"The Voice of the Muse" Wins 2009 New Mexico Book Award

Mark David Gerson’s Medal-Winning Writing Book Honored in Statewide Competition

Mark David Gerson’s The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write was named a winner in the 2009 edition of New Mexico’s premier literary contest, the New Mexico Book Awards.

The top prize in the competition's self-help category was announced at an awards banquet in Albuquerque earlier this evening. Some two dozen books were honored at the event.

This is Gerson’s second honor for The Voice of the Muse. Earlier this year, it earned a Silver Medal as one of the best writing books of 2009 in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, also known as the IPPYs.

The 2009 New Mexico Book Awards, open to New Mexico authors and publishers, attracted more than 300 entries and included books released by Viking, HarperCollins and Random House, as well as by major university presses.

Gerson is no stranger to the New Mexico Book Awards. In 2008, he won in the science fiction/fantasy category for his novel, The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy. That same year, The MoonQuest also won a Gold Medal IPPY for best visionary novel.

Gerson’s screenplay adaptation of The MoonQuest is currently in active development toward feature film production.

The Voice of the Muse, distilled from Gerson's 30-plus years as a professional writer/editor and nearly two decades as a writing teacher and coach, is a dynamic blend of inspiration and instruction for anyone in any genre seeking to write more effortlessly, flowingly and engagingly. It has been likened to such classics in the genre as Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird

Lauded by critics as "the wise guide any writer would dream of" and a "phenomenal guide to overcoming writer's block and unleashing your creative potential," The Voice of the Muse has been equally praised by novice and seasoned writers alike.

Gerson has also recorded The Voice of the Muse Companion: Guided Meditations for Writers, a two-CD album that includes powerful exercises to free up and deepen creative flow. It's sold separately from the book.

Both Gerson's books are available from www.markdavidgerson.com and from Amazon.com and other online retailers, as well as from selected U.S. retailers. The CD is available from www.markdavidgerson.com and Amazon

A writing/creativity coach, editor, project consultant and script analyst, Mark David is also a popular speaker on topics related to creativity and spirituality. He is host of The Muse & You, a radio show about writers and writing, and is a regular featured guest on Unity.fm's Spiritual Coaching radio program.

Mark David Gerson lives in Albuquerque, NM, where he’s currently working on a memoir and on a sequel to The MoonQuest.

• Written and audio excerpts from The Voice of the Muse book, The Voice of the Muse CD and The MoonQuest

• Calendar of Mark David's upcoming writing classes, workshops, events and appearances.

• Register for Mark David's classes and workshops.

• Mark David's approach to coaching writers