the 4th Quarter
2022
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, children’s books, and more to women and children in long-term shelters via 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 thanks to yahoo, aol, etc.)
Up to three winners per category are possible based on the judging criteria of each category and based on the cumulative scores from two independent judges. Honorable Mentions are listed at the bottom of this page.
Grand Prize Winner
LARRY FREELAND – LEGACY OF HONOR
ALL WINNERS
Action Adventure – Larry Freeland – McKinley Aspen – Deb Radcliff
African American Fiction – Chinedu Achebe
Animal/Pet – Cheryl Eriksen – Stephanie Krol
Audiobook – Fred Berri – D. Terrence Foster, MD
Autobiography – Sonja Mitrevska
Bilingual Dual Language – Charlene Sánchez
Biographical Fiction – Matt Jardine – Thane Lawrie – Lynn Byk
Biography/General – Mitzi Perdue
Book Cover Design/Fiction – McKinley Aspen – Morgan Elliot – S.G. Blaise
Business – Entrepreneurship & Small Business – Lois Sonstegard
Business/General – Mary Kovach
Business/Motivational – Mitzi Perdue
Career – Dave Liu – Matthew J. Louis
Chapter Books – Jon Coley
Chick Lit – Patricia Leavy – Valerie Taylor
Children’s Board Book – Abbey Feldkamp
Children Early Readers 5-8 – Charlene Sánchez
Children Fiction – Dana M. Storino – Jennie M. Bragaw – Joanne Telcide-Bryant
Children – Inspirational/Motivational – Lisa Jacovsky
Children – Pre-School Ages 2-4 – Anna Finch – Rose Andria & Grace Boda – PK Davies
Children – Religion – Evan McBee
Children’s YA Fantasy – Wallace Briggs
Christian Fiction – Adam & Stephanie Parker – Donna M. Young – Daphne Self
Christian Memoir – Jillian Timberlake
Christian Nonfiction – Andrew Lang
Christmas Mystery – Veronica Cline Barton
Christmas Short Stories – Veronica Cline Barton
Coaching – Morag Barrett, Eric Spencer, Ruby Vesely
Comics and Graphic Novels – Carolyn Watson-Dubisch
Coming of Age – Alle C. Hall – S.G. Blaise
Coming of Age Memoir – Patricia Grayhall
Contemporary Fiction – Judy Lannon
Contemporary Novel – Annie Seyler – Valerie Taylor
Cookbook – Elvira Rodriguez Alonso
Cozy Mystery – Sarah Hualde
Cozy Paranormal – Veronica Cline Barton
Crime Fiction – Heather Peck
Dark Mafia Romance – Karina Kantas
Death & Dying – Rodolfo Del Toro – Judy Lannon
Diet & Nutrition – Animals/Pets – Stephanie Krol
Diversity – Matt Jardine
Dysfunctional Families – Nina Norstrom
Dystopian – Sarena Straus- Terry Birdgenaw – Julius Thompson
Education – Mary Kovach – Brenda Small
Erotica – Reese
Fantasy – Tobin Marks – W.D. Kilpack III
Fantasy Dark – Joe Lyon
Fiction – Matt Jardine – Donna M. Young – Sara Savannah Sparrow
First Contact – William D. Latoria
Friendship – Cheri Strange
Grief – Sonja Mitrevska – Naomi Rhode and Kim Harms
Guidebook – D. Terrence Foster, MD – Cheri Strange
Historical Fiction – Eva Wong Nava – David Mueller – A. Piper Burgi
History/United States – Larry Freeland
Holiday – Terry Lister
Holiday Cozy Mystery – Veronica Cline Barton
Holiday Ghost Stories – Veronica Cline Barton
Holocaust – Roni Rosenthal
Humor – Daniel Eric Finkel – Karen McCann – Frank Geiger
Inspiration – Cheryl Eriksen – Andrew Lang – Andrea Wehlann
Inspirational – Terry Lister
Juvenile Fiction – J.T. Tenera – C.L. Kovacik
Juvenile Historical Fiction – Sonia Antaki
Leadership – Brian Smith and Mary Griffin – Thane Lawrie
Legal Thriller – Mark Shaiken
LGBTQ Fiction – Morgan Elliot
LGBTQ Memoir – Patricia Grayhall
Literary Alle C. Hall – Juliet Rose
Literary Fiction – Lee Bukowski – Donnally Miller – Holly Brough
Medical Fiction – Mitch Maiman
Memoir – Michael Hebert – Tracy Burger – Anne Ierardi
Mental and Spiritual Health – Jillian Timberlake
Mental Health – Steve Bisson
Mental Health Awareness/PTSD – Cheryl Eriksen
Middle Grade Fiction – Alisse Lee Goldenberg & Joseph Goldenberg
Military Historical Fiction – Larry Freeland
Military Nonfiction – Michael J. Hebert – Matthew J. Louis
Military Science Fiction – William D. Latoria
Mind/Body/Spirit – Andrew Lang – Andrea L. Wehlann – Kelly CP Hudson
Motivational – Mitzi Perdue
Movies and Television – Terry Karger and Jay Margolis
Multicultural Fiction – Matt Jardine – G.K. Nakata
Multicultural Nonfiction – Jamie Bowman – Isidra Mencos – Bernice M. Chao & Jessalin Lam
Multi-Cultural Social Change Fiction – Jill Campbell-Mason
Murder Mystery – George R. Hopkins
Mystery – McKinley Aspen – Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. – Steve Zimcosky
Mystery Thriller – Mark Shaiken
New Adult Fiction (First fiction book published) – Bobby Horecka
New Fiction – Terry Birdgenaw – Matt Jardine
New Fiction (First time published) – Leslie Kain – Adam Parker – G.K. Nakata
New Nonfiction – Jamie Bowman
Nonfiction (first time published) – Cheryl Eriksen – Tracy Burger
Non-Fiction Multicultural – Monica Diaz
Novella – Miguel Hernandez Jr. – Steve Zimcosky – Heather Peck
Parenting & Family – Chris Lake – Brenda Small
Personal Growth – Tracy Burger – Cheri Strange – Kelly CP Hudson
Poetry – Sabrina Simon – Michael Favala Goldman – Timothy Green
Pop Culture Fiction – Patricia Leavy
Pre-Teen Fiction – J.T. Tenera
Psychological Thriller – Leslie Kain
Reference – Stephanie Krol – Mary Kovach
Relationships – Tracy Burger – Laura Streyffeler
Religion/Fiction – Thane Lawrie – Ronan James Cassidy
Romance – Eve Riley – Patrick Greenwood – Melody Kepler
Romantic Comedy – Patricia Leavy – Valerie Taylor
Romantic Suspense – Eve Riley – Jeannee Sacken – Rohn Alice Federbush
Sales & Marketing – Allan Colman
Science Fiction – Tobin Marks – S.G. Blaise – Melody Kepler
Self Help – Mitzi Perdue – Kelly CP Hudson – Helen Ferrara
Series – Barbara Gilbert – Valerie Taylor
Short Stories – Billy Jones – Steve Zimcosky – Bobby Horecka
Social/Political Change – Michael J. Freeman Ph.D.
Speculative Fiction – Ishi Nobu – Daphne Self
Spiritual/Spirituality – Ananta Ripa Ajmera – Kaleb Thompson
Sports – Cristiana Pinciroli
Suspense – Jeannee Sacken – Miguel Hernandez Jr. – Donna M. Young
Teen – Tamara Belko
Therapy – Steve Bisson
Thriller – T.C. Solomon – Deb Radcliff – Deb Radcliff
Time Travel – Barbara J. Gilbert
Travel – Karen McCann
True Crime – Jamie Malton
Urban Fantasy – McKinley Aspen – Aurora Winter
Visionary Fiction – Maighread MacKay
War Fiction – Larry Freeland
Well-Being – Kate Hudson-Hall
Women’s Fiction – Lee Bukowski – Jeannee Sacken – Judy Lannon
Women’s Issues – Cheri Strange – Alle C. Hall
Young Adult – Tom Durwood – Barbara Gilbert
Young Adult Fiction – Eva Wong Nava – Donnally Miller – Terry Birdgenaw
Young Adult Near Future Sci-Fi – Ashley Spanton
Young Adult Science Fiction – Stephen and Mary Weller
Young Adult Thriller – Ashley Spanton
Young Adult Time Travel – Stephen and Mary Weller
Young Author written by age 12 and under – Arushi Bhattacharjee
HONORABLE RECOGNITION
Biographical Fiction – Stefan Scheuermann – Brighter Than the Flames
Crime/Christian – Linda Phillips – On Your Mark, Get Set, Die
Epic Fantasy Fiction – Dap Dahlstrom – Chronicles of the Drakyn War
Education – Valorie Allen – Eight Billion Reasons Population Matters
Fantasy – Derek Paul – A Machine Divine
Healthcare Fiction – Frank Geiger – Black Girls Don’t Get Hickeys
Holiday – Adaeze ifezulike – Super Rudolph: From Whiny To Wonderful
How To – Jacque Johnson – Hot Tub Clarity
Memoir – Vincent Daley – Build Me A Home
Self Help/Trauma Healing/Well-Being – Victoria Matthews-Patel – It’s Not Just You
Sweet Romance – Linda Phillips – Untied Shoelaces
Women’s Health – Viola B. Mecke – Aging Wisely: Life from Fifty to Seventy-Five Years
Young Adult Fiction – Tamar Anolic – Two Sisters of Fayetteville