NEW YORK (June 16, 2007) _ Riley Weston’s novel “Before I Go,” a timeless love story based in the world of ice skating, is the grand prize winner of the 2007 New York Book Festival.

Weston and other winners will be appearing on June 23, 2007 at the New York Book Festival in Central Park from 10 a.m . to 6 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held near the Naumburg Bandshell in the park. Author readings and signing, live music, clowns doing face-painting and balloon animals, book vendors, food and live music will be part of the day-long celebration of literacy and education.

Weston wins $1500 for her efforts in the competition. She is a triple-threat actress, TV/screenplay writer and novelist. “Before I Go” is her debut novel. She divides her time between New York City, Los Angeles and “somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains” in upstate New York.

 

Other winners in the festival:

FICTION

WINNER: Riley Weston – Before I Go

Runners-Up:

• Free Food For Millionaires – Min Jin Lee
• Hard-Boiled Men – Guy Jacobs

HONORABLE MENTION:

Crossing the Wire - Robert Kornheiser
Primordial Vault - A Cold War Novel – Frank Deft
Ascent from Darkness - Steven Wilson
Without Grace - Carol Hoenig
Seaview - Toby Olsen
Mallory - Margaret Gunning
Last Best Friend – Jean Golstrom
Protector – Lauren Dewey
Voices, Vol III – Joel Goldberg
The Mind Keepers _ Kenneth Maclean
In the Ruins – Jean Minton
Big Numbers – Jack Getze
The Cullud School Teachur – Sandra E. Brown
Cold Eyes – Romina Wilcox
Wearing the Spider – Susan Shaab
Before I Forget – Andre Brink
The Time Has Come – Barbara Oleynick
In The Fringe – Eleanor Summers
Ghetto Walls – Tammy Reid
The Gift – D. Lee Hatchett
Snake Walker – J. Everett Prewitt
Boombox – Gabriel Cohen
Deadly Confidante – Nancy Whitmore Poore
Dreamtime – a Collection of Short Stories – Robert F. Steiner
Saving Grace – Joann Bellamy
Ghetto Walls – Tammy Reid
The Heiress of Water – Sandra Rodriguez

NON-FICTION:

WINNER: 1941: The Greatest Year in Sports – Mike Vaccaro

Runners-Up: GhettoNation – Cora Daniels
Celebrate Italian Style – Jacqueline Miconi

HONORABLE MENTION:
In the Audience At Alamein – Ian Macdonald
Planet New York – Tudor Alexander
Show and Tell – Karen Vanderlaan
Journey Toward Justica – Juliette Hampton Morgan
The Cielo – Paul Salsini
Stop War America – Robert McLane
Standing Stones to Storemont – Tom Quinn Kumpf
The Power of Acknowledgement – Judith Umlas
The Honeymoon’s Over – Andrea Chain and Sally Wofford-Girand
Coyote Jack – Jack Lyndon
Why Things Are – William Roetzheim
Sweet Swan of Avon Robin P. Williams
Deer in my Garden – Carolyn Singer
Annexing Mexico – Erik Rush
Flat-Out Rock – 10 Great Bands – Kathy Dearing

CHILDREN’s

WINNER: The Adventures of Lady – The Big Storm – Iris Pearson and Mike Merrill

RUNNERS-UP: Sad Sam and the Magic Cookies – Stacy Quest
20 Umbrellas by M. Nathalie Pujari

Una Fantasia FotoGrafica – Forastero en el Bosque – Carl R. Sams/Jean Stoick
Poetry Speaks To Children – Various authors
Heavenly Skies and Lullabies – Dr. Kathy Fallon
The Giant Book of Bedtime Stories – William Roetzheim
Little Hacker and the Aliens – Lee-Ann Shewchuk
Riley the Rhinoceros – Patricia Derrick
Loving Marley – Donald and Sara Hassler
Willy and Friends – Traveling Through The Seasons – Don Estes
The Patched Heart – A Gift of Friendship and Caring – H.E. Stewart
The Legend of Hong Kil Dong – Anne Sibley O’Brien
Saving Daddy – Patricia Abdullah/Alexandra Cabri
Curio – A Shetland Sheepdog – Jeanette Griver and Phyllis Milway
Twice A Hero – Dirk Wales and Lynn Ihsen Peterson

WILD CARD:

WINNER: The Street Life Series – Kevin Weeks

HONORABLE MENTION:

Smiling Places – Doug Tomsu
Susan Sarandon – Bette Jo Tucker
The Missing Piece Of A Heritage Puzzle – Frank Koerner
The Book of Comforts – Patricia Alexander and Michael Burgos
Footprints on My Tongue – Jack Hasling
The Next Evolution – Jack Reed
SunShines – Michael Lutin
Woof! A Gay Man’s Guide To Dogs
Dear Sparkle – Janiss Garza
Silent Voices – Peter Balaskas

POETRY:

WINNER: lovehound – Oliver Welden/translated by Dave Oliphant

HONORABLE MENTION:

Renata and Other Poems – Renata Pallottini
Optics – The Mystical Poet’s Guide – Vince Carver Gilliam
Thoughts I Left Behind – William Roetzheim
Poems of Nature – William Roetzheim
Waking Spirit – Prose and Poems - Shirley Cheng
Illuminations – Asfia Abdul Qaddir

COMICS/ZINES:

WINNER: Silk Road To Ruin – Ted Rall

HONORABLE MENTION:

The Idiom – Mark Baird
Mr. Big – Carol and Matt Demicki
The Building Opposite – Fanfare
Japan As Viewed By 17 Creators - Various authors
Girls and Corpses – Robert Steven Rhine

E-BOOK

WINNER: A Taste of Italy – Lucie Simone

RUNNER-UPS: What – David Jones
: How To Negotiate Like A Pro – Mary Greenwood

GENRE-BASED:

WINNER: Ivy Cole and the Moon – Gina Farago

HONORABLE MENTION:

Life’s Spices From Seasoned Sisters – Edited by Vicki Ward
McKettrick’s Luck – Linda Lael Miler
Deadly Gamble – Linda Lael Miller

AUDIO:

WINNER: Sin Sick – Minton Sparks:

HONORABLE MENTION:

Healing Shine – Michael Johnson
Evangeline – A Taste of Acadie – Francois Paradis
Bugs & Critters I Have Known – Ann Heiskell Rickey
Many Faces To Many Places – Judy Azar LeBlanc

SCIENCE FICTION:

WINNER: Strike At The Heart – Lawrence Berrie

HONORABLE MENTION:

Iota Cycle – Russell Lutz
The Gift – D. Lee Hatchett
The Woods – M. Almanza
Cleansing Hunt – Greg Parks

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WINNER: Supreme Discomfort – The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas – Kevin Merica and Michael Fletcher

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Trapped Inside The Story – Leslie Cohen
Return to Caffee Cino, Steve Susoyev
Chasing Dreamtime – Neva Sullaway
Television Tightrope – Ralph Baruch with lee Roderick
Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley – Jon Krampner
Full Moon Morning – From Ike To Mao and Beyond – Barbara Bitela
Show and Tell – Karen Vanderlaan
The Art of Table Dancing – DC Stanfa
A Song For The World – John Ruffin
Butchery on Bond Street – Benjamin Feldman
From Ike To Mao and Beyond – Bob Avakian


UNPUBLISHED:

WINNER: MILF This! Confessions of a Hot Mama – Lisa Jey Davis

HONORABLE MENTION:
Fables To Grow On – Noel Rideau
Glass Girl – Anne Serling-Sutton
Persuasion – Christina Gessler

TEENAGE:

WINNER: The Big Book of Boy Stuff – Bart King

RUNNER-UP: The Fire and the Light – Tracey Akers

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
My Summer Vacation - Hannah Goodman
To Love Mercy – Frank Joseph
Across Time: Mystery of the Great Pyramid – OJ Harp

HOW-TO:

WINNER: Starting A Collection Agency – Michelle Dunn

RUNNER-UP: How To Negotiate Like A Pro – Mary Greenwood

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Power-Brain Kids – Genny Hyun
A Conversation on Networking – Steven Smolinsky
Renovation Psychology – Dr. Debi Warner

ROMANCE:

WINNER: Vanquished – Hope Tarr