2015 National Indie Excellence Awards Announced

Local Author receives national recognition from the 8th Annual 2014 National Indie Excellence(R) Awards!

Central PA (MMD Newswire) May 26, 2015 — The 9th Annual 2015 National Indie Excellence(R) Awards recognized Heaven Has No Regrets by Tessa Shaffer in the category of Young Adult Non Fiction as a finalist in this year’s competition.

This prestigious national award, based in Beverly Hills, California is open to all English language books in print from small, medium, university, self and independent publishers.

The National Indie Excellence(R) Awards exist to help establish independent publishing as a strong and proud facet of the publishing industry. Recognizing authors that put their heart and soul into their work, the National Indie Excellence(R) Awards is proud to be a champion of self-publishers and small and independent presses that go the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect. Awarded since 2007, the National Indie Excellence(R) Awards competition is judged by independent experts from all aspects of the indie book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers and professional copywriters.

Winners and finalists are determined based on overall excellence of presentation in addition to the writing. Heaven Has No Regrets, from author Tessa Shaffer, is a true story based on the lives of two cousins, Faith and Makenzie, who were both living – and dying – in small-town Central Pennsylvania. It’s a story of life, love, and letting go as the eighteen-year old narrator is freshly grieving the loss of her best friend. Flashbacks from each girl’s point of view alternate chapters to tell Faith and Makenzie’s own stories of struggle and survival with disease, abandonment, and social situations, as well as their quirky and rebellious adventures together.

“The day my cousin passed away, I started writing in a peach notebook. I started writing about the pain. Not just the pain of death, but the pain of life. The pain of secrets. The pain of survival,” says Shaffer. “Heaven Has No Regrets is the collection of my grief and the journey of my healing, the overlap of hope and despair living between pages of ink, because after the end comes a new beginning.”

Poignant themes explored in Heaven Has No Regrets include:

· How to live life with no regrets, regardless of the circumstances

· Recognizing and working through grief

· Healing after the loss of a loved one

· The ways journaling can become a practice for healing and growth

· Finding your inner strength by dealing with life’s struggles in a positive way

Tessa Shaffer is an award winning author and entrepreneur. She owns and operates Moonstone Creations (www.MoonstoneCreation.Etsy.com), creating inspirational jewelry and accessories for “All of Life’s New Beginnings.” In addition to her business and her writing, Shaffer is also a Reiki Master. Shaffer lives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband, who is helping her co-write the “happily ever after” of her life.

Heaven Has No Regrets, as well as the companion journal, Wish, are available for purchase from Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com and select local retailers.

Connect with the author on her website or on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.

REVIEW COPIES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

“We are proud to announce the winners & finalists whose books truly embody the excellence that this award was created to celebrate, and we salute you all for your fine work, said National Indie Excellence(R) Awards Award President & CEO, Ellen Reid.

For more information please visit: www.indieexcellence.com

Contact: TESSA SHAFFER
717-571-8648
HeavenHasNoRegrets@gmail.com

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