Act of Grace is a Winner
May is my birthday month and I'm starting out with a happy gift and blessing.
My novel Act of Grace has been named a 2012 Independent Publisher Silver Medal Award winner. The IPPY award recognizes and encourages the work of “Publishers who exhibit the courage and creativity necessary to take chances, break new ground, and bring about change, not only to the world of publishing, but to our society.” Besides the works of small independent publishers, the IPPYs recognized books from presses such as McPherson &Company, Dzanc Books, Basic Books, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Carnegie Museum of Arts and Design, Carnegie Mellon University Press, Kent State University Press, The MIT Press, Princeton University Press, and the Stanford University Press.
So what is Visionary Fiction you might be wondering, well it's considered part of speculative fiction and some label it as fiction in which the expansion of the human mind drives the plot. A good explanation is on Michael Gurian's Visionary Fiction Website.
Goodreads also now has a new group for writers and readers of Visionary Fiction.
When I wrote Grace I didn't exactly know what genre it fell into, I just knew it was speculative fiction that leaned more toward the magical realism end of the spectrum. I am happy to have received this recognition, it is truly an honor.
8 comments:
Congratulations, Karen. Grace was a winner all along but its great to be acknowledged in this way. Can't wait for the next book.
Well, congratulations! A high honor indeed.
Dear, Ms. Karen Simpson,
i really loved your book Act Of Grace, Dr. Jennifer Martin from Tinkham Alternative High School read the book in class with us. The book is like a perfect thing to read for a high school class. If i had to choose one thing about the book that i did not loke is all the words i did not know! talk about confusing! i loved the very suspensful part, while Grace is in the room and finds all her fathers things. Then "Mama" walks in and finds her. That was a very exciting part for me to read.
Maybe because when i was 6 my father passed away and i found all of the things my mother kept away from me. Now 10 years after his death i am a full time high school student and i love fashion. which is why i love Dr. Martin
so sorry!! last comment with the father that passed away 10 years ago is from Arthur J. Crews :)
CONGRATULATIONS, Karen Simpson on your Independent publisher book awards on Act of Grace. I am a student of Dr. Martin in her English 10 class. I am very proud of your success because it influences me to be a better person like you. What I really liked about Act of Grace was that it was a real and interesting book that compared agaisnt people life styles now. Act of Grace was also an acknowledged book for people who are not going through the life style Grace is and it gives them a chance to learn about other life styles. Grace and I are so much the same because our life styles dealing with our parents and the city's ignorance. The only differance about us is that I can't hear spiritual voices of my ancestors to show me people that are doing bad to the world. Enough about me, I just really wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your book and hope you continue your great work. Congratulations once again and have a nice day and life as you continue on with your writing.
Orian Askins
Hi I am a student at Tinkham High School. I learned about many different things in the novel Act of Grace. I loved it and it really was one of the best teenage based novels I have ever read. I would be so honored to show many other teenagers this book because in my point of view it teaches many different females about racism and what so many people went through. I think the idea of the book was an excellent version of a visionary fiction book amd I love it. I hope you get the opportunites to make many more books of speculative fiction.
Signed Charice,
from Dr. Martin's 10th
grade English class.
Dear Ms. Karen Simpson
Wow this does not suprise me that such a great book such as Act of Grace would win such a high honor. My name is Darnell Miller; I am 16 years of age and go to Tinkham Alternative where I first read this book in my sixth hour with Dr. Martin, my English teacher. During the beginning chapters of this book I knew that it was going to be good so I continued to read. This is one of the greatest books I have read. The fact that this book was written by a Michigan author makes it even better considering that I have not read many books by Michigan authors. I am glad I had the chance to read such a great book. Keep up the great work. I can not wait for the next book!
Sincerely,
Darnell Miller
YAY!!!!
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