Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

THE local bookshop in Crosby is again holding its book awards. This is not just a local event, but if 2022 is anything to go by, it will once again create international interest as well!

Today the Merseyside based shop, which is located on South Road, Waterloo, (L220ND) has opened up its website to take entries from authors in 5 categories.

Owner Bob Stone said:- "We have 5 categories for authors to submit their books into. They are as follows:- Children's Picture Books, Children's Chapter Books, Young Adult Fiction, Adult Fiction, and Poetry Books can be traditionally published, self-published, or published through a hybrid publisher, but you MUST have a 1st publication date between:- 1 February 2022, and 31 January 2023. Also, we will require an entry fee of just £10.00 per book. Can't wait to hear from you!"

Write Blend Awards 2023 panel of judges this year will be:-

Bob Stone, who is the owner of Write Blend bookshop and the author of a number of books, including:- the Missing Beat trilogy of Young Adult fantasy novels, a collection of short stories, and 1 children's picture book, all published by Beaten Track Publishing. He has also self published:- 1 adult novel and 2 children's chapter books. 37 years after graduating from UCNW Bangor, he has finally found a use for the degree in English Literature that gives you the sole life skill of reading books!
Christie Barlow is the number one international bestselling author of 17 unromantic comedies including:- the iconic Love Heart Lane Series, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, and Kitty's Countryside Dream. She lives in a ramshackle cottage in a quaint village in the heart of Staffordshire with her four children and 2 dogs. Her writing career has come as a lovely surprise when Christie decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. Christie’s dream was to become a writer and the book she wrote to prove a point went on to become a #1 international bestseller not only in the UK, but also within:- USA, Canada, and Australia!
Estelle Maher is surrounded by the written word. She runs:- TAUK Publishing, an assisted publishing team who helps writers who wish to self publish, and is also an author herself. Her debut novel won Best Spiritual Fiction in 2018 and she has just finished her 4th book which she plans to publish later this year. Estelle loves nothing more than curling up with a comedy or a drama with a dramatic plot twist. She is also passionate about highlighting talented debut authors.
Ian D. Hall, who is the founder of a Co-op shelf, in Stirchley, Birmingham... It is how Ian introduces himself, but thankfully the writer is more than just a replacement for a can of Heinz Baked Beans, he is an author in his own right, with 4 highly recommended poetry collections and 4 novels (all published by Beaten Track Publishing) to his name. The University of Liverpool graduate has been reviewing books, film, music, and theatre in Liverpool and beyond for almost 20 years, and for the last decade has owned and published under Liverpool Sound and Vision. He is proud to be 1 of the judges in this year's Write Blend Awards.
Susanne T. Schroder. She provides book readings and workshops throughout the year and is a best selling children’s author. She has worked in publishing since leaving Copenhagen in 2006 where she trained and worked as a pedagog (child educator). Susanne has an MA in Children’s Illustration, is a patron of the children’s Literacy Project Kingsley and Co, and works with teenagers suffering from extreme anxiety to help them write and illustrate picture books for children.
Natalie Denny is an award winning force behind Skywriters Ltd, an award winning creative education social enterprise. Natalie is currently represented by Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV, and Film Agency. Her roles include writer, activist, tutor, and EDI Consultant for Anthony Walker Foundation. Natalie is chair of The Period Project Merseyside, a voluntarily led initiative providing women and people who have periods with menstrual items and campaigning to #endperiodpoverty and co-founder of The Goddess Projects, an organisation with the mission to empower, inspire and assist Black women and women of colour to develop and achieve in their communities. Natalie was awarded the Merseyside Women of the Year Social Impact accolade and Skywriters Ltd won Best Start-Up of the Year at the Merseyside Independent Business Awards in 2022. Natalie is shortlisted in the One To Watch category in the Northern Power Women Awards and has been included in the Future List 2023.
Andrea Moulding... Andrea started a love affair with writing in her youth and like most teens have an embarrassing book of her own angst poems, which she assures us will never see the light of day. Despite loving the written word, she only published her first novel ‘Throwing Salt at the Devil’ in her fifties, proving you are never too old to start. She is keen to support writers who don’t have the confidence to begin writing and wants to encourage everyone to tell their stories. Now truly bitten by the writing bug she has another book about her own experience with breast cancer called Stay on the Bus coming out soon. She has also started work on the sequel to her novel and has several children's books in the pipeline. Andrea is passionate about writing as a creative outlet for everyone.
Deborah Murphy is a solicitor by trade, a writer by heart, and a reader since she could focus on a written page. She spends more time in between the pages of a book than she does in:- 'real life' a book addict and proud of it. Deborah writes poetry, short stories, and chapter stories mostly in the genre of fantasy fiction, and is currently working on a children‘s picture book inspired by her rescue dog, Lockie. She reads anything:- 'ANYTHING' depending upon mood, and she is looking forward to reading the entries in this exciting contest and discovering more new worlds in which to be lost.
Maddy Templeman... Maddy’s 1st book, Seen Too is an Amazon bestseller and she is currently editing her 2nd book, a personal account of the alternative Christian lifestyle she was brought up in. She writes pieces for Broken Spine poetry and arts magazine and is an active member of the Pick Up Your Pen writing group. She is also a mentor for The Girls Network and loves to encourage people to reach their full potential. Maddy enjoys reading, camping, walking, traveling, flying birds of prey, and spending time with her cat, Rooster.
Ali Harwood is an artist, poet, writer, and teacher. He is the author and illustrator of the popular poetic picture book ‘Liverpool Liver Birds’ and the host of the Liver Bards monthly poetry event. Ali has enjoyed recent art commissions from Liverpool City Region (The World Reimagined), Liverpool Fostering (Stand By Me), and Cammell Laird (Battle of the Atlantic). He is coordinator for the Liverpool Literacy Cycle.

To enter please go to:- WriteBlend.Co.UK.

The Judging Panel will award 1 winner and 1 Highly Commended book in each category:-

The winner will receive a £200 prize and a specially designed trophy, and the Highly Commended will receive a trophy.
The Judges will award a further trophy to recognize outstanding contribution to literature in the Liverpool City Region.
Books can be traditionally published, self-published, or published through a hybrid publisher, but MUST have a 1st publication date between:- 1 February 2022 and 31 January 2023.

Please also remember to support our Region's independent local Book Shops, such as WriteBlend, as we have many good shops like them, that need your purchasing power more than ever!