Gihli The Chief Named Dog: Book 3 of the Cherokee Chronicles

The Significance of Awards

Gihli, The Chief Named Dog recently won the coveted CAL Literary Excellence award for Literary Novel. All of my books, so far, have received awards and I am proud of each and every one. But, this award holds a special place in my heart for several reasons. First, because of the great authors that have received this award before me. Being in their company is such a great honor. Another reason, though, is because it is a "literary excellence award." This book is officially in the genre of Historical Fiction. For it to win an award as a literary novel is a surprise and an incredible honor for me. There was a time when authors had to be published by one of the big "traditional publishing houses" to be deemed credible. In the 21st century, things have changed and there are so many alternatives to the "traditional houses". In fact, they have become known now as "celebrity publishers." So, for authors who have chosen alternative paths, awards provide credible ways to establish credibility. When my first book received three prestigious awards, it gave me the confidence to keep going.