Local author B.B. Shamp wins Federation of Press Women first-place award

Local author B.B. Shamp recently received a first-place award in fiction from the National Federation of Press Women for her novel "Third Haven: A Novel of Deceit." It previously earned a first-place award from the Delaware Press Association.

"Third Haven" is a suspense tale of divergent souls searching for a sense of belonging. The story opens amidst the concrete avenues of Washington, D.C. and wealthy enclaves on the shores of the Chesapeake in Oxford, Md. A mother who survives a terrorist attack and is left with a traumatic brain injury struggles against unseen forces that threaten her and her son's existence. As the threat increases, they move to an anonymous life on the Delaware shore where they hope to live incognito. Evil follows them, and although they want to trust others, they find their new friends keep their own secrets. Themes include survival against all odds, independence, freedom from family ties and a desire to re-create them despite their deadliness. Readers will love this adult novel for its intensity and characters that live beyond the last page.

Shamp began writing after an accident and a near-death experience in 2008. Beginning with poetry, she wrote to explore her thoughts and feelings during rehabilitation. Sustaining her in these difficult moments was the euphoric memory of seeing the white light. Despite a traumatic brain injury and being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, she fought hard to return to her former self and in doing so discovered a new person. Never able to return to her old life, she figured that if she could write a suspense novel and lay breadcrumbs for the reader to follow, she had at least regained her voice and ability to communicate.

Her first novel "Third Haven" is the culmination of that work. "I didn't begin with a desire to publish for a wider audience," she said. "It was a personal journey." She is currently working on a sequel. Asked if she has any plans to write a memoir, she said, "That story should explore the depths of love and persistence. There are so many people I owe so much who helped me along the way. That's going to take time."

For more information, go to www.bbshamp.com.