2009 Beach Book Festival Names Winners

June 18, 2009 - PRLog -- NEW YORK _ A book that teaches job-seekers to define, communicate and take control of their personal branding is the winner of the 2009 Beach Book Festival, which honors the best beach reads of the upcoming summer season.

“How You Are Like Shampoo: For Job Seekers” by Brenda Bence examines the nuances behind the ultimate question posed to those out of work: “Why should I hire you?”  Using a logical and easy-to-understand approach, Bence, an internationally-recognized branding expert, teaches proven corporate branding techniques and adapts them for personal use.

The book’s value to a vast audience in this recession won over the judges in the competition and resulted in Bence being awarded the competition’s grand prize of $1500.  She and other winners will be honored on June 5 in a ceremony at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan.

Other winners in the competition:

GENERAL FICTION:
WINNER:  The Boyd Massacre – Ian Macdonald

RUNNER-UP:   Pirate Queen – The Curse – R. Allen Downey

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Pike Place – Marilyn Howard Tschudi
The Ghost Trap – K. Stephens
Five Days in Babylon – P.L. Reiter
No Mad – Sam Moffie
Little Gods – David L. Hoof
Last Call – JD Seamus
Lost In The Sky – Douglas L. Perry
The Color of Hate – Wilma Blair-Reed
Buddha in a Teacup – Todd Walton
Ride For Justice – John Harte
The Wheel of Nuldoid – Russ Woody
What Is Hers?  Ron Janson

GENERAL NON-FICTION
WINNER:  Welcome Home To Yourself – Suzanne Kyra/Nathan Derksen

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Adventure in Borneo – Jolan Durrah
Badge 149: Shots Fired! Gary P. Jones
She Doesn’t Look Deaf – Corinne Cheatham
Saving The Best For Last – Renee Fisher, Joyce Kramer, Jean Peelen
Counting on a Miracle – Cliff Fazzolari

HEALTH:
WINNER:  Lose The Diet – Kathy Balland

BUSINESS:
WINNER:  How You Are Like Shampoo: For Job Seekers – Brenda Bence

SPIRITUAL
WINNER:   Haunting Spiritual Stories – Kenneth G. Gary/Hedy M. Gary

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Power of TED – David Emerald
The Passion of Maryam – Loren Woodson

SCIENCE FICTION
WINNER:  Tenerife Tall Tales – Tony Thorne

RUNNER-UP   The Grandmaster – Peter A. Balaskas

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Sign of the Anasazi – Marc Lieberman
Defenders of the Scroll - Shiraz

ROMANCE:
WINNER:  Cause and Conscience – Mara Purl
RUNNERS-UP:
Vanquished – Hope Tarr
Topaz Woman – Christine Candland

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Safe Haven – Cindy Smith/Judy Turner
Practice Makes Perfect – Julie James
Figuring It Out With Grace – J.D. Tynan
Nantucket Summer – Gerard Shirar
Season of the Shadow – Bobbi Groover

CHILDREN’S BOOKS
WINNER:  Dogs Move Too: From Max’s Point of View – Anthony M.T. Majewski

RUNNER-UP:  Lessons From The Gypsy Camp – Elizabeth Appell

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Legend of Barknight – The McConnell Family
Mom, I Fired The Babysitter! – Colleen H. Robley Blake
What I Did On My Summer Vacation – Bruce Lansky, illustrated by Stephen Carpenter

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WINNER:  Beyond The Cold – Michael Kleiner

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Divine Betrayal – Graceann K. Deters
How I Survived Childhood: A Memoir – Daniel Burch Fiddler
Chai Budesh? Anyone For Tea?  - Joan Heron
From Tajikistan To The Moon – Robert Frimtzis
The Cairo Chronicles – Leslie Lewis
Sasha & Olga – Dr. Eva Maria Chapman

TEENAGE:
WINNER:   The River Whispers – Pamela Pizzimenti

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Defenders of the Scroll – Shiraz
Courtney’s Beach – Penelope Dyan

HOW-TO:
WINNER:  Feng Shui For The Classroom – Renee Heiss

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