2017 

The Nebraska Press Association - First Place for Sports Column "Getting My Kicks in Bangkok," published in the Fairbury Journal-News.

This award was for a column about a Muay Thai kickboxing match I saw while in Bangkok, Thailand. On the one hand, it is wonderful to have finally won an award after years of trying. On the other hand, I understand sports about as well as I understand installing a sub-woofer on the space shuttle, which is to say, not very much at all. So I am well aware of how ridiculous it is for me to have an award for sports writing.

I have been a finalist in (but not won) several high profile writing competitions and awards.

THE WHIPLASH BROKERS: Derringer Award sponsored by the Short Myster Fiction Society. This is the only KIndle Worlds story ever to be nominated for a Derringer.

FRAUDSTERS: The Private Eye Writers of America's Best First Private Eye Novel Competition sponsored by St. Martin's Press.

FRAUDSTERS: The Malice Domestic Competition sponsored by St. Martin's Press (twice).

WHITE CRAYONS: Fish Knife Award, sponsored by Fish Publishing and the Crime Writers' Association. I think the award was actually canceled, so no one won it that year.

BAGHDAD REQUIEM: Court TV's Next Great Crime Writer Competition. The judges who selected the finalists were best-selling writers Lisa Scottoline, Faye Kellerman, Jonathan Kellerman and Editor Judith Regan. For a while, I used to put these names on my resume, thinking that having such well known and successful authors selecting my story might impress potential employers. It didn't.