Awards
⭐️ Gold Recipient, Mom’s Choice Awards Honoring Excellence
⭐️ Gold Medal in Children’s 4th-6th, 2021 International Readers’ Favorite Awards
⭐️ Silver Medal in Children’s Adventure, 2020 International Readers’ Favorite Awards
⭐️ Award-winning Finalist, Next Generation Book Awards
⭐️ 1st Place in both Children’s Adventure AND Grades 4th-6th, 2020 TopShelf Awards
⭐️ Grand Prize Winner, Colorado Author Project
⭐️ 1st Place, Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Award
Critical Reviews
Kirkus Review – People of the Sun
Foreword Reviews, Spotlight Review Jan/Feb 2022 – People of the Sun
BookLife Review by Publishers Weekly – The Eye of Ra
BookLife Review by Publishers Weekly – Sol Invictus
BookLife Review by Publishers Weekly – People of the Sun
Reedsy Discovery – The Eye of Ra
Reedsy Discovery – Sol Invictus
Reedsy Discovery – People of the Sun
Institute for Classics Education – Sol Invictus
Podcasts (chronologically, newest at top)
NPR’s Science Friday: Science Diction
The Literacy Advocate with Timmy Bauer
Action and Handling Violence in MG with Jason Henderson, Sam Subity, and Adam Perry on Castle Horror
Society Secrets MG with Jennifer Naughton at The Bookish Society
Guest Posts (chronologically, newest at top)
Please Judge My Children’s Fantasy Series by Their Covers, at the Reedsy Discovery Blog
The Best New Action-Packed Middle Grade Books with Heart, at Shepherd
The Sun Stone, at Sybrina’s Book Blog
5 Pros and Cons of Writing Middle Grade, at Write. Read. Live.
Success Begets Success, at All the Ups and Downs
The Aztec, at Read Your Writes Book Reviews
A Space for Wonder, at Mythical Books
Why Action Adventure for Middle Grade?, at Log Cabin Library
Why Middle Grade? A Personal Answer, at WestVeil Publishing
An Interview with John and Sarah Tidewell, at Long and Short Reviews
Who or What Inspired you to Write Sol Invictus?, at All the Ups and Downs
Why Historical Fiction Intrigues Me, at Novels Alive
The Hardest Part About Writing, at Our Town Book Reviews
Cover Reveal for Sol Invictus (The Eye of Ra Book 2), at MG Book Village
Handling Conflict in Middle Grade Novels, at Unleashing Readers
Stuck in the Middle with Romans, at Kristyn Miller’s Blog
On Evolution of Reading, interview with Creator’s Roulette at Armed with a Book
** One of my personal favorites: Why MG Books (and the authors that write them!) are so Important, at MGBookVillage
Why do facts make fiction better? (aka “Why factual accuracy in fantastical stories makes them more immersive and intriguing.”) at Haley Cavanagh Blog
Balancing life and writing, or How they are intertwined, at Long and Short Reviews
Why Middle Grade?, at Sybrina’s Book Blog
Interviews (chronologically, newest at top)
Interview with It’s Raining Books
Interview with The Avid Reader
Interview with Jazzy Book Reviews
Interview with Straight from the Library
Interview with Westveil Publishing
Interview with Christine Derr of the Paw Prints in the Sink Blog
Interview with The Fabric of Words
Interview with Kait Plus Books
Featured Author of the Day at ManyBooks
Cover Reveal for People of the Sun, including interview, at MG Book Village
About the Author: Ben Gartner, at Maddie White’s Blog
Interview with Two Chicks on Books
Interview with Elaine P. Cantrell
Interview with Straight from the Library
Interview with Kate Foster, Agent and Author
Interview at Armed with a Book
Interview with Books in the Hall
Interview with Locks, Hooks, and Books
Interview with All the Ups and Downs
Interview with Kit N’ Kabookle
Interview with ACME Teen Books
Five Reasons You Should Read My Book, at Fabulous and Brunette
Interview with Our Town Book Reviews
Interview with Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
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