TEMECULA – This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Independent Publisher Book Awards, also known as the IPPYs. It also marked a special occasion for Temecula children’s book author Shari Tharp to debut her children’s book, “Gertrude and Toby’s Friday Adventure,” that won an IPPY silver medal in the category Best Children’s Illustrated E-Book.
“In the days leading up to the awards announcement, I convinced myself that I was not going to win an IPPY,” replied author Tharp when asked about winning the award. “I know it’s the typical way many writers view their own work, but I also figured it would be easier to deal with the letdown if I didn’t get my hopes up in the first place. My publisher said my book was definitely good enough to win an IPPY, and this certainly validates that for about the next two books in the series.”
Those “next two books” are Gertrude and Toby Save the Gingerbread Man and Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf, the second and third books in the fairy-tale adventure series, both scheduled for release during late 2016. The series follows protagonists Gertrude the goat and Toby the tortoise on Fridays as they sneak off the farm to embark on action-packed adventures, where they meet some of our favorite fairy tale characters. Tharp has also nearly completed another children’s book that deals with grandparent–grandchild relationships and the fine underappreciated art of telling tall tales.
The IPPY Awards were launched in 1996 and are conducted each year to honor the year’s best independently published books, offering an alternative to “the big five” conglomerated media publishers. Its collection of small presses, university presses and self-publishing services give experimental and entrepreneurial authors a platform and the adventurous readers an abundance of new choices.
The award-winning books will be celebrated May 10 during the annual e-BookExpo America publishing convention in Chicago, with IPPY medallions awarded in 112 book categories, including 12 e-book categories. This year’s contest drew nearly 500,000 entries, with approximately 350 winning medalists coming from 42 U.S. states, six Canadian provinces and nine foreign countries.
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