Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill was honored with a book award from the Page Turner Awards, dubbed the ‘Rolls Royce’ of writing awards. The judges selected Somodi’s book from thousands of entries, eventually adding it to the shortlist of 16 competing works and finally winning in the “Best Children’s Middle Grade” book genre. The award ceremony took place in Spain, but because it is an international contest, Somodi and other winning authors accepted their awards during the Page Turner Awards virtual awards ceremony.
As a new author starting his fiction writing career at 52 years old, Somodi has been honored and humbled by the awards and recognition his book has been receiving. Aside from a 4.9-star rating from readers on Amazon, his book has received professional praise with a Silver Medal in the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, was an International Book Awards finalist, and even received a 2023 Bookfest Award for the audiobook.
“Being forced to write in high school, I just couldn’t find the joy in it. It wasn’t until Covid hit that I had the time and discovered the creative spirit that comes with writing fictional stories. With this first book, I realized young readers, and even adults, get to enter a new world through my writing. Their shared joy and feedback inspires me to write more books.”
More books are a part of Somodi’s plan. This book is the first of a trilogy, with the second book, Olly & The Spores of Sapphire Creek, coming out this January 2023.
Somodi also rediscovered his childhood love for creating art, using watercolor to illustrate the book chapter art. This new passion for painting led Somodi to host a free watercolor painting class for 20 children at the Brunswick Library. The theme was to paint a whimsical mushroom character from his book.
Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill puts readers into the adventures of Olly, Ember, and their magical Spore friends, Cremini, Bella, Truffle, and Magpie. When 15-year-old Olly’s grandfather dies suspiciously, he moves into the family’s estate on Oak Hill – a grand house hiding a hundreds-year-old secret. A particular map, a key, and hidden doorways lead Olly to discover the friendly and fantastical creatures his grandfather had died protecting. With his new female friend, Ember, Olly encounters bullies, town villains, and colorful characters in a series of adventures. Working with the Spores and the animals of the woods, Olly and Ember fight to protect the Spore community and their homes.
You can also find paperback, hardcover, and e-book editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other retailer websites. The audiobook is available through Audible, Nook, Walmart, Spotify, and many other streaming services. Learn about the series of books and the author at www.OllyAndTheSpores.com.
For further information or review copies, contact Glenn Somodi at gsomodi@ollyandthespores.com or (216) 533-2520. High-resolution book cover photos, author photos, and graphics are available at www.OllyAndTheSpores.com/media.html