2018 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Winners Announced

 

 

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2018 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Winners

 

Grand Prize Winner: Kayla Wayman, Junior Time Traveler: Lost In The Stream (A Story Sprouts Collaborative Novel) by Alana Garrigues and Nutschell Anne Windsor with Cassie Gustafson, Tiffani Barth, Angie Flores, Lucy Ravitch, Peleise Smith, V.V. Cadieux, Bryan Caldwell, Inna Chon, Audrey A. Criss, Abi Estrin Cunningham, Scott Cunningham, Cacy Duncan, J.J. Gow, Glenn Jason Hanna, Caitlin Hernandez, Michelle Marchand, Donna Marie Robb, Judy Rubin, Mollie Silver, Amy Terranova, Bernadette Windsor

$100 Drawing Winner: Little Diva on Wheels ... Growing up Differently-abled by Jennifer Kuhns

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Activity Book

1st Place: Enchanting Mandala Mazes: Puzzles to Ponder and Solve by Elizabeth Carpenter
2nd Place: Play Ball, Have Fun: Read, Imagine, Draw by Sandy Hill            
Honorable Mentions:
Dinosaurs Living in My Hair!2 Coloring Book by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick and Chris Schechner
Nothando's Journey by Jill Apperson Manly, illustrated by Alyssa Casey


Aging/Senior Living

1st Place: What's Funny About Dementia? Laugh to Keep From Crying by Jataun J. Rollins, LCSW               

 

Animals/Pets

1st Place: More Tales from the Enchanted Wood by Jonathan Schork
2nd Place: Bacon's Big Smooching Adventure by Olivia Johnson
Honorable Mention:
The Dark Mister Snark by Lori R. Lopez

 

Best Cover Design

1st Place: The Curse of the Bailey Women by Zenora Knight
2nd Place: Dinosaurs Living in My Hair!2 by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick

              

 Best Illustrations

1st Place: Dinosaurs Living in My Hair!2 by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick
2nd Place: Tex the Explorer: Journey to Mars by Ellie Smith, illustrated by Eyen Johnson
Honorable Mention:
The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman The Worm by Sam Baker & Sally Baker, illustrated by Ann Hess


Best Interior Design

 1st Place: An Ill Wind Blows by Lori R. Lopez

  

Biography/Autobiography/Memoir

1st Place: Little Diva on Wheels ... Growing up Differently-abled by Jennifer Kuhns
2nd Place (tie): Shackled: A Journey from Political Imprisonment to Freedom by Adam Siddiq
2nd Place (tie): You Can't Buy Love Like That: Growing Up Gay in the Sixties by Carol E. Anderson
Honorable Mentions:
Mother of Souls by Adena Astrowsky                    
Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62 by B. Lynn Goodwin                           
Walk Until Sunrise by J.J. Maze 


Book Series

1st Place: Dinosaurs Living in My Hair series by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick  
2nd Place: Moonlight and Molly series by Maureen Harris
Honorable Mention:
Friends at the Pond series by Susan Wolff, illustrated by Justin Currie  

 

Book Trailer

1st Place: The Jaguar's Story by Kosa Ely, illustrated by Radhe Gendron
2nd Place: Moonlight and Molly by Maureen Harris

 

Children’s Chapter Books

1st Place: The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman The Worm by Sam Baker & Sally Baker, illustrated by Ann Hess
2nd Place: Code 7: Cracking the Code to an Epic Life by Bryan R. Johnson
Honorable Mentions:   
Hare 'n' There by Jenny Morris, illustrated by Sarah Hardy           
Lindie Lou Adventure Series: Flying High by Jeanne Bender, illustrated by Kate Willows
To Dance with Angels by Arthur C. Morton, illustrated by Lisa Maria Green

 

Children’s Picture Books 5 & Younger

1st Place (tie): Davy's Ride Down by Michele Gibeau Cronin, illustrated by Ben F. Taylor               
1st Place (tie): I Am Worthy by Cachet Allen       
2nd Place (tie): The Fly with One Eye by R.M. Halterman
2nd Place (tie): Read, Read, and Read by Elizabeth Gorcey & Liv, illustrated by Kajiah Jacobs
Honorable Mentions:   
Dinosaurs Living in My Hair!2 by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick               
Eva Meets Dr Mac by Tracy Hughes                        
Where I Live by Rick Grant, illustrated by Galih Sakti       
Tex the Explorer: Journey to Mars by Ellie Smith, illustrated by Eyen Johnson    
Ollie and the Missing Hoos by Susan Wolff, illustrated by Justin Currie  
Bacon's Big Smooching Adventure by Olivia Johnson


Children’s Picture Books 6 & Older

1st Place (tie): I Am Worthy by Cachet Allen
1st Place (tie): The Jaguar's Story by Kosa Ely, illustrated by Radhe Gendron
2nd Place: Grandparents' Day by Pamela Traynor, illustrated by Tanja Russita
Honorable Mentions:
The Big Bad Whaaaat???? by Eileen R. Malora, illustrated by Alycia Pace            
Freddy Follows by Melanie Quinn, illustrated by Andrew McIntosh           
Animal Mash-Up by Jean Kingston, illustrated by Benjamin Schipper       
Thiago the Tiger and the Light Within by Vanessa Caraveo                           
Unwind. Up, Up, and Away! by Christopher Gates, illustrated by Javier Ratti    
How Christmas Got Its Colors by Jim Melko, illustrated by Sammi Davis
Mirror, Mirror by Barbara J. Freeman, illustrated by Ruth Araceli Rodriguez       
Odonata: The Flying Jewel of Maiden Grass Pond by Barbara Gervais Ciancimino, illustrated by Steve McGinnis               
How Do You Catch A Horned Mangru? by Michael Tenniswood                
Buckets, Dippers, and Lids: Secrets to Your Happiness by Carol McCloud, illustrated by Glenn Zimmer
Dinosaurs Living in My Hair!2 by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick               
Amber's Seeing Heart by Joseph Drumheller, illustrated by Nataly Simmons      
Play Ball, Have Fun by Sandy Hill, illustrated by Charity Russell
The THING on Mount Spring by Jenny Morris, illustrated by Sara Hayat 
Being a Good Friend by Miselle Goffman, illustrated by Paul Yanque     
Hare 'n' There by Jenny Morris, illustrated by Sarah Hardy           
Tex the Explorer: Journey to Mars by Ellie Smith, illustrated by Eyen Johnson

 

Children’s Poetry

1st Place: Dinosaurs Living in My Hair!2 by Jayne Rose-Vallee, illustrated by Anni Matsick
2nd Place: Emmojean's Tale by Margaret Rose MacLellan, illustrated by Margaret MacLellan and Jessica Schaaf

 

Coffee Table/Gift Books

1st Place: Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief by Diamante Lavendar
2nd Place: Dancing Dragon Magic: Dialogues in Clay by Susan Smith James

 

Cultural Diversity

1st Place: Nothando's Journey by Jill Apperson Manly, illustrated by Alyssa Casey

 

Education

1st Place: The International Family Guide to US University Admissions by Jennifer Ann Aquino   
2nd Place: Eva Meets Dr Mac by Tracy Hughes

 

Fiction – Collection of Short Stories

Honorable Mention: Woman, Running Late, in a Dress by Dallas Woodburn

 

Fiction – Novel

1st Place: Healer by Susan Miura
2nd Place: Man with the Sand Dollar Face by Sharon CassanoLochman
Honorable Mentions:   
The Season of Silver Linings by Christine Nolfi                   
Running to Graceland by John Slayton                  
An Ill Wind Blows by Lori R. Lopez                            
Kitchen Canary by Joanne C. Parsons                          
The Curse of the Bailey Women by Zenora Knight

 

Fine Art/Photography

Honorable Mention: From Behind by David Jerome

 

Green Books/Environmental

Honorable Mention: The Adventures of Camellia N. The Rainforest by Debra L. Wideroe, illustrated by Daniela Frongia

 

Historical Fiction

1st Place: Kitchen Canary by Joanne C. Parsons                       
2nd Place: Wordwings by Sydelle Pearl
Honorable Mention:
Brother Daniel's Good News Revival by Bruce Brittain    

 

Holiday

1st Place: Tinsel in a Tangle by Laurie Germaine
2nd Place: Elves on the Naughty List by David Smith, illustrated by Marilyn Jacobson, Kaylee Smith
Honorable Mention:
Rosie and Mr. Spooks by Alexa Tuttle, illustrated by Carlie Tuttle

How-To

1st Place: The Work at Home Training Program by Bethany Mooradian  

 

Humor

1st Place: The Strange Tail Of Oddzilla by Lori R. Lopez
2nd Place: Space Zombies! by Regan W. H. Macaulay

 

LGBT

1st Place: You Can't Buy Love Like That: Growing Up Gay in the Sixties by Carol E. Anderson

 

Middle Grade Fiction

1st Place: Kayla Wayman, Junior Time Traveler: Lost In The Stream (A Story Sprouts Collaborative Novel) by Alana Garrigues and Nutschell Anne Windsor with Cassie Gustafson, Tiffani Barth, Angie Flores, Lucy Ravitch, Peleise Smith, V.V. Cadieux, Bryan Caldwell, Inna Chon, Audrey A. Criss, Abi Estrin Cunningham, Scott Cunningham, Cacy Duncan, J.J. Gow, Glenn Jason Hanna, Caitlin Hernandez, Michelle Marchand, Donna Marie Robb, Judy Rubin, Mollie Silver, Amy Terranova, Bernadette Windsor
2nd Place: Dark Curses, Faerie Dreams by Tom Xavier      
Honorable Mentions:
Forcing Change by Judy Lindquist                           
Stranded on Thin Ice by Sharon CassanoLochman                            
The Tukor's Journey by Jeannine Kellogg, illustrated by Jim Madsen      
Making a Mystery with Annie Tillery: The Madonna Ghost by Linda Maria Frank, illustrated by Marianne Savage              
The Crystilleries of Echoland by Dew Pellucid     

Mystery

1st Place: Making a Mystery with Annie Tillery: The Madonna Ghost by Linda Maria Frank, illustrated by Marianne Savage               
2nd Place: Aldo by Betty Jean Craige

 

New Author (Fiction)

1st Place (tie): Bronson has a Toothache by Cynthia Ng
1st Place (tie): Hair In My Brush by LaTesha Young and Taylor Ellis, illustrated by Swabe Design Studio
2nd Place: Bacon's Big Smooching Adventure by Olivia Johnson                 
Honorable Mentions:
Eva Meets Dr Mac by Tracy Hughes                        
Tex the Explorer: Journey to Mars by Ellie Smith, illustrated by Eyen Johnson    
Mike and Patty's Adventure by Ania Zaroda, illustrated by Katerina Zagore        
Mystery Horse at Oak Lane Stable by Kerri Lukasavitz                    
Saint John Lennon by Daniel Hartwell and Roseanne Bottone                   
The Last Odinian by Alec Arbogast                          
Cryptocurrencies, Self-Driving Cars & Murder! by Gene Hill                         
In the Briar by Cynthia Morrison

 

New Author (Nonfiction)

1st Place: An Adolescent's Guide to ME/CFS by Vidhima Shetty
2nd Place: Walk Until Sunrise by J.J. Maze                                             
Honorable Mentions:
The Doctor Next Door by Elaine Holt, M.D.

 

Other Nonfiction

1st Place: Katie the Elephant by Anna Grob          
2nd Place:
Immigration Essays by Sybil Baker

 

Poetry

1st Place: Elephantasy by Eva Palatova        
2nd Place: The Language Of Life by Rafael Lopez
Honorable Mentions:
A Penny for Your Thoughts by Sherrill S. Cannon, illustrated by Kalpart           
Quiet Insurrections by Daniel Klawitter                
Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief by Diamante Lavendar

              

Psychology

1st Place: Celia and the Little Boy by Irene Applebaum Buchine

 

Relationships

Honorable Mentions: Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62 by B. Lynn Goodwin              

 

Religion/Spirituality

Honorable Mentions: Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief by Diamante Lavendar

 

Romance

1st Place: How to Rate a Soulmate: A Romantic Comedy by D.L. Fisher

 

Science Fiction/Fantasy

1st Place: Wired by Caytlyn Brooke
2nd Place (tie): The Last Odinian by Alec Arbogast
2nd Place (tie): Aldo by Betty Jean Craige
Honorable Mention:
Dark Flowers by Caytlyn Brooke                               
Dancing Dragon Magic: Dialogues in Clay by Susan Smith James                              
The Haunting of Dylan Klaypool: Whispers in Black Willow by James Alan Ross

 

Self-Help/Inspirational

1st Place: A Journey from Sadness to Hope by Robert H. Smith
2nd Place: Buckets, Dippers, and Lids: Secrets to Your Happiness by Carol McCloud, illustrated by Glenn Zimmer


Westerns

Honorable Mention: Armed Men and Armadillos by John Sharp               

 

Women’s Interests

Honorable Mention: Trauma: A Collection of Short Stories by Elizabeth Jaikaran

 

Young Adult Fiction

1st Place: The Strange Tail of Oddzilla by Lori R. Lopez    
2nd Place: Lost on the Water: A Ghost Story by D.G. Driver            
Honorable Mentions:   
The Great & the Small by A.T. Balsara                     
Curses of Scale by S.D. Reeves                  
Healer by Susan Miura                  
Crossing the Line by Ellen Wolfson Valladares                   
The Hard Way by Selma P. Verde                            
Remeon's Destiny by J.W. Garrett

 

Youth Author Fiction

1st Place: Draco: The Assemblage of the Stars by Eily Quinn
2nd Place: The Uncontrolled by Zachary Astrowsky

 

Youth Author Nonfiction

 1st Place: An Adolescent's Guide to ME/CFS by Vidhima Shetty

  

* E-Book Award Winners *

 

Animals/Pets

Honorable Mentions:
Picture! Picture! by Jackie Ferrell, illustrated by Scott Ferrell                     
Birdie! Birdie! by Jackie Ferrell, illustrated by Scott Ferrell

 

Audiobooks

1st Place: Spirit of Prophecy by J.J. Hughes
2nd Place: Shackled: A Journey from Political Imprisonment to Freedom by Adam Siddiq

 

Children’s Poetry

1st Place: The Gad Nail by Anthony Spaeth, illustrated by Oly R.

 

Cultural Diversity

1st Place: Vivir el Dream by Allison Garcia

 

Education

1st Place: Felix is Curious About His Body by Dr. Nicole Audet, illustrated by Mylène Villeneuve
2nd Place: My First High School Musical: From Auditions to Opening Night and Everything in Between by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz
Honorable Mention: The Universe a Work of Art by Eva and Line Newermann

 

Fiction: Novel

1st Place: A Different Kind of Lovely: A Novel by Petra March
2nd Place: Achieving Superpersonhood: Three East African Lives by William Peace
Honorable Mentions:
Grimseeker 1 - book three of the dead path chronicles by Richard A. Valicek                        
You Can't Force Love by Marie Drake

 

Health

1st Place: Special Food for Sam by Dr. Nicole Audet, illustrated by Mylène Villeneuve

 

Mystery

1st Place: Fountain of Revenge by Richard Dodge Davidson

 

New Author (Fiction)

1st Place: Pigeon by Daniel Zadow           
2nd Place:
Theo and the Forbidden Language by Melanie Ansley

 

New Author (Nonfiction)

1st Place: Recounting the Anthrax Attacks: Terror, the Amerithrax Task Force, and the Evolution of Forensics in the FBI by R. Scott Decker

 

Performing Arts

1st Place: My First High School Musical: From Auditions to Opening Night and Everything in Between by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz

 

Picture Books 5 & Younger

1st Place: Cassie's Marvelous Music Lessons by Sheri Poe-Pape
2nd Place: Picture! Picture! by Jackie Ferrell, illustrated by Scott Ferrell



Picture Books 6 & Older

1st Place: Theseus by Simon Spence        
2nd Place:
The Universe a Work of Art by Eva and Line Newermann          

 

Romance

1st Place : Love Over Lattes by Diana A. Hicks


Science & Technology

1st Place (tie): Physician: How Science Transformed the Art of Medicine by Rajeev Kurapati, M.D.             
1st Place (tie):
Recounting the Anthrax Attacks: Terror, the Amerithrax Task Force, and the Evolution of Forensics in the FBI by R. Scott Decker

 

Science Fiction/Fantasy

1st Place: Purgatorium by J.H. Carnathan              
2nd Place: Theo and the Forbidden Language by Melanie Ansley
Honorable Mention:
Grimseeker 1 - book three of the dead path chronicles by Richard A. Valicek

 

Self-Help/Inspirational

1st Place: Achieving Superpersonhood: Three East African Lives by William Peace

 

Unpublished Manuscript

Honorable Mention: Rumpelstiltskin: the Untold Story by Michael Brandt

 

Young Adult Fiction

1st Place: Breaking Free by Caleb Monroe
2nd Place: The Dreaming Tree: Imagination Dragon by Lindsay McBride

 

Young Adult Nonfiction

1st Place: My First High School Musical: From Auditions to Opening Night and Everything in Between by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz

 

 

To enter the Story Monsters Approved or Dragonfly Book Awards programs,
visit dragonflybookawards.com.

Sponsored by Story Monsters LLC

 

Author Spotlight: Patricia M. McClure-Chessier


As an author, educator, healthcare professional, and speaker, Patricia M McClure-Chessier’s life reads like an individual who is very compassionate, caring, inspirational, tenacious, and industrious. Her passion for learning started when she use to play school with the children in the neighborhood, and her role was the teacher. Her love for writing developed through creative writing and poetry in grade school. She admits that writing is therapeutic and fulfilling for her. “I write because I want to preserve myself and leave my legacy in writing,” she says. Patricia’s first published book Losing a Hero to Alzheimer’s: The Story of Pearl was a first-place winner in the Aging/Senior Living and Relationships categories and an Honorable Mention winner in the Biography/Memoir category at the 2016 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.

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Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the city of Chicago.

Did you read a lot as a child?
Yes! I loved to read as a child. Reading allowed me to expand my imagination. It also gave me a chance to escape from difficult situations going on around me.

What were some of your favorite authors and books?
My favorite books were the Box Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Beezus & Ramona by Beverly Clearly and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a psychologist or a teacher.

Tell us about some of the jobs you’ve had before you became an author/writer?        
I have worked in the behavioral healthcare field for the past 25 years. After graduating with my Bachelors in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University, I worked in the capacity of a direct care provider, case manager, and director at a residential and vocational facility for people with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. As newlyweds, my husband Eric and I took care of my mother who had Alzheimer’s. Later I had children and went back to school to obtain my masters in business administration and masters in public administration, all while working as an Associate Clinical Director/Senior Leader at a behavioral healthcare outpatient organization. As time progressed, I made the transition to work as a Healthcare Executive Leader in Risk Management and Quality at a behavioral healthcare hospital. Throughout my career, I have written several articles for major newspapers and magazines. Additionally, I am an adjunct professor and teach college healthcare courses.

How did you get started writing?
As a small child I enjoyed writing, especially creative writing and poetry. One of my fondest memories was when I was 12 years old, I wrote a poem titled “He Say She Say” and entered it into a poetry contest for Ebony Jr. Magazine, and it got selected for publishing. My parents were so proud! Also, in grammar school and high school I was on the newspaper and yearbook committee.

Why do you write books?
Thus far, my books have been about my journey and experience caring for my mother who had Alzheimer’s. I want to persuade the readers to do the right thing, inform them based on my professional and personal experience all while entertaining them. I find sharing knowledge fulfilling because the information will be valuable to someone else. I believe we are all helpers to one another on this earth and I relish in doing my part! I want readers to understand how the disease affects the individual, caregiver, and family. I want them to be more equipped to handle the situation.  

What do you like best about writing?
Writing to me is magical! I can be free, transparent, and authentic. All of my writings thus far have been nonfiction. When I write, I start to relive the experience, and sometimes this can be good, but sometimes it can be depressing. Writing about my personal experiences is very therapeutic for me. If my past experience takes me to an emotional state, I know there is more healing that needs to take place. I write because I want to share my journey, love, experience, and highlight what God has brought me through.

What do you find the most challenging about writing?
Finding the time to write is always my biggest challenge! I live a very busy life and I have to manage my time wisely.

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Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from my parents. Both of my parents spent valuable time with me. I had a special relationship with the both my parents. Their strengths and weaknesses complimented each other as parents. I believe I got the best of both worlds. Although both my parents are deceased, I get inspired from the legacy they left. Both my parents were goal-oriented, motivated, committed, loyal, and hard-working. My parents believed that I could do anything and convinced me that I could. My husband, children, and friends are a great inspiration to me as well. I also get inspired by watching other successful people. I gravitate towards autobiographies because I am always curious about the story behind the success.  

Tell us about your latest book
In A Caregivers Guide for Alzheimer’s and Dementia: 9 Key Principles, I share how being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia can be a stressful and a thankless job. The experienced caregiver will garner additional strategies to help prevent burnout and gain additional insight on how to handle challenging situations. The reader will learn to employ techniques with the person with Alzheimer’s/Dementia when they are noncompliant with active daily living skills or exhibiting unwelcoming behaviors. Additionally, it offers a unique perspective on how to be successful as a caregiver with a limited support system. Everybody can’t be a caregiver, but we can all participate in care giving! The 9 key principles will teach the reader how to survive this tumultuous journey and remain physically and mentally healthy.

What’s next for you?
I have been working on a screen play that I hope to have completed soon. I’m learning writing a screenplay from a book is more challenging than I realized. But I’m up for the challenge.

 

For more information on Patricia M. McClure-Chessier and her books, visit losingaherotoalzheimersthestoryofpearl.com.

 

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month

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