We just found out that my dad’s (a.k.a. Mike’s) book “The Ride of our Lives: Roadside Lessons of an American Family” has been nominated for a 2006 Quills award in the category of Debut Author of the Year. Unlike the Oscars and the Emmys, the winners are chosen by the public, and you can go and vote at www.quillsvote.com. Incidentally, all the nominees are up for Book of the Year, which you can vote on as well. Voting ends September 30 and the winners will be announced at the Quills award ceremony in New York City on October 10. They’ll be broadcast at some point in October on an NBC station (last year was on MSNBC).

I looked at all the nominees, and out of all the books, the only two I read this year were my dad’s and “Walter the Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise” (Children’s Illustrated Book). They’re both getting my vote.