4th Quarter
2023
FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD WINNERS
CONGRATULATIONS
to all of our winning authors.
And a huge thank you to all the 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.
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.
Nonfiction Winner
Douglas Wellman
A Teenage Girl in Auschwitz
Fiction Winner
Kirsten Pursell
Long Enough to Love You
Children’s Book Winner
Amanda Cetas
A Home in the Wilderness
Special Needs Category
Betta Ferrendelli
An Invincible Summer
Mental Health Category
D. Terrence Foster
The Stress Book
Parenting and Family Category
Julie Ryan McGue
Belonging Matters
ALL WINNERS, including CHILDREN’S BOOK CONTEST
LISTED IN ORDER OF FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD PLACE
Addiction & Recovery – Beth Nanson
Adoption – Trish Diggins and Sherri Craig-Evans
Adventure – Jon Howe
Aging – David W. Berner
Animal Rescue/Adoption – Karl Riemensperger
Animal/Pets – Kathy Finley – PJ Mahoney – Joe Congel
Audiobook – Paul McMurrough – S. M. McCoy
Biographical Family Saga Fiction – Mary Frances Fisher
Biography/Historical – Douglas Wellman – Larry Freeland – Heather Cole
Book Cover Design Fiction – Mark Piggott – PJ Mahoney
Business – Entrepreneurship/Small Business – Sean Albertson – Satpreet Singh
Chick Lit – Amber Wiser Thompson
Children Adventure – Betty Cetas
Children African American Fiction – Christina Carroll
Children Christian Fiction – Jill Pietroburgo
Children Diversity – Tom Tracy – Dottie Lee
Children Educational – Alan J. Hesse – Tanya Ellen – TIE for 3rd Kimberly Delude – Fred Berri
Children Fable – Irit Tal
Children Grief/Death – Kristi Shimada
Children Health/Mental Health – Isabela Sardas Ph.D.
Children Holiday – A.M. Severson
Children Illustration – Betty Cetas
Children Inspirational/Motivational – Kirt Seuchan – Thomas Tracy
Children Interactive – Seleena Yohannes
Children Juvenile – Amanda Cetas – E.R. Yatscoff – Tamar Anolic
Children Multicultural – Tom Tracy – Christina Carroll
Children Multigenerational Family Life – Jill Pietroburgo
Children Neurodiversity – Grace Wolf
Children Picture Book 4-8 – David Huerta – Once Upon a Dance – Teresa L. Wallace
Children Pre-School Ages 2-4 – Radhika Nair
Children Pre-teen Fiction – Amanda Cetas
Children Relationships – Jill Pietroburgo
Children Religious – Antwinette Scott
Children Special Needs – Molly David – Nautica Mason
Christian Humor – Lauri Mays
Coming of Age – John David Graham – Michael A. Sisti – Michael Thomas Perone
Cozy Mystery – Monica Hoopes – Karla Jay – Carolyn Summer Quinn
Crime Fiction – C. D. Hancock – Joe Congel – Joe Congel
Disaster Thriller – Paul McMurrough
Divorce – Kirsten Pursell
Dystopian – Paul McMurrough
Epic – Z.S. Diamanti – Brett Comeau
Epic Fantasy – Sandy Lender – DJ O’Brien
Fantasy – Z.S. Diamanti – Sandy Lender – Mark Piggott
Fantasy Dark – David V Mammina
Fatherhood – Nick Adams
Fiction – Kirsten Pursell
Financial Thriller – Emmett Logan
Grief – Tyrel Nelson
Health/Wellness – Meg Arroll – Monique De Maio
Historical Fiction – Diane Byington – TIE for 2nd Kimberly Sullivan and Elizabeth Conte – Mike Torreano
History World – Douglas Wellman
History/United States – Larry Freeland
Holiday – Jasmine C. Caldwell
Inspiration – Kathy M. Finley – Tammy René
Legal Thriller – L.M. Twist
LGBTQ Fiction – Alaina Erdell – Joanne Boyle – David Grinnell
Magical Realism – Pamela Mahoney – Miki Mitayn
Memoir – Trish Diggins – Tom Peine – Kathy Finley
Mental Health – D. Terrence Foster MD – Kaytlyn C. Gillis – Marie T. Matteson MS
Military History – Jeffrey Morris – Larry Freeland
Motivational – Rod Cherkas – Monique De Maio – Caroline Dennis
Multicultural Fiction – Jeannee Sacken – Amber Wiser Thompson – O’Shan Waters
Mystery/Thriller – Daniel V. Meier Jr.
Mythology – S.M. McCoy
Narrative Nonfiction – Charol Messenger – Tom Peine – Raven Jemison
New Adult Fiction – Ian Griffin – J Rose Black – Nikki A. Lamers
New Fiction – Gayle Brown – John David Graham – Kim McCollum
New Fiction (First time published) – Paul McMurrough
New Nonfiction – Tammy René
New Nonfiction (First time published) – Cameron Draeco – Niomi Nicci – Raven Jemison
Nonfiction – Douglas Wellman – Jack Rasmussen
Nonfiction (first time published) – Vanessa Bush, M.Ed.
Paranormal – David V. Mammina – Kim McCollum – David Grinnell
Parenting & Family – Julie Ryan McGue – Nick Adams – Corinne Auman
Personal Growth – Julie Ryan McGue – Monique De Maio – John Sherrodd
Poetry – Gloria Mindock – Rebecca P. Bruckenstein
Psychiatry/Psychology – Heather S. Lonczak
Psychology – Stress Management – D. Terrence Foster, MD
Relationships – Cameron Draeco
Romance – Kirsten Pursell – Nikki A. Lamers – Estelle Pettersen
Romantic Comedy – J Rose Black
Romantic Suspense – Eve Riley – Amber Thompson – Sharon Buchbinder
Science Fiction – Jayson Adams
Screenplay – S.P. Somtow
Senior Topics – Corinne Auman – Arthur Hanson
Southern Fiction – Ian Griffin
Special Needs Fiction – Betta Ferrendelli
Speculative Fiction – Paul McMurrough – Miki Mitayn – Amy Cutler
Spiritual/Spirituality – Calvin Schwartz – R.G. Shore – Shanita Liu
Steampunk – Mark Piggott
Summer Beach Read – Maria Imbalzano
Suspense – Jeannee Sacken
Thriller – Gayle Brown – Margie Miklas – Albert Jaskula
War Fiction – Larry Freeland
Weird Book Genre – Dieselpunk Noir Fiction – T.E. MacArthur
Women’s Fiction – Florence Reiss Kraut – Ian Griffin – Gayle Brown
Women’s Health – Monica Le Baron
Women’s Issues – Charol Messenger
YA Historical Fiction – Kelly Grant Horrocks
Young Adult Fantasy – Vishnul Jain
Young Adult Fiction – Mike Nemeth – Amanda Cetas – J.B. Wagner
HONORABLE RECOGNITION
Brandin Bryant – So You Want To Be An Athlete
Dave Tabler –
David Edgar Grinnell – Lightwaves
David Edgar Grinnell – The Antiquarian
Dr. Katherine E.A. Korkidis –
John Dorsey – Christianity 2.0
Lillian Melendez – Auditory Viewpoint
Lillian Melendez – Dismantling Vindictiveness
Lisa Jacovsky – Let’s Talk! celebrating the holidays.
Nhlanhla Cyril Khuzwayo – Thou Shalt Be Wealthy
O’Shan Waters – Moments Series
O’Shan Waters – Making French Chocolate
Richard Jeffery Wagner – Bonsai Hawaiian Style: An Illustrated Guide
Robert K. Brown – Foundation Repair Secrets
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!
