Tellwell Blog

We have an extensive assortment of author successes to celebrate this October. Join us as we round up 5-star reviews, new chart-toppers, and award-winners!

Publicity

Parimalasri Docktor reached #1 on the Hot New Release charts in Children’s Reptile and Amphibian Books with Tortoise Goes to the Vet. In addition to soaring on the charts, Parimalasri Docktor and her book have been featured on CBS News!

Daniel McMillan was recently featured on the Inside Scoop Live! podcast discussing his book Badger and Turtle Face the Storm. His book follows a pair of friends who learn to work together under stress. This book is meant for not only children to enjoy, but as a tool for families to better understand a common, hurtful pattern that can occur, particularly between parents.

Brother Bo recently scored a #1 hit on two charts with his book on sacred masculinity, The Father’s Seeds. Learn more about this chart-topper.

Ashley & Breanna Bolliger are an author/illustrator twin-sister duo who hit #1 on two Hot New Release charts and #7 overall in another with their book Carrie Can Fly Too.

Awards

Jerome Cranston received a Gold Literary Titan Book Award for Half-Caste: Decidedly Brown in a Black or White World. Throughout the book, Cranston shares the challenges and ultimate discovery of his understanding and acceptance that his being Brown is more than just a statement of an identity, it is an understanding of who he is, how he will relate to others and how he will flourish in a world that is divided along ethnic and racialized lines.

Bryan Cole recently received a Silver Literary Titan Book Award for his book, Futility Of Defense. “When Krell, an uneducated nobody with a stubborn streak as wide as the sea, hears the call from ReckNor, the capricious god of the seas and skies, the attention of the rich and powerful turn their gaze toward him. Paladins are notorious for upsetting the balance of power, to the detriment of any who don’t worship their deity. When Krell stands against the might of the sea devils and emerges victorious, concern and interest turn to fear—fear of their secrets and plans being revealed and exposed, of the ruin that often follows in a paladin’s wake. Now he stands in defense of a pitiful town at the edge of nowhere, even as the sea devil menace grows more dire for each day that passes. For as deadly as the sea devils are to Krell, his past choices and the consequences of his actions may be deadlier still . . .”

Maggie Bain received the Gold Literary Titan Award for her book, Whispers in the Breeze. “When ancient traditions are broken, spirits are called upon. The ancestors are furious as their deep slumber is disturbed. To their despair, chaos, mayhem and unjust, greets them on their resurrection. When the two rightful heirs mysteriously disappear, the scales of justice and order are off balance and unpredictable. Wango and his son Zengie are of royal blood, destined to join the line of successors as their forefathers before them. Wango and his wife Mallee were the protectors of Zengie and the Wangoorie tribe. Now, Mallee is alone, vulnerable and in danger. Will she find strength and gain her freedom from the manipulative clutches of the evil Zulu?”

Vali Benson’s book Blood and Silver took home the top prize in the history category at the 2023 Hollywood Book Festival! “What is a twelve-year-old girl to do when she finds herself in the silver boom town of Tombstone, Arizona, in 1880, and her only home is a brothel and her only parent is a drug-addicted mother? If she is Carissa Beaumont, she outsmarts the evil madam and figures a way out.”