The finalist for the fiction division included Nemesis:The Final Case of Eliot Ness by William Bernhardt, publisher Ballantine Books, New York; The Sound of Honor by Jim Stovall, Hawk Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma; The Yard Dog by Sheldon Russell, Minotaur Books, New York; The Wind Comes Sweeping by Marcia Preston, Mira Books, Ontario, Canada; The Sky Took Him by Donis Casey, Poisoned Pen Press, Scottsdale Arizona; and Confessions of a Former Rock Queen by Kirk Bjornsgaard, 4RV Publishing, Edmond, Oklahoma.
First special awards were presented. Those of us at our table (number 24) relaxed and didn't really hope. Children/Young Adult winners were announced. We clapped for the winners: Tammi Sauer (who attended the Heartland New Day BookFest in Edmond a week ago) with her children's book Chicken Dance and George Edward Stanley with his young adult book Night Fires. Both books with New York publishers.
Next came the fiction category. All the finalists were listed. We still relaxed. Then the envelope with the winner's name. "The Oklahoma Book Award for fiction goes to Confessions of a Former Rock Queen by Kirk Bjornsgaard." The shock on all our faces must have shown for all to see. Noma and Kelsey went to accept the medal; I cried.
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| Vivian, Noma with medal, and Kelsey |
Somewhere Kirk Bjornsgaard is grinning from ear to ear. He knew his book could do it.
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| The medal for Confessions |
Special appreciation goes to Aidana WillowRaven who did the cover art and designed the book and to Jacque Graham who did the first edit on Confessions.
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