I am so excited to have won an Eyelands Book Award. It's an international book award and means so much. 

Below is the press release which has made it into the local paper, because although the story is here there are so many pop-ups it's almost impossible to read...

A HORSHAM based author is celebrating after her historical novel won an international award.
Lisa Brace has won ‘Best Historical Fiction Novel 2025’ in the Eyelands Book Awards, for her novel The Fastest Girl on Earth.
The Eyelands Book Awards is open to all authors globally and Lisa joins winners from all over the world, including USA, India and Iran.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I received the email, I’m an award winning novelist! It’s something you dream about when you’re writing books, but for it to actually happen is a pinch me moment.
“It’s so wonderful to know that the characters I’ve lived with for years are getting their recognition – I love the story, so it’s exciting to see others enjoying it too.”
Lisa’s previous novel Swim was runner up in the same competition last year, and garnered two silver medals in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2024 and she has advice for would-be writers.
“If you have a book idea, just go for it. Write it down. You can’t sell books without writing them (and AI doesn’t count!). Enjoy the process and be proud that you’re getting it down. Persevere, share with likeminded people and go to writing clubs local to you. Keep going!”
The Fastest Girl on Earth is Lisa’s second historical novel and follows the story of Evelyn Bloom, lying on her deathbed in 1922. A decade ago, she had it all: the world at her feet, glittering parties with royalty, headlines ablaze with her daring exploits, and a string of scandalous love affairs.
Now, surrounded by faded photographs, shattered dreams, and secrets no one else knows, Evelyn faces the ultimate question: How did a life so brilliant end in such lonely despair?
From roaring race tracks to glittering ballrooms, from love and betrayal to triumph and tragedy, Evelyn’s story is a breathtaking, unputdownable WWI-era historical novel perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Natasha Lester, and Mandy Robotham.
 
The Fastest Girl on Earth is available in all bookshops, as well as online as an ebook, paperback and audiobook.
 
Lisa is currently working on her third historical novel, Lipstick. In 1950s Seattle, Avon lady, Eleanor Shermanbury is drawn into a world of glamour and lust after selling make-up to a group of strippers, forcing her to choose between her new, intoxicating friends and the high society she has always longed to join.
 
Follow Lisa on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok, or visit www.lisabrace.co.uk
Buy her books here https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Lisa-Brace/author

​Local Author Honoured in 2025 Indie Book Awards
Swim by Lisa Brace has been named by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2025.

Lisa Brace’s book is a finalist in two categories in the 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest book awards programme for independent publishers.

Swim was one of only four finalists in Best Historical Fiction (post 1900s) and Best General Fiction Novel beating hundreds of other entries.

The winners and finalists will be honoured on June 27th at a gala event at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, coinciding with the American Library Association Annual Conference.

Lisa, who will be hosting the launch of her second historical fiction novel, The Fastest Girl on Earth, at Waterstones Horsham on June 4th (see here for booking information), said:

“I am overwhelmed to be a finalist in this prestigious awards. Not only has this award been running for 18 years and is hugely well respected in the industry, it’s a real coup for Blue Pier Books, the publishers I run with fellow author D.E White.”

She added: “We set out to create novels that people want to read, and have proven that success doesn’t need to come with a hefty publisher behind you! Swim is a very important book to me, and I can’t wait to have the medals hanging up on my wall alongside the photo of the woman who inspired the novel, Lucy Morton.”

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are judged by leaders in the indie publishing industry, many of whom have had long careers at major publishing houses. Drawing on their deep experience and love of great storytelling, they recognise books that deserve a wider audience.

According to Catherine Goulet, Founder and Co-Chair of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, “Like other independent artists, many indie book publishers face challenges that the industry giants don't experience. The indies have to work much harder to get their best books into readers’ hands.”
“Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books,” adds Goulet. “They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print.”

To help indie authors and publishers reach a wider audience, the top 80+ books in the 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards will be reviewed by New York literary agent Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency (formerly the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency), or one of Ms. Allen’s co-agents, for possible representation in areas such as: distribution, foreign rights, film rights, and other rights.

A complete list of 2025 winners and finalists is available at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards website at indiebookawards.com.
 
 
 

I've just sent off the final edits for The Fastest Girl on Earth, my novel out June 5 2025.

Whilst this is a work of fiction, I've taken inspiration from the most incredible woman called Dorothy Levitt. She drive in the early 1900s and set, then broke, world records for speed as a woman and often competed against men where she won.

She was so inspiring to research, but her story goes very quiet around 1913, and I decided to fictionalise what I think could have happened before her premature death aged 40 in 1922... no spoilers, but all I'll say is, the woman knew how to drive fast, use a gun and fly a plane (ahem spy?).

Anyway, I'll leave it to you to decide if I made the right decision... the novel is out in a few months and pre-orders are up now!

Today is the publication day of my lovely historical fiction novel, SWIM.

I am SO proud of this book and am thrilled it's in the world!

It's a funny one though, when you get to a publication day, because there's all this fanfare online and in the real world...nothing... unless you count the cheeky Costa I treated myself to this morning.

I think it's reflective of being an author in 2024. Sure, this is my second novel. Sure, it's selling well (it is!! I'm thrilled), but also, on with the next thing. There's no time to catch your breath and enjoy what you've achieved because there's....

Social media content to create, post and engage with
PR and publicity to issue (even with a publisher it's on the author to do a lot of the hard work)
Words to get down for the next book
Plans to be made for writing retreats and upcoming writing talks
Tidying up your own website
And...writing a blog because it's been eight months since your last one!!

Still, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thrilled to be able to say my novella has now sold over 1000 copies, and not just that - it's gone WORLDWIDE!

I have readers in the US, UK, Brazil, Mexico, India, Poland, Sweden, France and on and on... I'm thrilled and a tiny bit overwhelmed with how Secret Santa has been received, but mostly I'm just super proud.

This novella was a fun thing to do last Christmas and it's just wonderful how it's resonated. 

Looking forward to launching Secret Valentine in late January 2024.