This week’s voting will determine the winner of the 2022 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year award. Help out your favorite author by voting for their book to win!
Click on the book covers above to learn more about each book and author. The public poll for Best Book of the Year closes promptly at 11:59 pm (MST) on Friday, September 23rd. Place your vote today!
Just days ago, we announced the three finalists in this year’s Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year awards.
All three finalists were1st place winners of a 2022 CIPA EVVY Award, those annual awards sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) and the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (ELF). They were announced late last month and recognize some of the finest works of independent authors in dozens of book categories.
The time has come to vote on which of these talented authors have built an author platform and worked up the promotional muscle to acquire Outskirts Press’s top honors through a head-to-head competition! The Best Book of the Year Grand Prize winner and $1,500 Grand Prize winnings will be awarded based on the results of a live public poll . . . which is where you come in!
Our three finalists couldn’t be more different, and you’ll find summaries of each book below. So, study your choices, order their books, visit their webpages and social media, and cast your vote. Voting is easy! Simply scroll down to the poll below to place your vote for the book you think deserves our top honors in the 2022 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year competition!
Congratulations to our three finalists for the Outskirts Press 2022 Best Book of the Year award: Eating Yellow Paint, by Susie Newman; Survived By No One? My Story of Finding Hers, by Karen Spicer-Wolven; and The Un-Diet, The Ultimate Mindset Journal to Living Beyond Diets, by Stacey Stedman.
All three books took home first place awards from this year’s EVVY Awards, qualifying the authors for Outskirts Press’s highest honor! But remember, only one book can win—so diligently study your choices, order their books, and cast your vote. Voting will begin Monday, September 19th, on Self-Publishing News and close promptly on 11:59 pm Mountain Time on Friday, September 23rd.
So, come back on Monday, September 19th, to cast your vote for the book you believe to be the best of the three.
Breaking the chain of the dreaded “D” word . . . Diet
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who loves being on a diet. Saying that you are on a diet usually comes with kale between your teeth, a sad sigh, a longing for foods you can’t have, an eye roll, and/or an end date to when it’s over. The Un-Diet ditches the diet mentality. This journal takes you on a daily journey to be your own advocate for your health and nutrition. I will teach you how to get in tune with your body by fueling it properly, listening to your hunger cues, and checking in with your emotions and stress level before you eat. There is so much more to our nutrition mindset than WHAT we eat. There are several ways to use this journal to get the most out of it for YOU. Day-by-day logging for 30 days; using a separate journal for your daily logs and staying on each day as long as you want; or reading the whole thing, then working on the parts that resonate with you the most.
About the Author—Stacey Stedman
After 20 years of yo-yo dieting, I finally had enough. There had to be a better way. So I started health and fitness coaching in 2014, and I am now a certified health coach and personal trainer with an advanced certificate in sports nutrition coaching. I’ve been running online health and accountability groups for years and have helped hundreds of people shift their nutritional mindset. I was put on this earth to positively influence people’s lives and help them feel amazing and vibrant. I live in Longmont, Colorado, with my fantastic husband and two boys.—Stacey Stedman.
The Best Book of the Year winner will receive a Grand Prize of $1,500 directly from your choice at the polls. So, come back on Monday, September 19th, to cast your vote!
Connect with a Publishing Consultant today to learn how Outskirts Press can help YOU publish YOUR masterpiece:
Congratulations to our three finalists for the Outskirts Press 2022 Best Book of the Year award: Eating Yellow Paint, by Susie Newman; Survived By No One? My Story of Finding Hers, by Karen Spicer-Wolven; and The Un-Diet, The Ultimate Mindset Journal to Living Beyond Diets, by Stacey Stedman.
All three books took home first place awards from this year’s EVVY Awards, qualifying the authors for Outskirts Press’s highest honor! But remember, only one book can win—so diligently study your choices, order their books, and cast your vote. Voting will begin on Monday, September 19th, on Self-Publishing News and close promptly on 11:59 pm Mountain Time on Friday, September 23rd.
So, come back on Monday, September 19th, to cast your vote for the book you believe to be the best of the three.
In the summer of 2014, Angelika Harder-Russo passed quietly from this earth. Little did Karen Spicer-Wolven know that the search for Angelika’s family would help her survive her own darkest days and learn the true value of human connection.
This story began based solely on the 82 letters and over 300 photos Karen retrieved from the trash in Angelika’s home. However, as she tried to piece together Angelika’s life story, Karen learned that there are no “facts”—simply documented accounts of events recorded through someone else’s lens, which is what Angelika’s photos and letters provided: her version of life in post-WWII Germany; her perspective of her own romance, family conflict, survival, and the fear and excitement of leaving Germany to become an American military wife.
Survived by No One? is told through the eyes of a brave young mother who endured war, poverty, and incredible heartache. Angelika survived it all, but who survived her? This book takes the reader on Karen’s journey through Angelika’s letters, photos, documents, and eventually a trip to Bavaria, Germany, to finally share Angelika’s story with her family. It turns out that Angelika Harder-Russo has many “survivors.”
About the Author
Karen Spicer-Wolven
Karen Spicer-Wolven is a self-proclaimed “historical hoarder” with degrees in history/government and human services, with an emphasis on mental health. She spent four years researching Angelika’s story before traveling to Bavaria to meet with her family, and their friendship and learning continue. Karen lives in the Missouri Ozarks with her husband, Chris.
The Best Book of the Year winner will receive a Grand Prize of $1,500 directly from your choice at the polls. So, come back on Monday, September 19th, to cast your vote!
Connect with a Publishing Consultant today to learn how Outskirts Press can help YOU publish YOUR masterpiece:
And the Winner of Best Book of the Year is . . . determined by YOU!
Congratulations to our three finalists for the Outskirts Press 2022 Best Book of the Year award: Eating Yellow Paint,by Susie Newman; Survived By No One? My Story of Finding Hers, by Karen Spicer-Wolven; and The Un-Diet, The Ultimate Mindset Journal to Living Beyond Diets, by Stacey Stedman. All three books took home first place awards from this year’s EVVY Awards, qualifying the authors for Outskirts Press’s highest honor!
While each of these books has achieved great heights, the highest honor of Best Book of the Year is . . . determined by YOU! So, study your choices, order their books, visit their webpages and social media, and cast your vote. Public voting will begin Monday, September 19th on Self-Publishing News and will close promptly on September 23rd, at 11:59 a.m. Mountain Time.
These works are impressive. It’s going to be an exciting sprint to the finish! Here’s a recap of the finalists:
Fifteen-year-old Savannah Jorja Dale is a sensitive poet searching for happiness. Savannah and her siblings, Montana and Phoenix, all named for the places their drug-addicted mom would like to visit, are being raised by their Mimi. When Mimi dies of cancer, their lives become uprooted and more chaotic. The three teens must move in with their eccentric great-grandma, Granny Crackers, and pick trash to earn their keep. Granny Crackers runs a never-ending garage sale from the back lot of her house in a Midwestern, inner-city neighborhood known as Paris Village. Savannah seeks answers to her questions about suffering and God by finding beauty in ugly and unexpected places. She captures images of her new world and shares them on Instagram. The problems that Savannah faces are indicative of today’s social landscape. The characters that share her story have their own crosses to bear. Savannah tells their stories with compassion and understanding. The book touches on subject matter relevant in today’s world, such as sexual identity, racial discrimination, LGBTQ issues, immigration, poverty, the generation gap, the opioid crisis, and many other timely topics.
About the Author:
Susie Newman is married and the mother of four children. She lives in Westerville, Ohio. Susie is the author of two earlier books: Diaries, a collection of short stories, and the novel Lost Souls Cafe.
In the summer of 2014, Angelika Harder-Russo passed quietly from this earth. Little did Karen Spicer-Wolven know that the search for Angelika’s family would help her survive her own darkest days and learn the true value of human connection.
This story began based solely on the 82 letters and over 300 photos Karen retrieved from the trash in Angelika’s home. However, as she tried to piece together Angelika’s life story, Karen learned that there are no “facts”—simply documented accounts of events recorded through someone else’s lens, which is what Angelika’s photos and letters provided: her version of life in post-WWII Germany; her perspective of her own romance, family conflict, survival, and the fear and excitement of leaving Germany to become an American military wife.
Survived by No One? is told through the eyes of a brave young mother who endured war, poverty, and incredible heartache. Angelika survived it all, but who survived her? This book takes the reader on Karen’s journey through Angelika’s letters, photos, documents, and eventually a trip to Bavaria, Germany, to finally share Angelika’s story with her family. It turns out that Angelika Harder-Russo has many “survivors.”
About the Author:
Karen Spicer-Wolven is a self-proclaimed “historical hoarder” with degrees in history/government, human services, with an emphasis on mental health. She spent four years researching Angelika’s story before traveling to Bavaria to meet with her family, and their friendship and learning continue. Karen lives in the Missouri Ozarks with her husband, Chris.
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who loves being on a diet. Saying that you are on a diet usually comes with kale between your teeth, a sad sigh, a longing for foods you can’t have, an eye roll and/or an end date to when it’s over. The Un-Diet ditches the diet mentality. This journal takes you on a daily journey to be your own advocate for your health and nutrition. I will teach you how to get in tune with your body by fueling it properly, listening to your hunger cues, and checking in with your emotions and stress level before you eat. There is so much more to our nutrition mindset than WHAT we eat. There are a few ways to use this journal to get the most out of it for YOU. Day-by-day logging for 30 days; using a separate journal for your daily logs and staying on each day as long as you want; or reading the whole thing, then working on the parts that resonate with you the most.
About the Author:
After 20 years of yo-yo dieting, I finally had enough. There had to be a better way. So I started health and fitness coaching in 2014, and I am now a certified health coach and personal trainer with an advanced certificate in sports nutrition coaching. I’ve been running online health and accountability groups for years and have helped hundreds of people shift their nutritional mindset. I was put on this earth to positively influence people’s lives and help them feel amazing and vibrant. I live in Longmont, Colorado, with my fantastic husband and two boys.—Stacey Stedman.
The Best Book of the Year winner will receive a Grand Prize of $1,500 directly from your choice at the polls. So, come back on Monday, September 19th, to cast your vote!
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?
Connect with a Publishing Consultant today to learn how Outskirts Press can help YOU publish YOUR masterpiece:
Our three finalists have already won in their respective categories at the 2021 CIPA EVVY Awards; but only one can claim our highest honor — Outskirts Press’ Best Book of the Year! You’ve weighed your options and voted for your favorite book for this incredible distinction!
The winner of the 2021 Best Book of the Year award goes to In the Black by Andrew Ceroni.
In the Black
CIA’s most valuable foreign agents are being methodically assassinated. With its intelligence network shattering, the Agency begins a desperate search to uncover the traitor within its ranks!
The CIA’s most valued Russian double agents are being assassinated one by one. In Langley Center itself, Jack Barrett, Director of Central Intelligence, barely escapes assassination. When the Agency discovers the attacks originate from a Russian top secret cyberwarfare program called Chernyy Almaz, or Black Diamond, they must respond swiftly to shut down the attacks and extract their top prized agents before they’re lost forever. Chief among them is Dr. Armand Mishenkov, the head of Russia’s research and development for cold fusion weaponry. Pursued by Russian assassins and Spetsnaz teams, Agent Dave McClure must find Mishenkov and smuggle him across Europe and to the United States—but can they make it alive?
About the Author – Andrew Ceroni
Award-winning author Andrew Ceroni served a distinguished career as a Senior Supervisory Special Agent focused on global counterespionage and antiterrorism operations. He received his BS degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MA from Case Western Reserve University, and he studied the German and French languages at the University of Maryland. Andrew is a member of the Authors Guild.
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? Connect with Outskirts Press now in whatever manner is easiest for you:
Just days ago, we announced the three finalists in this year’s Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year awards. All three of our finalists were 1st place winners of a 2021 EVVY Award sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA).
The time has come to vote on which of these talented authors have built an author platform and worked up the promotional muscle to acquire Outskirts Press’ top honors through a head-to-head competition! The title of “Best Book of the Year” and $1,500 will be awarded based on the results of a live public poll … which is where you come in!
Our three finalists couldn’t be more different, and you’ll find summaries of each book below. So, study your choices, visit their webpages and social media, watch their book trailer videos and cast your vote. Voting is easy! Simply scroll down to the poll, below, to place your vote for the book you think deserves our top honors in the 2021 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year competition!
Visit the blog posting to read the synopsis, learn more about the author, watch the video, and visit the author’s webpage.
Cast Your Vote!
The public poll for Best Book of the Year closes at 12:01 AM Mountain TimeonFriday, September 17th.
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? Connect with Outskirts Press now to start your publishing journey:
Next week’s voting will determine the winner of the 2021 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year award. Help out your favorite author by voting for their book to win!
Voting will begin Monday, September 13th on Self-Publishing News and will close promptly on Friday, September 17th at 12:01 AM Mountain Time.
In the Black
Profiles in Kindness
Whale of Wonder
Click on the book covers above to learn more about each book and author. Then, come back on Monday, September 13th, to cast your vote!
Congratulations to our three finalists for the Outskirts Press 2021 Best Book of the Year award: In the Black by Andrew Ceroni, Profiles in Kindness: Stories of Inspiration & Everyday Leadership by Paul E. Kotz, and Whale of Wonder by Marie-Paule Mahoney.
All three books took home first place awards from this year’s EVVY Awards, qualifying the authors for Outskirts Press’ highest honor! Remember, only one book can win — so look into your choices, order their books and cast your vote. Voting will begin Monday, September 13th on Self-Publishing News and will close promptly on Friday, September 17th at 12:01 AM Mountain Time.
So, come back on Monday, September 13th, to cast your vote for the book you believe to be the best of the three.
Meet Your Third Finalist
An educational tale of love, grief, and resilience.
On a radiant summer day in 2018, an orca named Tahlequah gave birth to a female calf off the coast of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. The calf was emaciated, lacking enough blubber to stay afloat, and she only lived for 30 minutes. Tahlequah placed the baby on her head, and with the members of her pod, she swam for 17 days, covering 1,000 miles before releasing her into the sea.
Whale of Wonder is the dramatized story of this true-life odyssey, told through a dialogue between the mother orca and her curious son, who keeps asking, “Why, Mama?” Young readers will discover how Tahlequah expresses her maternal love, her grief, and slowly overcomes her loss to celebrate life again. This unique story opens a window to the majestic orcas and their complex emotional lives.
The Afterword presents information about orcas in general and the specific culture of the Southern Residents. It unveils Tahlequah’s life with the members of her pod in the Salish Sea, emphasizing the plight these orcas—close to extinction—are facing.
About the Author
Marie-Paule Mahoney was born and grew up in Brittany, France, and now lives in the foothills of New York State. Before retirement, she taught French in a Waldorf School for over 20 years, as well as at the State University of New York. Her professional career includes the publication of The French Connection and as a co-author of En Français. In the last few years, she has taken a greater interest in nature, wildlife, and conservation. She co-authored Molly and Babou, and wrote Coco. Tahlequah’s heroic journey inspired her to write Whale of Wonder.
The Best Book of the Year winner will receive a Grand Prize of $1,500 as a direct result of your choice at the polls. So, come back on Monday, September 13th, to cast your vote!
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? Connect with Outskirts Press now in whatever manner is easiest for you:
Congratulations to our three finalists for the Outskirts Press 2021 Best Book of the Year award: In the Black by Andrew Ceroni, Profiles in Kindness: Stories of Inspiration & Everyday Leadership by Paul E. Kotz, and Whale of Wonder by Marie-Paule Mahoney.
All three books took home first place awards from this year’s EVVY Awards, qualifying the authors for Outskirts Press highest honor! Remember, only one book can win — so look into your choices, order their books and cast your vote. Voting will begin Monday, September 13th on Self-Publishing News and will close promptly on Friday, September 17th at 12:01 AM Mountain Time.
So, come back on Monday, Sept. 13th, to cast your vote for the book you believe to be the best of the three.
Meet Your Second Finalist
Profiles in Kindness: Stories of Inspiration & Everyday Leadership
Leadership. You know it when you see it.
Those who make an impact – leave a mark on us. Hopefully, it is a positive one, grounded in those who bring us joy, and those who inspire us. They give us examples of how we can live our own lives, and also push us to be better.
You have so much time. There are plenty of people who have opened my eyes. Often it comes on unexpectedly. You can give back to society. You can bring your community together. You have relevance.
I am not going to tell anyone in this collection of stories of servant leadership, combining unexpected surprises, and lessons learned exactly what to do. I am going to give you examples of those who do make an impact, observations of people who can help us to realize our gifts and those who assist us in consciously or unknowingly changing for the better.
About the Author
Paul E. Kotz wrote the CIPA Award winning – Something Happened Today (2018), featuring stories of mentorship, advocating keeping eyes and ears open to the present and the positive. It addresses seeing the good each day – facing difficulties and adversity with hope and compassion. Dr. Kotz is a lifelong learner with education and business expertise. This includes working as faculty and advisor with undergraduate, graduate students and since 2013, in a doctoral program in leadership. Kotz has taught and served as an executive/life coach to graduate students and business professionals; and has assisted high school students in navigating adolescence. Teaching Ethics, Organizational Effectiveness, Strategies for Adult Learning Theory, and Statistical Research Methods, Kotz brings practical decision tools and discussion to assist in creating opportunities, facing situations that arise in our own lives and organizations. Some of his work in leadership practice includes – Teaching Examples of Extraordinary Leadership – Influence and Inspiration – An Ethnographic Study; Women Who Have Run for President – An Examination of Leadership Qualities; and Reaching Millennials in the Classroom. In addition, he continues to give motivational talks on examples of influence and inspiration. He is a resident of Saint Paul, Minnesota and continues to collect new experiences that shape and challenge his perspectives. Feel free to contact Paul at pkotz@smumn.edu or paulekotz@yahoo.com.
The Best Book of the Year winner will receive a Grand Prize of $1,500 as a direct result of your choice at the polls. So, come back on Monday, September 13th, to cast your vote!
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? Connect with Outskirts Press now in whatever manner is easiest for you:
