Four Book Awards in the Last Month: This Has Been a Banner Year!

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

I received four book award announcements in the last month for my newest book, Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry. In the whole year of 2026, I have received six awards for this book this year, and it’s only September!

Here are the four awards I won this last month:

Bronze Award in the Readers’ Choice contest, September 2026
2nd Place Award in the Next Best Reads contest, August 2026
Gold Award in the Global Book Award, August 2026
Honorable Mention Award at BooksShelf.com, August 2026

The other two awards I’ve received this year for this book:

2nd Place Award in the AllAuthor.com nonfiction book cover
3rd Place Winner at BooksShelf.com, April 2026

Why Do I Enter Book Awards Contests?

I was told early on in my writing career—enter book award contests because they elevate your book’s exposure. So I have!

Over the years, I’ve entered many contests and I’ve won many as I alluded to in my blog, An Award Winner: Coronavirus Reflections And More!.

At that point my book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? had won two prestigious awards from the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards. But my most decorated book was A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir with five awards.

So, my newest book, Time Measured Out! takes the lead with six.

Finally,

The last month has been outrageous for me with all the awards. But it feels so gratifying to have this book recognized.

UPDATE ON MY BOOK I’M WORKING ON: Eyewitness to Healing is to the editor. We have extended the date of my receiving the edited manuscript to the first of October. We had an email exchange this week, and she asked, “do you want to receive it back before you go to Germany?”

I had been pondering that very idea because originally, I was to receive it tomorrow.

“No,” I responded strongly, “because I won’t be able to just let it sit on my computer. I would want to be working on it, and that could ruin my Germany trip.”

I could almost hear her laughing with my response. But the good news, it’s getting closer. Then my work begins again to look at her revisions and hope there aren’t too many of them.

You may wonder why I have a poetry chapbook, Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey, free all the time. It’s one of the promotional foundations for an author today—have something free to entice the reader to sample your writing and then buy your books.

Does it work for you?

If poetry isn’t your genre, here is a short story to sample my writing:

Ne ver Too Late For Love

Larada Horner-Miller - Author Head Shots — Read an award winning book of mine!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

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Awards · Christmas · Coronavirus · Grief · Marshall Flippo · Memoirs · Memories · My Books · My Thoughts · New Mexico · poetry

An Award Winner: Coronavirus Reflections And More!

August 23, 2026August 23, 2026 Larada Horner-Miller1 Comment

Coronavirus Reflections book cover - awards

Award winner—I have won several awards for my ten books, but Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? won two New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards that thrilled me. For some reason, those two awards outweighed the other multiple awards.

But I wanted to share the others with you!

This Tumbleweed Landed – First Finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards

In 2016, This Tumbleweed Landed was a finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards in the Biography (Other) category.

I had submitted it the year before in the poetry category and got sage advice from someone in the know about the awards. The poetry category was highly competitive.

So, the next year (2016) I submitted it the Biography (Other) category. It didn’t win, but I felt so excited to be a finalist. Lin and I dressed up and went to the banquet with the other writers. It felt other-worldly.

When Will Papa Get Home? – Two Finalist Awards

In 2016 and 2017, When Will Papa Get Home? was a finalist in the Historical Fiction category. But once, again it didn’t win the category.

A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir – Five Book Awards

In 2017 & 2018 A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir received five book awards:

2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards “Finalist” in 2 categories: E-book Nonfiction and E-book Cover
2018 Book Excellence Awards “Finalist” in the Memoir category
2018 Independent Press Awards “Distinguished Favorites” in the Memoir category
2017 New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing ”Official Selection” in the Biography|Autobiography|Memoir category
2017 New Mexico-Arizona book awards “Finalist” in 2 categories: Biography (Other) and E-book Nonfiction

But once again, A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir didn’t win either category in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards.

Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo – Received 3 Awards

In 2021 Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo was a Finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards in two categories: Biography and Nonfiction E-book. It did not win either category.

Also, it received the eLit Silver Award and Book Excellence Award Finalist.

Finally, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? a winner twice for the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards

Finally, in 2022 & 2023 Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? won the Award for the Body, Mind & Spirit category in 2022. In 2023 it won in the Self-Help category.

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir Wins Global Book Awards

In 2024, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir won a Silver Medallion in the Christmas Books category of the Global Book Awards.

It won 1st Place in the Nonfiction Book Cover Contest on AllAuthors.com.

In the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards, it was a Finalist in two categories: Parenting & Family and Philosophy/Religion. It didn’t win either category.

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry – Wins two Global Book Awards

In 2024, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry became a Gold Medalist for the Poetry – Verse category. It received an Honorable Mention in the Reader’s Choice Contest. Then in 2025, it received a Bronze medal in the Global Book Awards in the Poetry – Verse category.

I didn’t enter it in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards.

A Banner Year for Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry

This year has been a banner year for my new poetry book, Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry. It was Third Place Winner at BooksShelf.com. Then the cover won 2^nd place in the AllAuthor.com nonfiction book cover contest. Recently, I got word this second book in my five-book poetry series won a Gold Medal in the Global Book Poetry – Verse category.

And this year isn’t over, so watch out!

In focusing this month on Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better?, winning the local writing contest of the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards felt so wonderful. I had submitted my books for six years. During those years, I attended each banquet, full of excitement and anticipation. I had the pleasure of being a finalist, but never the winner at a banquet.

At the banquets I went to and lost, the winner received a beautiful glass trophy and was recognized by all in attendance. Everyone received a certificate too in the mail. I won during the aftermath of the pandemic, so there was no banquet, no trophy and no certificate for each win. I felt cheated!

A Sample from Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better?

Let me share another poem from Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? from Chapter 13.

The Wait for What?

May 13, 2020

Since March 9,
     I self-quarantined
          For two weeks
     I stayed put!

Then it stretched
     To May 15!

March
     April
          Half of May.

Drastic 
     Maybe
Wise and cautious
     For sure.

I obey the restrictions.
     I wear a mask.
          I adhere to six feet
               In social distance.
                    I apply hand sanitizer
                         After each necessary outing.

Yet the battle rages.
     Some say it’s a hoax
          Protest
          Violate the restrictions.

In the name of the first amendment
     Free exercise of religion
     Freedom of speech
     Freedom of the Press
     Right to assemble peaceably
     The right to petition the government
          For the redress of grievances.

Important freedoms I love.

In the name of the second amendment
     A well-regulated militia, being necessary
          To the security of a free State,
     The right of the people to keep
     And bear arms shall not be
          Infringed.

The right to bear arms
because of the coronavirus restrictions?
Really? 

Can you shoot this enemy?
     A minuscule virus particle
Why guns?
     Why assault weapons?
          An AT4 rocket launcher?

Why Confederate flags?
     Swastikas?
          The militant attitude, Army fatigues, and camouflage gear?

As this continues,
     Confusion mounts.
As the unrest continues,
     My confusion soars.
          Why?

A virus
     Killing thousands
          Demands naysayer’s denial and protests?

Why do you deny the serious nature of the coronavirus?
     Ill-advised?
     Ignorant?
     Stupidity?

Why do you clamor
     About socialism
          And your rights?
Selfish
     Self-centered
          Me, me, ME!

What about compassion?
     Caring for others?
It’s not about you, 
                    you,
                         you!

The wait for normalcy
     logic
          and
     compassion to surface
          may be a long time in coming!

For some!

For others,
     it never left!

YOUR REFLECTIONS

Did you ever confront someone else for their careless behavior? If so, what happened?

Larada Horner-Miller, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better, (Horner Publishing Company, 20), 109-115.

Currently the paperback Coronav irus Reflections: Bitter or Better is $9.80 for the rest of the month. Click on the title!

Finally,

I am so thankful for the awards I’ve won. Isn’t it funny that the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards mattered so much to me? My local peers?

What are your thoughts about book awards? Are they a selling point for a book to you? Let me know!

Larada's crazy side - awards — Larada’s Crazy Side!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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haiku · My Thoughts · My Writing · Nature · poetry

Let’s Celebrate Poetry: April National Poetry Month

April 12, 2026April 12, 2026 Larada Horner-Miller2 Comments

Let’s celebrate poetry because it’s National Poetry Month. I’ve written poetry since 1986–forty years! Lin just told me he’s been avoiding poetry for over eighty years. Which camp do you fall into?

Disclaimer for Lin

Even though he doesn’t care for poetry, Lin has read all of my poetry books. In fact, he inspired my five-book poetry series.

If You Don’t Like Poetry

In school, so many English teachers assaulted curious minds with bad experiences with poetry.

I remember not reading much in school but when we did, the teacher’s interpretation was the only correct one—no room for me or anyone else to interpret the many nuances any poem offers.

Later, at the university when I got my English degree, professors opened up possibilities after they offered prescribed interpretations. But I had the opportunity to see myself in the poem. That’s when the magic happens, but so many students/readers never had that. They got shamed or totally discouraged and become anti-poetry.

Maybe rhyme seemed silly. Maybe you couldn’t figure out iambic pentameter. If that’s all you saw, you missed a whole different world of possibilities: free verse.

If You Do Like Poetry

Bless You! Someone in your life opened a door to all the possibilities out there. The good news is “According to data from the American Booksellers Association, poetry book sales saw a 7% increase in 2023 compared to 2022.”

Poetry Statistics (2025): A Snapshot of a Growing Art Form

When I read poetry, I have to suspend my logical mind and let the images, the tone, the nuances speak to my heart. Then I feel wrapped up in the words and know something I have never known before—because of that poem.

And writing poetry has become my go-to genre for many years. Here’s a haiku I wrote about the wonderful mixture I am:

Who am I really?
Manure and paper clips.
Earth and words mingle!

So, no rhyme but fitting a form: 3 lines: 1^st line – 5 syllables, 2^nd line – 7 syllables, 3^rd line – 5 syllables.

When I taught my poetry unit to my students, they wrote haikus and blew me away with their images and thoughts. Yes, a three-line haiku is poetry. Having to be selective about word choice forces the poet to work through words and language to arrive at the correct count per line and for it to make sense. What a challenge!

Is a Horse Poetry?

Today I shocked Lin, my husband, that I wasn’t writing my whole blog about the amazing Horse Parade we attended —100s of horse—to celebrate the 115^th Anniversary of Boquete, Panama. Another observer told me, “No, at least a thousand horses.” Can I write a poem about a horse, horses? Can a horse be poetry?

Here’s a haiku I just wrote about that experience:

Horses everywhere!
Bridles, saddles, quirts and bits!
A black horse prancing so!

So does it work? Does this haiku give you images about horses or a horse?

Lastly,

Poetry has always been meant to be read out loud. Because this National Poetry Month, I have and will be sharing videos of me reading some of my poetry. Hearing the poet read her own work has its own magical power too!

Here’s some samples:

From my newest book which is book #2 in a five-book poetry series, Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, listen to “Spirit Coyote” about an experience I had:

From the first book in the five-book poetry series, Was It A Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, I play with thoughts about words in “Playing With Words.” Listen here:

From my multi-awarding winning book, A Time To Grow: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir, listen to “What Words Capture My Loss?:

If you would like to hear more of me reading my poetry, go to my YouTube channel to all that I have recorded so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QML0Xl_VAk8&list=PLVTJuKpv4RZd0Uv7A1ZVaBP5YmZAT2Bik&pp=sAgC

More are coming soon!

Larada Horner-Miller reading her poetry — I love reading my poet!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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Book Production · My Books · My Thoughts · Writing

A Book Cover: Is it a Secret Weapon?

March 22, 2026March 22, 2026 Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Larada Horner-Miller's 4 newest book covers

Is a book cover a secret weapon to get books sold? Many people think so. What does research say? I know what I’ve done recently!

Research on the Importance of a Book Cover

“A high-quality book cover not only looks great, but also communicates its genre and attracts the “right” readers with relevant trends, color schemes, and more.”

https://reedsy.com/blog/guide/book-cover-design

“Studies show that 79% of people make a split-second decision about picking up a book based solely on its cover, according to design platform Wixel.”

https://mixam.com/blog/education/how-book-cover-design-drives-sales#:~:text=Introduction,according%20to%20design%20platform%20Wixel.

For my first three books, I designed the cover, not knowing any better, but since then I have had 100Covers.com do my covers. Why? Because I believed the research stated above.

I love what 100Covers.com have produced, and they are so easy to work with. We collaborate with resources I find and shared with them. Then they did the magic and created eye-appealing covers.

My First Book Covers

Somewhere I found a review I ignored about my first book, This Tumbleweed Land’s cover. On the original cover, I had a text box covering the tumbleweed in the picture. That’s the theme of this book, so what a revelation. I loved the photo I used with Mesa de Maya in the background (noted on some of the first maps every made of the southeastern part of Colorado). But that mesa wasn’t mentioned in my book, so I had 100Covers.com redo it and I released it last week.

Here’s the comparison:

What do you think?

My Newest Book Cover Is In a Contest

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry is in a nonfiction book cover right now on AllAuthor.com. It has entered the final round and the winners (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd) will be announced March 31.

Right now my book cover is in 2nd place with 120 votes, but with another book, The Amazing Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids, hovers right behind me with 119 votes.

What do you think?

The Amazing Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids book cover

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry book cover

The book cover in first place, Phoenix Rising, has 186 votes.

Here’s it’s cover:

So, I would appreciate your vote at https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/20500/ to keep me in a solid 2^nd place and maybe jump up and take over 1^st place.

My 1^st Place Winning Book Cover

Hair On Fire Wins 1st play in the AllAuthor.com nonfiction book cover contest, May 2024

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir received 1^st place in the nonfiction book cover contest at AllAuthor.com in May, 2024. It was so exciting to communicate with my different social media sites and my email lists to encourage people to vote, and I received comments back that encouraged me. They came through repeatedly, and this award added prestigious to my book.

Finally,

I have heard repeatedly from my many mentors the importance of my book covers. I truly believe a book cover can be a secret weapon to get people to buy and read my books.

If you missed the importance of your vote, it could make the difference for my book’s winning stance or not. Put down your cup of coffee, your beer, your book or your knitting. It will only take a couple minutes. Grab your phone, iPad or computer and go to https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/20500/

Vote like my book’s life depends on it because it does!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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Why Do I Enter Book Awards Contests?

Finally,

My Newest Books

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed – First Finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards

When Will Papa Get Home? – Two Finalist Awards

A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir – Five Book Awards

Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo – Received 3 Awards

Finally, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? a winner twice for the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir Wins Global Book Awards

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry – Wins two Global Book Awards

A Banner Year for Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry

A Sample from Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better?

The Wait for What?

YOUR REFLECTIONS

Finally,

My Newest Books

Buy My Audio Books:

Disclaimer for Lin

If You Don’t Like Poetry

If You Do Like Poetry

Is a Horse Poetry?

Lastly,

My Newest Books

Buy My Audio Books:

Research on the Importance of a Book Cover

My First Book Covers

My Newest Book Cover Is In a Contest

My 1st Place Winning Book Cover

Finally,

My Newest Books

Buy My Audio Books:

My 1^st Place Winning Book Cover