2021 SAN FRANCISCO BOOK FESTIVAL HONORS ‘LIFE AND DEATH ON A CONTESTED ISLAND’ FOR TOP HONORS

SAN FRANCISCO_A travel memoir detailing the experiences of a young American instructor and newspaper editor on Sakhalin Island, Russia during Perestroika times is the top honoree for the 2021 San Francisco Book Festival, which honors the best books of the spring.

Life and Death on a Contested Island: Surviving Sakhalin (Certa Publishing) by N.L. Fix tells the story of a woman invited to teach business and language classes at the remote island.
Daily life on Sakhalin featured hardships and theft, punctuated with humorous and improbable encounters with the island residents and unsavory run-ins with the local underground mafia.

Ultimately, this is a story of a woman overcoming hardships and adversity in a dangerous environment, and without intending to, finding the meaning of friendship and trust.

Other winners in the competition:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WINNER: I Would Love You Even if You Burned the Christmas Turkey - Bucleigh Newton Kernodle

RUNNER-UP: Becky’s Bonnet – Linda Sowa Young Cornish

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Heath Cousins and the Ruby Lantern – Eileen Hobbs
• Kita and the Magic Paint - Laura Schaumer
• Sunny Flowers – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Pong and the Birthday Journey – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• If I Were A Pony – Leonard Eckhaus
• Ting Ting The Girl Who Saved China – Ryan O’Connor
• Earth Day Park’s Swans – V.A. Boeholt/Nate Jensen
• Seven Little Monkeys – Joanie Woodward
• The Burping Pumpkin – Stephin Alexis
• The Indestructible Olivia Brown – Nicole S. Brown
• The Power of Positivity: The ABC’s of a Pandemic – Ruth Maille
• Patty Panda Gets A Potty – Vicky Wu

BUSINESS

WINNER: Sales Demystified – Steve Rangoussis

RUNNER-UP: Tireless – Kim Lorenz

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Things I Heard My Professor Say – Curtis L. Odom, PhD, Eli Boulous
• Book Title Generator – Scott Lorenz
• Quantum Marketing - Raja Rajamannar
• Made for Success – Kim Lorenz
• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales
• Bag Boy and Sweet Slob – David Shelton
• The Team Game – John Bucsek/Bellaria Jimenez
• Teaching Professionals – Nigel Wilson
• Billions at Play – NJ Avuk

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WINNER: The Longest Suicide in Hollywood – John William Law

RUNNER-UP: Gilligan’s Dreams – Dreama Denver

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• American Muslim – Saima Adil Sitwat
• Corners Untouched by Madness – N. Daniel
• Where Do I Go From Here? – Torrey C. Butler
• Wildflower: A Tale of Transcedence – Dr. Teresa Van Woy
• Gorilla Tales: A Memoir – Don McLeod
• The Music: The History of an American Jewish Musical Family – Herbert and Stephanie Ausbel
• My Body, My Soul…One Woman’s… - Vandee Crane
• Put Off My Sackcloth – Essays – Annie Dawid
• Kindergarten Kapers – Sabrina Runyon
• Dancing with Life – Dhvanis Carniglia
• Anxious Black Belt – Les Bubka

HISTORY

WINNER: Blood & Silver – Vali Benson

RUNNER-UP: War of Dreams – Anton Venter


GENERAL NON-FICTION

WINNER: Life and Death on a Contested Island: Surviving Sakhalin – NL Fix

RUNNER-UP: An Elephant Ate My Arm – Laurie McAndish King

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Art of Being a School Counselor – Nancy L. Regas
• A Constitution for a Democracy – Rohit (Roy) Kajaria
• A New Way to Hope - William Stephenson
• Dating with Purpose – Dr. Erica Holmes
• Love Yourself to Life – Dr. Monica DeBro
• Butterfly Awakens – Meg Nocero
• Sparkle & Shine – Meg Nocero
• Shotokan Karate – Pradeep Kumar Yadav

GENERAL FICTION

WINNER: Sorrow – Tiffanie DeBartolo

RUNNER-UP: The Menu – Steven Manchester

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Crossing Over – Paul Clayton
• Rhodes – Never Forgotten – M.M. Gornell
• Unnatural Resources - Mindy Uhrlaub
• First Course - Jenn Bouchard
• White Skies Black Mingo – Kevin D. Miller
• Missing – Don Helin
• Amid Rage – Joel Burcat
• Buried but Never Forgotten – Elisa Chastaine
• The Agent – Marsha Roberts
• Upon This Rock – David Eugene Perry
• Bride of the Buddha – Barbara McHugh
• Semiotic Love [Stories] – Brian Phillip Whalen
• Union Made – Eric Lotke
• Operation Olive Tree – Jemil Metti
• The Observer – Todd Stottlemyre
• Zipporah, Pharaoh, and the Bomb – Toby Lum
• Time of Ends – Geoff Robberts
• From Sacred Ashes – Lloyd R. Agee
• Q and the Claw-Handed Woman – Toby Lum

POETRY

WINNER: Believe the Bird – Beth Wood

RUNNER-UP: Last Call – Randall McNair

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• CHASM – Dom Jones
• Swerve– Ellery Akers
• In The Willing Dirt – Jade Bradbury
• ASH – Gloria Mindock
• What We Were Born For - Emilie Lygren

SCIENCE FICTION

WINNER: Forgive Us – E.T. Gunnarsson

RUNNER-UP: The Adventures of Wandala – Daniel Boyd

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Callisto: A Novel of the Future – Susan English
• The Omicron Six – Endy Wright

HOW-TO

WINNER: Can You Get Our Attention? – Kraig Kann

RUNNER-UP: The Ultimate Guide to Planning – Mike Bernstein

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Pathway to Prosperity – Mark Lazar
• Dating with Purpose – Dr. Erica Holmes
• A Turbulent Mind- Swetha Amit

GAY

WINNER: Upon This Rock – David Eugene Perry

RUNNER-UP: Boys Secrets and Men’s Loves – David A.J. Richards


PHOTOGRAPHY/ART

WINNER: Undersea Art of Indonesia – Charles Rawlings, Lobbu, Leah Perez

RUNNER-UP: Battle Carried – Michael A. Bortner

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Dancing, and Other Problems – Norville Parchment

SPIRITUAL

WINNER: Belonging – Frank J. Butler

RUNNER-UP: The Birth of a Soul – Johanna Kern

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Girl Who Could Read Hearts – Sherry Maysonave
• Seed of Hope – Evangeline Colbert
• The YOU Beyond You – Ramzi Naijar

COOKBOOKS

WINNER: One Loaf/One Bowl at a Time – CJ Katz

RUNNER-UP: Lean & Luscious Kid’s Edition – Millie Snyder

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• KC’s Cocktails, Simple Sips of Bliss – KC
• Chef Karen Anne Murray’s Tea Table – Karen Anne Murray

WILD CARD

WINNER: The Wingless Angel – Fabrice Wilfong

RUNNER-UP: Lady Columba Venus Revelations – Raymond A. Keller

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• No Other Name – Robert Beatty
• The Edge of Madness – Raymond Gaynor
• The Ultimate Human Secrets – Ramzi Naijar
• Postcards Home 2: Adventures Begin with the First Step – WD Mast
• The Omicron Six – Endy Wright

COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIES

WINNER: Voices from the Pandemic – Don Helin

RUNNER-UP: Anthropocene – Dean Gessie


YOUNG ADULT

WINNER: Blood & Silver – Vali Benson

RUNNER-UP: How To Become a Better Writer – Anishka Verma

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Melby – Melinda Chambers
• The Blood Inside Me – Ann Brooks
• Sunshine and the Full Moon – Jon Robinson
• Grydscaen: dark – Natsuya Uesugi DuBois
• The Omicron Six – Endy Wright

UNPUBLISHED

WINNER: Cursed Beauty – Valentina Tsoneva