright over the crown. The fate of Cutnose and the Kingdom of Jerusalem hangs by a thread, and there is no guarantee of survival of anyone involved.
Continue the gritty war-torn journey through the crusades and the Noctis Bellum, a shadow war spanning centuries between the Order and the Hunted.
1150: The Whale Road. An epic medieval adventure, set in the Viking world of 12th century Orkney. To change their doom, Skarfr and Hlif must pay the price.
Warrior-poet Skarfr embarks on a death-defying pilgrimage with his ruler, Jarl Rognvald, from the wind-whipped shores of Orkney to the Holy Land. He is one of the few men trusted by the Jarl, whether facing sea-monsters or murder.
Fifteen ships sail on the ‘whale road’ in the pilgrims’ fleet. The only woman among the ‘sea wolves’, Hlif is respected as much for her practical skills as for her mystical gifts. Yet beneath her indomitable façade lies a secret – she is handfasted to Skarfr, their love forbidden by the Jarl’s decree.
As tensions rise, Skarfr is torn between fealty to his Jarl and devotion to Hlif. One oath must be broken but which one? How can he steer a course between loyalty and love without losing his honour?
Also a 2024 Chanticleer Cover Design Award First Place Winner!
Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devoted husband, father, and skilled military scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantly obeys orders to guide a brutal attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.
After the catastrophic event, Benjamin is burdened with guilt and longs for peace. But the Algonquians, led by the revered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts town of Hatfield, capturing over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wife Martha and their three young daughters.
Hatfield 1677 is a tale of three interwoven yet diverging journeys of strength and survival. Benjamin is driven by love and remorse to rescue his family; Martha is forced into captivity and desperately striving to protect her children; and Ashpelon is willing to risk everything to ensure the safety and freedom of his people.
Based on the lives of the author’s ancestors, this riveting and unforgettable novel gives voice to three vastly different experiences in North America during a time before the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and a battleground; equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty and happiness were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.
From the vast landscapes of the American West to the intimate stories of families building new lives on the frontier, from First Nation narratives that honor indigenous wisdom to contemporary tales that prove the western spirit lives on, the Laramie Awards celebrate the full spectrum of Americana fiction from Mexico through Canada. These are tales of courage, independence, survival, and the eternal quest for home and belonging.
Americana fiction captures the willingness to venture into unknown territory, the determination to build something lasting from nothing, and the complex relationships between different cultures that have shaped this continent for generations. Whether set in the dusty streets of frontier towns or the modern ranches of today’s West, these stories explore themes that remain fundamentally American: freedom, justice, family, and the land that shapes us all.
The Enduring Appeal of Americana Stories
The best Americana fiction explores the complex realities of life across different eras and cultures. These stories explore how the American mythos shapes lives across the continent, sometimes inspiring, sometimes haunting, always powerful.
From the epic scope of pioneer journeys to intimate family dramas played out against vast landscapes, Americana fiction offers readers the chance to explore their roots and understand how the character was forged. These stories resonate because they deal with universal themes: survival, family loyalty, moral courage, and the search for justice, all while remaining distinctly grounded in American soil and values.
Contemporary westerns prove that these themes remain relevant today, showing how the frontier spirit adapts to modern challenges while maintaining its essential character of independence, resilience, and connection to the land.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re thrilled to honor Natalie Musgrave Dossett, whose powerful novel Sarita claimed the 2024 Laramie Grand Prize with a story that Kirkus Reviews called “a powerful tale of revenge and perseverance in the face of danger.” Set in 1920 along the Texas-Mexico border, the novel follows nineteen-year-old Sarita after her younger brother JJ is killed by tequila smuggler Javier Salsito de Ortega, and the Texas Rangers refuse to help due to Prohibition and border issues.
Determined to seek justice and prove herself worthy of inheriting the family ranch, Sarita crosses the Rio Grande into a world of deadly threats that proves far more dangerous and complex than she imagined. Dossett masterfully weaves together elements of thriller and historical fiction, creating what reviewers have compared to True Grit for its “plucky young girl on a mission to set her turbulent, dusty world right.” In addition to ongoing promotional features, Sarita will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Natalie Musgrave Dossett will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Sarita will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Span the American Experience
The Laramie Awards welcome Americana fiction across every tradition and time period:
Western Romance – Love stories set against the backdrop of the American West, where hearts are as wild as the landscape
Adventure/Caper – Action-packed tales of outlaws, lawmen, and those caught between justice and survival
Classic – Traditional westerns that honor the genre’s golden age while bringing fresh perspectives
Civil War/Prairie/Pioneer – Stories of the conflicts and journeys that shaped the American frontier
Contemporary Western – Modern stories that prove the western spirit lives on in today’s America
Americana – Broader American stories that capture the national character and experience
First Nation – Indigenous narratives that honor the voices and perspectives of those who have lived in North America since time immemorial
Each category represents a different facet of Americana fiction, from traditional frontier tales to contemporary explorations of what it means to live here today.
Explore All Historical Fiction Divisions
The Laramie Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:
Whether your historical fiction explores ancient civilizations, recent decades, or the distinctly American experience, Chanticleer offers recognition for every period and perspective.
Looking at Americana Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding Americana fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!
Cold As Hell
By Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle
The 2022 Paranormal (Now Shelley) Grand Prize Winner!
James Crowley isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill cowboy. Nor isCold as Hell,by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle, your typical gunslinging western.
Although he’s got all the right characteristics – tough exterior, snarky personality, and commitment issues – Crowley is much more than he appears. Resurrected to immortality straight from death’s “sickly sweet aroma,” Crowley is duty-bound as a Hand of God to serve the White Throne in its shadow war against demonic presences called the nephilim unleashed by freezing hell.
But it’s not all ‘good guys versus bad guys’. As Crowley learns, “good choices don’t always mean doing right or wrong things. Especially when it comes to serving a Master like [the White Throne].” Forced to be the middle man between God and the Devil, Crowley has to decide for himself how to care for the people around him and bring true justice to fruition.Forced to be themiddlemanbetween God and the Devil, Crowley has to make his own choices about how to care for the people around him and bring justice to fruition.
Jam-packed with simmering romance, evil yetis, reckless bar fights, and other outlaw shenanigans,Cold as Hellwill warm readers’ hearts as it freezes them to their seats with anticipation.
Guarded Heartsby 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.
But when Strykes arrives at her isolated cabin, riddled with bullets, LaRisa knows she must use her healing touch to save him.
David Fitz-Gerald concludes theGhosts Along the Oregon Trailseries with a grand finale for an eclectic cast of characters, as the long wagon train is finallyRolling Hometo their new lives in the wild west of Oregon.
With the end of the trail just out of reach, however, their hopes dwindle and their hunger rages. The rigor of the western environment continues to test their determination and threaten vows of heartfelt romance. These weary people ache and mourn losses, while seeking new ways to survive and pull each other forward in the face of impending winter.
This wagon train of travelers will also face venomous villains who have been lurking in the shadows, outlaws waiting for their best opportunity to pounce.
Now they feel the traveling train is at its weakest, and strike without mercy. Dorcas and her family are in a desperate situation, clinging to the hope of a better life ahead. But even if they can hang on to reach that final destination, they doubt whether the life they’d planned in Oregon is still the future they want.
InLoving Beth, a Christian historical romance by Bonnie Rose Ward, a young woman finds herself in dire straits when her widowed mother dies unexpectedly.
Beth’s father had taken out loans to improve their property, but he was killed in the Civil War, leaving his wife and daughter to struggle to keep up with the payments. Now, Beth is alone without any means to keep her home—finding and taking in two young, abandoned children certainly doesn’t help. But even amidst her troubles, Beth’s thoughts keep going back to the mysterious and handsome stranger who found and brought home the body of her mother.
Life is not easy in her tiny settlement in West Virginia, and young, pretty Beth finds that it is not about to get any easier. The new banker holds a grudge toward her for having rejected his advances, and the man’s snobbish wife is determined to make Beth’s life even more miserable. The loans that Beth and her mother worked to pay each month are suddenly due in full— but the banker’s unwanted and ugly advances are foiled with the appearance of the mysterious stranger.
These works demonstrate how the best Americana fiction combines authentic historical detail with compelling characters and universal themes that resonate across generations.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional Americana fiction 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 Laramie Awards recognize stories that capture the Americana spirit in all its complexity—the courage of pioneers, the wisdom of First Nations, the romance of the frontier, and the ongoing evolution of the American dream. Whether your story spans vast landscapes or focuses on intimate family dramas, these awards celebrate the distinctly Americana experience.
Your Americana Story Awaits
Great Americana fiction doesn’t just tell stories about the past—it explores what it means to be here now, what values we’ve inherited, and how those values continue to shape us today. Whether your tale unfolds in a frontier town, a contemporary ranch, or the complex borderlands where cultures meet, the Laramie Awards celebrate the authors who understand that the story of North America is still being written.
In an age when stories spread by firelight and traveling minstrels, when legends were born from whispered tales and historical truth blended seamlessly with mythic storytelling, Geoffrey Chaucer understood the power of narrative to capture both the spirit of an age and the eternal human condition. The Chaucer Awards, inspired by the great poet whose “Prior’s Tale” gave Chanticleer its very name, celebrate this same tradition and honoring authors who bring the distant past to vivid life through masterful storytelling.
As Chanticleer’s first historical fiction division, the Chaucer Awards represent our foundational commitment to discovering exceptional historical narratives. From the mists of pre-history through the grandeur of the Renaissance, these awards recognize the unique artistry required to transform ancient civilizations, legendary figures, and distant eras into compelling contemporary fiction.
The Art of Ancient Storytelling
Writing early historical fiction demands extraordinary imagination and research skills. Authors must recreate worlds where written records are scarce, daily life was vastly different from our own, and the very foundations of modern society were still being formed. These storytellers serve as literary archaeologists, piecing together fragments of history, legend, and human nature to create authentic worlds that feel both historically grounded and emotionally true.
The best early historical fiction doesn’t just transport readers to distant times—it reveals the timeless aspects of human experience that connect us across millennia. Whether exploring the political intrigue of Tudor courts, the epic journeys of Celtic heroes, or the daily struggles of medieval peasants, these stories illuminate how courage, love, ambition, and family loyalty have remained constant throughout human history.
The challenge of early historical fiction lies in making ancient worlds accessible to modern readers while respecting the fundamental differences in how people thought, believed, and lived in earlier eras. The most successful works achieve this delicate balance, creating stories that feel authentically historical yet emotionally immediate.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re delighted to honor Rozsa Gaston, whose meticulously researched novel Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court claimed the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize with a fresh perspective on one of history’s most infamous queens. Set in 1513 Europe, the novel follows young Anne Boleyn during her formative time as one of eighteen maids of honor at the court of Margaret of Austria, Europe’s most powerful woman, before her fateful journey to France and eventually to Henry VIII’s court.
Gaston’s work exemplifies the scholarly depth and narrative skill that defines exceptional early historical fiction, exploring how Anne’s ambitious character was shaped by her early experiences with political intrigue, intellectual reform, and the complex dynamics of European court life. As one reviewer noted, this is “a young Anne in whom I absolutely believe, and who does much to explain the woman she’d become.” In addition to ongoing promotional features, Maid of Honour will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Rozsa Gaston will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and Maid of Honour will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Span the Ancient World
The Chaucer Awards welcome early historical fiction across the full spectrum of pre-1750s history:
Pre-Historical Fiction – Stories from before recorded history, exploring humanity’s earliest experiences
Ancient Historical Fiction – Classical civilizations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and other ancient empires
Dark Ages, Medieval, Renaissance – The transformative periods that bridged ancient and modern worlds
Elizabethan/Tudor – The golden age of English history and literature
1600s – The century of exploration, scientific revolution, and political upheaval
World/International History Pre-1750s – Global perspectives on early historical periods
Americas – Historical Fiction Pre-1750s – Stories from the indigenous and colonial Americas
Legend Based pre-1750s Historical Fiction – Arthurian tales, Beowulf, and other mythic narratives
Norse/Celtic – Stories from the rich traditions of northern European cultures
Each category represents a different window into humanity’s distant past, from intimate personal stories to epic tales of kingdoms and empires.
Explore All of Our Historical Fiction Divisions
The Chaucer Awards anchor Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of historical fiction across all time periods:
Whether your historical fiction explores recent decades or the distant past, Chanticleer offers recognition for every period and perspective.
Looking at Early Historical Excellence
Check out some of these outstanding early historical fiction works we’ve celebrated recently!
The Tale of the English Templar
By Helena P. Schrader
Far from the romantic legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Helena P. Schrader’sThe Tale of the English Templarfaithfully captures the harsh decimation of the Knights Templar. Schrader offers a sobering, immersive look at one of history’s darkest betrayals. This is historical fiction worthy of legend with its feet planted firmly in research—not myth.
Set in the early 14th century, the novel captures the downfall of the Knights Templar at the hands of French King Philip IV. With the Pope’s reluctant cooperation, the Templars are accused of heresy and tortured until they confess to crimes they didn’t commit. The king’s true motive? Their immense wealth.
Among those captured is Sir Percy de Lacy, an English Templar who is swept up in a raid by local French soldiers and caught in a mass arrest on Friday, October 13th, 1307. What follows is a harrowing account of imprisonment, torture, and unlikely survival.
Gregory Michael Nixon’sDiomedes in Kyprios, book 2 in the DiomedeiaSeries,continues the adventures of the godlike yet all too human hero, Diomedes of Tiryns, as he seeks to discover a meaningful destiny in the chaos of the Bronze Age Collapse.
We begin after the fall of the Hittite Empire, four years after the destruction of Troy. He emerges from the dark river that runs through the underworld where the sacrifice of the Hittite Great King has just occurred, and he has rescued the Hittite Queen from certain death. Nearly drowned but still alive, he recalls only that he had vowed to reunite with the former Queen of the Hittites, the woman he loves named Lieia, at Paphos on the island of Kyprios (ancient Cyprus).
Lieia must undergo her own “odyssey” to get to Paphos to meet Diomedes. She depends on her band of protectors, but they pay for fare aboard a ship with evil men who cannot be trusted.
Elodia is a young woman driven by dreadful circumstances to act with deadly force in the Robert S. Phillips novelElodia’s Knife.
What Elodia hoped would be her leap away from danger instead left her surrounded by perilous threats that now threaten to consume her. Armed with her courage, determination, instincts, and a trusty knife, Elodia faces a hostile world in foreign territory.
Not all are against her though. Allies– even a friend– can be found, if Elodia can summon the bravery to listen to her feelings and own deep wishes.
Young Elodia is unhappily married to an abusive husband. But when he tries to attack her again, she strikes back and kills him.
Shelter in a Hostile World, second installment in Mack Little’s Love and Peace series, is an epic tale of resistance, desire, and tragedy, saturating readers in the complexity of Igbo culture.
Little paints a character-rich portrait of the horrors of enslavement and the unthinkable violence against women in the Caribbean, locking people together in relationships molded by adversity.
Set in 17th century Igboland—the invaded region of Nigeria — and on the island of Barbados, Shelter in a Hostile World is a searingly brief novel packed with mesmerizing prose. It blends genres to create a literary language entirely its own.
Throughout Little’s story, readers follow the life and loves of Badu Obosi, a haunted revolutionary escaping enslavement to protect his daughter from sexual violence.
InMistress of Legend, the enticing finale of Nicole Evelina’sGuinevere’s Taletrilogy, matters are life-and-death by the second sentence, pulling readers deep into Guinevere’s fate in this retelling of Arthurian legend.
We come upon heroine Guinevere in the midst of an ill-fated romance with Lancelot. It’s far from her first troubled entanglement, but the stakes rise as she’s severely injured and faces even more threats, pursued by possible enemies. The novel’s beginning is woven with backstory, which adds suspense to the drama unfolding in Guinevere’s present. This summarizing might be slow for readers familiar with the series, but makes the story accessible for those who haven’t picked up the first two books.
Many more characters appear, waving the web of intrigue Guinevere finds herself caught in.
These works demonstrate how the best early historical fiction combines rigorous research with compelling storytelling to bring ancient worlds to vivid life.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
We’re excited about all the exceptional early historical fiction 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 Chaucer Awards recognize the extraordinary scholarship and imagination required to recreate distant worlds and ancient civilizations. Whether you’ve spent years researching medieval manuscripts, exploring archaeological evidence, or reimagining legendary tales, these awards celebrate both your historical dedication and narrative artistry.
Your Ancient Tale Awaits
Great early historical fiction serves as a bridge between past and present, helping modern readers understand both how much the world has changed and how much human nature remains constant. Whether your story unfolds in a medieval castle, an ancient marketplace, or the legendary courts of Arthurian Britain, the Chaucer Awards celebrate the authors who keep the distant past alive through the power of exceptional storytelling.
You have until August 31st to submit to the 2025 CIBAs!
Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (Better known by her Pen Name, Nellie Bly) created a new brand of Investigative Journalism. Best known for beating Jules Verne’s Around The World in 80 Days in 72 days, and even more amazingly, Going undercover to get herself put into a New York Mental Hospital to then publish an exposé on the unlivable conditions and mistreatment of marginalized women. Journalist, Novelist, Inventor and overall amazing Woman. So its only fitting that our Division for Investigative Journalism be named for the woman who made the genre.
We’re excited to celebrate the excellent caliber of work that we have had the honor of promoting in the CIBAs for Longform Journalism.
The Nellie Bly Awards are one of a kind. Check out the following books to find out why!
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, And a 20 Year Fight for Justice
By Dan Slepian
In 2002, Dan Slepian, a veteran producer for NBC’s Dateline, received a tip from a Bronx homicide detective that two men were serving twenty-five years to life in prison for a 1990 murder they did not commit.
Haunted by what the detective had told him, Slepian began an investigation of the case that eventually resulted in freedom for the two men and launched Slepian on a two-decade personal and professional journey into a deeply flawed justice system fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes and their consequences.
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justiceis Slepian’s account of challenging that system. The story follows Slepian on years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that led to a series of powerful Dateline episodes and eventually to freedom for four other men and to an especially deep and lasting friendship with one of them, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez. From his cell in Sing Sing, JJ aided Slepian in his investigations until his own release in 2021 after decades in prison.
Like Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, The Sing Sing Files is a deeply personal account of wrongful imprisonment and the flaws in our justice system, and a powerful argument for reckoning and accountability. Slepian’s extraordinary book, at once painful and full of hope, shines a light on an injustice whose impact the nation has only begun to confront.
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America By Paul Kix
Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novelYou Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.
This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.
When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.
The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.
To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorism Saints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.
Katz – executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”
America’s Forgotten Suffragists: Virginia and Francis Minor By Nicole Evalina
Comprehensive in its own right, America’s Forgotten Suffragists by Nicole Evelina is an essential addition to the canon of women’s suffrage and first-wave feminism.
Equal parts local history of women’s right to vote in the nineteenth century and biography of Virginia and Francis Minor, America’s Forgotten Suffragists illuminates the story of a wife-and-husband feminist duo who were the first to fight for women’s suffrage at the Supreme Court level.
We learn about the lives of Virginia and Francis Minor by way of historical records, intersecting timelines with other suffragists, and news articles and letters. Virginia Minor was raised on the new and intellectually stimulating University of Virginia campus, where her father worked. Born into a colonial settler and slave-owning family, Virginia came into her own as she grew older, forming abolitionist and feminist beliefs.
Prison From The Inside Out By William “Mecca” Elmore and Susan Simone
Prison from Inside Out: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom is an illuminating chronicle that tells the story of a man who not only survived the stoniest soil but used his experiences to thrive as a human being.
This arresting memoir is essentially a road trip of William ‘Mecca’ Elmore, a man with a tumultuous childhood, growing up in a neighborhood chock full of social problems. It is in this environment that Elmore is involved in a crime that consequently leads to his arrest and trial. The story builds upon his incarceration in various correctional facilities, his experiences, his release through a Mutual Agreement Parole Program, and his eventual redemption.
The Nellie Bly Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Journalistic Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Dan Slepian’s book, The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Nellie Bly 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!
After three years in Europe, former journalist Carla Conti* just wanted to settle her family into the suburbs of Philadelphia. But her high school friend Scott Powell, a lawyer handling a brutal prison stabbing case, needed a favor. Before she knew it, Carla became part of the defense team and mired in the terrifying world of federal prison gangs, penal abuse, and corruption.
Then, when she agreed to write a tell-all book on the violent machinations behind the court case — with Scott’s client as an inside source — the stakes turned deadly. Two different prison gangs issued “hit orders” against the prisoner she and Scott now considered a friend, and the journalist and defense attorney were imperiled by association.
Chained Birds is a true crime memoir of Carla’s 10-year journey to advocate for federal inmate Kevin Sanders and help him re-enter society after prison. But the mission came at a cost as Carla struggled to balance her own, Scott’s, and Kevin’s safety while writing an exposé on the horrific conditions that led to the shutdown of an experimental prison program in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
This thrilling, frightening book depicts a journey filled with unlikely friendships, invisible victims of prison abuse, failings in our criminal justice system, and redemption through storytelling.
*Carla Conti is a pen name used by the author to protect her real identity for fear of retribution.
In Men-in-the-Middle, author Kori Reed interviews men across corporate America about gender equity in the workplace. This is a topic men can influence, as they hold nearly 75 percent of C-suite positions, but they don’t talk about it at the office. As it turns out, men have a lot to say! They are aware of the issues and the impacts and, at the same time, unsure of what to do. This uncertainty renders Men-in-the-Middle, even though they may be supporters, on the silent sidelines of gender equity.
Combining interviews with insights from secondary research, Reed seeks to provide a framework to understand this “silent majority” and shine the light on new perspectives and topics that often go undiscussed.
Men-in-the-Middle: Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority invites men and women to cultivate conversations by providing an orientation on perspective-taking and laying a foundation to move gender equity forward in a new inclusive way.
Murder may seem easy, and getting away with it even easier, particularly in Indian Country. Big Horn County, MT, where Ms. Bley grew up, bears the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rate of missing and murdered women and girls. Selena Not Afraid fell victim to this hidden epidemic on New Year’s Day 2020, disappearing without a trace under mysterious circumstances. Her body was discovered 20 days later in an open field, previously intensively searched. The county sheriff hastily labeled her death as “accidental hypothermia” before she could undergo a thorough examination by a coroner, a cause of death that appears all too common in Crow Indian country.
The lack of answers surrounding Selena’s disappearance and the questionable cause of her death sparked outrage in the community. Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County compellingly recounts the stories of several young Native American Indians who have gone missing or been brutally murdered in Big Horn County. This book not only raises awareness but also sheds light on first-hand perspectives from the family members of Crow and Cheyenne tribal members who were killed. Additionally, it highlights the efforts of those working to make a difference in Indian Country, aiming to reduce instances of violence against Native women. Stolen Voices a multi-award winning book delves into the deeper issues at the heart of this hidden epidemic, whose awareness is gaining momentum.
Bonnie Bley, a native of Wyoming, spent her formative years in the border reservation town of Hardin, MT, situated in the southeastern corner of Montana. Her educational journey took her to Aberdeen, SD, and Bloomington, MN, where she honed her skills and knowledge. In the late 1980s, she made Minnesota her home, and to this day, it remains the backdrop to her life.
Although Minnesota has become her primary residence, Bonnie remains deeply connected to her roots in Montana and Wyoming, considering them the bedrock of her identity. It is within this intricate tapestry of her experiences that Bonnie Bley has woven the compelling narrative of Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County. This poignant work sheds light on the stories of Indigenous People who have tragically gone missing or been murdered in the very county where she spent her upbringing, offering BONNIE BLEY a heartfelt exploration of a community’s struggles and losses.
It was family separation and “kids in cages” that drove Sarah Towle to the U.S. southern border. On discovering the many-headed hydra that is the U.S. immigration system—and the heroic determination of those caught under its knee—she could never look away again. Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands charts Sarah’s journey from outrage to activism to abolition as she exposes, layer by “broken” layer, the global deterrence to detention to deportation complex that is failing everyone—save the profiteers and demagogues who benefit from it.
Deftly weaving together oral storytelling, history, and memoir, Sarah illustrates how the U.S. has led the retreat from post-WWII commitments to protecting human rights. Yet within the web of normalized cruelty, she finds hope and inspiration in the extraordinary acts of ordinary people who prove, every day, there is a better way. By amplifying their voices and celebrating their efforts, Sarah reveals that we can welcome with dignity those most in need of safety and compassion. In unmasking the real root causes of the so-called “crisis” in human migration, she urges us to act before we travel much farther down our current course—one which history will not soon forgive, or forget.
In 1887, a young reporter named Nellie Bly feigned mental illness to expose the horrific conditions at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, forever changing how society treated the mentally ill. Her courage to go undercover, endure personal risk, and challenge powerful institutions established a tradition of investigative journalism that continues to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to the voiceless.
The Nellie Bly Awards honor this fearless tradition, celebrating the journalists, researchers, and truth-tellers who dedicate years – sometimes decades – to exposing corruption, fighting injustice, and demanding accountability from systems that would prefer to operate in shadows. These are the stories that don’t just inform readers; they change laws, free the innocent, and restore faith in the power of persistent, ethical journalism.
The Vital Role of Investigative Journalism
In an era of instant news, social media speculation, and AI hallucinations, deep investigative work has never been more crucial. The authors recognized by the Nellie Bly Awards understand that real accountability journalism requires time, resources, and extraordinary persistence. They dig deeper than daily news cycles allow, following leads that others abandon, and asking questions that make uncomfortable people uncomfortable.
The best investigative non-fiction sparks conversations, policy changes, and sometimes legal action that creates lasting positive change. These authors transform individual investigations into broader understanding of systemic issues that affect us all.
Celebrating Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner!
We’re deeply honored to recognize Dan Slepian, whose extraordinary work The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice claimed the 2024 Nellie Bly Grand Prize with an investigation that exemplifies the very best of accountability journalism. What began as a single tip from a Bronx homicide detective in 2002 became a twenty-year personal and professional journey that ultimately freed six innocent men from prison.
Slepian’s story demonstrates the persistence that defines great investigative journalism—years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that challenged a justice system “fiercely resistant to rectifying—or even acknowledging—its mistakes.” His work resulted not only in powerful Dateline episodes but in actual freedom for wrongfully convicted men, including his deep friendship with Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, who aided Slepian’s investigations from his Sing Sing cell until his own release in 2021.
The Sing Sing Files represents investigative journalism at its most vital, exposing systemic flaws while honoring individual human stories, requiring both professional skill and personal courage, and ultimately creating change that extends far beyond the pages of the book. In addition to ongoing promotional features, The Sing Sing Files will be regularly promoted throughout the year and for the next five years in our upcoming Hall of Fame posts. Dan Slepian will also be invited to participate in a Chanticleer 10-Question Interview, and The Sing Sing Files will receive a coveted Chanticleer Editorial Review.
Categories That Cover Every Beat
The Nellie Bly Awards welcome investigative work across every section of the metaphorical newspaper, recognizing that corruption and injustice can emerge anywhere:
Social Science – Research-driven investigations into societal patterns and behaviors
Data Driven Reporting – Stories powered by statistical analysis and empirical evidence
Equality and Justice – Exposés of discrimination and fights for civil rights
Ethics – Investigations into moral failures in institutions and leadership
Human Rights – Documentation of abuses and advocacy for fundamental freedoms
Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants – Stories of displacement and the policies that affect vulnerable populations
Activist Groups – Investigations into movements, both positive and problematic
Crimes and Corruption – Classic investigative journalism exposing criminal behavior and institutional corruption
Environmental – Reporting on ecological crimes and environmental justice
Whistle Blowers – Stories of those brave enough to expose wrongdoing from within
Politics Regional, National, International – Government accountability at every level
Wartime/Military – Investigations into conflicts and military institutions
\Health and Medicine – Medical investigations and healthcare system accountability and interest stories
Nature and the Environment – Environmental science and conservation investigations and interest stories
Pop Culture, Social Issues, Current Events – Contemporary cultural criticism and social analysis
Home & Garden – Largely interest stories focused on how-to home changes and possible investigations that can result
Like the sections of a great newspaper, these categories ensure that no corner of society escapes the scrutiny that democracy requires.
Other August Non-Fiction Opportunities
The Nellie Bly Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of narrative non-fiction, all closing at the end of August:
Journey Awards: Courageous stories of overcoming adversity and transforming trauma into purpose
Hearten Awards: Uplifting non-fiction that inspires hope and positive transformation
Check out some of these powerful investigative works we’ve celebrated recently!
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live
By Paul Kix
Paul Kix shows readers the bloody front lines of the civil rights movement in his novelYou Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.
This historical nonfiction novel explores in-depth the Birmingham, Alabama campaign known as Project C. Kix dives deep into the minds of dozens of key historical figures who helped orchestrate the campaign, such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and Fred Shuttlesworth. Despite an overwhelming fear of failure, Project C needed to catch the attention of the nation.
When the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, Kix and his wife were faced with the difficult task of explaining racism to their children. Kix, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, chose not to shield them from news coverage of the deaths and the protests that followed.
The jarring footage of Floyd’s death paralleled another startling image: that of a 15-year-old boy being attacked by a German shepherd handled by the Birmingham police.
Dave Tabler’sDelaware from Freeways to E-Wayspresents a nonlinear kaleidoscope view of Delaware’s twentieth-century history, braiding together snapshots of the state through a variety of lenses.
By dissecting the history of the state’s education system, economy, politics, war, technology, social dynamics, religion, agriculture, and conservation of the natural world, this book becomes a patchwork quilt of Delaware’s contributions to recent American history.
Tabler strategically places historical images throughout the first half of the book to help paint a vivid picture of what Delaware life has been like across the years. The second half of the book then expounds on every snapshot, allowing the reader to pursue the parts that most interest them. Tabler concludes each of these deeper dives by describing the impacts on present-day Delaware and America. These threads of connection to current events help the reader find meaning within the overall arc of history.
Italians in the Pacific Northwest
By Tessa Floreano
Tessa Floreano’sItalians in the Pacific Northwest is an inviting pictorial narrative featuring both ordinary and extraordinary individuals of Italian heritage who helped to create and develop Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Concentrating on the decades from 1880 to 1950, Floreano begins by referencing the earliest Italian explorers of the Pacific Northwest Territory, then quickly moves to the efforts of those who sought a better life through hard work and new opportunities on American shores.
Floreano’s research shows through the fascinating details of this book.
She includes stories, photographs, and memorabilia to highlight both the struggles and triumphs of these pioneering Italian Americans. From the backbreaking labor of building the road and rail infrastructure that connected this new land, to working in the coal mines, logging and milling the giant cedars, farming the soil, fishing the waters, and becoming savvy entrepreneurs, these people proved a hearty, steadfast bunch.
I Am a Prisoner of Hope
By Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, Ph.D.
Author Samuel Ole Lotegeluaki, PhD, states in the very title of this book, I Am a Prisoner of Hope. He goes on to explain why this is the case and why hope is central to our beingness.
A Maasai originally from Tanzania and one of three boys in a family with eight children, Lotegeluaki has been living in the United States for many years and has seen much good and much bad, in the country and around the world. In defiance of social inequality and bigotry, Lotegelauki maintains a strong belief in human unity, “Day and night I am reminded of the fact that we as human beings, regardless of culture, language, religion, gender, skin color or social economic status, are all under God’s huge canopy, and we are convincingly related.” He reminds us, “You may not look exactly like me, but rest assured, we are not just related, but more importantly, we are siblings.”
Lotegeluaki tells the reader his experiences, the histories of places he has lived and the people he has met, and observes what each has to teach and offer humanity. He remains dedicated to the pursuit of togetherness within diversity, no matter our differences. In Chapter Four, “Grandmother’s Quilt,” he uses the metaphor of a handmade quilt with emotional overtones and ties to explain human nature and all that it entails.
To many, atrocities such as mass shootings and violent counter-protests seem to appear out of thin air, undertaken by independent actors. But Rita Katz, in her groundbreaking exploration of internet-age terrorismSaints and Soldiers, reveals a sinister ecosystem of violence multiplying worldwide, visible yet largely ignored.
Katz– executive director of the counterterrorist organization SITE Intelligence Group– uses a strategic blend of primary media sources, personal narrative, and research analysis to unearth the haunting truths of internet-age terrorism. Although SITE once focused mainly on monitoring the actions of Islamist terrorist groups, Katz describes how it began applying the same tracking methods to white supremacists and neo-Nazis over a decade ago. As Katz writes, “the internet is more than just an asset for today’s new breed of terrorists. It is a necessity.”
ThroughoutSaints and Soldiers, Katz uses her decades of intensive experience to describe how a new generation of internet-born white supremacist movements followed the same trajectory as ISIS. She exposes the network of threads that link white supremacist violence such as the Christchurch massacre of 2019 to their origins on messaging platforms such as 8chan, Discord, Stormfront, and Telegram. Indoctrinating vulnerable minds with extremist neo-Nazi ideology, these violent groups use a “screw your optics” mantra that celebrates gruesome violence and the “saints” and “martyrs” that drive their hateful cause.
These works demonstrate how great investigative journalism combines rigorous research with compelling storytelling to create accountability and change.
See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!
The CIBAs offer multiple levels of recognition designed to augment your digital footprint and provide long-tail marketing that makes you easier for readers to find. Each reward builds on the previous and continues promotion:
Long List: Recognition across our website, newsletter, and social media
Short List/Semi-Finalist: Digital badges and promotional stickers
Finalists: Conference discounts, review discounts, certificates, and genre-specific badges
First Place Winners: Coveted Chanticleer Blue Ribbon, premium review discounts, lifetime Roost membership discount, and year-round promotion
Grand Prize Winners: Awarded Editorial Book Review and Author Interview, featured on Awards page all year, promoted in Hall of Fame articles for five years
Overall Grand Prize Winner: $1000 cash prize
The Nellie Bly Awards provide recognition for work that often takes years to complete and may challenge powerful interests who would prefer these stories remain untold. Whether you’re a professional journalist, academic researcher, or citizen investigator, these awards celebrate the courage and persistence required to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to those who need advocates.
Carry Forward the Legacy
In Nellie Bly’s tradition, the best investigative journalism requires both courage and compassion—the bravery to challenge systems and the empathy to understand how those systems affect real people. Your investigation, your exposé, your carefully researched account of injustice or corruption could be the story that creates change, demands accountability, or gives voice to those who have been silenced.
Only 1 week 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 Clue Awards, The Global Thriller Awards, and the Mystery and Mayhem Awards are still open!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2024 Clue Award for Suspense/Thrillers!
Pamela Beason –If Only
Jeff Nania –Musky Run
Sean Hagerty –Jones Point
Kathryn Caraway –Unfollow Me
Carl Vonderau –Saving Myles
Shanessa Gluhm –A River of Crows
Michael Pronko –Shitamachi Scam
And a huge round of applause for the 2024 Clue Grand Prize Winner:
Enemies Domestic by John DeDakis
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2024 Global Thriller Awards!
T.O. Paine –The Delusion
Charlie Robinson –Heavy Hysteria: A Novel of Corporate Intrigue Involving the Minerals of this Sacred Earth
Tony Ollivier –The Tokyo Diversion
Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke –Change of Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Novel
Ron Singerton –Ruptured
Sheri T. Joseph –Edge of the Known World
Carla Seyler –A Place Unmade
Randall Krzak –Frozen Conquest
And a huge round of applause for the 2024 Global Thriller Awards Grand Prize Winner:
A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Mystery & Mayhem Awards!
Patrick E. Craig –The Boy In Blue Denim
Lori Roberts Herbst –Graven Images
Gail Noble-Sanderson –A Cup of Revenge – A Drew Davies Railway Mystery – Book 2
M. K. Graff –Death in the Orchard: A Trudy Genova Mystery
Miriam Verbeek –The Forest
Kari Bovee –The Pryce of Conceit
And a huge round of applause for the 2024 M&M Grand Prize Winner:
If Two Are Dead by Jeanne Matthews
At Chanticleer, we see your success as our success. The CIBAs provide dedicated promotion at every advancement tier, from our highly anticipated Long Lists to our prestigious Grand Prize Winners. We work tirelessly to maximize your digital footprint through our high-traffic website, social media campaigns, and newsletter features that energize both authors and readers.
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, 2026) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.
Readers are always searching for their next great thriller, and your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.
The 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 in the first look rounds from all 2025 SHELLEY Paranormal Fiction entries to the 2025 Shelley Book Awards Long List. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Shelley Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. 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 SHORT LIST 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
Alexandra Pugachevsky – Lilou the Shadyside Chronicles
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
C.V. Vobh – Somnus Palace
Charlie Robinson – Bow Tie Sex
D.D. Franklin – Silver Lake Awakening
Dan Morris-Young – The Music Building
Derek Wachter – While We Wait
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
Jonathan Fossler – Where the Children Play
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
M. Flagg – Memories of a Hunter’s Moon
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!
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Congratulations once more to the 2024 Shelley Grand Prize Winner
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.
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!
The Laramie Book Awards
The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Early Historical Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Rozsa Gaston’s book, Maid of Honour will be promoted for years to come in our 
The 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).
