SEBASTIAN — The Eleven Karmic Spaces: Choosing Freedom from the Patterns That Bind You by the late Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati of Sebastian, FL will receive the Gold Medal in the New Age (Mind-Body-Spirit) category at the 17th annual 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Author, artist, and humanitarian, Ma Jaya founded Kashi Ashram, an interfaith spiritual community, in 1976.
More than 5,000 entries were submitted by the nearly 2,500 independent authors and publishers who participated in the contest, which was presented by the Jenkins Group.
The awards ceremony to honor the medalists will take place on May 29 in New York, on the eve of the Book Expo America convention.
The 11 Karmic Spaces was published only weeks before Ma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She passed away on April 13, 2012 at Kashi, her home of 36 years.
“I want them to always be tender, first and foremost to themselves; to learn how to hesitate and not lash out in anger; and to learn how to accept love, thus loving themselves. I want them to learn about the traps they always fall into so they can be avoided.
They can learn about other people and the spaces they may be in, and become more compassionate. I want them to always remember the power of prayer,” Ma said when asked what she hoped readers would gain from reading her book.
The “IPPY” Awards, launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first awards program open exclusively to independents, over 4,500 “IPPYs” have been awarded to authors and publishers around the world.
Independent spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets, and books are judged with that in mind.
Independent publishers are extremely diverse, in both style and geography. Last year’s IPPY competition attracted 3,741 entries in the national categories, 1,072 regional entries, and 390 e-book entries. The medalists represented 44 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, seven Canadian provinces, and ten countries overseas.
“Independent publishers are growing in number, and the quality of their work is increasing. One element driving the high rate of excellence is participation from university presses.
This year, 29 medalists came from university presses and 9 came from museums. Their elevated level of writing, editing, design, and production raises the bar and inspires us all,” said awards director Jim Barnes.
For more information regarding The 11 Karmic Spaces: Choosing Freedom from the Patterns That Bind You, please visit the website www.Kashi.org.
The book is available at all online booksellers and in eBook form.