The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill received the gold medallion in the 2026 Midwest Book Awards for middle grade fiction.

I may have stated that very formally and plainly above, but inside my reaction is:

Each year, the Midwest Independent Publishers Association celebrates indie titles released the previous year by publishers and authors in 12 Midwest states. The awards celebrate books across more than 20 categories for readers of all ages and genres.

In May, The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill was named one of three finalists in the 2026 Midwest Book Awards. My book was selected alongside two other competitive titles: The House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone and Overruled by Christy Wopat.

After the finalists were named, I ordered copies of my fellow middle grade authors’ books. As soon as I read them, I told my husband, “I don’t think I’m going to win.”

Which made it a complete surprise when news arrived that I won.

It was a whirlwind few weeks between the finalist announcement and the award gala. I was on vacation in South Dakota when I got the news that I was a finalist. Shortly after returning home, I started feeling ill and got admitted to the hospital for an emergency surgery. I was mid-recovery on the gala weekend and too uncomfortable to travel, so I decided to stay home.

Winners were posted to MIPA’s website the next day. I stared at the computer screen with minimal reaction when I first saw the middle grade category with a gold medallion under my book cover. When my husband walked through the door, I said, “I think … I won?” Hope bloomed inside me, but it wasn’t until I received the confirmation email from award organizers that I allowed the excitement to fully set in.

Check out the full list of winners and finalists on MIPA’s website and support some of the Midwest’s top indie titles.