Courtesy of the Florida Writers Association:

The Florida Writers Association, Inc., (FWA) has announced that Antonio Simon, Jr. of Miami, FL won a prestigious Royal Palm Literary Award (RPLA). Mr. Simon's winning entry, "Lilith", won First Place in the category of Published short stories.

The award was announced at FWA’s recent four-day annual conference in Altamonte Springs, Florida. This annual competition, which received 393 submissions, was RPLA’s fourteenth.

“This is the most comprehensive and competitive RPLA we’ve ever had,” said Chris Coward, RPLA chairperson. “The RPLA administrative team, judges, and entrants all did an amazing job.”

In all, the competition covered 30 adult genres and 15 Youth genres, with published and unpublished entries considered separately. There were four grand awards, as well.

The top award for youth, the Candice Coghill Memorial Award, was given for "Asleep," a book-length work of fiction by Mikaela Bender. For adults, the Dahris Clair Memorial Award for plays went to C.J. Godwin and Marie Vernon for "Graceland Express."

The Published Book of the Year was "Out of Sight, Out of Mind: A Writer’s Guide to Mastering Viewpoint," an educational/informational submission by Ken Pelham.

The Unpublished Book of the Year was "Adrift," a mystery, by Micki Browning. Micki received more than a trophy. She also received a guaranteed reading by one of the fastest growing independent publishers in the U.S. and preeminent publisher of original mystery, thriller, and suspense titles: Oceanview Publishing.

"A win at any level can help any writer market their manuscript or published book, and the detailed feedback from the judges is invaluable for all entrants," Ms. Coward said.

The Florida Writers Association, 1,500 members strong and growing, is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization that supports the state’s established and emerging writers. Membership is open to the public. The Royal Palm Literary Awards competition is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members’ published and unpublished works while providing blind, objective, and constructive written assessments for all entrants.

For additional information, visit the FWA website: floridawriters.net, where you’ll also find more about RPLA and the complete list of 2015 winners, and www.DarkwaterSyndicate.com for details about Antonio Simon, Jr.