2024 Book Award Finalists

Though Deborah L. King has been a writer and storyteller her whole life, publishing her first short story at seven years old, she took 32 years to complete her first novel. As a fiction writer, Deborah loves the work of Octavia Butler, classic Stephen King, Peter David, and the illustrations of Dan

Thank you for considering Deena Undone for a 2024 Page Turner Award. I am an author of horror, thrillers, and stories that make the heart beat fast. Deena Undone is my debut novel and will be published by Woodhall Press. It has won multiple awards, most notably an American Fiction Award for BEST

JM Blake has a few thoughts about life: -Wine and tea are a must, daily -I talk through every movie and TV show- you have to get used to it if you want to be my friend -Cats beat dogs, hands down -Nerds run the world -Nothing beats a good sex scene -Chocolate is the food of the gods -“The Talisman”

Pauline Tait is an award-winning children’s author, romantic suspense novelist, writing mentor to children’s authors and Editorial Manager for online magazine, Writers’ Narrative. Pauline is also the voice behind Reluctant Readers, a weekly newsletter for parents and carers of children who are

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

Dr Lee Michael Keegan is an Acute Medical Consultant Doctor from Liverpool England. He was brought up under the cloud of managed decline in Margaret Thatchers 1980s Liverpool and searching for a way out of a world of gangs and street violence he joined the RAF Regiment as a specialist Infantryman at

Camilla Monk is a traditionally and independently published French-Canadian author who shares her writing time between high-octane adventures and fantasy, her secret love (all featuring weird animals...) She grew up in Paris in a Franco-American family, has lived in Tokyo, and spent ten years in

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

Storyteller, teacher and poet, Australian-born Manisha Jane completed a Master in Arts Education, then travelled her homeland and India before finally settling in Europe. She has practiced and taught Sahaja Yoga meditation for over twenty years - a passion that she brings to light in her writing

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

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

Nemanja Jovanovic was born in Novi Sad, Serbia. He went to Karlovci Grammar School and graduated from University of Novi Sad. Nemanja is a certified sommelier, film photographer and a self-published author.

Glenn Somodi is an award-winning author who writes stories in the short space between lying down and dreaming. The stories are written over many nights, replayed, and rewritten in his head for enjoyment. His mission is to find anyone who enjoys reading the stories as much as he enjoys creating them

Andi Kopek is an award-winning poet, author, human rights advocate, and interdisciplinary artist who explores themes of resilience, compassion, and hope. Trained in the medical field, neuroscience, behavior change, and coaching, Kopek has now devoted himself to storytelling through art. His debut

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'

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

Justine Gilbert's debut novel, Daisy Chain was published in March 2023 by Claret Press, historical fiction about the women who surrounded Roosevelt's presidency. Daisy Chain has been shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Award 2024. Born in New York, Justine has lived in America and Italy, but

SHERRY MAYSONAVE An award-winning author and accomplished motivational speaker, Sherry Maysonave has been interviewed by over 200 TV, Radio, and print publications across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. This includes multiple appearances on NBC's Today, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NPR radio. Sherry 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

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

TF Johnson has a love for storytelling, characters and far away worlds. She started creating before she started primary school, and the passion never left. When not writing, TF Johnson can be found reading the books on her to be read bookshelf that mysteriously keep multiplying, hanging with friends

Kathy was born in Boston, raised in Scituate, Massachusetts and a graduate of Connecticut College. Aside from being an advertising copywriter, she is also a painter and musician. She lives in Cohasset, Massachusetts and writes historical and middle grade fiction. Familiar with the legend of Boston

Joshua Ferdinand, founder of an Academic Publishing Network, began his teaching journey with Key Stage 2 students. This experience inspired him to create The Last Words of Albion, a book for children aged 9-12 that explores themes of colonialism, climate change, and culture through haikus and

Siobhan Bell is a 22 year old writer, performer and Artistic Researcher, originally from Scotland and now based in Amsterdam. She aims through her creative work to weave together various disciplines- investing how writing and art can be used as a tool for inner work and self realisation. Currently

I am a writer and performer from Essex born to an Anglo-Indian mother and Anglo-Burmese father. I have been writing since I was twelve years old, after spending most of my evenings reading stories from the school library. I live in Colchester with my husband, dog and cat. Hexed is my first published

Marieke Lexmond is a multi-award-winning author and a solitary witch who has lived around the globe. Her long background in filmmaking has circled her back to Los Angeles, but she can still be found writing in magical settings like the West Coast of Ireland and New Orleans, places that inspire her

Helen Rowe is an award-winning social researcher and writer. Her first book "Eliminating Poverty in Britain" won The Page Turner Awards Mentorship Prize in 2021. The book was published by Flint Books in September 2023 and since then she has spoken to a variety of audiences including, The All-Party

Julie Hamstead is a doctor by day but, since joining a local writing group, she pretends she is a novelist by night. She lives in the south of England with her family, various cats and the occasional dog borrowed from a friend. The Gemini Connection is her first novel. She is currently working on

As a First Nations educator, Ashlee Alicea is dedicated to helping children ask the “I wonder” questions. Her playful and imaginative style of writing helps tap into a child’s curiosity. Creating stories that all children can enjoy while also highlighting the language, culture, and identity of

H. Les Brown has master’s degrees in philosophy and theology from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He has worn many hats over the course of his careers: minister and spiritual director, computer programmer and tech writer, Chief Information Officer and Quality Systems Auditor, Management

Justin K. Kojok, PMP, CISSP, CISM, CASP+, CEH. Justin is a Multi-award winning author and an accomplished writer from his formative years in secondary school. His aptitude for writing established a strong foundation and paved the way for his thriving career in journalism. He was a research

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

Anne Wedgwood lives in Beverley, where her stories are set. She has come to writing in her later years, having spent her working life in education. Anne was born in London and was immersed in books from her childhood onwards. She has lived in Beverley since 2008 and has no plans to leave! Anne is

Glen R Stansfield likes to kill people – in stories – mostly! Born in Rossendale, in the Lancashire Pennines, he grew up with a freedom and innocence he believes children no longer enjoy. They were magical times when play was a product of the imagination; a tree trunk became a pirate ship, a stick

L.P. Simone lives and writes in Washington D.C, is known to feed a stray cat or two, and definitely believes in ghosts, dragons, and other mythical beings.

Karen Gilleland, the hand behind the Diamond-Dennison Mysteries, spent much of her career in corporate communications. During the pandemic, Karen discovered the thrill of mystery writing. As a fan of Golden Age of mysteries, she became inspired to create intriguing characters and plots that delight

Sandeep Kumar Mishra has received " Vedvyas Award-2022", "Readers Favorite Award-21", "Indian Achievers Award-21", “IPR Poetry Award-2020” and “Literary Titan Book Award-2020”. He has been shortlisted for "the 2023 Commonwealth Story Prize", "the 2021 International Book Awards", "the 52nd New

After studying ceramics in Japan for two and a half years, I returned to the Midwest and launched Linden Hills Pottery with my wife, Cynthia Mosedale. Over the last 30 years, we have received multiple honors selling our ceramic art at shows throughout the country. The greatest honor was making a

Born in the UK and currently living in Switzerland, Paul has written four novels, two of which have been published. The other two will probably never again see the light of day, although they have good titles. As a writer, Paul tries to stick to the adage ‘write what you know’, although with the

Born into a non academic family background and brought up on several council estates, Sharon's parents dismissed her enthusiasm to join the artistic world. Repeatedly insisting it wasn’t a real career with any prospects or financial stability. Continually being ridiculed by her Father, she didn’t

Anita Selzer is an acclaimed author of fourteen books in adult and children’s non-fiction. Her interest is in women, gender and culture, and history. She has earned a BA, Dip Ed, Master of Education, PhD in Education and Grad Dip in Women’s Studies at universities in Melbourne, and was awarded the

Barry W. Levy is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter. He holds a Fine Arts degree from The University of British Columbia's Department of Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing, (1991). His two feature films, ‘Spook’ and ‘The Shasta Triangle’, both of which he wrote and directed, have

Jan Sikes writes compelling and creative stories from the heart. She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author, although she’s been an avid reader all her life. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. She brought the

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

I am an artist, writer and market trader, now seventy-six years old and working as hard as ever. I pursued a long and rewarding career as an advertising artist in London, but I began writing seriously after attending a creative writing course in 2001. Since that time I have written a successful non

Eerie River Publishing is an independent publishing house located in Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2019, it has quickly established itself as a purveyor of high-quality horror and dark fantasy anthologies. With a focus on indie authors from across the globe, Eerie River Publishing offers a platform

Jayne Doxtater was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and currently resides in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. A business owner and esthetician of 40 years, she is now semi-retired and loves spending time outdoors. A self-proclaimed tree hugger and chocolate lover, Jayne is

Eerie River Publishing is an independent publishing house located in Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2019, it has quickly established itself as a purveyor of high-quality horror and dark fantasy anthologies. With a focus on indie authors from across the globe, Eerie River Publishing offers a platform

Mikhail Sergeev (Ph.D. in religious studies from Temple University, 1997) is a religion, philosophy, and modern art historian. He has served as an editor of the book series Contemporary Russian Philosophy at Brill Publishers in the Netherlands (2016–2019) and as Chair of the Department of Religion

Early years professional turned eco business founder, Dani Seatter, combines a love of education with a passion for sustainability to write and publish her award winning sustainable children's books. Author of 'Away' and 'Oceans Away', which are designed with unique black and white illustrations