CHANDLER, AZ (November, 2014) – Winners of the 2014 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards have been announced by Five Star Publications, Inc. The Red Sun: Legends of Orkney by Alane Adams has earned this year’s $300 Grand Prize as well as First Place designations in the Children’s Chapter Books, Middle-Grade Fiction and Newbie/First Time Author categories. Drawing on Norse mythology, The Red Sun is the first book in The Legends of Orkney, a spellbinding series of adventure fantasy novels by Adams. Twelve-year-old Sam Baron is no hero. He's prone to losing his temper and believes his dad is the worst lout in the world for taking off and leaving him and his mom to fend for themselves in their home town of Pilot Rock, Oregon. But Sam's world turns upside down when a strange dwarf appears in his garage and Sam discovers his father has been trapped in a stone in some magical realm called Orkney. Worse, his substitute English teacher is a bona fide witch and seems to want him dead. With his friends gone missing and vicious Shun Kara wolves stalking him, Sam must travel through a stonefire to the far away realm of Orkney to save his friends from the dark powers that hold them and find a way to rescue his father. Thrust into this new world, Sam must unravel the secrets of his past while trying to stay alive as witches, wraiths, and other menacing creatures pose serious peril to the unsuspecting Sam.

The other noteworthy winner of the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards is the winner of the $100 drawing, Josh Mathe. Author of In the Footsteps of Greatness, Mathe also earned First Place designations in the Self-Help/Inspirational and Newbie/First Time Author categories and Second Place in the Sports/Exercise category.

Additional first-place winners include Guardian of Dreams: A Bedtime Story by Wendy Torrel; What Lies Within by Libby J. Atwater; Storybranding 2.0: Creating Standout Brands Through the Purpose of Story by Jim Signorelli; The Cockroach Invasion by Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg; Addie B. Strong: I Am So Strong by Alyson Flippo; Deputy Dorkface: How Sugaropolis Got Dessert Back by Kevin D. Janison; The Case of the Missing Byte by Joseph Daluz and Julia Morton; The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick; The Azurite Encounter by Jane Frances Ruby; Marco the Little Chef: Makes Macaroni and Cheese by Joy Papini, Ph.D; Fibromyalgia and Other Chronic Painful Conditions: The Patient's Guide and Survival Manual for Obtaining Proper and Effective Medical Care, Second Edition by Jeffrey B. Loomer, M.D., FACP, FACR; The Old Cape House by Barbara Eppich Struna; 101 Awesome Things To Do for Someone Who's Sick by Elaine Wilkes, Ph.D.; Nature's Secret Messages: Hidden in Plain Sight by Elaine Wilkes, Ph.D.; A World of Words: Collected Poetry of Eath, Volume One by Rafael L. Lopez; Interplay: An Artist's Approach to Spirituality by Makram Abu-Shakra; Sanctuary by Alene Adele Roy; Avarom and the Secret of the White Mist by J.L. Stewart; Avoiding the Dodgeballs at Work: A Young Woman's Guide to Succeeding at a First Job by E. Marie; and Born to Run, Live to Be Free by Daris Howard.

"We had a very tight competition this year and our judges definitely had their work cut out for them," says Linda F. Radke, president of Five Star Publications, Inc. “I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to all of our winners.”

For a complete list of winners, visit www.dragonflybookawards.com and click on "Winners." The next Royal Dragonfly Book Awards contest is already underway. The early bird deadline is August 1, 2015. Final deadline for submissions is October 1, 2015.

In addition to the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, Five Star Publications, Inc. also has two additional book contests: Purple Dragonfly Book Awards and eBook Dragonfly Book Awards. The early bird deadline for the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest, which recognizes outstanding children's literature, is March 1, 2014. The final deadline is May 1, 2014. The early bird deadline for the eBook Dragonfly Book Awards contest, which was conceived to honor published authors of all genres of digital literature, is January 1, 2015. The final deadline is March 1, 2015.

For complete rules and submission forms for these contests, visit www.dragonflybookawards.com and click on the contest of choice. Entrants who meet the early bird deadline are eligible for the Early Bird reward: a free e-copy of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing or Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show written by Linda F. Radke.

Story Monster Approved! is Five Star’s newest awards program. It identifies quality children's books that have been kid-tested and judge-certified, making it easier for buyers to choose exceptional fiction and nonfiction books that parents will approve and youths will enthusiastically devour. Authors interested in having their books considered for the Story Monster Approved! designation should visit www.storymonsters.com to download an entry form. There is no deadline to enter and books are judged as they are received.

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