Three books written by regional authors and published by Secant Publishing have been honored in the annual Independent Publisher Book Awards competition.
"Congratulations go out to Brent Lewis (Stardust by the Bushel); Joseph Koper (The Isaiah Fountain Case); and Paul Awad & Kathryn O'Sullivan (When Earth Shall Be No More)," said Ron Sauder, publisher.
"It is a special honor for a small indie press like Secant to have multiple titles recognized in a competition that is open to all independent authors and publishers, from the smallest to the very largest."
Among the winners this year were major university presses such as Stanford, Oxford, California, and many others; large independent houses like Skyhorse and She Writes Press; and several foundations.
This year's Secant Publishing award winners were:
Stardust by the Bushel
Silver Medal, general, Performing Arts (Music/Dance/Cinema/Theater)
Author Brent Lewis of Centreville, MD, wrote the first book-length history of Hollywood's century-long fascination with the Eastern Shore - both as a picture-book-perfect setting for feature films, and as a friendly sanctuary for harried stars and screenwriters.
From The First Kiss to Runaway Bride and Wedding Crashers, from Annie Oakley and Tallulah Bankhead to Robert Mitchum, the Eastern Shore has sung its siren song to Hollywood & Vine for many years. And the feeling has been mutual.
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The Isaiah Fountain Case
Gold Medal, best regional nonfiction, Mid-Atlantic.
Easton, MD, author Joseph Koper made his debut as an author with the first book-length account of a sensational rape case that convulsed Talbot County and made national headlines early in the 20th century. Isaiah Fountain was a successful African American farmer whose struggle to prove his innocence of a White girlās rape was conducted in the face of lynch mobs, manhunts, outraged citizens, armed troops, media controversies, and questionable legal decisions.
His attempts to mount a defense within the Jim Crow legal system included two trials - first in Talbot County Circuit Court, and then following appeal, before a three-judge panel in Baltimore County Circuit Court.
Even after Fountain's 1920 execution by hanging, unresolved questions endured, creating still more controversies and surprises.
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When Earth Shall Be No More
Bronze Medal, general, Science Fiction
Husband-and-wife writing team Paul Awad and Kathryn O'Sullivan of Reston, VA, were recognized for their first volume in a planned trilogy. The Earthbound setting for its launch was Wallops Island, VA, home of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.
In the book, environmental scientist Constance Roy is one of forty-nine refugees rescued from Earthās destruction and transported to the ark spaceship Orb by an automaton race called the Curators. Twelve months have passed since their rescue. But now, with the shipās orbit decaying, the refugees seem doomed to crash into Jupiterās fiery belly.
In a parallel universe on present-day Earth, another version of Constance seeks answers to the question that has haunted her since childhood: How and why did her mother die? The head of a mysterious organization housed at Wallops can tell her why, but not without a price. Two timestreams collide when the Constance on Earth discovers that Nicolas, her son, has the ability to save the Orb and its inhabitants. Now she must battle treacherous Curators wishing to destroy Nicolas, while on the Orb, another Constance must fight to save the ship.
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Secant Publishing, LLC, is an independent publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers' books based in Salisbury, MD, the crossroads of Delmarva. Secant books are published in both print and digital format and distributed nationally and internationally. They are available direct from the publisher at secantpublishing.com as well as in leading independent bookstores and major retail platforms.
For more information on the Independent Publisher Book Awards, see ippyawards.com. The awards program began in 1996 and is open to all independent authors and publishers worldwide publishing books in English. The judges explain that "The IPPY Awards reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. Independent spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets and books are judged with that in mind."