Skokie Author named finalist in statewide writing competition
Len Joy of Skokie has been chosen as one of three finalists in the statewide Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project competition for his novel American Past Time. This darkly nostalgic story is a study of an American family through good times and bad, engagingly set against major events from the 1950s to the '70s, as issues of race simmer in the background. History buffs and baseball fans will especially appreciate details such as sting-ray bikes, Green Stamps, and the names of famous baseball players, including Spahn, Larsen, Mantle and Musial that set the scene for the story.
Len commented, "While I am still in the not quite famous category, I have continued to make progress, and I appreciate the recognition." He learned about the contest from the Skokie Public Library. Len's biography (which includes being a nationally rated triathlete!) and more information about his books can be found at lenjoybooks.com .
This contest was created by and is run by Illinois librarians who volunteer their time to read and evaluate all entries. The final round of judging is now underway, and this year's winner will be announced in November,
For more information please visit soontobefamous.info.
Background
In 2013, a group of librarians in northern Illinois teamed up to create the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project (STBF) to demonstrate how important self-published books can be in the lives of readers. Through the project, libraries are helping connect talented local indie authors with readers. This exciting, library-driven initiative, now entering its eighth year, has been replicated in 14 states and two Canadian provinces so far and is the model on which the national Indie Author Project is based.
This year the STBF initiated De la Página a la Fama to extend project to Spanish language literature.
In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain statewide recognition by Illinois libraries as the top indie-published books in adult and young adult genres, the chance to compete with winners from other state contests for the title of Indie Author of the Year, and opportunities to earn royalties through the Indie Author Project Select collection.
For more information about the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project, please visit http://soontobefamous.info.