• Chapters one and two of Tightrope!, called, "Kristallnacht," won first prize in the Joyous Publishing Contest. To read it, click here Joyous Publishing September 2006 Winning Stories.

• Tightrope! won the distinguished Eaton Literary Award for best book length manuscript. The award came with a nice chunk of money and hopefully will make it possible to get the manuscript published soon! Read about the Eaton Award here: Eaton Literary Awards

• Chapter 54 of Tightrope!, called, "Emma," won first prize in the Joyous Publishing Contest of June 2006, and is the first story in their newly published book, Prize Winning Stories.

• Strong runner-up in the Dana Fiction Awards.
  

• Chapter five of Cross and Carnival, titled, "What's in a Name," won Honorable Mention in the Texas Laughing Gull Writing Contest.

• Parts of chapter eleven of Cross and Carnival, titled, "A Moveable Feast," won runner up in the Joyous Publishing Contest. This biographical piece has also been published in the book Prize-Winning Stories.

• The prologue of Cross and Carnival, titled, "My Mother," won  first prize at the Joyous Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to read it: Cross and Carnival.

• Chapter ten of Sonja's memoir, titled "Tschilper," won Finalist in the M Review Writing Contest. It is featured in the online magazine, M Review.
  

Creative Non-Fiction

• "Peace in the Valley," an essay about Sonja's experiences as a teacher on the Navajo reservation, won First Prize in the Preservation Foundation's Travel Story Contest. Read it at storyhouse.org

• A creative non-fiction essay about the first time Sonja bought a vehicle after her divorce, "The Van," won fourth prize in the Alabama Writer's Conclave Writing Contest. It is featured in the Alabama Writer's online literary magazine, Alalit.

• Sonja's personal essay, "It was That Easy," about her first sale, won runner-up in the Funds for Writers Writing Contest.