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!

Ruth Amanda: An Interview with the Illustrator and Author of Award-Winning Childrens Books

Author Interview with Ruth Amanda, the CIBA Grand Prize Winning Author in the
Little Peeps Division!

Get to know the creative force behind the beautifully illustrated childrens books by author and illustrator Ruth Amanda!

A smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a striped shirt, holding a ginger cat on her lap, sitting at a desk with art supplies and a beach-themed painting in the background.

I recently had the opportunity to interview the award-winning author and illustrator Ruth Amanda, whose picture book Island Moon won the 2024 CIBA Grand Prize in the Little Peeps Division for its evocative storytelling and stunning art.

A collage of six illustrated children's book covers by Ruth Amanda, featuring whimsical animal designs and colorful artwork. Titles include 'Puffin Lullaby', 'Geckos in the Garden', 'There's a Buzzard on the Balcony', 'ESS-CAR-GO!', 'There's a Seagull on My Sailboat', and 'Where are you, Hugh MacCoo?'.

From her early inspirations to her imaginative creative process, Ruth shares insights into how she crafts stories that delight young readers and celebrate the beauty of everyday wonder. Whether you’re a fan of children’s literature, a fellow author, or just curious about her journey, you’ll enjoy this fun and lively conversation with Ruth Amanda.

Discover Gail Halverson’s Award-Winning Novels and Awards

Gail Avery Halverson is an award-winning author of three historical fiction novels, including “The Boundary Stone,” “The Skeptical Physick,” and “A Sea of Glass.” She has also created musical plays for children and has had screenplays optioned. Halverson holds a B.A. from UC Davis and is working on her fourth novel.

Gail Avery Halverson, Little, book, blonde, woman, chair

Award-winning writer, Gail Avery Halverson, is the author of three historical fiction novels, “The Boundary Stone,” “The Skeptical Physick,” and most recently, “A Sea of Glass.” Set in mid-17th century England, “The Boundary Stone” is a Chaucer Award Finalist (historical fiction), a Cygnus Award Finalist (speculative fiction), and a Chatelaine Award Winner (historical romantic fiction). “The Skeptical Physick” also won the Chaucer Award for historical fiction and the Chatelaine Award Grand Prize for romantic historical fiction.

Halverson is the playwright and composer of musical plays that have been performed for nearly 300,000 children since 2004, and has had two screenplays optioned by Longbow Productions. Writing for both theater and television, she holds a B.A. in English Literature/Communications from the University of California, Davis; and is currently at work on her fourth novel. She lives in Northern California with her husband and their rambunctious Wheaten terrier, Murphy.

Click here to read the Chanticleer Book Reviews interview with CIBA Award-winning author Gail Avery Halverson.

Books, Sea of Glass, The Skeptical Physick, Boundary Stone, Gail Avery Halverson

Author Interview: Maryanne Melloan Woods, Screenwriter and Author

I had the opportunity to interview Maryanne Melloan Woods for work, author of Sour Flower and winner of the CIBA Grand Prize award/Dante Rossetti category.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Maryanne Melloan Woods for work. It was a fun interview where we talked about her latest project, Sour Flower. It’s a coming-of-age story set in the 1960s hippie epicenter of Haight and Ashbury.

But her story doesn’t glamorize the counter-culture craze of the time. Instead, it follows a teenager trying to keep her family above water and get into a good college despite her parents alternative lifestyle.

Here’s the interview. I hope you enjoy it!

Sour Flower has received great reviews and is the winner of the CIBA Grand Prize award in the Dante Rossetti (young adult) category.