It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the author-editor pair announcement!

Drum roll please…

Winners

INSIDE LINE - Kimberly Deng

YA Contemporary

Editor: Joel Brigham

Seventeen-year-old Justine Kwong has one goal: to become the first female Formula 1 champion. When she is given the opportunity of a lifetime to race in England, she must prove to the entire paddock—her handsome but obnoxious teammate foremost amongst them—that she is more than a check-the-box diversity hire.

THE SANDS OF EDEN - Alex Steullet

Adult Science Fiction (Speculative)

Editor: Raquel Brown

Increasingly divided by wealth and technology, will humanity have the wisdom to remain a single species?

THE BLOOD PSALTERS - R.L. Wilcox

Adult Dark Fantasy

Editor: Jeni Chappelle

An Indigenous woman travels to the underworld to save her lover, but when her journey forces her to exploit her people, she discovers saving her lover’s soul may ultimately cost her own.

THE FUNERAL GUESTS - Kelly Malacko

Adult Mystery

Editor: Miranda Darrow

To save her job, a disgraced female detective must solve a high-profile murder in one day before the victim's funeral ends.

THE WITCHING HOUR - Dana Nuenighoff

YA Fantasy Romance

Editor: Nicole Frail

When 17-year-old witch Bennett casts a spell on her ex best friend to get him to leave her alone, it backfires and swaps her power to him. Now they have to work together to fix this Freaky Friday situation without kissing—killing—each other.

STEPHANIE TAN RUNS A MARATHON - Linh Chau

Adult Romance

Editor: Natasha Hanova

After signing up to run a marathon and unexpectedly encountering the return of her former best friend, a burnt-out eldest Asian daughter finds herself facing a new challenge: falling in love.

PHINNY INTO IDLEWILD – Charlie Winter

Adult Cozy Fantasy

Editor: Carly Hayward

Phinny Fernsby has lived at the beck and call of her father, the Great Wizard Rasmus, for her entire life; however, when a curse forces Phinny to flee to the feral prairies of Idlewild, she discovers who she is and can be when out from under his overwhelming shadow.

THE SILENCE BETWEEN – Haley Gray

YA Fantasy

Editor: Madelyn Knecht

A failed alchemist with a twisted past claws his way to godhood while a Godeater hunts a deadly flesh-rending man on the loose, and their paths become inextricably linked.

CAPERS, CROWNS, AND THIEVES - Jacqui Culler

YA Fantasy

Editor: Leah Rambadt

When the king kidnaps her friends, a thief with illusion magic must pull off an impossible heist in order to save them, but she’s in a city she was never supposed to return to and short on people she can trust.

DICE FOR LOVE - Wyatt Ong

Adult Contemporary Romance

Editor: Megan Records

In the quirky Filipino-Chinese (FIL-CHI) dating scene in Banawe, Philippines, a 30-something workaholic dead set on living abroad falls for a devoted family businessman; love blooms despite opposing views and life goals.

SCALES OF FATE - Michelle Donovan

YA Fantasy

Editor: Caroline M. Tell

When a girl embarks on a seaward journey to find her missing dragons, she uncovers a dark secret that shakes her trust in her family, forcing her to help the ruthless dragon hunters who secretly aim to control her rare magic.

STONEBOUND – Joanna Mildanoff

YA Fantasy

Editor: Maria Tureaud

Tormented by an ancient Bulgarian curse, two strangers join forces to investigate the haunted bridge that started it, but when the bridge’s dark forces turn them against each other, they must dismantle its secrets before it ruins them both.

Runners-Up

Joel Brigham's pick:

SHINING CREATURES by Carolyn Swan - YA Sci-Fi/Speculative

Raquel Brown's pick:

THE SWAMP MERMAID by Kat Sinor - Adult Horror

Jeni Chappelle's pick:

THE HAPHAZARD BUT STILL ENTIRELY RESPECTABLE EDUCATION OF IMRYN DYRE by Arty B. Whelan - Adult Cozy Fantasy

Miranda Darrow's pick:

SOUTH BLOC by Aiyana Ishmael- YA Science Fiction

Nicole Frail's pick:

IN THE REWIND by Jennifer Fernandez- YA Contemporary Fantasy

Natasha Hanova's pick:

RED LINE ROMEO by Razz Sharpless - Adult Romance

Carly Hayward's pick:

Jaded Hearts by Menaka Manser - Adult Fantasy Romance

Madelyn Knecht's pick:

SINA VON SOLIS by Clarissa Chang - YA Science Fantasy

Leah Rambadt’s pick:

THE SONG OF RUST by Andrea Parr - YA Fantasy

Megan Records's pick:

CANCEL ME by Ashlee Mitchell - Adult Contemporary Romance

Caroline M. Tell's pick:

LITTLE WITCH GIRL by Sasha Thomas – MG Fantasy

Maria Tureaud's pick:

THE BRINE PRINCE by Katie Abdou – YA Historical Fiction