Congratulations to John Hudson, author of Dust to Dust, one of three finalists for the Outskirts Press 2014 Best Book of the Year Award.
The three finalists are being introduced throughout the week on this blog. Public voting will determine which of the three finalists should be awarded the Outskirts Press 2014 Best Book of the Year Award and its $1,500 Grand Prize. Voting is open to everyone and begins on this blog on Thursday, September 3.
John Hudson is a career banker with over 30 years of financial institution executive marketing experience. He also performs regularly as keyboardist and soloist with his Dixieland band Dixie Rhythm and is house soloist with the Clarke County Community Band and Yesterday Swing Orchestra. He is the author of two books commemorating his employer and his hometown; Dust to Dust is his first novel. John is married with two sons and a daughter-in-law and lives in Virginia.
Dust to Dust
The year is 1826 and Thomas Jefferson has just died. His beloved Monticello bustles with activity as funeral plans are swiftly organized for his burial in the family cemetery. Fast forward to 2026. A group of researchers specializing in regeneration technology have found success after years of work and significant investment. Dr. Pat Alexander, head researcher at BioGen, announces to the assembled group of board members/investors that the regeneration of a circus chimpanzee, which died in a runaway circus wagon accident in 1926, has met with success: The animal is alive and well. Discussion turns to the final step in the researchers’ plan—to bring back a human being—and after careful elimination, the candidates are whittled down to one name: Thomas Jefferson. So begins this powerful debut novel—a book that examines human ambition gone wrong and chronicles the miraculous “rebirth” of the nation’s third president, his struggles to assimilate, and the world’s collective amazement at the science behind this feat. The American government swiftly becomes part of the oversight of the technology, and the 48th president personally introduces Jefferson to the 21st century. But with a lethal flaw in the researchers’ technology, the world’s unbridled excitement quickly erodes, leading to a destructive conclusion for all involved. Fortunes evaporate, beliefs are challenged, careers are ruined, and lives are lost in Dust to Dust.
Every year, Outskirts Press recognizes the best book they publish with their annual Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year award, which must not only win an EVVY Award from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association but must also be recognized as the best book among three finalists.
As one of three finalists, John Hudson and his book Dust to Dust will be competing head-to-head-to-head with the other two finalists in a public poll on this blog starting on Thursday. John has already demonstrated he has the writing chops to win this prestigious award, as evidenced by his EVVY Award win. Does he have the marketing prowess to make it as the Best Book of the Year author in this digital age? Stay tuned for information on the remaining finalists being announced this week, and then come back on Thursday to vote for the book you believe to be the best among the three.
The author of the winning book will receive a $1,500 credit to his or her Publishing Center, courtesy of Outskirts Press, and an exclusive 2014 Best Book of the Year award seal to apply to the cover of the book.
Are you ready to publish your own award-winning book and perhaps find yourself in the running for next year’s Best Book of the Year award? Get started today.
