MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - s4story -- The Search for the Fountain of Youth was named as a Semi-Finalist in the 2019 Adventure Writer's Competition, sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector's Society. Myrtle Beach resident Caleb Wygal wrote the adventure/mystery novel. It is his fourth published novel by Franklin/Kerr Press of Concord, NC.

"This is a huge honor for me as Cussler's novels got me into reading in the mid-1990s as a teenager," said Wygal. "His Dirk Pitt series, in particular, was one inspiration for writing this and my previous novel."

This is the second time Caleb has earned this honor. His previous work, Blackbeard's Lost Treasure, was a 2016 Semi-Finalist in the competition.

"We're excited for Caleb," said Jordon Greene, publisher of Franklin/Kerr. "This award speaks to the quality and adventure in his work that Caleb's readers have come to expect and enjoy. We're glad to have him on our team."

The Adventure Writer's Competition started as a short-story competition on the old Simon & Schuster Forum for Clive Cussler fans in 2004 before emerging in 2007 as a novel writing competition. Judges have included New York Times Bestselling authors, prior winners, and members of the Clive Cussler Collector's Society. Since the inception of The Adventure Writer's Competition, the winners have sold over six hundred thousand books worldwide, quite an accomplishment for a little competition that started off by a few fans of the old Grandmaster of Adventure – Clive Cussler.

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"It was an amazing field of entrants this year," said Peter Greene, director of the AWC. "It was one of the toughest for our judges, as so many entries were close in quality. There were multiple ties for the top 10, and it was the first time in history we had to use every breaker we have created. We ended up with a very strong field! Getting this far in this contest is an amazing accomplishment. We congratulate all the entrants and semi-finalists."

Green will announce the three finalists on approximately August 1, 2019. The winner of the competition will be announced on October 12, 2019, at the Clive Cussler Collector's Society Convention in Phoenix Arizona.

For more information about The Search for the Fountain of Youth, please visit HTTP://CALEBWYGAL.COM, HTTP://FRANKLINKERR.COM/. The novel can be found for sale at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BAM, Indie Bound, and other online retailers.