Christy Award Nominations, 2012

So, the 2012 Christy Award nominations have been announced and I'm particularly THRILLED to see Ronie Kendig, Jim Rubart, Lisa Bergren and Ginny Y'ttrup nominated in a star studded list of nominees!  

 

I've read 15 of the 27 nominations so I have a few more to get through ~ how about you?  Any standouts in the list?  Other authors you are surprised who missed out?

2012 CHRISTY AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The 13th annual Christy Awards for excellence in Christian fiction will

be presented at a dinner to be held at 7:00 p.m., Mon., July 16, 2012, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in

Orlando. The reservation form for the 2012 Christy Awards will be available online at

www.christyawards.com after Apr. 26. Watch for an announcement regarding keynote speaker

and emcee soon.

The Christy Advisory Board is pleased to announce nominees in nine categories for the 2012

Christy Awards honoring Christian fiction.

The 2012 Christy Award nominees are:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig (Barbour Publishing)

CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

The Amish Midwife by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould (Harvest House Publishers)

Dancing on Glass by Pamela Binnings Ewen (B&H Publishing Group)

The Touch by Randall Wallace (Tyndale House Publishers)

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE

Dry as Rain by Gina Holmes (Tyndale House Publishers)

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Words by Ginny Yttrup (B&H Publishing Group)

FIRST NOVEL

An Eye for Glory by Karl Bacon (Zondervan)

Southern Fried Sushi by Jennifer Rogers Spinola (Barbour Publishing)

Words by Ginny Yttrup (B&H Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL

Forsaking All Others by Allison Pittman (Tyndale House Publishers)

Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

To Die For by Sandra Byrd (Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster)

SUSPENSE

Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins (B&H Publishing Group)

Pattern of Wounds by Mark Bertrand (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

The Queen by Steven James (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

VISIONARY

The Chair by Jim Rubart (B&H Publishing Group)

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee (Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group USA)

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

YOUNG ADULT

How Huge the Night by Heather Munn and Lydia Munn (Kregel Publications)

Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan)

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren (David C Cook)

The Christy Awards are also online at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristyAward

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChristyAward

###

Media Inquiries:                                                                                                                    Reservations:

Jeane Wynn                                                                                                                        Donna Kehoe

Wynn-Wynn Media, LLC                                                                                   christyawards@gmail.com

918-283-1834

jeane@wynnwynnmedia.com

Christy Award Winners, 2010

2010 CHRISTY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN ST. LOUIS

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The 2010 Christy Awards presentation was held Saturday evening, June 26, 2010, at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand in advance of the International Christian Retail Show.

The dessert reception featured a keynote address entitled “Be That Well” by best-selling author and entrepreneur Lisa Samson and was emceed by editor Lonnie Hull DuPont, Baker Publishing Group. To involve Christian fiction fans not able to attend the event in person, a liveblog of the event was provided online, and an archive of the event can be accessed online at www.ChristyAwards.com.

The Christy Awards honor the best in Christian fiction in nine categories. The Christy Awards Advisory Board is pleased to announce the following winners of the 2010 Christy Awards.

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills • Tyndale House Publishers

Paige Rogers survived every CIA operative’s worst nightmare—a covert mission gone terribly wrong…a betrayal by the one man she thought she could trust. Forced to disappear to protect the lives of her loved ones, Paige has spent years building a quiet life as a small-town librarian. But the day a stranger comes to town and starts asking questions, Paige knows her careful existence has been shattered. He is coming after her again, and this time, he intends to silence her for good.

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Since then, she has written more than fifteen novels and many novellas, and more than one and a half million copies of her books are in print. DiAnn lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband.

CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson • Thomas Nelson

Gabrielle Fairbanks knew her husband was upset with her, but she never expected him to change the locks on their Chicago penthouse, cancel her credit cards, and disappear with their two boys. Now she's literally on the streets with her elderly mother, her mom's dog…and $220 to her name. As her fragile plans fall apart, Gabby hits on a possibility so wild and wonderful it has to be one of those “God things,” something she's only seen happen to other Christians until now.

Neta Jackson's award-winning YADA YADA books have sold over 400,000 copies and are spawning prayer groups across the country. She and her husband, Dave, are also an award-winning writing team, best known for the TRAILBLAZER BOOKS—a 40-volume series of historical fiction with 1.5 million in sales—and HERO TALES: A FAMILY TREASURY OF TRUE STORIES FROM THE LIVES OF CHRISTIAN HEROES (vols. 1-4). The Jacksons live in the Chicago metropolitan area, where the YADA YADA stories are set.

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE

The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson • Thomas Nelson

When Mary-Margaret Fischer met Jude Keller, the lightkeeper's son, she was studying at convent school on a small island off Chesapeake Bay. Destined for a life as a religious sister, she nevertheless felt a pull toward Jude—rough and tumble, promiscuous Jude.

As Mary-Margaret returns to the island to prepare for her final vows, Jude, too, returns to the island, dissolute and hardened. Mary-Margaret receives a divine call that shakes her to the core, a call to give up her dreams for the troubled man who befriended her so long ago. For Jesus' sake, can she forsake the only life she ever wanted for a love that could literally cost her life?

Lisa Samson is the award-winning author of twenty-six books including Quaker Summer, Christianity Today's Novel of 2008, and Justice in the Burbs, which she co-wrote with her husband, Will. When not at home in Kentucky with her three children, one cat, and six chickens, she operates cuppa: a tea café and speaks around the country about writing and social justice, encouraging the people of God to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”

FIRST NOVEL

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent • Tyndale House Publishers

Jessilyn Lassiter never knew hatred could lurk in the human heart until her best friend, Gemma, loses her parents in a tragic fire during the summer of 1932. Jessilyn’s father vows to care for Gemma as one of his own, despite the fact that she is black and prejudice is prevalent in their southern Virginia town. Violence springs up as a ragtag band of Ku Klux Klan members unite and decide to take matters into their own hands.

Jennifer Erin Valent lives in Central Virginia, where she has worked as a nanny for more than fifteen years. A lifelong resident of the South, her surroundings help to color the scenes and characters she writes.

HISTORICAL

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

When Harriet Sherwood finds herself in jail, she spends the night contemplating the series of events that resulted in her imprisonment. Coming from a long line of women active in social justice, she weighs her values against her ancestors’, searching for where she belongs in that strong and thrilling heritage.

Lynn Austin has won five Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home near Chicago, Illinois.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

Olivia Keene is fleeing her own secret; she never intended to overhear Lord Bradley’s! Now he has given her a job and confined her to his estate, for if his secret were to be revealed, he would lose his reputation, his inheritance, and his very home.

Julie Klassen is a fiction editor who has worked on both the editorial and marketing sides of book publishing. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two sons.

SUSPENSE

Lost Mission by Athol Dickson • Howard Books: a Division of Simon & Schuster

Athol Dickson’s latest novel, Lost Mission, weaves a gripping story of suspense that spans centuries and cultures to explore the abiding possibility of miracles. As the ruins of a Spanish Mission are disturbed twelve generations after it collapsed atop the supernatural evidence of a shocking crime, one community’s understanding of morality, sin, and faith is challenged by that haunting secret.

Athol Dickson is an award-winning author of several novels, including the Christy Award-winning novel River Rising, which was named one of the “Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006.”

VISIONARY

By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson • Marcher Lord Press

Young Achan Cham dreams of serving in the Kingsguard Knights, but he is a stray— worse than a slave—and such aspirations are out of his reach. Worse, Achan is beginning to hear strange voices in his head.

Jill Williamson writes stories that combine danger, suspense, and adventure for people of all ages. She started Novel Teen Book Reviews (www.novelteen.com) to help teens find great books to read. Williamson lives in Oregon with her husband and two children. By Darkness Hid is her first novel.

YOUNG ADULT

North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

In Book Two of the WINGFEATHER SAGA, escape with Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby as they flee north, to the Ice Prairies, where they will be safe from the cruel Fangs of Dang. But first they have to survive the dangers along the way—and the dangers within themselves. Andrew Peterson delivers more breathtaking adventure in this tale for all ages.

Andrew Peterson is the author of Christy finalist On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One in the WINGFEATHER SAGA, and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums. He and his wife live with their two sons and one daughter near Nashville, Tennessee.

The Christy Awards are proud to honor both Catherine Marshall and her novel through the annual presentation of the Christy Awards, which recognize novels of excellence. The Christy Awards were established in 1999 to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview; to bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership; and, to provide an opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status.

The Christy Awards are online at:

www.ChristyAwards.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
ChristyAward Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChristyAward

Contact: Jeane Wynn

Wynn-Wynn Media, LLC
P: 918-283-1834
F: 918-512-4409
jeane@wynnwynnmedia.com

Rel here: Feel free to share your thoughts on the winners, or any of the nominees, books. Some of those categories were a tough call.

Christy Awards Live Blog

If you can't attend the Christy Awards tonight and you want to know which of the fabulous authors get the nod in real time, follow the Christy Awards Live Blog. You can register now and receive a reminder email.

The awards commence at 7.30pm CDT on Saturday June 26, 2010 which converts to 10.30am on Sunday 27th June, on the east coast of Australia - smack bang in the middle of church - LOL! Taking a laptop into the service is probably not the way to go ;-)

I'm looking forward to hearing the results and having a surprise announcement to make myself!

Christy Award Nominees, 2010

The Christy Awards are here again! Congratulations to all the nominees :)
I've had the privilege of reading 12 of the nominated novels and I must say they have been chosen well.

Click on the title links for reviews by myself and Tracy here at Relz Reviewz.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the nominations ~ are your favourites there?

AND there is BIG news to come at Relz Reviewz regarding the Christy Award winners ~ stay tuned!!

2010 Christy Award Nominees &
Keynote Speaker Announced

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The Christy Advisory Board is pleased to announce nominees in nine categories for the 2010 Christy Awards honoring Christian fiction. The Christy Awards will be conferred in advance of the International Christian Retailing Show at a ceremony at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, Sat., June 26, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. Author and entrepreneur Lisa Samson, a two-time Christy Award winner and seven-time nominee, will present the keynote address.

Tickets to the event are $30. For more information about the awards reception and to make reservations (beginning Apr. 30), visit the Christy Award website at www.christyawards.com.

The 2010 Christy Award nominees are:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills • Tyndale House Publishers

How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus • Barbour Publishing

CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson • Thomas Nelson

The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth • Zondervan

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE

June Bug by Chris Fabry • Tyndale House Publishers

The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson • Thomas Nelson

Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle • Tyndale House Publishers

FIRST NOVEL

The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry • Moody Publishers

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent • Tyndale House Publishers

Scared by Tom Davis • David C. Cook

HISTORICAL

A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey • Revell Books: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

HISTORICAL ROMANCE †

Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander • Thomas Nelson

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

SUSPENSE

Intervention by Terri Blackstock • Zondervan

Lost Mission by Athol Dickson • Howard Books: a Division of Simon & Schuster

The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

VISIONARY

By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson • Marcher Lord Press

The Enclave by Karen Hancock • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik • Tyndale House Publishers

YOUNG ADULT

Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma • Thomas Nelson

The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason • David C. Cook

North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

The Christy Awards are also online at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristyAward

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChristyAward

---

† Historical Romance includes four nominees due to a tie in scoring.

Media Inquiries:

Jeane Wynn

Wynn~Wynn Media, LLC

918-283-1834

jeane@wynnwynnmedia.com

Reservations:

Donna Kehoe

donna.kehoe@christyawards.com

With thanks to the amazing Jeane Wynn at Wynn~Wynn Media for this press release

Christy Award Nominations, 2009 and my thoughts...

The Christy Award nominees have been announced at the Christian Book Expo! Have a read through and let me know your thoughts!

The nominees for the 2009 Christy Awards:

Contemporary Romance category:

Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group) Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)
Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White by Claudia Mair Burney (David C. Cook)

Rel: Wow - I have read all of these and you couldn't get a more diverse set of books so ably written by such amazing women. Do yourself a favour and check all three books out. I'm really interested to see who eventually takes away the prize!

Contemporary Series, Sequels & Novellas category:

Sisterchicks Go Brit! by Robin Jones Gunn (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
Summer Snow by Nicole Baart (Tyndale House Publishers)
You Had Me at Good-bye by Tracey Bateman (FaithWords)

Rel: Summer Snow is brilliant so that would be my pick in this category. You Had Me at Goodbye is a fun read but I've never got into the Sisterchicks series - just not my cup of tea - hehehe!

Contemporary Standalone category:

Dogwood by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)
Embrace Me by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)
Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas (Moody Publishers)

Rel:~ Only read Embrace Me in this category although I know Dogwood is excellent. Embrace Me is provocative, moving and vintage Lisa Samson!

First Novel category:

Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake (David C. Cook)
Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler (Bethany House Publishers)
Safe at Home by Richard Doster (David C. Cook)

Rel: Yikes - haven't read any of these although Rain Song is in my TBR and I am very keen to get to it!

Historical category:

Shadow of Colossus by T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing Group)
Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin (Bethany House Publishers)
Washington’s Lady by Nancy Moser (Bethany House Publishers)

Rel: LOVED Shadow of Colossus :) Lynn Austin is a fabulous writer and Until We Reach Home is another in my TBR I will get to soon.

Historical Romance category:

Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishers)
From a Distance by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House Publishers)
The Moon in the Mango Tree by Pamela Binnings Ewen (B&H Publishing Group)

Rel: My pick would be Tamera's From A Distance although my friend Tracy, who reviewed The Moon in the Mango Tree may beg to differ!! Calico Canyon is a fun read but I think I tend more towards a serious read to win.

Suspense category:

By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Rook by Steven James (Revell)
Winter Haven by Athol Dickson (Bethany House Publishers)

Rel: Hands down By Reason of Insanity although I can't say this with any integrity as I haven't read the other two - LOL! The Rook is one I am keen to read so I may waver on this one :)

Visionary category:

The Battle for Vast Dominion by George Bryan Polivka (Harvest House Publishers)
Shade by John B. Olson (B&H Publishing Group)
Vanish by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale House Publishers)

Rel: I'm cheering for John Olson's Shade here!! But again the other two are in my TBR so I reserve the right to change my mind...although don't hold your breath. John's Melchi is a unique and complex character.

Young Adult category are:

The Fruit of My Lipstick by Shelley Adina (FaithWords)
I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke (Moody Publishers)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Rel: I haven't read any of these although my daughter loved Andrew's book!

NavPress and the Christy Awards

The Navigator's at Monash University in Melbourne helped me transition to University many years ago and my hubby and I ended up on staff for a number of years so I was delighted to hear their fiction books have done really well this year grabbing 5 Christy nominations.

Enjoy reading the News Advisory below and contact Kathleen Campbell, Campbell Public Relations, 877-540-6022; kcampbell@thecompletesolution.com if you would like to know more about NavPress books.

News Advisory, Wednesday, April 30, 2008—Colorado Springs, CO—NavPress has surprised the publishing world with an astonishing five finalists selected to compete for the most coveted prize in Christian fiction—The Christy Awards. NavPress, publisher of The Message Bible, is best known for discipleship and spiritual-growth materials.

“NavPress has really taken the genre by surprise this year,” says Marketing Director, Jessica Chappell. “I would expect five finalists from a large publisher that specializes in fiction, but this is exceptional, and we are thrilled to see it happen.”

The NavPress finalists for 2007 are as follows: For First Novel, Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee; in the Visionary category, The Restorer by Sharon Hinck; and locking up the Young Adult category the three finalists are all NavPress authors: Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson, In Between by Jenny B. Jones, and Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman.

“We have had a few second-and third-place-winning novels in the past,” says Dan Benson, NavPress Editorial Director, “but 2007 was a banner year for our fiction titles. Our authors are outstanding storytellers, and each of these novels is a great read especially for the summer fiction-buying crowd."

When asked if more quality fiction is in store for NavPress, Mike Miller, the new Executive Publisher, simply smiles and says, “We’ll just have to wait and see. After 30 years in publishing we have never been known for fiction and it hasn’t really been our strong suit. This is quite a pleasant surprise.”

Since 1978 NavPress has been primarily responsible for publishing discipleship and spiritual growth books and materials, Bibles, and bible study guides as a part of the ministry of The Navigators. The Navigators is an interdenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people grow spiritually, to know Christ and to make Him known as they look to Him and His Word to chart their lives.

Today, tens of thousands of people worldwide are coming to know and grow in Jesus Christ through the various ministries of The Navigators. As an international ministry approximately 4,000 Navigators now serve over 64 nationalities in more than 100 countries.