2023 Writing Award Finalists

Dear Page Turner Awards Judges, I'm honored to submit my work for your consideration. I've written three novels about the Russian Revolution and the ensuing civil war which center around the Romanovs. The first one, THE MOTH ORCHID (historical, about 99,000 words) starts with the assassination of

The genre I prefer to write is erotic romance, but I have written thrillers and sci-fi fantasy novels under a different pseudonym. My stories are always about the human connection and how precious that can be, no matter the genre. Being loved, truly loved, is what we all hope for. Between everyday

After graduating from Texas A&I University with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, I worked in law enforcement, including an undercover assignment on the east coast. My experience included a stint as a Special Deputy US Marshal traveling to Europe and the Middle East. I received an Outstanding Law

I am a business owner, mother, military wife and live a short drive from the coast of Maine. My storytelling has historically been done through business branding and marketing until I poured my heart onto pages in the form of my first manuscript, BEFORE I GO. I am currently querying BEFORE I GO and

Although Nick always has scribbled and jotted, he waited until half-time before taking his writing seriously. In the meantime he played the drums, rode motorbikes, worked really hard, moved to the beach. Now he is writing like his life depends on it. His first ever short story won the Northern

Jenny is a doctor; a job that has long involved observing people, writing and story-telling. Instead of medical articles, now she is writing psychological thrillers. Jenny works full time as an NHS hospital paediatrician. She lives in West London with her partner, two children and two Russian Blue

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher. The creator of the Story Works Round Table podcast, the Story Works Fiction online school of creative writing, and developmental editor and writing coach at Word Essential, she has published two craft books, and multiple stories

Although Nick always has scribbled and jotted, he waited until half-time before taking his writing seriously. In the meantime he played the drums, rode motorbikes, worked really hard, moved to the beach. Now he is writing like his life depends on it. His first ever short story won the Northern

Gustav Temple has been editor of The Chap, a British men's style magazine, for 20 years. This career has allowed him to develop strong writing and editing skills within journalism, while he has also been busy writing fiction in his spare time. As well as Hotel Quarantine, his submission to The Page

Alex is the the author of THE ELSEWHERE, a genre-twisting paranormal thriller about the voices in our heads and the lengths we go to to avoid them. His aim is not to invent new worlds or fill his books with huge, sprawling maps but instead to tilt our own world, just a little, until we see it from a

Katie Eagan Schenck writes sweet romance and women’s fiction that warms the heart and gives all the feels. She has an MFA in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte and her debut novel, A Home for Christmas, was released in October of 2022. When she's not writing she's either drafting

Rob was born and bred in Surrey, with stints in Oxford and Freiburg, Germany, to study French and German, and is now based in South East London. He is fifteen years deep into an advertising career, but has always written during spare time as a creative outlet. Looking to elevate his craft, Rob

Dear Page Turner Awards Judges, I'm honored to submit my work for your consideration. I've written three novels about the Russian Revolution and the ensuing civil war which center around the Romanovs. The first one, THE MOTH ORCHID (historical, about 99,000 words) starts with the assassination of

I am a house-bound writer who lives happily with my husband and two cats, spending my days hopping from world to world via audiobooks and manga. I've wanted to be an author since I was 6, or so I've been told. Other options included: doctor, plumber, scientist, accountant, pilot and pokemon trainer

I am a trained classical guitarist with a BA in music from Rowan University and an MS from Drexel University. I spent thirty years teaching guitar and playing background music, recorded four studio albums, and performed at Carnegie Hall. I am a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, The

Jilly Carrell has been an army wife for the past 18 years, and her husband’s six Afghan tours with the British Army were the inspiration for her submission. Following his death, two years ago, she took a year long sabbatical to spend time with her young daughters and to complete an MA in Creative

Ankit Gupta is a young passionate Author and a TEDx speaker based in London, United Kingdom. He is a Certified Financial Specialist, accredited by Financial Planning Standards Board, USA, currently recognized globally in 27 countries. Ankit is extremely passionate about Personal Finance and that is

Nick McLoughlin was born and brought up in Derby. After university he escaped teaching by running away to the French Alps to go snowboarding. He is still there. He is an alumni of the respected Faber 'Writing a Novel' course, and is currently working on his second novel.

I have been a journalist in Devon and Cornwall much of my life, but it is only in the past year that I have had the time to pursue my great passion for writing thrillers set on Cornwall’s Atlantic coast. I have swum and surfed there since I was a child and, in fact, my father was one of the county’s

Richard O’Halloran is an Australian born, London based writer, and graduate of the University of East Anglia MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction)

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning, international bestselling author, screenwriter, and advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to

A little about me, hmmmmm, where to start? Ok, so, I'm a married father of 6, yes SIX, two grown up kids from failed experiment 1.0 and four from experiment 2.0. This experiment is going strong with my ring finger being dressed for a decade, come this November. If anyone deserves an award, it’s my

Ben Alvord has been writing across many different mediums since he was a kid. He's worked in screenwriting, slam poetry, live storytelling, sketch comedy and his original love, fiction. Ben lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with his wife and pitbull mix. When he's not writing, he's working his

I grew up in Boston, but I lived abroad for fifteen years. I spent three years in Australia, eleven in Taiwan and one in Japan. While I lived in Taiwan, I published two novels. The first, Jin Village, came out in 2013. The second, Dark Blossom, came out in 2014. I currently live in Los Angeles

Writer, actor, tutor and mother (including one bun in the oven!). A little about me: I have written a couple of one-woman shows, most notably ‘Words, words, words’, which was an exploration of the seven stages of grief told through the lens of Shakespeare’s seven ages of man. Here is a link to my

I have been a practising psychotherapist for over 15 years, specialising in trauma, emotional disorders, psychosis, suicide and self-harm. That experience has informed my portrayal of authentic depictions of lived experiences with mental illness in fiction. I have had short stories published in

Although I am British I was raised in Zimbabwe and I have also lived in Italy, Spain, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa, each of which has enriched the texture of my life and allowed my childhood dream of writing a novel to brew over time. A detour that involved a career in sales and marketing

I have my MFA from Southern New Hampshire University. I have self-published eighteen books under my name and the pen name Michelle Rider. I write contemporary romance and romantic suspense. I married my high school sweetheart and we have two amazing teenagers. I spent the first half of my career

I have a PhD in history and specialise in researching the social and emotional impact of the First World War, particularly for gay servicemen and conscientious objectors, whose 'outsider' status meant they had more in common that might be imagined.This novel arose from my original research on gay

I am a new writer from the south east, I worked as a script reader for a few years writing some of my own short scripts along the way. I have only recently started writing fiction novella as a way to tell more complex stories in a way that is more artistic than what is allowed in screen format. I

Fergal O’Donnell spent twenty years as a senior executive in the technology industry. With a diverse scientific background and a love of travel and adventure, he has written many fiction and non-fiction pieces. Proconnesus is his first novel.

I'm a freelance copywriter living a (mostly) quiet life in South Devon, after spending a decade in the city. I enjoy live music, travel, psychology and spending time outside, and am currently working on my second novel.

Kim Black is a not-quite-cozy genre mixologist and award-winning author. She loves learning new things and returned to school in her fifties to receive her certification in screenwriting. She is a member of the Texas High Plains Writers, one of the oldest writers' groups in America. She speaks to

Becky Adams grew up in a small New England town, the oldest of three daughters. She learned to read in kindergarten and has loved books ever since. Her favorite childhood pastimes were climbing trees and reading books; sometimes reading books in trees. Becky graduated summa cum laude from the

Born in South Dakota, I grew up in Oklahoma and Michigan, and have lived in Chicago, New York, Boston, London, Prague and, for the past 15 years, Paris. I have degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard, and I'm working on a third at University College London. I have worked as a babysitter

I am an award-winning author of two books: a YA novel “Camper Girl” (Fitzroy Books, 2020), and a picture book, “Red’s First Snow” (Corn Crib Publishing, 2020). I teach college English and volunteer as a youth mentor.

David Turner is an engineer with an eye toward the future. He spent ten years working on NASA’s mission critical software, including the Artemis missions that will send humans back to the moon. He enjoys home improvement projects, bartending for his friends, and hiking—especially in national parks

Since I was a girl, books have captivated me. As an adult, I've had fun writing stories that make people think and feel. You'll often find topics from my criminology and victimology teaching background in my writing - I infuse elements from these areas to grab readers in a relatable way.

Alex is a library manager from Brandon, Manitoba.

From a young age, Timothy Jay Smith developed a ceaseless wanderlust that has taken him around the world many times. En route, he’s found the characters that people his work. Polish cops and Greek fishermen, mercenaries and arms dealers, child prostitutes and wannabe terrorists, Indian Chiefs and

I am Kristen Crusoe, a Registered Nurse, working primarily in psychiatric/forensic and palliative care specialties. I have also taught nursing students at the master and doctoral levels. Before I became an RN, I was a dancer, ballet and modern. I know these worlds well, and love bringing them to

Having published several poems and short stories in previous years and a poetry collection, ‘Muted Hellion’ in 2007, Jacqueline began 'The Two Seeings' novel in 2008. She also embarked on the Creative Writing MLitt at Glasgow University in 2009. In 2010 she ran Poetry@The Ivory and was later Chair

Now retired, my career began as a teacher of French and German and ended as a specialist in helping pupils who do not speak the language of instruction all over the UK and Europe. I was a member of an EU Working Group promoting better Education outcomes for pupils of Roma heritage in Europe. I

Andrew Phillips for "SHOES," "WHISPERS," RIMBOMBO," AND "HOPE OF GLIMMER" I am currently retired from the public education system in North Carolina. My career spans nearly thirty years of teaching early childhood classes, working as a Home/School Coordinator, Arts Coordinator and elementary

I consider myself a collaborator and builder. Working as a leader and member of high-performance teams, I have created tremendous capabilities at financial institutions across Canada and in the U.S. I have been a Chief Risk Officer and a Chief Executive Officer. I also consider myself a creator. I

A born and bred Southern belle, Kay Elam has been a manager for a global company, a travel agent, an office manager, a consultant working with collegiate women across North America, and a high-end technical equipment salesperson—and those were just the jobs that paid. Each position required

OWEN LEVY is the author of two well-received novels, the seminal A Brother’s Touch, set in the early days of the Stonewall liberation movement, and Goodbye Heiko Goodbye Berlin plays out in the early turbulent days after the Fall of the Berlin Wall and move toward German Reunification. A Fellow of

I’m a lawyer who started writing about seven years ago. I'm currently working on Seven Sins, a locked room murder mystery set in a City law firm, inspired by my time as a corporate finance partner in two such firms. My elevator pitch is: Seven suspects. Seven sins. Which one is deadly? My previous

Scott Rye is a decorated veteran who served throughout the Middle East and Africa. The author of two non-fiction books, Scott has worked as a newspaper correspondent, magazine editor, advertising copywriter and was a partner and Chief Operating Officer of an ad agency before founding his own crisis

Yvonne Walus writes thrillers and crime fiction. She also dabbles in SF and romance (on the side).