🏆Writing Contest Winners🏆
We're very pleased to announce the winners of NBR's Writing Contest!
Winners December 2024
🏆Fiction🏆
Ultimatum
(Ultimatum series Book 1)
by Vladimir Fleurisma (Author)
It’s only been 18 months since the 50 year resource war ended in nuclear fire. Now everyone must contend with the new super predator seeking to establish its place as the new apex predator. D is a marine raider with one simple mission. Reach Three Mile Island. To do this he’ll have to cross a nuclear wasteland of sunless cold and sheering winds. Avoid the new mutated apex creature that controls this new world and be wary of anyone else also looking to reach Three Mile Island. He’ll either do it or kill every person and animal he can trying to do it.
Bottled Lightning
by L.M. Weeks
AN INTRIGUING CLIENT. A PASSIONATE ATTORNEY. A DEADLY GAME.
Top global technology lawyer Tornait “Torn” Sagara knows he shouldn’t get involved with his beautiful client, Saya Brooks, whose revolutionary lightning-on-demand invention will solve climate change and render all other energy sources obsolete. But their shared connection as hafu (half Japanese, half American) draws them irresistibly together.
Saya’s technology could save the world, but what’s good for the planet is bad news for those who profit from the status quo. Now, someone wants to stop Saya from commercializing her invention and will go to any lengths—even murder—to do so. When Torn takes Saya for a spin on his motorcycle, they are viciously attacked. That death-defying battle on a crowded Tokyo expressway is only the start of Torn’s wild ride.
As the violence escalates, Torn discovers that everything he values—his reputation, his family, and even his life—is on the line. Racing from the boardrooms of Tokyo to the wilds of
Forgotten Realm of Secrets
by Rose M. Delorane
With Rose M. Delorane’s masterful storytelling, this tale weaves together magic, mystery, and the supernatural into a fast-paced epic saga that draws readers from middle grade to adult. Step into immersive worlds, encounter unforgettable characters, and brace yourself for twists that reveal a world where nothing is as it seems.
He was an outcast. Born into a distant, isolated realm, Lit was different from everyone around him—in both body and spirit. This paranormal world, frozen in another time, demands uniformity, while everything remains hauntingly unchanged. Lit struggles to find his place among the inhabitants of this realm, yet he dreams of discovering his true world.
But leaving this realm has never been possible. The people of this forgotten land believe their border marks the very edge of existence.
Beyond the border lies what the inhabitants believe to be a vast, bottomless void—an abyss from which none have returned. Convinced no one can survive beyond this boundary, the realm forbids anyone from leaving. Bound by ancestral fears and tales of doom, no one has dared to defy the warnings…except Lit.
Driven by a relentless need to uncover his identity and the secrets hidden by the realm, Lit dreams of a world beyond the limits of this harsh and dismal boundary. Determined to find answers, he shrugs off warnings of the evil and malevolent dangers that may exist, and makes a life-altering choice that will change his fate, as well as the realms, forever.
⭐ Honorable Mentions ⭐
🏆Nonfiction🏆
The Good Daughter Syndrome
Help For Empathic Daughters of Narcissistic, Borderline, or Difficult Mothers Trapped in the Role of the Good Daughter
by Katherine Fabrizio
You love your mother, but she drives you crazy.
She controls, criticizes, and butts into your life constantly. Then when you try and set boundaries, the pushback, and resulting guilt is so bad you tell yourself... it's just not worth it.
Is your mother narcissistic, borderline, or just plain difficult?
Are you empathetic, sensitive, and kind?
Do you feel stuck in your relationship with Mom-
-trying to please her but never feeling good enough?
- feel responsible for Mom's emotional well-being?
-struggle to set boundaries without feeling guilty or get so much pushback you end up feeling like ...it's just not worth it?
If so, chances are you have fallen into one or all of the hidden psychological traps that constitute The Good Daughter Syndrome.
I’m Not Dead… Yet
How I turned my misfortunes into strengths
by Dr. Joshua Caraballo
In "I'm Not Dead...Yet: How I Turned My Misfortunes Into Strengths," Industrial-Organizational Psychologist Dr. Joshua J. Caraballo takes readers on an unforgettable journey through the depths of his personal struggles and triumphant resilience. With poignant honesty and raw vulnerability, Joshua shares his battles with mental health, addiction, self-hate, surviving cancer, and coming to terms with his queer identity.
This memoir is an open invitation into Joshua's life, a connection point for those facing or who have faced similar hardships, and a beacon of hope and empowerment for anyone in need of strength. Through his experiences, Joshua illustrates that despite monumental setbacks, it is possible to emerge stronger and more resilient.
Readers will glean valuable insights into the power of resilience, the lessons inherent in adversity, and the importance of self-acceptance free from judgment. Joshua's narrative offers coping mechanisms for societal taboos, strategies for managing mental and physical health challenges, and a profound message about the significance of self-acceptance.
Trauma and Ecstasy
How Psychedelics Made My Life Worth Living
by Alex Abraham
Forget everything you think you know about psychedelics. They’re not punchlines. They’re not party favors for aging hippies. Instead, as Alex Abraham discovered, they are an innovative approach that can help heal trauma and chronic pain.
Trauma and Ecstasy takes a long, hard look at pain, from the sudden unexplained pelvic floor discomfort that afflicted Alex at the end of a trip abroad to the deeply rooted anxiety and shame of a childhood robbed of innocence. In this powerful and courageous memoir, Alex takes you on his journey of healing from sexual abuse while searching for answers to his health issues that traditional medicine failed to explain or treat.
Trauma and Ecstasy is quite likely the most engaging, honest, and compelling memoir of surviving childhood sexual trauma you’ll ever read. It offers the hope of real help for healing from the emotional and physical aftermath of abuse and chronic pain.
⭐ Honorable Mentions ⭐
🏆Children's Books🏆
Charlie and Sophie's Great Escape
by Farial English
For Charlie and Sophie, every walk is an adventure, and they're impatient to be off! Leaving their boy behind, they run into the woods to explore on their own. It's great fun until Charlie disturbs a nest full of eggs and comes face-to-face with a large, angry bird.
Will the big bird attack them?
Will they ever see their boy again?
Join the two puppies on their wild adventure as they try to find their way back home.
Speechless
by Thomas Ray Garcia
Eight year-old Amelia Martinez is terrified to deliver a speech at the Grand Oratory. However, when the intolerant Mr. Rhetorick steals the village’s voices, Amelia must use her public speaking skills to save Voz from eternal silence. On her quest, Amelia gains confidence at every turn, from speaking to forest animals to finding her own voice. Speechless combines the fantastical and pragmatic in a tale that inspires children to stand up and speak! All proceeds from Speak With Style books are dedicated to supplying children with educational materials on public speaking.
Chubby the Bear's Big Choice
by Daryl McCullough
Chubby the Bear enjoys eating honey and swinging on the branches of redwood trees high above the forest floor. When bear-cub bullies tease and shame him about his weight, Chubby wrestles with how to respond. Two of his forest friends – a raccoon and a beaver – encourage him to embrace his differences, which might even be his strengths. Chubby takes matters into his own paws and delivers an unforgettable message to his bullies. He makes a big choice to stand up for himself and demonstrate his courage and skills. In doing so, he finds his confidence and ability to love himself and his body. Ultimately, Chubby the Bear also earns the respect and attention of the other bear cubs, who see things differently in the end.
Chubby the Bear’s Big Choice is a picture book with messages for children and adults, especially those struggling with bullying, body image, weight, or self-esteem issues. Chubby teaches to trust in ourselves and celebrate our individuality, which is a true gift! Readers of all ages will enjoy its sumptuous illustrations that bring the imagination to life in all of nature’s beauty.
🏆 Poetry 🏆
Unheard
by Bhavini Bhargava
This book is a compilation of the emotions and feelings that remain unspoken and subsequently 'unheard'. The author writes her unfiltered and in-depth thoughts as she experiences different seasons of life, and hopes to take you all on a poetic journey of passion, determination, love, hate, belief and faith.
A Brighter TOMORROW
by Lori Schneider MD
No one could have truly predicted the mass devastation of the pandemic of 2020. Everyone in the world has been affected and forever changed in some way by the pandemic. Hopefully, most people will emerge as better human beings, with a greater level of understanding and support for their fellow man.
During this tumultuous time, I was overwhelmed with emotions regarding COVID-19, politics, racial injustice, love, and courage. I turned to pen and paper to express my feelings and discovered poetry as an extremely cathartic form of writing.
Through poetry, I found great insight and solace during a very dark time in history. I believe poetry is the window to the soul that can help illuminate the darkness.
I hope the reader finds great comfort and hope for the future through the poetry and beautiful artwork contained in this book. Together we can have a brighter tomorrow!
Moonlight in My Eyes
by James Richard Hansen
Moonlight in My Eyes has brightened the year 2023 with poet James Richard Hansen’s exquisite descriptions of nature and his part in it. The moon, stars, wind, the sea, and occasionally even the sun, paint every nuance of his feelings with the music of words. In 42 poems that capture the magic of the night, we get to share a palette of emotions by one who sees and loves life in all its moods and shades, the dark and the light, and every facet of the spirit.
Most of the poems are short, and every word belongs, a perfect symphony of insights and sensations. And with each rereading, the visitor gains new depths, new vibrations on the strings that the poet’s words set into motion. Every line and image awakens sympathetic harmonies, and like classical music, the clear and simple language elicits the most complex emotional responses. Each poem embraces the mind and its rainbow of passions. Each poem invites repeated readings and reveals new discoveries of both the poet’s soul and the reader’s yearnings. Here is a small excerpt:
Congratulations to ALL Winners and Participants!
We loved reading your books and truly appreciated all of them!
Winners July 2024
🏆Fiction🏆
1st
Place
A Daughter of the Trolls: A Numina Parable
by McKenzie Catron
Are you afraid of the bogeyman?
Eighteen-year-old Sparrow can’t remember a time when she wasn’t. And neither can her mother—or the trolls, imps, gnomes, and faeries who all live in the Glade and call it home. Though Sparrow’s weak heart keeps her wheelchair-bound, she and her mother have dedicated their lives to protecting the Glade, especially from the worst bogeyman of them all: the skin-stealing, poison-ingesting witch called Black Annis.
But one night, Sparrow makes a terrible mistake, and everything she once held dear is taken from her. The Glade is no longer a sanctuary, and the only way Sparrow can save her mother and her friends is to journey out into a monster-ridden world that wasn’t made for her or her wheelchair. Joined by her half-goblin friend, Rush, Sparrow will have to confront her fears before the ones they love are lost forever.
A Daughter of the Trolls will appeal to fans of European folklore and the darker Grimm Brother’s fairytales. This is a spine-tingling young adult fantasy adventure about evil witches, monsters, and the imperfect heroes who face them all. You’ll join Sparrow and her faerie friends on a life-changing journey where they face not only their outer demons but their inner ones as well.
2nd
Place
Caretaker (The Goodpasture Chronicles)
by R.J. Halbert
A family desperate for a fresh start finds themselves tangled up in a strange connection to a mysterious old house.
After experiencing marriage troubles and dark pasts, Ian and Lyana Keane are ready to leave Boston behind and move with their two kids—Ariel (15) and Zach (12)—to the sleepy New Hampshire town of Littleton. They are inexplicably drawn to an old house that they all feel an immediate connection to—a home complete with a rich history, extensive grounds, intriguing character, and a Caretaker.
But as time goes on, strange things begin to happen with the house and the family living within its walls. They see recurring symbols, experience realistic hallucinations, uncover mysteries they can’t explain. One by one the Keane family realise that dark forces - or something stronger - are afoot. Be it cursed ancient mythology, dark magic, or just chilling coincidence, the Keane family are forced to rely on Marshall the caretaker for help, but is he really as kind and cooperative as he seems?
One thing is clear: the Keane family is more connected to this house than they could have ever anticipated.
But will it have the power to save their family from tragedy? Or will it tear them apart for good?
The Heretic: A Novel (The Heretic Trilogy)
by Allysha Lavino
Research and inspiration come together in this spellbinding spiritual adventure through history and mystery. Allysha Lavino takes us on a magical journey into the hidden histories of France and the real life secrets buried in code through the ages. This enchanting visionary fiction epic invites us to step into the story and discover how the wisdom of our ancestors could change the modern world forever.
As secret was hidden in the Languedoc of France, but this ancient wisdom has always been a deadly heresy. Cultural anthropologist Lily Ann Harper is on a quest for facts when mysterious Sir Anthony Leclair invites her to Rennes-le-Château, where she is unwittingly thrust back through history. Forced to confront her greatest fears, Lily awakened to a mystical power buried deep inside. Face to face with an age-old enemy, she must choose―embrace the magic of the ancestors and find her place in the Pattern . . . or lose Everything.
Are you ready to become the hero of your own story? HERETIC MEANS “ABLE TO CHOOSE.”