Eric Avedissian’s debut novel honored at 2023 Indie Book Awards

Accursed Son by New Jersey resident Eric Avedissian has been named one of the best indie books of the year by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group. Avedissian’s book is a finalist in the suspense category of the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. Winners and finalists will be honored on June 23 at a gala event to be held at the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois, coinciding with the American Library Association Annual Conference. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are judged by leaders of the indie book publishing industry, including many with long careers at major publishing houses. Their love of a great read and experience in the publishing arena identify books deserving a wider audience. “Like other independent artists, many indie book publishers face challenges that the industry giants don't experience,” said Catherine Goulet, founder and co-chair of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. “The indies have to work much harder to get their best books into readers’ hands.” “Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books,” adds Goulet. “They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print.” The aim of the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group is to promote professional standards in independent book publishing (also known as "indie" book publishing) and provide support and recognition for the independent book publishing profession. Avedissian is an adjunct professor at Atlantic Cape Community College, where he teaches English composition. He graduated from Rowan University in 2020 with a master’s degree in writing. Accursed Son is his debut novel. Shadow Spark Publishing, an independent publisher based in Hurst, Texas, released Accursed Son in December 2022. Accursed Son is the first book in the Martyr’s Vow series. “Accursed Son hits me in all the right places and was my favorite read of 2022,” said Shadow Spark Publishing co-founder Mandy Russell. In Accursed Son, embalmer Armand Tarkanian begrudgingly works in his uncle’s funeral home when a car accident leaves him indebted to Berj, a mysterious stranger with rune-carved gold teeth and a penchant for worshiping old gods. Blackmailed and desperate, Armand feels more trapped than he was under his uncle’s thumb. But Armand harbors his own dark secret, a bloodline curse that allows him to communicate with the dead. When the spirits show him how they were murdered, Armand must choose between fealty to the sadistic and manipulative Berj, or joining the Legion of the Lamb, a monster-hunting biker gang with their own agenda. What began as a dangerous game between secret societies leads Armand on a frightening quest to save the only family he’s ever known and a chance to get closer to the rebellious misfits who saved him. To help indie authors and publishers reach a wider audience, the top 80+ books in the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards will be reviewed by New York literary agent Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency (formerly the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency), or one of Allen’s co-agents, for possible representation in areas such as: distribution, foreign rights and film rights.

Eric Avedissian’s debut novel honored at 2023 Indie Book Awards

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