Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Lucky 7 by Rae D. Magdon

Lucky 7

"This story had all the right elements in the right places ... including room for a sequel without sacrificing a satisfying ending."

Elena Nevares is on the run. She’s a jacker, someone who connects to virtual reality with their brain, and everyone else on her crew was murdered during a mission gone wrong. Sasha Young is planning a rescue. She’s a handler, a team leader whose crew has been scattered by an evil corporation: Axys Generations. Together, they must find the rest of Sasha’s crew: Cherry, the engineer and explosives expert; Rami, the master of disguise; Doc, the wunderkind Medical Officer; and Rock, the mechanically modified muscle. But Axys Generations has bigger plans than taking down Sasha’s crew. Elena, Sasha, and the rest of the Lucky 7 must go on their most dangerous mission yet—not for credits or tech, but to save the world.

Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Gold Star Chance by C.J. Murphy

Gold Star Chance (Five Points Book 1)

"Another winner from this author. Loved the storied history of the 2 MC’s Jax and Chance. Characters are well developed. Definitely fits the romance genre."

"I really enjoyed this story. I read it, and I know I’ll read it again, just because for me it was that good."

High in the Appalachian Mountains, Sheriff Chance Fitzsimmons, frequently puts her specialized rescue training to use. The retired smoke jumper, turned law enforcement officer, is dedicated to the protection of all those who live in or visit Tucker County, West Virginia. With her K9 partner, Zeus, she maintains the peace even as it eludes her off-duty life. On her chest, she wears a badge that symbolizes her guiding principles. There are five points, each representing an inherent code of ethics. Honor, duty, courage, integrity, and empathy, represent her way of life in and out of uniform. The day her father stepped in front of a bullet, the consequences of defending those gold-plated edicts, were imprinted on her soul. Years later as a forest fire raged over her body, they were seared into her skin.Dr. Jax St. Claire, drove away from California wine country with two horses in tow and a broken spirit. After a failed marriage, Jax is determined to start again as she takes over her retired uncle's veterinary practice in a small West Virginia county. Untamed wilderness, sliced open by deep canyons and wide rivers, draws outdoor enthusiasts all year long to Tucker County, West Virginia. At the conclusion of an intense rescue operation, the former lovers come face to face, thirty years later after they parted. Long dormant feelings rage to life like a hot spot in dry tinder. Three decades ago, Jax went off to college and took Chance's heart with her. Now that she's back, the formidable Sheriff is determined to grab her 'gold star chance'. Forces beyond their control may cost them everything before the mistakes from the past can be rectified. 'The Five Points Series', Book one, introduces a burning passion so strong, the river cascading over Blackwater Falls couldn't put it out.