2nd Quarter

2023

FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS

to all of our winning authors.

And a huge thank you to all authors who entered.

Your submission donation allowed us to send hundreds of happy handmade pillowcases and children’s books to women and children in long-term shelters, including to our friends at Enchanted Makeovers.

You are so appreciated!

(If your name is listed below, please check your email for the announcement. If you don’t find it, check your alternative folders because sometimes we land in unusual places)

Up to three winners per category are possible based on each category’s judging criteria and the cumulative scores from two independent judges.

Honorable Recognitions are listed at the bottom of this page.

$375 Grand Prize Winner

B. LYNN CARTER

Prize Donated by Book Award Pro

Family Pool Summer Beach Read Winner

HOPE GIBBS

Prize Donated by The OK BOOMER PODCAST

$100 Amazon Gift Card Nonfiction Winner

AMY TURNER

Prize Donated by The Firebird Book Awards

$100 Amazon Gift Card Fiction Winner

SUSAN SHALEV

Prize Donated by The Firebird Book Awards

$100 Amazon Gift Card Children’s Book Winner

STEVEN JOSEPH

Prize Donated by The Firebird Book Awards

ALL WINNERS including CHILDREN’S BOOK CONTEST

LISTED IN ORDER OF FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD PLACE

Action/Adventure – Roger Crossland – David Tory – David Buzan

Addiction and Recovery – Marilea C. Rabasa – Tom Hibbs – Mary Burns

Adventure – L.T. Caton – Stephen B. Haunts

Adventure/Animals – Cynthia Huijgens – Marsha Tufft

African American Fiction – B. Lynn Carter – Jonathan Rice

African American Non-Fiction – Mark S. Robinson

Alternative Medicine – Samuel J. Mann MD – Aesha Tahir

Audiobook – Ric Keller – Nora D’Ecclesis – Fred Berri

Autobiography – Cheryl Gillespie

Biography – Dave Ketchen and Larry Thornton

Book Cover Design/Fiction – B. Lynn Carter

Book Cover Design Nonfiction – John Koenig – John Thomas Hoffman – TIE – Mohsen Estesnaei – Catherine DeMonte

British Cozy Mystery – Veronica Cline Barton

Business – Motivational – Tony Jeton Selimi – Dominic McLoughlin – Rick Culleton

Business Development – Chris Folayan

Business – Heather R. Younger – Peter J. de Silva – Chris Folayan

Cancer – Joy Walker

Career – Dennis Guzik – Lisa Thee

Caregiving – Terence Ang – Robin Hale, PsyD

Chick-Lit – J Boykin Baker – Wende Dikec

Children Animals – Kim Carr – Joy VanDertuin and Michelle Hill

Children Bedtime – Stephen Bowling – Vy Lien – O.L. Flubermin

Children Chapter Book – J.B. Auchter – Heather Peck – Elizabeth Godley

Children Christian Fiction – Breanna Churchill

Children Diversity – Erik Martin

Children Early Readers – Ada Aguilar, PhD

Children Early Readers 5-8 – Vy Lien – Vy Lien

Children Educational – Kim Carr – Darren Henry – Kai Reeg

Children Fiction -Vy Lien – Vy Lien

Children Grief/Death – Laura Smetana – Karen Brough

Children Humor – Steven Joseph – Chris Stead – Judith MacDowell

Children Illustration – Stephen Bowling

Children Inspirational – Lisa Jacovsky – Kelly Sargent – Vercess Caina

Children Mystery – Erik Martin

Children Nature – L. Charleigh Collins – Chris Stead

Children Nonfiction – Kim Carr – Fred Berri

Children Personal Growth – Sam Rice – Carmen and Ross Harris

Children Pets – Samantha Childs – Erin Neal – Paula Bailey

Children Picture Book – Dayna Ault – Sara Taher – Joshua Willis

Children Picture Book ages 4-8 – Kathy Dye – Kevin Chu – Chris Folayan

Children Picture Story Book – Gwen Kelly – Jean Johnson – Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez PhD

Children Pre-School ages 2-4 – Holly Schmidt – J.B. Auchter – Nora Cruz

Children Science Fiction – Steven Joseph

Children Self-Help/Motivational – Rahni Varieur-Davies

Christian Fiction – Michael Garrett – James Davison

Christian Nonfiction – Dr. Temitope Keku – Tom Hibbs – Karen Brough

Coaching – Heather R. Younger

Coming of Age – Ross Hightower – Linda Loegel Hemby

Contemporary Novel – Nikki Lamers – Juliet Rose

Cozy Mystery – T.C. Lotempio – Kathleen Bailey – Carolyn Summer Quinn

Cozy Thriller – Veronica Cline Barton

Crime Fiction- Roger Crossland – Timothy Brown

Crime Fiction/Hardboiled – Timothy Brown

Cross Genre – Lena Gibson – Charlie Nicholas

Diet & Nutrition – Sofia Deloudi

Diversity – Dave Ketchen and Larry Thornton

Divorce – Joy Walker

Dreams – Ric Keller

Dual Timeline – Jenny Brav

Dystopian – Diana Fedorak – Nathaniel M. Wrey – Starr Davies

Education – Dr. Edwin Garcia, Jr. – Kelda Poynot

Education/Teen-Education – William E. McDonald

Educational – – Marsha Tufft

Fantasy – A.S. Norris – A.S. Norris

Fantasy Dark – Casey Sutton – Melissa Widmaier

Fashion Mystery – Veronica Cline Barton

Fashion Suspense – Veronica Cline Barton

Fiction – Susan Shalev – Roger Crossland – Alexander Czimbor

Fictional Murder Mystery – Mary Frances Fisher

Food History – Christopher Carosa

Friendship – Leslie Rasmussen

Gift Book – Ric Keller

Graphic Novel – Dave Ketchen and Larry Thornton

Grief – Jami Yeats – Kathy Jefford

Health – Samuel J. Mann MD

Historical Cozy Mystery – Gail Noble-Sanderson

Historical Fiction – Susan Shalev – Paul Buchheit – Roger Crossland

Historical Mystery – Alexander Czimbor

Historical Romance – Debra-Ann Kummoung

History/World – Sharifah Faizah Syed Mohammed

Holiday – Nicole Mullaney

Horror – Arjay Lewis – Marc Arginteanu

Humor/Satire – Steven Barron

Inspiration/Inspirational – Patrick Asare – Noelle Hipke – Cheryl Gillespie

Juvenile Fiction – Maighread MacKay

Juvenile Self Help – Kev Chilton

Leadership – Peter de Silva – Dustin Davis and Paul Jan Zdunek – Stefan Raffl

Legal Thriller – Chad Boudreaux

LGBTQ Nonfiction – Jobert Abueva

Literary Fiction – David Grant Urban – Linnet Coppa – Laurel Osterkamp

Magical Realism – Eden Crowne – Marieke Lexmond – Phyllis Smith

Medical Thriller – Gil Snider

Memoir – Amy Turner – Marilea C. Rabasa – Paul Anthony

Mental Health – Amy Turner

Military Fiction – Roger Crossland

Military Nonfiction – Doyle Glass – John Hoffman

Mind, Body, Spirit – Samuel J. Mann MD – Amy Turner – Marcee A. Martin

Motivational – Freddie Floyd Jr – Ric Keller – Allison Body

Multicultural Fiction – Roger Crossland – Jenny Brav

Mystery – Barbara Dullaghan – Carolyn Summer Quinn – Marty Eberhardt

Mythology – Susana Imaginário – Nicholas Varner

New Adult Fiction – Nikki Lamers

New Fiction – Cynthia Bogard

New Fiction – First time published – Hope Gibbs – Steven Barron

New Nonfiction – Amy Turner – Jenny Dean Schmidt – John Thomas Hoffman

New Nonfiction (first time published) – Jobert Abueva

New Thought – Noelle Hipke

Nonfiction – Amy Turner – Paul Anthony – Marilea Rabasa

Novella – Miguel Hernandez Jr – J.R. Rice

Paranormal – Doris Pariso – Marc Arginteanu

Paranormal Romance – Kelly Harper

Paranormal Fiction – Datta Groover

Paranormal Romantic Thriller – T.E. MacArthur

Parenting & Family – Jenny Dean Schmidt – Kelda Poynot

Past Lives – John Koenig

Personal Growth – Sharon Hughes – Mohsen Estesnaei – Peter de Silva

Poetry – Robert W. Watson

Pop Culture – Christopher Carosa

Psychiatry/Psychology – Samuel J. Mann MD – Wilma MacLiver – Lucas Bailey

Realistic Fiction – Marsha Tufft

Relationships – Paul Anthony – Leslie A. Rasmussen

Religion Fiction – Gil Snider – J Boykin Baker

Religion Nonfiction – Donna M. Young

Romance – Hope Gibbs – Nicole Mullaney

Romantic Comedy – Abigail Drake – Darren Greninger

Romantic Suspense – L.M. Coppa – Diane Merrill-Wigginton – Sandra Montanino

Science Fiction – Diana Fedorak – Greg Siofer

Screenplay – Darren Greninger

Self Help – Marcee A. Martin – Allison Body

Self Help/Memoir – Terri Kozlowski

Self Help /Motivational – Ric Keller – Mohsen Estesnaei

Series – Charlie Nicholas – Nikki Lamers

Short Stories – Sharon Cathcart

Social/Political Change – Cynthia Bogard

Southern Fiction – Cynthia Bogard – Hope Gibbs Clay Anderson

Special Needs – Eileen Hobbs

Speculative Fiction – Diana Fedorak

Spiritual/Spirituality – Nora D’Ecclesis – Ray Catania

Spiritualism – Ray Catania – Charlotte Meredith

Sports – Tom Hibbs

Summer Beach Read – Hope Gibbs – Nancy Christie – Susan Shalev

Suspense – J. Luke Bennecke – Cam Torrens

Technology – Joanne Griffin and Declan Foster – Kavita Ganesan – Michael Freeman, PHD

Thriller – Doris Pariso – Marc Arginteanu – Keith Hummel

Time Travel – Jane O’Brien

Trauma/Trauma Recovery – Amy Turner

Urban Fantasy – Julie Rogers – Kelly Harper – Ali Eke

Urban Fiction – Marieke Lexmond

War Fiction – Roger Crossland – Linda Hemby – Loretta Goldberg

Western Fiction – Marty Eberhardt

Whodunnit – Veronica Cline Barton

Women’s Fiction – Leslie A. Rasmussen – Hope Gibbs – Cynthia J. Bogard

Women’s Issues – Marilea C. Rabasa – Leslie A. Rasmussen – Michelle Viscuse

Young Adult – Ross Hightower

Young Adult Fantasy – Natalie Johanson

Young Adult Fantasy in Spanish – Patricia Bossano

Young Author written by age 12 and under – Omar Cruz

Young Author written by teenage 13-18 – William E. McDonald – William E. McDonald

HONORABLE RECOGNITION

DJanée

Doc Jacobs

Keenan Morris

Kris Benny

Michael Dow

Steve Stables

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