Carson City authors Stephen H. Provost and Sharon Marie Provost have been honored with American Legacy Book Awards for 2026.
The awards honor literary titles released between 2010 and 2025, giving authors an opportunity to be recognized for titles published earlier in their careers. Entries are judged by a panel of experts that includes publishers, editors, writers, publicists and design professionals. The panel evaluates submissions based on originality, overall literary excellence, cover/interior design, and marketing viability.
“The Last Train to Clarksville” by Sharon Marie Provost (2024), was honored as Best Novelette. It’s the bittersweet love story with elements of the paranormal that asks what happens when two people who are meant to be together must overcome one obstacle after another to make it happen? A poignant Christmas tale of love, loss, and renewed hope, it channels the spirit of the season to prove that love is stronger than even the most difficult barrier. Award-winning author Sue C. Dugan described it as “my kind of book. … Highly recommend it if you are a fan of everlasting love.”
This is the second national award for Provost, who won the Imadjinn Award for Best Short Story Collection in 2025 for her volume of horror tales, “Shadow’s Gate.”
Stephen H. Provost won awards for two of his works. His debut horror collection, “Nightmare’s Eve” (2018), won in the category of Best General Horror. The volume, a collection of psychological horror in the tradition of “The Twilight Zone,” offers a diverse mix of short stories and poetry. John Palisano, past president of the Horror Writers Association, lauded it as “not to be missed,” while Cemetery Dance declared it a deftly handled collection that “should be on your reading list.”
Provost also won in the category of U.S. History for his 2020 release “America’s First Highways,” a history of the Lincoln Highway and other privately funded auto trails that preceded the government-built U.S. highway system established in 1926. Ron Warnick of Route 66 News called it “the book to have” for “longtime roadies looking for something more history-laden about the Mother Road’s roots.”
In addition, Provost’s fantasy “The Talismans of Time,” also published in 2020, was named a finalist in the General Fantasy category. This original time-travel fantasy, in the tradition of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Harry Potter,” follows two orphans who live thousands of miles and a hundred years apart. Trapped in a magical labyrinth, they must somehow work together to save the world.
Stephen H. Provost, a longtime journalist, has produced more than 70 books in a variety of genres. A Carson City resident since 2022, he is the founder and publisher of Dragon Crown Books. His next novel, “DARE: The Curse of Croatoan” is due for release Sept. 25.
Sharon Marie Provost, a Carson City resident for nearly four decades, is the publisher of Scream Catcher Books, Dragon Crown’s horror imprint. After working as office manager for Timberline Animal Hospital for nearly two decades, she began writing professionally in 2023, two years after being diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. She has produced a novel and three short-story collections, while collaborating with her husband on two novels and four further four short-story collections. Her next release, “Heartless,” is due in the fall.
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