2023 Eric Hoffer Book Award Winners

 

Hoffer Finalist
Hoffer Finalist
Hoffer Finalist
Eric Hoffer Book Award Gold Seal © The Eric Hoffer Project

In addition to the grand prize, the Eric Hoffer Award identifies a winner, a runner-up, and honorable mentions within eighteen all-inclusive categories. Additional honors go to academic, small, micro, and self-published presses. The category finalists and the grand prize short list are further noted. Use the links below to discover great award-winning books. See the previous Eric Hoffer Book Award winners.

Grand Prize  
Eric Hoffer Award  
Short List  
   
Press Awards  
Academic Press  
Small Press  
Micro Press  
Self-Published  
   
Category Finalists  
   
Category Prizes
Art
Chapbook
Children’s
Middle Reader
Poetry
Young Adult
Adult Fiction
Commercial Fiction
General Fiction
Historical Fiction
Mystery/Crime
Romance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Short/Anthology
Spiritual Fiction
 
Nonfiction
Business
Culture
Health
Home
Memoir
Reference
Self-Help
Spiritual
E-Book
Fiction
Nonfiction
Legacy
Fiction
Nonfiction

 

 

GRAND PRIZE

2023 Winner:
* Unsheltered Love, Traci Medford-Rosow, Morgan James Publishing

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ACADEMIC PRESS

2023 Winner:
* From Chernobyl with Love, Katya Cengel, Potomac Books

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SMALL PRESS

2023 Winner:
* Unmuted, Heather Hansen, Bloomsbury Business

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MICRO PRESS

2023 Winner:
* The World Against Her Skin, John Thorndike, Beck & Branch

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SELF-PUBLISHED

2023 Winner:
* Abundant Fruit, Casey Wayne, Amazon

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ART

2023
Winner:

* Lost and Found, Spencer Brewer and Esther Siegel
1st Runner-Up:
* Dancing for Our Tribe, Sharon Hoogstraten, Shikaakwa Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Bestiary, Chard deNiord, Bridge Press
* Dewees Cochran: The Artist and Her Dolls, Ann M. Leis, Redwood Publishing

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CHAPBOOK

2023
Winner:

* Of the Florids, Shawn Hoo, Diode Editions
1st Runner-Up:
* Surrender Dorothy, Brett Salsbury, North Dakota State University Press
Honorable Mentions:
* between every bird, our bones, emet ezell, Newfound
* Blinded Birds, B. Fulton Jennes, Finishing Line Press
* She Has Dreamt Again of Water, Stephanie Niu, Diode Editions

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CHILDREN’S

2023
Winner:

* Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook, Mariah Ecker, RD and Teri Ecker, ArchwayPublishing
1st Runner-Up:
* When I Feel at Home, Dia Mixon, El Mundo Mixon Books
Honorable Mentions:
* Armadillo Antics, Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson, Nathalie Beauvois (illustrator), Brown Books Kids
* Finding Freedom, Maryna Kariuk, Kohana Books
* The Lonely Daffodil, Emily Langhorne, Heather Heyworth (Illustrator), Belle Isle Books
* The Prickly Problem, Cheryl DaVeiga
* The Who That I Am, Cynthia Carla, Stephen Aitken (Illustrator), C&C Enterprises
* Travels with Zozo…on the Reef, A.J. Atlas, Anne Zimanski (illustrator), ImaginOn Books

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MIDDLE READER

2023
Winner:

* Wish Upon a Crawdad, Curtis W. Condon, Heart of Oak Books
1st Runner-Up:
* The Worry Knot, Mary Bleckwehl, Immortal Works Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Finding Moon Rabbit, J.C. Kato & J.C.², CHB Books
* The Last Green Dragon, Rud Verhagen, Your Nickel's Worth Publishing
* The Secret Benefits of Invisibility, C.W. Allen, Cinnabar Moth Publishing

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POETRY

2023
Winner:

* When I Was the Wind, Hannah Lee Jones, June Road Press
1st Runner-Up:
* When I Drowned, Lauren Davis, Kelsay Books
Honorable Mentions:
* American Sycamore, Lisbeth White, Perugia Press
* Ask The Brindled, No'u Revilla, Milkweed Editions
* Horse Not Zebra, Eric Nelson, Terrapin Books
* I Wanna Be Loved by You, Susana H. Case & Margo Taft Stever (editors), Milk & Cake Press
* Muse Found in a Colonized Body, Yesenia Montilla, Four Way Books
* Our Lively Kingdom, Julia Lisella, Bordighera Press
* Talk Smack to a Hurricane, Lynne Jensen Lampe, Ice Floe Press
* Territorial, Mira Rosenthal, University of Pittsburg Press
* To Love an Island, Ana Portnoy Brimmer, YesYes Books
* Unsymmetrical Body, Jennifer R. Edwards, Finishing Line Press
* Where the Sea Kuniks the Land, Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, Inhabit Media

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YOUNG ADULT

2023
Winner:

* Seen, Julie G. Delegal
1st Runner-Up:
* Cult Girls, Natalie Grand, Comic Book Historians
Honorable Mentions:
* Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex, Lynne Howard, The Conrad Press
* Friends and Heroes, Jackie Smith, Ph.D., Page Publishing

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COMMERCIAL FICTION

2023
Winner:

* The Lives of Diamond Bessie, Jody Hadlock, SparkPress
1st Runner-Up:
* The Desecrated, John Gray, Ellysian Press
Honorable Mentions:
* A Little Rain, Bill VanPatten
* Redeemed, Pollyanna Porter
* River of Ashes, Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor, Vesuvian Books
* The Healer of Wounded Hearts, Dave Elliott, KDP

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GENERAL FICTION

2023
Winner:

* The Hammerhead Chronicles, Scott Gould, University of North Georgia Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Look Unto the Land, George Rollie Adams, Barn Loft Press
Honorable Mentions:
* A Kiss for Maggie Moore, Micki R. Pettit, Black Rose Writing
* Attribution, Linda Moore, She Writes Press
* Deep Waters of Destiny, Pete Carlson, Calumet Editions
* Furnace Creek, Joseph Allen Boone, Black Springs Press Group
* Loving the Dead and Gone, Judith Turner-Yamamoto, Regal House
* No Century for Apologies, Jack Remick, Quartet Global

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HISTORICAL FICTION

2023
Winner:

* Hemlock Hollow, Culley Holderfield, Regal House Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* The Unsealing, Robert Brighton, Copper Nickel Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Company of Women, Doug Villhard, Mabel Publishing
* Ellis River, Nicki Ehrlich, Bay Feather Books
* It's Alive!, Julian David Stone, Greenleaf
* Mad King Robin, James Vella-Bardon, Tearaway Press

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MYSTERY/CRIME

2023
Winner:

* The French House, Courtney Lochner, Calumet Editions
1st Runner-Up:
* Blood Terminal, C.C. Edge, Two Books Publications
Honorable Mentions:
* Devil's Night, Thomas Stacey, Outskirts Press
* Justice for Loretta, LeeAnne James, Black Rose Writing
* Pandion, William Michael Ried, CKBooks Publishing

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ROMANCE

2023
Winner:

* Operation Mom, Reenita M. Hora, GenZ Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Hello, I Love You, Kristine Somerville and Speer Mogain (editors), The Missouri Review Books
Honorable Mentions:
* Air Boat, Jacek Waliszewski, KDP
* Bellini's Mimosa, Annette G. Anders

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SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY

2023
Winner:

* Myracles in the Void, Wes Dyson, Wonderlove
1st Runner-Up:
* The Bridge to Magic, Alex Thornbury, Shadow Lore Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* CRISPR Evolution, Charis Jones
* Embracing the Darkness, Cassie Sanchez
* In the Shadow of Humanity, N. John Williams

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SHORT STORY/ANTHOLOGY

2023
Winner:

* Stay With Me, Wisconsin, JoAnneh Nagler, Coyote Point Press
1st Runner-Up:
* My Life of Crime, Tyler C. Gore, Sagging Meniscus Press
Honorable Mentions:
* How to Make Paper When the World is Ending, Dallas Woodburn, Koehler Books
* Silence to Strength, various, Kegedonce Press
* Raising Bean, W.S. Penn, Wayne State University Press
* The Book of Wanderers, Ryes Ramirez, University of Arizona Press

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SPIRITUAL FICTION

2023
Winner:

* Obedient unto Death, Liisa Eyerly, Cross River Media
1st Runner-Up:
* Joseph Imagines God, Roger Neumaier, Bratman Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* A Portion of Malice, Lloyd Jeffries, Buckminster Publishing
* Not Just a Simple Chinese Girl, Kara Eng

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BUSINESS

2023
Winner:

* Choosing Leadership, Dr. Linda Ginzel, Health Communications
1st Runner-Up:
* Leading Inclusion, Gena Cox, PhD, Page Two Books
Honorable Mentions:
* Maximum Impact Potential, Alok Appadurai, WorldChangers Media
* The Future Normal, Rohit Bhargava & Henry Coutinho-Mason, Ideapress Publishing

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CULTURE

2023
Winner:

* Ships in the Desert, Jeff Fearnside, Santa Fe Writers Project
1st Runner-Up:
* Paddling Pathways, Bob Henderson & Sean Blenkinsop, Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* Antisexist, Lynn Schmidt, PhD, Bobo Publishing
* I am Israel, Jedwin Smith, Blue Room Books
* Making Global Sense, Judah Freed, Hoku House

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HEALTH

2023
Winner:

* The Music Therapy Studio, Rick Soshensky, Rowman and Littlefield
1st Runner-Up:
* Health in Flames, V. Thomas George, Epsilon Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* Busting Free, Amanda Savage Brown, Ph.D., LCSW, Open Up Books
* Finally: A Manual on How to Handle Cancer, Shirley Ruedy
* Run With It, Joe Drake

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HOME

2023
Winner:

* Flavour with Benefits: France, Cathy Connally & Charley Best, Collesano Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Campfires, Kids, and the Outdoors, Geremy Olson, 241 INK Productions
Honorable Mentions:
* Summer Chillers, K. MacDonald, AuthorHouse
* The Ups and Downs of Growing Older, Viola B. Mecke, Ph.D., ABPP, XlibrisUS
* Your First Home, Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, KellerINK

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MEMOIR

2023
Winner:

* The Young Terrorist, Nabil Khouri, Armin Lear Press
1st Runner-Up:
* What They Couldn't Take, Adira James, Adira James Enterprises
Honorable Mentions:
* A Life Spent Listening, Dr. Hassan Khalili Ph.D, Breakwater Books Ltd.
* Allegiance to Winds and Waters, Anne Winkler-Morey, Wise Ink
* Catching Rain, Sandi Paris, BalboaPress
* Hashman, Alex Grand & Joshua S. Berman, Comic Book Historians
* Lost in China, Jennifer Dobbs, Peach Pit Publications
* Midnight Calling, Lynn Walker, MZW Publishing
* Moon in Full, Marpheen Chann, Islandport Press
* The Buddha and the Bee, Cory Mortensen, White Condor
* The Calling, Dr. Christopher Chen and Dr. Gordon Chen, Forefront Books

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REFERENCE

2023
Winner:

* Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew, Ellen Notbohm, Future Horizons
1st Runner-Up:
* The Stress Book, D Terrence Foster. M.D, Global Health & Consortium
Honorable Mentions:
* Competing on Thought Leadership, Robert Buday, IdeaPress Publishing
* Liberty, Science and Wealth, Ralph L. Bayrer, XlibrisUS

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SELF-HELP

2023
Winner:

* ACE Your Life, Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW-R, Morgan James Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Unicorn Leadership, Anne Witherspoon, Unicorn Leadership
Honorable Mentions:
* Doorways to Transformation, Karen Kinney, Winged Bird Press
* Jane's Jam, Jane Enright, She Writes Press
* U R Not Alone, Jojo 1Love, Divine Insanity Productions

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SPIRITUAL

2023
Winner:

* Beyond the Parentheses, Susan Ford, Author Academy Elite, Author Academy Elite
1st Runner-Up:
* Whatever the Future Holds, Heidi E. V. McCann, Green Heart Living Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Ask Yourself, Rev. Pamela Irene Flowerday, Outskirts Press
* Crooked Lines, Jenna Zark, Koehler Books
* More Light, Tom Riley, Life-O-Riley Books

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E-BOOK FICTION 

2023
Winner:

* The Portraitist, Susanne Dunlap, She Writes Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Lady Be Good, Pamela Hamilton, Koehler Books
Honorable Mentions:
* Coming Apart, Karen Heenan
* Dark Theory, Wick Welker
* Sheriff of Starr County, David A. Bowles, Plum Creek Press
* Spirit Sight, Ross Hightower, Black Rose Writing
* Sundown: Derailing Dystopia - Book 1, Carl H. Mitchell, Bookside Press
* The Complication, Amanda DuBois, Girl Friday Books
* The Universe in 3/4 Time, Leona Francombe, Merle Books Brussels

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E-BOOK NONFICTION 

2023
Winner:

* The Human Team, Jeanet Wade, ForbesBooks
1st Runner-Up:
* Federalism, Preemption, and the Nationalization of American Wildlife Management, Lowell E. Baier, Rowan and Littlefield
Honorable Mentions:
* Essence of an Artist, Loren Ellis. Her Art, Poetry and Life, Loren Ellis, Pen Culture Solutions
* Freddy B, Yvonne Stevens Walton Harris, Author Reputation Press
* Surrender, Nicola Irvine, Jetlaunch
* The Sacred Writings of St. John the Apostle, Rev. Dr. Henry B. Malone, Authors Press
* Unexpected Transformation, Bob Leland, Author Reputation Press

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LEGACY FICTION

2023
Winner:

* Brewing Storms, A.M. Ramzy, Daybreak Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Opulence, Kansas, Julie Stielstra, Meadowlark Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Eye of the Moon, Ivan Obolensky, Smith-Obolensky Media
* The Big Tilt, Dan Flanigan, Arjuna Books
* The Egyptian Princess, KD Holmberg, Mountain Brook Ink

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LEGACY NONFICTION

2023
Winner:

* Keeping the Lights on for Ike, Rebecca Daniels, Sunbury Press, Mechanicsburg, PA
1st Runner-Up:
* Project Lina, Dr. Tamara Gray, Najiyah Diana Maxfield, Daybreak Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Bashert, Andrea Simon, Vallentine Mitchell
* Héguanzî, the Dao of Unity, Marnix Wells, XlibrisUK
* No Ordinary Magic, Eileen McFalls, Street Scenes

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