Each entry was judged by committee volunteers in two weighted, blind rounds on the following criteria: 60% creativity, 30% organization, and 10% correctness of style. Following the volunteer judging, the top entrees were judged by a panel of “celebrity” judges, including Allie Burton, a young adult author from Colorado, Zane Carruth, a children’s author from Houston, and Chris Mullen, a Western author from Richmond, Texas.
Allie Burton
Allie Burton has always been a reader and writer. She wrote her first novel at the age of 12 when she was stranded at a hospital in a snowstorm. Receiving her first romance books from her grandmother, she fell in love with the genre. As an adult, she read young adult books with her own teens and was excited to find something fresh and new.
Known for her Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, Allie continues to focus on young adult fantasy with the recent release of the Warrior Academy series and Cinderella Assassin, A Glass Slipper Adventure. Combined with her Castle Ridge contemporary romances, Allie has published 20 books and novellas. She is a member of several writing organizations. She loves to ski, golf and run. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.
Zane Carruth
Zane Carson Carruth owns Carson Marketing, LLC, a Houston-based, full-service marketing company that provides integrated marketing solutions for businesses. She also owns Etiquette to Excel and is a certified business etiquette and protocol professional.
Carruth has published three books in the trademarked series about the tooth fairy: “The World’s First Tooth Fairy...Ever,” “The Adventures of Abella and Her Magic Wand,” and “Abella Starts a Tooth Fairy School.” She is in the process of getting two more published: “Abella Goes to the Rodeo” and “Abella Gets a New Hair Do.”
Chris Mullen
Chris Mullen is an author and storyteller who has published both novels and picture books and enjoys campfire tales that fan the flames of his desire to share stories with the world. He was honored to be named Winner for Westerns in the 2020 American Fiction Awards (American BookFest) for his novel Rowdy: Wild and Mean, Sharp and Keen.
Chris was a teacher for 23 years and still reaches out to kids of all ages to encourage creativity, imagination and self-confidence. He won the Connie Wootton Excellence in Teaching award in 2019. Chris is a husband and father of two sons.