SAN FRANCISCO_A tale of two women who ultimately learn from each other what’s important in life is the grand prize winner of the 2015 Beach Book Festival, which honors summer’s hottest reads.
Dawn Kohler’s novel “The Invitation: A Weekend with Emma” (Balboa Press) is the story of Kate Edwards, who recently lost her job as a reporter. She receives an invitation to spend the weekend with Emma Dines, a retired professor and former US ambassador to Germany.
Set in a beach community in Northern California, the story takes a turn when Kate discovers Emma’s hidden memoir. The judges found this unpredictable novel to be a fresh, intriguing beach read, making it an easy choice for top honors.
Kohler and other winners of the competition will be honored at a private ceremony on May 23 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco.
Other winners in the competition:
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WINNER: “Double Happiness” – Tony Brasunas
RUNNER-UP: “Love Triangle” – Darwin Porter/Danforth Prince
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- “The Peace Angel” – Nola Hennessy
- “Torn Together” – Scott Magnuson
- “Determined” – Avraham Perlmutter
WILD CARD
WINNER: “Sleeper’s Run” – Henry Mosquera
RUNNER-UP: “Sheppard of the Argonne” – W. William Weatherly
HONORABLE MENTION:
- ”Courier” – Terry Irving
- “Tesseract Twin Flame” – Vicki Ebeling
HOW-TO
WINNER: “Street Smart Selling” – Daniel Milstein
RUNNER-UP: “Natural To Knockout” – Carol Brown
BUSINESS
WINNER: “The Fracking Truth” – Chris Faulkner
GENERAL FICTION
WINNER: “The Invitation: A Weekend with Emma” – Dawn Kohler
RUNNER-UP: “A Tale of Two Maidens” – Anne Echols
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- ”Stress Test” – Kate Dockeray
- ”Status Quo” – Henry Mosquera
- ”Nerve” – S.R. Skelton
- “Dead Men Do Tell Tales” – Sherban Young
- “Visiting the Sins” – Melanie Denman
- “Zappa Mam’s A Slapper” – John Lynch
- “Diamond Shoals” – John Harnicar
- “Apple of Sodom” – Mary E. Hoffman
ROMANCE
WINNER: “Pinnacle Lust” – Michelle Dim-St. Pierre
SPIRITUAL
WINNER: “Stellarella, Seashells – = Deborah W. Dykes
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
WINNER: “The Little Goat in Africa” – Deborah Smith Ford
RUNNER-UP: “Anchors Aweigh” – Mollie Wilson
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- “Fishing For Bananas” – Timothy Brower
- “Bucket Filling from A to Z” – Carol McCloud
- “Baby’s Bucket Book” – Carol McCloud
GENERAL NON-FICTION
WINNER: “LE-JOG-ed” – Robin Richards
MYSTERY
WINNER: “The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova” – Lloyd Lofthouse
RUNNER-UP: “Seniors Sleuth” – Jennifer Chow
YOUNG ADULT
WINNER: “The Iron Golem” – Christian Page
RUNNER-UP: H.A.L.F. The Deep Beneath – Natalie Wright
SCIENCE FICTION
WINNER: “Premortal” – Damien Passmore