5th Annual Literary Classics Book Awards Celebration - Los Angeles, California

It was with great pleasure that we recognized the Fifth Annual Literary Classics Book Award Recipients in Los Angeles, California this week.  Authors, illustrators, publishers, and more gathered the weekend of April 2nd, 2016 as we honored these incredibly talented individuals for their contributions to literature for children and young adults.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Diane Mae Robinson on her Award Winning Title

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

 Ever since I was a child I’ve had a love for books and all of the creative arts. I became serious about my writing in my 30’s when I decided to go to college for journalism and English literature, then branching off into children’s literature. My heart and soul is now in writing children’s literature where my creativity and skills are strongest. In writing for children, I believe it’s important to write about characters with good values, who have a sense of humor, and a love of adventure. I also strive to inspire young readers to use their imagination.

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? 

As early as age eight, I was making up, and starring in, plays for the neighborhood kids to watch. I knew I wanted to do something in the creative arts. I thought being a cartoon character or a mime would be a cool job.

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?

  Sir Princess Petra’s Talent is book two in The Pen Pieyu Adventures and continues the adventures of Sir Princess Petra (book one), an unconventional princess knight, and her dragon friend, Snarls. The title “Sir Princess Petra” came to me when I was writing book one. I was gazing into the forest and imagining characters in the tree barks when I imagined a tomboy-type princess holding a sword. The subtitle, The Pen Pieyu Adventures, came to me in a dream.

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The newest book in the Pen Pieyu Adventuers,  Sir Princess Petra’s Mission, was released December, 2015

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TELL US SOMETHING FUN ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER

At an award ceremony where I was to receive a medal for Sir Princess Petra’s Talent, my sister was in charge of taking the pictures with my phone camera. She accidentally switched the phone to selfie mode (she didn’t know the camera could do that and didn’t know how to correct it), so all the pictures of me receiving my award are of my sister with different surprised faces. 

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?C.S. Lewis. He created incredible adventures while maintaining good moral values for children.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

Black Beauty. It was the first book I ever read by myself.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

The first two books in this series have won six international awards, and one prestigious provincial award.  I consider them all great accomplishments. 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS? 

Before my first book received a traditional book contract, even though I had done my best writing and extensively researched the publishers before sending out my submissions, the book was rejected 27 times by different publishers over a period of nine years. My advice to aspiring authors is to perfect your writing, research what publishers are looking for before submitting, and be very, very patient.

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? 

I think having an author website is very important, and also getting legitimate reviews for the book.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?: Grammar for Kids and Dragons, forthcoming, Fall, 2016.  This is a grammar book with a sense of humor, with all the grammar lessons being provided by my characters from The Pen Pieyu Adventures series (they are a zany bunch). The book will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all major online seller sites.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Annie Boochever on her award winning title, Bristol Bay Summer

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

I’ve always loved reading but didn’t begin to write until I was an elementary music teacher and tried to find musical plays for my students that didn’t ‘talk down’ to them. I did find a few but ended up writing nearly a dozen of my own as well as several readers' theatres based on traditional Alaska Native stories. I decided I needed to study creative writing and was able to complete a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts during a two-year sabbatical from teaching. Bristol Bay Summer began as my thesis.

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 AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

I loved acting and wanted to be a famous actress (imagine that!) but I also loved my kindergarten teacher and wanted to be just like her. My first teaching job was as a kindergarten teacher in the very same room where I had sat as a shy 5-year-old. Some of my old teachers were still there hard at work! 

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?

Bristol Bay Summer is based on my own experiences growing up and living in Alaska. Forced to produce a thesis novel in grad school, those memories wouldn’t leave me alone. The book practically wrote itself. The first time that is. The rewrites did not come so easily.

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WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?

A play I wrote, Goodbye My Island, based on the book by that name, was produced professionally. Getting the plays published, however, is still on my to-do list! I also have experimented with poetry. Sestina to Paul Allen’s Yacht was chosen to represent Alaska by YARN, the Young Adult Review Network in their National Poetry Month project “Crossing Country Line by Line”. Some of my other poems are on my website – annieboochever.com 

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TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

There is an important difference between asphalt and tarmac, and any Alaskan bush pilot will be sure to point this out. However, I still have no idea what it is. Go ahead. Google it.

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

A.A. Milne or E.B. White? E.B. White or A.A. Milne? It’s enough to make one say, “Oh bother,” and strike out north to find Margalo.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

I love all of Kate DiCamilla’s books, but especially the Mercy Watson series; then there’s The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, (I even reference it in my book!), and E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web to mention just a few. Anywhere a protagonist is struggling to find his or her true self, I love to be along for the ride. Mercy Watson, Claudia Kincaid, Fern Arable, Christopher Robin and Pooh, himself. Young people struggling to come to meet the world on their own terms. 

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

So far, finishing Bristol Bay Summer! It took a long time because I was teaching high school English at the same time. 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

I was lucky. As a school librarian, I knew a number of publishers and editors. I sent a manuscript to what I think is the best publisher of Alaskan books – Alaska Northwest Books - and they liked it. Tips for getting published?? Network! It really helps to know people in the publishing world. But, you also have to put bottom in chair and write…and write… and write. 

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?

Promotion seems to take as much time as writing the book. If you can, hire a publicist. In any case, never let up. There are endless ways to get your book noticed: social media, clubs and organizations related to your topic, special interest magazines, etc. And did I mention leaving time enough to write? 

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? 

This I learned as a former librarian and music teacher: Keep a book by your bed and a song in your heart.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?

I am working on a non-fiction book. A picture biography for grade four through eight. I can’t tell you too much but I’ll give you a hint. The subject was a famous Alaskan Civil Right’s leader. I’m also working on new Alaska adventures for Zoey, Eliot and Thomas, the stars of Bristol Bay Summer. 

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To be announced…

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LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Wim Baren on his award winning novel, The Crimson Emperor

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

I retired in 2014 from teaching/consulting. I love history, and read about ancient Byzantium. Fascinating stuff! And it gave me ideas about a story set in just one of several really dynamic periods. (Honestly, you can't make this stuff up!) Went through all the angst a newbie to writing goes through. Persevered, persisted, sweated, and after a year out came the present story. I loved doing it so much I decided it’s what I will do until I’m carried out feet first.

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WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? 

Two short stories - The Muse and Canary In The Mine. Also several short (2K words, and free!) broadsheets - Mozart's Brain, and Mozart's Brain, Too on creative writing, from my own experiences, all written in a breezy light-hearted style, all on Smashwords, accessible when the main book page is displayed. Enjoy!

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TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER

Writing a romance opened my emotional eyes wide. I had a scientific education and professional background, and saw the world in straight lines and black and white terms. This book experience has helped me come to grips with and express the fullest range of emotions, and has made me a lot more sensitive to others and the depths of their characters. This is something I draw on when I sit down to create a scene, an action, an event, and to people it with characters of my own creation.

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

H. Ryder Haggard’s She and Ayesha, and the Ring Cycle by Eric R. Eddison (The Worm Ouroboros, The Mezentian Gate, A Fish Dinner In Memison, Mistress of Mistresses). Their stories are magnificent, and the women are strongly depicted, deep, and of consummate beauty. Their writing styles are classic (Eddison) and skilfully colorful (Haggard), and their dialogue styles are quite simply majestic. They have written the kind of beauty I want to write.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

Not to sound too corny or straight-laced, but the King James Bible. As a history it is marvelous. As a story of redemption, it is unparalleled. And as for its style of writing, few examples of greater majestic beauty exist, IMHO.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

Writing The Crimson Emperor, without question. Getting the Literary Classics award this year is the second greatest achievement. They have been tremendously inspirational for me, and I find myself frequently wanting to get back to my desk to set more fingers to keys (electronics today - technology, wow!).

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

I have self-published, but I would love to see my story in hardcover at some point. I learned I had to not just get the words out - that's the easy part - but then I had to edit, reframe, correct, modify, etc. - which is incredibly labor- and mind-intensive. It's like sculpting a huge block of marble - carving and chipping away everything that doesn’t look like what I want in my story. But you have to get the block out first, in order to shape it as you want. Then, and only then, can you send it out for self-publishing. Assume your reading audience is really, really picky. Because they are.

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? 

Enter competitions wherever you can. Get an award. Go with it out to everybody you know - they will network with others if they like what you've created. This can build a solid retinue of people who like your works. Also, get yourself a couple of books on how to market and promote your works. Smashwords is a good place to start. DON'T think you already know it all. I’ve proved I don't.

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

Don't give up on your dream. Even if you are just starting and the end goal seems like it is on top of Mount Everest and you're at the bottom of the mountain - keep your eyes on the goal and don't sweat the small stuff. You will fail. You will fail many times. But in the end, you'll succeed. 

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? 

I have three novels in various states of dress. Two are about Byzantium, before and after the period of The Crimson Emperor. The former is The Iron Courtesan, and the latter is tentatively named The Red and the Gold. I have another novel, a fantasy set some 8,000 years in the past, that arises from an exploration around ancient Carthage. They will also be self-published, probably on the same websites mentioned earlier. I hope to have at least one, and possibly two, completed and published during 2016. We’ll see…

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LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

A Secret Music, by Susan Doherty Hannaford, earns our Seal of Approval

Set in Canada during the 1930s, A Secret Music is the story of a musical prodigy born into an extremely dysfunctional family.  Each member of the family has their own drama. One son is the focus of the mother to the exclusion of her other two children, while the ignored daughter seeks attention in any way she can. Another young son develops a fatal medical problem which is ignored by everyone around him. The father is driven by the need for money and success. And in the midst of it all, music is the glue holding everything together despite the chaos.

Author, Susan Doherty Hannaford, takes readers through a gamut of emotions as she describes, in detail, the tensions and fears of a true perfectionist.  Depression in many of its frightening aspects is presented in this revealing glimpse into the delusions of a person struggling with mental illness. Powerful prose brings swelling emotions to the forefront with swings from deep sadness to ecstatic elation, moments of intense love and contentment, as well as elements of deep melancholy.

An appreciation and knowledge of music (especially classical music) would enhance the reader’s experience; but even without a grasp of the classics this story presents music as a pervasive influence quite beautifully.  A Secret Music is highly recommended and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Bon Blossman on her award winning book

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

My father is a surgeon, but a poet in his free time. Being inspired by him, I took a stab at writing my first novel in the 1990s under his guidance. A few novels later, I published my first one in 2007. I always said I would turn my hobby into my life and I was able to quit my full time job and follow my dreams almost ten years ago. 

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? 

An actress and a doctor like my father. As far as acting - I dabble in the craft at times. I did earn my PhD in physiology.

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?

This book is volume four in the YA Fiona Frost Murder Mystery Series. Fiona Frost is a seventeen-year-old criminal investigator who works closely with the crime lab as part of a grant-funded forensic training program. Each novel follows a murder case - which is often met with twists of the supernatural. I was dying to write about witches, and thought it would be unique to have a legendary witch as a murder suspect in a high-profile case of a serial killer.  

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WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? 

I like to think of Fiona Frost as a modern-day Nancy Drew but with more forensic science built into the criminal investigations as opposed to strict 'Sherlock Holmes-style sleuthing.'  Here's a link to all of my books. 

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TELL US SOMETHING FUN ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER

I am a murder mystery writer. I own a company (My Mystery Party) and have written over 100 murder mystery party games. I also write murder mystery novels. I am certain that with the hundreds of topics I research on the internet involving details of how to get away with murder - I am most likely on many government watch lists! Even though I may know best on how to get away with it - I'm harmless! I promise! 

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?My father shaped my early writing experience, but in later years, I would say my idol is J.K. Rowling. I am an enormous Harry Potter fan and think she is a legend. 

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

Other than the Harry Potter series, I would say the most impact a book has made is The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. Even though I read it over 30 years after the release, it was amazing to me and I could relate to it. With my background in science, I enjoyed the mix of science, suspense and intrigue. 

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

 Winning the gold seal from Literary Classics! I hope to win many more in the future, as well. 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

Write every day, never give up. Don't expect to publish your first novel. Write it, revise it, revise it ten more times and put it in a drawer (or hard drive folder) and move on to your next. With each novel you write, you improve and fine tune what is coming from your heart and onto the paper. Don't let rejection letters get you down - the best authors have plenty of them. 

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? 

Social media is the best way in today's world. There are many ways to promote your novel on Amazon such as free giveaways and signing up with Kindle Select. Amazon even has a Kindle Scout program where the readers decide if you get published. Also, you can offer your book as a free promotion to get readers. Hopefully, these readers will give you glowing reviews and you'll get snowball action from there. 

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

Don't give up on your dream. Even if you are just starting and the end goal seems like it is on top of Mount Everest and you're at the bottom of the mountain - keep your eyes on the goal and don't sweat the small stuff. You will fail. You will fail many times. But in the end, you'll succeed. 

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? 

Volume five is in the works for the Fiona Frost Murder Mystery Series! I am super excited for this volume, as Fiona and Wolfe are set to travel to Quantico for an internship with the FBI! The case they will investigate this time will blow your mind! 

We have a tentative release date for February, 2016 and it will be available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble and most other online book retailers. Signed copies are always available at MyMysteryParty.com, as well. ​

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 It will be available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble and most other online book retailers. Signed copies are always available at MyMysteryParty.com, as well. 

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

The Reading Promise, by Troy Kent, earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

The Reading Promise is the heartwarming story of a young mother and her son, Daniel.  When Daniel is just a baby, his mother doesn't have much money.  She worries about being a good mother, then soon decides to make her son a promise.  She realizes books at the library are free.  There might not be much she can do for her son from a monetary standpoint, but she can read to him.  So while he is just a baby, she vows to read to him every night.  As Daniel grows up, he and his mother find countless ways to experience the world through books.

Written by Troy Kent and illustrated by Elisa Moriconi, The Reading Promise is simply wonderful. Vaguely reminiscent of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever, this children's picture book is sure to tug at your heartstrings.  Highly recommended for home and school libraries, The Reading Promise earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.


LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

White Butterfly and Her Wings of Many Colors earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

White Butterfly and Her Wings of Many Colors, written and illustrated by Susan Andra Lion, is a lovely children's picture book inspired by the late Arnold Bustillo.  The book tells the story of a butterfly known for her kindness and willingness to help wherever and whenever needed.  Fast as lightning and valiantly heroic, there is only one thing White Butterfly wants for in life; more than anything she wishes she had brilliantly colorful wings.  But Lady Fairy wants to ensure White Butterfly's motives are pure.

This tale provides a message of self-acceptance and humility for youngsters. Wonderfully illustrated, with words that are beautifully penned, this book provides pearls of wisdom for young readers that are lovingly nestled within the folds of a delightful story.  This is a book which children are sure to enjoy reading again and again.

White Butterfly and Her Wings of Many Colors, is recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Redemption, by Jessica Therrien, earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

In Redemption, (Book 3 of the Children of the Gods series) Elyse lives to fulfill the prophecy linked to her. Now that Christoph is out of the picture the Descendants are free to reveal their true identities. But some humans simply aren’t ready to accept the Descendants, and war ensues.  Chaos becomes the norm where even friends cannot be trusted, families are torn apart, and cities are destroyed. But Elyse strives to bring peace and harmony to a world that is groaning under the strain of so much change and confusion.

The Children of the Gods trilogy is an exciting collection of young adult fantasy fiction.  Readers are sure to get swept away in this fantastic series.  To get the full impact and understanding of the story, one really must read all the books in this series beginning with Oppression.  There are multiple sub-stories woven throughout, leading to a fabulous and unexpected ending.

The Children of the Gods trilogy is highly recommended and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Uprising, by Jessica Therrien, earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

In book two of the Children of the Gods series we see Elyse’s character developing as she grows into her role as leader of the descendants.  Elyse is the one foretold to save the descendants from centuries of oppression, and according to prophecy she will have a baby who will become the new oracle. But the Council, under the control of Christoph, wants the baby in order to maintain rule.  Elyse begins to have prophetic nightmares and must make some difficult decisions and life-altering sacrifices for the good of the descendants.

Uprising is an exciting page-turner which grabs the reader from the beginning and never lets up. There are enough plot twists to keep readers sufficiently engaged throughout. About the time you think you’ve figured out what’s going to happen, in comes another mind-blowing turn of events.

Author Jessica Therrien artfully depicts scenes and events throughout the book; in her description of the descendant’s annual celebration one can nearly smell the blossoms on the trees and hear the beating of the drums. This is an exhilarating read that will have your heart beating with anticipation. 

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Oppression, Children of the Gods, by Jessica Therrien, earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Elyse looks eighteen even though she's nearly 90 years old.  She also possesses the ability to heal people.  One might find these traits to be enviable, but Elyse knows first-hand the price that comes with such power. So when she learns she’s a descendant of Greek gods and that she may hold the key to the fulfillment of a prophecy, it's not long before she realizes she may become a target.  

Author Jessica Therrien has crafted an exciting and unique twist on Greek mythology in her fantasy fiction novel, Oppression, Children of the Gods.  This book, the first in a series, is a captivating read and one which will appeal to fantasy fiction aficionados as well as fans of Greek mythology.  Therrien skillfully draws readers into this intricately woven tale which offers a fast-paced adventure paralleled with a touching love story.  Sometimes violent, often tender, this book is sure to keep readers enthralled; and they will certainly look forward to the next installment in the Children of the Gods series.


LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org