The Electric God and Other Shorts by Michael Thomas Perone Receives Firebird and BookFest Awards
Congratulations to Wheatmark author Michael Thomas Perone for receiving several literary awards this year for his short story collection The Electric God and Other Shorts. In January, the book won First Place at The 2024 Firebird Book Awards in the category of Short Stories. In April, The Electric God won Second Place at The Spring 2025 BookFest Awards in the same category. According to Michael, he was very pleased with these wins because, “Short Stories is a broad and highly competitive category.”
For more information, check out Michael’s website and sign up for his blog at www.michaelthomasperone.com. Congrats once again to Michael!
Michael Thomas Perone Appears on The Donna Drake Show
Author Michael Thomas Perone recently made his television debut on The Donna Drake Show, an inspirational talk show airing on CBS affiliates in cities such as New York, Boston, Dallas, and Seattle.
In the interview, Michael discussed his writing journey and his books Danger Peak, Déjà View, and The Electric God and Other Shorts. He shared insights into his creative process and the themes that run through his work. Host Donna Drake, known for her thoughtful and engaging style, led the conversation.
You can watch the full interview on YouTube here:
B.J. Harrison / Boomsters Wins Voice Arts Narration Award
We extend our warmest congratulations to B.J. Harrison for winning the 2024 Voice Arts® Awards for his narration of Boomsters: An Unexpected Adventure written by David Marks. You will find the audiobook on Audible, Amazon and the iTunes app.
Retired, David Blazen reinvents himself as a detective, stumbling into crime, chaos, and comedy. His first week on the job throws him into a murder disguised as suicide, gang wars, political corruption, and dangerous secrets—forcing him to blur the line between hero and criminal to uncover the truth.
“We’re all searching for purpose and fulfillment in our lives, and this crime fiction adventure is both heartwarming and inspiring, An action-packed and surprisingly poignant yarn about a man’s search for himself as he enters his golden years.” – Kirkus Reviews
Boomsters is a 2023 BookFest Awards Winner: 1st Place in Cozy Detective and 2nd Place in Amateur Sleuth.
B.J. Harrison has narrated over 800 books, captivating audiences with his rich, expressive voice, intelligent narration, and remarkable ability to bring a wide variety of characters to life.
The Electric God and Other Shorts by Michael Thomas Perone gets writeup in Islip Bulletin and Suffolk County News
Congratulations to award-winning Wheatmark author Michael Thomas Perone!
The Islip Bulletin recently included an article about Michael Thomas Perone and his new book of short stories, which is also being run on the website of Suffolk County News:
https://www.suffolkcountynews.
Also, Michael was recently named a “Notable Person” on the Wikipedia page of his hometown of West Islip, Long Island. Other names include actors Ken Marino (“Wet Hot American Summer”) and Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”). That’s pretty good company! Here is the link:
Ann Haralambie Appears on Adoption Podcast
Ann Haralambie author of Not Nicholson: The Story of a First Daughter, An Adoption Search and Reunion appeared as a guest on the podcast Adoption: The Making of Me.
B.J. Harrison / Boomsters Nominated for Voice Arts Narration Award
We extend our warmest congratulations to B.J. Harrison for being nominated for the 2024 Voice Arts® Awards for his narration of Boomsters: An Unexpected Adventure written by David Marks. You will find the audiobook on Audible, Amazon and the iTunes app.
Retired, David Blazen reinvents himself as a detective, stumbling into crime, chaos, and comedy. His first week on the job throws him into a murder disguised as suicide, gang wars, political corruption, and dangerous secrets—forcing him to blur the line between hero and criminal to uncover the truth.
“We’re all searching for purpose and fulfillment in our lives, and this crime fiction adventure is both heartwarming and inspiring, An action-packed and surprisingly poignant yarn about a man’s search for himself as he enters his golden years.” – Kirkus Reviews
Boomsters is a 2023 BookFest Awards Winner: 1st Place in Cozy Detective and 2nd Place in Amateur Sleuth.
B.J. Harrison has narrated over 800 books, captivating audiences with his rich, expressive voice, intelligent narration, and remarkable ability to bring a wide variety of characters to life.
Fix Your Marriage Without Counseling by Ziba Graham Jr. Reviewed by Midwest Book Review Bookwatch
Congratulations to Wheatmark author Ziba Graham Jr., whose book, Fix Your Marriage Without Counseling: A Practical Method Men Will Appreciate, was recently reviewed in the September 2024 issue of the Midwest Book Review’s online magazine, MBR Bookwatch.
Here’s a snippet from the review:
Insightful and thought-provoking, “Fix Your Marriage Without Counseling” from Wheatmark is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Marriage Counseling collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists . . .
You can read the full review here.
Congratulations again to Ziba on the positive review!
In the Throes by Mathias B. Freese named a 2024 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite
Congratulations to Wheatmark author Mathias B. Freese!
His book, In the Throes, was just announced a 2024 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite in the category of Science Fiction.
You can learn more about the NYC Big Book Award here.
In addition to In the Throes, Mathias B. Freese is also the author of Again. Again and Again: Awakening into Awareness – Essays and Stories.
Congratulations again to Mathias for this prestigious recognition!
Book Publicity Basics
Publicity means getting your book in front of the eyes of the public. Let’s talk about how to get your book seen.
For next week’s Authors Academy presentation, we’ll explore the basics of book publicity and the different strategies you might employ.
Join us next Wednesday at 11 AM in Arizona to learn more about:
- How to get your book in newspapers and on radio shows
- How to organize author events
- How to avoid scams
- and more!
Your host for the presentation is Wheatmark’s publishing consultant, Tia Lewis, who has worked in editorial both in the NYC publishing scene and self-publishing scene. In addition to her publishing experience, Tia has worked as a social media marketer and video editor.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity — just click on the following link now to register:
Creating the Perfect Author Website
Why should you have an author website? It’s important to establish an official page for yourself online that provides readers, interviewers, and reviewers with the most up-to-date and relevant information about you and your books.
For next week’s Authors Academy presentation, we’ll explore the importance of the author website and what you should consider including on your page.
Join us next Wednesday at 11 AM in Arizona to learn more about:
- What your home page should emphasize
- Features and details you should include
- How to make your site more SEO-friendly and searchable online
- and more!
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity — just click on the following link now to register: