Author Kristy Kiernan Receives Florida Literary Award

Critically acclaimed author Kristy Kiernan has been selected recipient of a prestigious Florida literary award. Kiernan’s stirring novel MATTERS OF FAITH (Penguin Berkley) received the bronze medal in the annual Florida Book Awards in the General Fiction category for 2008.

Kiernan, a Florida resident, set the backdrop for MATTERS OF FAITH in the Sunshine State. She will receive the award at a May banquet in Orlando as part of the Florida Library Association Conference.

“I am delighted that MATTERS OF FAITH has been chosen for a bronze medal in the Florida Book Awards,” said Kiernan. “Having grown up on the beaches of southwest Florida daydreaming about becoming an author, it’s especially gratifying to be acknowledged by the very state that is so much a part of who I am.

“I am incredibly honored to be in the same company as John Dufresne, Tony D’Souza, and Debra Dean. That is heady stuff for me at this point in my career, and I’m looking forward to seeing what my next ten years as a Florida author brings.”

MATTERS OF FAITH received praise across the board from trade publications and book reviewers as Kiernan weaved a compelling story of crisis that tested not only faith, but the limits of family, forgiveness and the need to believe.

Booklist called it “Unforgettable and moving…”

Kiernan’s literary agent is Anne Hawkins of John Hawkins and Associates in New York City.
“I am delighted to hear that Kristy Kiernan’s MATTERS OF FAITH won the bronze medal in the Florida Book Awards General Fiction category. This is a prize that really means something, since the competition is so stiff,” said Hawkins.

“Kristy is one of those authors for whom I predict a long and successful career,” Hawkins continued. “Her first novel, CATCHING GENIUS (March, 2007) continues to be a favorite with book clubs, and her second, MATTERS OF FAITH received unanimously stunning reviews and was an ABA Indie Next Notable Pick for September, 2008. While her artful treatment of Florida settings gives these novels an extraordinary sense of place, the themes she explores are so universa l that they resonate with readers everywhere.” Kristy and her husband still reside on Florida’s southwest beaches. For more on this award-winning author visit www.kristykiernan.com