Local Big Bear author wins literary award for psychological thriller novel
A Big Bear writer was recently awarded a 2023 Wishing Shelf Book Award for her novel "Moving Men."
Karene Horst also received an Honorable Mention from the Royal Dragonfly Book Award Contest for the psychological thriller. The nearly 300-page novel collected a Bronze in the adult fiction division from The Wishing Shelf, a nonprofit organization that rewards independently published literature.
"Moving Men" is the Horst's first novel, although she's no stranger to the written word. Horst is a contributing editor for the online magazine GonzoToday.com, a publication that emphasizes music, politics, and culture: the foundation of true gonzo journalism.
Writing has been on the agenda for Horst since the fourth grade, although she has mainly "survived on soul-sucking editing and public-relations gigs," according to her author biography. The writer is a California native and travels around North America in her van, snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking when she's not writing.
The artist's craft
"Moving Men" is a novel about the impressions relationships leave and their permanent scars on those involved.
The book follows the narrator, Cathy, whose first-degree secret may cost her the custody of her 7-year-old son. She picks up two hitchhikers out of desperation, promising to drop them off in a southern town if they agree to help her discard of the freezer in her garage, heavy with a clandestine cover-up formerly known as her breathing boyfriend.
The trauma of the scenario spurs Cathy to reflect on her life and how it's come to this disastrous crossroads.
The psychological thriller keeps readers engaged at the end of their seats until the final page flip.
Published in eBook format, paperback, and hardcover, "Moving Men" is available for purchase online through Flying Trees Publishing.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Local Big Bear author wins literary prize for her adult fiction novel
