San Diego Book Awards Announced in Carmel Valley

The San Diego Book Awards Association honored the best published books and unpublished manuscripts by San Diego County residents at its 19th Annual book awards ceremony at AMN Healthcare in Carmel Valley on Saturday.

SDBAA recognized books in 27 categories, including children's fiction and picture book, history, mystery, nonfiction, poetry, self help, travel and young adult.

The U-T San Diego reported that novelist Lee Fullbright, of Point Loma, won the association’s top book prize for The Angry Woman Suite, a story about a celebrity double-murder in Pennsylvania during the 1900s.

Other notable winners include Gov. Dan Walker for his action, suspense, thriller; former theater critic Anne Marie Welsh for her best unpublished novel; and Ingrid Croce for her biography and cookbook. Croce is a restauranteur in San Diego and wife of the late Jim Croce.

2013 Winners:

Kids Write

• 1st place: Crystal Wang for Mokupuni Nalu
• 2nd place Alan Lunardhi for The Lake of Purity
• 3rd place: Richard Li for Battle for the Amulets

Poetry Chapbook 

• Suburban Dissection by Tina Culp Barton

Unpublished Novel 

• Still Born by Anne Marie Welsh

Unpublished Novel for Children & Young Adults

• The Irene by Karen Bishop

Short Story

• Rescue by John Michals

Published Poetry

• Intimate Geography by Ishmael Von Heidrick-Barnes

Published Poetry Anthology 

• Lantern Tree by Chris Baron, Heather Eudy, Cali Linfor, and Sabrina Youmans

Published General Fiction 

• Grace by T. Greenwood

Published Anthology/Short Story Collection

• Duty: Suspense and Mystery Stories by Martin Roy Hill

Published – Young Adult Fiction

• The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

Published – Children’s Fiction & Picture Book 

• Anyway by Arthur Salm

Published – Children’s Nonfiction

• Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids by Carolyn Clarke

Published – Historical Fiction

• South of Burnt Rocks West of the Moon by G.J. Berger

Published – Romance

• Haole Wood by Dee DeTarsio

Published – Psychology & Self-Help (TIE)

• Emotional Ophans by Cate Shepherd
• The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction by Rebecca E. Williams and Julie S. Kraft

Published -Spiritual & Inspirational

• Through God’s Eyes by Phil Bolsta

Published – Memoir

• Challenged: A Tribute by Steve Grieger

Published – Biography

• I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story by Ingrid Croce and Jimmy Rock

Published – Action, Suspense, & Thriller

• Assassin’s Game by Gov. Dan Walker and Peggy Lang

Published – Mystery

• The Angry Woman Suite by Lee Fullbright

Published – Business

• The Mission Myth by Deirdre Maloney

Published – SciFi, Fantasy, & Horror

• The Colony by Blaine Readler

Published – Local Interest

• Hail Montezuma! by Seth Mallios

Published – History

• Fighter Group by Jay Stout

Published – Travel

• Sailing the South Pacific by Lois Joy Hofmann

Published – Cookbook and Entertaining

• Photographs and Memories: Recipes from Croce’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar by Ingrid Croce

Published – General Nonfiction

• Amazing Words by Richard Lederer