“I am truly honored to receive such a prestigious award. After enduring the many hardships in my life, it’s wonderful to see that my experiences are continuing to inspire others.”

October 2021 – Speak Up Talk Radio announced the winners of 2021’s third quarter FIREBIRD BOOK AWARDS contest. 

One of the winning entries was from Dallas, Texas author Jewels whose book titled The Making of a Woman: from the Inside Out won first place in the LGBTQ Memoir and second place in the Autobiography categories.

Authors and publishers from around the world submitted their work to the Firebird Book Awards. Two judges from a select panel of 17 judges read each book in its entirety and independently scored each entry. All judges committed to a set of standardized criteria that evaluates the quality of the writing as well as production aspects. Only entries with the highest of scores were awarded the coveted Firebird.

Patricia J. Rullo, founder of the Firebird Book Awards, says, “ we received nearly double the amount of entries this quarter and we recruited more qualified judges from the publishing and writing world. Our judging panel includes a diverse group who represent a cross section of ages, cultural heritage, race, religion, gender, and experience. At Speak Up Talk Radio, our mission is to offer authors a welcome place to promote themselves and their books via book awards, radio interviews, audiobook production, voiceover marketing tools, and podcasting services. We love to support those who dare to share their innermost thoughts with the world. Just one sentence in one book can very well make a difference in a reader’s life. I can’t think of anything better than that.”

Pat adds, “We’ve included a charitable component to our awards by making all entry fees tax-deductible to the author. In return, we personally make and send handmade fun and colorful pillowcases to women and children in homeless shelters via Enchanted Makeovers, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All entry fees fund this project. In this way, authors get notoriety for their work while helping to transform homeless shelters into bright and happy homes. It is a rewarding venture for everyone.”