Dena Weigel

The Rabbi’s Knight by Michael Cooper, winner of the 2025 Overall Grand Prize CIBA Award!

“Knight Templar Jonathan St. Clair bears two messages for Rabbi Samuel of Baghdad, one of mortal treachery and another of mystic wonder. In The Rabbi’s Knight by Michael J. Cooper, they journey across the Holy Land to Jerusalem while divisions of faith portend the bloody conclusion of the Crusades.” – Chanticleer Book Reviews

Sometimes you meet an author, whether in person or “between the covers,” and you just know their books are going to fit just fine in your collection. This is what I felt during my first conversation with Michael Cooper, the winner of the Overall Grand Prize CIBA Award for Best Book of 2026 for his latest novel, The Rabbi’s Knight!

Cooper’s topics come to us during one of the world’s most tumultuous periods when the old empires transformed into new alliances, new boundaries, and new dangers leading up to World War I. Having been a pediatrician in the Holy Land during his professional career, Cooper’s wealth of knowledge about the area and it’s history offers a broad canvas for his characters to be painted upon.

I encourage you to take a look at author Michael Cooper’s books. You won’t be disappointed!

Four book covers by Michael J. Cooper: 'The Rabbi's Knight,' 'Wages of Empire,' 'Crossroads of Empire,' and 'Foxes in the Vineyard.'

The Adventure Continues! It’s the Little Boy with a Big Imagination, Adventure Ace in Deep Sea Danger!

Little Adventurers will find thrills when they go for a swim with Adventure Ace in Deep Sea Danger!

Adventure Ace, that daring young lad, is back in Deep Sea Danger by Mac Bell, illustrated by Andy Vanderbilt!

Far below us, at the bottom of the sea, you’ll find treasure—and danger! Our hero, Adventure Ace, finds both when he searches for a mysterious artifact in the depths of the sea.

With his loyal sidekick, Sandwich Joe, by his side, Adventure Ace sets out on his first watery adventure and finds danger along the way. Little Adventurers will find thrills when they go for a swim with Adventure Ace in Deep Sea Danger!

Find Adventure Ace in Deep Sea Danger here!
For 4-8 year olds

Author Interview: Erin Lark Maples, Author of A Circle of Stars

We have another fabulous interview for you today, with author Erin Lark Maples! Her book A Circle of Stars: Four Crowns Series Book 1 took home the Chanticleer 2024 CIBA Grand Prize Award in the Ozma Division.

Erin Lark Maples is a lover of fountain pens and the trail they leave behind. She is the author of the Four Crowns contemporary fantasy series and the companion web serial, Weir Walker. Her work is highly praised for its heart and snark as well as her knack for breathing magic into the everyday.

Find out more about this interesting author and her imaginative fantasy novels here.

A Critical Time in History, the Keeper of Royal Secrets – Tsarina’s Jewels by Jerena Tobiasen

It’s 1918. Simon Temple has returned to England with his new wife, Mary-the once Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. Having only narrowly escaped the grim fate of the Romanov family, together they seek to put Mary’s past behind them and settle into a comfortable, uneventful life.

“Tsarina’s Jewels, the second novel in Jerena Tobiasen’s heart-stopping series, The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles, invites readers into the heart of Turkey’s national history during the Turkish War of Independence between 1919 and 1924. It is a rollercoaster of political upheaval, breathtaking romance, family drama, shocking personal redemption, and good old-fashioned revenge.” – Chanticleer Book Reviews

Read more here.

Another Great Gathering of Authors at the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference & International Book Awards!

The 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference and International Book Awards was a huge success! Authors from around the world came together for a weekend of learning, networking, and celebrating the best books of the year!

Every April, the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC) brings working authors to Bellingham, WA for a weekend of masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, networking, and the annual Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) ceremony to celebrate the best books of 2026!

This year, CAC26 featured a masterclass with New York literary agent Donald Maas and best-selling author and keynote speaker, Avanti Centrae.

The work leading up to the conference can be chaotic and exhausting, but that is long forgotten once our Chanticleer authors arrive. Every year I enjoy seeing friends I’ve made from past conferences, and I always meet a few new friends, too!

For a full rundown of the weekend’s events, check out the blog post I wrote on the Chanticleer Book Reviews’ website here!

A panel discussion featuring two speakers in front of an audience at a literary event, with a banner for Chanticleer Reviews visible in the background. — CIBA Winners

Audiobook Review: The Life & Times of Sarah Good; Accused Witch by Sandra Wagner-Wright

“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 17^th century Salem, Massachusetts’ most tragic figures.”

click to read more

hanging, woman, man, crime, salem, murder, patriarchy

Author Interview: Glen Dahlgren, Author of The Realm of the Gods

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!

Read the full interview

Book Review: Chasing Czars by Tina Sloan

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.

Read the full review

The Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC) and International Book Awards (CIBA) are Back in 2026!

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!

Click here to learn more about CAC26 & the CIBA awards.

Is Your Story Ready for Publishing?

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.