WAYZATA, Minn. - s4story -- Pete Simons is proud to announce that his third work of fiction, Uncooperative Characters, has won the 2023 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) for best short story collection.

The annual Best Indie Book Award is an international literary award contest recognizing outstanding achievements by independent authors. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors. Their website is https://bestindiebookaward.com.

In Uncooperative Characters, Simons once again combines a unique sense of humor and a passion for pop culture to create a work that blends comedy, storytelling, and farce. For example:

• A gambler meets a mystic who can only respond with the words of a Magic 8 Ball.
• A serial killer story falls apart when the characters start arguing with the narrator.
• A teapot detective is hired by a spoon-like femme fatale to investigate her husband.
• An author with writer's block convenes a Zoom meeting of stock characters.
• The story of the dodoes' extinction is told from the birds' perspective.

Pete Simons is the pen name of Pete Simonse, who retired as the Vice President and Treasurer of Land O'Lakes, Inc. in 2015. "The publication of this work demonstrates that retirement need not consist solely of fishing, lawn care, estate planning, and medical appointments," says Simons.

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Simons holds an Sc.B. in engineering from Brown University and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Following a career in finance, he joined the Teach for America program and taught physical science, giving him a deep appreciation for high school professionals. Simons' first book, The Coyote, is a humorous modernization of Cervantes' classic novel Don Quixote and was published in 2018. White as Snow, a murder mystery very loosely based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, followed in 2020.

For more, go to http://www.PeteSimonsAuthor.com. Copies available for press review.