Mike Rucker, PhD Feeling fun-starved in today’s fast-paced world? The Fun Habit is your guide to reclaiming your joy. It blends science and practical strategies to restore the essential (yet often missing) element of fun in our lives. Perfect for anyone yearning to revitalize their daily experiences with more genuine happiness.
Now You Are a Missing PersonWinner
2024 Southern California Book Festival
Susan Hayden Three devastating losses are at the heart of Susan Hayden’s lyrical memoir, Now You Are a Missing Person ― her father, her childhood best friend and her husband. In vivid stories, poems and fragments, she traces her search for equilibrium through lovers and friends, from the 1970s to now, in an LA populated…
How I Lost My Kidneys in ChinaWinner
2024 Southern California Book Festival
Randall Flores How I Lost My Kidneys in China reveals the true story of Randall Flores, an intrepid explorer who, by chance, studied Mandarin in 1987. Three years later, he made his way to the esteemed halls of Peking University, followed by a two-year stint in Taiwan. After relocating to Hong Kong in 1994, he…
Hilton’s Island Honorable Mention
2023 New England Book Festival
Mary Beth McCarthy Hilton, a golden doodle, loves to visit Hilton Head Island. As a matter of fact, he thinks it’s “his” island. When Hilton’s owners bring him to the beach he accidentally slips out of his collar, and is FREE! Join Hilton as he meets some adorable, silly and unexpected island animals as he…
From the Back of a Donkey, Journey of a Lifetime – Second EditionHonorable Mention
2024 Southern California Book Festival
Nancy Elaine Hartman Minor From the Back of a Donkey, Journey of a Lifetime – Second Edition is a journey that captivates, moving you to slow down and rediscover the wonder, hope, and awe within the Christmas story, with an invitation to embark on a transformative and heartfelt journey through the essence of Christmas.
Tea, Elixir and Cottongrass 1. The GardensHonorable Mention
2023 New England Book Festival
Claire Huneault The Great Gardens are under attack! Iris and Max are planning on an uneventful Fall. What exactly is going on here? Why has there been an attack and who is responsible for it? Oddly enough, it occurs almost at the same time as an outbreak of COVAD-14. What a coincidence …
Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the BibleRunner-Up
2023 New England Book Festival
Chris Morehouse Discover African expressions of the Golden Rule, African versions of loving one’s enemies and welcoming the stranger, African insights about losing your way to find your way—and much more. The task of finding common ground—and facing our common future—has never been more urgent.
The Selfish Shellfish and the Sick SeaHonorable Mention
2023 New England Book Festival
Andrea Harrison Caleb, a self-centered King Crab leader of the Shellfish does not want to face that his shellfish subjects are struggling to survive in the polluted ocean. He learns a valuable lesson about the importance of sharing and caring when his friends take up the cause to try and find a solution to heal…
Against All EnemiesRunner-Up
2024 Southern California Book Festival
Thomas M. Wing A Chinese sneak attack devastates the American military. Russia takes advantage and attacks NATO. A US destroyer, alone in the South China Sea, faces off wit the Chinese Navy. How much risk and loss must Captain Bill Wilkins accept to bring his crew home?
Already Home: Confronting the Trauma of AdoptionHonorable Mention
2024 Southern California Book Festival
Howard Frederick Ibach In his debut memoir, Already Home, adopted son, Howard Frederick Ibach, invites readers on an inspiring, roller-coaster journey of discovery and transformation that ultimately debunks presumptive ideas about adoption and reveals what it really means to have a family…or two.