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By Huntington W. Sharp, Editor, Red Room

Since launching redroom.com a little more than a year ago, it's been our intention to have an Awards page on the site to feature the prizes or honors members of this community have won. That's coming soon, and anyone who has ideas for the page, or knows about a special recognition that Red Room should feature, please email editors@redroom.com.

In the meantime, here's just a taste: three wonderful Red Room authors who have been recognized recently with prizes for their work. I hope you'll visit each of their Author Pages and see why Red Room truly is the home of the greatest and best-regarded authors.

Brenda Webster has been an important contributor to Red Room since before the site launched. She's brought many writers to this community, and has shared several wonderful interviews of other authors whose books she loves. The San Francisco Chronicle recently gave her newest book, a novel about Sigmund Freud's inner circle called Vienna Triangle, a great review, and she was among thirty-five authors named as a Literary Laureate for 2009 by the San Francisco Library. Congratulations, Brenda, and thanks for all you bring to Red Room! 

Award-winning journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug made quite a splash in late 2008 with her funny, irreverent "ultimate guide for every member of the tribe," Cool Jew. The book can best be described as "doing for matzah balls and gefilte fish what The Official Preppy Handbook did for plaid and polo, only with much more chutzpah!" Lisa was named the Erma Bombeck Humor Writer of the Month in December 2008, and in January 2009, it was announced that Cool Jew was named a 2008 National Jewish Book Awards finalist in the category of Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice. It was the only humor book among the 2008 honorees. Way to go, Lisa, and thanks for showing how Red Room can help new authors promote their work!

Rosa Martha Villarreal is the author of three books, all of which explore themes related to her family's heritage in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Rosa's newest, The Stillness of Love and Exile, was released in 2007 by the independent Tertulia Press, affiliated with the literary journalof the same name which she publishes and for which she is a contributing editor. Rosa was awarded PEN Oakland's Josephine Miles Literary Award in December. Red Room welcomes Rosa to the community, and congratulates her for the recognition of her important work supporting great writers from underrepresented populations.

Congratulations again to these three talented women, and thanks as always for the wonderful content shared by the members of this community. Red Room's success is a direct result of your creativity, and we appreciate it very much.