Embry-Riddle News Leader Wins Florida Writers Association Gold Award for Debut Novel

The Florida Writers Association, Inc. (FWA) has announced that Ginger Pinholster, Ponce Inlet resident and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s assistant vice president for news and research, won a prestigious Royal Palm Literary Award (RPLA) at its annual four-day conference, held virtually this year due to Covid-19. Pinholster’s winning entry, her debut novel, “City in a Forest,” won the Gold award for mainstream or literary published book-length fiction.

“City in a Forest” focuses on a fictional Atlanta wilderness threatened by eminent-domain seizure in a racially unjust land deal.

Hidden in the heart of Atlanta, a pristine forest shimmers with magic in “City in a Forest,” but an unscrupulous developer plans to flatten Silver Park – unless two brave women can stop him. Arden Collier risks losing her home. Parker Gozer owns most of Arden’s secret forest, which is rooted in Atlanta’s rich African-American history. As Arden struggles to reclaim her artistic voice, Parker confronts the man who once preyed upon her – and now wants to spoil a rare urban oasis. Both women fight to protect the place that has tangled itself around their hearts like flowering kudzu vines, achingly sweet as a beloved child.

“Arden and Parker’s story was inspired by my experiences growing up in Atlanta in the 1970s,” Pinholster said. “Atlanta was the fastest-growing urban settlement on the planet at that time and the tree canopy kept shrinking. I lived near a fascinating African-American community, tucked into the woods. In writing my book, I imagined what would happen if a pristine forest had somehow escaped destruction, deep within one of those hidden neighborhoods – many of which were unfairly seized. I had to face the imbalance between all I’ve been given and those who don’t have a voice in protecting their most cherished places.”

FWA’s annual competition, which received 549 submissions, was RPLA’s nineteenth.

“This is the most competitive RPLA we’ve ever had,” said Chris Coward, RPLA chairperson. “A win at any level can help any writer market their manuscript or published book, and the detailed feedback from the judges is invaluable for all entrants.”

In all, the competition covered 28 adult genres and five youth genres, with published and unpublished entries considered separately. Visit the FWA website for the complete list of 2020 winners.