Nesconset Mother/Author Selin Senol-Akin Wins International Book Award

Local mother and author, Selin Senol-Akin’s debut novel The Catalyst was recently chosen as a winner in the ‘Paranormal Fiction’ category in the 2022 International Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.

The Readers Favorite International Book Award Contest has featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to New York Times best-sellers and celebrities including Daniel Silva, J.A. Janes, James Rollins, and Jim Carrey. Senol-Akin’s novel, ‘The Catalyst,’ is a suspense novel bedewed by romance and the supernatural.

Before moving to Smithtown in 2020, Senol-Akin was a New York City native since 1992-when she immigrated to Queens with her family as a young girl. At a young age she started to enjoy in reading and writing, which got her interested in writing her own material.

“I’ve had a lot of crazy things happening to me over the years,” Senol-Akin said. “I’ve always enjoyed being a reader in general and creatively writing when I was little. So I thought why don’t I share what’s happened to me without being a memoir.”

Senol-Akin currently lives in Nesconset with her daughter Dalya Akin, a 2nd grader at Mills Pond Elementary School. When not writing, she is an Adjunct Professor of language education and an advocate for human rights. Senol-Akin holds a BA in Political Science from Stony Brook University and an MA in International Studies from New York University.

Since publishing “The Catalyst” Senol-Akin has had several Barnes & Noble book signings, dated a copy to the Nesconset/Smithtown library, and sold copies at fairs and the Lake Grove Village Summer Festival.

“I was able to not only sell more but I feel I connect to more local readers and it felt really good,” Senol-Akin said.

In addition to ‘The Catalyst,’ Senol-Akin has also written other novels such as The Penance, Set Free Your Flow and Earth Up Your Roots. Senol-Akin has her own website selinsenolakin.com and ‘The Catalyst’ is currently available at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1735487406.

The 14th Annual Award Ceremony will take place this November in Miami, Florida.

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