Winner
Beautifully Broken And Wonderfully Put Back Together
Adrianna Kathleen Granlund
My book helps people by showing that no matter how broken life may feel, healing and transformation are possible. It offers a raw, honest look into addiction, trauma, and recovery, while providing hope that change can happen with faith, perseverance, and the right support. Readers who may feel stuck in cycles of shame, guilt, or fear see that they are not alone—and that they too can rebuild their lives. Beyond sharing my story, the book invites reflection with questions at the end of each chapter, encouraging readers to process their own experiences and take steps toward growth. Whether someone is in recovery, supporting a loved one, or simply searching for inspiration, this book helps people find strength, reclaim purpose, and believe in a brighter future. Ultimately, it empowers readers to rise above adversity and live with courage, resilience, and renewed hope.
Winner
Unpacking the Attic: A path to healing your inner child
Ann Michelle Mracek
A unique blend of memoir and healing practices, author Ann Mracek takes you along in real time through the process of emptying her parents’ home as they transitioned into assisted living. Told with humor, honesty, and empathetic insight, she expertly weaves the vivid stories of her childhood with compassion and the intent to heal and forgive.
This book will guide you to gain adult perspective and show you how to send love and acceptance back in time to the child still living within.
Looking back has a way of clearing your vision for looking forward.
You will cry. You will cheer. You will learn how to:
• Stop fighting old battles
• Let go of past pain
• Use retrospection as a powerful healing elixir
• Embrace self-acceptance and forgiveness.
• Rewrite the recordings others imposed upon you of self-doubt and fear, with new ones of empowered compassion and understanding.
Finalist
Unlikely to Unstoppable: Stories from Everyday Entrepreneurs
Jennifer Collins
Elizabeth Clark
Unlikely to Unstoppable is a compilation of stories from thirteen everyday entrepreneurs who found their way to rewarding paths through determination and steadfast commitment. Readers describe it as a celebration of unconventional journeys told with humor, insight, and heart. Enlightening tidbits from these first-person stories have helped fledgling entrepreneurs at critical turning points believe that, like those featured in the book, success is within their reach.
Each mini-memoir profiles learning experiences that are accessible, motivating, and uplifting. Whether the tale involves failure, disappointment, triumph, or success, the men and women interviewed are relatable and inspiring. The authors eloquently analyze the themes that emerged from dozens of experiences to weave together a collection of perspectives that champion people who continue to work toward their dreams despite the inevitable rough roads along any journey. Readers find themselves feeling unstoppable!
Finalist
The Power of Little Steps: Create the Life of Your Wildest Dreams
Sheila Vijeyarasa
This book is helping people by offering a raw, honest, and empowering roadmap through life’s darkest moments. Through personal storytelling, practical tools, and spiritual insight, it gives readers permission to fall apart—and then rise. Women navigating infertility, heartbreak, burnout, or reinvention see themselves in these pages. It reminds them they are not alone, and that little brave steps—not perfection—create lasting transformation. The book challenges shame, redefines resilience, and sparks healing by validating emotional truths often left unspoken. Readers say it feels like a conversation with a wise, fierce friend who’s walked the path before them. Whether they are processing trauma, facing uncertainty, or finding new purpose, this book helps them reclaim their worth and move forward with courage.