The Ice Floe by Joyce Tracksler was chosen as the winner of the 2003 American Writers Contest because "it is beautifully written with strong characters and interesting ideas." It was a difficult decision; we had many wonderful books to choose from.

The Ice Floe is "a mystery of sorts" that traces the life of its heroine, Mallory, from her first encounter with death ("I was thirteen when I murdered my grandfather. I didn't really do a very good job, but I did the best I could.") to her last. Named for the Eskimo tradition of sending the dying on their final journey aboard an ice floe and into the ocean, The Ice Floe is about the right to die—and the right to choose the time and mode of death. Mallory becomes a sort of consultant for the dying, but when her husband is murdered, she has to deal with death on another level while also trying to solve the mystery.

"I am absolutely delighted," Joyce said. "Llumina Press has brought my dreams to life." Her newest mystery, Murder at Malafortuna, is currently being published by Llumina Press and Joyce says of the process "[It’s] difficult…to publish a book [traditionally]. There is a tremendous amount of rejection in the publishing world, but POD has allowed me to hold the book in my hand instead of a rejection letter. Instead of being a would-be author, I am an author."

The Ice Floe will be published through Llumina Press and will be available in October 2003.