NORTON, Va. - s4story -- Dickenson County, VA — The NYC Big Book Award has recognized Reborn in Shadows: From the Ashes by Maya Fisher in the category of LGBTQ Fiction as a Distinguished Favorite.

The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians, and professional copywriters. Winners and Distinguished Favorites are chosen based on overall excellence.

Reborn in Shadows: From the Ashes
Book One of The Ryder Chronicles

Miriam Ryder is a transgender woman in witness protection, trying to rebuild her life in the Appalachian mountains after surviving violence, betrayal, and loss. But even under a new name, the shadows of her past refuse to stay buried. With love, identity, and survival on the line, Miriam must confront both external threats and the deepest truths of herself.

Award-winning and included in the Library of Congress, From the Ashes blends thriller, romance, and queer identity into a powerful debut about resilience, authenticity, and the fight to live freely.

More on S For Story

• $40 Price Target for $NRXP in H. C. Wainright Analyst Report on Leader in $3 Billion Suicidal Depression Market with Superior NRX 100 Drug Therapy
• Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition Partners with Crimson Global Academy to Support Excellence in Education
• AHRFD Releases Market Analysis: Cryptocurrency Market's Institutional Transformation Accelerating
• Dear Black Woman Anthology Releases September 20, 2025
• Ubleu Crypto Group Analyzes European Digital Asset Market Opportunities Amid Regulatory Evolution

The NYC Big Book Award received submissions from across the United States and around the world, including Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Cities represented among the entries included Chicago, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Quebec, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, and Victoria.

Publishers included Berrett-Koehler; Brown Books Kids; Central Avenue / Simon & Schuster; Forbes Books; Muse Literary; New Harbinger Publications; New York University Press; Oxford University Press; Pegasus Books; She Writes Press; and University of Massachusetts Press, to name a few.

"With so many quality publishers and authors from around the world participating this year, I'm eager to share these books with a global readership," said awards sponsor Gabby Olczak.

To view the list of NYC Big Book Award winners and distinguished favorites, please visit: https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/

Join us for Spring 2026: www.IndependentPressAward.com

END