MONO COUNTY — “The Loop,” a murder mystery set in Mono County, has garnered the Book Excellence Award for Suspense Fiction for first-time author Nicholas Holloway, who based his novel on his childhood summers at the Silver Lake Resort at June Lake.
Author Nick Holloway
Holloway, 29, who lives in Austin, Texas, grew up in Yucaipa in San Bernardino County and told SNO earlier this year that he chose June Lake as the setting for his book because “as a writer, my passion is landscapes. I like stories with a dynamic backdrop as the plot setting and there is no place more beautiful or awe-inspiring than the June Lake Loop.”
At an elevation of 7,654 feet, scenic June Lake in Mono County is located about 12 miles south of Lee Vining next to the southern rim of the Mono Basin. The year-round population is less than 1,000 but that number balloons during the summers when thousands of visitors — fishermen, campers, tourists, backpackers and other outdoors enthusiasts — flock to the area.
Published in September 2019, the dust cover synopsis of “The Loop” teases: “In the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a freezing snowdrift blankets the June Lake Loop. For months, aspiring novelist Gallagher Finch has not written a single word. To pass the time awaiting inspiration, Gal satiates his boredom with Adderall, Evan Williams and one call girl too many. On the eve of his twenty-sixth birthday, he indulges in all three. And when he awakens, he discovers a bloody secret tangled in his bedsheets.”
The Book Excellence Awards — or BEA — is an international awards competition that recognizes books for their high-quality design, writing and overall market appeal. Previous winners and finalists have doubled their book sales and drawn attention from film producers. The awards are sponsored by Literary Excellence Inc., a company that specializes in book promotion, marketing and publicity. Judges include other authors, publishers, librarians and booksellers.
“I want to say thank you to all the readers of “The Loop,” from my early readers to all those in the Sierras and beyond who have purchased or downloaded a copy,” Holloway said. “This one is for all the incredible storytellers represented by hardworking, small press publishers.”
The author has a website and paperback copies of “The Loop” can be purchased at www.jpmpublishingco.com for $8.99. Kindle versions can be downloaded on Amazon.
Holloway is currently working on his next mystery thriller, titled “Three Houses on a Hill.”
