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Donovan's Bookshelf

Award Winning!

These books have recently

won awards, and are especially

deserving of ongoing acclaim!

April 2023

A Merry Life by Sarah Bransonwas the 2022 Indie Author Project (partnered with the Library Journal) adult fiction winner for the Connecticut region. It was also finalist in both action/adventure and science fiction from the Independent Author Network Book of the Year 2022. And most recently it was named the winner in science fiction through the 2022 Kindle Book Awards and its cover was named finalist. 

Read our review in the May 2022 issue. 
 

Create Destruction by Ryan A. Kovacs was nominated as a finalist for the 2022 Indies Today novel competition and earned the 2023 Gold Literary Titan Award.    

Read our review in the March 2022 issue. 

 
Edgar winner Art Taylor's ingenious short story appearing in Edgar & Shamus Go Golden "The Invisible Band" has been nominated for an Agatha Award for best short story. The Agatha is conferred by Malice Domestic a literary society celebrating traditional mysteries.

Read our review in the March 2023 issue.  


Hayley Reese Chow's Odriel's Heirs was the winner of the 2020 Florida Author Project, a Literary Titan Gold Award Winner, a Wishing Shelf Book Award Finalist, and the 5th place finalist in the 2021 Book Blogger Novel of the Year Awards. The Gatekeeper of Pericael is a  B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree, a 2022 Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award Semifinalist, and 2021 Page Turner Finalist. .

Read our reviews in the March 2023 issue.

March 2023

David J. Muchow, PLC's The 7 Secret Keys to Startup Success won a Kirkus Star in January.

Read our review in the February 2023 issue. 

Kaleb Thompson's Peace in the Midst of the Storm has earned numerous wards:

- New York Best Sellers Award (Gold Medal Winner for Religion and Spirituality)

-San Francisco Book Festival Award (Honorable Mention for Poetry)

-Los Angeles Book Festival Award (Honorable Mention for Poetry)

-Literary Titan Book Award (Silver Medal Winner for Poetry)

-International Book Award (Finalist for Religious Poetry)

-Global Book Award (Finalist for Religion and Spirituality)

-American Writing Awards (Finalist for Poetry and Spirituality-2 categories)

-Page Turner Awards (Winner for Poetry)

-Royal Dragonfly Award (1st place in the ebook category of Religion and Spirituality)

-Firebird Book Awards (2nd place for Spirituality)

-Feathered Quill Book Awards (2nd place for Religion/Spiritual)

Read our review in the February 2023 issue. 

 
February 2023

The Historical Fiction Company has chosen Bob Van Laerhoven's "The Shadow Of The Mole" as the winner in the "Historical Literary" category of its 2022 HFC Book Of The Year contest.

Read our review in the August 2022 issue. 

Saralyn Richard's Bad Blood Sisters won the silver medal in the Readers Favorite contest in the category of Fiction-Intrigue, and is short-listed in the Chanticleer CLUE award contest.

Read our review in the March 2022 issue. 

 
January 2023

Tom Durwood's Ruby Pi and the Geometry Girls received 5 stars and the “Highly Recommended” award of excellence from The Historical Fiction Company

His Ruby Pi and the Math Girls received 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
Read our reviews in the December 2022 issue. 

The Lonely Toadstool by Kristin Addington Culpepper won the 5 Star Readers' Favorite Award. 

Read our review in the December 2022 issue, and also note this book's appearance as the December Pick of the Month.

Fall to Pieces by Becky Flade won the 2022 RONE Award for best thriller/suspense.

Read our review in the March 2022 issue.

December 2022 

Michael J. Bowler's Shifter won a 2022 Gold Medal from Readers’ Favorite.

Read our review in the May 2022 issue. 

His I Know When You're Going to Die won a Gold Medal in the Thriller category from Readers’ Favorite in 2020.

Read our review in the February 2020 issue.

 
Angel A. has been busy garnering a host of awards for Mary Poser. These include:

2017 Foreword Reviews Indies Book of the Year Award Finalist 

2018 American Fiction Awards Winner.

2018 Best Book Awards Winner

2018 NYC Big Book Award Winner

2018 International Book of the Year Finalist

2018 Paris Book Festival Runner-Up.

2018 Readers' Favorite Finalist

2018 Independent Author Network Book of the year Finalist

2018 London Book Festival Honorable Mention

2018 BookViral Millennium Book Awards Long List

2018 New Apple Book Awards Official Selection

2018 Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards winner

2019 Independent Press Award winner

2019 New York Book Festival winner

Read our review in the September 2017 issue.

 
Zoe Tasia's Kilts and Catnip was a finalist for the 2019 National Readers’ Choice Awards and a semi-finalist for the 2019 Ozma Book Awards.

Read our review in the March 2019 issue.

 
Bob Van Laerhoven's The Shadow of the Mole is
a finalist in the Best Thriller Awards 2022, Historical Fiction category, from BestThrillers.com.

Read our review in the August 2022 issue.

November 2022 

Ellen Dee Davidson's WIND just won a 4th award! 2022 Moonbeam Silver for pre-teen fiction (along with Readers’Favorite Gold, Mom’s Choice Gold, and Readers Choice Silver. 

Read our review in the March 2022 issue. 
 

Deirdre Fagan's Find a Place for Me won bronze in the 2022 Living Now Awards aging/death and dying category: https://livingnowawards.com/158/2022-medalists. 

Read our review in the October 2022 issue. 
 

Debra Westgate-Silva's Bethlehem Barn is a bronze medal recipient in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. 

Read our review in the November 2022 issue. 

September 2022

Tammy's Toolbox's  Dusty and Friends Coloring and Activity Book is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Awards® (MCA).

Dusty and Friends is also the proud recipient of two first-place awards in the 2022 Purple Dragonfly Children's Book Awards.

Read our review in the August 2022 issue. 

 
Will Pepper's You Will Know Vengeance is currently a nominee for Best Thriller - Outstanding Creator Awards. Previously, it won 3rd place in the Best First Chapter Contest (9 Minute Book Reviews) and was awarded Finalist in the Readers' Choice Book Awards. 

Read our review in the August 2022 issue.

August 2022

Coming Alive: A Memoir by  Anne Ierardi has been named one of two winners of the Next Generation INDIE book award.
Read our review in the May 2022 issue. 

June 2022

Long Falling Light by Mark Lehman is a "finalist" in the 2021 Indie Book Awards.
Read our review in the March 2022 issue. 

May 2022

The First Unibear by Kathleen J. Shields has won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award as well as the Red Ribbon Award from the Wishing Shelf Book Awards UK.
Read our review in the April 2022 issue. 

 April 2022

The Essence of Nathan Riddle by debut author J. William Lewis has been named among the winners of this year’s Feathered Quill Book Awards, sponsored by Feathered Quill Book Reviews, a preeminent online book review. It was awarded the Silver Medal in the Adult Fiction category of the 2022 Feathered Quill Book Awards.
Read our review in the June 2021 issue. 
 

Valentine to Faith by Victoria Foyt has won the Reader Views' Literary Awards Gold Medal in the Romance category and the Readers' Favorite Silver Medal in the Romance - Contemporary category, and is currently a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
Read our review in the March 2022 issue. 

March 2022

Pride’s Children: PURGATORY by Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt was named the 2021 Best Contemporary Book. 
Read our review in the April 2018 issue. 

Prince Ewald the Brave by Dylan Madeley received the 2021 Distinguished Favorite mention at the NYC Big Book Awards. 
Read our review in the February 2022 issue.
 

Under the Elm by Richard Flanders was a ’Finalist’’ in the memoir/autobiography category for 2021 for the American Writing Awards.
Read our review in the March 2022 issue.
 

Under the Elm by Richard Flanders was a ’Finalist’’ in the memoir/autobiography category for 2021 for the American Writing Awards.
Read our review in the March 2022 issue.
 

Bob Van Laerhoven's Alejandro's Lie was awarded Best Political Thriller of The Year in the Best Thriller Book Awards from bestthriller.com in November 2021.

Read our review in the March 2022 issue.

February 2022

Still the Night Call by Josh Senter was named "one of their BEST INDIE BOOKS of 2021” by Kirkus Reviews. 
Read our review in the January 2022 issue.

Lisa Towles' Hot House won a GOLD Literary Titan Award.
Read our review in the January 2022 issue.

War in the Mountains by Jimmy Askew received a "Starred Review" in BlueInk Reviews.  Read our review in the January 2022 issue. 

January 2022

Life Rolls Along by Linda Nielsen received the Hollywood Book Review Excellent Merit Award and a Readers Favorite 5 Star Review from Readers' Choice. 

Read our review in the December 2021 issue.
 

Ann Grayson's Gotham Kitty received the Silver Book Award in 2021 from The Literary Titan Book Awards. 

Read our review in the December 2021 issue.
 

Ian Conrey's  Haeland's Ballad received a gold medal from Literary Titan for the month of December. 

Read our review in the December 2021 issue.
 

Danielle de Valera's Those Brisbane Romantics was a runner-up in the Australian nationwide competition, The Xavier Society Literary Award, in 1967. Later drafts were shortlisted for the Varuna/Byron Bay Writers' Festival Unpublished Manuscript Award in 2011, and internationally for the University of Exeter's Impress prize in 2012. 

Read our review in the December 2021 issue.

December 2021   

Barbara King's The Apple King won the CT Author Project award for adult fiction, sponsored by the Indie Author Project.

Read our review in the May 2021 issue.

Lori Robbins' Murder in Second Position won the Next Generation Indie Award for Best Mystery, was a finalist for a Silver Falchion, and is currently on the short list for a Mystery & Mayhem Book Award.

Her previous book, Lesson Plan for Murder, won the Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery.
Read our review for
Murder in Second Position in the November 2021 issue.

Read our review of Lesson Plan for Murder in the November 2017 issue.

Nico Griffith's Pandora's Lockbox was the Creative Nonfiction Winner in TCK Publishing's Short Story Awards, 2021.

Read our review of Pandora's Lockbox in the November 2021 issue.

Leonard Krishtalka's The Camel Driver was named one of the "14 best crime, mystery and thriller books of November 2020" by Mystery Tribune magazine (November 2020 issue).

Read our review of The Camel Driver in the December 2021 issue.

His book The Body on the Bed was named as one of the "15 best crime, mystery and thriller books of September 2021" by Mystery Tribune (September, 2021 issue).

Read our review of The Body on the Bed in the September 2021 issue.


November 2021   

Kayla Lowe's OF LOVE AND DECEPTION won a Gold Award in the New Adult Fiction category of Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards.

Read our review in the October 2021 issue.

October 2021   

Irene Wittig's ALL THAT LINGERS was awarded a Silver Medal for Historical Fiction, 2021 Global Book Awards, and Honorable Mention, Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards 2021.

Read our review of All That Lingers in the September 2020 issue.

Her THE BEST THING ABOUT BENNETT was chosen as a Discovery book by Reedsy, and was given 5 star reviews by Reedsy and Readers Favorite.

Read our review of The Best Thing About Bennett in the September 2021 issue.


                                                                                                               
Loretta Goldberg's
 The Reversible Mask was a Finalist in the 2021 National Indie Excellence Book Awards and was Recommended by the US Review of Books

Read our review of The Reversible Mask in the September 2021 issue.


                                                                                                               
Charlotte Stuart's
 Shopping Can Be Deadly made the long list for the Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem contest.

Read our review of Shopping Can Be Deadly in the September 2021 issue.


                                                                                                               
September 2021  

Bill Amatneek's Heart of a Man won the BAIPA Cover Design Contest in January 2021:

https://baipa.org/bill-amatneeks-heart-of-a-man-mens-stories-for-women-win-baipa-cover-design-contest/
Read our review of Heart of a Man in the August 2021 issue.


                                                                                                                                          

Maria Ereni Dampman's The Governor's Daughter was just awarded the Literary Titan Gold Award, their highest award for excellence.

Read our review of The Governor's Daughter in the August 2021 issue.


                                                                                                               
Arthur Hoyle's Mavericks, Mystics and Misfits was a Finalist in the 2020 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Read our review of Mavericks, Mystics and Misfits in the August 2021 issue.



August 2021  

Jenny Jaeckel's Boy, Falling was a finalist in Historical Fiction in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Our review of  Boy, Falling appears in the July 2021 issue.



Judith Krischt's End of the Race was a finalist (best in category) for the Chanticleer reviews' Somerset Award for Literary/Mainstream fiction, 2020. The the Chanticleer Somerset Award results are here: https://www.chantireviews.com/2020/10/01/somerset-book-awards-for-the-best-contemporary-and-literary-novels-2019

Our review of  End of the Race appears in the July 2021 issue. 



Rain Story's Guns & God: Lines in the Sand won Finalist in the Crime Fiction genre in the National Indie Excellence Awards. Here is the link: https://www.indieexcellence.com/15th-annual-finalists

Our review of  Guns & God: Lines in the Sand appears in the July 2021 issue. 


July 2021  

Tushar Choksi's Piercing Human Experience won the 15th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA) in philosophy. Look under the philosophy section for the mention here:
15th Annual Winners | National Indie Excellence Awards | California 

Our review of Piercing Human Experience appears in the April 2021 issue. 

Sandra Montanino's The Weight of Salt has been racking up the book awards, the latest being a silver award from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. 

Read our review in the December 2020 issue! 


June 2021 

M.S.P. Williams' Listen Mama won the ReaderViews, 2021 Reviewer's Choice Silver Award as seen here:
https://readerviewsarchives.wordpress.com/2021/01/07/reviewwilliamslistenmama/  

Read our review in the May 2021 issue.

 

May 2021 

Cam Lang's The Concrete Vineyard won a gold award from Literary Titan (https://literarytitan.com/2021/04/02/literary-titan-book-awards-april-2021/). 

Read our review of her book in the April 2021 issue.

Harry Old, author of Operation Bluebird, won a Literary Titan Gold Award. 
Read our review of his book in the April 2021 issue.

April 2021

Phillip B. Chute's book Stocks, Bonds & Taxes recently won the 2021 Informational Category in Feathered Quills Book Awards https://featheredquill.com/feathered-quill-book-awards-2021-winners/and the 2020 Non-Fiction winner of N.N. Light's Book Heaven Book Award https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/2020-nnlight-book-award-winners. He also was recently added to Book Authorities list of beginner tax law books. https://bookauthority.org/books/beginner-tax-law-books

Read our review of Stocks, Bonds & Taxes in the November 2020 issue.

James Hockenberry's Send the Word won first place (for action) in the Book Excellence Awards; it is short listed in Chanticleer Book Contest (Historical Fiction, post 1750 - haven't heard further), and it won a gold in the Elite Choice Awards.

Read our review of Send the Word in the April 2021 issue.

 

March 2021

A.G. Russo's Only Our Destiny has been selected as a finalist for the New York City Book Awards.

Read our review of Only Our Destiny in the August 2020 issue.

February 2021

 Sherry V. Ostroff's Caledonia has won two awards so far: the Indie Diamond Book Award - First Place Adult Fiction and the IndieBrag Medallion Award. The book also has made it to the Long List for the Chaucer Award for pre-1750 historical hovels .

Read our review of Caledonia in the June 2019 issue.

January 2021

 Said Hasyim's  Have a Peak At This  won several awards. It was the winner of Best Book Award 2020 in Health - Alternative Medicine and the Silver award winner of Literary Titan Book Awards, 2020.

Read our review in the December 2020 issue.

December 2020

 C. G. Fewston's Little Hometown, America won several awards: it was the GOLD Winner in the 2020 Human Relations Indie Book Awards for Contemporary Realistic Fiction, and the FINALIST in the SOUTHWEST REGIONAL FICTION category of the 14th Annual National Indie Excellence 2020 Awards (NIEA)

Read our review in the November 2020 issue.

Reform the Kakistocracy by Wiliam Kovacs won the Bronze award given by the Nonfiction Book Awards given out by the Nonfiction Authors Association (https://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/reform-the-kakistocracy/).

Read our review in the November 2020 issue.


PINTO!-Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History by Margie Evans has been busy earning numerous awards:

Book Excellence Award - 1st Place

Purple Dragonfly Award - 1st Place

Chanticleer Book Awards, Gertrude Warner Middle-Grade Award - 1st Place in Category

Equus Film and Arts Festival - Winner

American Fiction Awards - Finalist

Eric Hoffer Awards - Finalist

Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Finalist

Feathered Quill Book Awards - Bronze Medal

Readers' Favorite Book Awards - Bronze Medal

Read our review in the December 2019 issue.



November 2020

Julie Gianellloni Connor's Savoring the Camino de Santiago won an eLit silver medal in the travel category. The award judges the overall excellence of the book. The cover was awarded a gold star for excellence in the July contest held by The Book Designer website.

Read our review in the November 2020 issue.

Susan Miura's Signs in the Dark won a bronze medal in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Readers' Favorite 2020 awards

Read our review in the November 2020 issue.

Khawaja Azimuddin M.D. earned two acclaims for his book The Boy Refugee:

Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Carrasco-A-tale-of-resilience-on-World-Refugee-15353532.php

The Asia Society: https://asiasociety.org/texas/houston-author-spotlight-dr-khawaja-azimuddin

Read our review in the November 2020 issue.

October 2020

Mary Choy and Michele Kaufman's Healthcare Heroes: The Medical Careers Guide won a Silver Medal in the 2020 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards in the Non-Fiction: Occupational category: https://readersfavorite.com/2020-award-contest-winners.htm#healthcare-heroes  

It was also named a 2020 International Book Awards Finalist in the categories of Young Adult: Nonfiction and Business: Careers: http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2020awardannouncement.html  

 Read our review in the September 2019 issue:  Healthcare Heroes .


Irene Wittig's
All That Lingers was chosen as one of the Best Indie Books of September by Kirkus. They awarded her a Starred Review as well:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-lists/best-indie-books-september/#all-that-lingers

 Read our review in the September 2019 issue:  All That Lingers .


September 2020

Michael Polelle's The Mithras Conspiracy, was moved up from semi-finalist to the finalist category in the mystery genre of the Royal Palm Literary Award Competition sponsored by the Florida Writers Association.

 Read our review in the December 2019 issue: The Mithras Conspiracy

 Tim Pelkey's The Ottoman Excursion was named a finalist for this year's NIEA (medical thriller category).  

 Read our review in the September 2020 issue.

 Selina Co's I'm a Romance Scam IT Detective has became an Award-winning Finalist in in the True Crime: Non-Fiction category of the 2020 International Book Awards”:

http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2020awardannouncement.html

 Read our review in the December 2019 issue.

 

 August 2020 

Heather Siegel's The King & The Quirky won first place in the Women’s Issue category of The Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

  Read our review in the July 2020 issue:
 The King & The Quirky 

 

July 2020

 
A A Freda's Sam and James: A Test of Will was named best thriller of 2020 by Pacific Book Review.
 Read our review in the February 2020 issue:
Sam and James: A Test of Will  

June 2020

Linda Naseem's Eden was a Gold Winner in the 2018 Human Relations Indie Book Awards in the category "Historical Realistic Fiction." It was also a 2018 Finalist in the Drunken Druid Book Awards.

Read our review in the May 2020 issue.

M.J. Polelle's The Mithras Conspiracy won a 2020 Eric Hoffer Book Award Gold Seal for Category Finalist.

Read our review in the December 2019 issue.


Geraldine Brown Giomblanco's memoir Geraldina & the Compass Rose has earned a number of awards this spring:

2020 Winner - Romance  - Eric Hoffer Awards
2020 Winner - First Horizon  - Eric Hoffer Awards
2020 Finalist - Inspirational -   Next Generation Indie Awards 
2020 Finalist - Relationships - Next Generation Indie Awards
2020 Finalist - Romance - Next Generation Indie Awards
2020 Grand Prize Short List - Eric Hoffer Book Awards

Read our review in the December 2019 issue.

May 2020

Cynthia Greenwood's Deciphering Shakespeare's Plays won a first prize (Gold) award for Reference last June, from Foreword INDIE book reviews:

https://cynthiagreenwood.com/deciphering-shakespeares-plays-receives-the-foreword-indies-top-prize-for-reference-nonfiction-in-annual-book-of-the-year-awards/

Read our review in the April 2020 issue.


 

February 2020

Nancy Cohen's Writing the Cozy Mystery: Expanded Second Edition has earned the following awards:

Gold Award Winner in the Royal Palm Literary Awards
Gold Medal Winner in the President's Book Awards
First Place Winner in
TopShelf Magazine Book Awards
Agatha Awards Finalist
Finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards
Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore Bestseller List

Website: https://nancyjcohen.com/writing-the-cozy-mystery-expanded-second-edition/

Read our review in the October 2018 issue.

***

Keith Steinbaum's You Say Goodbye has enjoyed the following accolades and awards:
FINALIST in the international Book Excellence Awards competition 

 2020 TopShelf Book Awards nominee
HONORABLE MENTION (top 8 placing among hundreds of entrants in the mystery category) - for the international Readers Favorite competition
Top 5 star review - Readers Favorite
Top 4 star review - OnlineBookClub.org
Read our review in the January 2020 issue.

* * *

Yancey Williams's The Resurrection of Jesus has been chosen by The Book Bag, UK as one of their top ten published authors:
Top Ten Self-Published Books of 2019

http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Top_Ten_Self-Published_Books_2019


July 2019

Andy Wolfendons FISHERMANS COURT won first place in the 2018 Novel Opening
Chapter & Synopsis Competition, an international contest run out of the UK by
Flash500. It was also an Editor’s Choice from Best Thrillers and Indie Reader and a
winner of a 5-star silver seal from Readers’ Favorite.
 
Read our review in the August 2019 issue.

Linda Yoshida's HIGH FLYING won First Place for Suspense in the 2019 Independent Press Award. 

Read our review in the July 2019 issue.

June 2019

Alan Kessler's The Butcher has received some award recognition: a semi-finalist in the 2018 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Montaigne medal given to the most thought provoking book.

Read our review in the May 2019 issue.

August 2018

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher always loved New York. Last week, at the Awards Ceremony for the New York Book Festival, New York showed that it loves Debbie and Carrie, too.  BEST BIOGRAPHY New York Book Festival, 2018.

Read our review in the June 2018 issue, of Danford Prince and Darwin Porter's Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds.

July 2018

 Serial K Returns by Brian Gallagher won the Gold Medal Winner of 2017  - the only gold medal in the category; and was proclaimed the Thriller of the Year in the thriller-mystery-murder category.

  Read our review of Serial K Returns in the June 2017 issue, here: Serial K Returns 

 March 2018

All three Coin of Rulve books by Veronica Dale (Blood Seed, Dark Twin, and Time Candle) won the five-star silver seal from Readers' Favorite Book Review.

 Read our review of Blood Seed in the February 2016 issue, here: Blood Seed: Coin of Rulve Book One  

Read our review of Dark Twin in the January 2017 issue, here Dark Twin 

 Read our review of Time Candle in the February 2018 issue, here Time Candle 


February 2018

Rose Stiffin's third novel, Groovin on the Half Shell, got HM in London International Book Festival. 

 Read our review of her book in the November 2017 issue, here: Groovin' on the Half Shell 


Margie Kaptanoglu's Dreadmarrow Thief was a Novel-in-Progress Semi-finalist for the 2017 William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competitionl. 

 Read our review of her book in the January 2018 issue, here: Dreadmarrow Thief 


Miantae Metcalf McConnell's Deliverance Mary Fields was featured as one of the Best New Books 2018 in O, The Oprah Magazine (http://www.oprah.com/book/best-new-books-january-2018-deliverance-mary-fields#ixzz54PHfaSjV). 

 Read our review of her book in the December 2016 issue, here: 

Deliverance Mary Fields, First African American Woman Star Route Mail Carrier in the United States: A Montana History  

THE NEW HUMANS, by futurist-visionary Charol Messenger, was the winner in the "Spiritual Awakening of Humanity" category of the 2017 Soul-Bridge Body-Mind-Spirit Book Awards of Europe.

Read our review of Charol's book, here: THE NEW HUMANS: Second Genesis 

January 2018

Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince's book Rock Hudson Erotic Fire was designated, in November 2017, as BEST BIOGRAPHY from the 2017  Northern California Book Festival, and BEST BIOGRAPHY from the 2017 Southern California Book Festival. 

 Read our review of their book in the January 2018 issue.

December 2017

Charol Messenger's book THE NEW HUMANS: Second Genesis (Book 2 "The New Humanity" Series) won second place (the sole finalist) in the in the "body mind spirit," category of Book Excellence Awards in October, 2017. In 2016 her series also won international acclaim: First Place Winner - YOU 2.0 in personal growth and self-development, Second Place - Humanity 2.0 in spirituality (Book 1 "The New Humanity" Series, fourth award), and Second Place - The Power of Courage: My Story of Abuse in new nonfiction.

Read our reviews of her books:

The Power of Courage: An Uplifting Saga of Moving Beyond Abuse 

Humanity 2.0: The Transcension

September 2017

Christina M. Pages has won the prestigious Eloquent Quill Award and the Gold Award from Children's Literary Classics for her children's novel Lucy in her Secret Wood.

Read the review of Lucy in her Secret Wood in our August 2017 issue, here:

Lucy in Her Secret Wood 

John Arvai Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure has won two honors: it was the Silver Medal Winner, Readers' Favorite International Book Contest, 2017 and also won the NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, 2017. It's really racking up the awards and mentions, winning the Grand Prize at the Holiday Book Festival, 2017; the National Indie Excellence Awards, 2017; Honorable Mentions as Foreword's INDIES Book Of The Year, 2016, at the Los Angeles Book Festival, 2017 and again at the Hollywood Book Festival, 2017; and enjoying 5 Stars as a Readers' Favorite, 2016.

Read the review of Off the Hook in our September 2017 issue, here:

Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure


August 2017

Two books written by Danforth Prince and Darwin Porter have each won first place book awards. Lana Turner: Hearts and Diamonds Take All has won the Best Biography at the Beach Book festival, and in June of 2017, the judges at the San Francisco Book Festival honored Blood Moon’s overview of Lana Turner with the award of Best Biography, as well. Donald Trump: The Man Who Would Be King won Best Biography at the New York Book Festival. Previous honors bestowed in this book include wins from the both the Florida and California Book Festivals, each of which designated this as their respective “Best Biography of the Year.

Read the review of Donald Trump in our October 2016 issue, here:

Biography & Autobiography

Read the review of Lana Turner in our Biography section in the June 2017 issue here:

Biography & AutoBiography


Understanding the Alacran  By Jonathan LaPoma is a finalist in the 2017 Florida Authors and Publishers Association President's Awards (contemporary/literary category).

Read the review of Dunderstanding the Alacran here:

Understanding the Alacrán 


Bette Lee Crosby's book Silver Threads won the 2017 Indie Reader Next Generation Discovery Gold Medal for Chick Lit and also won the 2017 International Book Award for Women's Fiction/Chick Lit.

Read the review of Silver Threads here:

Silver Threads 


July 2017

Kathleen Dooler's book THE HOOK: Surfing to Survive a Shattered Family, Drugs, Gangs and the FBI is a finalist for the action-adventure category of the 11th annual National Indie Excellence Awards:

https://www.indieexcellence.com/11th-annual-finalists

Read the review of Doler's book, here:
THE HOOK: Surfing to Survive a Shattered Family, Drugs, Gangs and the FBI 


Miantae Metcalf McConnell's Deliverance Mary Fields, First African American Woman Star Route Mail Carrier in the United States: A Montana History is a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, in the U.K.; the Adult Nonfiction Category:

https://www.thewsa.co.uk/finalists2016/

Read the review of McConnell's book, here:

Deliverance Mary Fields, First African American Woman Star Route Mail Carrier in the United States: A Montana History 

June 2017

Write to Influence! By Carla D. Bass has been recognized as a Finalist (Career category) in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

http://www.indiebookawards.com/

Read the review of Carla D. Bass's book, here:

Write to Influence! 


May 2017

The Miller Family's book Soldier's Stories: A Collection of WWII Memoirs received the 2017 Ella Dickey Literacy Award.

The Ella Dickey Literacy Award is presented annually in honor of Marshfield’s first librarian, Ella Dickey. Dickey served in this capacity for over 50 years. The award honors national authors who have contributed to the preservation of history and was first presented in 2002 by the Webster County Literacy Council.

http://www.cherryblossomfest.com/WordPress/?page_id=310

Read the review of The Miller Family's book, here:

Soldier's Stories: A Collection of WWII Memoirs 


Mary Ann Cherry's book Death on won finalist status in the international Reader’s Favorite Book contest in the Mystery-Sleuth category 2016, and it won third place in the “Great Beginnings” competition of the Romance Writer’s of America competition (Utah Chapter) when it was just a few pages long.

Read the review of Death on Canvas, here:

Death on Canvas 


January 2017

Rene Pineda's book THE ILLITERATE INVESTOR received the Canada Book Award 2016. The Canada Book Awards program recognizes and promotes Canadian author outstanding accomplishment. The Canada Book Awards is an ongoing book assessment program that honours Canadian authors regardless of when their books and/or eBooks were published.

 https://canadabookaward.com/

 Read the review of Rene Pineda's book, here: The Illiterate Investor 

November 2016 

 1.  Charol Messenger's books YOU 2.0, THE POWER OF COURAGE, and HUMANITY 2.0 have each received Book Excellence Awards. You 2.0: Higher Self Consciousness (Living Your Infinite Self) is a global winner in the category Personal Growth (one winner, one finalist, per category); The Power of Courage: An Uplifting Saga of Moving Beyond Abuse is the one finalist (i.e., 2nd place), globally, in the category 'New Nonfiction'; and Humanity 2.0: The New Humanity (expanded edition: The Transcension) is the one finalist" (i.e., 2nd place) in the category Spirituality.

https://www.bookexcellenceawardwinners.com

https://bookexcellenceawardfinalists.com/

Read the review of Charol Messenger's book, here: The Power of Courage: An Uplifting Saga of Moving Beyond Abuse 

 Read the review of Charol Messenger's book, here: Humanity 2.0: The Transcension

 
2.  Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince's Donald Trump: The Man Who Would Be King,  was the runner up in the Southern California Book Festival's 'Biography/Autobiography' contest.

www.southerncaliforniabookfestival.com /

 Read the review of Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince's book, here (in the Biography/Autobiography section - scroll down): Biography & Autobiography

September 2016 

 

1.  Andrew Diamond’s IMPALA has been named by Amazon as one of the top 10 mystery/thrillers of Sept, 2016:
                amzn.to/2bM4w10 

 Read the review of Andrew Diamond’s book, here: Impala

 

  1. Nina Norstroms NOT A BLUEPRINT has beenhonored as an “Award-Winning Finalist” in the Self-Improvement: Relationships category of the 2016 Bookvana Awards, from a field of hundreds of authors and publishers.:

http://www.bookvana.com/2016awardannouncement.html

 Read the review of Nina Nordstrom’s book, here: Not a Blueprint / It's the Shoe Prints that Matter 

June 2016 

Kenneth Eade's KILLER.COM has won "best legal thriller" in the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Awards: 

http://www.beverlyhillsbookawards.com/4th-BHBA-Winners-and-Finalists.htm

May 2016

 

1.  Neil Hansons  PILGRIM WHEELS has won five awards:

·         FIRST PLACE – Independent Publisher Living Now Book Awards

·         WINNER – National Indie Excellence Book Awards

·         SILVER HONOREE – Benjamin Franklin Digital Award

·         SECOND PLACE – Great Southwest Book Festival

·         SECOND PLACE – CIPA EVVY Awards

 Read the review of Neil Hanson's book, here: Pilgrim Wheels 

       

January 2016

1.  Michael Bowler’s  WARRIOR KIDS has won two awards:
http://www.londonbookfestival.com/

http://www.newenglandbookfestival.com/winners2015.html

 Read the review of Michael Bowler’s book, here: 

Warrior Kids

November  2015
 

1.  Jonathan LaPoma’s Developing Minds is a first place winner in the 2015 Stargazer Literary Prizes in the Visionary and Metaphysical Fiction category: 

http://blog.stargazerliteraryprizes.com//  

Read the review of Jonathan LaPoma’s book, here: 

Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story

 

2. Janet Shawgo's Find Me Again won three awards at the Chanticleer Book Awards in Bellingham WA. First place Mystery/Mayhem Romance, First place Chatelaine Romance blended genre and Grand Prize winner Chatelaine Category for Romance. 

Links: 

http://www.chantireviews.com/ 

http://www.internationalbookawards.com/ 

https://readersfavorite.com/ 

http://www.indiebookawards.com/ 

Read the review of Janet Shawgo's book, here:  

Find Me Again


October 2015

 1.  Jonathan LaPoma’s Developing Minds is a finalist in the 2015 Stargazer Literary Prizes in the Visionary and Metaphysical Fiction category:

 http://blog.stargazerliteraryprizes.com/2015/06/07/finalist-winner-developing-minds-an-american-ghost-story/ 

Read the review of Jonathan LaPoma’s book, here: Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story 

 

2.  Lynn Dempsey’s Colors! Take the Dog Out and Numbers! Take the Dog Out won Honorable Mention in the Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: 

 https://readersfavorite.com/2015-award-contest-winners.htm 

 Numbers! was also a Finalist in the 2015 International Book Awards: 

http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2015awardannouncement.html 


Read the reviews of Lynn Dempsey’s books here:
Colors! Take the Dog Out!   Numbers! Take the Dog Out 

 

3. Two of Vadim Babenko’s books won the Indie Excellence Awards this year: Semmant got the Science Fiction award, and A Simple Soul received the most prestigious Fiction-General award: 

http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2015-winners.htm 

Read the review of Vadim Babenko’s book here: Semmant

4. Kerry Dunnington’s Tasting the Seasons won several awards: 

The Benjamin Franklin award - best new redesign
The Eric Hoffer award - finalist in the general cookbook category
The National Indie book award - winner in the general cookbook category
The Green Book Festival award - honoring books that contribute to greater understanding, respect for and positive action on changing worldwide environment. 

Read the review of Kerry Dunnington’s book Tasting the Seasons on our Culinary Reviews page, second down:
http://donovansliteraryservices.com/september-2015-ipp.html#ccc
 

5. Jeanne A. Jackson and photographer Craig Tooley’s Mendonoma: Sightings Throughout the Year has also won numerous awards: 

Indie Excellence Gold Award: http://indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2015-winners.htm#78 

Benjamin Franklin Silver Award: http://www.ibpa-online.org/ibpa-benjamin-franklin-awards-2015-finalists/#nature 

Independent Publishers Bronze Award: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1937 

Read the review, here:  Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year 

6. High on Low: Harnessing the Power of Unhappiness by Wilhelm Schmid has also won two awards: the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Award for Self Help and the 2015 Living Now Book Award for Personal Growth: 

2015 Living Now Book Award for Personal Growth 

Read the review, here:  High on Low: Harnessing the Power of Unhappiness 


September 2015

 

         1.  Chris Madsen’s Rowdy has won several awards!:

            Non Fiction Book Awards - Gold Medal Award Winner   4/15/2015

              http://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/book-award-winner-rowdy/

 
              IndieReader Discovery - Award Winner Biography  5/6/2015

              http://indiereader.com/irda/?irda_winners=rowdy

 
               Clemens Medal Recipient, from Association of Independent Authors                      8/11/2015

                https://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-of-Independent-Authors/


                 International Book Awards - Biography, Award Winning Finalist   5/21/2015

                   http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2015awardannouncement.html

 
                    Next Generation Indie Book Awards - Biography, Award Winning Finalist  5/7/2015

                   http://www.indiebookawards.com/2015_winners_and_finalists.php

 
                    San Francisco Book Festival - Biography, Award Winning Honorable Mention  5/13/2015

                    http://sanfranciscobookfestival.com/winners_2015.htm

                     New York Book Festival – Biography, Award Winning Honorable Mention  6/10/2015

                    http://newyorkbookfest.brinkster.net/portal/content.asp?ContentID=795

                     Read the review of Chris Madsen’s book, here:  Rowdy 

 

2. Michelle B. Assor’s SNAYGILL: Slithery Temptations is a finalist in the category of Juvenile Fiction in the 9th Annual 2015 National Indie Excellence® Awards !: http://www.indieexcellence.com/

        Read the review of Michelle Assor’s book, here:  Snaygill: Slithery Temptations


August 2015

         1. Karen Solomon’s Hearts Beneath the Badge has won several awards!:

2015 Non-Fiction Book of the Year - National Indie Excellence Awards
http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2015-winners.htm

2015 Third Place Non-Fiction Book of the Year - American Public Safety Writers:

http://policewriter.com/wordpress/writing-competition-results-archive/

Read the review of Karen Solomon’s book, here:  Hearts Beneath the Badge

2. William Peake’s The Oblate’s Confession has won four national awards!:

A silver award in the Benjamin Franklin Awards for "Best New Voice: Fiction

A National Indie Excellence Award in the category "Religion: Fiction

A second place finish (Catholic Novel category)

And a third place (First Time Author of a Book category) in the Catholic Press Association's Book Awards

 Read the review of William Peake’s book, here:  The Oblate's Confession

 

3.    William Andrews’ Daughters Of The Dragon - A Comfort Woman's Story was atop Amazon's bestseller list for historical fiction/Japan for many weeks. Over 50k sold and still selling.

Read all about his award, here:  http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2015-winners.htm The category is historical fiction.

             Read the review of William Andrews’ book, here: Daughters Of The Dragon  


July 2015

 1.    C. Behrens’ children’s story “Savanna’s Treasure” has won a B.R.A.G. Medallion® award! This Book Readers Appreciation Group Award is designed for new and self-published authors, to identify superior works. Some 50% of the books submitted fail to pass the initial screen and another 40% are subsequently rejected by the B.R.A.G. readers. Thus, only 10% of the books we consider are awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion and are presented on their website as recommendations, making this a high honor indeed!

 Read all about the award, here: http://www.bragmedallion.com/about

 Read the review of C. Behrens’ book here: Savanna's Treasure

 
2.   
Katy Pye’s young adult saga “Elizabeth’s Landing” is a multiple award-winning story, with numerous awards to its name!

 Read all about the awards, here:

 http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/2014_SILVER_Winners.html

 Mom's Choice Awards: Gold-Young Adult Fiction

 Indie Book Awards: 2014 Category Winner-Children's/Juvenile Fiction

 Writer's Digest Self-Published e-Book Awards: 2013 First in Fiction

 Read the review of Katy Pye’s book here: Elizabeth's Landing 

 

3.    Randall Reneau’s Legend of War Creek snagged an Honorable Mention at the Hollywood Book Festival!

 Read all about it, here: http://www.hollywoodbookfestival.com/winners2015.htm  

 Watch for our review of his book in August’s issue!

 4.    “Love Triangle”, Blood Moon Productions’ overview of the early dramas associated with Ronald Reagan’s scandal-soaked career in Hollywood, has been designated by the Awards Committee of this year’s Hollywood Book Festival as Runner-Up to Best Biography of the Year.

 Read all about the award and its winners, here:  http://www.hollywoodbookfestival.com/winners2015.htm

 Read the review of Darwin Porter and Danford Prince’s title here: Love Triangle 


June 2015

 1. Anthony Elgin’s new book "The Alcatraz Rose" has been chosen as the winner in the 2015 "International Book Awards" in the Fiction, Mystery/Suspense category. This year’s awards program brought in over 1200 entries from 15 countries, the largest ever since the awards program’s inception, in 2009. In addition, the book was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards and got an Honorable Mention in the Paris Book Festival.

Read all about the award, here:    http://www.internationalbookawards.com/ 

Read the review of Anthony Elgin’s book here:    The Alcatraz Rose

 
 May 2015

 John Anthony Brennans' new book "Don't Die With Regrets" has been chosen as the winner in the 2015 "Next Generation Indie Book Awards" Memoir section. An award ceremony and presentation will be held at the Harvard Club in Manhattan on Wednesday,  May 27, 2015.

 Read all about the award, here:    www.IndieBookAwards.com

 Read the review of John Anthony Brennan’s book here:    Don't Die with Regrets