I’m excited to share the news that Danger Peak won its first award: The Firebird Book Award in the category of Magical Realism. This was actually the first award I submitted for weeks ago. The Firebird Book Awards are presented by Speak Up Talk Radio. These awards support women and children in long-term shelters. As their website states:
The firebird is known as a magical helper and is believed to drop pearls from its beak when passing over peasant villages, to give the poor something to trade for food and other necessities. We hope, in some small way, that we too can help others via the donation aspect of these book awards.
When I was younger, I used to fly to Cincinnati to visit my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins every summer. It was a long plane ride for an easily bored kid like me, and just before one visit, my Mom took me to my local library and asked me to pick out a book for the trip. My eyes settled on Beatrice Gormley’s early ’80s classic Mail-Order Wings. I thought the cover looked interesting: a girl with giant wings strapped to her back was stepping out of her bedroom window on the top floor of her house.
I read the whole book on the plane ride to Ohio. I thought it was a fascinating idea to have just one magical thing in the book: the titular wings. Everything else in the story was basically just like our real world. There were no witches, warlocks, wizards, or werewolves. It was my first experience reading a book on magical realism, and I was hooked. In fact, in my book proposal for Danger Peak, I specifically cite Mail-Order Wings as one of my inspirations. After all, there’s only one truly magical thing in my book: the titular mountain.
I am honored to receive this award but even more pleased that it was in my favorite category.
MTP
P.S.: Danger Peak is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble:
Danger Peak 