Nineteen iUniverse Titles Selected as Finalists in ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Awards

New York, NY (April 5, 2006) - Nineteen iUniverse titles—more than any other publisher for the second year in a row—were selected as finalists in ForeWord Magazine's Seventh Annual Book of the Year Awards. iUniverse authors were recognized in 21 categories, ranging from juvenile fiction to parenting, and from mystery to sports.

The awards program focuses on sparking the attention of librarians and booksellers by recognizing the literary achievement of independent publishers and their authors. A jury of librarians, booksellers and reviewers judge the categories and select finalists based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality and the value the book adds to its genre.

iUniverse finalists in ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Awards include (alphabetically by author's last name):

• Robert W. Barker, The Devil's Chosen, Historical Fiction
• Donna Cousins, Landscape, Mystery
• Gregory DiStefano, Breakdown, Mind/Body/Spirit and Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction
• Renee Fisher, Jean Peelen, Joyce Kramer, Invisible No More, Mind/Body/Spirit
• Fay Freimuth, A Multitude of Mercies, Literary Fiction
• Susan Higginbotham, The Traitor's Wife, Historical Fiction
• Carol Hoenig, Without Grace, Fiction General
• John Houston, The Trunk, Juvenile Fiction
• Brian Hutchins, Way of the Baby, Parenting
• Gus Leodas, Unsafe Harbor, Mystery
• Chrissy K. McVay, Souls of the North Wind, Juvenile Fiction
• Shannon Nash, For the Love of Money, Business & Economics
• S.P. Perone, Murder Almighty, Fiction Religious
• Donald T. Phillips, Peter M. Leddy, PhD, and Rudy Ruettiger, The Rudy in You, Sports
• Lyda Phillips, Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River, Young Adult Fiction
• Steve Pieczenik, My Beloved Talleyrand, Historical Fiction
• Denise Roman, Maria Dracula, Juvenile Fiction
• Brian Trent, Remembering Hypatia, Historical Fiction
• I.E. Woodward, Symmetry, Romance and Gay/Lesbian Fiction

"We are thrilled that this exceptional group of authors has been recognized for their hard work and commitment to excellence," said Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of iUniverse. "Once again, the large number of iUniverse titles selected as finalists clearly demonstrates that our unique approach to supported self-publishing offers talented authors the fastest and most affordable means to professionally publish a book."

The winners will be announced at a special program at Book Expo America at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on Friday, May 19, 2006. Officials from ForeWord Magazine will name the top three titles in each category as well as the overall fiction and nonfiction winners.

For more information on the finalists of the 2005 Book of the Year Awards, or for instructions on how to qualify for next year's awards, visit http://www.forewordmagazine.com/.

About iUniverse

iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market, and sell fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books. The company is one of the largest publishers in the United States, publishing more than 5,000 new titles each year. iUniverse partners with industry leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) to bring innovative programs to their members. Barnes & Noble, Inc. is one of the company's major investors. iUniverse has offices in New York City, Shanghai and Lincoln.