APRIL 2022
1st Quarter 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 more to women and children in long-term shelters via Enchanted Makeovers.
You are so appreciated!
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. In rare cases we may award a tie. Often the winners are only one point apart and are shown in order below, when applicable. Categories with one winner indicates they were the only entry in that category that met the minimum accumulative judging scores. Honorable Mentions are listed at the bottom of this page.
$500 Grand Prize Winner
Valeria Aloe
Action/Adventure – Ellen Butler
Adoption – Thomas Tracy
Adult Satire/Humor – Sahar Abdulaziz
African American Fiction – Vikki Young
Aging – Lisa Charles
Animals/Pets – M.K. Dean
Apocalyptic – Myles Stafford
Audiobook – Ray Downing
Autobiography – Harry L. Graber – Jan Thatcher Adams – T.F. Mann
Biographical Fiction – Vincent Casciani
Biography/Autobiography – Natasha Miller
Biography/Historical – Jonathan Geoffrey Dean
Book Cover Design – Julie Scolnik – Susan K. Hamilton – Vikki Young
Career – Jotham S. Stein
Chick Lit – Michelle Lynn
Children’s Asia & Asian America Stories – Kristi Shimada
Children’s Board Books – Robin Currie
Children’s Early Readers 5-8 – Barbara Freeman
Children’s Illustration – Vikki Young
Children’s Inspirational – Jaymee Willison
Children’s Nonfiction – Once Upon a Dance – Barbara J Freeman
Children’s Picture Book – Vikki Young
Children’s Picture Books Aged 4-8 – Ruthie Godfrey – Howie Groff – (TIE)Lori Croy – Molly Arbuthnott
Children’s Preschool – Ages 2-4 – Kairen Alaina – Jean Janki Samaroo – Robin Currie
Christian Fiction – James Davison – Donna M. Young – Vivian Zabel
Christian Nonfiction – Darci J. Steiner – Barbara Marlowe & Teeba Furat Marlowe – J Mark Stacy
Christmas – Chris Coppel
Christmas Short Stories – Veronica Cline Barton
Coaching – Patrick Touhey
Coming of Age – Courtnee Turner Hoyle – Linda Loegel/Hemby
Contemporary Fiction – Cara Sue Achterberg
Contemporary Novel – Deborah S. Greenhut – Michelle Lynn – Jacob R. Gardner
Cozy Mystery – M.K. Dean – Marty Eberhardt – T.C. Lotempio
Cozy Mystery Tales – Veronica Cline Barton
Crime Fiction-Hardboiled – Theresa Sederholt – Tejas Desai – Fred Berri
Crime Fiction – Jacqueline Shortell-McSweeney
Crime/True – Frederick Douglass Reynolds
Cross Genre – Alice C. Early – Amy M. Le – Marcha Fox & Pete Risingsun
Culture Nonfiction – Dr. Martin Matthew
Death & Dying – John E. Budzinksi – Victoria Wilson-Crane – Tammy Tyree
Diet & Nutrition – Susan Rex Ryan
Divorce – Deborah S. Greenhut
Dreams- Claudia Watts Edge
Entrepreneurship & Small Business – Ivy Walker
Fantasy – Ivy Keating – David V. Mammina
Friendship – Kristi Shimada
Ghosts and Haunted Houses – Veronica Cline Barton & Bibiana Krall
Gift Books – Ray Downing
Grief – Daryl McCullough – Tammy Tyree
Healing – Tonni Lea
Health – Lisa Charles – Rene A. Ramirez – Susan Rex Ryan
Historical Fantasy – Frances Schoonmaker
Historical Fiction – Teresa A. Swift – Deena Lindstedt – A. Piper Burgi
Historical Mystery – Veronica Cline Barton
Historical Romance – Carol Ann Ross
Horror Anthologies – Veronica Cline Barton & Bibiana Krall
Humor – John J. Jessop
Inspirational – Geraldine Brown Giomblanco – J Mark Stacy
Juvenile Fiction – Sherrill Joseph – Frances Schoonmaker
Juvenile Nonfiction – Kelli Miller
Legal Thriller – Leighton Rockafellow
LGBTQ+ Fiction – Erin Wade
LGBTQ+ Family – Thomas Tracy
Literary Fiction – Dina Greenberg – Teresa A. Swift – Christy Alexander Hallberg
Magical Realism – Alice C. Early – Marieke Lexmond – Lukman Clark
Marriage – Deborah K. Shepherd – Jan Thatcher Adams
Medical Thriller – Dennis Ross
Memoir – Julie Scolnik – Marlene Anne Bumgarner – Amy Gray-Cunningham
Mental Health – Eli N. Weintraub
Military Fiction – Amy M. Le – Ali Blank
Military Nonfiction – Dennis Hoy
Mind/Body/Spirit – Eli N. Wientraub – karla k morton – Jan Thatcher Adams
Multicultural Fiction – Marcha Fox & Pete Risingsun – Amy M. Le
Multicultural Nonfiction – Valeria Aloe – Natasha Ickes-Saman
Multicultural Fiction Young Adult – Jodi Lea Stewart
Music – Debbie Burke
Mystery – John J. Jessop – Steve Zimcosky – Frances Schoonmaker
Nature – Marlene Anne Bumgarner
New Adult Fiction – John Sheirer – Vivian Zabel – Junio Carols
New Fiction – Alice C. Early – Harriet Cannon – Deborah K. Shepherd
New Nonfiction – Barbara Marlowe & Teeba Furat Marlowe – Darci J. Steiner – Jodi Klein
New Nonfiction (First time published) Geraldine Brown Giomblanco – Jonathan Geoffrey Dean – Pradeep Kumar Yadav
Novella – Steve Zimcosky
Paranormal Suspense – Veronica Cline Barton & Bibiana Krall
Parenting & Family – Julie Phillips Hatch – Thomas Tracy – Angie K. Elliston
Personal Growth – Andrea Medina
Philanthropy – Andrea Putting
Poetry – karla k. morton5 – Jan Thatcher Adams – Rita and Anna M. Wright
Pop Culture Fiction – Christy Alexander Hallberg
Psychiatry/Psychology – Dr. Peter Salerno
Recovery – Tonni Lea
Relationships – Alyson Nerenberg – Jodi Klein – Deborah K. Shepherd
Religion Nonfiction – Darci J. Steiner – John E. Budzinksi – Angie K. Elliston
Romance – Patricia Leavy – Melody Anne – Julie Scolnik
Romantic Suspense – A Frank Corso Mystery
Science Fiction – Ali Blank
Self Help/General – Lisa Charles – Dr. Peter Salerno – Susan Rex Ryan
Self Help/Motivational – Ed Norwood – Elizabeth W. Grubbs
Short Stories – Jodi Klein – John Sheirer – Claudia Edge
Social/Political Change – Valeria Aloe
Southern Fiction – Harriet Cannon – Christy Alexander Hallberg – M.K. Dean
Specialty Books – Ray Downing
Spiritual/Spirituality – Geraldine Brown Giomblanco
Suspense – Donna M. Young
Teen – Courtnee Turner Hoyle
Thriller – Tejas Desai – Gloria Hass
Travel – Bill Arnott
Urban Fantasy – Marieke Lexmond – Susan K. Hamilton
Visionary Fiction – Lukman Clark
Wellness – Eli N. Weintraub
Western Fiction – Marty Eberhardt
Women’s Fiction – Alice C. Early – Cara Sue Achterberg – Dianne C. Braley
Women’s Health – Lisa Charles
Women’s Issues – Valeria Aloe
Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy/Comedy – Norm Cowie
Young Adult – Melody Anne
Young Adult Dystopian/SciFi – Roxy Eloise
Young Adult Fantasy – Natalie Johanson – Natalie Johanson
Young Adult Fiction – Jodi Lea Stewart – Lauren Massuda – Jodi Lea Stewart
Young Adult Nonfiction – Natasha Ickes-Saman
Young Author – written by under age 25 – Jacob Gardner – Vincent Casciani
HONORABLE MENTION
Gwen Ehrenborg – OUR CHURCH MOTHERS – Christian Nonfiction
Leonard and Linda Chesler – FAMILY GUIDE TO CELEBRATION OF THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS – Guide Book
Lynn Keller – GOD IS A VERB – Poetry
Paul Ellison – THE ELEMENT WIELDERS – Fantasy
Shawn Jenkins – JESUS, PLEASE HELP ME – A MAN’S VALLEY – Christian Fiction
Stephanie King – WHEN TO RUN, BORN SCARED – Paranormal
Tamar Anolic – TALES OF THE ROMANOV EMPIRE – Historical Fiction