2021 HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL NAMES FANTASY NOVEL ‘WAR BUNNY’ FOR TOP HONORS

HOLLYWOOD_The story of a rebel rabbit who fights back is the winner of the 2021 Hollywood Book Festival, which honors books worthy of further attention from the film, television and multimedia industries.

Author Christopher St. John’s War Bunny (Harvest Oak Press)  is the story of Anastasia, a rabbit who bravely confronts her area’s killers, launching a war between prey and predator in a post-apocalyptic world. Compared to Watership Down by reviewers, the book raises intriguing questions about friendship, honor, religion and the establishment. The book is the first in a series by St. John.

The author wins $1500 as his grand prize and will be honored at a ceremony in Hollywood later this fall.

Other winners in the 15th annual competition:

SCIENCE FICTION

WINNER: War Bunny – Christopher St. John

RUNNER-UP: Survivors of the Mutant Dawn – Richard P. Stone

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Forgive Us – ET Gunnarsson
• The Bystander – Harry Wolden
• Callisto 2.0 – Susan English
• Tokyo Games – Yurie Kiri
• Callisto 2.0 – Susan English
• Falling from Eden Inc. – Ross Wright
• The Cadmium Command – JGR Penton
• The Adventures of Wandala – Daniel Boyd
• Grydscaen: dark – Natsuya Uesugi DuBois
• Eerth Awakening – A.L. Riley
• Tyrone Evans Clark’s Fiends – Tyrone Evans Clark

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

WINNER: Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli: Too Many Damn Rainbows – Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince

RUNNER-UP: The Hanford Plaintiffs – Trisha T. Pritikin

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Gilligan’s Dreams – Dreama Denver
• Rendered Safe: Tales of an NYPD Bomb Tech – Jeff Ingber
• Roots & Branches. A Family Saga.. – Michael Meguid
• Corners Untouched by Madness – N. Daniel
• My Obit Vol. 1 – Daddy Holding Me – Kenneth Atchity
• Paradise Taken: The Diary of Eden Flores - Omar Gonzalez
• Hiding in Plain Sight – Thomas LeBrun
• The Music – Herbert and Stephanie Ausbel
• The Demon in Disguise – Ashley Elliott
• Leaving the Safe Harbor – Tanya Hackney
• Bent Pages – Anne Hope
• Tucker & Me – Andrew J. Harvey
• My Sister’s Mother – Donna Urbikas
• Dancing with Life - Ms. Dhyanis Carniglia
• A Movie Lover’s Search for Romance – Joanna J. Charnas

WILD CARD

WINNER: The Hanford Plaintiffs – Trisha Pritikin

RUNNER-UP: Blind Pony: As True a Story As I Can Tell – Samantha Hart

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Art of Forgiveness – Carolyn CJ Jones
• The Undersea Art of Indonesia – Charles Rawlings, Lobbu, Leah Perez
• The Court-Martial of Charlie Newell - Gerard Shira
• Brainwashed - Ramdyal Bhola
• Black Forest Dreams – Joseph Kuhn Carey
• The Wingless Angel – Fabrice Wilfong
• The Angels of Resistance - David V Mammina
• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• KC's Cocktails, Simple Sips of Bliss – KC
• Blood or Loyalty – Adam Miller
• The Colubrii: Awakening – T.M. Sulsona
• Black Forest Dreams – Joseph Kuhn Carey
• The Avatar: Daughter of the Air – T.M. Sulsona
• The YOU Beyond You - Ramzi Najjar
• Old State Road – Jason Gerrish
• Shotokan Karate – Easiest Way… - Pradeep Kumar Yadav
• The National Parks: A Century of Grace - karla k. morton and Alan Birkelbach

GENERAL NON-FICTION

WINNER: I’ll Never Be French – Mark Greenside

RUNNER-UP: The Seductive Sapphic Exploits of Mercedes de Acosta: Hollywood’s Greatest Lover - Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Longest Suicide in Hollywood – John William Law
• Ni@$as Ain’t Astronauts – Robert A. Murphy
• The Boy Who Knew Too Much – Cathy Byrd
• Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths – Joseph N. Abraham
• Char’s Gift – Steve Harryman
• The Salt & Pepper Gang – Kenneth Arthur
• An Untold Secret – Erin Costal
• The Train Jumper – Gwen Banta
• A Constitution for a Democracy - Rohit (Roy) Kajaria
• A Child’s Spiritual Journey – Ernie Liverman
• Cycle of Lives – David Richman
• The Remarkable Journey of Weed Clapper – Gwen Banta
• Asher and Stacey’s Magnificent Road Trip – Stacey Cohen-Maitre Ph.E
• The White Field – Douglas Cole
• If I Die Before I Wake – Eli Shaw
• Silent Resistance - Paul Boudreau and Caitlin Schmidt
• The Angle of Flickering Light – Gina Troisi
• All Fish Faces – Tam Warner Minton
• You Sound Amazing – Jeffrey Weber
• Bertram Grey’s God Stories – Kevin Garrett
• Wild Counselor: 1977 – The Summer…. – Jim Finucan
• Good Dogs - Mry Contreras
• Secret Life of a Juror - Voir Dire – Paul Sanders
• Good Blood: A Journey of Healing – Irit Schaffer
• 10 Rules of Karate – Kris Wilder and Lawrence Kane
• A Turbulent Mind – Swetha Amit
• Rise of the Digital World – RS Amblee
• Una Nueva Victoria – Eliana Habalian
• DisHarmony - Rachel R. Kovach
• Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales
• Love Yourself to Life – Dr. Monica DeBro
• Jake’s Book – Joseph Belden
• Sammy: Hero at Age Five – M. Schmidt and Gene D. Donley
• The Write to Happiness – Samantha Shad
• The Picture Wall: One Woman's Journey....- C.A. Gibbs
• One Simple Text…The Liz Marks Story – Betty Shaw and Dave Brown
• Prayers and Po-boys – Larry Singleton
• Understanding Men with Power – Mercedes Mercado
• Best Little Stories from the Annals of the US Coast Guard – C. Brian Kelly

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WINNER: Pong and the Birthday Journey – Linda Sowa Young Cornish

RUNNER-UP: Mommy’s Hot Pink Heels – Missy Brickman

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Troublesome Young Mr. Mot - Thom Mulichak
• Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge– Norman Whaler
• Ting Ting, The Girl Who Saved China – Ryan O’Connor
• Zach’s Quest: A Christmas Tale - Matt and Melanie Dragovits
• Dachshund Through the Snow – Michelle Medlock Adams
• Sunny Flowers – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Becky’s Bonnet – Linda Sowa Young Cornish
• Siggy Loves Sausages – Mr. Brian Frederick
• If I Were A Pony – Leonard Eckhaus
• Merry Christmas, Bobby the Bear – Ryan O’Connor
• Garrett Bear: Finding Goals – K. Tang
• Hickory Doc's Tales - The Pack: First Generation – Linda Harkey
• 7 Children’s Adventure Stories – V.A. Boeholt/Nate Jensen
• The Great Inventor of the Stars – Avery Davis
• Learning Virtually with Lou – La’Krystal Foster
• The Burping Pumpkin – Steph Alexis
• Be Mindful of Monsters – Lauren Stockly
• Earth Day Park’s Swans – V.A. Boeholt/Nate Jensen

GENRE-BASED

WINNER: What the Soul Suspects – Mara Purl

RUNNER-UP: Pivot – L.C. Barlow

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Somewhere Out There – Dr. Sherry Meinberg
• Confronting the Enemy – George McNeil
• Perish – L.C. Barlow
• Buried but Never Forgotten – Elisa Chastaine
• White Skies Black Mingo – Kevin D. Miller
• Midnight Rocks – Yurie Kiri
• CSCO: First Station –D.A. Pendleton

GENERAL FICTION

WINNER: The Barking Lions – Clifford James Fazzolari

RUNNER-UP: No Birds Sing Here – Daniel V. Meier Jr.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Black Dragons’ Chronicles Book 2 – M.R. Lucas
• The Bookseller’s Daughter – Steve Burt
• Ophelia’s Room – Michael Scott Garvin
• Hunting Teddy Roosevelt – James A. Ross
• To Be Enlightened – Alan J. Steinberg
• Dark Data: Control, Alt, Delete – Douglas J. Wood
• Dragon on the Far Side of the Moon – Douglas J. Wood
• Bloodroot – Daniel V. Meier, Jr.
• Dark Cloud - Sandra Wolff/Jared Barel
• Blood & Silver – Vali Benson
• The Alcatraz Option – Jay Begler
• Jinn - Adron J. Smitley
• Buried but Never Forgotten – Elisa Chastaine
• Spirits of the Ice Forest – Max Davine
• Em’s Awful Good Fortune – Marcie Maxfield
• That Darn Cat – Janos Toldy
• Love is Never Lost – Katy Regnery
• The Book of Hannah - Ellen Gelerman
• Truth is in The House – Michael J. Coffino
• DHARMA, A Rekha Rao Mystery – Vee Kumari
• Reclamation - Lisa Tschauner
• Blood or Loyalty – Adam Miller
• Bopper’s Progress – John Manderino
• For a Fee of 2 Shillings – Faye Whittaker
• Silver Heels – Michelle Lynn
• A Portable Chaos – E.M. Schorb
• Tumbleweeds and Dreams – TP Graf
• Missing – Don Helin
• The Secret of Jessie Judas – E.M. Schorb
• Twisted Love One Woman’s Journey Through Domestic Violence - E.K. Sonshine
• Trading Secrets – Rachel Eckles
• Summer of ’85 – Richard Fellinger
• The Brothers Silver – Marc Jampole
• Ninety-Five – Lisa Towles
• Before Pittsburgh – Kasie Whitener
• Mirage of Darkness - Ervin Mendlovitz, Noah Chapman
• Tyrone Evans Clark’s Grapefruit – Tyrone Evans Clark
• Imprint - Marsha Roberts
• Life in the Chastity Zone – Holly Brandon
• Hollywood and Venal – Nat Segaloff
• After Happily Ever After – Leslie A. Rasmussen
• Frankie – Michel Tyree

HISTORY

WINNER: Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters – Jared Knott

RUNNER-UP: Staten Island's Historic Magnolia House – Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince

HONORABLE MENTION:

• The Lost Diary of Anne Frank – Dr. Johnny Teague

SPIRTUAL/RELIGIOUS

WINNER: Your Pet, Your Pill - Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller

RUNNER-UP: Good Blood: A Journey of Healing – Irit Schaffer

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Quantum Christianty – A.C. Benson
• All This Was Mission - S.J. Cunningham
• Building with Discarded Stones – Timothy Buckley
• Boys Secrets and Men’ Love – David A.J. Richards
• The Evangelical’s Daughter – Debra Roberts Torres-Reyes

YOUNG ADULT

WINNER: New England Seaside, Roadside, Graveside, Darkside – Steve Burt

RUNNER-UP: An Audience for Einstein – Mark Wakely

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Last Cherry Blossom - Kathleen Burkinshaw
• Brotherhood of the Lion – Roger Wellington Nason 
• Journey of 200: Perilous journey – Joyce Creighton
• How to Become a Better Writer – Anishka Verma
• Needing Normal: Freshman Year – Emme Grange
• Ice Queen – Felicia Farber
• Rise of the Sons – JD Mitchell
• Secret Life of a Juror - Voir Dire – Paul Sanders
• Earth 101 – Emae Church
• House of Bastiion – K.L. Kolarich
• Tyrone Evans Clark’s Grapefruit: Season 1 – Tyrone Evans Clark

HOW-TO

WINNER: Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales

RUNNER-UP: The Ultimate Guide to Planning… - Mike Bernst

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a Fu<k - Sue Donnellan
• How to Win Your Case – Thomas Curtis, MD
• Simple Activities for Toddlers - Lisa Forsythe

SEQUELS

WINNER: Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer – Norman Whaler

RUNNER-UP: I Would Love You Even If You Burned the Christmas Turkey - Bucleigh Newton Kernolde

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Kindergarten Kapers – Sabrina Runyon
• Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds – Linda Harkey
• The Power of Poison – BJ Magnani

UNPUBLISHED

WINNER: The WishList – Jane Carter Woodrow

RUNNER-UP: Cursed Beauty – Valentina Tsoneva

BUSINESS

WINNER: HEADTRASH – Renie Cavallari

RUNNER-UP: The Noble Edge – Christopher Gilbert, Ph.D

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Birth of a Unicorn – Heather Wilde
• Catch the Unicorn – Denis Caron
• The Amazon Self-Publisher – Dale L. Roberts
• Always End with the Beginning in Mind – Donald White
• Playing for Keeps – Therese Allison
• The Team Game - Bellaria Jimenez, John F. Bucsek
• Turn Words Into Weatlh – Aurora Winter
• Never Be Poor Again – Matthew Morales
• Rental Secrets – Justin Pogue
• Self-Publish and Succeed – Julie Broad