Staffordshire writer in running for top award
An author’s heart-warming book about friendship, love and second chances has been shortlisted for the 2020 Kindle Storyteller Awards.
Kim Nash, from Hednesford, is one of five writers in the running for a cash prize of £20,000 prize.
The award, now in its fourth year, celebrates newly-published independent books by authors across any genre. Kim’s book, Sunshine and Second Chances, tells the story of lifelong friends Liv, Debs, Fiona and Samantha, who travel to the Algarve to honour a promised they made to spend their 50th birthdays together. What starts as a holiday in the sun ends up with them making some life-changing decisions before their flight home. Kim says the book as inspired by her own friendship and she wanted to celebrate what strong women could achieve when they get together. “I have some amazing friends in my life, I’m really lucky,” she adds.
The author works full-time as head of publicity for Bookouture, which means fitting in her writing around her day job and looking after her son Oliver.
Sunshine and Second Chances is her third book and she is also a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk.
“I love the thought of people reading my books,” says Kim who has recently received messages from readers telling her how her books have made a difference in her lives. People have said they can relate to all my characters, they’re real stories about real people and real things happening,” she adds. Kim says she’s thrilled to be have made the shortlist and will find out whether she has won the award on October 19. It’s just amazing to be shortlisted. The Kindle Storyteller Award is a phenomenal thing to enter and to be shortlisted is incredible,” she adds.
The award was open to any work in the English language published on Kindle Direct Publishing between May 1 and August 31, 2020. A panel of judges will decide which shortlisted book will win its author the £20,000 prize, a golden Kindle, marketing support on Amazon.co.uk and mentoring. The panel features TV presenter and author Claudia Winkleman, best-selling authors L.J. Ross and Mark Dawson, last year’s Kindle Storyteller Award winner Ian W. Sainsbury, Sacha Black from the Alliance of Independent Authors and, from Amazon, EU Books Director Simon Johnson and UK Books Editor Jen Barrett.
Claudia said: “This year, more than ever, has highlighted the need for brilliant books and brilliant writers. It’s fantastic to see so many entries across such a variety of genres. I’ve had loads of fun reading them and am excited to join the panel selecting the 2020 winner. But it’s not just down to us, the readers play a huge part too, which is fantastic.”
Candice Carty-Williams, author of the Amazon Charts bestseller Queenie, said: “I’ve always been a huge fan of the Kindle Storyteller Award as it’s a great way for authors get their voices heard. There is a vast pool of undiscovered talent in the literary world and it looks like we have some gems in the mix this year.”
Simon Johnson, director of Amazon EU Books, said: “Every year we look forward to the entries coming in and I’m delighted that we’ve seen a record-breaking number this year. Not only that, the quality of entries is impressive and I’m looking forward to reading my way through the shortlist.”
For more information on the shortlisted authors visit: www.amazon.co.uk/storyteller
