“Sandra Wagner‑Wright’s The Life & Times of Sarah Good, Accused Witch is a historically grounded and emotionally compelling exploration of one of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts’ most tragic figures.”
“Sandra Wagner‑Wright’s The Life & Times of Sarah Good, Accused Witch is a historically grounded and emotionally compelling exploration of one of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts’ most tragic figures.”
Glen Dahlgren’s book, The Realm of Gods, took home the Chanticleer 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Award in the Dante Rossetti Division for Young Adult literature. The next book in this series, The Wrath of Order is now a Finalist in that same division!
Glen Dahlgren’s book, The Realm of Gods, took home the Chanticleer 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Award in the Dante Rossetti Division for Young Adult literature. The next book in this series, The Wrath of Order is now a Finalist in that same division!
Cleo Gallier is Chasing Czars across the slopes of St. Mortiz. But the enigmatic oligarch Sergei comes with treacherous secrets which sweep up Cleo’s family.
In Tina Sloan’s latest book in the Cleopatra Chronicles series, Cleo Gallier is Chasing Czars across the slopes of St. Mortiz. But the enigmatic oligarch Sergei comes with treacherous secrets which sweep up Cleo’s family.
Chanticleer’s annual conference and awards banquet is an author’s opportunity to learn, network, and celebrate the best books of the year!
It’s my favorite time of year! April is the month when Chanticleer holds it is annual writers conference and the CIBA awards. My employer, Chanticleer Book Reviews, has held this conference for fourteen years. It’s a weekend filled with informative classes, valuable connections, and an awards banquet that inspires as much as it awards.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have found Chanticleer, both for my daily work and for developing a writing career. One of the best things about my job is meeting other writers, and I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new friends in only three weeks!
If you feel your manuscript needs a new set of eyes who can map it out and locate vulnerable areas, consider a manuscript overview to get your story to the finish line.
Putting together a manuscript is like putting together a puzzle. You add in the characters, the action, the red herrings, the clues, and everything else that creates a memorable tale. It’s easy to have all the needed information in your head when you’re writing, but it never shows up on the page. In your haste to get the great story out you can sometimes overlook an important piece of your story.
Manuscript overviews are your manuscript’s wingman. A good manuscript overview pinpoints areas where your work can be improved. It evaluates character, plot, action, romance elements, and everything else found in a story.
If you feel your manuscript needs a new set of eyes who can map it out and locate vulnerable areas, consider a manuscript overview to get your story to the finish line.
Find out more about Manuscript Overviews and the service Chanticleer Book Review offers here.
One of my favorite genres is historical fiction. It acts as a time portal that can lift you up and transfer you years into the past. With vivid details and sometimes language of the time, you get to experience a world that was well-known to our ancestors but is only a blurred image in our minds today.
I recently discussed a few tips to writing historical fiction in a post I wrote for Chanticleer Book Reviews. If you are interested in writing historical fiction, or just want to learn more about how your favorite authors can conjur up the past, I invite you to read my article; “Three Rules for Writing Historical Fiction That Will Transport Readers Back in Time.”
Jacqui Clarke, financial advisor and award-winning author of Stop Worrying About Money, gives us sage advice about money management and writing in the latest Chanticleer 10-Question Interview Series.
Tax season is upon us and many of us are fighting the urge to bury our heads in the sand as we look at the costs of, well, everything. I recently interviewed Australian financier Jacqui Clarke about how she merges her business life with her writing life.
Success With Hydrangeas by Lorraine Ballato is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to upgrade their landscape with this big, beautiful flowery bush.
Springtime is the right time for planning a beautiful summer garden, and one of the most popular garden shrubs is the colorful and hearty Hydrangea. I recently reviewed Success With Hydrangeas and fell in love with this beautiful flowering shrub.
With several colors to choose from, these bountiful flowering bushes add a bright spot to anyone’s yard. They also handle weather well, so you don’t have to worry about them during turbulent spring weather.
Professional horticulturist and CIBA award-winning author Lorraine Ballato’s Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide offers a comprehensive collection of information and photos for one of the world’s most popular flowering plants. With her sage advice, she helps gardeners “make your hydrangeas thrive” in gardens and landscapes to share their beauty.
If you are planning on upgrading your landscape this spring, consider adding hydrangeas to your yard and help them reach their full bloom with this informative guide.
The door opened and there she stood, my project: Julia.
She was in her late thirties now and far from being ready for love; sabotaging her own happiness as a coping method to manage the pain accumulated over years of destructive relationships.
“Hi,” I say, “My name’s Cupid.”
“Cupid?” she repeated, dumbstruck.
“Yea,” I point a finger backwards towards my wings, “Can I come in? It’s pretty cold out here and I’m not wearing any pants.”
“Of course, come in…please.” I could hear a hopeful note behind the surprise in her voice. “What are you doing here?”
As I follow her into her living room I see a table set for one. A candle’s flame flickered pitifully over her half eaten meal.
“Really? You have to ask?” The sarcasm came out without censor. I’ve seen this same setting too many times during my long career and, frankly, I was tired of feigning loving concern for people who can’t let go of the fantasy. But I could see by Julia’s confused look she was blinded by her illusion of love so I took a softer approach. “Listen, we both know I’ve given you many chances at love…many, many chances at love. Remember the rock star? That wasn’t as easy as it seemed.”
“Oh?” her eyes widened. I could tell this thought hadn’t occurred to her. They all think it’s their looks and charisma that draws people to them. People are so naive.
“Yes. You see, at first I tried to send over men that fit your personality…the good ones, I call them. I tried to find a match that would compliment your strengths and understand your weaknesses, but you found them ‘boring’. So I spiced up the selection. The young rebel, the shifty business owner, the coked-up car salesman, then I finally topped it off with the, afore-mentioned, rock star.”
Her mouth curled into a sly smile as she remembered her lovers.
“Oh, I see…you think it was all fun and games, then?” I challenged. “Well, look at you now…thirty-eight, bitter, sad, and alone on St. Valentine’s Day.”
Her brows furrowed together as tears welled up in her eyes. “Well, what am I supposed to do? Whenever I start to fall for a guy they blow me off. And the others…I can’t help it if I’m not drawn to someone, can I?”
“No…no, that’s a fact. But maybe you need to reevaluate what you’re doing in your relationships.”
“Like what?”
“Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
“Well, you didn’t come here for tea, did you?” Her expression changed and I knew she wanted to get down to business.
“Ok, listen,” we sat down on opposites sides of the table. “There are four things you need to change.”
“Only four?” she let out a huff.
“Well, let’s start off small, shall we?”
She took a deep breath and nodded her agreement.
“First of all, you need to know that no one is perfect…” I held up a hand when I saw that she was about to object, “Don’t interrupt… Nobody is perfect, including you, and that’s ok. It’s our imperfections that make us interesting. Be open to people that aren’t exactly like you on the surface; get to know them before you brush them off.”
“But…”
“Listen, if you want love you need to hear what I have to say. Okay?’
“Go on…” she relented.
“Don’t expect the fantasy. It’s not real. What is real is the fact that these guys really do want to make you happy but they’re guessing at it…mind reading doesn’t come naturally to them.”
“I don’t expect them to read my mind but I don’t want to spell it out for them either. They should have some sense of romance.”
“Yea, well, they don’t…or it’s different than yours. Don’t fault them for that, just accept their intentions and be grateful for the everyday love they do show you.”
“Everyday love?”
“You know…asking how your day was, helping you with some chores, taking care of you when you’re sick. The stuff that really matters…the stuff a friend would do.”
“But I don’t want a friend. I have friends. I want a lover, a partner.”
“And that’s what you’ll get, if you are that for them.” I took her hand in my own, “You see, you must develop the trust that friends have before your desire can deepen into love.”
Her eyes stayed on our hands and I knew my words were making an impact. “Well, ok…I can work on that.”
“Shall I go on?”
She nodded.
“Drop all the games. Drop the hair flipping, the haughty attitude, the bitchiness…it’s not cute. It’s immature. It’s a bad habit you picked up in high school.”
“It used to work,” she countered.
“Is it working for you now?”
“No,” she whispered. “Alright..what else?”
I dropped her hand and in my most stern voice, said, “For God’s sake, Julia, you’ve got to stop sleeping with them so fast.”
“I don’t sleep with them too fast,” she stumbled over the speed of her words, “I’m not a slut, you know!”
“Of course, you’re not…you did wait for the concert to end before you screwed the rock star.”
“Why do you keep bringing him up?” anger pushed her words out.
“Because it’s his memory that’s tripping you up.”
“Well, he was pretty exciting.”
“Excitement is temporary. It’s true love that you’re looking for, my dear.”
Julia lowered her head, “I know…”
“Ok, then…” I checked my cell phone, “Well, I’ve got to go. It’s the busy season and I’m swamped until after June.” I stood, shaking my head, “Everyone wants to have a spring wedding nowadays.”
We walked to the front door in silence.
“Thanks for stopping by,” she said, opening the door wide.
“I hope you’ll take my advice, Julia,” I said as I twisted my body through the doorway. My wings are always so cumbersome in a human’s house.
“I will. I promise,” she murmured halfheartedly. I could tell she was in mourning for the loss of her childhood fantasy of love.
“Happy Valentines Day,” I offered sympathetically.
Anger flooded her face as she slammed the door shut.
A guest post by Jana Richards, author of I’ll Be Seeing You, a time-traveling romance. Learn about her inspiration for her latest time-traveling romance.
I love exploring different historical times through the eyes of great characters! Jana Richards, author of I’ll Be Seeing You, brings to life the voices of people living during WWII and opens the door for us to feel every emotion through their experiences. In her guest post Richards explains how her exploration into those times helped her learn more about her own father and how those discovers inspired her writing.
By: Jana Richards
I’LL BE SEEING YOU (release date: March 1) is a time-travel romance, set partially during World War Two. Frank is a WW2 veteran who, in his old age, is visited by apprentice angel Gabriel who proposes to take him back in time, to the days shortly before D-Day in 1944, to give him a second chance at love.
This is the third story I’ve written set around the events of the Second World War. I’ve always had an interest in stories about World War Two, and in particular, anything relating to the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. My father was WW2 veteran and participated in D-Day. In 1942 he signed up with the Regina Rifles. The nickname for members of the Regina Rifles was the Farmer Johns, because so many of them were farmers named John. My dad fit right in since his first name was John, and he was indeed a farmer.
He spent almost two years training, first in Canada, and then in Scotland, before being shipped to the south of England in anticipation of the invasion. On June 6, Canadian troops, including my dad, landed on Juno Beach in Normandy. By June 9, he was captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW.
I’d known since childhood that he’d been a POW, but I didn’t realize until a few years ago when we requested my father’s army records that his family didn’t know for months whether he was alive or dead. His army records included copies of telegraphs sent to his father. The first one arrived June 23, 1944, informing my grandfather that his son was missing in action, with a promise to provide more information as it became available. The next telegraph didn’t arrive until November 10, 1944. This one stated that the army had learned through “indirect channels” that Dad was a prisoner of war. The third, and last, telegraph arrived May 2, 1945 to tell my grandparents that Dad was “now safe in United Kingdom twenty-ninth April 1945”.
I find those three telegraphs so poignant. I can’t imagine what those months were like for his family, not knowing if he’d return. If my child, or brother, was missing I know I’d be devastated. And yet my grandmother never spoke of it when I was growing up.
I can’t imagine what the experience was like for my father either. He didn’t talk much about his experiences during the war either, at least not to me. I wish I’d asked him more questions. I’m left to imagine.
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When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal.
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren and a senior calico cat named Layla. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com
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More about Jana Richard’s Time Travel Second Chance Romance books:
Themes: Time travel, angels and Heaven, second chance at love
Keywords: time travel romance, historical fiction, WW2 time travel, WW2 love story, angel paranormal romance, second chance at love romance
ISBN: EBook 978-1-0696239-2-8 Print 978-1-0696239-3-5
Print Length: 336 pages
Heat Level: PG
Release Date: March 1, 2026
Cover Artist: 100 Covers
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.janarichards.com
Blog: https://www.janarichards.com/blog
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janarichards155/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274.Jana_Richards
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards
