Chicago Writers Association: Book Awards rival those of the New York Times' Best Sellers.

ASK’s LITERARY RECO: CWA Book of the Year Award Winners

Originally posted on 12/1/2011 6:24:38 AM

Three debut authors & a New York Times Best-Selling author who self-published his latest work are the winners of the Chicago Writers Association’s first Book of the Year Awards.

The awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at The Book Cellar, 4736-38 Lincoln Ave., in Chicago’s Lincoln Square. The event is free and open to the public.

The winning books are “Portraits of a Few of the People I’ve Made Cry” by Christine Sneed, “Honk Honk, My Darling: A Rex Koko Private Clown Mystery” by James Finn Garner, “Three Wishes: A True Story of Good Friends, Crushing Heartbreak, and Astonishing Luck on our Way to Love and Motherhood” by Pamela Ferdinand, Carey Goldberg and Beth Jones, and “Giants in the Park: A Guide to Portrait Statues in Chicago’s Lincoln Park” by Krista August.

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YES: The Event was held last night and as Randy Richardson, President of the CWA stated & I paraphrase: The talent Chicago has cannot be measured. There were well over 100 people who attended. The authors read selections of their books and the support displayed only proves that Chicago talent is alive and writing and in eloquent, educational and entertaining ways. Since it’s wintertime in these parts, what better way is there to pass that time than to warm up with a great selection of books. After attending last night’s Awards Ceremony, I suggest you start with these:

Christine’s Portraits of a Few of the People I’ve Made Cry;

Jim’s Honk Honk, My Darling: A Rex Koko Private Clown Mystery;

Pam, Carey & Beth’s Three Wishes: A True Story of Good Friends, Crushing Heartbreak, and Astonishing Luck on our Way to Love and Motherhood; &

Krista’s Giants in the Park: A Guide to Portrait Statues in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.

Next year will mark the Chicago Writers’ Association’s Second Awards Presentation. Join the Group – submit your Book. You may find yourself on stage…next January. Now, that’s something to write home about if you ‘ask’ me!

More info at: www.chicagowrites.org