Greetings members, and a hearty congratulations to the 2025 WOTY finalists! You can read a bit more about them below, and don’t forget to vote! Voting closes July 14th!
Finalists
Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, best-selling author of books and stories—twelve years into his ten year plan to be an overnight success. Trained in stand-up comedy, modern literary criticism and cultural studies, he writes excellent multi-genre fiction, symbolized by his love of tie-dye and good words. “I wear tie-dye for my friends, but I write what I like to read,” he says. “This guarantees me at least one fan and easy dressing decisions in the morning.”
Johnny is the author of 19 published novels, in multiple genres, with more on the way, and over 28 published short stories, also with more on the way. He’s a guest blogger and a fixture at any writing conference he can reach.
Johnny’s best-selling series, The BOOKS OF CORONAM, is an epic science fiction series in the vein of Frank Herbert’s DUNE. It is available from Flame Tree Press, with international distribution through Simon and Schuster.
Johnny’s newest book, THE GAIA CHIME (March 2025), has been called a “cli-fi horror.” A timely and chilling story of global transformation and generational strife told through the lens of two filmmakers who witness the ancient echo of drastic and terrible renewal. This fantastic new title also comes from Flame Tree Press with international distribution through Simon and Schuster.
Johnny’s literary expertise extends into editing of all kinds as well as independent publishing, cover creation and page layout. To save his books from being out of print once rights reverted, Johnny started Dandelion Ink, LLC to keep his books alive. In 2024, he published his first wholly independent book, a YA urban fantasy called THINGS BEQUEATHED. It has been well received, well enough in fact to demand a sequel which he’s writing now.
Johnny teaches creating writing at the University of Utah, is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (PAA), Pikes Peak Writers, IBPA, SFWA, HWA, and is a lifetime member of The League of Utah Writers. When not teaching, volunteering, mentoring, writing, editing, querying, publishing, crying or traveling, he lives in a house with his wife and one nice cat and one moving piece of hissing furniture. There’s also a lawn.
Z.S. Diamanti is the award-winning author of the Stone & Sky series, an epic fantasy adventure and Guard in the Garden, the first book in the Fables of Finlestia cozy fantasy series. His Stone & Sky series won five 2023 industry awards, eight more in the last year, and been a finalist or semi-finalist for half a dozen others in the same timeframe.
Zac has been invited to speak at numerous conferences in the last year (with many more in the works) and has also recently become the face of Kindlepreneur’s highly successful YouTube videos. He’s been an active member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW), even sharing what he’s learned through his success by teaching others at the Colorado Gold Conference and participating in the first ever Social Media Check Ups for the event as a coach. Zac also recently stepped into the role of Professional Authors Alliance (PAA) liaison.
Zac’s book Guard in the Garden (4 Mar 2025) recently released, but he has two more books slated for 2025 release: Scorned (13 May) and Wagons & Wyverns (5 Aug).
Over a 30-year Air Force career, author Cam Torrens delivered combat supplies and personnel across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He piloted the first mobility aircraft into Iraq during the Iraq War, served as the United States Air Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, China, and spent four years as the Professor of Aerospace Studies at Virginia Tech. A father of six, Cam and his spouse live in Buena Vista, Colorado where he serves as the Vice President of Central Colorado Writers and volunteers with the Chaffee County Search & Rescue team. He’s admittedly weird—he likes to count things, like consecutive days running, books read, hiking miles, tennis/pickleball/ping pong matches, jacuzzi use, and so on.