Debut Novel “In Memory of Central Park” Wins Three National Indie Excellence Awards
Queenelle Minet’s First Novel Wins Best Science Fiction Novel and Finalist in Best New Fiction and Best General Fiction.
San Rafael, CA, August 19, 2009 --(PR.com)-- “In Memory of Central Park,” (Synergy Books, ISBN 1-934454-25-1) the first novel penned by Queenelle Minet, has garnered three 2009 National Indie Excellence Awards, including winner in the Science Fiction category, and finalist in both the Best New Fiction and General Fiction categories.
“It’s wonderful to receive recognition for your work, and it’s especially wonderful to be recognized in multiple categories,” said Minet, who is an environmental advocate and couples therapist, as well as a writer. “‘In Memory of Central Park’ does not fit neatly in any particular genre. Set in New York City in the year 2050, it contains elements of political satire and a strong environmental theme, but it’s most fundamentally about human emotion and personal relationships. The fact that the book was recognized for science fiction, new fiction, and general fiction tells me it succeeds as a novel. I’m optimistic it will find an audience with readers who love a good story and care about nature and the environmental crisis facing our planet.”
The National Indie Excellence awards were created to recognize excellence in independent book publishing. The prestigious award is highly competitive, with awards for publishers and authors in over 100 categories. There is an independent panel of experts from all aspects of the publishing industry judging these awards.
In addition, to the National Indie Awards, “In Memory of Central Park” also has received the 2009 Australian Literature for Environment (LiFE) award, and was named one of the top ten novels for 2008 by Book Chase. Sam Houston who maintains the Book Chase weblog called it “a fine novel… It creates a world as bleakly terrifying as the one found in Orwell’s 1984, but what makes this novel truly special is the love story that ties it all together.”
About “In Memory of Central Park”
By 2050, Manhattan has been encased in a massive concrete shell that protects New York from both terrorists and the rising sea. No one is allowed to travel in or out, but New Yorkers feel safe in their dark world, despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty has eroded to an unrecognizable stump and the once green oasis of Central Park no longer exists. The story revolves around Noah, a psychotherapist with plenty of problems of his own, including his love for his brother’s wife, Margaret. When people start dying and the Liberty Party seeks to silence anyone who speaks out, Noah must find a way to save his relationship with Margaret, as well as their lives.
“In Memory of Central Park” brings together political satire and a story of love and loneliness set against a backdrop of environmental catastrophe. Begun by her late husband Aron Spilken, Ph.D., Minet completed the novel to help her deal with the loss of her husband and as a testament to their lifelong collaboration.
About Queenelle Minet
Queenelle Minet, M.A., M.F.T. is an author and maintains a private practice specializing in couples therapy in Marin County, California. Born in York, Pennsylvania, she began writing in her twenties while living in Greenwich Village. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and later earned her B.A. from Penn State University in English Literature. While at Penn State she developed her love of the stage and later earned an M.A. in theater from Northwestern University. She has acted in a number of productions, written several plays, and taught drama and directed at Northern Michigan University. She earned a second M.A. in psychology in 1982 and became a licensed psychotherapist.
For more information about Queenelle Minet and “In Memory of Central Park,” visit www.centralparknovel.com. The novel can be purchased from the web site or at Amazon.com.
Contact:
Tom Woolf
Woolf Media & Marketing
(415) 259-5638
tomw@woolfmedia.com
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“It’s wonderful to receive recognition for your work, and it’s especially wonderful to be recognized in multiple categories,” said Minet, who is an environmental advocate and couples therapist, as well as a writer. “‘In Memory of Central Park’ does not fit neatly in any particular genre. Set in New York City in the year 2050, it contains elements of political satire and a strong environmental theme, but it’s most fundamentally about human emotion and personal relationships. The fact that the book was recognized for science fiction, new fiction, and general fiction tells me it succeeds as a novel. I’m optimistic it will find an audience with readers who love a good story and care about nature and the environmental crisis facing our planet.”
The National Indie Excellence awards were created to recognize excellence in independent book publishing. The prestigious award is highly competitive, with awards for publishers and authors in over 100 categories. There is an independent panel of experts from all aspects of the publishing industry judging these awards.
In addition, to the National Indie Awards, “In Memory of Central Park” also has received the 2009 Australian Literature for Environment (LiFE) award, and was named one of the top ten novels for 2008 by Book Chase. Sam Houston who maintains the Book Chase weblog called it “a fine novel… It creates a world as bleakly terrifying as the one found in Orwell’s 1984, but what makes this novel truly special is the love story that ties it all together.”
About “In Memory of Central Park”
By 2050, Manhattan has been encased in a massive concrete shell that protects New York from both terrorists and the rising sea. No one is allowed to travel in or out, but New Yorkers feel safe in their dark world, despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty has eroded to an unrecognizable stump and the once green oasis of Central Park no longer exists. The story revolves around Noah, a psychotherapist with plenty of problems of his own, including his love for his brother’s wife, Margaret. When people start dying and the Liberty Party seeks to silence anyone who speaks out, Noah must find a way to save his relationship with Margaret, as well as their lives.
“In Memory of Central Park” brings together political satire and a story of love and loneliness set against a backdrop of environmental catastrophe. Begun by her late husband Aron Spilken, Ph.D., Minet completed the novel to help her deal with the loss of her husband and as a testament to their lifelong collaboration.
About Queenelle Minet
Queenelle Minet, M.A., M.F.T. is an author and maintains a private practice specializing in couples therapy in Marin County, California. Born in York, Pennsylvania, she began writing in her twenties while living in Greenwich Village. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and later earned her B.A. from Penn State University in English Literature. While at Penn State she developed her love of the stage and later earned an M.A. in theater from Northwestern University. She has acted in a number of productions, written several plays, and taught drama and directed at Northern Michigan University. She earned a second M.A. in psychology in 1982 and became a licensed psychotherapist.
For more information about Queenelle Minet and “In Memory of Central Park,” visit www.centralparknovel.com. The novel can be purchased from the web site or at Amazon.com.
Contact:
Tom Woolf
Woolf Media & Marketing
(415) 259-5638
tomw@woolfmedia.com
###
Contact
Queenelle Minet
Tom Woolf
415-259-5638
www.woolfmedia.com
Tom Woolf
415-259-5638
www.woolfmedia.com
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