2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR - FICTION
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR - NONFICTION
Ken Guidroz
Ken Guidroz
Ken Guidroz
Ken Guidroz
Ken Guidroz
2023 SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR
Teresa Strasser
Teresa Strasser
Teresa Strasser
Teresa Strasser
Teresa Strasser
Teresa Strasser
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2023 AWA WINNERS AND FINALISTS!
Congratulations comes with the best wishes for the new adventures ahead.
2023 FEATURED AUTHORS
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford grew up an Iowa farm girl with horses and was a rodeo queen. Her love of horses and Native American history fostered her fascination for the Nez Perce's Appaloosas and their leader, Chief Joseph, which her debut novel, Blood to Rubies, chronicles. She became a career magazine editor, then publisher of The Writer’s Handbook, with credits in the New York Times, NYT Magazine, Connoisseur, other titles. She also taught at the University of Iowa, Northwestern University, and Marquette. Several years ago, Hufford launched a popular historical blog, Notes from the Frontier, that now has 100,000 readers and 400 posts.
Hufford is most proud of her volunteer work for veterans, women and children, the environment, animal rescues, and especially the Chief Joseph Foundation (CJF). A percentage of Blood to Rubies sales goes to CJF's Nez Perce youth programs.
All her life, Hufford dreamed of writing a novel. But it wasn't until she was diagnosed with severe kidney disease, then a related heart attack, that she panicked her time was running out. A year ago, with end-stage kidney failure, her husband proved a miraculous match. That same day, Hufford landed a publisher for her novel! Today Hufford has her husband's shiny new kidney and her debut novel has already garnered awards and accolades from many New York Times bestselling authors. Miracles do happen!
Read more at her author and historical blog sites at:
Ken Guidroz
Deborah Hufford
Deborah Hufford
In 2010, Ken co-wrote the go-to book for his profession, Beyond the 401(k).
In 2016, when his son went to prison for involuntary vehicular manslaughter, he started writing letters to his son. This memoir is about the life-changing impact of those letters. Both for him and his son.
He lives in Santa Clarita with his wife of over forty years. All three of his sons and their wives live close by.
KenGuidroz.com
IG: @kenguidroz
Teresa Strasser
Deborah Hufford
Teresa Strasser
Teresa Strasser is an Emmy-winning writer (Comedy Central) and Emmy-nominated television host (TLC). She’s been a contributor to the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Arizona Republic and The Today Show. Her first-person essays have garnered three Los Angeles Press Club Awards, including Columnist of the Year. As a broadcaster, she’s been on The View, Good Morning America, The Talk, CNN, Good Day New York, and was a regular guest on Dr. Phil. Radio and podcast audiences know her as the co-host of The Guinness World Record holding Adam Carolla Show. Her first memoir, Exploiting My Baby: Because it’s Expoiting Me was a bestseller, and optioned by ABC. Her second book, Making It Home: Life Lessons From a Season of Little League got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, and was called “A Perfect Book” by Good Housekeeping.
Growing up in San Francisco, Teresa was raised amongst the local hippie literati, including the beat poet who lived in her garage rent-free. Her dad was possibly the world’s only Jewish car mechanic, and after a stint delivering batteries, Teresa decided the only thing she wanted to deliver was writing assignments. At New York University, she studied both broadcast and print journalism, and somehow, magically, ended up doing both. Still a teenager, she got her first journalism job writing obituaries, and still thinks there’s not much more interesting to cover than passages, hatch, match, and dispatch. She got her break in Hollywood as a game show writer, and after working on-camera for a few years; she had a full-circle moment appearing on Celebrity Pyramid. “As the celebrity?” asked her dad, incredulous. Yes.
She now lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband — who takes Little League coaching very seriously — and her two sons. You can find her either live on a local morning show called The Daily Mix, or on the sidelines pacing nervously, shouting things that don’t make sense, and being Arizona’s most superstitious baseball mom.
Dane Hanson
Mark Robinson
Mitzy Perdue
Dane Hanson is an award-winning filmmaker, television producer, and comedy writer. Dane got his start in Hollywood playing the dumb guy in more than 60 national commercials.
Dane is internet-famous for "Lie Detector," a video that is still constantly going viral all over the internet. It has over 100 million views combined and has been translated into 16 languages.
His first novel, Worst Knights Ever, was a #1 New Release on Amazon.
Dane is the brother of author E.C. Hanson.
Mitzy Perdue
Mark Robinson
Mitzy Perdue
Author, speaker, and businesswoman, Mitzi Perdue holds a BA with honors from Harvard University and an MPA from the George Washington University. She’s a past president of the 40,000-member American Agri-Women, and her television series, Country Magazine, was syndicated to 76 stations.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, her Scripps Howard weekly column, the Environment and You was the most widely-syndicated environmental column in the United States.
Mitzi Perdue’s biography, Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless, tells the story behind the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and how Hansen entered the Guinness Book of World’s Records for selling half a billion books. The book provides both inspiration and encouragement for readers to make the most of their gifts.
She has an interesting lens through which to view Mark’s success. Her father was the president and co-founder of the Sheraton Hotel Chain and her husband was the chicken magnate, Frank Perdue. As someone who’s fascinated by people being all they can be, Mitzi studied what factors Mark had in common with these two mega successful men.
Every penny of the royalties from Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless will go to support anti-trafficking efforts in Ukraine.
Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson
Andrea Hahnfeld
Mark Robinson is an award-winning author who has spent the past 40+ years at some of the industry’s most prestigious ad agencies. Mark has been featured in Fortune magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Advertising Age and was chosen by filmmaker Spike Lee to co-found and manage his new agency, Spike/DDB.
Mark’s 2nd book, “Black On Madison Avenue,” is part deeply personal memoir and part explosive history of what he calls “America’s most un-diverse white collar profession.” Mark is a past member of the Multicultural Marketing Leadership Council, a national touring lecturer and an ongoing mentor for the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Mark’s 1st book, “Place of Privilege,” tells the story of the first young Black men to integrate the gilded halls of New York’s ultra-exclusive and most prestigious private school, The Dalton School.
Mark lives in Connecticut and is a highly sought-after strategist and advisor to various clients, including political campaigns and community organizations. He also serves on the board of directors of The Connecticut Mirror newspaper.
Andrea Hahnfeld
Michelle Kwasniewski
Andrea Hahnfeld
Andrea Hahnfeld is an indie-author who enjoys creating captivating stories. Her debut short story, The Marvelous Misfits of Westminster, and children's book, The Tree and the Girl, were well-received, with the latter being a finalist for the Amazon Kindle Storyteller X Award. Andrea shares insights and tips about the writing process on her blog, reflecting her love of reading and writing. When not writing, she can be found sipping on black coffee, brainstorming her next adventure, or chasing her mischievous cats around the house.
Vincent Howard
Michelle Kwasniewski
Michelle Kwasniewski
Vincent Howard was born in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in San Diego, CA, graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1981. He served in the United States Air Force for over 30 years and was named as one of Arizona's 25 Most Influential African-Americans in 2011. He retired in 2012 as Command Chief Master Sergeant from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. In addition to writing, he loves singing, playing the piano and learning Swahili.
Michelle Kwasniewski
Michelle Kwasniewski
Michelle Kwasniewski
After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Technical Theater, Michele Kwasniewski spent over fifteen years in film and television production. Starting out as a film set assistant on movies such as INDEPENDENCE DAY, FACE/OFF, PRIMAL FEAR, and EVITA. Michele eventually switched to the small screen and worked her way up the ladder to production manager, gaining experience on television shows such as BIG BROTHER, ADOPTION STORIES, EXTRA YARDAGE and MEET THE PANDAS. She is also a proud member of the Producers Guild of America. Michele's colorful experiences in the industry inspired her to write THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series. Michele lives in San Clemente, California with her husband, their son, and their disobedient dachshund.
RISING STAR was awarded Finalist in the category of YOUNG ADULT FICTION for the 2021 BEST BOOK AWARDS and 2022 INTERNATONAL BOOK AWARDS. RISING STAR also was awarded Finalist in the categories of GENERAL FICTION and YOUNG ADULT FICTION in the AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS.
Dr. D. Terrence Foster
Dr. D. Terrence Foster
Dr. D. Terrence Foster
Dr. Foster is a double board-certified medical doctor and a best-selling multiple award-winning author. He is also a Public Speaker and Rehabilitation Medicine Management Consultant. He is the author or co-author of several scientific articles. His publications include three best-selling books: The Foster's Opioid Addiction Classification Status Guide, The Opioid Epidemic Consumers & HealthCare Guide, and his latest, The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life. This book is a winner of MORE THAN FORTY (40+) INTERNATIONAL LITERARY AWARDS, Including THE INDEPENDENT AUTHOR NETWORK (IAN) 2022 First-Place Nonfiction Book of The Year, 2023 ERIC HOFFER AWARD Grand Prize Short List of Finalists Book of The Year, and OUTSTANDING CREATOR AWARD Overall Winner (first place), for Best Nonfiction Book – 2023. Dr. Foster graduated from The Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, earning his Doctor of Medicine. Visit his website at www.DTERRENCEFOSTER.COM.
Sophia Kouidou-Giles
Dr. D. Terrence Foster
Dr. D. Terrence Foster
Sophia Kouidou-Giles is an award-winning author who holds a BA in psychology and a master’s in social work. She has published in “Voices,” “Persimmon Tree,” “Assay,” “The Raven’s Perch,” “The Blue Nib,” “Door is a Jar”. “Transitions and Passages” is her poetry chapbook. Her essays and poetry appear in several anthologies. She is the author of “Return to Thessaloniki” released in the Greek and in the English language under the title “Sophia’s Return: Uncovering My Mother’s Past”. Her novel “An Unexpected Ally is forthcoming in the Fall of 2023, followed by a sequel, Perse, in the Spring of 2025. https://sophiakouidougiles.com
Vy Lien
Dr. D. Terrence Foster
Barbara Linn Probst
Vy Lien was born in Vietnam and migrated to the United States with her mother at the young age of two. She grew up as an only child with a superhero single mother who set high examples of how to face extreme adversity, persist, and succeed even when having a delicate disposition by nature.
Vy always was interested in human behavior and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at University of California, Riverside. She then obtained double graduate degrees and joined the medical field as a Physician Associate. Aside from work, Vy enjoys everything culinary arts including cooking and eating home cooked food made from scratch, street food, fine dining, and cruise buffets! She also enjoys international traveling, yoga, and writing children’s fiction books.
Now as a single mother herself to a dynamic toddler, she writes her children’s fiction books at night when the lights go out, in the dark, and when her daughter is finally asleep. Vy’s books feature social themes that children face and also incorporate learning lessons, fun, friendship, adventures, and usually a whole lot of food! Vy reflects on the social situations that she faced as a child and writes books in hopes of helping children, including her own, bravely face and conquer social challenges. She is the author of The Nervous Noodle, the first book in the Growing Pains of the Grains series and also of The Spicy Ghost.
Barbara Linn Probst
Barbara Linn Probst
Barbara Linn Probst
Barbara Linn Probst is an award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of contemporary women’s fiction living on an historic dirt road in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her acclaimed novels Queen of the Owls (2020) and The Sound Between the Notes (2021) were gold and silver medalists for prestigious national awards, including the Sarton Award for Women’s Fiction and the Nautilus Book Award. The Sound Between the Notes, recipient of a starred Kirkus review, was selected as one of the Best Indie Books of 2021. Her third novel, The Color of Ice, was released in October.
Barbara has also published over sixty essays on the craft of writing for sites such as Jane Friedman and Writer Unboxed, and given workshops and webinars for writing organizations and conferences including the Kauai Writers Conference online, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Writer Unboxed, Jane Friedman, and Story Circle Network. She also holds a PhD in clinical social work and is the author of two nonfiction books and numerous professional articles. Learn more on her website: www.BarbaraLinnProbst.com
Ron Rohrbaugh
Barbara Linn Probst
Nathaniel Sizemore
Ron Rohrbaugh is a professional conservation scientist and author who spent more than 25 years at Cornell University and the National Audubon Society. Ron got his love of nature through hunting, fishing, birding, and camping in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. His recent works include A Traditional Bowhunter’s Path and LIVING WILD with the Orions, an adventure/historical fiction book series that uses storytelling to teach kids and adults about nature, history, wilderness living, wild food, hunting, and more. Ron’s goal is to engage kids in exciting outdoor adventure and historical fiction that will make them want to jump out of bed to build a shelter in the backyard or get curious about the Native People who lived where they do now. Ron travels the country full-time in an RV with his family, where he’s on a mission to help save wild places, share wild food, and be every child’s gateway to nature. Don’t be alarmed if you see a family toting longbows through a campground, it’s probably Ron! Say hello and join in for some outdoor fun! Please visit www.livingwildmedia.com
Nathaniel Sizemore
Barbara Linn Probst
Nathaniel Sizemore
Nathaniel Sizemore is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. After practicing at a large law firm in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, he returned to Cincinnati, Ohio, to work in his family’s business. Nathaniel lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, with his wife and three children. Visit his website at
NEW SEALS FOR 2024!
SUCCESS STORIES
RECOGNITION LEADS TO EXPOSURE
RECOGNITION LEADS TO EXPOSURE
RECOGNITION LEADS TO EXPOSURE
"Getting a positive review from americanwritingawards.com was great for my book. It opened doors to the media attention that previously didn't exist, gave me instant credibility as an author, provided an avenue for awards, and...it increased sales. My awards and review are just the beginning of the many ways my small investment with americanwritingawards.com is paying off."
Craig Ohlau, author of The Sons of Chester and Kings of the County League
COURAGE AND DREAMS
RECOGNITION LEADS TO EXPOSURE
RECOGNITION LEADS TO EXPOSURE
"Still on Cloud 9 about having my book selected as WINNER of one of the three History categories by the 2022 American Writing Awards. The amazing story of the C.R. Patterson and Sons Company—the first Black automobile manufacturers—is taking me places that I never could have imagined. I can’t wait to share the story on the big screen."
Christopher Nelson, author of The C.R. Patterson and Sons Company: Black Pioneers in the Building Industry, 1865-1939
THANK YOU
RECOGNITION LEADS TO EXPOSURE
THANK YOU
"I feel honored to have been chosen as a Hawthorne Prize shortlister, especially with my novel being about a young Filipino-American girl, as in not super mainstream. It speaks volumes about the respect that your judging panel has for diversity in stories and in writers. I am so grateful for this opportunity!"
Maritza Refuerzo, Author of Groovy Girl
FEATURED PUBLISHER: DR. D. TERRENCE FOSTER
ABOUT DR. FOSTER
Dr. Foster is a double board-certified medical doctor and a best-selling multiple award-winning author. He is also a Public Speaker, Stress, Pain, and Rehabilitation Medicine Management Consultant.
He is the author or co-author of several scientific articles. His publications include three best-selling books: The Foster's Opioid Addiction Classification Status Guide, The Opioid Epidemic Consumers & HealthCare Guide, and his latest, The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life. This book is a winner of MORE THAN FORTY (40+) INTERNATIONAL LITERARY AWARDS, Including THE INDEPENDENT AUTHOR NETWORK (IAN) 2022 First-Place Nonfiction Book of The Year, 2023 ERIC HOFFER AWARD Grand Prize Short List of Finalists Book of The Year, and OUTSTANDING CREATOR AWARD Overall Winner (first place), for Best Nonfiction Book – Spring 2023.
Dr. Foster graduated from The Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, earning his Doctor of Medicine. At the City University of New York, he received a master's degree in Chemistry. He did his Residency at New York University Medical Center/Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and Fellowship at Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He has been practicing medicine for more than 25 years.
Dr. Foster's community service, leadership, and philanthropic work extend over 20 years. He Is a strong supporter of many charitable organizations. He is also the Chairman and CEO of the D. Terrence Foster Foundation Inc. The Vision of the Foundation is to help provide or facilitate healthcare and education for those underserved globally.
Visit his website at www.DTERRENCEFOSTER.COM, connect with his social media platforms, and see all the other projects he is working on.
THE STRESS BOOK: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life
If you or someone you know and honestly care about experiencing so much stress in life that it is so overwhelming, or if you or that person trying desperately to avoid that condition? Well, look no further! The Stress Book takes a comprehensive approach to stress management and how modifying your
lifestyle and taking practical steps can help significantly reduce the level of stress you are experiencing. This book is intended to help people struggling with challenging situations. For example, those who work in stressful jobs or are involved in complex personal or toxic relationships and many other issues. More than forty approaches to stress reduction and management are covered in this book, giving you practical guidance applicable to most of life's problems and circumstances. This book's goal, in part, is to help you from getting involved in these and other difficult situations that may be stressful before stress is manifested. The Stress Book is intended to significantly improve people's lives at any level of society who may be experiencing stress in their personal, business, or professional lives. I trust that it will make a difference in yours.
