2024 Book Award Finalists

ANDREA WILSON WOODS is a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-benefit, digital health company. With Cancer U, Andrea

John Nassari is an award-winning portrait and wedding photographer with notable exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery and a shortlist for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize. He also holds a PhD in Refugee Studies, focusing on personal and family narratives. With a lifelong passion

Southern. Sassy. Tattooed. Beach bum.

Lubna Samara, BSc, MBA, is a Leadership Coach and Healer, and founder of HigherWill, an award-winning leadership and coaching company. Drawing on over 25 years of experience, Lubna’s globally sought-after talks and courses make holistic wellbeing accessible to all in the workplace, helping

Justine Gilbert was born in New York, but lived mostly in Europe. Her debut novel, Daisy Chain was published in March 2023 by Claret Press, historical fiction about the women who surrounded Roosevelt's presidency. Daisy Chain was shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Award 2024. Her second novel

By day, Chloe is a Physician Associate in a busy GP Practice in London. By evening, Chloe can be found crafting thoughts and weaving stories. 'Good Practice: Confessions of a physician associate student' is Chloe's debut self published memoir.

I've been told I have grit. Actually that came from my editor after he read my memoir manuscript. I never thought of it that way. I just kept getting back up and trying again. That perhaps explains how I, being raised fatherless by a Hispanic mother in public housing projects, and being evicted 7 or

THOM EVANS is a writer, based in the UK, with an interest in genre fiction (particularly horror and sci-fi). In early 2024, Thom finished his first novel, We Keep Our Own, a tale of two brothers, a terrible family secret, and an ancient evil now threatening the world. Thom is currently working on

Robin Jeffrey can almost always be found cranking out punchy flash fiction, lyrical essays, and world-rich romances. Her writing has been published in magazines across the country and around the world. She currently calls the Pacific Northwest of the United States home, where she lives happily with

Before Melissa started writing romantic comedies and women’s fiction, she worked as a surgical Physician Associate in Nashville, where one of her favorite procedures was re-suturing a lower-lumbar tattoo. Her stories, like herself, are always a mix: light and dark, laughter and tears, outlandish and

I'm a rom com author based in the West Midlands. I love creating characters you can empathise with and crafting stories that you can't put down. When I'm not writing, I'm a photographer and artist, and I live with my husband, my two children and a beautiful but demanding cat.

A native of Charleston West Virginia, Jeffrey lives with his wife and “spousal unit” of thirty-five years, Jennifer, in North Carolina. With their three grown children out living successful lives, Jeffrey intends to devote more time honing his craft and carving out the next historical military novel

MARY BEHAN was formerly a professor of neuroscience. Now retired she devotes her time to writing fiction, memoir and short stories. Her first book, Abbey Girls, is a memoir she wrote with her sister about their childhood in Ireland. Her first novel, A Measured Thread, set in Wisconsin and Ireland

Jeremy Hullah grew up in the rural Midlands, where he spent a lot of time dreaming about being a pianist or a writer, or something equally unachievable without the required level of effort. After proving beyond all doubt that education was not something that came naturally, he moved to Twickenham

Jayne Doxtater was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and now resides in the beautiful West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. After a fulfilling 40-year career as a business owner and esthetician, she is now semi-retired and embraces a life close to nature. "I wrote this book as a

Jay McKenzie is the author of Mim and Wiggy’s Grand Adventure (Serenade Publishing, 2023). Her work has appeared at or is forthcoming in adda, Unleash, Bath Flash Fiction Anthology, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Ulu Review, Reverie and other publications. Winner of the Exeter Story Prize and numerous

A Welsh poet and author from the Rhondda Valleys, Philip M John graduated from the University of South Wales in 2014 before working and living across the border in Bristol. He has since returned to Wales and now resides in Monmouthshire. Philip has published four volumes of poetry – Home Truths

Heather S. Lonczak holds a PhD in educational psychology and a master's degree in clinical psychology. She completed her MA practicum at Western Psychiatric Institute and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. She has extensive

Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert is an award-winning travel writer, adventure traveller, and dogmother, who loves history and curious facts. BC (Before Canines) she rafted, rock-climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents. A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been

S G Fessel has been writing non-fiction for many years but ‘Switchling’ is her first novel. It recently won 'Best New Fiction' in the Pacific Book Awards 2024 and was placed first in the International Firebird Book Awards (Children's Pet/Animal category). Inspiration struck when lying in bed one

Dana Wayne fulfilled a lifelong dream to be a published author in the summer of 2016 with the publication of her first novel, Secrets of the Heart, which went on to win first place in a statewide contest. Since then, she has self-published a popular cookbook and seven well-received romance novels

Former BBC current affairs journalist, now turned writer of historical fiction set in the ancient world. Independent publisher.

Jennifer Burkinshaw studied English and Classics at Cambridge University before teaching English and Drama in various schools in England and France. Feeling the urge to write in her early 40s, she studied for an MA in Creative Writing for Children at MMU. Her award-winning debut YA novel, 'Igloo'

Writer, artist, librarian, herbalist and genealogist, Gail has written several family histories, short stories and her paranormal cozy mysteries series entitled, The Gallagher Girls Mysteries. After traveling the world as a military spouse, Gail now resides in Idaho with her husband and their

K.E.Andrews has always been an avid reader, which sparked her passion for writing at an early age. Most days she spends her time daydreaming about stories and making mood boards. When she's not writing, she tends to her plants, plans out her next crafting project, and binge-watches shows on Netflix

Heather Peck is author of the multi-award-winning Greg Geldard series of murder mysteries, set in rural North Yorkshire and Norfolk. She has also written books for children, mainly based on the adventures of her two dogs and her farming life. Writing was always her first love, but for a long time it

Genét Simone has been a teacher and teacher educator for over thirty years. Her experiences in Shishmaref, Alaska, upon which "Teaching in the Dark" is based, spearheaded her lifelong quest to understand the emotional and spiritual aspects of teaching. What goes on behind the scenes of a teacher's

Angela is a music enthusiast, her playlist jumping from country to coffee house with 80s and 90s nostalgia sprinkled in between. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, listening to an audiobook, or binge-watching a series with her husband, Roman. Intrigued by the ocean, she loves the full moon and

I am a writer and tutor of creative writing for universities in the UK, and an older mum to a wonderful boy, age 12. We live in Portugal, way up in the mountains, and we have two ponies and a dog. Inspired by my son and our travels in our campervan, I am writing a series about a magic campervan

E.T. Gunnarsson translates imagination into words for a living. E.T. Gunnarsson's debut book, Forgive Us, received the accolades for Best Sci-Fi Book at the 2021 San Francisco Book Festival and Best Post-Apocalyptic Book at the 2021 Fiction Awards. Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains (9,000 feet

C.J. Martin grew up in Sydney, Australia, and loves dance, music, history, gardening and cooking as well as literature. She has a PhD in history and has been a university lecturer, a teacher and an Air Force Officer. She now lives with her family near Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional

Christine Elmer Collins holds a rich 30-year background in nursing and healthcare management and has served with distinction in both the United States Air Force and United States Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps. Her career highlights include critical care nursing during the Afghanistan War

Simone Heng is a human connection specialist and former international broadcaster for Virgin Radio Dubai, HBO Asia, and CNBC, among others. She is an accredited certified speaking professional. With over 20 years of experience around the world as a communicator on-air, on stage, and one-on-one

Thomas Henry Pope gives the landscapes in his novels as much agency to influence events as he does to his characters. His narrative style draws on his passions of journalism, theater, songwriting and teaching. And his world travels provide grist for his characters and stories. His debut novel

Jeremy Bending spent his life as a hospital doctor and consultant physician. During that time he continued to write fiction and short stories, some of which were brought together in his book 'A Listening Doctor', published by Quartet Books London in 2018. After hanging up his stethoscope, he

Lizann Lightfoot is an experienced writer, editor, and speaker for the military community. After two decades with her Marine—which included seven deployments, six PCS moves, five children, and three years overseas—she specializes in sharing resources and encouragement with families through the many

Jennifer / JL Lycette is a novelist, award-winning essayist, rural physician, wife, and mom. Mid-career, she discovered narrative medicine on her path back from physician burnout and has been writing ever since. She is an alumna of the 2019 Pitch Wars Novel Mentoring program and is now a published

Murray Bailey Is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father's experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s. Murray is well

Christina Ford is a former award-winning TV and film executive who currently divides her time between the UK, the US, and Canada. She channels her wit and experiences into writing her amusing lifestyle blog, "A Broad in London: A Survival Guide for Life, Travel, and Being Sensationally Single." A

Karen (MacDougall) Barrow was born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and lived there for eighteen years. Her studies took her to Canada, while marriage to a geologist took her across the country and beyond. Several degrees later and working as an audiologist, Karen succumbed to her love of

Miranda Boyer is an award-winning author, publisher, and lifelong storyteller whose work explores themes of identity, resilience, and magic in the face of adversity. She is best known for her Fountain of Youth series, a genre-bending YA fantasy saga that weaves together reincarnation, found family

Eleanor was born in London, educated at Westminster and studied History of Art at Manchester University where she was distracted from finishing her degree by a trip to India. She was lost and found for the next twelve years, starting a commune, building a stone circle, and travelling through Asia

Aurita Maldonado is a Puerto Rican US Army veteran, Purple Heart recipient, award winning author, and Afro Latín dance instructor who has danced intimately with Death. She served more than 8 years in the military including two combat tours to Iraq and Afganistan. After a 200 lb. IED exploded

Book is published under a pseudonym, Rose Carmichael. Rose Carmichael is a linguist, writer and journalist. Rose grew up in the countryside in Cambridgeshire, before moving to Dubai, Tehran and then eventually, London. After graduating from the University of Cambridge, where she studied Middle

Ruth Estevez is the author of six novels, including the Jiddy Vardy trilogy, which is inspired by a real-life female smuggler from Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire. She is a semi-finalist in the BBNYA Awards and was the Guest Speaker in the Cheshire Prize for Literature 2023. Ruth has previously worked

Annette Kane was a painter for many years, with representation in London, Amsterdam and New York. A book about her work, Being Bold in Watercolour, was released in 2006. She has also worked as a signwriter, screen printer, teacher, Humanist celebrant and Citizens Advice adviser. She now writes

Murray Bailey Is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father's experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s. Murray is well

James Walter Lee is an award-winning American author. He is the founder and editor of two publishing imprints, Zennea Press and 2nd Sight Press. He holds a Master’s in Fine Arts from The New York Academy of Art and a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the College for Creative Studies. James is also an

Lorana Hoopes is the USA Today best-selling author of over forty books and counting. She's originally from Texas which shows as most of her books are set in the great state. As the saying goes, "You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl." Lorana began writing at an