AWARDS NEWS!!!
DEINCEPTION has received its first TWO award nominations!
DeInception has been nominated for TWO prestigious Eric Hoffer Awards!!!
I’m very excited to announce that DeInception has received its first two award nominations from the Eric Hoffer Awards! The Eric Hoffer Awards are some of the most prestigious awards for small, academic and independent presses.
As part of submitting a book for an Eric Hoffer Award, a book is automatically considered for specialty awards and DeInception has been nominated for two of these, the Montaigne Medal and the da Vinci Eye.
The Montaigne Medal is awarded to the most thought-provoking books. These are books that either illuminate, progress, or redirect thought. The da Vinci Eye is awarded to books with superior cover artwork.
“Sarena Straus’s ReINCEPTION is different. It is the first post-apocalyptic novel I’ve read which was really scary. It was scary not because of some environmental disaster –which it has–but the storyline picks up on our present social trends and extends them to their next logical conclusion. The story is so well executed you are halfway through it before you realize just how relevant it is for today. Really a master piece of story telling.”
There is a ways to go before I know whether DeInception will win any of the Eric Hoffer awards—but I’m so proud to be nominated, especially in these categories. First, it’s harder to win an award for a sequel than for a first book. Especially in a category that is not specifically for sequels (and few awards have these), the book has to stand alone clearly enough for the judges to feel that it merits recognition.
For the ReInception trilogy, I want more than anything for the books to make people think, question and “redirect thought.” Especially in today’s climate, the ability to challenge one’s own thinking and to have meaningful dialog is more important than ever. I could not be prouder of this Montaigne Medal nomination because it means that I have succeeded.
“ReInception explores complex themes such as free will, identity, and the ethical dilemmas of advanced technology.”
Regarding the da Vinci’s Eye, one of the joys of being with an indie publisher is the ability to have a say in things like cover art. I’ve had a vision for the ReInception Trilogy covers that, with the help of my editors, Vanessa Lanang and Michael Dolan of Winding Roads Stories, and professional cover artists, I’ve been able to bring to life. I’m so pleased that my vision for these covers has translated to art that is impactful.
Wish me luck in the awards process! I will keep you posted.
And if you want to know more about the Eric Hoffer Awards (or many other book awards), please check out my series on book awards here on Substack. I cover the Eric Hoffer Awards in Part III of my Awards Roundup.
