It’s the season of thanks, so we would like to take a moment to acknowledge a handful of our authors with a heartfelt thank you for all they accomplished in 2018. We publish over a thousand books every year and have hundreds upon hundreds of successful authors worthy of commendation. But that would make this article hundreds of pages long, so if we’re not able to mention you personally, please know our thanks and appreciation extend to you, as well. Keep up the great work in 2019!
January
In January, the spotlight was on Katherine S. Egan, author of Genetics Isn’t Everything. She went on to win a first place EVVY Award in August, which she was able to accept in person at the banquet in Denver, Colorado. She subsequently became one of three finalists in the 2018 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year Awards. Thank you, Katherine!
February
In February, Jackie Fischer won first place (and a new laptop computer) in our annual “Show Us Your Love” video contest, which celebrates both Valentine’s Day and self-publishing. Not only is she the author of The Lost Branch but, as she demonstrates in her video, she’s quite adept at rhyme, as well! Thank you, Jackie, for the fantastic video and the fantastic book!
March
Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Wineberg hit our Top 10 Bestsellers List in March with her inspiring and triumphant autobiography, Unwavering Perseverance. Even more impressive, she earned a Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 4×400 relay after overcoming obstacle after obstacle. “Always strive for your dreams,” she encourages. Thank you for the words of motivation, Mary! You’re a true inspiration!
April
The Annual Benjamin Franklin Awards are notoriously competitive, so it was no small feat when Dr. Jeanne Blanchet won a Silver Medal Award for Historical Fiction in April with her novel Man at the Cross Road. Proving herself to be anything but a one-trick pony, she quickly followed that up with an EVVY Award for her following book, Cursed. Thank you, Jeanne, for making the trip to Denver to accept your award in person and meeting some of our executive team.
May
We acknowledged the writing career of one of our most prolific authors in May when Jerry Snodgrass stepped into our monthly spotlight. Jerry has published 10 books with Outskirts Press (so far!) and was born in Butler, Missouri, in 1938. He was raised and went to school in Indianola, Iowa. He entered the military after graduating from high school in 1957 and fulfilled his dreams of serving in the military and traveling to exotic locations. He married Elizabeth Fleming in the 1960s and they had two children. The family traveled extensively during his military career before settling down in Killeen, Texas, in 2002. Thank you, Jerry, for your service and your books of valor.
June
Kevin I.J.A. Barnett Sr. went on a whirlwind virtual book tour in June for his debut book, a provocative and autobiographical examination of the United States Foster Care and Adoption System. As the author of Living My Shadows, Kevin is a retired, noncommissioned officer in the United States Army. He has served in Germany, Afghanistan and in many stateside tours during his career. He is married to Sharon F. Pelham and does motivational speaking when time permits. Thank you, Kevin, for your service and for having the courage to share such significant moments of your life for the assistance of others.
July
In July, prolific novelist Gabriel F.W. Koch learned that he was once again a finalist in the Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Awards. He walked away with a Second Place EVVY Award a couple years ago for his science fiction novel Paradox Effect (not to mention an Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year nomination). This year he picked up an EVVY Merit Award for Emma and the Dragon Tooth Sword. He has published four books thus far with Outskirts Press, including his latest: And Come Day’s End. Thank you, Gabriel, for all your wonderful, award-winning books.
August
Speaking of science fiction, C.R. Norris discovered that she won First Place in the Science Fiction category, for her book Wasp on the Wind, when the EVVY Awards Banquet took place in Denver on August 25, 2018. Wasp on the Wind is Book 2 in her Wasp Chronicles Series. She subsequently was nominated to be one of three finalists in the highly coveted Best Book of the Year Awards. C.R. Norris is a perpetual student of science and mathematics. Born in Salina Kansas, her varied career has included experience as a musician, a blood banker, and an electrical engineer in the semiconductor industry. She currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she indulges her passions for green chile, playing music and writing.
September
And it all led up to this, when the 2018 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year was announced. This year, the honor, the award and the $1,500 Grand Prize went to T.D. Arkenberg for his biographical take on the events leading up to, and following in the shadows of, September 11. Two Towers is his fourth book but his first memoir. Thank you, T.D., for letting us experience this tragic event from such an unfiltered perspective.
October
In October we recognized our 50 bestselling authors for 2018. It takes more than a marvelous literary work to achieve success as an author; it takes the gumption and drive to promote that work to readers! To you, we extend not only our congratulations but our thanks for allowing Outskirts Press to help you reach this successful milestone!
| Kevin Muldowney | Aage Nost |
| Will Kautz | Rasha Pecoraro |
| Michael McNamara | Tui Rose |
| Lisa A. Romano | Mohamed Elgendy |
| Mary Casey | Asif Anwar |
| Vil Mirzayanov | Brian Petit |
| L. Veach | Bill McClain |
| Mike Gillette | Tom Bisio |
| Mirtha Castro | Mary Allison |
| Matthew DiGeronimo | Rebecca Janes |
| Amy Pierotti | Halo Lewis |
| Jane McConnell | Jane Ostrow |
| Jill Jackson | Bernard Nebel |
| Don Petterson | Alex Cuoco |
| Ed Robinson | Adrienne Anderson |
| Scott Imhoff | Diana Arcieri |
| Patrick O’Connor | Tiffany Anderson |
| Joseph Adegboyega-Edun | Kathryn M. Mora |
| Bernard Nebel | Jeffrey Howe |
| Magdaline DeSousa | Steve Kelley |
| Michael Goodroe | Hal Perkins |
| Jokima Hiller | Rodney DuBose |
| Lisa Cicero | Amy Meadows |
| Heidi Herman | Paul Kotz |
| Luis Roman | Seth Spreiter |
And the year isn’t over yet. November and December are the biggest months of the year for book sales, so keep those marketing efforts going! And “Thank You” to all our amazing authors for making 2018 another banner year for self-publishing.
Want your book to be the next big prize-winner? Find out more about marketing, promoting and submitting your book for awards and reviews.
Two Towers is the fourth book and first memoir from award-winning author T.D. Arkenberg. Independent Publisher Book Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, and Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society have recognized his work. T.D. studied at The University of Chicago, London Business School, and Northwestern University. He lives with his spouse, Jim, and their cat outside Chicago. Visit 
