Jeannie Zokan: A Writer's Cup: Courage Without Grace is the NIEA Winner for New Age Fiction!

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Courage Without Grace is the NIEA Winner for New Age Fiction!

I entered Courage Without Grace in two categories for the 16th annual NIEA awards, Women's Fiction and New Age Fiction, after reading an article by Abbey Campbell Cook called, "5 Reasons We Need More New Age Fiction." You can read it here:

Writer's Digest.

Thanks to Cook's article, I had a sneaking suspicion my book could fit in that odd little category.

On a quest to find the truth, I discovered that New Age fiction has spiritual components, motivational psychology, growth in consciousness, and a worldview that respects the diversity of life and cultures. Also called Visionary Fiction, it can be inspirational and has no gratuitous violence. It's self-help with a story.

And guess what? NIEA chose Courage Without Grace as the winner in the New Age Fiction category!

To view the winners, go to this link: indie excellence 16th annual winners. The Existence of Pity was an NIEA finalist in 2017, so it feels good to win this time around!

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Courage Without Grace

Josie Wales doesn't need her palm reading skills to know her lover is seeing someone else. It's time to end it, but she's been with Tom for seven years. And there's something--someone--she needs to tell him about. That secret keeps pulling her back, but this time she's determined to break it off.

To find the courage to end the relationship, Josie seeks advice from new acquaintances. But she somehow manages to make an even bigger mess of her life. When Jack, Tom's twin and her childhood friend, comes to DC to reconnect, he helps Josie get her feet back on the ground.

Just as Josie is beginning to resolve the chaos in her life, a tragic secret from her past comes back to haunt her. Before she can move forward and have a second chance at love, she must face her grief and loss.

With characters that leap off the page, Courage Without Grace is a poignant novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

The Existence of Pity

Growing up in a lush valley in the Andes mountains, sixteen-year-old Josie Wales is mostly isolated from the turbulence brewing in 1976 Colombia. As the daughter of missionaries, Josie feels torn between their beliefs and the need to choose for herself. She soon begins to hide things from her parents, like her new boyfriend, her dangerous trips into the city, and her explorations into different religions.
Josie eventually discovers her parents secrets are far more insidious. When she attempts to unravel the web of lies surrounding her family, each thread stretches to its breaking point. Josie tries to save her family, but what happens if they don't want to be saved?
The Existence of Pity is a story of flawed characters told with heart and depth against the beautiful backdrop of Colombia.