Our Spring 2024 Contest!
SUPER-CATEGORY WINNERS / "SUPER CHAMPIONS"
(Medal Winners)
Outstanding Creator Award for
Best Fiction Book of Spring 2024
1st Place
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
"Fragility of Light" Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
2nd Place
“Death or Volentus” David V. Mammina
“The Well” Barbara Hills
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” Marjorie Vernelle
“Humans’ Enhancements” I.M. Stoicus
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
“Eye of the Turtle” Gloria Barnett
"Kelpie" Ashley Chapman
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
“Soar a Burning Sky” Steven Michael Beck
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
“Running on Broken Bones” W.A. Pepper
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” S. Ramsey
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
3rd Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
“One Icy Night” W.A. Pepper
“Perestroika” Joao Cerqueira
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
“Mamluks of Thunder Island” Aly Brisha
“Darwin’s Dilemma” Don Stuart
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
Outstanding Creator Award for
Best Non-Fiction Book of Spring 2024
1st Place
“Leadership Anatomy” Satpreet Singh
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“From Fired to Freedom” Valentina Janek et al.
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” Nathan Wakefield
“The Time-Optimized Life” by David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
“Journey to Wholeness” Sarah Moon
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
2nd Place
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
“The Woo Woo Way” Sandy Evenson
3rd Place
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
Outstanding Creator Award for
Best Children's Book of Spring 2024
1st Place
“The Gratitude Goggles” Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
“Poo Poo Bully” Angeli Fitch
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” Christian Kueng
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” Conrad J. Storad
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
“Mount Tremper Has a Temper” Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
“The Fox’s Palace” Tuula Pere
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
2nd Place
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
“Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” Rachel Vogel
3rd Place
“We Are Different but a Lot Alike” Linda Guest-Peters
“Hailey, Let’s Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals” John Zander
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
“Raspberry Red” Tuula Pere
Best Fiction Book of Spring 2024
1st Place
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
"Fragility of Light" Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
2nd Place
“Death or Volentus” David V. Mammina
“The Well” Barbara Hills
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” Marjorie Vernelle
“Humans’ Enhancements” I.M. Stoicus
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
“Eye of the Turtle” Gloria Barnett
"Kelpie" Ashley Chapman
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
“Soar a Burning Sky” Steven Michael Beck
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
“Running on Broken Bones” W.A. Pepper
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” S. Ramsey
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
3rd Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
“One Icy Night” W.A. Pepper
“Perestroika” Joao Cerqueira
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
“Mamluks of Thunder Island” Aly Brisha
“Darwin’s Dilemma” Don Stuart
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
Outstanding Creator Award for
Best Non-Fiction Book of Spring 2024
1st Place
“Leadership Anatomy” Satpreet Singh
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“From Fired to Freedom” Valentina Janek et al.
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” Nathan Wakefield
“The Time-Optimized Life” by David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
“Journey to Wholeness” Sarah Moon
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
2nd Place
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
“The Woo Woo Way” Sandy Evenson
3rd Place
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
Outstanding Creator Award for
Best Children's Book of Spring 2024
1st Place
“The Gratitude Goggles” Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
“Poo Poo Bully” Angeli Fitch
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” Christian Kueng
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” Conrad J. Storad
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
“Mount Tremper Has a Temper” Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
“The Fox’s Palace” Tuula Pere
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
2nd Place
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
“Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” Rachel Vogel
3rd Place
“We Are Different but a Lot Alike” Linda Guest-Peters
“Hailey, Let’s Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals” John Zander
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
“Raspberry Red” Tuula Pere
CATEGORY WINNERS
Outstanding Creator Award for
Autobiographies & Memoirs / Pseudo-Memoirs
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
2nd Place
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” Marjorie Vernelle
3rd Place
Vacated: Disqualified (5/1/2024)
Outstanding Creator Award for
Biographies / Pseudo-Biographical Novels
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
2nd Place
"Never to Forget" Carlos Alvarado
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Current Events
1st Place
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
"Mamluks of Thunder Island" Aly Brisha
"Eye of the Turtle" Gloria Barnett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Philosophy
1st Place
“Leadership Anatomy” Satpreet Singh
Outstanding Creator Award for
LGBTQA+
1st Place
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
2nd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
3rd Place
“Roam Within” Maya Realm
"It Was Her New York" C.O. Coed
“Born Mistakes” Mika Mathews
Outstanding Creator Award for
Historical Fiction
1st Place
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” Marjorie Vernelle
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
2nd Place
“Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
3rd Place
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
“In Silence Cries the Heart” Catherine Hughes
Outstanding Creator Award for
History (Non-Fiction)
1st Place
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” Nathan Wakefield
"Leadership Anatomy" Satpreet Singh
Outstanding Creator Award for
Sports
1st Place
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
Outstanding Creator Award for
Performing Arts
1st Place
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” Nathan Wakefield
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
2nd Place
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
3rd Place
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
Outstanding Creator Award for
Murder Mystery / Detective Mystery
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
3rd Place
“Past Imperfect” Joshua Cohen
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Relationships, Marriage, and Couples
1st Place
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
3rd Place
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Holidays
1st Place
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
2nd Place
Vacated: Disqualified (5/1/2024)
Outstanding Creator Award for
Thriller
1st Place
“Running on Broken Bones” W.A. Pepper
2nd Place
“One Icy Night” W.A. Pepper
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Short Stories / Anthologies / Collections
1st Place
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
2nd Place
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
3rd Place
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Mental Health / Mental Illness / Cognitive & Neurodegenerative Disorders
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
2nd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
3rd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Disability Books
1st Place
"Claw School" Angeli Fitch
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“Tic Talk” Dylan Peters
3rd Place
“May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Outstanding Creator Award for
Fantasy
1st Place
“Death or Volentus” David V. Mammina
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
2nd Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
“The Well” Barbara Hills
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
"Soar a Burning Sky" Steven Michael Beck
3rd Place
“In Silence Cries the Heart” Catherine Hughes
“A Path of Possession” Charles Brass
Honorable Mentions
“The Golden Apple” Miki Mathews
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Business
1st Place
“From Fired to Freedom” Valentina Janek et al.
2nd Place
“The Coming Economic Revolution” Donald Dienst
Outstanding Creator Award for
Science-Fiction (Sci-Fi)
1st Place
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
2nd Place
“Humans’ Enhancements” I.M. Stoicus
“Darwin’s Dilemma” Don Stuart
3rd Place
“Ultimatum” Vladimir Fleurisma
Outstanding Creator Award for
Romance
1st Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
2nd Place
“Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
3rd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
“Her Name Was Lola” Karen Janowsky
“A Bright Summer” Kate Smoak
Outstanding Creator Award for
Camping & Outdoors
1st Place
“Do You See Me in Nature?” Tuula Pere
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
Outstanding Creator Award for
Middle Grade Books
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Dystopia / Apocalyptic Fiction / Near-Future
1st Place
“Mamluks of Thunder Island” Aly Brisha
2nd Place
"Humans' Enhancements" I.M. Stoicus
"Perestroika" Joao Cerqueira
3rd Place
“Ultimatum” Vladimir Fleurisma
Outstanding Creator Award for
Parenting
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
"The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You" Karen Brewer
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
2nd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
3rd Place
“Lullaby of the Valley” Tuula Pere
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“Do You See Me in Nature?” Tuula Pere
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
Outstanding Creator Award for
Speculative Fiction
1st Place
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
2nd Place
“Humans’ Enhancements” I.M. Stoicus
“Darwin’s Dilemma” Don Stuart
3rd Place
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Spirituality
1st Place
“The Woo Woo Way” Sandy Evenson
2nd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
"A Path to Possession" by Charles Brass
Outstanding Creator Award for
Illustrated Books
1st Place
“The Gratitude Goggles” Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
“Poo Poo Bully” Angeli Fitch
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” Christian Kueng
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
“The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” Conrad J. Storad
2nd Place
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
Mount Tremper from “Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
“The Fox’s Palace” Tuula Pere
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
3rd Place
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
“Raspberry Red” Tuula Pere
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
Outstanding Creator Award for
Picture & Photography Books
1st Place
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
2nd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Health / Medical Books
1st Place
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
2nd Place
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
“Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” Michael Dow
3rd Place
“What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery” by Dr. Fei Zheng-Ward
Outstanding Creator Award for
Crime / Law / True Crime / Forensics
1st Place
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
2nd Place
“Past Imperfect” Joshua Cohen
“The Arsonist” Ken Coulson
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
3rd Place
“In Silence Cries the Heart” Catherine Hughes
Outstanding Creator Award for
Real-Estate
1st Place
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
Outstanding Creator Award for
War / Peace Literature
1st Place
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
“Raspberry Red” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“Lullaby of the Valley” Tuula Pere
Outstanding Creator Award for
Religion
1st Place
“Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” Robert Sudano
2nd Place
“Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions” Ruby Smith
3rd Place
“Christianity 2.0” John Dorsey
Outstanding Creator Award for
Self-Help & How-to Books
1st Place
“The Time-Optimized Life” David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Journey to Wholeness” Sarah Moon
2nd Place
“The Woo Woo Way” Sandy Evenson
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
3rd Place
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
Honorable Mentions
"What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery" Dr. Fei Zheng-Ward
"The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption" John Rubio
Outstanding Creator Award for
Psychological Fiction
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
2nd Place
Vacated 4/27/2024
3rd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Honorable Mentions
“Born Mistakes” Mika Mathews
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Psychology / Psychiatry (Non-Fiction)
1st Place
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Journey to Wholeness” Sarah Moon
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
Outstanding Creator Award for
Educational & Reference Books
1st Place
“Leadership Anatomy” Satpreet Singh
“The Time-Optimized Life” David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
2nd Place
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
3rd Place
“Hailey, Let’s Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals” John Zander
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
“The Coming Economic Revolution” Donald Dienst
Honorable Mention
“Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” Michael Dow
Outstanding Creator Award for
Plants & Gardening / Home & Garden
1st Place
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
2nd Place
“The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio
Outstanding Creator Award for
Christianity
1st Place
“The Time-Optimized Life” David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
2nd Place
“Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” Robert Sudano
3rd Place
“Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions” Ruby Smith
Honorable Mention
“Christianity 2.0” John Dorsey
Outstanding Creator Award for
Friendship
1st Place
“Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” Rachel Vogel
2nd Place
“We Are Different but a Lot Alike” Linda Guest-Peters
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” S. Ramsey
3rd Place
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
Honorable Mention:
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“May I Come to Your Party?” Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Outstanding Creator Award for
Family
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
2nd Place
“Lullaby of the Valley” Tuula Pere
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
3rd Place
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Honorable Mentions
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“Do You See Me in Nature?” Tuula Pere
Outstanding Creator Award for
Poetry
1st Place
"Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells" Julie Chapman
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
2nd Place
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
Outstanding Creator Award for
Action & Adventure
1st Place
“Death or Volentus” David V. Mammina
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
2nd Place
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
3rd Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
“The Golden Apple” Mika Mathews
Outstanding Creator Award for
LITRPG & Gamelit
1st Place
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
Outstanding Creator Award for
Race Relations
1st Place
“We Are Different but a Lot Alike” Linda Guest-Peters
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
Outstanding Creator Award for
Horror
1st Place
"Fortune House" Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
Outstanding Creator Award for
Coloring & Activity Books
1st Place
“Where Are You, Alfie? Coloring & Activity Book” Mary DeSantis, Anthony Richichi
Outstanding Creator Award for
Literary & Contemporary Fiction
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
2nd Place
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
3rd Place
“Roam Within” Maya Realm
Honorable Mention
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Multicultural / Multilingual / Bilingual Fiction
1st Place
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
2nd Place
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
"Mamluks of Thunder Island" Aly Brisha
3rd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Women's Fiction / Women's Literature
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
2nd Place
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
3rd Place
“Roam Within” Maya Realm
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
Outstanding Creator Award for
Women's Non-Fiction & Women's Issues
1st Place
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
2nd Place
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
3rd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Children's Motivational & Inspirational Books
1st Place
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
“The Gratitude Goggles” Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
2nd Place
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
3rd Place
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
Honorable Mentions:
“Tic Talk” Dylan Peters
“May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Outstanding Creator Award for
Motivational / Inspirational Books
1st Place
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“From Fired to Freedom” Valentina Janek et al.
2nd Place
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
“The Time-Optimized Life” by David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
3rd Place
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions” Ruby Smith
Outstanding Creator Award for
Teen & Young-Adult (YA) Fiction
1st Place
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Soar a Burning Sky” Steven Michael Beck
3rd Place
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Mystery
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Aging
1st Place
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
3rd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Grief and Coping / Trauma
1st Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
"The Fragility of Light" Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
2nd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
"Grief Touched the Sky at Night" Gloria Mindock
3rd Place
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
Honorable Mention
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Pets
1st Place
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
2nd Place
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
3rd Place
“Where Are You, Alfie? Coloring & Activity Book” Mary DeSantis, Anthony Richichi
Outstanding Creator Award for
Animals
1st Place
“Poo Poo Bully” Angeli Fitch
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” Conrad J. Storad
2nd Place
“Hailey, Let’s Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals” John Zander
3rd Place
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) Zachary Simpson
Outstanding Creator Award for
Myths & Legends / Fairy Tales / Mythical Creatures / Cryptids
1st Place
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
2nd Place
“The Well” Barbara Hills
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
3rd Place
"A Path to Possession" by Charles Brass
“The Golden Apple” Mika Mathews
Outstanding Creator Award for
Jewish Literature
1st Place
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
2nd Place
“Past Imperfect” Joshua Cohen
3rd Place
"It Was her New York" C.O. Coed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Paranormal / Hauntings
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
3rd Place
“Heated Earth: Edgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
Outstanding Creator Award for
Film & Play Scripts
1st Place
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) Zachary Simpson
Outstanding Creator Award for
Political Fiction
1st Place
“Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
2nd Place
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Audiobooks
1st Place
“The Well” Barbara Hills
Outstanding Creator Award for
Talk Shows & Podcasts
1st Place
“The Long Island Breakfast Club Show” Valentina Janek
Autobiographies & Memoirs / Pseudo-Memoirs
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
2nd Place
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” Marjorie Vernelle
3rd Place
Vacated: Disqualified (5/1/2024)
Outstanding Creator Award for
Biographies / Pseudo-Biographical Novels
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
2nd Place
"Never to Forget" Carlos Alvarado
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Current Events
1st Place
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
"Mamluks of Thunder Island" Aly Brisha
"Eye of the Turtle" Gloria Barnett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Philosophy
1st Place
“Leadership Anatomy” Satpreet Singh
Outstanding Creator Award for
LGBTQA+
1st Place
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
2nd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
3rd Place
“Roam Within” Maya Realm
"It Was Her New York" C.O. Coed
“Born Mistakes” Mika Mathews
Outstanding Creator Award for
Historical Fiction
1st Place
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” Marjorie Vernelle
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
2nd Place
“Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
3rd Place
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
“In Silence Cries the Heart” Catherine Hughes
Outstanding Creator Award for
History (Non-Fiction)
1st Place
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” Nathan Wakefield
"Leadership Anatomy" Satpreet Singh
Outstanding Creator Award for
Sports
1st Place
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
Outstanding Creator Award for
Performing Arts
1st Place
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” Nathan Wakefield
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
2nd Place
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
3rd Place
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
Outstanding Creator Award for
Murder Mystery / Detective Mystery
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
3rd Place
“Past Imperfect” Joshua Cohen
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Relationships, Marriage, and Couples
1st Place
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
3rd Place
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Holidays
1st Place
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
2nd Place
Vacated: Disqualified (5/1/2024)
Outstanding Creator Award for
Thriller
1st Place
“Running on Broken Bones” W.A. Pepper
2nd Place
“One Icy Night” W.A. Pepper
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Short Stories / Anthologies / Collections
1st Place
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
2nd Place
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
3rd Place
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Mental Health / Mental Illness / Cognitive & Neurodegenerative Disorders
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
2nd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
3rd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Disability Books
1st Place
"Claw School" Angeli Fitch
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“Tic Talk” Dylan Peters
3rd Place
“May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Outstanding Creator Award for
Fantasy
1st Place
“Death or Volentus” David V. Mammina
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
2nd Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
“The Well” Barbara Hills
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
"Soar a Burning Sky" Steven Michael Beck
3rd Place
“In Silence Cries the Heart” Catherine Hughes
“A Path of Possession” Charles Brass
Honorable Mentions
“The Golden Apple” Miki Mathews
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Business
1st Place
“From Fired to Freedom” Valentina Janek et al.
2nd Place
“The Coming Economic Revolution” Donald Dienst
Outstanding Creator Award for
Science-Fiction (Sci-Fi)
1st Place
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
2nd Place
“Humans’ Enhancements” I.M. Stoicus
“Darwin’s Dilemma” Don Stuart
3rd Place
“Ultimatum” Vladimir Fleurisma
Outstanding Creator Award for
Romance
1st Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
2nd Place
“Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
3rd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
“Her Name Was Lola” Karen Janowsky
“A Bright Summer” Kate Smoak
Outstanding Creator Award for
Camping & Outdoors
1st Place
“Do You See Me in Nature?” Tuula Pere
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
Outstanding Creator Award for
Middle Grade Books
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Dystopia / Apocalyptic Fiction / Near-Future
1st Place
“Mamluks of Thunder Island” Aly Brisha
2nd Place
"Humans' Enhancements" I.M. Stoicus
"Perestroika" Joao Cerqueira
3rd Place
“Ultimatum” Vladimir Fleurisma
Outstanding Creator Award for
Parenting
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
"The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You" Karen Brewer
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
2nd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
3rd Place
“Lullaby of the Valley” Tuula Pere
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“Do You See Me in Nature?” Tuula Pere
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
Outstanding Creator Award for
Speculative Fiction
1st Place
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
2nd Place
“Humans’ Enhancements” I.M. Stoicus
“Darwin’s Dilemma” Don Stuart
3rd Place
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Spirituality
1st Place
“The Woo Woo Way” Sandy Evenson
2nd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
"A Path to Possession" by Charles Brass
Outstanding Creator Award for
Illustrated Books
1st Place
“The Gratitude Goggles” Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
“Poo Poo Bully” Angeli Fitch
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” Christian Kueng
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
“The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” Conrad J. Storad
2nd Place
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
Mount Tremper from “Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
“The Fox’s Palace” Tuula Pere
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
3rd Place
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
“Raspberry Red” Tuula Pere
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
Outstanding Creator Award for
Picture & Photography Books
1st Place
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
2nd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Health / Medical Books
1st Place
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
2nd Place
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
“Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” Michael Dow
3rd Place
“What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery” by Dr. Fei Zheng-Ward
Outstanding Creator Award for
Crime / Law / True Crime / Forensics
1st Place
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
2nd Place
“Past Imperfect” Joshua Cohen
“The Arsonist” Ken Coulson
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
3rd Place
“In Silence Cries the Heart” Catherine Hughes
Outstanding Creator Award for
Real-Estate
1st Place
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
Outstanding Creator Award for
War / Peace Literature
1st Place
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
“Raspberry Red” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“Lullaby of the Valley” Tuula Pere
Outstanding Creator Award for
Religion
1st Place
“Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” Robert Sudano
2nd Place
“Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions” Ruby Smith
3rd Place
“Christianity 2.0” John Dorsey
Outstanding Creator Award for
Self-Help & How-to Books
1st Place
“The Time-Optimized Life” David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Journey to Wholeness” Sarah Moon
2nd Place
“The Woo Woo Way” Sandy Evenson
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
3rd Place
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
Honorable Mentions
"What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery" Dr. Fei Zheng-Ward
"The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption" John Rubio
Outstanding Creator Award for
Psychological Fiction
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
2nd Place
Vacated 4/27/2024
3rd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Honorable Mentions
“Born Mistakes” Mika Mathews
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Psychology / Psychiatry (Non-Fiction)
1st Place
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Journey to Wholeness” Sarah Moon
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
Outstanding Creator Award for
Educational & Reference Books
1st Place
“Leadership Anatomy” Satpreet Singh
“The Time-Optimized Life” David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
2nd Place
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Cooling the Flame” Laura Urgell
3rd Place
“Hailey, Let’s Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals” John Zander
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
“The Coming Economic Revolution” Donald Dienst
Honorable Mention
“Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” Michael Dow
Outstanding Creator Award for
Plants & Gardening / Home & Garden
1st Place
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” Richard Jeffery Wagner
2nd Place
“The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio
Outstanding Creator Award for
Christianity
1st Place
“The Time-Optimized Life” David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
2nd Place
“Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” Robert Sudano
3rd Place
“Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions” Ruby Smith
Honorable Mention
“Christianity 2.0” John Dorsey
Outstanding Creator Award for
Friendship
1st Place
“Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” Rachel Vogel
2nd Place
“We Are Different but a Lot Alike” Linda Guest-Peters
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” S. Ramsey
3rd Place
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
Honorable Mention:
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“May I Come to Your Party?” Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Outstanding Creator Award for
Family
1st Place
“Every Other Weekend” Judge Anthony J. Mohr
“Breaking the Cycle” Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
2nd Place
“Lullaby of the Valley” Tuula Pere
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
3rd Place
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Honorable Mentions
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“Do You See Me in Nature?” Tuula Pere
Outstanding Creator Award for
Poetry
1st Place
"Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells" Julie Chapman
“Thoughts and Musings” P.K. Rankin
2nd Place
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” Gloria Mindock
Outstanding Creator Award for
Action & Adventure
1st Place
“Death or Volentus” David V. Mammina
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
2nd Place
“Oathbreaker” Dimitar Gyopsaliev
3rd Place
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
“The Golden Apple” Mika Mathews
Outstanding Creator Award for
LITRPG & Gamelit
1st Place
“Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
Outstanding Creator Award for
Race Relations
1st Place
“We Are Different but a Lot Alike” Linda Guest-Peters
“Brave in Season” Jon Volkmer
Outstanding Creator Award for
Horror
1st Place
"Fortune House" Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
Outstanding Creator Award for
Coloring & Activity Books
1st Place
“Where Are You, Alfie? Coloring & Activity Book” Mary DeSantis, Anthony Richichi
Outstanding Creator Award for
Literary & Contemporary Fiction
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
2nd Place
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
3rd Place
“Roam Within” Maya Realm
Honorable Mention
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Multicultural / Multilingual / Bilingual Fiction
1st Place
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
2nd Place
“Escaping My Demons” Joseph Fagarazzi
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
"Mamluks of Thunder Island" Aly Brisha
3rd Place
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
“The Girl from Wudang” P.J. Caldas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Women's Fiction / Women's Literature
1st Place
“The Fragility of Light” Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
“Dream Me Home” Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
2nd Place
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
3rd Place
“Roam Within” Maya Realm
“Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
Outstanding Creator Award for
Women's Non-Fiction & Women's Issues
1st Place
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” Karen Brewer
2nd Place
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
3rd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Children's Motivational & Inspirational Books
1st Place
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
“The Gratitude Goggles” Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
2nd Place
“Fenix and the Firework Fliers” Once Upon a Dance
3rd Place
“Of Course, I Am Loved” Tamesha Williams
“Ballerina Wisdom” Once Upon a Dance
Honorable Mentions:
“Tic Talk” Dylan Peters
“May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Outstanding Creator Award for
Motivational / Inspirational Books
1st Place
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“From Fired to Freedom” Valentina Janek et al.
2nd Place
“Tap Dancing on Everest” Mimi Zieman, MD
“The Time-Optimized Life” by David Buck & Rev. Dr. Susan Rose
“Thank God It’s Monday(?)” Tom C. Petersen
3rd Place
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions” Ruby Smith
Outstanding Creator Award for
Teen & Young-Adult (YA) Fiction
1st Place
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Soar a Burning Sky” Steven Michael Beck
3rd Place
“Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Outstanding Creator Award for
Mystery
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Aging
1st Place
“Daylight Saving Time” David W. Berner
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
2nd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
3rd Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Grief and Coping / Trauma
1st Place
“It Was Her New York” C.O. Moed
“Jar of Tears” Kathleen Templeton
"The Fragility of Light" Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
2nd Place
“Never to Forget” Carlos Alvarado
“Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” G.L. Franklyn
"Grief Touched the Sky at Night" Gloria Mindock
3rd Place
“Cycles of the Phoenix” C.A. Nicholas
Honorable Mention
“When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” C.A. Nicholas
Outstanding Creator Award for
Pets
1st Place
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
2nd Place
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” Tuula Pere
“Hello, England!” Ekaterina Otiko
3rd Place
“Where Are You, Alfie? Coloring & Activity Book” Mary DeSantis, Anthony Richichi
Outstanding Creator Award for
Animals
1st Place
“Poo Poo Bully” Angeli Fitch
“Claw School” Angeli Fitch
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” Conrad J. Storad
2nd Place
“Hailey, Let’s Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals” John Zander
3rd Place
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) Zachary Simpson
Outstanding Creator Award for
Myths & Legends / Fairy Tales / Mythical Creatures / Cryptids
1st Place
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
“Kelpie” Ashley Chapman
2nd Place
“The Well” Barbara Hills
“Precious the Baby Dragon” Dr. Dawn Menge
3rd Place
"A Path to Possession" by Charles Brass
“The Golden Apple” Mika Mathews
Outstanding Creator Award for
Jewish Literature
1st Place
“Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
2nd Place
“Past Imperfect” Joshua Cohen
3rd Place
"It Was her New York" C.O. Coed
Outstanding Creator Award for
Paranormal / Hauntings
1st Place
“Fortune House” Jeannie Rivera
2nd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
3rd Place
“Heated Earth: Edgar Moves In” Miki Mitayn
Outstanding Creator Award for
Film & Play Scripts
1st Place
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) Zachary Simpson
Outstanding Creator Award for
Political Fiction
1st Place
“Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
2nd Place
“The Believer Within You” Tyrone Burnett
3rd Place
“The Blue-Eyed Devil” M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
Audiobooks
1st Place
“The Well” Barbara Hills
Outstanding Creator Award for
Talk Shows & Podcasts
1st Place
“The Long Island Breakfast Club Show” Valentina Janek
SPECIAL AWARDS
* These are fun, less formal awards intended to recognize the unique accomplishments of each work. For that reason, they are not ranked in order. They are still recognized as Outstanding Creator Awards.
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Cover”
Winners:
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
“The Gratitude Goggles” by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
Honorable Mentions:
“Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews
“The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
“Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD (*Because people almost died and lost body parts to take this cover photo)
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Writing (Fiction)”
Winners:
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
"The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers" by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Honorable Mentions:
“Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” by Julie Chapman
"Dream Me Home" by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Writing (Non-Fiction)”
Winners:
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“Leadership Anatomy” by Satpreet Singh
Honorable Mentions:
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” by Gloria Mindock
“Thoughts and Musings” by P.K. Rankin
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
“Cooling the Flame” by Laura Urgell
“The Woo Woo Way” by Sandy Evenson
“Journey to Wholeness” by Sarah Moon
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Research”
Winners:
“Leadership Anatomy” by Satpreet Singh
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” by Nathan Wakefield
Honorable Mentions:
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
"Oathbreaker" by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
“In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
“What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery” by Dr. Fei Zheng-Ward
“The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio
“Silas on Sundays” by Joel Shoemaker
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Jar of Tears” by Kathleen Templeton
“Breaking the Cycle” by Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Cooling the Flame” by Laura Urgell
“Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
“Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” by Michael Dow
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” by Richard Jeffery Wagner
“Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
"Mamluks of Thunder Island" by Aly Brisha
"Hailey, Let's Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals" by John Zander
"The Coming Economic Revolution" by Donald Dienst
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best World-Building”
Winners:
“Soar a Burning Sky” by Steven Michael Beck
“Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Honorable Mentions:
“Mamluks of Thunder Island” by Aly Brisha
“Humans’ Enhancements” by I.M. Stoicus
“A Path of Possession” by Charles Brass
“Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
“Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
“Queen Vernita Finds More Colors Than a Box of Crayons” by Dr. Dawn Menge
“Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
“Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
“Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
"Humans' Enhancements" I.M. Stoicus
“Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Character”
Winners:
Ruby from “Claw School” and “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Enid from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Colin Crab from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
Sylvia Zielinski (“Sunny”) from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
XY777-316 from “Humans’ Enhancements” by I.M. Stoicus
Ellie from "Ellie's Masterclass" by Melissa Kahl
Anthony, Gerald Mohr, Stanley Dashew, and Mom from “Every Other Weekend” by Judge Anthony J. Mohr
Vivienne Griffin, Eelus from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Messenger from “The Well” by Barbara Hills
Francine from “It Was Her New York” by C.O. Moed
Bertha Solis from “Never to Forget” by Carlos Alvarado
Donal Donn from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Peter, Hayley from “Run Away Home: Tempered” by Catherine Manett
Lake-Ellen from “A Path of Possession”by Charles Brass
Isabelle, Ray from “Cycles of the Phoenix” by C.A. Nicholas
Dahlia Noelle from “When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” by C.A. Nicholas
Son and Mom from “Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
Mrs. Nicholas, Sue/Snoozer from “Gator, Gator, Second Grader” by Conrad J. Storad
Obachan, Little Teacup from “Grandma’s Lost Treasure” by David Huerta
Peter Longsword from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Grendel, Cato, Patrice from “Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
Precious, King Teddy Bear, Queen Giggles from “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Queen Vernita from “Queen Vernita Finds More Colors Than a Box of Crayons” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Arthur, Ascanius, Luna, and Christine from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Lucy Morgan from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Jimmy from “May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Benjamin “Ben” Weiss from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
Joseph Erif, Eric from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” by J.T. Tenera
Janie from “Fortune House” by Jeannie Rivera
Ludwig Kirchner, Ana Kull, Tobias, Pitr Schwartz from “Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
Silas from “Silas on Sundays” by Joel Shoemaker
Sam Washington, Carlin, Jerome Wallace from “Brave in Season” by Jon Volkmer
Benjamin Gold from “Past Imperfect” by Joshua Cohen
Little Girl from “Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” by Julie Chapman
Mount Tremper from “Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
Lola Nelsson, Vance Anderson from “Her Name Was Lola” by Karen Janowsky
Brandt Collins, Elissa Black from “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak
Miracle “Mira” Reid from “Jar of Tears” by Kathleen Templeton
Calvert “Cal” Minor from “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
Mother Discus, Danny Discus from “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan
Mom from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Peggy Prescott, Dr. Robert “Rob” Prescott from “Dream Me Home” by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
You and Me from “We Are Different but a Lot Alike” by Linda Guest-Peters
Dylan from “Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
Seti I from “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
Macallah (“Mac”) from “Roam Within” by Maya Realm
Belle Brooks from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Nurse Florence from “Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” by Michael Dow
Davis Johnson from “Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews
Dante from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Dr. Nerida Green, Mari from “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn
Mimi from “Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD
English Jack, Michel Lolito, Henry Whallen, Mike the Chicken from “The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” by Nathan Wakefield
Fenix, Ballerina Konora from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Yinyin from “The Girl from Wudang by” P.J. Caldas
Nugget, Bandit from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Owl B. Blue from “Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” by Robert Sudano
Max, Woo, Danny, Piper, and T’Aura from “Soar a Burning Sky” by Steven Michael Beck
Grandma from “Of Course, I Am Loved” by Tamesha Williams
Roscoe from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Grandmother Kaina from “Lullaby of the Valley” by Tuula Pere
Francis Fox from “The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
Aino from “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Branda Sue Bellamy from “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
D, Cella, Jamie from “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Tanto from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Ruth Olivia Kellum (“Rook”) from “One Icy Night” by W.A. Pepper
Volentus from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Sophie, Stephie from “Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Supporting Character”
Winners:
Mrs. Rita Sudalter from “Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
Count Filippo di Santa Rosa from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Alice from “May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Honorable Mentions:
Joshua Fitzgerald from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
Johnny, Jayne Ringtail from “Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
Attorney from “Claw School” by Angeli Fitch
Dream Lover from "Dream Me Home" by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
Katori, Stinky, and Poopsy from “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Lochin from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Owen Gilchrist from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Kara from “Run Away Home: Tempered” by Catherine Manett
Abbix, Tammon from “A Path of Possession” by Charles Brass
Alicent Vale, Dragon Cellis from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Donna the Guppy from “Daylight Saving Time” by David W. Berner
Owen, Robert from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Jack from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Miriam, Grady from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Dr. Benjamin Thessit from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” by J.T. Tenera
Caroline, David and his Mom, Gabe from “Fortune House” by Jeannie Rivera
Pam from “Escaping My Demons” by Joseph Fagarazzi
Po the Cat from “Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” by Julie Chapman
Mrs. Davis from “Jar of Tears” by Kathleen Templeton
Mr. Chan from “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan
Husband, Connor, Jack, Brooks from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Jake from “Roam Within” by Maya Realm
Granny Mavis Brooks, Remy Montgomery from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Christopher from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Aedgar from “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn
Stephen, Paul, Robert, Edward, Joseph from “Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD
Bolt from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Shifu from “The Girl from Wudang” by P.J. Caldas
Purple Owl from “Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” by Robert Sudano
Dylan, Mr. Ambrose, Rhodri from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Rolly from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Barry the Badger, Mayor William the Wolf from “The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
Enemy Soldier from “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Priscilla from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Stalin from “One Icy Night” by W.A. Pepper
Penny from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Squawking, Globik, Roosevelt, Sparkles, Spots from “Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Villain”
Winners:
Francis Fox from “The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
Dominik from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Honorable Mentions
Shariah Law & the Totalitarian State from “Mamluks of Thunder Island” by Aly Brisha
Paranoid schizophrenia, Nazis from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
The Great State from “Humans’ Enhancements” by I.M. Stoicus
Bleeder, Droch from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Starn from "The Well" by Barbara Hills
George Campbell, Blake & Drew Cameron from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Tristian, Hayley from “Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Soudade, Uncle Gen from “Cycles of the Phoenix” by C.A. Nicholas
Malkira from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Grendel from “Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
Forneus, Charmolypi from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Bradley, Pollution from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Neo-Nazis, Shane, Strong Voice from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Clyde Foristen from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
John Hawkes from “Fortune House” by Jeannie Rivera
President Ionescu, Zut Zhanhov, Pitr Schwartz, Communist Party of Slavia from “Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
Father from “Escaping My Demons” by Joseph Fagarazzi
Yitzah Fried, Khan, Jerzy Dudek from “Past Imperfect” by Joshua Cohen
Harold Black from “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak
Hank Henleman, Arik, John from “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
Cancer from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Detective Harvey, Arnie Stimmel, Dr. Sherman from “Dream Me Home” by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
Prince Paramessu from “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
Sam, Reid MacAlister, Seven Kings from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Deven (arguably), Deven’s parents, CPS from “Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews
Aedgar (arguably) from “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn
Dr. Lamberechts from “The Girl from Wudang” by P.J. Caldas
Queen Malagant, Afanc, Ceridwen from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Pollution, King Lor Vecca/StormWing from “Soar a Burning Sky” by Steven Michael Beck
War from “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Gary, Landsdowne Real Estate Operators from “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
Uglies from “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Poseidon United, Mercator from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Sheriff (Carolton Roberts) from “One Icy Night” W.A. Pepper
Parents, Bob, and the Foster Care System from “Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” by G.L. Franklyn
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Hottest Character” / “Most Beautiful Character” / “Most Handsome Character”
Winners:
The Mom from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Vivienne from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Ballerina Konora from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Honorable Mentions:
King Teddy Bear from “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Sylvia Zielinski (“Sunny”) from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
Larken from “The Well” by Barbara Hills
Donal Donn, Mary McElroy from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
The Mom from “Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
Abal/Shajar al-Durr, Lady Eleanor from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Floriana from “Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
Christine, Death from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
“18” (AKA Gretchen) from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Carlin from “Brave in Season” by Jon Volkmer
Sylvia from “Past Imperfect” by Joshua Cohen
Brandt Collins, Elissa Black, Liam, Lexi, Selena from “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak
Sarah Quinn from “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
Pandora, Aphrodite from “The Golden Apple” Mika Mathews
Cella from “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Penny from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Dragan, Lucretia from "Death or Volentus" by David V. Mammina
Remy Montgomery from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Vance Anderson from “Her Name Was Lola” by Karen Janowsky
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Cutest Character”
Winner:
Nugget from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Honorable Mentions:
Johnny, Jayne Ringtail from “Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
Ruby the Cat and Poopsy the Dog from “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Sue/Snoozer, Gator from “Gator, Gator, Second Grader” by Conrad J. Storad
Turtle from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Miriam from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Alfie from “Where Are You, Alfie? Coloring & Activity Book” by Mary DeSantis, Anthony Richichi
Christopher from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Ballerina Konora, Fenix from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Roscoe from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Priscilla from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Branda Sue Bellamy from “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
Jewel the Corgi, Roosevelt the Turtle, Sparkles, Spots from “Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
Little Teacup from "Grandma's Lost Treasure" by David Huerta
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Dynamic Duo”
Winners:
Lucy & Jack from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Roscoe & Rolly from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
Johnny & Jayne Ringtail from “Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
Vivienne & Eelus from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Donal Donn & Owen Gilchrist from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Peter & Owen from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Kin & Sugi from “Grandma’s Lost Treasure” by David Huerta
Volentus & Alicent, Volentus & Dragan from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Jimmy & Alice from “May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Mother Discus & Danny Discus from “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan
Dylan & Zachary (Wendland) from “Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
Christopher & Dante from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Nugget & Bandit from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Couple”
Winner:
Enid & Dylan from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Nugget & Bandit from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Colin Crab & Priscilla the Clam from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
Lucy & Jack from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Vivienne & Eelus from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Messenger & Larken from “The Well” by Barbara Hills
Donal Donn & Mary McElroy from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Peter & Kara from “Run Away Home: Tempered” by Catherine Manett
King Teddy & Queen Giggles from “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Ben & Miriam from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Sam & Carlin from “Brave in Season” by Jon Volkmer
Jake & Mac from “Roam Within” by Maya Realm
Dr. Nerida & Mari from "Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In" by Miki Mitayn
Pam & Joseph from "Escaping My Demons" by Joseph Fagarazzi
Belle & Remy from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Weapon”
Winner:
Pens of Light from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Honorable Mentions:
Shadowmaker, Revenant from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Oathbreaker from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Moment”
(WARNING: May contain spoilers)
Winners:
* “Mom’s hair is everywhere!... The family learned love, courage, and a little magic. And so, the days turned into nights, and the nights turned into days. With their hearts full of love, they cuddled close, ready to face any adventure that came their way.”
(Passage from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain)
* The enemy soldier leaves behind the red cape for Aino’s doll where she can see and find it in “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
* Volentus rescues Alicent, his arch-nemesis and says, “this is not my opponent…Not my adversary. You deserved far better than this” in “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
* The death of Baketwernel in “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
* Fenix achieves his dream of becoming a Firework Flier, getting to light the top of the tree formation after Bolt has a medical emergency in “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
* The elderly women sing a familiar song at the peak of the valley in the middle of a war in “Lullaby of the Valley” by Tuula Pere
* Enid figuring out Malagant's three hearts and learning how to wish upon a Afanc without the usual consequence in "Tales of Witches and Wyverns" by S. Ramsey
* Rook versus Sheriff on a frozen lake with the words “fight like you’re wrestling the devil himself” reverberating in her mind
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Funny & Bizarre”
* This is an opportunity for all contest participants to have a good laugh together
(WARNING: May contain spoilers)
Winners:
* The long, drawn-out, over-the-top, and ultimately pointless brawl between Yinyin and the lecher in “The Girl from Wudang” by P.J. Caldas–it was akin to Peter Griffin versus Chicken
* Poopsy from “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch keeps pooping on Ruby’s lawn and flowers despite constantly being asked to stop, so Ruby and the local skunk scheme to give him a taste of his own medicine by dumping loads of poop on his property.
Honorable Mentions:
* Vivienne rides Eelus, the hot male kelpie, and says, “I can see why people would want to capture you. So they can ride you whenever they want" (from "Kelpie" by Ashley Chapman)
* The phrase “Mom-in-a-Can” from “It Was Her New York” by C.O. Moed
* George Campbell from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes no-sells a comeuppance that seems to be the end of his character arc. He is later seen walking around, talking, and acting out like nothing even happened.
* The name “Lake-Ellen” and having to read that name 1,100+ times in "A Path to Possession" by Charles Brass; Is Dandelion supposed to be a weapon, an arm, a pet, a tool, or all of the above?; Is a “Lady of Leaves” supposed to be a green plant-lady who got struck by magical-demon-devil-tree-lightning, a village treasurer, or all of the above? All of this seemed muddled and unclear
* Karen’s letters to Gideon in “Cycles of the Phoenix” by C.A. Nicholas read to us as contrived and more like the author talking than the character
* The line “You towering, hairless child” and the “Dear Pastor Abigail” letters from “When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” by C.A. Nicholas
* Precious already has a receding hairline despite being a newborn in “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
* Queen Vernita needs to learn the difference between crabs and lobsters in “Queen Vernita Finds More Colors Than a Box of Crayons” by Dr. Dawn Menge; Grammatical issues; We also have so many questions about who Queen Vernita is and why she spends the majority of her reign traveling and seemingly goofing off; Also, if Boston exists in the magical Land of Quails, are there dragons and monsters in Boston too?
* Sword fighting with pee streams in “Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” by G.L. Franklyn; A good book that needs to be formatted better. Where are the indentations between paragraphs and lines of dialogue?
* Every historical fiction novel centered in Europe apparently needs a character named Owen
* Every Jewish literature novel apparently needs a character named Ben
* Video game references including “Master of Unlocking” and “Timeless Fantasy” in “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” by J.T. Tenera; Also, the boys pretty much ditched their parents without notice, receiving dozens–if not hundreds–of unanswered voicemails and text messages left by their frantic and panicking families!
* In “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson, Grady falls into a ravine and Ben barely reacts to it at all; Ben’s deformed hand (which really wasn’t mentioned much at all) conveniently helps him to escape a situation
* A lot of “Christianity 2.0” by John Dorsey draws bold conclusions from a concept called “muscle testing”; also, the use of a medicinal/hallucinogenic herb called Iboga is frequently promoted throughout the book
* The author of “The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio decided to switch a lot of text to ITALICS and to make some of the text BROWN/RED for some reason, making it difficult to read a lot of the time; If you emphasize and highlight everything, nothing is emphasized or highlighted; Also, the author decided to repeat a phrase about using the correct air filter about a dozen times for emphasis; Also, what is the title of this book supposed to be? Is it supposed to be “The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption”, “THE U.S. 2023 HIGH POWER-BILL CRISIS CUT YOUR HIGH POWER-BILLS IN HALF TODAY”, “The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption- The Definitive Guide” or all of the above? Can you decide on one title and make it clear and obvious please? Why does it seem like the actual title of the book is in a little seal at the bottom of the cover in font-size 14 yet the subtitle is in all-caps, bold, and in font-size 72 at the top? And why is the subtitle a run-on sentence?
* The terms “Hoo-hah” and “Hoo-hoo” used in place of private parts in “The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
* The two protagonists in “Her Name Was Lola” by Karen Janowsky got under our skin. They seemed so toxic and bad for each other. Vance abused his authority, treated Lola like crap, and broke her heart, and Lola is immature, needy, and ruinous to Vance’s career. It’s hard to root for either of them.
* “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak features more sex than any other book we’ve ever read; despite supposedly being highly-qualified business leaders, these characters seem to have nothing better to do than to have sex all day, every day; it is impossible for 99% of people to have sex as frequently as these characters do; they seemingly have no refractory periods; they need to reload less than action movie heroes
* “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson goes from talking about a strained marriage to talking about a character wanting to burn their whole house down to talking about corporate greed to talking about an extramarital affair to talking about racing bulls in Latin America to talking about gangsters; Cal imagines his co-worker’s “feminine musk mixed with the smell of coconut and rose water”
*In “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan, it could be argued that the distance and scope of the illustrations is too great, making the main action and characters seem smaller and out of focus.
* “Dream Me Home” by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy features the three most frustrating and hateable characters of the entire contest: Detective Harvey, Arnie Stimmel, and Dr. Sherman; this book also ends abruptly
* In “Roam Within” by Maya Realm, the author admits that the writing in this book “may not appeal to the logical, conditioned mind” which basically became our impression with the second-half of this book, which veered sharply off-course from its original direction
* All of the genres in “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie seem to clash and don’t seem to mesh well together, leading to jarring tonal shifts and topical whiplash
* In “Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” by Michael Dow, the characters seem to lack an inciting incident or clear motivation to ask Nurse Florence specifically about endometriosis. None of them mention feeling pain or irritation down there. None of them have a restroom or bedroom incident. They just come forward and start asking the school nurse about it; Also, the art-style looks completely different from other books in the series. In fact, the art-style and appearances of characters keeps changing throughout the series even though the characters retain the same names like Florence, Jean, Condi, and Sonia.
* Deven from “Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews may be the biggest, mopiest, most pathetic hot-mess we’ve ever read about. The red-flags are all over this guy, and we advise Davis to run for the hills with his kid before it's too late! Deven seems to be an amalgamation of every mental illness. He seems like the kind of person who blames everyone else for his problems while not accepting any personal responsibility for any of them; The name “Davis Johnson” is a super-generic name that sounds like two surnames mashed together; The names Davis and Deven look too much alike (they start with the same letter and are the exact same length), leading to the characters being mixed up or confused during reading
* In “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn, Aedgar makes bold, world-shaking, and cosmos-defining claims that don’t seem reliable or trustworthy. Aedgar would make a great villain if the author had chosen to go that route; The numerous topics like medicine, healthcare, the history and rights of Aboriginal people, homosexuality, and the channeling of spirits and ghosts would all make great, individual novels, but all of these topics together seem disjointed and only loosely connected (if at all). They don’t seem to mesh very well into one cohesive book; Mari acts like the creepy little girl in every horror movie who keeps inviting the demon into the house instead of leaving well enough alone.
* “Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD concerns a historic climb up Mount Everest in literally the most dangerous, ill-advised, and irresponsible way: without supplemental oxygen, without guides, with no backup plan for rescue, and up the side of the mountain that even the Sherpas and elite climbers won’t touch! Despite being irresponsible in all of those previously-mentioned ways, they brought along a medical student to act as a medic for… reasons.
* All the strange things that the human ostriches eat in “The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” by Nathan Wakefield!
* The phrase “beyond the scope of this book” being used in “Bonsai Hawaiian Style” by Richard Jeffery Wagner when it is clear that the author could tell us a lot more about the subject after tantalizing us with it
* The title and concept name of “The Woo Woo Way” by Sandy Evenson; this book also had us tapping on random things at random times in an attempt to replicate its advice
* In “Thank God It’s Monday(?)” by Tom C. Petersen, the author makes several humorous recommendations on how to avoid social interactions or how to avoid becoming socially involved when you’re a socially-adverse or socially-challenged person
* “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett is apparently illustrated for kids and features a 12-year-old protagonist yet it seems to be better aimed at a much older audience as it deals with topics like audits, foreclosures, deeds, mortgages, and corruption–things that 95%+ of kids wouldn’t concern themselves with; it is also written in present-tense, which reads strangely in this scenario; the title of the book seems to have little or nothing to do with the actual content of the book–you’d think this was a Christian book (and perhaps the author intended it to be), but that has little to do with topics like audits, foreclosures, deeds, and mortgages.
* "Running on Broken Bones" by W.A. Pepper has too many quests, side-quests, and conflicts going on that don’t seem to mesh well into a cohesive plot; It’s difficult to be present with the character (Tanto) when its seems like his mind is on twelve different things all the time including his ideology, the dudes who roughed him up in prison, his titular broken bones, the conspiracy plot, etc.
* The characters in “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma spend so much of this book goofing off by having sex, getting into high school drama/squabbles, and playing competitive video games. Meanwhile, there’s a literal zombie/nuclear apocalypse outside that they’re presumably supposed to be dealing with; The line “They’re eating people and throwing them at other people.”
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Illustrated”
Winners:
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
“Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Honorable Mentions:
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
“The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
“The Gratitude Goggles” by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Claw School” by Angeli Fitch
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” by Conrad J. Storad
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
“Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
“Thoughts and Musings” by P.K. Rankin
“Of Course, I Am Loved” by Tamesha Williams
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
“The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
“Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Narrated”
Winner:
“The Well” by Barbara Hills
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Most Well Intentioned”
Winners:
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“May I Come to Your Party?” Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
“The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Quote”
Winners:
“Freedom is messy”
- P.K. Rankin from “Thoughts and Musings”
“Maybe that’s why I like the law. The law lags progress. It trails behind everything, as do most judges.”
- Judge Anthony J. Mohr from “Every Other Weekend”
“There is no such thing as a perfect day, but every day is perfectly worth living.”
- C.A. Nicholas from “When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore”
Honorable Mentions:
“...a lady does not risk everything to run away with a commoner.”/“Words betrayed him now. What were they but an empty compilation of lifeless sounds? They never truly captured the flashes of emerald in his lover's eyes or the dancing rays of light as they shimmered off her russet tresses.” /“I opened my eyes and looked deep into hers, losing myself in the flashes of light that sparkled within those emerald pools.”
- Catherine Hughes from “In Silence Cries the Heart”
“She's a drug all on her own, I'll keep chasing her high as long as I live...She's the noise that creates the silence, the ringing in my ears, the something that creates nothing... Nothing but her. She fills that void.”
- Catherine Manett from “Run Away Home: Tempered”
“He collapsed against the couch cushions. An eruption of realizations exploded from the murk along the back of his mind—bright, brilliant, all clashing.”
- Charles Brass from “A Path of Possession”
“Time backward is just that. Gone. Time forward is still ours."
- David W. Berner from “Daylight Saving Time”
“Bandages don’t help / The worm will find its way”
- Gloria Mindock from “Grief Touched the Sky at Night”
“I would go on to live, shoulder to shoulder among damaged and unwanted kids.”
- G.L. Franklyn from “Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy”
“...sometimes it's better to follow the flow of fate rather than to fight its current.”
- J.T. Tenera from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest”
“The ink flowed effortlessly, like gentle whispers to my younger self” / “Live with the broken pieces, and the unbroken will grow bigger and softer with more vigor" / “...to be the roaring campfire I am meant to be rather than the flickering candle flame I was becoming. The fragments of glass will be colorful, and shimmer brightly. They will be reflective of the collective light that represents the interesting twists and turns to my life that have made me who I am. My brain is still injured, and I’ll always have to manage it wisely, but there’s nothing wrong with my heart.”
- Jessica Buchanan et al. from “Deserts to Mountain Tops”
“...those thoughts had settled in his empty chest like old dust” / “We were each on a merry-go-round of our own making.”
- Karen Janowsky from “Her Name Was Lola”
“All families are different, and no family is perfect or completely void of dysfunction” / “All families are dysfunctional”
- Kaytee Gillis (LCSW-BACS) from “Breaking the Cycle”
“Whatever one creates in one's own mind cannot be forcefully changed.” / “He has his path, just like you have yours.” / “Everyone ripens at their own speed.” / “...full as the ocean and empty as air”
- Maya Realm from “Roam Within”
“To be afraid is to be alive”
- Mika Mathews from “The Golden Apple”
“Nowhere to hide and no way to quit” (Mimi on the climb up Mt. Everest along the most dangerous route in which letting go would result in death)
- Mimi Zieman, MD from “Tap Dancing on Everest”
“Few things in life improve with age, but bonsai [is] one of them.”
- Richard Jeffery Wagner from “Bonsai Hawaiian Style”
“Light also attracts bugs” / “The purpose of a sermon is to be preached. The purpose of a car is to be driven for transportation. The purpose of a piano is to be played. The purpose of going to school is to get an education. The purpose of all of us as members of [insert church name here[SIC] is to help carry out the vision that God gave to our Pastors[SIC].” / “God sees us as victors not victims”
- Ruby Smith from “Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions”
“I’m attached to nothing and open to what life brings.” / “Just very different perspectives. Same movie, just different optics.” / “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” / “Dreaming with God is the same as entering a miracle factory and running the place for our profit. Pleasures come in many ways.” / “Perspective is truth wrapped in emotions.” / “...you ask 'What if I fall?' Oh but my darling, 'What if you fly?'”
- Sarah Moon from “Journey to Wholeness”
“The rain gives birth to the rivers, that gives birth to the oceans, that gives birth to the land, that gives birth to the sky, that gives birth to the rain . . . “ / “Trust the Ticking...A sense of resolve worked its way through her chest, down her arms, and into her fingers. She needed to decide and decide now. While there was still time. It was time to trust something other than fear.” / “...doctors stopped counting when the stitches reached a hundred.” / "...something so monumentally important can be held aloft by something so fragile.” / “Because we need each other, that's why. It's that dependency that gives harmony to the song of our existence.”
- Steven Michael Beck from “Soar a Burning Sky”
“If you want to look good, stand next to someone ugly.” / “Loyalty programs aren't loyal.”
- Tom C. Petersen from “Thank God It’s Monday(?)”
“Even if you are on the right track, if you simply stand still, you are going to get hit by that train. When we question everything we free ourselves to think, and when we think we allow ourselves to act.” / “...when your Vision and your Why is big enough… the How To will take care of itself!”
- Valentina Janek et al. from “From Fired to Freedom
“Let the bridges you burn light the way”
- W.A. Pepper from “One Icy Night”
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Cover”
Winners:
“Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
“The Gratitude Goggles” by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
Honorable Mentions:
“Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews
“The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
“Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD (*Because people almost died and lost body parts to take this cover photo)
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Writing (Fiction)”
Winners:
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
"The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers" by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Honorable Mentions:
“Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” by Julie Chapman
"Dream Me Home" by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Writing (Non-Fiction)”
Winners:
“Deserts to Mountain Tops” Jessica Buchanan et al.
“Leadership Anatomy” by Satpreet Singh
Honorable Mentions:
“Grief Touched the Sky at Night” by Gloria Mindock
“Thoughts and Musings” by P.K. Rankin
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
“Cooling the Flame” by Laura Urgell
“The Woo Woo Way” by Sandy Evenson
“Journey to Wholeness” by Sarah Moon
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Research”
Winners:
“Leadership Anatomy” by Satpreet Singh
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
“The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” by Nathan Wakefield
Honorable Mentions:
“Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
"Oathbreaker" by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
“In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
“What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery” by Dr. Fei Zheng-Ward
“The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio
“Silas on Sundays” by Joel Shoemaker
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Jar of Tears” by Kathleen Templeton
“Breaking the Cycle” by Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS
“Cooling the Flame” by Laura Urgell
“Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
“Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
“Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” by Michael Dow
“Bonsai Hawaiian Style” by Richard Jeffery Wagner
“Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
"Mamluks of Thunder Island" by Aly Brisha
"Hailey, Let's Meet Some Fabulous Safari Animals" by John Zander
"The Coming Economic Revolution" by Donald Dienst
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best World-Building”
Winners:
“Soar a Burning Sky” by Steven Michael Beck
“Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Honorable Mentions:
“Mamluks of Thunder Island” by Aly Brisha
“Humans’ Enhancements” by I.M. Stoicus
“A Path of Possession” by Charles Brass
“Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
“Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
“Queen Vernita Finds More Colors Than a Box of Crayons” by Dr. Dawn Menge
“Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
“Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
“Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
"Humans' Enhancements" I.M. Stoicus
“Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Character”
Winners:
Ruby from “Claw School” and “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Enid from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Colin Crab from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
Sylvia Zielinski (“Sunny”) from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
XY777-316 from “Humans’ Enhancements” by I.M. Stoicus
Ellie from "Ellie's Masterclass" by Melissa Kahl
Anthony, Gerald Mohr, Stanley Dashew, and Mom from “Every Other Weekend” by Judge Anthony J. Mohr
Vivienne Griffin, Eelus from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Messenger from “The Well” by Barbara Hills
Francine from “It Was Her New York” by C.O. Moed
Bertha Solis from “Never to Forget” by Carlos Alvarado
Donal Donn from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Peter, Hayley from “Run Away Home: Tempered” by Catherine Manett
Lake-Ellen from “A Path of Possession”by Charles Brass
Isabelle, Ray from “Cycles of the Phoenix” by C.A. Nicholas
Dahlia Noelle from “When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” by C.A. Nicholas
Son and Mom from “Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
Mrs. Nicholas, Sue/Snoozer from “Gator, Gator, Second Grader” by Conrad J. Storad
Obachan, Little Teacup from “Grandma’s Lost Treasure” by David Huerta
Peter Longsword from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Grendel, Cato, Patrice from “Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
Precious, King Teddy Bear, Queen Giggles from “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Queen Vernita from “Queen Vernita Finds More Colors Than a Box of Crayons” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Arthur, Ascanius, Luna, and Christine from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Lucy Morgan from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Jimmy from “May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Benjamin “Ben” Weiss from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” J.A. Robertson
Joseph Erif, Eric from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” by J.T. Tenera
Janie from “Fortune House” by Jeannie Rivera
Ludwig Kirchner, Ana Kull, Tobias, Pitr Schwartz from “Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
Silas from “Silas on Sundays” by Joel Shoemaker
Sam Washington, Carlin, Jerome Wallace from “Brave in Season” by Jon Volkmer
Benjamin Gold from “Past Imperfect” by Joshua Cohen
Little Girl from “Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” by Julie Chapman
Mount Tremper from “Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
Lola Nelsson, Vance Anderson from “Her Name Was Lola” by Karen Janowsky
Brandt Collins, Elissa Black from “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak
Miracle “Mira” Reid from “Jar of Tears” by Kathleen Templeton
Calvert “Cal” Minor from “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
Mother Discus, Danny Discus from “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan
Mom from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Peggy Prescott, Dr. Robert “Rob” Prescott from “Dream Me Home” by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
You and Me from “We Are Different but a Lot Alike” by Linda Guest-Peters
Dylan from “Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
Seti I from “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
Macallah (“Mac”) from “Roam Within” by Maya Realm
Belle Brooks from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Nurse Florence from “Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” by Michael Dow
Davis Johnson from “Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews
Dante from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Dr. Nerida Green, Mari from “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn
Mimi from “Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD
English Jack, Michel Lolito, Henry Whallen, Mike the Chicken from “The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” by Nathan Wakefield
Fenix, Ballerina Konora from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Yinyin from “The Girl from Wudang by” P.J. Caldas
Nugget, Bandit from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Owl B. Blue from “Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” by Robert Sudano
Max, Woo, Danny, Piper, and T’Aura from “Soar a Burning Sky” by Steven Michael Beck
Grandma from “Of Course, I Am Loved” by Tamesha Williams
Roscoe from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Grandmother Kaina from “Lullaby of the Valley” by Tuula Pere
Francis Fox from “The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
Aino from “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Branda Sue Bellamy from “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
D, Cella, Jamie from “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Tanto from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Ruth Olivia Kellum (“Rook”) from “One Icy Night” by W.A. Pepper
Volentus from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Sophie, Stephie from “Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Supporting Character”
Winners:
Mrs. Rita Sudalter from “Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
Count Filippo di Santa Rosa from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Alice from “May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Honorable Mentions:
Joshua Fitzgerald from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
Johnny, Jayne Ringtail from “Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
Attorney from “Claw School” by Angeli Fitch
Dream Lover from "Dream Me Home" by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
Katori, Stinky, and Poopsy from “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Lochin from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Owen Gilchrist from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Kara from “Run Away Home: Tempered” by Catherine Manett
Abbix, Tammon from “A Path of Possession” by Charles Brass
Alicent Vale, Dragon Cellis from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Donna the Guppy from “Daylight Saving Time” by David W. Berner
Owen, Robert from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Jack from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Miriam, Grady from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Dr. Benjamin Thessit from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” by J.T. Tenera
Caroline, David and his Mom, Gabe from “Fortune House” by Jeannie Rivera
Pam from “Escaping My Demons” by Joseph Fagarazzi
Po the Cat from “Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” by Julie Chapman
Mrs. Davis from “Jar of Tears” by Kathleen Templeton
Mr. Chan from “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan
Husband, Connor, Jack, Brooks from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Jake from “Roam Within” by Maya Realm
Granny Mavis Brooks, Remy Montgomery from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Christopher from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Aedgar from “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn
Stephen, Paul, Robert, Edward, Joseph from “Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD
Bolt from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Shifu from “The Girl from Wudang” by P.J. Caldas
Purple Owl from “Owl B. Blue on Easter Day” by Robert Sudano
Dylan, Mr. Ambrose, Rhodri from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Rolly from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Barry the Badger, Mayor William the Wolf from “The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
Enemy Soldier from “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Priscilla from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Stalin from “One Icy Night” by W.A. Pepper
Penny from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Squawking, Globik, Roosevelt, Sparkles, Spots from “Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Villain”
Winners:
Francis Fox from “The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
Dominik from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Honorable Mentions
Shariah Law & the Totalitarian State from “Mamluks of Thunder Island” by Aly Brisha
Paranoid schizophrenia, Nazis from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
The Great State from “Humans’ Enhancements” by I.M. Stoicus
Bleeder, Droch from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Starn from "The Well" by Barbara Hills
George Campbell, Blake & Drew Cameron from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Tristian, Hayley from “Run Away Home: Tempered” Catherine Manett
Soudade, Uncle Gen from “Cycles of the Phoenix” by C.A. Nicholas
Malkira from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Grendel from “Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
Forneus, Charmolypi from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Bradley, Pollution from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Neo-Nazis, Shane, Strong Voice from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Clyde Foristen from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” J.T. Tenera
John Hawkes from “Fortune House” by Jeannie Rivera
President Ionescu, Zut Zhanhov, Pitr Schwartz, Communist Party of Slavia from “Perestroika” by Joao Cerqueira
Father from “Escaping My Demons” by Joseph Fagarazzi
Yitzah Fried, Khan, Jerzy Dudek from “Past Imperfect” by Joshua Cohen
Harold Black from “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak
Hank Henleman, Arik, John from “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
Cancer from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Detective Harvey, Arnie Stimmel, Dr. Sherman from “Dream Me Home” by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy
Prince Paramessu from “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
Sam, Reid MacAlister, Seven Kings from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Deven (arguably), Deven’s parents, CPS from “Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews
Aedgar (arguably) from “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn
Dr. Lamberechts from “The Girl from Wudang” by P.J. Caldas
Queen Malagant, Afanc, Ceridwen from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Pollution, King Lor Vecca/StormWing from “Soar a Burning Sky” by Steven Michael Beck
War from “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Gary, Landsdowne Real Estate Operators from “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
Uglies from “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Poseidon United, Mercator from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Sheriff (Carolton Roberts) from “One Icy Night” W.A. Pepper
Parents, Bob, and the Foster Care System from “Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” by G.L. Franklyn
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Hottest Character” / “Most Beautiful Character” / “Most Handsome Character”
Winners:
The Mom from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain
Vivienne from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Ballerina Konora from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Honorable Mentions:
King Teddy Bear from “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Sylvia Zielinski (“Sunny”) from “The Fragility of Light” by Heather S. Lonczak, PhD
Larken from “The Well” by Barbara Hills
Donal Donn, Mary McElroy from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
The Mom from “Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
Abal/Shajar al-Durr, Lady Eleanor from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Floriana from “Darwin’s Dilemma” by Don Stuart
Christine, Death from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
“18” (AKA Gretchen) from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Carlin from “Brave in Season” by Jon Volkmer
Sylvia from “Past Imperfect” by Joshua Cohen
Brandt Collins, Elissa Black, Liam, Lexi, Selena from “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak
Sarah Quinn from “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson
Pandora, Aphrodite from “The Golden Apple” Mika Mathews
Cella from “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma
Penny from “Running on Broken Bones” by W.A. Pepper
Dragan, Lucretia from "Death or Volentus" by David V. Mammina
Remy Montgomery from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Vance Anderson from “Her Name Was Lola” by Karen Janowsky
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Cutest Character”
Winner:
Nugget from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Honorable Mentions:
Johnny, Jayne Ringtail from “Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
Ruby the Cat and Poopsy the Dog from “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Sue/Snoozer, Gator from “Gator, Gator, Second Grader” by Conrad J. Storad
Turtle from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Miriam from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Alfie from “Where Are You, Alfie? Coloring & Activity Book” by Mary DeSantis, Anthony Richichi
Christopher from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Ballerina Konora, Fenix from “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
Roscoe from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Priscilla from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Branda Sue Bellamy from “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
Jewel the Corgi, Roosevelt the Turtle, Sparkles, Spots from “Hello, England!” by Ekaterina Otiko
Little Teacup from "Grandma's Lost Treasure" by David Huerta
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Dynamic Duo”
Winners:
Lucy & Jack from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Roscoe & Rolly from “Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
Johnny & Jayne Ringtail from “Arizona Way Out West and Wacky” (The Play) by Zachary Simpson
Vivienne & Eelus from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Donal Donn & Owen Gilchrist from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Peter & Owen from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Kin & Sugi from “Grandma’s Lost Treasure” by David Huerta
Volentus & Alicent, Volentus & Dragan from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Jimmy & Alice from “May I Come to Your Party?” by Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
Mother Discus & Danny Discus from “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan
Dylan & Zachary (Wendland) from “Tic Talk” by Dylan Peters
Christopher & Dante from “The Golden Apple” by Mika Mathews
Nugget & Bandit from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Couple”
Winner:
Enid & Dylan from “Tales of Witches and Wyverns” by S. Ramsey
Nugget & Bandit from “Nugget & Bandit’s First Winter” by Rachel Vogel
Colin Crab & Priscilla the Clam from “Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
Lucy & Jack from “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett
Vivienne & Eelus from “Kelpie” by Ashley Chapman
Messenger & Larken from “The Well” by Barbara Hills
Donal Donn & Mary McElroy from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes
Peter & Kara from “Run Away Home: Tempered” by Catherine Manett
King Teddy & Queen Giggles from “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
Ben & Miriam from “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson
Sam & Carlin from “Brave in Season” by Jon Volkmer
Jake & Mac from “Roam Within” by Maya Realm
Dr. Nerida & Mari from "Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In" by Miki Mitayn
Pam & Joseph from "Escaping My Demons" by Joseph Fagarazzi
Belle & Remy from “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Weapon”
Winner:
Pens of Light from “The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
Honorable Mentions:
Shadowmaker, Revenant from “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
Oathbreaker from “Oathbreaker” by Dimitar Gyopsaliev
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Moment”
(WARNING: May contain spoilers)
Winners:
* “Mom’s hair is everywhere!... The family learned love, courage, and a little magic. And so, the days turned into nights, and the nights turned into days. With their hearts full of love, they cuddled close, ready to face any adventure that came their way.”
(Passage from “Mom’s Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain)
* The enemy soldier leaves behind the red cape for Aino’s doll where she can see and find it in “Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Honorable Mentions:
* Volentus rescues Alicent, his arch-nemesis and says, “this is not my opponent…Not my adversary. You deserved far better than this” in “Death or Volentus” by David V. Mammina
* The death of Baketwernel in “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle
* Fenix achieves his dream of becoming a Firework Flier, getting to light the top of the tree formation after Bolt has a medical emergency in “Fenix and the Firework Fliers” by Once Upon a Dance
* The elderly women sing a familiar song at the peak of the valley in the middle of a war in “Lullaby of the Valley” by Tuula Pere
* Enid figuring out Malagant's three hearts and learning how to wish upon a Afanc without the usual consequence in "Tales of Witches and Wyverns" by S. Ramsey
* Rook versus Sheriff on a frozen lake with the words “fight like you’re wrestling the devil himself” reverberating in her mind
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Funny & Bizarre”
* This is an opportunity for all contest participants to have a good laugh together
(WARNING: May contain spoilers)
Winners:
* The long, drawn-out, over-the-top, and ultimately pointless brawl between Yinyin and the lecher in “The Girl from Wudang” by P.J. Caldas–it was akin to Peter Griffin versus Chicken
* Poopsy from “Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch keeps pooping on Ruby’s lawn and flowers despite constantly being asked to stop, so Ruby and the local skunk scheme to give him a taste of his own medicine by dumping loads of poop on his property.
Honorable Mentions:
* Vivienne rides Eelus, the hot male kelpie, and says, “I can see why people would want to capture you. So they can ride you whenever they want" (from "Kelpie" by Ashley Chapman)
* The phrase “Mom-in-a-Can” from “It Was Her New York” by C.O. Moed
* George Campbell from “In Silence Cries the Heart” by Catherine Hughes no-sells a comeuppance that seems to be the end of his character arc. He is later seen walking around, talking, and acting out like nothing even happened.
* The name “Lake-Ellen” and having to read that name 1,100+ times in "A Path to Possession" by Charles Brass; Is Dandelion supposed to be a weapon, an arm, a pet, a tool, or all of the above?; Is a “Lady of Leaves” supposed to be a green plant-lady who got struck by magical-demon-devil-tree-lightning, a village treasurer, or all of the above? All of this seemed muddled and unclear
* Karen’s letters to Gideon in “Cycles of the Phoenix” by C.A. Nicholas read to us as contrived and more like the author talking than the character
* The line “You towering, hairless child” and the “Dear Pastor Abigail” letters from “When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore” by C.A. Nicholas
* Precious already has a receding hairline despite being a newborn in “Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
* Queen Vernita needs to learn the difference between crabs and lobsters in “Queen Vernita Finds More Colors Than a Box of Crayons” by Dr. Dawn Menge; Grammatical issues; We also have so many questions about who Queen Vernita is and why she spends the majority of her reign traveling and seemingly goofing off; Also, if Boston exists in the magical Land of Quails, are there dragons and monsters in Boston too?
* Sword fighting with pee streams in “Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy” by G.L. Franklyn; A good book that needs to be formatted better. Where are the indentations between paragraphs and lines of dialogue?
* Every historical fiction novel centered in Europe apparently needs a character named Owen
* Every Jewish literature novel apparently needs a character named Ben
* Video game references including “Master of Unlocking” and “Timeless Fantasy” in “Secrets of the Sealed Forest” by J.T. Tenera; Also, the boys pretty much ditched their parents without notice, receiving dozens–if not hundreds–of unanswered voicemails and text messages left by their frantic and panicking families!
* In “Benjamin Weiss and the Divine Prophecy” by J.A. Robertson, Grady falls into a ravine and Ben barely reacts to it at all; Ben’s deformed hand (which really wasn’t mentioned much at all) conveniently helps him to escape a situation
* A lot of “Christianity 2.0” by John Dorsey draws bold conclusions from a concept called “muscle testing”; also, the use of a medicinal/hallucinogenic herb called Iboga is frequently promoted throughout the book
* The author of “The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio decided to switch a lot of text to ITALICS and to make some of the text BROWN/RED for some reason, making it difficult to read a lot of the time; If you emphasize and highlight everything, nothing is emphasized or highlighted; Also, the author decided to repeat a phrase about using the correct air filter about a dozen times for emphasis; Also, what is the title of this book supposed to be? Is it supposed to be “The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption”, “THE U.S. 2023 HIGH POWER-BILL CRISIS CUT YOUR HIGH POWER-BILLS IN HALF TODAY”, “The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption- The Definitive Guide” or all of the above? Can you decide on one title and make it clear and obvious please? Why does it seem like the actual title of the book is in a little seal at the bottom of the cover in font-size 14 yet the subtitle is in all-caps, bold, and in font-size 72 at the top? And why is the subtitle a run-on sentence?
* The terms “Hoo-hah” and “Hoo-hoo” used in place of private parts in “The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
* The two protagonists in “Her Name Was Lola” by Karen Janowsky got under our skin. They seemed so toxic and bad for each other. Vance abused his authority, treated Lola like crap, and broke her heart, and Lola is immature, needy, and ruinous to Vance’s career. It’s hard to root for either of them.
* “A Bright Summer” by Kate Smoak features more sex than any other book we’ve ever read; despite supposedly being highly-qualified business leaders, these characters seem to have nothing better to do than to have sex all day, every day; it is impossible for 99% of people to have sex as frequently as these characters do; they seemingly have no refractory periods; they need to reload less than action movie heroes
* “The Arsonist” by Ken Coulson goes from talking about a strained marriage to talking about a character wanting to burn their whole house down to talking about corporate greed to talking about an extramarital affair to talking about racing bulls in Latin America to talking about gangsters; Cal imagines his co-worker’s “feminine musk mixed with the smell of coconut and rose water”
*In “The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) by Kirt Seuchan, it could be argued that the distance and scope of the illustrations is too great, making the main action and characters seem smaller and out of focus.
* “Dream Me Home” by Laurie Elizabeth Murphy features the three most frustrating and hateable characters of the entire contest: Detective Harvey, Arnie Stimmel, and Dr. Sherman; this book also ends abruptly
* In “Roam Within” by Maya Realm, the author admits that the writing in this book “may not appeal to the logical, conditioned mind” which basically became our impression with the second-half of this book, which veered sharply off-course from its original direction
* All of the genres in “The Blue-Eyed Devil” by M.J. McDuffie seem to clash and don’t seem to mesh well together, leading to jarring tonal shifts and topical whiplash
* In “Nurse Florence, What is Endometriosis?” by Michael Dow, the characters seem to lack an inciting incident or clear motivation to ask Nurse Florence specifically about endometriosis. None of them mention feeling pain or irritation down there. None of them have a restroom or bedroom incident. They just come forward and start asking the school nurse about it; Also, the art-style looks completely different from other books in the series. In fact, the art-style and appearances of characters keeps changing throughout the series even though the characters retain the same names like Florence, Jean, Condi, and Sonia.
* Deven from “Born Mistakes” by Mika Mathews may be the biggest, mopiest, most pathetic hot-mess we’ve ever read about. The red-flags are all over this guy, and we advise Davis to run for the hills with his kid before it's too late! Deven seems to be an amalgamation of every mental illness. He seems like the kind of person who blames everyone else for his problems while not accepting any personal responsibility for any of them; The name “Davis Johnson” is a super-generic name that sounds like two surnames mashed together; The names Davis and Deven look too much alike (they start with the same letter and are the exact same length), leading to the characters being mixed up or confused during reading
* In “Heated Earth: Aedgar Moves In” by Miki Mitayn, Aedgar makes bold, world-shaking, and cosmos-defining claims that don’t seem reliable or trustworthy. Aedgar would make a great villain if the author had chosen to go that route; The numerous topics like medicine, healthcare, the history and rights of Aboriginal people, homosexuality, and the channeling of spirits and ghosts would all make great, individual novels, but all of these topics together seem disjointed and only loosely connected (if at all). They don’t seem to mesh very well into one cohesive book; Mari acts like the creepy little girl in every horror movie who keeps inviting the demon into the house instead of leaving well enough alone.
* “Tap Dancing on Everest” by Mimi Zieman, MD concerns a historic climb up Mount Everest in literally the most dangerous, ill-advised, and irresponsible way: without supplemental oxygen, without guides, with no backup plan for rescue, and up the side of the mountain that even the Sherpas and elite climbers won’t touch! Despite being irresponsible in all of those previously-mentioned ways, they brought along a medical student to act as a medic for… reasons.
* All the strange things that the human ostriches eat in “The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek” by Nathan Wakefield!
* The phrase “beyond the scope of this book” being used in “Bonsai Hawaiian Style” by Richard Jeffery Wagner when it is clear that the author could tell us a lot more about the subject after tantalizing us with it
* The title and concept name of “The Woo Woo Way” by Sandy Evenson; this book also had us tapping on random things at random times in an attempt to replicate its advice
* In “Thank God It’s Monday(?)” by Tom C. Petersen, the author makes several humorous recommendations on how to avoid social interactions or how to avoid becoming socially involved when you’re a socially-adverse or socially-challenged person
* “The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett is apparently illustrated for kids and features a 12-year-old protagonist yet it seems to be better aimed at a much older audience as it deals with topics like audits, foreclosures, deeds, mortgages, and corruption–things that 95%+ of kids wouldn’t concern themselves with; it is also written in present-tense, which reads strangely in this scenario; the title of the book seems to have little or nothing to do with the actual content of the book–you’d think this was a Christian book (and perhaps the author intended it to be), but that has little to do with topics like audits, foreclosures, deeds, and mortgages.
* "Running on Broken Bones" by W.A. Pepper has too many quests, side-quests, and conflicts going on that don’t seem to mesh well into a cohesive plot; It’s difficult to be present with the character (Tanto) when its seems like his mind is on twelve different things all the time including his ideology, the dudes who roughed him up in prison, his titular broken bones, the conspiracy plot, etc.
* The characters in “Ultimatum” by Vladimir Fleurisma spend so much of this book goofing off by having sex, getting into high school drama/squabbles, and playing competitive video games. Meanwhile, there’s a literal zombie/nuclear apocalypse outside that they’re presumably supposed to be dealing with; The line “They’re eating people and throwing them at other people.”
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Illustrated”
Winners:
“Ellie’s Masterclass” Melissa Kahl
“Poo Poo Bully” by Angeli Fitch
Honorable Mentions:
“Colin Crab Finds a Treasure” Tuula Pere
“The Believer Within You” by Tyrone Burnett
“The Gratitude Goggles” by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD
“Claw School” by Angeli Fitch
“Can We Get a Rhinoceros?” by Christian Kueng
“Gator, Gator, Second Grader” by Conrad J. Storad
“Grandma’s Lost Treasure” David Huerta
“Precious the Baby Dragon” by Dr. Dawn Menge
“Silas on Sundays” Joel Shoemaker
“Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells” Julie Chapman
“The Adventures of Danny the Discus: Love of a Mother” (Vol. 2) Kirt Seuchan
“Mom’s Magical Crown” Lauren McClain
“Thoughts and Musings” by P.K. Rankin
“Of Course, I Am Loved” by Tamesha Williams
“Mount Tremper has a Temper” by Karen Chapman & Thomas O’Grady
“Circus Dogs Roscoe and Rolly” by Tuula Pere
“The Fox’s Palace” by Tuula Pere
“Raspberry Red” by Tuula Pere
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Narrated”
Winner:
“The Well” by Barbara Hills
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Most Well Intentioned”
Winners:
“A Helping Heart” Blaina Tallent Best
“May I Come to Your Party?” Grace A. Wolf & Samuel J. Gross
“The Simple Art of Reducing Energy Consumption” by John Rubio
Outstanding Creator Award for
“Best Quote”
Winners:
“Freedom is messy”
- P.K. Rankin from “Thoughts and Musings”
“Maybe that’s why I like the law. The law lags progress. It trails behind everything, as do most judges.”
- Judge Anthony J. Mohr from “Every Other Weekend”
“There is no such thing as a perfect day, but every day is perfectly worth living.”
- C.A. Nicholas from “When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore”
Honorable Mentions:
“...a lady does not risk everything to run away with a commoner.”/“Words betrayed him now. What were they but an empty compilation of lifeless sounds? They never truly captured the flashes of emerald in his lover's eyes or the dancing rays of light as they shimmered off her russet tresses.” /“I opened my eyes and looked deep into hers, losing myself in the flashes of light that sparkled within those emerald pools.”
- Catherine Hughes from “In Silence Cries the Heart”
“She's a drug all on her own, I'll keep chasing her high as long as I live...She's the noise that creates the silence, the ringing in my ears, the something that creates nothing... Nothing but her. She fills that void.”
- Catherine Manett from “Run Away Home: Tempered”
“He collapsed against the couch cushions. An eruption of realizations exploded from the murk along the back of his mind—bright, brilliant, all clashing.”
- Charles Brass from “A Path of Possession”
“Time backward is just that. Gone. Time forward is still ours."
- David W. Berner from “Daylight Saving Time”
“Bandages don’t help / The worm will find its way”
- Gloria Mindock from “Grief Touched the Sky at Night”
“I would go on to live, shoulder to shoulder among damaged and unwanted kids.”
- G.L. Franklyn from “Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy”
“...sometimes it's better to follow the flow of fate rather than to fight its current.”
- J.T. Tenera from “Secrets of the Sealed Forest”
“The ink flowed effortlessly, like gentle whispers to my younger self” / “Live with the broken pieces, and the unbroken will grow bigger and softer with more vigor" / “...to be the roaring campfire I am meant to be rather than the flickering candle flame I was becoming. The fragments of glass will be colorful, and shimmer brightly. They will be reflective of the collective light that represents the interesting twists and turns to my life that have made me who I am. My brain is still injured, and I’ll always have to manage it wisely, but there’s nothing wrong with my heart.”
- Jessica Buchanan et al. from “Deserts to Mountain Tops”
“...those thoughts had settled in his empty chest like old dust” / “We were each on a merry-go-round of our own making.”
- Karen Janowsky from “Her Name Was Lola”
“All families are different, and no family is perfect or completely void of dysfunction” / “All families are dysfunctional”
- Kaytee Gillis (LCSW-BACS) from “Breaking the Cycle”
“Whatever one creates in one's own mind cannot be forcefully changed.” / “He has his path, just like you have yours.” / “Everyone ripens at their own speed.” / “...full as the ocean and empty as air”
- Maya Realm from “Roam Within”
“To be afraid is to be alive”
- Mika Mathews from “The Golden Apple”
“Nowhere to hide and no way to quit” (Mimi on the climb up Mt. Everest along the most dangerous route in which letting go would result in death)
- Mimi Zieman, MD from “Tap Dancing on Everest”
“Few things in life improve with age, but bonsai [is] one of them.”
- Richard Jeffery Wagner from “Bonsai Hawaiian Style”
“Light also attracts bugs” / “The purpose of a sermon is to be preached. The purpose of a car is to be driven for transportation. The purpose of a piano is to be played. The purpose of going to school is to get an education. The purpose of all of us as members of [insert church name here[SIC] is to help carry out the vision that God gave to our Pastors[SIC].” / “God sees us as victors not victims”
- Ruby Smith from “Welcoming Addresses for Various Occasions”
“I’m attached to nothing and open to what life brings.” / “Just very different perspectives. Same movie, just different optics.” / “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” / “Dreaming with God is the same as entering a miracle factory and running the place for our profit. Pleasures come in many ways.” / “Perspective is truth wrapped in emotions.” / “...you ask 'What if I fall?' Oh but my darling, 'What if you fly?'”
- Sarah Moon from “Journey to Wholeness”
“The rain gives birth to the rivers, that gives birth to the oceans, that gives birth to the land, that gives birth to the sky, that gives birth to the rain . . . “ / “Trust the Ticking...A sense of resolve worked its way through her chest, down her arms, and into her fingers. She needed to decide and decide now. While there was still time. It was time to trust something other than fear.” / “...doctors stopped counting when the stitches reached a hundred.” / "...something so monumentally important can be held aloft by something so fragile.” / “Because we need each other, that's why. It's that dependency that gives harmony to the song of our existence.”
- Steven Michael Beck from “Soar a Burning Sky”
“If you want to look good, stand next to someone ugly.” / “Loyalty programs aren't loyal.”
- Tom C. Petersen from “Thank God It’s Monday(?)”
“Even if you are on the right track, if you simply stand still, you are going to get hit by that train. When we question everything we free ourselves to think, and when we think we allow ourselves to act.” / “...when your Vision and your Why is big enough… the How To will take care of itself!”
- Valentina Janek et al. from “From Fired to Freedom
“Let the bridges you burn light the way”
- W.A. Pepper from “One Icy Night”
ULTIMATE CHAMPIONS
Championship Belt Winner
“Ellie’s Masterclass” by Melissa Kahl
Championship Trophy Winners
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Leadership Anatomy” by Satpreet Singh
“From Fired to Freedom” & "The Long Island Breakfast Club Show" by Valentina Janek et al.
"Every Other Weekend" by Judge Anthony J. Mohr
"Claw School" by Angeli Fitch
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer
Championship Belt Winner
“Ellie’s Masterclass” by Melissa Kahl
Championship Trophy Winners
“The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers” by Emiliano Forino Procacci
“Leadership Anatomy” by Satpreet Singh
“From Fired to Freedom” & "The Long Island Breakfast Club Show" by Valentina Janek et al.
"Every Other Weekend" by Judge Anthony J. Mohr
"Claw School" by Angeli Fitch
“The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby and You” by Karen Brewer