KANSAS CITY, Mo. - s4story -- The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) is honored to announce its 2025 Awards Season Finalists, celebrating the literary achievements of authors whose work reflects the writing prowess of our veteran and military-related member authors.

From children's literature to historical nonfiction, the 2025 finalists span a wide array of genres and offer insight, inspiration, and powerful storytelling. All entries were evaluated by fellow authors for content, style, visual aspects (cover and layout), along with grammatical correctness.

2025 MWSA Awards Season Finalists

Chapter Book

• Chloe the "Military Brat" – A.L. Zeine

Historical Fiction

• An Absence of Faith: A Tale of Afghanistan – Craig Trebilcock
• Brothers Bound – Bruce K. Berger
• Degrees of Intelligence – Miranda Armstadt
• Finding His Own Way, A Marine Novel – Gerald Gillis
• In Harm's Way – Thomas M. Wing
• One of Four – Travis Davis
• Rescue Run: Capt. Jake Rogers' Daring Return to Occupied Europe – John Winn Miller
• Smoke on the Water – Jack Bartley
• Until Our Time Comes: A Novel of WWII Poland – Nicole M. Miller
• What the Silent Say – Emerson Ford
• When Heroes Flew: Where the Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder – H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

History

• A Nation Born – A Homeland Lost – George J. Bryjak
• Berkshire Heroes in WWII-With Courage and Honor – Dennis G. Pregent
• Crucible 1972: The War for Peace in Vietnam – J. Keith Saliba
• Elements of War – Gray Rinehart
• Never a Dull Moment – Arthur "Ben" Powers
• Task Force Hogan – William R. Hogan
• The Fight of Their Lives – Andy Kutler
• Why Vietnam: Reflections on the Effect of War – Margaret Colbert Brown
• Women Warriors - The Hidden Spies of WWII – Donna Pedace

How-To/Business/Self-Help

• Healing Veteran Moral Injury – Pat Pernicano and Kerry Haynes

Literary Fiction

• Playing Army – Nancy Stroer
• Skylark – Megan Michelle

Memoir/Biography

• Around the World in 80 Years – Jasmine Tritten and Jim Tritten
• Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet – Ryan McDermott
• Inshallah (God Willing) – Dana Catoe
• Nothing Here Worth Dying For: Task Force Lion in Iraq – Col Seth W.B. Folsom, USMC (Ret)
• Pennies from Vietnam – Tracy Smith and Larry Smith (deceased)
• Running Towards Gunfire – Jason Angell
• Swift Boat Skipper – Robert H. Bradley III
• The Master Chief's Sea Stories: Volume I USS Manitowoc (LST 1180) – Johnny J Moye
• When Tough Cookies Crumble – Eva Nevarez St. John

Mystery/Thriller/Crime

• Chasing Money: A Marty and Bo Thriller – Michael Balter
• Heroic Measures – Joel Shulkin, MD
• Home is Where the Murder Is – Rosalie Spielman
• Lightning Six – Galen D. Peterson
• Monroe Doctrine: A Post-War Novel – James Rosone
• Murder Comes Home – Rosalie Spielman
• Red Lines – James Bultema
• Redcon One – Galen D. Peterson
• The Black Raven's Song – Macklin Grey
• The China Factor – Timothy Trainer
• The Spear and the Sentinel – J. L. Hancock
• The Very Last War – WH Hawthorne

Pictorial/Coffee Table

• F4U Corsair – Ernest M. Snowden

Picture Book

• Finally Home – Cortney Cino
• Sometimes Apart Always in My Heart – Tish Rabe

Poetry Book

• Incidental Moments: New and Selected Poems – Mark Fleisher

Reference

• Revive the American Dream – Edward Corcoran
• Unknowable Minds: Philosophical Insights on AI and Autonomous Weapons – Mark Bailey

Religious/Spiritual

• A Church More Like Christ – Gray Rinehart
• Government in the Gospels: Daily Reflections for Government Officials – Rev. Jonathan M. Craig
• Redeeming Warriors: Veteran Suicide, Grieving, and the Fight for Faith – Joshua D. Holler

Young Adult (Fiction or Non-Fiction)

• The Tear of Tybaleth, A Fellowship of the Flame Novel (Book 1) – A. R. Silverberry
• The Treasure of Trenalon: A Fellowship of the Flame Novel (Book 2) – A. R. Silverberry

You'll find the full list of finalists and details about each book online: www.mwsadispatches.com/2025-season

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Watch the Finalists Announcement Premiere
If you missed the live premiere, you can watch our special video announcement of the 2025 Finalists on YouTube. In addition to the list of finalists, the video provides details about our review and awards process and our upcoming general membership conference and awards banquet (September 25-27, in Kansas City, MO).

▶️ https://youtu.be/YjyDCmbDJ04