Cat & Mouse Press wins national awards

Cat & Mouse Press, a small independent publisher in Lewes, has received two first-place awards from the National Federation of Press Women. The awards were for "The Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay," a children's picture book that had previously captured top awards from Delaware Press Association, and "Beach Nights," the most recent book in the popular Rehoboth Beach Reads collection.

"The Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay" is a story that celebrates the beauty of the sea and tidal areas, and depicts two strong female characters who confront their fears and achieve their goals on their own. The book depicts non-idealized, age-appropriate children that young readers will identify with. The story is inspiring and addresses themes of friendship, girl-empowerment, respect for differences, love of nature and overcoming fears to achieve one’s goals. The judge who selected the book for first place said, "Delightful, enchanting pictures. The dark and stormy water spilling across the land captures the visual attention of the reader. All the pictures draw one in to visually explore each scene and to take the time to enjoy each creature. It was refreshing to see the mermaid drawn as a realistic girl."

"Beach Nights" is a collection of top stories from the 2016 Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest. In this book, readers encounter a ghostly World War II tower and a couple with an unusual annual tradition; a girl who finds her voice at a jazz club and a boy who learns the snow cone king has a secret; an old lady who is inspired to get a tattoo; and a despondent man who is resurrected through the tango. The judge who chose "Beach Nights" for first place said, "An anthology is difficult to meld and mesh into a consistently pleasurable whole, yet the stories in this collection flow as if the authors knew what the readers needed. The quality of short fiction and the consistent 'setting' allow readers to give to the stories as they enjoy the 'beach.' Each story is well-crafted with sufficient development, subtext, and fluidity to satisfy. Not only is this a collection but one of a series, and based on the fiction in 'Beach Nights,' readers will want to read the others. Excellent use of the short form and execution of the concept of a collection."

Cat & Mouse Press was established to produce books and other materials that are fun, entertaining and of particular interest to residents and visitors to the Delmarva region. The company runs the Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Competition and publishes a free weekly newspaper for writers, Writing is a Shore Thing. For more information, go to www.writingisashorething.com and www.catandmousepress.com.