150 Award Genres
Children
- Children - Action
- Children - Adventure
- Children - Animals
- Children - Audiobook
- Children - Christian
- Children - Coming of Age
- Children - Concept
- Children - Educational
- Children - Fable
- Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Children - General
- Children - Grade 4th-6th
- Children - Grade K-3rd
- Children - Mystery
- Children - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Children - Non-Fiction
- Children - Picture Book
- Children - Preschool
- Children - Preteen
- Children - Religious Theme
- Children - Social Issues
Christian
- Christian - Amish
- Christian - Biblical Counseling
- Christian - Devotion/Study
- Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Christian - Fiction
- Christian - General
- Christian - Historical Fiction
- Christian - Living
- Christian - Non-Fiction
- Christian - Romance - Contemporary
- Christian - Romance - General
- Christian - Romance - Historical
- Christian - Thriller
Fiction
- Fiction - Action
- Fiction - Adventure
- Fiction - Animals
- Fiction - Anthology
- Fiction - Audiobook
- Fiction - Chick Lit
- Fiction - Crime
- Fiction - Cultural
- Fiction - Drama
- Fiction - Dystopia
- Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
- Fiction - Fantasy - General
- Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
- Fiction - General
- Fiction - Graphic Novel/Comic
- Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
- Fiction - Historical - Personage
- Fiction - Holiday
- Fiction - Horror
- Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Fiction - Inspirational
- Fiction - Intrigue
- Fiction - LGBTQ
- Fiction - Literary
- Fiction - Magic/Wizardry
- Fiction - Military
- Fiction - Mystery - General
- Fiction - Mystery - Historical
- Fiction - Mystery - Legal
- Fiction - Mystery - Murder
- Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
- Fiction - Mythology
- Fiction - New Adult
- Fiction - Paranormal
- Fiction - Realistic
- Fiction - Religious Theme
- Fiction - Science Fiction
- Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Fiction - Social Issues
- Fiction - Southern
- Fiction - Sports
- Fiction - Supernatural
- Fiction - Suspense
- Fiction - Tall Tale
- Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
- Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
- Fiction - Thriller - Espionage
- Fiction - Thriller - General
- Fiction - Thriller - Legal
- Fiction - Thriller - Medical
- Fiction - Thriller - Political
- Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
- Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
- Fiction - Time Travel
- Fiction - Urban
- Fiction - Visionary
- Fiction - Western
- Fiction - Womens
Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction - Adventure
- Non-Fiction - Animals
- Non-Fiction - Anthology
- Non-Fiction - Art/Photography
- Non-Fiction - Audiobook
- Non-Fiction - Autobiography
- Non-Fiction - Biography
- Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
- Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
- Non-Fiction - Cultural
- Non-Fiction - Drama
- Non-Fiction - Education
- Non-Fiction - Environment
- Non-Fiction - Genealogy
- Non-Fiction - General
- Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics
- Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
- Non-Fiction - Health - Fitness
- Non-Fiction - Health - Medical
- Non-Fiction - Historical
- Non-Fiction - Hobby
- Non-Fiction - Home/Crafts
- Non-Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Non-Fiction - Inspirational
- Non-Fiction - LGBTQ
- Non-Fiction - Marketing
- Non-Fiction - Memoir
- Non-Fiction - Military
- Non-Fiction - Motivational
- Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
- Non-Fiction - New Age
- Non-Fiction - Occupational
- Non-Fiction - Parenting
- Non-Fiction - Relationships
- Non-Fiction - Religion/Philosophy
- Non-Fiction - Retirement
- Non-Fiction - Self Help
- Non-Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Non-Fiction - Social Issues
- Non-Fiction - Spiritual/Supernatural
- Non-Fiction - Sports
- Non-Fiction - Travel
- Non-Fiction - True Crime
- Non-Fiction - Womens
- Non-Fiction - Writing/Publishing
Poetry
Romance
Young Adult
- Young Adult - Action
- Young Adult - Adventure
- Young Adult - Coming of Age
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- Young Adult - Fantasy - General
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
- Young Adult - General
- Young Adult - Horror
- Young Adult - Mystery
- Young Adult - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Young Adult - Non-Fiction
- Young Adult - Paranormal
- Young Adult - Religious Theme
- Young Adult - Romance
- Young Adult - Sci-Fi
- Young Adult - Social Issues
- Young Adult - Thriller
Illustration Award
Recommend this book:
Looming Dragon
The DiujPa Series
B.K. Amodio

2013 Gold Medal
478 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Looming Dragon (The DiujPa Series) by B.K. Amodio is part of the DiujPa novel series. The main character, Cayce Taylor, is a sensitive and intelligent teenage boy living in New Mexico. His mother mysteriously died from a coma and his father is an alcoholic. But this adversity belies his fate. Chief Mar, a revered elder of the Annanuki tribe, explains that he has been protected his whole life. He is the chosen one who will be given a gift from the MOTHER and a burden. Soon, he will replace Chief Mar, the DiujPa. He will become a priest forever. But only if Taylor survives an evil plan of destruction as orchestrated by Adsu Gulden, the former god turned mere mortal who wants nothing more than to kill Taylor and assume his rulership of the new world.
Looming Dragon had Christian-like underpinnings, especially regarding the depiction of Melchizedek, the priest, e.g. YAHWEH, “his deeds were told for generations” and the disposal of all the newborns by the king. B.K. Amodio is an imaginative writer who draws his readers with common and esoteric concepts. His signature style continued -- mythical elements, complex characters and the overarching theme of good versus evil. Amodio enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1990. He received several prestigious awards including two Humanitarian Service Medals. He has a degree in information technology. He has written Coming Savior, Looming Dragon (Volume 1) published in 2012 and a subsequent release of the same title in 2013. Looming Dragon is highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Roan
The Tales of Conor Archer, Vol. I
E. R. Barr

2013 Silver Medal
571 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Conor Archer's life in Chicago has been a simple one. He has been home-schooled by his mother, Finola, and he spends his evenings playing music at a local pub. All that changes one night when he meets a strange, leather-clad man at that pub who gives him a strange liquor to drink and then savagely bites his hand, and later encounters a strangely beautiful woman who binds that wound with a cloth and pin. All the weirdness of these events is compounded by the death of his mother, who had been ill for some time. Her final instructions are for him to travel to a small town, Tinker's Grove, in Wisconsin, where his aunt Emily would care for him and continue his education. As he is travelling on the bus, his wounded hand festers, and he arrives at his destination more dead than alive.
"Roan" is not a book you should consider spending a long evening reading. It is not a fast and easy read, quickly absorbed and then forgotten. E.R. Barr's urban-epic fantasy is much more than that, and it should be savored. I quickly found myself enthralled by the characters and the plot, and became reluctant to hasten my adventure through this book. It is an amazing mix of urban and epic fantasy, shot through with Native American, Irish and Welsh mythology, people with characters who are both filled with human frailties and are larger-than-life. If you are like me and have become somewhat jaded by epic fantasy, you are in for an awesome treat. This is the real deal.
Recommend this book:
Keeper of Reign
A Young Adult Adventure Fantasy, Book 1
Emma Right

2013 Finalist
356 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Sixteen-year-old Jules Blaze belongs to a race called the Elfies – a mix of Elves and Fairies – who live in the cursed kingdom of Reign. The curse has shrunk the people in size, leaving them to live in trees or under rocks. The evil lord of the neighboring tribe in Euruliaf, Gehzurolle, eventually begins to zero in on Jules’ family, and when the family members disappear one by one, Jules must keep his remaining younger siblings safe. Jules travels to the enemy’s land called Handover to search for the ancient Books that were written in blood by the King many centuries before to look for answers. Will Jules find the truth he seeks to save his family, and in turn, his people?
Readers twelve years old and up will absolutely enjoy this amusing and fascinating tale of courage. From one adventure to another, they will surely be enthralled at how well the main protagonist, Jules, develops as a character. The youngster faces challenges one never thought he would, given his tender age. And one cannot help but hope that he will come out of these challenges with flying colors. The other protagonists are easily likeable with their courage too. This is an exciting read with the events happening fast-paced and the story action-packed. The book leaves you hankering for more but not to worry, there still may be a sequel coming from this fantastic author. This is a book that can appeal to both kids and adults alike because there is absolutely no shortage of imagination in author Emma Right.
Recommend this book:
Giants in the Land
Book One: The Way of Things
Clark Burbidge

2013 Finalist
144 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"Giants in the Land" by Clark Burbidge is the first of a proposed series. There is a small village in which giants have always been available to protect the people as well as help them to sustain a working community. The giants are revered but also, taken for granted. One day, they simply disappear from the village without so much as a word. The town council meets and all agree that someone must search for and bring back the giants. But there are no volunteers until Thomas finally speaks up. He is then sent on his way across a vast, unknown expanse in search of the giants. Thomas's journey is fraught with environmental and living threats. He has doubts about his own abilities but at the time of his greatest need, he receives help. He finally meets a giant who has problems of his own and Thomas realizes that his own journey is far more serious than for simply convincing the giants to return to the village.
This book is well-written and developed so that children and adults will both relate to the multiple messages. The author skillfully explains how one's small choices and acts eventually combine and determine the character of each and every individual. Teachings are not thrust at the reader; rather they are presented and acted through so that learning naturally occurs. And the end result becomes the journey itself rather than the end of the journey.
Recommend this book:
The Chest of Visions
Secrets of Caperston
Tim Ferguson

2013 Bronze Medal
120 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"The Chest of Visions: Secrets of Caperston" by Tim Ferguson is the story of Caperston as told by Mattpaul. Caperston is a planet much smaller than our own and its sun is much smaller than ours. Time is measured by generations that pass rather than years. Their ability to communicate with us is due to Strings technology. Ferguson has chosen the perfect format for this tale. The text reads much like email messages. Each one is dated. On May 2, Mattpaul shares information about Chihaysu. The man told the people about God who oversees the world, treats everyone equally and hears when people pray to him. Chihaysu also told the people stories like the one about a man who needed help, but many people would not stop. Rumors were circulating that Chihaysu prayed for a little girl and she was healed. I found it heartwarming that as Mattpaul shared information about Chihaysu, the Earthlings reading Tim’s blog began to ask questions. Those familiar with scripture and with the life of Jesus Christ will quickly see the parallel between Jesus and Chihaysu.
I find the plot of this book very realistic, for God is bigger than my imagination and who am I to say he did not place life on other planets? Ferguson deftly demonstrates how one person can share the word of God with another and it spreads like dandelions. One seed creates a plant with a thousand seeds and each seed creates another plant with another thousand seeds. This story was written for young adults; however, I enjoyed it very much. Tim Ferguson is very creative and has found a wonderful way to reach youth. Appendix I explains String Theory. Appendix II shares the options for using this book with a youth group and Appendix III shares 8 lessons that correspond with the chapters. I can easily see this book as Sunday School literature or Youth Group literature. Mattpaul has written it in a simple easy to read and understand easily. Ferguson’s light shines in this book. I look forward to more books by Tim Ferguson.
Recommend this book:
Seeking Adam
Book 1 of the Galactic Redemption Series (Volume 1)
Pete Koziar

2013 Honorable Mention
214 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"Seeking Adam" is a book about a family that has moved from the fast paced city with their son to get away from their equally fast paced jobs. He is a police officer sending criminals to jail and she is a nurse practitioner patching up the victims of shootings and other forms of violence. The criminals he sent to jail are committing. They move to rural Pennsylvania and live there three years in peace, he, the chief of police and she, the town's “doctor”. One night, while they were sitting in their living room, their dog breaks out into a fit of wild barking, absolutely going crazy. Bob gets a shotgun and goes outside, turning on the floodlight, and comes face to face with a four-foot tall furry ferret-looking creature with moveable ears and two noses, obviously nothing of this world. He is shocked into silence and then shocked into sitting down when the “alien” speaks to him in English. She says her name is Twilla. She tells him that she is from D’linwaa, and that she is here to tell them of her God. She was on a mission with several others from her world to find the sons of Adam and Eve when her “craft” was spotted by a Norgratz patrol ship and in the ensuing panic she was accidentally left behind. The story tells how a few humans come together to help her get home and eventually help her fulfill her mission to indeed find the sons of Adam and Eve, while at the same time, bringing along the understanding that their God is also our God.
WOW! I am a Christian, and hard-pressed to believe in aliens; however, this book, I believe, is really just about how anyone can come to Christ. It grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go until the end. I was actually very sad for the story to end. I believe that this book is a “today’s” guide to understand that we all are the same, all forgivable, and all able to be saved. Kudos to the author, Pete Koziar. I was delighted with his book and will look for him on the shelf in the future! Cheers!
Recommend this book:
The Chest of Visions
Secrets of Caperston
Tim Ferguson

2012 Honorable Mention
120 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"The Chest of Visions: Secrets of Caperston" by Tim Ferguson is the story of Caperston as told by Mattpaul. Caperston is a planet much smaller than our own and its sun is much smaller than ours. Time is measured by generations that pass rather than years. Their ability to communicate with us is due to Strings technology. Ferguson has chosen the perfect format for this tale. The text reads much like email messages. Each one is dated. On May 2, Mattpaul shares information about Chihaysu. The man told the people about God who oversees the world, treats everyone equally and hears when people pray to him. Chihaysu also told the people stories like the one about a man who needed help, but many people would not stop. Rumors were circulating that Chihaysu prayed for a little girl and she was healed. I found it heartwarming that as Mattpaul shared information about Chihaysu, the Earthlings reading Tim’s blog began to ask questions. Those familiar with scripture and with the life of Jesus Christ will quickly see the parallel between Jesus and Chihaysu.
I find the plot of this book very realistic, for God is bigger than my imagination and who am I to say he did not place life on other planets? Ferguson deftly demonstrates how one person can share the word of God with another and it spreads like dandelions. One seed creates a plant with a thousand seeds and each seed creates another plant with another thousand seeds. This story was written for young adults; however, I enjoyed it very much. Tim Ferguson is very creative and has found a wonderful way to reach youth. Appendix I explains String Theory. Appendix II shares the options for using this book with a youth group and Appendix III shares 8 lessons that correspond with the chapters. I can easily see this book as Sunday School literature or Youth Group literature. Mattpaul has written it in a simple easy to read and understand easily. Ferguson’s light shines in this book. I look forward to more books by Tim Ferguson.
Recommend this book:
Seeking Adam
Book 1 of the Galactic Redemption Series (Volume 1)
Pete Koziar

2012 Finalist
214 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"Seeking Adam" is a book about a family that has moved from the fast paced city with their son to get away from their equally fast paced jobs. He is a police officer sending criminals to jail and she is a nurse practitioner patching up the victims of shootings and other forms of violence. The criminals he sent to jail are committing. They move to rural Pennsylvania and live there three years in peace, he, the chief of police and she, the town's “doctor”. One night, while they were sitting in their living room, their dog breaks out into a fit of wild barking, absolutely going crazy. Bob gets a shotgun and goes outside, turning on the floodlight, and comes face to face with a four-foot tall furry ferret-looking creature with moveable ears and two noses, obviously nothing of this world. He is shocked into silence and then shocked into sitting down when the “alien” speaks to him in English. She says her name is Twilla. She tells him that she is from D’linwaa, and that she is here to tell them of her God. She was on a mission with several others from her world to find the sons of Adam and Eve when her “craft” was spotted by a Norgratz patrol ship and in the ensuing panic she was accidentally left behind. The story tells how a few humans come together to help her get home and eventually help her fulfill her mission to indeed find the sons of Adam and Eve, while at the same time, bringing along the understanding that their God is also our God.
WOW! I am a Christian, and hard-pressed to believe in aliens; however, this book, I believe, is really just about how anyone can come to Christ. It grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go until the end. I was actually very sad for the story to end. I believe that this book is a “today’s” guide to understand that we all are the same, all forgivable, and all able to be saved. Kudos to the author, Pete Koziar. I was delighted with his book and will look for him on the shelf in the future! Cheers!
Recommend this book:
The Superlative Stream
The Darktrench Saga - Book 2
Kerry Nietz

2012 Finalist
382 Pages
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

This book relates a Science Fiction tale that takes place in a world efficiently created by the author. As the best Sci-Fi stories go, this one also has intergalactic flight, space living, interplanetary discoveries, and extra terrestrials, or so they think. It is subtitled the second book of "The Darktrench Saga", but I see no evidence in this book of the previous tale.
In this earth-based civilization, some children are taken from their parents and raised by a priest of A. At a certain age, all of them get a chip implanted in their head. It is set surgically there to make them comply with everything or receive a painful shock if they choose not to. Because of that, both men and women are bald-headed.
Girls in their view have no rights. They are a piece of property to the human race and their life is forfeited if they show their faces in public. To make this point more potent, there are hundreds of girls who die in a fire because the robots that are supposed to save them don’t let them come out without their face scarves. It would be a crime in the sight of A. Their world revolves around what the robots say, because they are A’s (their God’s) messengers.
The tale is well-written and creative. The end of each chapter is left with a well-placed cliffhanger to keep us reading just to see what will happen next. I like the pace of the story and the depth of character developed for the principal female. Reading this book was time well spent. It will be a must read for any young adult or adult library.
Recommend this book:
Noah Zarc
Mammoth Trouble
D. Robert Pease

2012 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble" by D. Robert Pease is a delightful read. Preteens and young teens will love the plot. So will adults. With a play on words and clever imagery, Pease has created a tale loosely based on Noah’s Ark. This is the author’s first novel; a sequel is due out later this year. The title is Cataclysm. I hope to be the first to write a review of the book.
In this futuristic tale our main character is Noah. Noah is a twelve year old boy with disabilities. He and his family live on a space ship that collects animals from Earth’s past for the purpose of restocking the Earth. Noah is an excellent pilot due in part to his being a paraplegic. He spends most of his time in a special wheelchair called a Magchair. There is an implant that allows him to mental control the chair and the ship. On a mission to Earth during the Ice Age his mother is kidnapped by Hoan and his father is left stranded on the icy planet. It is up to Noah, Sam and Hamilton to save the day. In the midst of rescuing their father a Wooly Mammoth causes more than a little trouble. When Noah discovers a secret he reacts the way most boys his age would.
This tale has several mighty messages in it: 1) Man is destroying Earth; 2) We should never allow our disabilities to define who we are or what we can accomplish. 3) We write our own script; it doesn't matter where we came from but where we are going.
The Zarc’s are charming characters, likeable and believable. When Hamilton explained time and space jumping or time travel I was reminded of "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madelyn L’Engle. She used a similar explanation for time travel, called a Tesseract Concept. I have been hooked on good sci fi since I read "A Wrinkle In Time" in the sixth grade. Noah Zarc is very good sci fi. It is refreshing to read a book of this quality. The author writes with the quality of a seasoned writer. I look forward to reading more of this author’s works.
