After a three-month span that included the sudden and early deaths of both the canine companion he called daughter and his beloved father, indie lit penmaster Nelson Pahl deserved a break.
He finally got oneeven if it pales in comparison to his heartbreaking winter.
Pahls Bee Balms & Burgundy, published on independent imprint Caf Reverie Press, won romantic fictions biggest award, the Bronte Prize. The accolade recognizes the best love story published in the U.S. and Canada annually. Pahls debut title was chosen victorious by a jury of three.
To win the coveted award, Bee Balms & Burgundy beat out novels from two of mainstream literatures biggest sellers, Angels Fall (Putnam) by Nora Roberts and Finding Noel (Simon & Shuester) by Richard Paul Evans. Pahls novella also bested fellow indie lit titles Tear Down the Mountain (Soft Skull Press) by Roger Alan Skipper and Water for Elephants (Algonquin Books) by Sara Gruen.
Bee Balms & Burgundy (www.nelsonpahl.com) is the tale of Mia Lawson, a 30-year-old post-mastectomy breast cancer survivor who, in the aftermath of her diagnosis, realizes her lifelong love for childhood neighbor Nick...