The 2021 Royal Palm Literary Award winners were announced during an online ceremony skillfully hosted by RPLA Chair Chris Coward and Chris Hamilton this past Saturday. Winners were cheered by spirited attendees in the online chat and at watch parties across the state.
Grand Prize Winners
Tales from the Eerie Canal: Murder by toilet plunger. Revenge by pie. A birthday gift of a trip to hell. Twenty-two stories infused with a gaggle of goosebumps. Don’t turn out the lights.
Barbara Rein writes horror short stories with delightfully creepy twists, and quirky personal essays inspired by the oddities that bounce her way. She admits to being addicted to dachshunds.
From Hell’s Heart. While attempting to solve a fifteen-year-old double homicide, small town cop Jake Long contends with an unfaithful wife, killer twins, and a woman who uses snakes
to murder her enemies.
Dana J. Summers is an editorial cartoonist and comic strip artist turned author. He has written five novels and lives with his wife in Orlando.
Pling’s Party. Pling is an exclamation point who can only be in a book twice, but hilarity ensues when he continues to jump into the story and make things too exciting.
Arielle Haughee, owner of Orange Blossom Publishing, is a five-time RPLA-winning author, editor, speaker, and executive vice president of the Florida Writers Association.
Candice Coghill Memorial Award for Youth
Arielle Haughee
Thank you to the entire RPLA team for this incredible honor. I released Pling’s Party about four seconds before the pandemic hit and the book got lost in the hubbub. I am so thrilled to see Pling shine!
michael anderson
Big big congrats to Arielle! And thank you too for all you do for the FWA.
Aleida Socarras
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all who have worked so hard on this event.
Patrick Kendrick
Thank you so much FWA for the RPLA that honors such a wide range of authors including our young contributors-such an inspiration for all! I do enjoy the wonderful variety of this organization!