The International Impact Book Awards Celebrate Authors Whose Stories Reach Beyond the Page
The International Impact Book Awards™ were created by Nim Stant, founder of the International Impact Book Awards, with a vision to recognize authors whose stories create meaningful change and extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of publishing. Through her leadership, Stant has built an international platform dedicated to celebrating writers who inspire, educate, and influence communities through their work. The awards have grown into a global recognition program that provides authors with greater visibility, credibility, and opportunities to share the impact of their books with audiences around the world.
The event celebrated authors whose stories explore resilience, leadership, family, history, faith, personal transformation, environmental responsibility, and the power of reinvention. From children’s literature and memoirs to thrillers, inspirational guides, and speculative fiction, the featured works demonstrated that impactful storytelling can take many forms.
Among the authors recognized was Cheri Warcholak Lohrey, whose books Cleo the Caterpillar CAN Pivot: A Story of Decision-Making and I AM Cleo: A Story of Courage received 2026 International Impact Awards. Inspired by life transitions and personal experiences, Lohrey’s heartfelt stories encourage readers of all ages to approach challenges with courage, compassion, and self-belief. Her rhythmic storytelling expresses her personal strategy to “Pause, Breathe & Pivot”; reframing one’s value while navigating moments of change. Through the journey of Cleo the Caterpillar, Lohrey shares empowering messages of resilience, self-worth, and the belief that transformation often begins with the courage to take a new step forward.
Author Gary Rivera brought an empathetic perspective to the subject of bullying through The Reluctant Bully: A Smoochie Family Story. The book began as a story Rivera shared with his children during lunchtime more than 15 years ago and later developed into part of his planned “Lunch Money Trilogy.” By exploring the question of what makes a bully a bully, Rivera invites both young readers and adults to look beyond assumptions and consider the experiences that may shape harmful behavior.
For Glenna Hecht, the inspiration behind How Old Are You Today? Dementia, A Mother, A Daughter, and The Game That Transformed Their Lives came from her mother’s nine-year journey with dementia. A simple question became a daily ritual that helped create moments of connection, joy, and understanding. Today, Hecht’s book supports families and caregivers while advancing a broader mission to bring hope and meaningful connection to people navigating the challenges of memory loss.
Faith and emotional growth are at the heart of Cynthia Radtke’s Little Prayers for Big Feelings: A Children’s Book on Emotions. Inspired by a conversation with a friend who encouraged her to create a children’s book centered on praying scripture, Radtke developed a story designed to help young readers understand their emotions while building a spiritual foundation. Her message is rooted in the belief that people are never too young or too old to learn how to speak words of faith over their lives.
Author LongTemple was recognized for multiple Impact Award-winning books, including Caramel & Steel, Between Grace & Fire, Just Run, and Rhythm’s First Lady. As the creator of A Platinum Chocolate Romance Universe, LongTemple explores themes of love, faith, healing, resilience, and personal transformation through stories that highlight the complexity of human experiences.
Through her writing, LongTemple seeks to create a literary space where readers can see themselves authentically represented through characters whose journeys reflect challenges, growth, purpose, and the power of transformation. Her work blends romance, psychological storytelling, and spiritual exploration while celebrating perseverance, relationships, and the possibility of renewal.
Author Marcia Regina Cook was recognized for Dare to Dream with Eyes Wide Open, a book centered on inspiration, personal growth, and the courage to pursue meaningful dreams. Through her writing, Cook encourages readers to reflect on their own potential, embrace new possibilities, and recognize the opportunities that come from approaching life with intention and confidence. Her work highlights the importance of believing in one’s vision while remaining open to growth, change, and the possibilities that emerge when individuals take purposeful steps toward their goals.
Author Tim Holloway was also recognized for Sister, It’s Complicated, a novel that combines mystery, suspense, emotional discovery, and complex human relationships. The story follows Amy Stevens as she searches for answers connected to memories from her childhood, leading her through a journey filled with questions, revelations, and unexpected challenges. Through his storytelling, Holloway explores themes of family, identity, resilience, and the complicated connections that shape people’s lives. The novel invites readers to consider how the past influences the present and how confronting difficult truths can become part of a journey toward understanding.
The event also highlighted the work behind the Project Pegasus Series, including the upcoming novel Deceptive Protocol by Erik Foge. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with history, government secrets, time travel, and moral dilemmas, Foge draws from his experiences, research, and curiosity about how different choices can reshape the course of events. His interest in storytelling began after a memorable childhood encounter at the U.S. Capitol that sparked his passion for history and “what if” possibilities.
In The Second Half: Stories of Soccer, Courage and Soulful Comebacks, Arnold Britto uses the language and spirit of soccer to explore reinvention and personal growth. Inspired by his lifelong connection to the sport and his own experiences with career transitions, Britto views halftime as a powerful metaphor for life. His book encourages readers to reset after setbacks, adapt to change, rediscover purpose, and recognize that some of life’s most meaningful achievements may still be ahead.
Author Aubin M. Jack uses fiction to explore environmental responsibility in Crimson Bloodlines: The Rise of King Musa, Africa’s First Vampire. While the novel incorporates mythology and supernatural conflict, its central message addresses climate change, leadership, innovation, sacrifice, and humanity’s future. Jack uses the story to raise questions about cooperation, scientific responsibility, and the consequences of choosing short-term interests over long-term survival. The book presents entertainment and environmental reflection as connected parts of one larger narrative.
Leadership and representation take center stage in Estelle Tjipuka’s Breaking into the Boardroom: Not Someday, But Now. A Namibian author based in Windhoek, Namibia, Africa, Tjipuka draws on nearly three decades of leadership experience across the public and private sectors. Her book examines the challenges women may encounter in leadership, including self-doubt, cultural bias, stereotypes, and systemic exclusion, while offering practical guidance for building confidence, developing resilience, and claiming space in professional environments.
In She Found Her Superpower, Olga Dewar joins six other women in an anthology centered on transformation after divorce. Each contributor shares a personal experience and the strength she discovered through the process. Dewar’s chapter, “From Russia with Love,” explores love as the superpower she carried forward. The collection offers encouragement to women considering divorce, navigating major life changes, or rebuilding afterward, while reminding readers that difficult transitions can also reveal unexpected strengths.
Together, the authors recognized through The International Impact Book Awards™ represent a broad community of storytellers united by a shared purpose: creating work that reaches readers in meaningful ways. Their books address deeply personal experiences while also engaging with larger conversations about identity, family, leadership, faith, history, resilience, and the future.
From Phoenix, the organization continues to support authors whose voices cross geographic and cultural boundaries. The event demonstrated that a book’s impact is not measured only by its publication or sales, but also by the conversations it begins, the perspectives it expands, and the people who see part of their own journey reflected within its pages.