iUniverse Title Wins 2006 Independent Publisher Book Award for Best Regional Fiction

New York, NY (May 30, 2006) - The 2006 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) for Best Fiction in the West Mountain region was awarded to Stan Lynde for Marshal of Medicine Lodge (iUniverse, 2005). Lynde's book, which has also earned the Reader's Choice designation from iUniverse, was one of 874 titles entered in 10 North American regional competitions.

Marshal of Medicine Lodge is one in a series of Western novels written by Lynde. Set in 1886, the book is a classic Western that depicts the story of Deputy U.S. Marshal Merlin Fanshaw's struggle to bring justice and order to a Crow Indian reservation embroiled in conflict.

For 10 years, the IPPY Awards have increased the recognition of independent, university and self-published titles. Launched in 1996 as the first unaffiliated awards program open exclusively to independents, more than 1,500 books have received an IPPY Award. The awards often result in additional publicity, credibility and increased book sales for the winning authors.

The winners were announced in a formal awards ceremony at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 19, 2006.

For more on the winners of the 10th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards or for information on how to qualify for next year's book awards, visit www.IndependentPublisher.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 investors. iUniverse has offices in New York City, Shanghai and Lincoln.