Daniel Babka

Daniel grew up where his latest novella, "Lightning Bugs And Aliens: A Small Town Coming-Of-Age Story," takes place. He served in VISTA (the domestic Peace Corps), attended law school and a theological seminary, and worked as a community organizer in New York City. The book won 1st Prize in IndieReader's Nationwide 2024 Discovery Awards, and is dedicated to the son of Mississippi sharecroppers with whom the author spent hundreds of hours on the back steps of his family's tavern.

His debut novel, "No More Illusions: A Dylan Blake Mystery" was described by Kirkus Reviews as "Accomplished, ambitious crime fiction launching a sensitive, complex hero and a promising array of supporting characters…a multilayered tale with shades of California noir à la Chinatown.” The movie, widely regarded as one of America's greatest films and a classic noir mystery, received 11 Oscar nominations and a win for Best Original Screenplay. Daniel now lives in Northern California where he’s at work on the sequel.