Deadline for Submissions is January 13, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Book Awards kicks off its eleventh annual competition with a call for entries in ten categories. 

Established in 2006 and now the most comprehensive state book awards program in the nation, the contest recognizes and celebrates the year’s best books written by Sunshine State residents with the exception of submissions to the Florida Nonfiction and Visual Arts categories, whose authors may live elsewhere. 

Two new categories are created—Younger Children’s Literature (approximately ages 0 – 6 and Older Children’s Literature (approximately ages 7 – 12.) Prior to this year there was only one Children’s category ages 0 -12. The range and volume of children’s books necessitated the change. 

The Florida Book Awards competition is coordinated through the Florida State University Libraries, with the support of partner organizations from across the state. “The Florida Book Awards showcase the best of Florida’s literary talent as well spotlight the state’s fascinating history and rich natural assets,” said Florida State University Libraries Dean Julia Zimmerman. 

Other contest categories include Florida Nonfiction, General Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Popular Fiction, Spanish Language, Visual Arts, and Young Adult Literature. In 2014, the “Gwen P. Reichert Gold Medal for Young Children’s Literature” was introduced, which provides a cash prize for the gold winner in the Younger Children’s Literature category. This award is in memory of Gwen P. Reichert and serves as a lasting tribute to honor her accomplishments as a rare book collector, nurturer of authors and their audience, and her commitment to children’s education. 

Applicants are encouraged to submit their books into competition any time after the competition is launched, and as soon as possible after books are officially published. Entries, which can be submitted by anyone, must be published between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016, and have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). All entries must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday, January 13, 2016 (this is not a postmark deadline).

Three-person juries –– including members of co-sponsoring organizations, subject experts from the faculties of Florida colleges and universities, and previous Florida Book Award winners –– will choose up to three finalists in each of ten categories. In each category, the jury may award one Gold, Silver and Bronze medal.

Co-sponsors of the competition include humanities organizations from across the state such as the Florida Center for the Book; the State Library and Archives of Florida; the Florida Historical Society; the Florida Humanities Council; the Florida Literary Arts Coalition; the Florida Library Association; the Florida Association for Media in Education; the Center for Literature and Theatre @ Miami Dade College; the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America; Friends of FSU Libraries; the Florida Writers Association; the Florida Literacy Coalition; and “Just Read, Florida!” 

The 2016 winners will be announced in early March 2017 and recognized at several events around the state including an awards banquet in April. 

Winning books and their authors will be showcased in the summer 2017 issue of FORUM, the statewide magazine of the Florida Humanities Council, and will be featured at book festivals and association conferences throughout the year. In addition, copies of all award-winning books will be put on permanent public display in the Florida Governor’s Mansion library and in Florida State University’s Strozier Library.

For general information and the entry form, requirements, and more detailed submission instructions for the 2016 Florida Book Awards, visit: http://floridabookawards.lib.fsu.edu/

Welcome to the October bookshelf of signed thrillers! Lots of new books to win – some favorite authors or find a new author. To enter, go to the Win Books page. Best of luck!

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ALL THE LITTLE LIARS by Charlaine Harris: When four kids including her brother go missing from school and a dead body is found where they were last seen, a pregnant Aurora organizes a personal investigation that exposes the activities of a gang of bullies and her brother’s gambling debts. By the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series.

DEVIL SENT THE RAIN by Lisa Turner: When the homicide of a prominent attorney reveals illegal practices at her law firm, detective Billy Able is surprised to find personal ties to the case that rocks his own family and Memphis society.

DEEP COVER JACK by Diane Capri: FBI Agents Otto and Gaspar pick up where Lee Child’s “Persuader” leaves off in the Hunt for Jack Reacher. Lee Child Gives Diane Capri Two Thumbs Up! “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character – I love her.” Lee Child, #1 World Wide Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers

THE 7TH CANON by Robert Dugoni: When a dedicated priest at a boys’ shelter in San Francisco’s seamy Tenderloin district is accused of murdering a teenage street hustler, attorney Peter Donley must prove his innocence. By the best-selling author of My Sister’s Grave.

MAD DOG BARKED by Rick Ollerman: Rick Ollerman’s third Florida thriller from Stark House Press, involving a detective and a mysterious note.

TANGLED UP IN BREW by Joyce Tremel: When a nasty food critic winds up dead after eating one of her chef boyfriend’s burgers during the Three Rivers Brews and Burgers Festival, brew pub owner Maxine O’Hara, to save both of their reputations and their lives, must serve up a killer. Includes recipes.

A BLACK SAIL by Rich Zahradnik: On the eve of the U.S. Bicentennial, newsman Coleridge Taylor stumbles on  a drug war between the Italian Mafia and a Chinese tong. In his reckless search for the truth, he rattles New York’s major drug cartels. Fans of the late Barbara D’Amato and Bruce DeSilva will relish this gritty and powerful crime novel. Zahradnik won the 2015 Independent Publishers Award Bronze Medal for his debut, Last Words.

You can win autographed copies of all these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you to enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!