1st 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, pillows, colorful totes, and children’s books to women and children in long-term shelters, including Enchanted Makeovers.
You are so appreciated!
(If your name is listed below, please check your email for a personal note from us. 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.
Nonfiction Winner
ANTHONY MOHR
Fiction Winner
E.A. COE
Children’s Book Winner
BRITTNEY BRACKETT
ALL WINNERS including CHILDREN’S BOOK CONTEST
Action/Adventure – Peter Elliot – Angela Greenman – Drew Bankston
ADD/ADHD – Rue L’Hommedieu
Addiction/Recovery (Quit Lit) – Melinda Hardin
Adventure – C.T. Emerson
African American Fiction – Melissa Owens
Afterlife – Laurie Jameson
Aging – Dennis Must
Alternative Medicine – Rebecca Dimyan
Audiobook – Fred Berri
Biographical Fiction – Marianne Coyne – A. Piper Burgi
Book Cover Design Fiction – Dr. Velma Bagby – Mark Piggott – Evangaline Pierce
Book Cover Design Nonfiction – Adriana Fuentes Diaz (Cover artist Berenice Lacroix) – Lorry Leigh Belhumeur Ph.D
Book Interior Design/Nonfiction – Soraya Diase Coffelt
Business/Business Motivational/Strategy –
Cancer – Kim Sorrelle
Caregiving – Gretchen Staebler
Chick-Lit – Andrea Stein – Jeanette Watts
Children Animals/Pets – Susanne Rea – Joy Johnston – Lisa Jacovsky
Children Board Book – Robyn Polansky Morrison
Children Chapter Book – Aleksandra Tryniecka – J.B. Auchter
Children Christian early reader 5-8 – Linda Phillips
Children Coloring Book ages 3+ – Fred Berri
Children Diversity – Tony Lovitt
Children Educational – R. Janet Walraven – Charlaine Sevigny
Children Fiction – Susan Justice – Gretchen Susan Romanowski
Children Grief/Death – Shan Frazier – Tony Lovitt
Children Illustration – Margaret Grote (illustrated by Marcia Whelan Coles) – Sarah Vie (illustrated by Juliana Brykova)
Children/Inspirational/Motivational – Brittney Brackett – Cheryl Nelthropp – Sarah Vie
Children Multicultural –
Children Nature – H.R. Manske
Children Nonfiction – Fred Berri
Children Poetry – Margaret Grote
Children Picture Book – R. Janet Walraven – Susan Justice – April Lopez
Children Pre-School Ages 2-4 – Kip Ullrich Fechner and Janis Ullrich Dillon – C. James Sweeney
Children Realistic Fiction – Susanne Rea – Jana Locke
Children Religion – Susan Justice
Children Series – Dr. Nghi Dang
Christian Fantasy – Evangeline Pierce
Christian Fiction – Michael Garrett – Dr. Velma Bagby – Jerry Schultz
Christian Memoir – Tammy Coulter – Melinda Hardin – Kim Sorrelle
Christian Nonfiction – Kim Sorrelle – Holly Curby – Craig Ireland
CliFi/ Ecological Fiction – Mary Flodin
Coaching –
Coming of Age – David Tory – Gabe Oliver – S.B. Lerner
Coming of Age Memoir – Anthony J. Mohr – Carlyn MontesDe Oca
Contemporary Novel – D. Liebhart – June Gillam – Nikki A. Lamers
Contemporary Poetry – Steven Bruce
Cozy Mystery – Toni Lotempio – Karen C. Whalen – Kathleen Bailey
Creative Nonfiction – Geri Spieler
Crime Fiction – Carla Damron – Kaylon Tran – Doug Dorsey
Cross Genre – June Gillam
Cyber Thriller – Tilmer Wright Jr.
Detective Drama – Edward Milligan
Diversity – June Gillam
Divorce – Anthony J. Mohr
Dysfunctional Families – Coffey Agnello
Dystopian – Barbara Gilbert
Empowerment – Robin Pollak – Dawn King – Lorry Leigh Belhumeur Ph.D.
Epic – Shobana Gomes
Epic Fantasy – Blake and Raven Penn
Espionage Thriller – Angela Greenman
Fairy Tale – Marianne Coyne
Fantasy – Peter Eliott – John Sullivan – Brianna and Matthew Penfold – E Whelly /TIE
Fantasy Dark – Peter Eliott – Liv Strom – Casey Sutton
Fiction – E.A. Coe – Rebecca Dimyan – Karen Shughart
Fiction Autobiography – Doc Jacobs
Folklore – J.L. Sullivan
Graphic Novels – Richard T. Wilson
Grief – Lindsey Rogers-Seitz – Zander Sprague LPCC
Guidebook – Lori Lindbergh
Health and Fitness –
Historical – Aleksandra Tryniecka
Historical Fiction – Robert Brighton – Loretta Goldberg – James T. Hogg – Vern Turner /TIE
History World – Emir Cruz Fernandez – Heidi Langbein-Allen
Holiday – Soraya Diase Coffelt
History/United States – Soraya Diase Coffelt
Holocaust – Rita Bozi
Home and Garden – Reiko Gomez
How-To – James Harris
Inspiration – Alexendra J. Kuisis – Kim Sorrelle – Dawn King
Juvenile Fiction – Douglas Hoover
Leadership/Leadership Education – Steven Howard – Lori Lindbergh – Rachel L. Rider
LGBTQ Fiction – Rebecca Dimyan – Stephanee Sadek
LGBTQ Nonfiction – Judy Kiehart – Shoshana Kerewsky
Life Journeys – Dawn King
Literary Fiction – E.A. Coe – Joe Pace – Patricia Vaccarino
Magical Realism – Emlynn McDermott – Marieke Lexmond
Marketing and Public Relations – Marjie Hadad
Memoir – Cory Mortensen – Kiri Westby – Stephanie West
Mental and Spiritual Health – Melinda Hardin
Military Fiction – Kaylon Bruner Tran
Military Nonfiction – Heidi Langbein-Allen – Helga Warren
Mind, Body, and Spirit –
Multicultural – Teddi Ahrens
Multicultural Fiction – Angel A – I.B. Casey Cui – Jodi Lee Stewart
Multicultural Fiction (Young Adult) – I.B. Casey Cui
Multigenerational Fiction – Mary Perrine
Mystery – Karen Shughart – Heather Peck – Douglas Hoover
Mythology – Angel A – Liv Strom – Judith Feldman
Native American Fiction – Jodi Lea Stewart
New Adult Fiction – Nikki A. Lamers
New Age – Howard Eisenberg M.D.
New Fiction – Loretta Goldberg – Barbara Black – Arnie Benn
New Fiction (First time published) – Peter Eliott – Colleen Coyne – I.B. Casey Cui
New Nonfiction First Time Published – Reiko Gomez – Lorry Leigh Belhumeur Ph.D.
Noir Fiction – Parker Samuels
Nonfiction – Anthony Mohr – Jamie Murray – Rebecca Dimyan
Novella – Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. – Coffey Agnello – Steve Zimcosky
Paranormal – Juliet Rose – Kelly Kay Bowles – Casey Sutton
Paranormal Romance – Sharon Buchbinder
Parenting and Family – Marjie Hadad – Anthony J. Mohr
Personal Growth and Development – Alexendra J. Kuisis –
Poetry – N. Eisenrose
Political Thriller – E.A. Smiroldo – Sherman E. Ross
Pop Culture Fiction – Patricia Leavy
Pre-Teen Fiction – Douglas Hoover
Realistic Fiction – Rebecca Miller – Brieanna Wilkoff
Relationships – Alexendra J. Kuisis – Jamie Murray
Religion Nonfiction – Judith Feldman – Nora D’Ecclesis
Revelation – Donna M. Young
Revenge/Payback – Laurie Jameson
Romance – Stacy Gold – Jeanette Watts – Sharon Buchbinder
Romantic Comedy – Sharon Buchbinder – Elaine M. DeGroot
Romantic Suspense – Mary Flodin – Angela Greenman – Patricia Leavy
Science Fiction – DC Eastman – Drew Bankston – Arnie Benn
Sci-Fi Adventure – Blake and Sherry Shimshock
Self Help/Motivational – Kim Sorrelle
Self-Help –
Series – McKinley Aspen – Nikki Lamers
Sexuality – Adriana Fuentes Diaz
Short Stories – Barbara Black – Steve Zimcosky
Small Books – Rachel Madorsky
Social Justice Fiction – June Gillam
Social Political Change – Amy Rivers – Mary Flodin
Speculative Fiction – Mary Flodin – Blake and Sherry Shimshock
Spiritual/Spirituality – Judith Feldman – Reiko Gomez – Marianne Coyne
Spiritualism – Angel A
Steampunk – Mark Piggott
Summer/Beach Read – Patricia Leavy – Nikki Lamers
Suspense – Amy Rivers – Juliet Rose – Cam Torrens
Technology – J. Luke Bennecke
Techno-Thriller – Angela Greenman
Teen – Rebecca Miller – J.L. Sullivan – Brieanna Wilkoff
Teen Nonfiction – Teddi Ahrens
Thriller – Ed Davis – J. Luke Bennecke – DC Eastman
Time Travel – DC Eastman – Barbara Gilbert
Travel – Bill Arnott
Urban Fantasy – Peter Eliott – Marieke Lexmond – McKinley Aspen
Visionary – Juliet Rose – Arnie Benn
War Fiction – Jodi Lee Stewart – Donna M. Young
Well-Being – Dr. Samuel Samtosha Steinberg
Wellness –
Women’s Fiction – Andrea Stein – D. Liebhart – Emlynn McDermott
Women’s Health – Rebecca Dimyan
Women’s Issues – Rebecca Dimyan – Adriana Fuentes Diaz
Women’s Literature – E.A. Coe – Lincoln Tuvelais
Word Games for Adults – Mind Candy
Writing and Publishing – Linda Sivertsen
Young Adult Fiction – Rue L’Hommedieu – Maggie Paredes – Barbara Gilbert
Honorable Recognition
in alphabetical order
Emma Collier
Erma Clare
Frank Geiger
Linda Phillips – If the Boot Fits
Lebi P. Nieves Morán
Mary Frances Fisher
Melissa Owens
Michael Dow
R.A. Lee
Ralph A. Sinnett
Ruben Elostondo
Seth Sjostrom
Steven Greenebaum
Valorie M. Allen