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 - Science/Technology
- 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:
Promised Valley Conspiracy
Ron Fritsch

2013 Honorable Mention
268 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

In "Promised Valley Conspiracy", the third in the innovative series, Ron Fritsch continues to chronicle the social and political turmoil of the unique prehistoric world he has created. Tensions remain high between the agrarian Valley People and the hunting-class Hill People, and whatever truces were put in place in the earlier books teeter precariously on the brink of failure as each side looks to gain an edge on the other. Dissension among the Hill People forces a detente on the part of the valley society, and they concede the upper valley to those refugees who want to work toward peace. This act leads to the rise of a threat to both peoples, a threat that can only be defeated by both sides joining together against the common enemy.
As in the other books of the series this plot line is built upon the backdrop of the unique world at the time of the dawn of mankind. Sustaining this world is Fritsch’s particular forte, and he practices it so seamlessly as to make almost necessary occasional references to period topics such as the first domestication of the horse, the invention of the wheel, and the first use of permanent housing, to remind the reader that it is indeed a period piece. These topics also add an intelligence and insight to the narrative and serve as a perfect framework on which to structure the main plot elements. Woven through these elements are themes that possess a universality that has resonated through the entire span of human existence on the planet. There is war and peace, racism and class unrest, scientific and educational developments, social cooperation and the effects on the social order when that cooperation breaks down. These themes not only subscribe to the classic literary aspects of conflict and resolution, but, through Fritsch’s deft craftsmanship, do so in a way that is pertinent even when read in the context of today’s world.
Recommend this book:
This Business of Children
Chloe JonPaul

2012 Bronze Medal
208 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

A truly wonderful and well written novel! I am highly pleased to say that I really enjoyed this book. Chloe Jon Paul chose a setting and a plot that is superbly detailed and well written, threw in some really great characters and turned out a book that will capture the heart of the reader instantly.
I loved following Vera, Dee, Mark and Stu through out this story. A rather mixed up bunch, if I may say so, but the detail that the author put behind them was phenomenal.
These four characters aren't your normal ones by any means. Vera is a teacher, ready for retirement but can't help venting her frustration during a school board meeting. Dee, well, she's simply Dee. She's a dedicated teacher, holds a secret that no one else knows. Then there's Mark. I loved him and I hated him....his character was created fabulously but his personal life issues and his way of dealing with them just wasn't what I wanted them to be! Mark's attraction to Dee is strong, but he's a married man. Last, there's Stu--he's different, and only one other person knows why he's so different. But, tragedy strikes Stu and no one knows the cause.
This book is filled with a bit of mystery, LOTS of dramatic situations and plenty of good reading. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for a new author and a good read.
Recommend this book:
Tears of the Phoenix
Lonnie Beerman

2012 Gold Medal
504 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

“Tears of the Phoenix” is the story of three eleven year old boys, Frankie,Aubrey and Tony,trying to deal with all that life throws at them.The time is the 1960s; the place is a small Southern town. Frankie is a boy without a dad, his father having died as a hero in the war. Aubrey suffers the humiliation of being an abused kid and Tony is the short, scrawny, rich “Yankee” kid from up North. The three boys are bullied, lonely and friendless until a school yard fight brings them together. They quickly become the “Three Musketeers“ and forge a friendship that will last a lifetime. Frankie is forced to deal with his mother’s serious illness and his favorite Uncle Frank being a 'gay man'. Aubrey finds solace in God’s word as he watches his daddy abuse his older brother, his mom and very often suffers the pains of bruises, black eyes and hurt pride. Tony tries hard to win the approval of his disinterested father.
Lonnie Beerman has written a book that deals with death, family abuse, homosexuality, bullying and love. From page one we the reader are caught up in the lives of these three families. The book is written with emotion, God and respectfulness towards difficult subject matter. It is impossible not to feel all of the ups and downs of each character.It was hard to put down until I reached the last page.I felt as though I knew each of the people in the book personally and cheered them on, felt their pain and rejoiced in the good things that happen to them.I highly recommend this book - it is a five star winner.
Recommend this book:
Jane of the Jungle
Jane Baskin

2012 Honorable Mention
248 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

Jane Baskin is a highly talented author. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this novel, but I got some good laughs and really had the wild ride-of-my-life with this interesting story. Ms. Baskin has done a wonderful job at creating a complex yet intriguing heroine with Jane and opens the story with a fun plot line. Jane is a character to be reckoned with. She is a widow, and has some rather unique talents. She talks to animals. Well so do I - just ask my adorable Cocker Spaniels - but she can ACTUALLY talk to the animals. It is kind of like a Doctor Doolittle-ette. And, did I mention that Jane can make buses fly? Well, she does. It is absolutely a fantastic part of the story, giving it a whirlwind action feel. On top of the flying buses and the animal talking, you get an adventurous comedy ride with mobsters and love, giving this book the perfect amount of everything: laughs, love, suspense. You name it, it is all incorporated into one heck of a great read.
Now, I'll be honest and say that if I had seen this on Amazon, or in a book store, I would not have picked it up on my own. I just wouldn't normally go for this book. But, in all honesty, I would have been missing out. The action, the writing style, the characters, all of it absolutely gripped me and didn't let me go. Jane is a character who will settle in my heart to stay, and I will cheer for awesomeness all the way.
I can definitely recommend this book with high flying 5 stars. It is a book that will keep you hooked and have you wanting to come back for more. Great job, Ms. Baskin!
Recommend this book:
The Missing Element
A James Becker Mystery
John L. Betcher

2012 Finalist
272 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

While this tale hinges partly on 21st Century technology, the style and substance is very old fashioned, reading not so much like John Gresham or Tom Clancy as Raymond Chandler or Mickey Spillane with just a dash of Nick and Nora Charles thrown in. A description of the story could sound rather boring. In the quiet town of Red Wing, Minnesota, the cop's wife's best friend has disappeared, leaving behind a note for her husband that their marriage is over. The cop, having little time for this, asks a lawyer friend of his to look into it. That could be the whole story. However, the missing woman is one of the highest qualified computer programmers in the world. In a former life, the lawyer had been top international spy for U.S. military intelligence. The lawyer's wife is a former CIA operative and code-cracker still doing contract decoding for the agency. Soon, people start getting violently threatened or killed. Life in Red Wing has become an adventure!
The characters in this story are thinly drawn, as is often the case in detective fiction, yet they walk just this side of the line between stereotype and stark realism, becoming intriguing individuals almost in spite of themselves. Central to the story, James "call me Beck" Becker and his wife Beth especially stand out and become real to the reader, but others become real the more they are on stage. Like the plot and the pacing, the development of characters in this novel is quite masterful. "The Missing Element" has the pace of "The Big Sleep" or perhaps of any Elmore Leonard novel you could name and has its share of quirky characters and cliffhanger moments to keep your eyes locked on its pages until the very end.
I am very impressed with this novel and with the author's skills as a storyteller. The story is gripping and at times intense. I would recommend "The Missing Element" to anyone as a great, fast-paced read.
Recommend this book:
Deed So
Katharine A. Russell

2012 Silver Medal
440 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

Katharine Russell’s “Deed So” is an amazing fictional story about young Haddie as she tells about her life growing up in Maryland in the 1960’s. Haddie is just at the coming of age stage, and like most people her age, she wants to leave her hometown and find out what big city life is like. But city life wasn’t to be for Haddie because her little hometown all of a sudden erupts at the seams, taking Haddie and the rest of its residents on a journey they never expected. A young black teen was killed by a white man. It was witnessed by Haddie, which placed her as a witness at the trial. This causes total chaos and builds tension between blacks and whites in the backdrop of the racial violence that was so evident in the 1960s. All the while Haddie was going through the usual things a young girl faces including her wild crush on older guy Gideon, who already had a girlfriend! And then Gideon ends up going to Vietnam, coming home wounded, and with secrets that would surprise everyone in their community. Haddie’s story is one that will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading the book.
“Deed So” is a well-written, delightful book to read about life in the 1960s. Having been around Haddie's age at that time, I thoroughly enjoyed reflecting back to that special time in my life and the life of my family. The historical details came to life for me as Kath Russell describes so vividly a lot of the things that were happening around the world during that time. I felt as if I was there living those days again. I fell in love with Haddie from the beginning, and I was so engrossed in the book that I couldn’t put it down until the last page. The other characters are so real and life-like that I felt they were real friends by the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book for your enjoyment. And if you were growing up in that era in history, this is a must read for you!
Recommend this book:
The Ghost of Atlanta
Julius Thompson

2011 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - General

J.E Thompson is a superb writer. "The Ghost of Atlanta" is, overall, a superbly written book. This novel is the third in a series. The book is a very fast read that builds up slowly and has a fantastic ending. Mr. Thompson has included all the ingredients that make for a well-written novel: great character descriptions, an exciting well-thought-out plot, edge-of-your-seat adventure with all the proper descriptives (old love and love rekindled, friendships-new and old, hate-the kind that festers, murder-brutal and heartless, drugs-of the worst kind, family ties-both good and bad, etc.).
The story takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, present day, the main character, Andy Pilgrim, is a newspaper reporter. His life is full of ups and downs with a past that haunts him daily, hence, 'Ghost in Atlanta.'
Only Andy can, and must, have the courage to face his ghosts, one-on-one. He has many friends and family that help him along the way, and those that would like to see him fail miserably. Can he defeat his ghosts and continue on with his life?
I will not spoil the book for you but I will say that the story is full of excitement and is really very ethereal. The reason I say that is because the characters themselves present the reader with many questions, such as, How can Andy`s friend, Philip, always be there for him just at the right time? How is it that certain characters are praying for Andy just at the right moment? How can a family cousin appear to Andy in the blink of an eye and then disappear just as quickly? How can friends and family in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Atlanta be so in tune with each other, helping Andy when he needs it the most?
All these ingredients make this novel taste like your favorite pie flavor. All these ingredients make you want to continue reading this novel in just one sitting.
I now have a very strong desire to read J.E Thompson's first two novels in the series. I can hardly wait for the next one. J.E Thompson, please keep writing. To the reader, don't hesitate to read this, you will not be disappointed. I am very glad that I read this book and I rate this book 5 stars, wholeheartedly.
Recommend this book:
First Feature
Jason Blacker

2011 Finalist
302 Pages
Check current price
Fiction - General

Why was one of Hollywood's premier producers bludgeoned to death with his own Oscar? Ex-LAPD detective Anthony Carrick is hired to quickly find the killer to save the studio as much embarrassment as possible. Then a second murder adds to the situation with a multitude of possible suspects: a beautiful wife, an equally beautiful housekeeper, the wife's lesbian lover, the dead man's attorney, or his personal assistant. The list goes on and on, and that doesn't include some mobsters to whom the dead man owed a lot of money. But to make things a little more complicated, Anthony is working against time. Tinsel Town's image must stay pure, so he is pushed to solve the murder before the tabloids publish a story (which is often more fiction than fact) that shines light on the seediness of the Hollywood scene. And he has to get it done before LAPD Homicide solves it for him.
First Feature is a very well written book, and I really liked the character of Anthony Carrick. However, I did find, in some instances, the scenes were rather long with a lot of dialog. For me this seemed to slow the action down. While I'm all for good, sometimes humorous, banter between the protagonist and the other characters, I did find on occasion that I was ready for it to end sooner than later. The characters, however, were very well portrayed; and as the story unfolded, the reader gets a glimpse of each and the possible motive each could have had for doing the deadly deeds. With the exception of the couple of things I've noted, overall First Feature is a good story and quite a good read.
Recommend this book:
Promised Valley Rebellion
Ron Fritsch

2011 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - General

What would you do if you were in love with your childhood sweetheart, but had always been told that marriage between you two was forbidden? That's just what happens in Promised Valley Rebellion by Ron Fritsch.
Rose Leaf and Morning Sun wanted to get married, but were told they couldn't marry or have children together; the strange thing was that no one wanted to tell them the reason. The one who supported the marriage was Blue Sky, Rose Leaf's brother and long-time friend of Morning Sun. Blue Sky didn't think it was fair that not one person would give them a reason for not marrying. So the drama of this story continues as the younger generation rebels against the king and his older supporters because they feel it's time to reveal the secrets lurking among them. But if you want to find out how this drama ends, if Morning Sun can finally marry his sweetheart from his younger years, you need to get a copy of this book and read it!
I had a difficult time keeping up with all of the names such as Law Keeper, Tall Oak, Rainbow Evening, Blue Sky, Rose Leaf, Green Field, Spring Rain and so many more! There were so many characters in this book it made it kind of confusing at times; but I will have to say, this is a heartwarming love story that will stay with you for a while. I hurt with Morning Sun and Rose Leaf over the restrictions that were put on them. Overall this book was a pleasant read. The author keeps your interest to the end because you want to find the answer to the ultimate question: Why can't the two lovers marry?
Recommend this book:
Webs of Fate
Darlene Quinn

2011 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - General

Webs Of Fate by Darlene Quinn is set in Beverly Hills in the high tech fashion retail world during the 1980's, and is about greed and manipulations, romance and treachery. The plot revolves around several different characters, but the main two, Danielle Norman and Ashleigh McDowell, set the main stage for the plot. When Danielle fails to arrive in New York on a buying trip, they start digging into her records. Something is amiss and the first thing that they uncover is all the extra money she has spent. It seems Danielle has been doing more on the side, or has she? Ashleigh is out to prove that someone has set Danielle up, but first she has to find her. How could she just disappear, leaving everything behind and not turn up in any hospitals or accidents? Is she still alive? As Ashleigh starts digging deeper, she puts her own life in danger. Someone has been following her and planted a time infused bomb in her car. Could it be her fiance who is a little crooked himself, or someone from Bentleys Royale who feels she is getting to close to finding out something?
This is an excellent read, quite long, but well worth it as the author has a way of making the chapters short and to the point to keep the reader well involved. It's a very hard book to put down as one has to keep turning the pages to find out what's going to happen in the power play and struggle in the fashion world. Although the plot revolves around Ashleigh and Danielle, there is a great cast of secondary characters that lend a whole lot of substance to the book, from Conrad Taylor who hopes to be the next CEO to Adele Watson, divisional merchandise manager. One cannot go wrong with this book.
