
TORONTO, March 17, 2021 – We are proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Book Excellence Awards Competition.
The 2021 Book Excellence award-winning titles were chosen based on their design, layout, writing quality and overall market appeal. The following are the 2020 award winners, listed with their respective category, book title and author name(s):
Action – Send the Word by James Hockenberry
Activity Book – Harry Swotter: A Harry Potter Quiz Book by Rich Jepson
Addiction and Recovery – Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks
Adventure Fiction – Something Found: A Coin by Troy Aaron Ratliff
Adventure Non-Fiction – Crimson Arrows: A Bowhunting Odyssey by Eyad H. Yehyawi
Aging – Everyone Dies Famous by Len Joy
Animals/Pets – Luna, The Mare with the Sky Blue Eyes, A True Story by Dora Dillistone
Anthology – And Lately, The Sun by Calyx Press
Art – The Art of Symeon Shimin by Tonia Shimin
Arts and Entertainment – Surviving Hollywood by Robert Michael Lehmann
Autobiography – Endless Pressure, Endlessly Applied: The Autobiography of an Eco-Warrior by Brock Evans with George Venn
Biography – Alfred: The Quiet History of a World War II Infantryman by Louise Endres Moore
Body/Mind/Spirit – Layman’s Handbook, In Life by Aidan McNally
Body/Mind/Spirit – Be the Good: Becoming a Force for a Better World by Ken Streater
Book Cover Design – Sage Sapien: From Karma to Dharma by Johnson Chong
Book Interior Design – Goodbye, Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende
Book Interior Design – Where’s My Joey by Wendy Monica Winter
Books in a Series – The Lassiter/Martinez Case Files Book Series by Joseph Badal
Business – Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage by Laura Huang
Business – Fast Times: How Digital Winners Set Direction, Learn, and Adapt by Arun Arora, Peter Dahlstrom, Klemens Hjartar and Florian Wunderlich
Career – Hire Purpose: How Smart Companies Can Close the Skills Gap by Deanna Mulligan
Career – Mama’s Gotta Work: Stories and Survival Hacks from Real-Life Working Moms on Conscious Parenting, Career Success, and True Fulfillment by Krysta Lee, Amanda Drexler, Andie Mack, Charleyne Oulton, Domenica Orlando, Elizabeth Meekes, Erin Montgomery, Laura Morris, Lisa Evans, Marcia Miatke, Mary Ann Masesar Blair, Melissa Killeleagh, Michelle Emmick, Nanci Lozano, Pina Crispo, Sally Lovelock, Sharlene Rochard, Sharon Hughes-Geekie, Stephanie Card, Teresa Nocita-Cirillo
Caregiving – Appearances by Sondra Helene
Chick-lit – The Dream by Whitney Dineen
Children’s Education – When a Virus Takes Over the World by Patricia A. Brill, PhD
Children’s Fiction – The Wizenard Series: Season One by Wesley King, Created by Kobe Bryant
Children’s Inspirational/Motivational – Completely Me by Justine Green, Ed.D.
Children’s Non-Fiction – Grizzly 399 by Sylvia M. Medina
Children’s Religion – Elli’s Pocket Angel Surprise! by John Cappello
Christian Fiction – Meeting Mara Sloan by Patrick M. Garry
Christian Non-Fiction – Brenda’s Wish by Jackie Haley
Coffee Table Book – Amazing Thailand Festivals Pop-up Book by Taveepong Limmakorn
Coloring Book – Peter and the Whimper-Whineys Coloring Book by Sherrill S. Cannon
Comics and Graphic Novels – From Doom & Gloom to BOOM! by Greg D. Hill and Jay Hill
Cookbook – The Ultimate Cookie Handbook by Tessa Arias
Death and Dying – Not Yet by Erik Segall
Divorce – The Language of Divorce, A Novel by Leanne Treese
Education and Academic – Game On? Brain On!: The Surprising Relationship between Play and Gray (Matter) by Lindsay Portnoy, PhD
Entrepreneurship – Expert to Influencer: How to Position Yourself for Meaningful Impact by Divya Parekh
Environment – Diamonds, Hearts and Sea Stars! by Janina Rossiter
Faction – Summer of Two Worlds by J. Arthur Moore
Family – Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao
Fantasy – Apollo’s Raven by Linnea Tanner
Female Empowerment – The Conscious You by Alison Callan, Samantha Haddad, Beck Thompson, Jude Smith, Leesa Watt and Carey Buck
Female Empowerment – Happily Ever After, Right Now: Stop Searching for Mr. Right and Start Celebrating YOU by Luann Robinson Hull
Fiction – All 4 Love by Sharain Hemingway
Fiction – The Poe Consequence by Keith Steinbaum
Finances – Digging Out – A Practical Guide to Getting Out of Debt & Paving the Path to a Secure Financial Future by Jodee Brydges
Friendship – The Exit Strategy by Lainey Cameron
Gift Book – Safe In A Hard Place by Kay Jantzi
Grief – Grief Walk: Experiencing God After the Loss of a Loved One by Gary Roe
Health – Mindful Beauty, Holistic Habits To Feel And Look Your Best by Dr. Debbie Palmer with Valerie Latona
Historical – THE DUNG BEETLES OF LIBERIA, A Novel Based on True Events by Daniel V. Meier, Jr.
Holiday – The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis
Holiday – Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge by Norman Whaler
Horror – The Vanishing by Arjay Lewis
Humor – Cafe Conversations by Marion Reidel
Inspirational – I Fly: True Stories of Overcoming Adversity by Annette Densham
Leadership – SLINGSHOT: How Adversity Propels Leaders to Find Purpose, Be Impactful, and Create Change by Rahul Bhandari
LGBTQ Fiction – Searching For Sarah by Phillip Vega
LGBTQ Non-Fiction – Farm Boy, City Girl: From Gene to Miss Gina by John “Gene” E. Dawson
Management – Tighten The Lug Nuts by Rocky Romanella
Marketing – Self-Publishing: The Secret Guide To Becoming A Best Seller by Richard McCartney
Marriage – Keep Me Afloat by Jennifer Gold
Memoir – Dancing Soul Trilogy: Africa’s Child, America’s Daughter, and Drum Beats, Heart Beats by Maria Nhambu
Memoir – Right Brain Rescue: One Physician’s Journey From Burnout To Bliss Reveals The Creative Muse In All Of Us by Dr. Lara Salyer, DO, IFMCP
Military – Northern Blood (Northern Wolf Series Book 3) by Daniel Greene
Motivational – Your Honor, Your Honor by Judge Leonia J. Lloyd
Multicultural Fiction – Bishop’s Law by Rafael Amadeus Hines
Multicultural Non-Fiction – The Little Breadwinner by Lucia Mann
Mystery – Waking Up in Medellin by Kathryn Lane
Mystery – Blue Mercy: A mother-daughter murder mystery by Orna Ross
Non-Fiction – A Delightful Little Book On Aging by Stephanie Raffelock
Parenting – The Nature of Children; Parenting Strategies Based on your Child’s Nature by Jessie Buttons
Performing Arts (Film, Theatre, Dance, Music) – Careless by Jane Foter
Personal Growth and Development – The Inside Track by Peter Sage
Photography – Discovering Wildlife in Toronto’s Don Valley by Jim Chung
Picture Book – Ages 4 to 8 – Gus’ Fortunate Misfortune by Susan Pepka
Picture Book – Ages 4 to 8 – The Big Old Rambutan Tree by Kathy Creamer
Picture Book – Ages 4 to 8 – To Baby, From Daddy: A Love Letter from a Father to a Daughter by Steve Nguyen
Picture Book – All Ages – A Tail of Three Lions by Sylvia Medina and Ian Michler
Picture Book – Preschool – Z is for Zebra by Judith Caseley
Political – Banned: Immigration Enforcement in the Time of Trump by Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia
Pre-Teen Fiction – The Pirate Princess and the Sirens’ Song by Suzanne Lowe
Pre-Teen Non-Fiction – Tafolla Toro: Three Years of Fear by Lorenzo Gomez III
Psychology – Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for
Conversations That Work by Tania Israel
Public Relations – The Million Dollar Organizer by Bob Oedy
Reference – The Encyclopedia Of American Animated Television Shows by David Perlmutter
Relationships – The Third Person in the Room: Stories of Relationships at a Turning Point by Bea V. Larsen
Romance – Cadenza by Stella Riley
Sales and Marketing – Selling with Heart – Growing Your Business With Authenticity and Trust by Kym Cousins
Science – Resurrection Lily: The BRCA Gene, Hereditary Cancer & Lifesaving Whispers from the Grandmother I Never Knew by Amy Byer Shainman
Science Fiction – Axel Lennart and the Ice World by D.M.Z. Liyanage
Science Fiction – Outland Exile: Book One of Old Men and Infidels by W. Clark Boutwell
Self-Help – Nine Ways to Empower Tweens #LifeSkills by Kathleen Boucher
Sports – Being Brothers by Mike DeLucia
Suspense – Justifiable Deceit by Mikael Carlson
Sustainability – One Last Breath: A Look Back at 200 Years of Global Warming by John Coviello
Technology – The Money Hackers: How a Group of Misfits Took on Wall Street and Changed Finance Forever by Daniel P. Simon
Thriller – SOUL SEEKER by Kaylin McFarren
Travel – The Tea Shop by Karl Forehand
Travel – Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road by Anthony Lee Head
True Crime – The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Suspect No. 1 – The Man Who Got Away by Lise Pearlman
Western – The Man Called Teacher by David A. Poulsend
Women’s Health – She’s No Longer Silent: Healing after Mental Health Trauma, Sexual Abuse, and Experiencing Injustice by Charleyne Oulton, Kiki Carr, Sasha Rose, Kady Romagnuolo, Violaine Pigeon, Eldyka Simpson, Lori Williamson, Mlle Elizabeth Ann, Lindsay Whitham, Katryna Rose, Stephanie Reid, Mandy Karpoff, Nicole Thomas, Angel Kibble, Whitney Stout, Nicole Taylor Eby
Young Adult Fiction – Geese are Never Swans by Eva Clark, Created by Kobe Bryant
About the Book Excellence Awards
The Book Excellence Awards is an international awards competition dedicated to providing authors from all genres and backgrounds the opportunity to showcase their work on a global platform. The organization accepts entries from countries all over the world in over 100 unique categories.