News

THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT by Ron Rash is among the recipients of 2007 Alex Award of the American Library Association –

Starred Reviews for ANGELICA by Arthur Phillips from Kirkus… and Library Journal …

Booklist selects THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean and NATURAL SELECTION by David Freedman on its list of Top 10 First Novels of 2006.

BLUE ARABESQUE by Patricia Hampl has appeared on the following Best Books of 2006:
>>The New York Times
>>Los Angeles Times
>>St. Paul Pioneer Press
>>Minneapolis Star Tribune
>>Chicago Tribune

The New York Times has selected BLUE ARABESQUE by Patricia Hampl as one of the 100 most notable books of 2006

LA DAME D’ESPRIT by Judith Zinsser has been selected an “Editor’s Choice” by The New York Times Book Review on December 31, 2006

Marine Lance Cpl. Jason Dunham who’s heroism in the Iraq war has been depicted in Michael Phillips’ THE GIFT OF VALOR, has been awarded The Medal of Honor posthumously on Friday November 10, 2006 at Quantico marine base during a ceremony by President Bush…

THE EIGHTH PROMISE by William Poy Lee receives a Publishers Weekly Starred Review on November 20, 2006

Quality Paperback Book Club has nominated AND SHE WAS by Cindy Dyson for their QPB New Voices Award for best debut fiction. The awards will be announced in February 2007…

KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL by Deborah Rodriguez receives a Publishers Weekly Starred Review on December 18, 2006

THE BASTARD OF ISTANBUL by Elif Shafak receives a Kirkus Starred Review – November 01, 2006

LEAP DAYS by Katherine Lanpher receives a People Magazine Editor’s Choice Four Stars Review October 16, 2006…

Ron Rash receives the 2006 Sir Walter Raleigh Fiction Award for his novel THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT…

Writer Elif Shafak is facing charges in Istanbul under Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code, accused of “insulting Turkishness” in her new novel THE BASTARD OF ISTANBUL coming out from Viking…

THE INTERPRETER by Alice Kaplan receives Henry Adams Prize — Alice Kaplan’s THE INTERPRETER has been awarded the Society for History in the Federal Government’s 2006 Henry Adams Prize. Founded in1979, the Society brings together historians, archivists, archaeologists, curators, librarians, editors, and preservationists to promote…

Target Stores has chosen to feature Judy Merrill Larsen and her debut novel ALL THE NUMBERS as their “Break Out Author” for September 2006 in stores across the USA

THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT by Ron Rash is a “Summer Reading” pick by The Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2006 issue

LEAP DAYS by Katherine Lanpher receives a Starred Review in Publishers Weekly of June 12, 2006…

WAKING by Matthew Sanford has been selected Editors’ Choice for the June 2006 issue of Reader’s Digest

People Magazine on June 12, 2006 issue chooses NATURAL SELECTION by Dave Freedman as one of the top Summer Reads

NATURAL SELECTION by Dave Freedman is a Top 10 Hottest Summer Beach Read — USA Today, May 25, 2006

Target Stores has chosen to feature Lisa Tucker and her new novel ONCE UPON A DAY as their “Break Out Author” for July 2006 in stores across the USA

THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean is #16 on Booksense National Bestseller list for the week ending April 9 2006 and in various spots on a number of regional booksellers’ lists

THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean is number five on San Francisco Chronicle bestseller list as of April 10, 2006

AND SHE WAS by Cindy Dyson is among the top ten on the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association for the week of March 19, 2006

THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean is a Booksense #1 pick for the month of April 2006

The Literary Guild Book Club bought the rights to ALL THE NUMBERS by Judy Merrill Larsen to offer the title as their alternate selection for July 2006, and as new member promotion offering (February 6, 2006)

RASPUTIN’S DAUGHTER by Robert Alexander is #1 on Minneapolis Star Tribune best seller list for the week of February 5, 2006, a week after its publication. It continues at #1 the week of February 12, 2006…

AND SHE WAS by Cindy Dyson is a Booksense #9 pick for the month of March 2006

THE SPACE BETWEEN US by Thrity Umrigar is a Booksense #1 pick for the month of February 2006

One week after its publication THE SPACE BETWEEN US by Thrity Umrigar is #8 on San Francisco Chronicle best seller list

THE NEW WOMAN by Jon Hassler and BEAUTIFUL INEZ by Bart Schneider made the Minneapolis Star Tribune Best of 2005 Regional and Minnesota Authors list. (December 2, 2005)

THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean has been chosen a “Borders Original Voices” selection for March 2006

Congratulations to Pat Conroy for The 2005 F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award (Fall 2005) — About The F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award — The F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award was established in 1996…

October 2005 — CRADLE OF FREEDOM by Frye Galliard is a 2005 Lillian Smith Book Awards recipient. The award honors “outstanding writing about the American South.”

THE GOOD DOCTOR’S GUIDE TO COLD AND FLU by Neil Schachter was selected by LIFE Magazine as one of the Must-Have Medical Books in its October 14, 2005 issue.

CROSSING CALIFORNIA by Adam Langer in paperback is on an August 7, 2005 Chicago Tribune list of “Local Booksellers Tell Us What Chicago Is Buying”

THE SUNDAY WIFE by Cassandra King now has over 420,000 copies in print as of July 2005

SAINTS AT THE RIVER by Ron Rash wins 2005 Southern Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

FREUD’S REQUIEM by Matthew von Unwerth receives a Starred Review in July 2005 Library Journal

Chicago Tribune — June 5, 2005 — MAKING IT UP AS I GO ALONG by Maria T. Lennon featured in column “Books ready to be discovered and devoured” — Best Novels to Contemplate Next to the Beach Bonfire (smart novels).

SAINTS AT THE RIVER by Ron Rash has been selected Best Novel Of The Year for 2005 by SEBA (South Eastern Bookseller Association)

June 2005 — The Literary Awards Committee of the Wisconsin Library Association selected THE TURTLE WARRIOR by Mary Relindes Ellis as the Best Book by a Wisconsin author published in 2005.

Major Media Coverage for THE GIFT OF VALOR by Michael Phillips, on Memorial Day and beyond…

Minnesota Humanities Commission gives Marly Rusoff Kay Sexton Award…

Congratulations to Pat Conroy for his recent induction into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame…

ONE FOOT IN EDEN by Ron Rash has been selected required reading at The University of South Carolina, Spartanburg’s department of Languages and recommended reading at various other colleges and schools…

SAINTS AT THE RIVER by Ron Rash receives Weatherford Award — March 18-20, 2005…

Ron Rash receives the 2005 Thomas and Lillie B. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing — March 2005…

READING DAVID by Lissa Weinstein has been chosen to receive the 2005 Margot Marek Book Award. The award honors the author of an outstanding book written for parents or children on the subject of dyslexia or related learning disabilities.

Elif Shafak’s novel THE FLEA PALACE makes the shortlist for this year’s Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in the UK (see the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble)

STALKING THE DIVINE by Kristin Ohlson, out in paperback is a Top Ten List at Powell.com in both Religious and Philosophy categories for the week of March 1, 2005

THE SAME SWEET GIRLS by Cassandra King is mentioned as Required Reading in the column with the same name of New York Post, Sunday February 20, 2005

THE SAME SWEET GIRLS by Cassandra King is number twelve on hard cover Booksense bestseller list for the week of February 17, 2005

THE SAME SWEET GIRLS by Cassandra King has been chosen a Booksense #1 pick for February 2005…

THE SAME SWEET GIRLS by Cassandra King is number two on the bestseller list of Southeastern Bookseller Association for the week of January 23, 2005

January 15, 2005 — Library Journal, which gave THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Masha Hamilton a Starred review, names it “one of the best books of 2004”.

Here is what Library Journal says about its selection: “Interestingly, LJ departs completely from both the NBA [National Book Award] and the Times in its fiction choices and shares only one nonfiction pick with the latter, which shows you just how subjective awards can be. We’re not trying to stir up controversy, just a passion for reading, and we believe that our list includes the most persuasive books published this year—regardless of hype.”
January 2005 — The Fellowship of Southern Writers chooses Ron Rash for “2005 James Still Award for Writing of the Appalachian South”

THE PAT CONROY COOKBOOK was selected on the Best Books of 2004 in Lifestyle category by Publishers Weekly (December 2004)

THE EGYPTOLOGIST by Arthur Phillips was selected on various Best Sellers List for 2004:
>> Los Angeles Times
>> San Francisco Chronicle –
>> Washington Post
>> Christian Science Monitor
>> Detroit Free Press
>> People Magazine
>> San Jose Mercury News
>> St. Louis Post-Dispatch
>> Salt Lake Tribune
>> Barnes & Noble
>> Borders Books

WHY DO THEY ACT THAT WAY by David Walsh makes Best Books of 2004 list, Top 10 Editors’ Picks: Parenting & Families by Amazon.com

CROSSING CALIFORNIA by Adam Langer was selected on various Best Books of 2004 Lists:
>> Chicago Tribune
>> St. Louis Post-Dispatch
>> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
>> Publishers Weekly
>> The Journal News

CROSSING CALIFORNIA (in 2004) is also:
>> Finalist for Koret Young Writer on Jewish Themes Award
>> Finalist for Borders Original Voices award
>> Top Ten List for Amazon Literature and Fiction
>> Top Ten list for Amazon debuts.

BEAUTIFUL INEZ by Bart Schneider receives a Starred Review in Booklist, January 2005…

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Masha Hamilton was selected for the Library Journal’s List of Best Books of 2004
SAINTS AT THE RIVER by Ron Rash optioned for TV by Hallmark Hall Of Fame…

November 23, 2004 Tuesday — David Walsh the author of WHY DO THEY ACT THAT WAY is a guest on Good Morning America with Charles Gibson and talks about teenage violence.

October 7, 2004 — David Walsh the author of WHY DO THEY ACT THAT WAY is a guest on “The Jane Pauley Show” discussing children and binge drinking.

FUMBLING by Kerry Egan on sale in September 2004 has been selected for the Holiday 2004 Discovery Program at Barnes and Noble stores.

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Masha Hamilton receives a Starred Review in Publishers Weekly, October 25, 2004…

October 2004 — Ron Rash’s SPECKLED TROUT story won a 2004 O’HENRY award and he also wins The James Still Award for writing of the Appalachian South given by The Fellowship of the Southern Writers

THE WASP EATER by William Lychack receives:
A Starred Review in Library Journal, June 15 2004…
A Starred Review in Kirkus, July 15 2004…

American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Presents 2004 Book Awards — New York, April 23, 2004 –Kristin Ohlson of Cleveland Heights, Ohio won ASJA’s award for general non-fiction books for Stalking the Divine, published by Hyperion Press in 2003. For years, Kristin Ohlson had three resolutions: to read Proust, lift weights, and renew her faith. But after exclaiming, “Oh no, I forgot to believe in God!” she visited an inner city church where the Poor Clares, a group of cloistered nuns, practiced perpetual prayer. Curiosity about these intensely private women sparked a spiritual quest – and a beautifully written book about the mysteries of faith. Stalking the Divine is never preachy, but brings to life the fire of prayer and its power to uplift and inspire even those who don’t feel they need it.

SAINTS AT THE RIVER by Ron Rash receives a Starred Review in Kirkus…

One Foot In Eden by Ron Rash wins Forward Magazine’s first prize — the Gold Award- for Best Literary Fiction of 2002 — June 1, 2003 — Established in 1998, ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards program has become one of the most prestigious honors for independent presses and their authors…

Crossing California highlights:
June 7, 2004 — Four Star Critic’s Choice Review in People Magazine…
June 18, 2004 — Editor’s Choice in Entertainment Weekly…
Book Sense 76 pick for June 2004…
Wall Street Journal top pick for summer 2004 reading…

Pat Conroy has been selected for induction into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, located on the campus of the University of Rhode Island and administered by the Institute for International Sport…

Los Angeles Times 2002 Book Awards, April 27, 2003 — The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction went to Arthur Phillips for “Prague” (Random House). The panel said “Prague,” which is set in Eastern Europe in 1990, is “a story of youth making its way in an uncertain age, distilled back into urgent relevance. The prose is swift and lyrical, rich in landscape detail, rich with shifting clouds of emotion — a great ride and a resonant record of the zeitgeist.”

In March 2003 THE KITCHEN BOY: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander became a national bestseller…

Barnes & Noble – Discover Great New Writers – The 2002 Discover Awards –Honorable Mention : Fiction – Sons Of Heaven by Terrence Cheng — “Terrence Cheng enters history in such a profound and provocative way — his retelling of the events…

Publishers Weekly on Christmas Book Sales:
Black Friday Cheers Some Booksellers — by Edward Nawotka, Kevin Howell, and John Mutter, PW Daily for Booksellers — 12/2/2002 — In a more downbeat assessment of business, Fara Driver, co-owner of the 26-year-old Clemson Newstand in Clemson, S.C., said, “We’re quite worried about the holiday season…