Paris Book Festival Honors Vietnam War Novel
PARIS_A novel set in the Vietnam War era has been selected for top honors at the 2024 Paris Book Festival, which celebrates the best of international publishing.
Author Dennis Torres’ There Are No Good Giants (self-published) is the story of soldier Ben Kovner, who is sent to Vietnam and discovers there is more to war than combat – people still go to work, get married, and raise children, only do so without any expectation of a tomorrow.
Determined to make the best of a bad situation, he studies the language, starts a business, moves into a villa and falls in love – all while fulfilling his military duties. From dangerous sorties to an armoire stuffed with cash, a chauffeur-driven car, membership in the exclusive Club Nautique de Saigon and sex with bar girls, it’s a sensational life until an explosion of consciousness leads him to question the very morality of right and wrong, only to conclude it doesn’t really exist. But within every choice there’s an inescapable consequence.
Other winners in the competition:
GENERAL FICTION:
WINNER: There Are No Good Giants – Dennis Torres
RUNNERS-UP:
The Ledger – Steven Manchester
The Invitation – Clare Fryer
Zarathustra’s Journey – Nanette V. Hucknall
At the Hour Between Dog and Wolf – Tara Ison
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Forger of Marseille – Linda Joy Myers
Iron Blood – Jolene D. Campbell
Running Stop Signs – A Natalie North Novel – Nancy Mangano
Loving Leopold – Diane Ramsay
The King’s Assassin – Ed Cannon
The Calamity of Desire and Other Stories – Judith Dancoff
Second Life – James Sniechowski
The Penitent – A. Keith Carreiro
Lissette in the Spring – Rod Sanford
The Bard and his Sister-in-Law – Lopamudra Banerjee
Resurgius, A Sex Comedy – E.M. Schorb
Careful What You Wish For – Roger C. Douglas
The King’s Death – Ed Cannon
Second Term – J.M. Adams
The Falcon and the Shaikhs – John Dragonetti
The Lost Canvas – Julie D. Simmons
Comes Around – Tony C.D. Hylton
The Good Barrister – Diane Ramsay
ROTH – Jonas Romano Weiss
Esteban: Love’s Irony – Fish Nealman
Vanished! – Roberta Samuels
Spectral Guidance – Laurie A.M. Ludtke
Toxic Sphere: Volume 3 – C.N. Sky
Heart in the Jungle: Mountain City – Fred Lauver
Under the Radar – Peter Cumyn
Welcome to Superhero School – Gracie Dix
A Kiss in Kashmir – Monica Saigal
A Forward Motion – Sherrie Lynn
Forever, Now – Haleh Shahrzad
Driving for Justice – Justin K. Kojok
GENERAL NONFICTION:
WINNER: The Singularity of Hope – Dr. Sam Sammane
RUNNERS-UP:
The Business Artist – Adam Boggs
Morocco, A Remembrance of Childhood – James B. Farmer
Hardy’s Heroes – Rick A. Shockey
Cuba, your children cry! – Otto Iglesias
The Unlocked Leader – Hortense le Gentil
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
An Unknown Angel’s Gift – Cherie S. Blackwell
Divorce is Not A Destination – Lisa Summerour
Solo Passage – Glenda Goodrich
The Power of the Hollow Bone – Phoenix Rising Star
The Magnificence of the 3 – Timeout A. Taumua
AmeriCANS Who Made America: 18th Century – Richard V. Battle
MEMOIR:
WINNER: A Cup of Tea on the Commode – Mark Steven Porro
RUNNERS-UP:
Higher Love – Anne Kiehl Friedman
Protecting Mama – Léonie Rosenstiel
Karma and Kismet – Michael Shandler
Cuba, your children cry! – Otto Iglesias
Shattered – Jenell M. Jones, M.Ed.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
French Lessons – Roberta Samuels
Island to Icon – Dreama Denver
Still the Soul Survives – Pamela Goldstein
Living with Trauma, Finding the Light Again – M. Struemph
The Race Horse – Vicki Rees Kendall
TRAVEL:
WINNER: Higher Love – Anne Koehl Friedman
RUNNER-UP: Sunrise Over South Africa – Joseph Kuhn Carey
YOUNG ADULT:
WINNER: Worldwide Crush – Kristin Nilsen
RUNNERS-UP:
Seaside Magic and the Binding Curse – Vianlix-Christine Schneider
The Boy Who Earned His Magic – Lynn H. Elliott
Mira and the Magic Pond – Zahra Omar Shansab
Dawn of Legends – Matt Dragovits
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
eMortal – Steve Schafer
Rogues of the Crosslands – John Daze
Botheration Part One: The Missing Link – Vito DiBarone
A Remarkable Marketable You – Jes Petion
BUSINESS:
WINNER: The Value Equation – Christopher H. Volk
RUNNER-UP:
Briefly Speaking – Deborah Shames
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Powerful Publicity Prescription – Lilian Sue
The Start of All Things Good – Danielle Billetz-Reppert
CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
WINNER: A Kindergarten Story – Tammy Donahue
RUNNERS-UP:
A Tree for Me – Tasha-Nicole Terani
Blue Lobster Visits the Eye Doctor – Robin Taylor-Chiarello
Together – Jere Silber
Little Joe and the Big Rain – Mike Darcy
Sammy’s Voyage to a New Home – Debra Siraco
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Gnomes of Fibberton – Becky Bell
Spectrum Fairies – Diana Atehortua
Autumn is Calling – Jan Thornton
Magic Pasta – Diana Pishner Walker
The Wonderful Attic of Dreams – Ebenezer Makinde
My Favorite Letter – Susan Gilpin
Calico Zebra – Julie Bray
WILD CARD:
WINNER: The Plowman’s Plight – E.A Rivière
RUNNERS-UP:
Little Fortified Stories – Barbara Black
The Bard and his Sister-in-Law – Lopamudra Banerjee
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Toxic Sphere: Volume 3 – C.N. Sky
The Real Resident Aliens – Dr. Raymond A. Keller
BIOGRAPHY-AUTOBIOGRAPHY:
WINNER: Cuba, your children cry! – Otto Iglesias
RUNNER-UP:
Silencing the enemy within – Marsha Rene
SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS:
WINNER: Unlocking The Secrets of the Book of Enoch – Rick Wehrle
RUNNERS-UP:
Songs for the Spirit/Canciones para el Espiritu – Robert Giron
Higher Love – Anne Koehl Friedman
Finding Eden – J.P. Kerwin
The Name I Choose – Holly Brough
Rogues of the Crosslands – John Daze
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Mind Traveler: Warrior of Shaka – Viveck Rai Marwa
Light of Darkness – Ebenezer O. Makinde
Cryptic Blood – Don Stansberry
Raging Fire of Love – Kelly James Clark
Naciones Estelares – Dr. Beatrix Czeizel, Anikó Greskó
Politics of Being – Thomas Legrand
The Power of the Hollow Bone – Phoenix Rising Star
Hopeland – Ebenezer O. Makinde
POETRY:
WINNER: Rise: An Inspired Book of Dreams – Ebenezer Makinde
RUNNER-UP:
Sunrise Over South Africa – Joseph Kuhn Carey
HONORABLE MENTION:
Eternal Love – C. Peggy Atoche
COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIES:
WINNER: 1968: A Primer for Understanding Baby Boomers – Rick Robinson
RUNNER-UP:
Naughty Nonsense, Lascivious Limericks and Much More – David Ellis
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Losers: Short Stories – Katarzyna Adamus
A Collision with Purpose – Dr. Laxley W. Stephenson
Words to Breathe By – James Richard Hansen
HOW-TO:
WINNER: Slow Burn Entrepreneur – Michael Weber
RUNNERS-UP:
Holistic Retirement Planning – Ron Missun
What’s Eating Our Kids? – Julie A. Wendt
This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods – Ernest Ellender, PhD
Take a Shot at Happiness – Maria Baltazzi
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Doctor’s Voice – Dr. Pietro Emanuele Garbelli
The Start of All Things Good – Danielle Billetz-Reppert
The Power of the Hollow Bone – Phoenix Rising Star
UnEarthing YOU – Dr. Laxley W. Stephenson
UNPUBLISHED:
WINNER: The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor – Debbie Berlin
ROMANCE:
WINNER: A Perfect Miracle – Katrina Alexander
RUNNER-UP:
Sweet Love – Sherry Jackson