NORTH COAST – The 2008 Book of the Year Award winners were announced in New York City at Book Expo America earlier this month.

Winners represent the best independently published books from 2008 and were selected by a national panel of librarian and bookseller judges.

Mendocino Coast author Molly Dwyer won gold – First Place in Historical Fiction – for her debut novel, “Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein.”

Dwyer’s novel has received accolades before – it was nominated in April for the Northern California Book Award in Fiction and won the 2008 “Indie” Book Award for Historical Fiction last spring.

“I’m thrilled at the praise and attention 'Requiem' is generating,” said Dwyer. “My intention was to create a modern version of the 19th century novel. To me, the essence of good historical fiction lies in capturing the ambiance of the time.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony in New York, ForeWord Magazine Founder and publisher Victoria Sutherland, “Programs like the Book of the Year Awards help level the playing field … Look around at the other national awards programs. There seems to be a prejudice against anything that isn’t from a larger house. ForeWord honors those books coming from independent community, giving them the value they deserve.”

A tribute to the creative genius of the feminine, “Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein” is a carefully researched novel that examines the life of Mary Shelley and her relationships with her legendary lovers, the poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron.

It’s the opening salvo of Dwyer’s “La Belle Quartet,” a sweeping four-volume chronicle of the history of the Romantic Movement. “The Apassionata,” set in Paris, is the second in the series.

Dwyer is a transformational educator, author and speaker. A literary scholar of the Romantic Movement and unabashed storyteller, Dwyer entertains readers and audiences while she challenges, educates and encourages them to think.

“Requiem is a marvel. Gothic romance, feminist history, philosophical mystery – it’s perfect for those of us who love to think as much as we love a good story. Molly Dwyer brings Mary Shelley and her circle so alive it makes me wonder if they ever died,” said local author Jean Hegland.

Molly Dwyer is teaching a historic fiction writing workshop on Saturday, June 20, at the Mariposa Center in Ukiah.

Dwyer described the day-long workshop as an exploration of “what I call Story Stalking, intuitive approaches to historical fiction that include dreaming, and the power of synchronicity.”

To register for Story Stalking, go to the events page at www.mollydwyer.com or call 707 272-8305. A special early registration fee of $75, which includes the book and lunch, is available through Friday, June 5.