“Destined to Do Something Special”

Robert J. Luedke was in his thirties when he formed a relationship with God.  In his faith, he found what he believes to be his life’s purpose.    

Luedke always felt that he was “destined to do something special”.   Using his gift of writing and artistic ability, he has created the books of the Eye Witness trilogy.  The Eye Witness books are hip, colorful renditions of the Gospel stories.  The second book, Acts of the Spirit, earned Luedke a silver medal at the 2007 IPPYs in the Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary category.  Acts of the Spirit explores the very beginning of the Christian faith.  

Learn more about Luedke and his work at  http://www.headpress.info/index.html  

 Luedke with Jim Barnes at the 2007 IPPYs in NYC.

Viva Italia!

Piazza /noun/ a public square in an Italian town.

In Piazza: Italy’s Heart and Soul, that is exactly where the spirit of Italy is found: in its people.  This book by Marybeth Flower and Joe Bauwens took home a gold medal in the Coffee Table Books category at the 2007 IPPYs.  The stunning photography, taken in piazzas of Rome, Florence, Venice, and various small towns, will make you want to see Italy for yourself.

“We are extremely honored that ‘Piazza: Italy’s Heart & Soul’ was honored with this award,” said Bauwens and Flower. “From the inception of the book we felt it was important to show how the Italians live in their town squares. As far as we know this book is unique in that it focuses on the Italian people and not on their architecture and landscapes.”

Per favore

visit the website:  http://www.eccolapress.com/ 

    

 

The Judges Bought It

 

Is your business’ website lacking pizzazz?  Have we got a book for you…Turn Browsers into Buyers by Michelle Howe of OC Publishing.  This book earned her a bronze medal in the Computers/Internet category at the 2007 IPPYs.  Step-by-step, Howe describes all the components needed to create a successful website.  She believes in “attraction writing”, or reaching the customers by appealing to their personal values, consequently gaining their trust.  One satisfied reviewer, Irene Watson, tells website owners, “Howe brings up ideas that I’m sure you haven’t even thought of. The money spent on this book will increase your buyers by 100-fold plus”.  Check out this exciting book…it might give your sales a boost!                            

http://www.turn-browsers-into-buyers.com/media.html 

Délon City a Scary Sequel

Délon City: Book Two of the Oz Chronicles by R.W. Ridley carried on the success of the series by earning a bronze in Horror at the 2007 IPPYs.  Its predecessor, The Takers, received a 2006 IPPY medal in the Horror category.  Kirkus Discoveries compares Délon City to “Stephen King’s The Stand and L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz”.  R.W. Ridley lives in Charleston, South Carolina.  Visit his website to discover more…if you dare.   http://www.rwridley.com/home.html 

This promotional video advertises the first book of the series, The Takers.  

 http://www.youtube.com/v/AQ6BKo4E010&rel=1&border=1”

“Too Near the Edge” Grabs Hold of a Silver

Congratulations to Lynn Osterkamp, author of murder-mystery novel Too Near the Edge.  This quirky tale set in Boulder, Colorado earned Osterkamp a silver 2007 IPPY medal for Best Regional Fiction (West-Mountain).  It tells the story of Sharon, a woman who is devastated after her husband’s body is found lying within the Grand Canyon.  Through the help of her therapist, she attempts to contact her husband’s spirit to get to the bottom of the cause of his death.  The investigation digs up many surprises, most of which Sharon would rather not know.       

 

The novel’s portrayal of the setting is so vivid that, Osterkamp says, “readers from other parts of the country have said that the book made them want to visit Boulder”.  The author expressed that she was honored to have her book awarded at the IPPYs, and we are certainly glad that she entered.  Learn more about Too Near the Edge at       http://lynn.pmibooks.com/

“The Chase” Captures Gold

Revenge.  Greed.  Romance.  Suspense.                     

These are key elements in The Chase by Jan Neuharth, an attorney and horse-lover from Middleburg, Virginia.  The novel was brilliant enough to earn Neuharth a 2007 IPPY gold medal in the Best Regional Fiction (Mid-Atlantic) category.  Taking place in the author’s hometown, The Chase is about a rich lawyer named Doug Cummings who is being targeted by a ruthless and anonymous enemy.  Meanwhile, he meets Kendall Waters, an intriguing woman tormented by her past.  Deemed “riveting” by Midwest Book Review, this thriller is well worth your attention.  Check out The Chase at    http://www.huntcountrysuspense.com/

Did you know…

 The IPPYs are not the only book awards put on by Jenkins Group, Inc.!   

 

The inaugural Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, designed to honor the year’s best children’s books, took place this past fall in Chicago.  To learn more about this exciting contest, please stop by www.MoonbeamAwards.com or check out our new blog at   http://moonbeamawards.wordpress.com/ 

Also new are the Axiom Business Book Awards, recognizing exceptional business book and their creators.  Learn more at http://www.axiomawards.com/

Rio Grande Books Takes Two

Twice sure is nice.

Rio Grande Books, a division of LPD Press, has earned two 2007 IPPY medals.  

 

Navajo Pueblo Earrings 1850-1945 by Robert Bauver took silver in the Best Regional Non-Fiction (West-Mountain) category.  This book explores relics of southwest history, examining a variety of ancient Navajo earrings and discussing the materials used to make them. 

In addition, New Mexico: A Biographical Dictionary by Don Bullis won bronze in the Reference category.  This book is a collection of interesting people, who as Bullis puts it, “left a mark on the state, for good or ill”. 

Rio Grande Books produces books relating to the history and culture of the great Southwest.  To learn more, please visit http://nmsantos.com/

Congratulations 2007 IPPY award winners!

Jenkins Group Inc. would like to congratulate the more than 1,500 participants in the 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Entries were submitted from far and wide: all 50 states, 8 Canadian provinces, and 18 countries from around the globe.

One of the winners was Michael Putegnat, author of Laguna, his first novel. Under the contest category of Best Regional Fiction (South), Laguna is described as a “political suspense/mystery”. You can learn more about the author and Laguna at http://www.michaelputegnat.com/

Another interesting read was Confronting Lyme Disease: What Patient Stories Teach Us by Trish Yerges and Dr. Rita Stanley from Oregon. The book earned the authors a bronze medal in the Health/Medicine/Nutrition category. It was inspired by Yerges’ daughter, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 1999. Learn more about the book at:

http://www.confrontinglyme.com/index.html

It has been an honor to witness the talent of our entrants. We are grateful for the widespread participation and are enthusiastic about future Independent Publisher Book Awards.