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When your mission is to Discover Today’s Best Books, you often get to hear wonderful news about authors you love and support!

Black and white photo of Toni Ann Johnson sitting on a wooden chair

…and we have great news about Toni Ann Johnson!

Today we wanted to honor and recognize Toni Ann Johnson, actress and novelist, for receiving the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, University of Georgia Press.

You can read the full article announcing her win here, though we love what Roxane Gay has said about it:

“Toni Ann Johnson’s Light Skin Gone to Waste is one of the most engrossing short story collections I’ve read in recent memory. These interconnected stories about a black family living in a predominantly white suburb of New York City are impeccably written, incisive, often infuriating and unforgettable. At the center of many of these stories is Philip Arrington, a psychologist who tries to reshape the world to his liking as he moves through it, regardless of the ways his actions affect the people in his intimate orbit. With a deft eye for detail, crisp writing, and an uncanny understanding of human frailties, Toni Ann Johnson has created an endlessly interesting American family portrait.”

Johnson’s book Remedy for a Broken Angel, received a 5-star book review from Chanticleer in 2014, and then went on to be nominated for the NAACP Awards.  

Ms. Johnson recently contacted us (2015) about the nomination and credited Chanticleer’s review for its helpful role in getting the work noticed and nominated. We are proud and honored to play a small part in her nomination for this coveted award.

Here’s what Chanticleer had to say about Johnson’s book:

Remedy for a Broken Angel by Toni Ann Johnson is an intense examination of the troubled personal histories of two beautiful and talented women of color.

Their stories are told in alternating chapters which reveal the mother’s and her daughter’s attempts to reclaim and understand their broken pasts. Each chapter is a revelation into the pain and damage caused by unknown family secrets. Both women struggle with a legacy of shame and self-blame for the price they’re paying for never hearing the truth. Each must learn the lessons found in past years of failure to communicate.

Read more here!


Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Spotlight Article on Toni Ann Johnson.

Johnson has submitted work to the 2021 Shorts Awards, which you can still submit to by the end of the year – the competition will be steep!

 

Have a Book that deserves to be discovered? See our 24 Chanticleer Intl’l Book Awards Divisions here and Editorial Book Reviews here!

The 2020 Overall Grand Prize Winner was Rebecca Dwight Bruff for her book Trouble the Water

The 202 Best Book Grand Prize Badge for Trouble the Water by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

When you’re ready, did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).

If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.

We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!

Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.

A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information available here.

And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn more here.  

Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be June 23-26, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today!  CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!