DYING CRY by Margaret Mizushima Takes Gold

,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 15, 2026

Contact:  Maryglenn M. Warnock  maryglenn@maryglenn.com

LOCAL WRITER WINS GOLD MEDAL IN PRESTIGIOUS BOOK AWARD

Margaret Mizushima wins the IBPA Award for her novel Dying Cry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Local writer Margaret Mizushima has been awarded the Gold Medal in the IBPA Awards for Dying Cry.  Mizushima won top honors in the Fiction: Mystery category of the IBPA Awards.

Mizushima was presented with the award during a live awards ceremony on the evening of May 15, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.

The IBPA Book Award program is the oldest, most established, and most recognized national honor in independent publishing. The IBPA Book Awards (formerly the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards) are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers since 1985. Now in its 38th year, the IBPA awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) with help from over 170 book publishing professionals, including librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers, and editors.

Mizushima, the author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Series, claimed top honors for the tenth thrilling release in the series, Dying Cry. 

 About Dying Cry: While Deputy Mattie Walker and her family are snowshoeing in a remote area, a shattering cry pierces the air, dying slowly as it echoes off canyon walls. When further investigation reveals a suspicious death, the Timber Creek County Sheriff’s team springs into action, uncovering a trail of greed that leads to a killer who threatens Mattie’s cherished new family and tests her with the most difficult task she’s faced in her duty as a K-9 handler.

Published by New York-based Crooked Lane Books, Dying Cry is available in hardcover (ISBN: 979-8892421959, 288 pages, $29.99) and eBook ($14.99) editions. The paperback edition (ISBN: 979-8892427784, $19.99) will release on August 4, 2026.

In September 2026, Mizushima will celebrate the release of Fighting Edge, the eleventh installment of the Timber Creek K-9 Series.

 About Fighting Edge:  A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Soon, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek, revealing a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking. Meanwhile, veterinarian Cole Walker notices shady activity during routine calls at dog kennels, leading them to suspect a chilling truth: organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.

Crooked Lane will release Fighting Edge in hardcover (ISBN: 979-8892426701, 336 pages, $29.99) and eBook (ISBN: 979-8892426718, $14.99) editions on September 8, 2026

Margaret Mizushima writes the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She served as a past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected a Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She is the recipient of a Colorado Authors League Award, a Next Generation Book Award, a Benjamin Franklin Book Award, and two Willa Literary Awards by Women Writing the West. Her books have been finalists for the SPUR Award from Western Writers of America, the Silver Falchion Award from Killer Nashville, and the Colorado Book Award. She and her husband recently moved from Colorado to a home in the Pacific Northwest. Find her on Facebook/AuthorMargaretMizushima, X @margmizu, Instagram @margmizu, Bluesky @margmizu.bsky.social, and her website www.margaretmizushima.com.

Members of the news media wishing to request additional information are kindly asked to contact Maryglenn M. Warnock by email: maryglenn@maryglenn.com

Members of the publishing community, including foreign rights agents, may contact Literary Agent Terrie Wolf by email: rights@akaliterary.com

 

###

 

BLACKOUT by J. Luke Bennecke – Available for Pre-Order

BLACKOUT, A Jake Bendel Thriller by J. Luke Bennecke. Jaytech Publishing, October 6, 2026.

AKALM client and author of Echo from a Bayou, J. Luke Bennecke, has just launched the preorder landing page for his new thriller, BLACKOUT.

Preorder here: https://blackout.jlukebennecke.com/preorder/

Luke brings the same blend of technical authenticity and high-stakes pacing that made Echo from a Bayou a standout. If you love thrillers grounded in real-world infrastructure and engineered to keep you up too late, this one’s for you.

Congratulations, Luke!

SYSTEM OF JUSTICE by Dan Buzzetta – Available for Pre-Order

The third book in Dan Buzzetta’s Tom Berte legal thriller series arrives this summer, and preorders are open now. System of Justice is scheduled for publication on July 21, 2026, from Severn River Publishing.

Tom Berte has settled comfortably back into a civil law practice in Albany, leaving the conspiracies of his past behind. When a Supreme Court justice is murdered and a young clerk stands accused of the killing, Tom receives an urgent plea he cannot ignore. The accused is Madison Redding, a former clerk to the victim, and she is adamant that she has been set up. Reluctantly stepping into criminal defense for the first time, Tom finds himself navigating Washington’s corridors of political power, facing influential lobbyists, jealous spouses, and ruthless operatives determined to bury the truth.

Critics have compared Dan Buzzetta to John Grisham and Michael Connelly. Three books in, that comparison has never been more warranted. System of Justice delivers the same authentic legal knowledge, high-stakes plotting, and moral complexity that have made the Tom Berte series essential reading.

Preorders are open now. Reserve your copy and mark July 21 on your calendar. AKA Literary Management is proud to represent Dan Buzzetta.

FIGHTING EDGE by Margaret Mizushima – Available for Pre-Order

The eleventh book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series is coming this fall, and preorders are open now. Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima is scheduled for publication on September 8, 2026, from Crooked Lane Books.

In Fighting Edge, a routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker arrives to find a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a terrible crime. Before the investigative team can begin piecing together what happened, a traffic stop brings a second threat to Timber Creek. A sweep of the car with K-9 partner Robo reveals drugs and the signs of suspected human trafficking, and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. What begins as a speeding citation opens into an investigation that reaches far beyond the borders of this mountain community.

Ten books in, Margaret Mizushima only gets better. The Denver Post has called her “one of the West’s finest contemporary mystery writers,” and the early praise for Fighting Edge confirms that distinction.

Scott Graham, National Outdoor Book Award-winning author, writes: “A haunting tale of tribulation turned to triumph that only Margaret Mizushima could create. Mizushima masterfully mines Mattie Walker’s own troubled past when Mattie and her crack K-9 Robo confront the worst the world has to offer — the brutalization of throwaway children — making for a poignant and compelling tale with a fiery finish.”

Preorders for Fighting Edge are open now. Reserve your copy today and mark September 8 on your calendar. AKA Literary Management is proud to represent Margaret Mizushima.

THE WINTER VERDICT by Dan Buzzetta – Praise

Tom Berte is back — and the reviews are in. We’re thrilled to share the early reception for Dan Buzzetta’s latest legal thriller, The Winter Verdict (Tom Berte Book 2).

“An entertaining and confident thriller… It delivers danger, mystery, legal tension, and family stakes.” — Literary Titan

“This series is building momentum with every page. One to watch closely.” — The Bookish Elf

“The tension is tighter, the pacing smoother… surprises are gold, and this one delivers.” — Jennie Reads

“Gripping and thoroughly enjoyable.” — Jera’s Jamboree

Read the National Law Review press release here: https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/winter-verdict-dan-buzzetta-released

Congratulations, Dan!

MEDICINE WHEELS by Byron Graves – Booklist Starred Review

Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves book cover

We are thrilled to share that AKALM client Byron Graves has received a starred review from Booklist (May 1, 2026 issue) for his upcoming novel, Medicine Wheels.

“Readers will feel their passion and resilience on every page.” — Julian Axelrod, Booklist

A Booklist starred review is a significant pre-publication distinction for a young adult novel. It signals to librarians, educators, and booksellers across the country that this is a book that demands attention. In Byron’s case, we could not agree more.

Medicine Wheels follows an Ojibwe skateboarder navigating identity, community, and the weight of legacy. From the author of the acclaimed Rez Ball, this novel brings the same fierce authenticity and emotional depth that made Byron’s debut a standout in contemporary Native YA fiction.

Byron Graves is Ojibwe and Lakota, born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. His debut novel Rez Ball (HarperCollins/Heartdrum, 2023) received wide critical acclaim, winning the William C. Morris Award and the American Indian Youth Literature Award. Medicine Wheels continues that momentum, and this Booklist star is a beautiful affirmation of the work Byron is doing.

Medicine Wheels publishes June 2026 from HarperCollins/Heartdrum. Congratulations, Byron — this one is well-deserved.

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves

Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves book cover

We are proud to share that Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly — one of the highest honors in pre-publication reviewing, awarded to a small percentage of the thousands of titles PW covers each year.

“Natural-feeling dialogue and measured emotional pacing keep the story grounded in Bryce’s resilient first-person POV. Skateboarding sequences carry electric energy, and the adroitly wrought activism plotline underscores challenges faced by Indigenous communities. A concluding author’s note and glossary of Ojibwe language and skate terminology add depth to this sincere portrait of grief, growth, and finding balance on and off the board.”

— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Medicine Wheels follows 15-year-old Bryce, an Indigenous teenager who moves in with his grandparents on the Wolf Creek reservation after his mother’s arrest. There, he reconnects with childhood friends who teach him to skateboard, helps organize against a pipeline threatening ancestral land, navigates first love, and prepares for a high-stakes skateboarding contest — all while facing his grandfather’s illness and his mother’s eventual return.

Medicine Wheels
Byron Graves | Heartdrum/HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-316042-2 | $19.99 | 352 pages | Ages 13 & up
Publication date: June 2, 2026
Agent: Terrie Wolf, AKA Literary Management

Bestsellers World Review: The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta

,
The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Reviewer Lily Andrews at Bestsellers World has delivered a standout review of The Winter Verdict, calling it “a gripping, pulse-pounding thriller” that cements Dan Buzzetta’s place among the finest writers of legal suspense today.

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Andrews praises the novel’s relentless pacing, its deeply authentic legal detail — Buzzetta is himself a litigation partner in a national law firm — and a protagonist drawn not as an invincible hero but as a man who doubts himself and whose love for his family is both his greatest vulnerability and his only weapon. The review also highlights the well-drawn supporting cast, the chilling antagonist compound, and a conclusion Andrews calls “deeply satisfying.”

“The Winter Verdict” is Book 2 in the Tom Berte legal thriller series, published by Severn River Publishing. Read the full review at Bestsellers World.

Order The Winter Verdict on Amazon

J.D. Barker’s A Caller’s Game Heading to the Big Screen

,

Big news for J.D. Barker fans! Screenwriter Jenna Mattison has been tapped to adapt Barker’s bestselling thriller A Caller’s Game as a feature film, as reported by Deadline.

Billed as Die Hard meets Talk Radio, the film centers on Jordan Briggs — a controversial satellite radio talk show host whose live broadcast is hijacked by a mysterious caller with a deadly game in mind. What begins as a ratings stunt quickly turns dangerous as secrets long buried come to the surface.

Barker will produce alongside Joel Gotler of Intellectual Property Group and Greg Pedicin of Untitled. Mattison and Barker previously collaborated on The Gimble Files, a TV series in development at UCP.

Congratulations, J.D.!

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta: Now Available

, ,
The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Dan Buzzetta’s thrilling legal series continues with The Winter Verdict, the second book in the Tom Berte series — available now from Severn River Publishing.

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Tom Berte’s bucolic new life is about to be shattered by a threat he can’t ignore. A former Department of Justice lawyer, Tom thought he’d left his past behind when he moved to Castle Ridge with his family. But when a brutal attack leaves him fighting for his life, Tom and his family find themselves at the epicenter of an unfolding conspiracy that stretches from a local ski resort to a desert compound on the other side of the world.

At the heart of the mystery is Phoenix Holdings Group, a shadowy international conglomerate with its sights set on Castle Ridge Ski Resort. When a catastrophic accident at the resort claims dozens of lives, Tom uncovers a chilling connection to his own assault and a ruthless plot that could endanger millions. With his wife and daughter’s lives hanging in the balance, Tom must navigate a treacherous path of legal intrigue, corporate espionage, and looming revenge.

Perfect for fans of John Grisham and Michael Connelly, The Winter Verdict delivers a breakneck pace, high stakes, and a protagonist you won’t soon forget.

Series: Tom Berte, Book 2
Publisher: Severn River Publishing
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
ISBN-13: 978-1648757570

Order The Winter Verdict on Amazon

Order The Winter Verdict on Barnes & Noble

Order The Winter Verdict from Severn River Publishing