Award-Winning-Author Miguel Lopez de Leon Celebrates Five Top Honors for his Two Latest Novels

LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Miguel Lopez de Leon is no stranger to the spotlight, especially when it comes to commendations for his literary works. He has an impressive collection of awards, and his latest novels, "It Took Billy," and "Babble Magic," continue in that tradition, receiving acclaim in the form of five different awards from two prominent literary awards programs.

"It Took Billy" won 2nd Place in the Horror category in the 2018-2019 Reader Views Literary Awards program and was a Finalist in the Commercial Fiction category in the 2019 Eric Hoffer Book Awards. "Babble Magic" was a Grand Prize Award Finalist (Short List) and the First Runner-Up in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category of the 2019 Eric Hoffer Book Awards. It was also a Finalist in the 2018-2019 Reader Views Literary Awards program, receiving an Honorable Mention award in the Teen category.

"It Took Billy," is Lopez de Leon's first dark fantasy/horror book. For adults only, this story centers around the abduction of a young boy, Billy, who is thrown into a world of powerful dark magic, cruelty, and ancient demons. The entire novel is written as an actual journal, further amplifying the suspenseful feel of the story. Billy chronicles his terrifying ordeal with brutal detail, leaving readers frightened, yet craving more. As noted by Sheri Hoyte, Managing Editor of Reader Views, "It's hard to believe this is the author's first venture into dark fantasy/horror. Some of the twists in the story will truly make you wonder and just when you think the story can't get any darker, Lopez de Leon knocks it out of the park with a development that is so creative and distinct it just leaves you stunned."

"Babble Magic," is a middle-grade fantasy novel. In this story, a young apprentice, Bax, and an ill-tempered sorcerer, Palim, finally have a break-through in their field of wizardry. Known as Babble Magic, this branch of study focuses on trying to make animals speak! Just in time for the annual wizard convention, the test subject, a cranky squirrel, utters her first words. But this squirrel is comically headstrong, and the competition is fierce. Full of combat, sorcery and supernatural elements, this adventure is an exciting spin on animals taking on human characteristics. Foreword Clarion Review calls Babble Magic, "A thoughtful middle grade fantasy adventure full of humor and heart. Ideal for anyone looking for something fresh and new in the world of witches and wizardry."

The Eric Hoffer Award honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by honoring books of exceptional merit. Winners of the "Hoffer" are also covered in the US Review of Books. The Reader Views Literary Awards honors and celebrates writers geared for the North American reading audience.

"I'm so honored to receive these distinctions from The Eric Hoffer Book Awards and Reader Views," Miguel says. "I'm truly very grateful."

Miguel is currently working on his 10th novel.

About the Author

Miguel Lopez de Leon lives in Los Angeles. He writes young-adult, middle-grade, and dark fantasy novels. His debut novel Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the "Best Books of 2014." Before becoming a novelist, Miguel started out as a short-story writer. Over 30 of his short stories were chosen for publication and appeared in various magazines and collections. One of Miguel's short stories, A Working Professional, won First Place in Writer's Digest Magazine's "Your Story #24" writing contest.

In addition to writing, Miguel also attends and participates in a number of literary events, including bookstore signings and conventions. He also recently had his own booth at the 2019 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Since 1996, the festival has become a world-renowned experience. With over 150,000 people attending the annual event, it is the largest festival of its kind in the United States.

"It Took Billy" (ISBN 9781543947625, BookBaby 2018) and "Babble Magic" (ISBN 9781543934601, BookBaby 2018) are available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. For more information visit http://www.miguellopezdeleon.com. Publicity contact is http://www.readerviews.com. Review copies available to the media upon request.

SOURCE Reader Views