Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored to announce the First Place Category Winners for the CLUE AWARDS 2014 for Suspense and Thriller Novels, a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

The CLUE Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of  Suspense and Thriller Fiction. The First Place Category Winners will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.


WHICH… I’m happy to say I attended for the gala banquet.

Here’s me beaming beside a close friend, Sandra Hunter, who also won a first-prize ribbon for her wonderful novel, Elanraigh (The Vow) .

Congratulations to The CLUE FIRST PLACE Category 2014 Award Winners:

  • Historical: Rachel B. Ledge for The Red Ribbon  
  • Romantic Suspense: Mimi Barbour for Special Agent Francesca  
  • International Intrigue/World Events: Lawrence Verigin for The Dark Seed
  • Contemporary Mystery/Suspense: Pamela Beason for The Only Clue
  • Private Eye/Noir:  Keith Dixon for The Bleak
  • Police Procedural: Jode Susan Millman for The Midnight Call
  • Spy/Espionage: Michelle Daniel for The Red Circle
  • Psychological Thriller: Rebecca Nolen for Deadly Thyme
  • Cozy/Amateur Sleuth: JoAnn Basset for I’m Kona Love You Forever
  • True Crime: Gayle Nix Jackson for Orville Nix: The Missing JFK Assassination Film 

**CBR’s rigorous writing competition standards are the reason literary agencies seek out our winning manuscripts and self-published novels. Our high standards are also another reason our reviews are trusted among booksellers and book distributors. ***Everyone in the industry knows this to be the truth!

 
 

I was really proud that my book, Special Agent Francesca, won me a blue ribbon – my very first prize I might add. Could be that I was too much of a gutless wonder to ever submit one of my books before…??? But, I admit I’m in the groove now and have already submitted Special Agent Maximilian for next year :-)))) Those of you who are hesitating to take this step… don’t. You can’t win if you don’t try.  

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I just have to add that the conference, though I only attended the one day, turned out to be a huge success thanks to my dear friend, Kiffer Brown’s, dedication and brilliance in organization. The 2016 Conference will be in Bellingham again next year but will be taking place in April so watch for the advertisements.

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One of the speakers I was fortunate to see was Robert Dugoni an Amazon #1 – Best-selling author who deserves all the accreditations he’s worked so hard to earn. I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation on Characters and his dinner speech to inspire the rest of us to follow our dreams. I’ll certainly make every effort to go to any workshop where he is a presenter in the furture.

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One last comment, at the last minute, one of the panel speakers had to leave unexpectedly and Kiffer asked me to take her place. Again, chicken-little here had never put herself in this type of a position before and I almost choked on a huge block of whaaa??? before I bravely swallowed and said ….uh sure :-). Turned out to be the best thing I ever did. Got me over that silly fear of making an complete mess of things and made me see that I could do this again – alone even. Another milestone tackled and overcome.
 
Chest out, strutting….hey watch the doorway……..sigh!! 

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