2026 cma book awards winner!
Growing a Family in Persimmon Hollow won a 2026 CMA Book Award! The novel earned Second Place in the Adult Fiction Book Series category. I'm thrilled that the novel and the series were recognized. Here's what the judges had to say:
"The series is an engaging and enjoyable exploration of 19th-century Florida, offering an intriguing historical setting and a convincing portrayal of American Catholicism, with well-drawn characters - particularly strong female figures - whose struggles reflect the era's cultural tensions, while its treatment of themes such as freedom and ecumenism adds further depth."
The 2026 Catholic Media Association Book Awards were announced in June at the Catholic Media Conference. There are many amazing books among the winners. See the full list at https://www.catholicmediaassociation.org/2026-cma-book-awards
interview at the catholic bard
I was honored to be featured on the Meet the Writers series at The Catholic Bard blog on Patheos in May 2026. The series features Catholic writers. It's a great way to find Catholic authors in today's crowded book scene. My interview was featured May 8, 2026, and you can link to it here or copy and paste the URL: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/catholicbard/2026/05/meet-catholic-romance-writer-gerri-bauer
This picture of Gerri & her husband, Pete, appears on the blog. We've been married for 40 years.
a DIFFERENT KIND OF BOOK SEARCH
BookDNA is a book site that makes search and discovery part of the fun. Readers can browse Favorites, Best and other lists suggested by authors. The lists also feature other books readers may like. To see my list of Best Reads for 2025, 2024, and 2023, click on
https://bookdna.com/search/author/28266.
Full disclosure: I'm one of the authors who are founding supporters of the site.