The Minnesota Library Foundation’s successful support for authors publishing their works on our statewide platform culminated on Thursday, October 11 when the two winning authors were recognized. The authors received their awards at the yearly Minnesota Library Association conference.
MLF exists to support Minnesota library staff and libraries. The Minnesota Writes / Minnesota Reads Author contest sponsorship was an opportunity to build upon one of libraries’ core missions and a great way for MLF to reach out to the Minnesota library community. The Foundation was delighted to award $1,000 each to the winners of the YA and Adult fiction contests.
The finalists were:
Adult:
Nerve Damage by Tom Combs, Plymouth Library patron
Betting on Paradise by Lizbeth Selvig, Lonsdale Library patron
Castle Danger by Chris Norbury, Owatonna Library patron
YA:
Journey’s Middle by B.K. Parent, Wildwood Library patron
Evalene’s Number by Bethany Atazadeh, Wescott Library patron
They’re Always With You by Mary Lockman, Roseville Library patron
The winning author of the Adult fiction award was first a journalist and magazine editor. She has 20 fur babies including a border collie, cats, and a gray Arabian stallion. She now writes fun, contemporary romance novels. Lizbeth Selvig is the author of Betting on Paradise, a romance where the good girl goes wild!
The winning author of the Young Adult fiction award is a retired school psychologist who is a lifelong storyteller. She also is owned by two cats and splits her time between MN and a cottage in WI. Her book was originally written as a serial sent by email once a week to friends and family. Please join with me in congratulating B.K. Parent, author of Journey Middle!
The attached photo of the author, B.K. Parent, includes two people integral to her receiving the Mn Writes / MN Reads award. They are Linne Jensen, Parent’s editor, and Connie Sterling, the school librarian who encouraged Parent to enter the contest.
Participants:
Marlene Moulton Janssen, MLF representative
Linne Jensen, book editor
B. K. Parent, author
Connie Sterling, librarian
Andrea McKennan, MELSA Project Manager
The Minnesota Library Foundation has made a commitment to continue its support for digitally publishing authors on a statewide platform. Please look for the next contest announcement in 2019.