| Writer Steve Kihm's funny narrative about an attempted
fishing trip on the Mississippi River was named winner of the Merit
Award in the Humor category at the 15th Annual Midwest Independent
Publishers Association (MIPA) 2004 Book Awards ceremony on Wednesday,
May 11, 2005. The event took place at the Minnesota Humanities Commission
in St. Paul.
The first-time author was nominated for
the award for his book, The Lost Candy Bar, which is
written from the perspective of a shy boy who goes fishing
with his gruff grandfather. Apprehension about the trip gives
way to fear when his grandpa capsizes their boat in the backwaters
of the Mississippi River. As they are being rescued the youngster
realizes the real tragedy of the situation - his metal lunch
box containing a precious chocolate bar that he couldn't wait
to devour is now sitting at the bottom of the mighty Mississippi.
A competition for excellence in independent or non-profit
publishing, the MIPA awards recognize creativity in content
and execution, overall book quality and a book's unique contribution
to its subject area. Information about MIPA and the MIPA Book
Awards is available at www.mipa.org.
Publishers of books nominated for MIPA awards
must be located in one of 12 Midwestern states, including Wisconsin.
The Lost Candy Bar was published through Madison-based Goblin
Fern Press. The book can be purchased through the publisher's Web
site at www.goblinfernpress.com
or at the Goblin Fern Press bookstore, 3809 Mineral Point Road.
For more information, call (608) 442-0212. The Lost Candy Bar
can also be ordered through Borders or Amazon.com. To arrange a
book signing or a personal appearance by the author, call Steve
Kihm, (608) 233-5690.
About the author:
Author Steve Kihm grew up along the Mississippi River in La
Crosse, Wisconsin and actually lived the experience depicted in
The Lost Candy Bar. He now lives in Madison, where he is
a financial analyst for the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
Kihm earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from UW La Crosse
and Business and Finance graduate degrees from UW Madison. #####
Note to Editor: Author photo and book cover graphics
are available and the publisher welcomes requests for review copies.
To obtain any of these items, please call Kira Henschel at (608)
442-0212. | 
