A judge's review

Three years ago today, I descended from Otzi's mountain in the South Tyrol of Italy. The morning started at 9400 feet above sea level with snow at breakfast and finished at with my husband and I safely in our hotel with a heavy down pour. Today I received a judge's feedback from IBPA's Book Award Judge for Shroud of Ice.

Over 170 librarians, booksellers, and design and editorial experts – most of whom have decades of book industry experience – judge the books submitted to the IBPA Book Awards. The judging process takes close to six months, beginning in September and continuing into March each year. With close to 2,000 entries, this was no easy task.

Here's what one judge had to say about my story.

"Shroud of Ice tells the fascinating story of Otzi, the Iceman. The amount of research that went into writing this story is the novel’s greatest asset. The setting is vivid and immersive. Readers are truly transported back 5,000 years. Otzi’s journey from slavery and back to his village to face his family is filled with all the emotion and tension needed to hold readers’ interest. The power struggle within his family feels realistic and will resonate with readers. As a reader who did not read the prequel, I did feel that I was missing crucial information. Perhaps future editions could combine the two into a single, cohesive novel. Overall, this is an impressive literary work depicting a time period rarely seen in fiction."

Thank you IBPA for this objective and encouraging review of my work!