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:
Behind Blue Eyes
The Good The Bad & The Blood
DM Wolfenden
2015 Honorable Mention
318 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
Behind Blue Eyes: The Good, The Bad, and The Blood by D.M. Wolfenden is a vampiric horror novel chronicling the life of Cain, a vampire, and Mia, a human whom he protects throughout her life. Vasile, a vicious vampire with a lust for causing pain, rampages across the world, seeking a woman to become his mate. When he comes across Cain’s mother, Elizabeth Sutton, he cannot resist her. After turning her, she is unwilling to do his grisly bidding, and he leaves her. However, her son, who has been fighting in World War II, returns and when he grows ill, Elizabeth is faced with the choice to change him, or he will die. Thus begins a whirlwind of events leading to Cain desiring to kill Vasile for what he had done to his mother.
I found this book to be very gruesome at times. I am not one to shy away from blood and gore, but it was described in such a way that I wanted to jump ahead to get past Vasile’s scenes. I found Cain and Mia to be very sweet together, and I was rooting for Cain. I did like the storyline, as it was different from other vampire novels I have read. Overall though, I found Behind Blue Eyes: The Good, The Bad, and the Blood by D.M. Wolfenden to be an interesting read, and I am curious to see what happens next to Cain and Mia.
Recommend this book:
The Dark
David C. Cassidy
2015 Bronze Medal
437 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
Move over Stephen King and Dean Koontz and make room because The Dark by David C. Cassidy is here! The Dark is everything that horror fiction fans want – scary, unsettling, relentless and so creepy that you will not want to read it at night. The story follows the Lisk family, grieving and unable to get over the loss of the father/husband who was killed in a car accident. The younger son Kelan feels guilty that he survived the accident and cannot get over his father’s death. The rest of the family is not really coping either, but Kelan is having an especially difficult time with it. He ends up pursuing some dangerous activities and meets a new friend (which he thinks is a good thing) but it sets him on a horrific and deadly path with The Dark, a sadistic and predatory ancient evil that wants to consume and twist everything in the most sickening ways. Readers will be turning pages long after bedtime (which is probably not the best time to read horror novels!) just to find out what happens next!
I found The Dark to be a suspenseful, unsettling and horrific read (which I’m sure is a statement that will intrigue horror genre readers). The characters were all interesting, realistic and engaging. It was very heartbreaking to see how the Lisk family members were trying to cope, but unable to come to terms with the tragedy. The Dark was just a freaky and terrible evil and the author did a superb job in describing how The Dark finds its victims and draws them in (unknowingly) and claims them for its own. Fans of horror fiction are sure to find a new favorite author in David C. Cassidy.
Recommend this book:
A Field of Red
Greg Enslen
2015 Silver Medal
296 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
A Field of Red is a compelling mystery featuring a world-weary former police detective drawn into an investigation of the disappearance of two young girls in a small town in Ohio. The protagonist, Frank Harper, is well-drawn: crusty, disillusioned, and haunted by his past. Author Greg Enslen presents a fairly stereotypical lead, but sprinkles in enough interesting details to stop Frank from becoming an outright cliché. Frank isn’t immediately likable (chemical dependence, a standoff attitude, unclear motives), but he grew on me as the book progressed.
Far more interesting were the secondary characters, most of whom didn’t rely on genre tropes for their effectiveness. Without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say that those responsible for the disappearance of the little girls are unique and well done. I actually enjoyed those points of view more so than Frank’s. In terms of plot, Enslen did almost everything right. The misdirection is subtle, never ham-fisted, and kept me guessing until about two thirds of the way through the book (I normally peg the “doer” by halfway, sometimes even sooner). Enslen uses some interesting storytelling methods to prevent things from becoming either too opaque or impossible to follow. This is both a “whodunit” and a “whydunit” and both threads drive the story forward.
The depictions of small town Ohio are vivid, accurate, and interesting. Having grown up in a small Midwestern town myself, I can verify that Enslen handles those aspects of the story with aplomb. Mysteries must always be about place as much as the characters, and Enslen gets that; he’s an innate storyteller with terrific instincts. A Field of Red kept me turning pages the whole way, and never failed to entertain. If you enjoy a good mystery that really delves into the psychology of the characters and the ethos of place, you’ll love A Field of Red.
Recommend this book:
Gated
Matt Drabble
2015 Gold Medal
288 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
Gated by Matt Drabble is a horror novel as good as any you will find on the market today. The town of Eden was the epitome of good, old-fashioned, friendly small-town America. It sounded too good to be true. It was. However, Michael and Emily Torrance didn’t know that… yet. Having lost their first child when then pregnant Emily was hit in a freak accident, the Torrance’s thought a change would be good for them. Living in the wet, cold United Kingdom, the email they received about Eden sounded like just the change they needed: move to an entirely new country, in an idyllic town, with zero crime, excellent jobs with lucrative wages, and warm, sunny days the year round. What could possibly go wrong in a place like Eden? Even the name sounded heavenly. In fact, the town’s motto was, “Heaven on Earth, and Twice as Nice”. But Eden held a deep, dark secret; one that was anything but “Heaven on Earth, and Twice as Nice”.
Matt Drabble has written a number of horror novels, short stories, and short story collections. He is a gifted master of the genre, and will continue to make his mark for many years to come. Gated is as professionally written as anything written by the “big name” authors. In fact, Gated is such a well-written book I can’t help but wonder if “Matt Drabble” is a pen name being used by one of the “big name” authors. Whether it is true or not, Gated is a book all fans of horror must read. It is pure horror, all the way through, with a sprinkling of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. I expect to see “Matt Drabble” on the cover of some seriously frightening horror stories for a good, long time.
Recommend this book:
You and Me Against the World
The Creepers Saga Book 1 (Volume 1)
Raymond Esposito
2014 Bronze Medal
326 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
You and Me Against the World is the first volume of Raymond Esposito's Creepers Saga. When we first meet Dr. Russell Thorn, he's working at Gulf Memorial Hospital in Florida. He encounters a baffling virus that begins with below-normal body temperatures in the afflicted. The virus seems to be airborne but can also be transmitted through contact with black bile which the victims vomit in later stages. At this point, they also appear to be mindless and violent, grabbing at their victims and eating them alive. The hospital quickly becomes a shambles as the virus spreads throughout staff and patients alike. Thorn is the designated contact for the hospital for the Federal Center for Disease Control, and he's stunned to receive a rather cavalier response to his report. Realizing that things are out of control, he attempts to persuade the head of pediatrics to get the new parents and their infants to safety with very limited success. He does persuade Susan,a pediatric nurse, to leave and accept a ride home with him, but any relief at leaving the hospital is short-lived. The afflicted, called Creepers because of their strange one-legged gallop, are everywhere; they are hungry, and they are on the hunt.
This is not just another zombie novel. Thorn and Susan meet up with a band of young warriors who've rescued a number of children and seniors and go on rescue missions with blasting music and skills learned through video games. As the Creepers develop homing and hunting skills, the rescuers become the hunted and begin a journey to Wyoming where the scarcity of population should mean there are fewer Creepers to contend with. Devin, the leader, Annie, the knife dancer, and Golden, the traumatized girl are just a few of the compelling characters in this first book of Esposito's Creepers Saga. Watching them grow and interact as a strong and determined team against overwhelming odds is what makes You and Me Against the World tick. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Recommend this book:
The Hangman's Replacement
Sprout of Disruption
Taona Dumisani Chiveneko
2014 Silver Medal
490 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
The Hangman's Replacement: Sprout of Disruption by Taona Dumisani Chiveneko is the story of a hangman. Zimbabwe's last hangman retired in 2004 and they now have to find a replacement for him. Not many come forward to apply because of the local belief that the murdered person's soul will come back to torment the hangman and his family. Abel Muranda is on his way to Harare to apply for the job. Abel needs the job desperately to feed his starving family. When he arrives, he realizes that there is much more to the job than just being a gallows operator.
The story is original and compelling. The reader sees a lot of twists in the plot. Abel finds himself surrounded by interesting and intriguing characters who indirectly and directly influence his life. The author has woven the various sub-plots into the main theme beautifully. All the characters in the sub-plots have their own story, but then the author's skillful handling of the subject makes the plot tight. The book will keep you absorbed till the end. Readers get to stretch their imaginations after reading the book, which has shades of sex, sorcery, violence, manipulation, and poverty. There are many complex scenes in the story.
It is an excellent read and readers will not be disappointed with the story. The book also exposes you to the African culture which is informative. I really enjoyed the story mainly, because of its originality and then because of the author's skillful handling of the subject.
Recommend this book:
Good Intentions
The Dead War Series (Volume 1)
D.N. Simmons
2014 Gold Medal
206 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
Dr. Vincent Masterson and his fellow scientist are commissioned with a huge amount of money by the military to revolutionize a compound to create super soldiers. Under pressure for the success of the secret project, the scientists give their very best. Unfortunately, the serum turns living things into a flesh eating zombies. Chaos occurs and survivors are struggling to keep themselves alive. This leads to another dangerous species to come out from hiding, which may or may not be a good thing for humankind. Good Intentions is the first installment of The Dead War Series by D.N. Simmons.
Frankly there is an overabundance of zombie stories for readers these days, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but some variety won’t hurt. Good Intentions is a revolutionary take on zombies that blends fast-paced action and mystery perfectly. It is, ironically, an exuberant, well-paced story that leaves readers wanting more, while still being a self-contained horror adventure that will please readers who just want to relax with a fun book. It is definitely worth noting that D.N. Simmons has put her own spin on the urban horror fiction genre by including vampires in it. The story is intensely gripping; Simmons is absolutely superb at world-building, adding in little details and human touches that make this fresh zombie genre an absolute delight to read.
Overall, a quick read that has all the necessary elements for readers to sink their teeth into. Although the novel leaves a frustrating cliffhanger, no doubt the promise of an answer lies in the sequel.
Recommend this book:
Precipice
The Beginning
Kevin J. Howard
2013 Silver Medal
483 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
“Precipice: The Beginning” by Kevin J. Howard is proof positive that his “Faithful Shadow” was NOT just a one-time hit; Kevin is an exceptional writer. “Precipice” begins by introducing us to a young couple enjoying a cruise, but not for long. Then we move on to Mars, to join a small military unit working with over 300 miners, helping to make Mars into an Earth-like inhabitable planet. Then we visit a scientific research vessel at sea, monitoring an apparent major shifting of undersea tectonic plates. Soon, the Earth is littered with an abundance of humongous “cracks” in the crust, many miles long, and seemingly bottomless. After that, things start going downhill.
“Precipice” is, in a word, awesome. Under ordinary conditions, when I see the words “to be continued” at the end of a book, I get cranky. I don’t want to wait for the story to conclude. In this case, though, I was delighted to see those words. This is a story I don’t want to end! There is way too much going on, still needing resolution. Kevin Howard has an uncanny ability to make you believe he has actually been to Mars, and worked in the mine, to be able to create such vivid and realistic characters and situations. At the same time, you have to believe he also went through the engagingly incredible apocalyptic happenings back on Earth. Ironically, never once in the whole 476 pages was the word 'apocalypse' used. “Precipice” was not written as an apocalyptic dystopian novel; it is written more like a true account of some things that really happened. This is a stunning science fiction tale, with an overabundance of realism that will make your hair stand on end. I very definitely recommend this for everybody, not just for Sci-Fi fans. There is something for everybody in “Precipice”.
Recommend this book:
Dugway
S.L.Hull
2013 Honorable Mention
280 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
Hidden in the mountains of Utah is the Dugway facility, a top-secret government laboratory and storage station where stored toxic chemicals are leaching into the ground, and volunteer soldiers are subject to genetic experimentation. No one who has had access to Dugway is allowed out again to ensure that the secret experiments are kept that way. This includes the doctors who have been brought in to perform the genetic modifications. The doctors have been concerned about the behavioral problems of the volunteer soldiers, who "flash" when subjected to stress or strain and become violent and out of control. The newest "volunteer" is even more troubling as he had only been ordered to report for a physical. As with the previously treated soldiers, Michael has an enhanced physique, is stronger and physically larger after the treatment. Unlike the others, his eyes haven't changed color, and he doesn't seem to be losing control. Dugway's inmates get the chance to escape when a series of tremors or eruptions shake the facility. The hybridized soldiers kill and maim anything within their reach, but General Bostwick, the presiding officer, will not allow them to be harmed.
"Dugway" has a little bit of everything for the horror reader. There are the zombie-like soldiers who seem poised to destroy civilization, and the crazed general who believes he can control them. There are also Michael, the last "volunteer" who seems different, and the doctors who team up with him and the occupants of a dilapidated and deserted nearby mining town to fight the hybrids. There is even a touch of extraterrestrial intervention and extra sensory perception to make the mixture even more intriguing. S.L. Hull has written a book that is filled with action and adventure, unlikely heroes and all the horror a fan could wish for. It is a great read.
Recommend this book:
Untold
The Berringer Family Novels
Tamara Helene Arrington
2013 Finalist
382 Pages
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Fiction - Horror
"Untold" is the story of Coral Berringer, who lives in a Newport, Rhode Island, mansion that has been allowed to moulder and decay by her terrifying and abusive mother. Coral's body is burned and scarred by her mother's discipline, especially the scalding hot baths where her skin is rubbed raw, and she dares not even cry for fear of more punishment. Margret, Coral's mother, is tall with long black hair that is always tied up tightly in a bun, and she seems a lot more like a wicked step-mother than a mother. When Coral dares once to ask Margret why she hates her so much, Margret screams at her, "because you were born," and proceeds to physically abuse her for her presumption in asking. Coral goes to school that day bruised and bleeding, knowing the other kids would think of her as the weird kid from the haunted house. Only Rose, Gretchen and Rollins, the remaining household servants, are there to give Coral the love and companionship she needs so desperately.
Tamara Helene Arrington's Gothic horror story had me entranced from the very first paragraph. Coral narrates the story, and her delivery is stark and compelling. My spirits soared with hers when she finds a friend and plays hooky one day, dancing on the beach she could only see from her window, and descended into the depths of despair when she was being brutalized by Margret. Ocean Point, the massive, ruined house where she lives, almost seems to come alive as a brooding and malignant force, overshadowing Coral's existence and seeming to want to swallow her alive. I'll be looking for more of 'The Berringer Family Novels'. If the rest of them are anywhere near as good as "Untold" is, I'll be very happy indeed. This is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it.