Inaugural Carol Award Nominees

The American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) have been running the ACFW Book of the Year Awards for many years but this year the Awards have been renamed to the Carol Awards in honour of Carol Johnson, who acquired and edited Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly. You can read the full story at Novel Journey.

For now, cast your eye over this year's nominees and ponder while you wait for the awards to be announced in September at the ACFW Conference.

Debut Author

Talking to the Dead

Bonnie Grove (David C. Cook Publishing, Nicci Hubert - Editor)

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn

Liz Johnson (Steeple Hill, Elizabeth Mazer - Editor)

Eternity Falls

Kirk Outerbridge (Marcher Lord Press, Jeff Gerke - Editor)

Michal

Jill Eileen Smith (Revell, Lonnie Hull DuPont - Editor)

The Unfinished Gift

Dan Walsh (Revell, Andrea Doering - Editor)

Contemporary Novella - 6 Finalists due to a tie

One Child

Barbara Cameron (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann - Editor)

When Winter Comes

Barbara Cameron (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann - Editor)

A Mule Hollow Match

Debra Clopton (Steeple Hill, Krista Stroever - Editor)

The Great Christmas Bowl

Susan May Warren (Tyndale House, Karen Watson - Editor)

A Change of Heart

Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann - Editor)

A Choice to Forgive

Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann- Editor)

Historical Novella

Home Again

Victoria Bylin (Steeple Hill, Melissa Endlich - Editor)

A Breed Apart

Vickie McDonough (Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany - Editor)

Beloved Enemy

Vickie McDonough (Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany - Editor)

Christmas Bells for Dry Creek

Janet Tronstad (Steeple Hill, Tina James - Editor)

A Shelter in the Storm

Carrie Turansky (Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany - Editor)

Long Contemporary - 6 Finalists due to a tie

The Familiar Stranger

Christina Berry (Moody Publishers, Paul Santhouse - Editor)

A Widow's Hope

Mary Ellis (Harvest House Publishers, Betty Fletcher - Editor)

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow

Joyce Magnin (Abingdon Press, Barbara Scott - Editor)

White Picket Fences

Susan Meissner (Waterbrook Press, Shannon Marchese - Editor)

If Tomorrow Never Comes

Marlo Schalesky (Multnomah, Julee Schwarzburg - Editor)

Nothing But Trouble

Susan May Warren (Tyndale House, Karen Watson - Editor)

Long Contemporary Romance

Critical Care

Candace Calvert (Tyndale House, Jan Stob/Lorie Popp - Editors)

Seaside Letters

Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson, Ami McConnell/Jessica Alvarez - Editors)

Just Between You and Me

Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann/Jamie Chavez - Editors)

Plain Promise

Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann - Editor)

The Hope of Refuge

Cindy Woodsmall (Waterbrook Press, Shannon Marchese - Editor)

Mystery

The Case of the Mystified M.D.

A.K. Arenz (Sheaf House, Joan M. Shoup - Editor)

Under the Cajun Moon

Mindy Starns Clark (Harvest House Publishers, Kim Moore - Editor)

A String of Murders

Darlene Franklin (Heartsong Mysteries, Susan Downs - Editor)

Polly Dent Loses Grip

S. Dionne Moore (Heartsong Mysteries, Susan Downs - Editor)

Pushing up Daisies

Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna (Heartsong Mysteries, Susan Downs - Editor)

Long Historical

A Bride in the Bargain

Deeanne Gist (Bethany House, David Long/Julie Klassen - Editors)

Fit To Be Tied

Robin Lee Hatcher (Zondervan, Sue Brower/Leslie Peterson - Editors)

Look to the East

Maureen Lang (Tyndale House, Stephanie Broene - Editor)

Love's Pursuit

Siri Mitchell (Bethany House, Dave & Sarah Long - Editors)

Stealing Home

Allison Pittman (Multnomah, Alice Crider - Editor)

Long Historical Romance - 8 Finalists due to a tie

Paper Roses

Amanda Cabot (Revell, Vicki Crumpton - Editor)

Cowboy Christmas

Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany - Editor)

Montana Rose

Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany - Editor)

The Frontiersman's Daughter

Laura Frantz (Revell, Andrea Doering - Editor)

The Believer

Ann Gabhart (Revell, Lonnie Hull DuPont - Editor)

A Passion Denied

Julie Lessman (Revell, Lonnie Hall DuPont - Editor)

Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas

Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna (Summerside Press, Rachel Meisel - Editor)

The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

Kathleen Y’Barbo (Waterbrook Press, Jessica Barnes - Editor)

Short Contemporary

His Cowgirl Bride

Debra Clopton (Steeple Hill, Krista Stroever - Editor)

Autumn Rains

Myra Johnson (Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons - Editor)

A Wagonload of Trouble

Vickie McDonough (Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons - Editor)

A Texas Ranger's Family

Mae Nunn (Steeple Hill, Melissa Endlich - Editor)

Dreaming of Home

Glynna Sirpless writing as Glynna Kaye (Steeple Hill, Melissa Endlich - Editor)

Short Contemporary Suspense - 6 Finalists due to a tie

Evidence of Murder

Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Steeple Hill, Emily Rodmell - Editor)

Final Warning

Sandra Robbins (Steeple Hill, Tina James - Editor)

Murder at Eagle Summit

Virginia Smith (Steeple Hill, Krista Stroever - Editor)

Scent of Murder

Virginia Smith (Steeple Hill, Krista Stroever/Tina James - Editors)

Double Take

Jenness Walker (Steeple Hill, Emily Rodmell - Editor)

Code of Honor

Lenora Worth (Steeple Hill, Patience Smith/Tina James - Editors)

Short Historical

Her Patchwork Family

Lyn Cote (Steeple Hill, Tina James - Editor)

The Glassblower

Laurie Alice Eakes (Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons - Editor)

The Outlaw's Lady

Laurie Kingery (Steeple Hill, Melissa Endlich - Editor)

All That Glitters

Lynette Sowell (Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons - Editor)

The Unfinished Gift

Dan Walsh (Revell, Andrea Doering)

Speculative (includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory) - 6 Finalists due to a tie

Eternity Falls

Kirk Outerbridge (Marcher Lord Press, Jeff Gerke - Editor)

The Vanishing Sculptor

Donita K. Paul (Waterbrook Press, Shannon Marchese - Editor)

The Word Reclaimed

Steve Rzasa (Marcher Lord Press, Jeff Gerke - Editor)

Starfire

Stuart Vaughn Stockton (Marcher Lord Press, Jeff Gerke - Editor)

The Muse

Fred Warren (Splashdown Books, Grace Bridges - Editor)

By Darkness Hid

Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press, Jeff Gerke - Editor)

Suspense/Thriller

Intervention

Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, Sue Brower/Dave Lambert - Editors)

Lonestar Secrets

Colleen Coble (Thomas Nelson, Ami McConnell - Editor)

Exposure

Brandilyn Collins (Zondervan, Rachelle Gardner/Sue Brower - Editors)

Salty Like Blood

Harry Kraus (Howard/Simon & Schuster, David Lambert - Editor)

Breach of Trust

DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House, Karen Watson - Editor)

Women’s Fiction - 7 Finalists due to a tie

Sweet Waters

Julie Carobini (B&H Publishing, Karen Ball - Editor)

Leaving Yesterday

Kathryn Cushman (Bethany House, Dave Long - Editor)

Sweet By and By

Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson, Ami McConnell - Editor)

Never the Bride

Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay (Waterbrook Press, Shannon Marchese - Editor)

Yesterday's Embers

Deborah Raney (Howard/Simon & Schuster, David Lambert - Editor)

All Things

Deborah Raney (Steeple Hill, Krista Stroever - Editor(

The Summer Kitchen

Lisa Wingate (New American Library/Penguin, Ellen Edwards - Editor)

Young Adult

Who Made You a Princess?

Shelley Adina (Hachette FaithWords, Anne Goldsmith Horch - Editor)

Always Watching

Brandilyn & Amberly Collins (Zondervan, Barbara Scott - Editor)

I'm So Sure

Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann/Jamie Chavez - Editors)

So Not Happening

Booker T. Mattison (Revell, Andrea Doering - Editor)