The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen

Synopsis:~

When Lindsey first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, she has no idea that twenty years later she will still be visiting the mailbox - still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize the best and worst parts of her life. Returning to Sunset for her first vacation since her husband left her, Lindsey struggles to put her sorrow into words. Memories surface of her first love, Campbell and the rejection that followed. When Campbell reappears in her life, Lindsey must decide whether to trust in love again or guard herself from greater pain.

The Mailbox is a rich novel about loss, hope, and the beauty of second chances.

My take:~

With an intriguing premise based in reality, Marybeth Whalen's debut novel is a contemporary story of love lost and found and the journey of heartache and discovery in between. Alternating from present reality to revisiting the past and through letters left in the mailbox, the reader journeys with Lindsay from the flush of first love, the shattering of her young heart and beyond. There is beauty in this story but I was left a little disconcerted on a couple of occasions when characters made choices or recommendations which I can't reveal without spoiling the story. The Mailbox is a contemporary love story for those who enjoy a gently paced character driven novel.

With thanks to B&B Media Group for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Marybeth's blog

Buy Marybeth's book at Amazon or Koorong

PJ Sugar's "Sweet" Giveaway

Enter PJ Sugar's "Sweet" Giveaway

Licensed for Trouble, Susan's brand new PJ Sugar novel, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, we’re giving away a Kindle!! You can enter using Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail using the icons below.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a A SWEET Kindle prize package that includes:

• A brand new Kindle (Free 3G, 6”, Latest Generation)



• The entire PJ Sugar series by Susan May Warren
  
  

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest.

Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on September 2nd.

Be sure to check out the blog tour here or purchase a copy of Licensed for Trouble here!

Rel: My review of the brilliant ending to PJ's series will be posted on 20th August so stay tuned :)

Character Spotlight ~ Lisa Samson's May Seymour

May

Lisa Samson is a writer like no other ~ her books are always unique, beautifully written, confronting and inspiring. I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my book club as our final 2010 selection.

Enjoy this insight into May:~


May Seymour could be two people throughout the pages of Resurrection in May. A bleached blonde, mini-dress wearing, tanning booth haunting college girl, who, upon graduating from University of Kentucky and living the partying life, realizes her world needs to expand, May bubbles and pops, a vibrant young woman beginning to ask important questions.

Eight years later, having survived the Rwandan genocide and taken up residence on a peaceful little farm in a remote area of Kentucky--having never stepped foot off that farm, actually, May, prematurely grey hair hanging well past her backside, wears workclothes and whatever blouse Sister Ruth buys her at the thrift store.

A roaring case of untreated PTSD takes her from spa to blah practically overnight!

May's strength is, thoughout the book, her regard of people. Perhaps she doesn't always make the wisest of choices when considering her own life, but to May, people matter. Even at her most wild stages, May wouldn't have knowingly hurt a living soul, or if she was forced to, the grief would be her penance. However, not hurting someone, and placing yourself at risk to love someone else are two vastly different equations. This is part of May's journey.

As she painfully transforms from a nice person to a fierce lover of the people God loves, her path is pebbled with heartache. May chooses to implode, something a lot of us would like to do. It was interesting for me to write about a person I've secretly always longed to be: reclusive, safe, and living a life with little risk. Unfortunately, that's the antithesis of the gospel, isn't it? (Ugh! That Jesus!)

Lisa ~ thanks so much for sharing. It is a pleasure to have you at Relz Reviewz again :)




On Thursday the spotlight shines on Serena Miller's Rachel Troyer & Joe Matthews from Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Embrace Me and The Passion of Mary-Margaret

Interview with Lisa

Visit Lisa's website

Buy Lisa's books at Amazon or Koorong

The winners of Fear No Evil are.......

US winners ~ Mark B & Barbara H

Aussie winners ~ Alex C & Jen H

Congratulations ~ emails are on their way to confirm your win :)

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

Synopsis:~

From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled--by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in the ways of refined society, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs...and their hearts.

My take:~

Deeanne Gist once again offers up a treat to lovers of historical romance, bringing to light the opulence of Biltmore, the famous Vanderbilt mansion and the people that worked hard to maintain the image of wealth and prestige. All the elements of an engaging romance are present, the beautiful parlourmaid with ambition, a rugged mountain man roped into service, and the resultant sparks of a forbidden attraction. Deeanne's prose brings the mansion, the staff and the family to life with fascinating insights into the inner workings of such an estate. Dee's A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of A Lady remain the benchmark of her books and Maid to Match did not quite reach that high standard for me, but it remains an enjoyable read.

With thanks to Bethany House for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Beguiled, A Bride in the Bargain, Courting Trouble, Deep in the Heart of Trouble and A Bride Most Begrudging

Interview with Deeanne

Visit Deeanne's website and blog

Buy the books from Amazon and Koorong

CFBA Blog Tour of Fatal Loyalty by Sue Duffy

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Fatal Loyalty Kregel Publications (April 23, 2010)

by

Sue Duffy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. Her first novel Mortal Wounds was published in 2001 and she has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children. Find out more at www.sueduffybooks.com




ABOUT THE BOOK

Where do you run when you know you cannot hide?

Andie Ryborg has nowhere else to go. Her father's campaign for governor and his aggressive war on drugs has chased her from their family home. Drawn to Miami's exotic Coconut Grove, Andie hopes to find a quiet refuge where she can discover herself apart from the public eye. But even in that seclusion, even with an officer assigned to protect her, Andie's privacy has been violated. Someone is watching.

Evan Markham's entire life has been a tug-of-war between what is and what could be. He is drawn to a life that is beyond his reach and emotions have clouded his judgment. Evan knows that earning someone's trust isn't easy, especially when he plans to break it. But in the secret corridors of the criminal underworld, he knows what must be done, and he is determined to see it through. Whatever the cost

When enemies close in, a sudden turn of events leaves them both questioning. Where is God in all of this? Who is this enigmatic stranger who offers to help? They both know their lives are in danger. But what about their hearts?


If you would like to read the Prologue of Fatal Loyalty, go HERE.

I want to get into this book so look for my review to come!

Latte Daze by Erynn Mangum

Synopsis:~

Maya Davis' life is in a buzz! Her apartment is "Wedding Central" since her ex-boyfriend proposed to her roommate. Jen's obnoxious mom moved in to help plan---and now Maya's brother and sister-in-law have announced their pregnancy. And then there's the matter of Jack---is it love or just really good French roast?

My take:~

Maya Davis, barista, beagle lover and fledgling girlfriend returns in Latte Daze, another hilarious adventure by the talented Erynn Mangum. As Maya negotiates her best friend's wedding preparations, the revelation she is to become an Aunt and her new relationship with Jack, laughter, love and life lessons abound. Tender, sweet and authentic, Latte Daze affirms relationships of integrity and purity are not only possible but well worth pursuing. I'm ordering Double Shot to go!

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Cool Beans, Missmatch, Rematch and Matchpoint

Visit Erynn's website and blog and check out her precious new baby boy

Buy Erynn's books at Amazon and Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Bodie & Brock Thoene's Lorelai Bittick & Eben Golah

Lorelai & Eben

Readers of the Thoene Zion Chronicles and Covenant books (myself included) have been dying to find out what happened in the period between the series. Bodie & Brock Thoene return to the 1940s and revist old friends and introduce new ones. Enjoy this insight into the main characters for their newly released The Gathering Storm.

Over to you, Bodie:~


Lorelai Bittick

Loralei is 18 when we first meet her and 22 during her escape from the German Blitzkrieg in 1940. Over the course of the story she progresses from immature and self-centered to courageous and self- assured.

Texan by birth, she has lived abroad most of her life as the child of missionary parents. Through the time period of the novel she experiences loss and sorrow, as well as love and hope.

In appearance and quick-wittedness think Kate Hudson.

Eben Golah

Eben is ruggedly handsome. Visualize Clive Owen.

Eben is thirty-ish and appears to never change, but the gravity of his nature sometimes makes him seem older. He has a mysterious past, operating in the clandestine German resistance to Hitler, and trying to spirit Jews out of harm's way.

Eben has great compassion for the victims of tyranny and oppression and is not afraid to put his life on the line. But he is clearly holding something back....what secret is beneath his surface?

Background to the story

The Gathering Storm, told as Loralei's first person account, follows the turmoil in Europe from before WWII, through the explosive drama of the Nazi sweep westward and the flood tide of desperate refugees, on into the Battle of Britain. Loralei must learn to set aside personal grief and loss in order to battle evil by saving one life at a time.

Synopsis

As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei must flee her beloved Germany.

But is anywhere safe from Adolf Hitler’s evil grasp? When her father, a German opposition leader, is imprisoned by the Nazis, Loralei is forced into hiding and then on a harrowing flight that will eventually lead her to London. In the midst of grief and deep losses of her own, Loralei finds meaning in helping the overwhelming flood of refugees, including thousands of children, who escaped Hitler’s reach and made their way to freedom, yet sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives.

While in London, Loralei meets a friend of her father’s from her pre-war life in Germany…and falls deeply, passionately in love. Yet he’s a man she can never marry - a mysterious figure who closely guards an age-old secret. As air-raid sirens now wail over blacked-out London and Luftwaffe fighters fill the British skies, Loralei looks for a new reason to live in hope, even amidst the debris of so much brokenness.

Thanks for sharing, Bodie. My 1980s copies of both the Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles are very well read and I'm really looking forward to adding The Zion Diaries to my collection.



On Monday, the spotlight shines on Lisa Samson's May Seymour from Resurrection in May

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Brock & Bodie's website

Buy their books at Amazon or Koorong

A Tailor~Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Synopsis:~

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas's new dressmaker. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?

When Hannah decides to help Jericho's sister catch a beau--leading to uproarious consequences for the whole town--will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?

My take:~

Readers of historical romance will be delighted to discover a new author who writes like a seasoned veteran of the genre yet with a freshness that is uniquely her own. Karen Witemeyer has penned a novel as fun and feisty as the cover suggests, with a innovative heroine determined to make the most of the blessings bestowed upon her and a hero who is as surly as he is good looking. With sparkling dialogue and a thought provoking battle of wits over vanity versus beauty, Karen is set to make a splash amongst readers who enjoy Deeanne Gist, Mary Connealy and Robin Lee Hatcher. Karen has won me over and I'll certainly be on the lookout for Head in the Clouds, come this October.

With thanks to Bethany for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Karen's website

Buy Karen's books at Amazon or Koorong

They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti

Synopsis:~

When Libby's husband Greg fails to return from a two-week canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness, the authorities soon write off his disappearance as an unhappy husband's escape from an empty marriage and unrewarding career. Their marriage might have survived if their daughter Lacey hadn't died and if Greg hadn't been responsible.

Libby enlists the aid of her wilderness savvy father-in-law and her faith-walking best friend to help her search for clues to her husband's disappearance.if for no other reason than to free her to move on. What the trio discovers in the search upends Libby's presumptions about her husband and rearranges her faith.

My take:~

Cynthia Ruchti's debut novel is a deeply moving and honest exploration of one woman's physical search for her husband while confronting a painful examination of her own heart. With compelling and beautiful prose and one of the best first person voices I have read, Cynthia shares deep insights into Libby's pain over the loss of her young daughter, the estrangement from her husband and the rendering of her faith. As Libby, her devoted friend and gruff father-in-law tackle the magnificent Canadian wilderness in the hope of finding Greg, Libby learns that small discoveries can bring hope and healing to the darkest, most hidden pain of the soul. While the ending felt a little rushed, it did not detract from the poignancy of emotions and penetrating characterisation that make They Almost Always Come Home an essential read.

With thanks to the author for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Cynthia's website and blog

Buy Cynthia's book at Amazon or CBD

Character Spotlight ~ Robin Caroll's Lincoln Vailes & Jade Laurent

Lincoln & Jade

Robin Caroll is back with Lincoln Vailes, first introduced in Deliver Us From Evil, in a new town with a new career. Robin's romantic suspense is fast paced and appealing.

Enjoy this insight into Lincoln & Jade. Over to you, Robin:~


Brief physical description

Hero Lincoln Vailes is an alpha-male all around. Dark hair and looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ!

Jade Laurent is young, cheeky, and looks Hispanic in origin. Long, dark hair with cascading waves.

Actor/famous person

Hmmm..this one is hard. I try not to think of any “real” person to create my character after.

Rel: Seeing Robin couldn't choose, I did! Jesse Metcalfe for Lincoln and Roselyn Sanchez for Jade. What do you think?

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: For Lincoln, his strength is his compassion for others and his need to take care of them. For Jade, her strength is being a survivor, despite a hard childhood.

Weaknesses: Lincoln’s is definitely his human reaction to his father’s illness. Jade’s is her soft spot for women and children.

Quirk (if any)

Jade’s is that she rocks and hums when nervous or upset.

Your inspiration for the character

Lincoln was featured in DELIVER US FROM EVIL, and I fashioned a lot of his personality after my own brother. Jade came from a girl I knew briefly in college.

Background to the story

After hurting Lincoln in DELIVER US FROM EVIL, I knew I had to give his story light and bring about a happy ending for him. After meeting a couple of former gang members who’d given their lives to Jesus in prison, and now were working to lead other gang members out of the life of crime and into salvation, I knew exactly what my social issue in FEAR NO EVIL would be.

Robin ~ always a pleasure to have you and your characters visit! Book me in for In the Shadow of Evil next year :)

On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Bodie & Brock Thoene's Loralei Bittick and Eben Golah from the newly released The Gathering Storm.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Fear No Evil & Deliver Us From Evil

Character spotlight on Roark & Brannon

Visit Robin's website and blog

View the book trailer

Enter the Fear No Evil giveaway

Buy Robin's books at Amazon or Koorong

Coming soon from Harvest House and Mindy Starns Clark

Harvest House author Mindy Starns Clark has a busy start to 2011 with her new series with Leslie Gould, The Women of Lancaster County and the rerelease of her fabulous Million Dollar Mystery series.

Enjoy:~

The Amish Midwife by Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould

A carved box with two locks of hair, the title to property in Switzerland, and a burning desire to learn about her biological family lead nurse midwife Lexie Jaeger from Oregon to Pennsylvania. There Lexie pledges to help her biological Aunt Melia, a lay midwife who has been charged with manslaughter after an Amish client and her baby die. Lexie always knew she was adopted, and when she finally meets her birth grandmother, she feels she has come home—until secrets begin to unravel…secrets that could tear her birth family apart.

Lexie learns the true meaning of the Pennsylvania Dutch word demut, which means “to let be” as she changes from a woman who wants to control everything to a woman who depends on God.

A compelling story about a search for identity and the ability to trust that God securely holds our whole life—past, present, and future.

February, 2011

A Penny for Your Thoughts by Mindy Starns Clark

Attorney Callie Webber investigates nonprofit organizations for the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation and awards the best of them grants up to a million dollars. In each book of the series, Callie comes across a mystery she must solve using her skills as a former private investigator. A young widow, Callie finds strength in her faith in God and joy in her relationship with her employer, Tom.

In book number one of The Million Dollar Mystery series, Callie’s assignment is to go to Philadelphia and present Wendell Smythe, an old family friend of her boss, Tom, with a check for $250,000. Mr. Smythe heads a relief organization and needs immediate funds. When Callie goes to his office, check in hand, she discovers him dead on the floor. At Tom’s request, Callie moves into Smythe’s home and begins a murder investigation.

But it’s a dangerous place to be, for the family has secrets they would rather not have uncovered. Callie’s only hope is that God will help her use her investigative skills to discover the murderer and escape the web of deceit that surrounds her.

April, 2011

Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels by Mindy Starns Clark

In book number two of The Million Dollar Mystery series, Callie is working to provide quality professional clothes to women who can’t afford to buy their own. She soon becomes involved with one young woman who is trying to come out of drug rehabilitation—just as she’s charged with murder.

What appears to be a routine murder investigation in her hometown on the Chesapeake suddenly becomes complicated amid international intrigue, cutting-edge technology, and deadly deception.

A string of heart-pounding events lands her disastrously in the hands of the killer, where Callie finds she has less than a moment for a whispered prayer. Will help arrive in time?

April, 2011

Fear No Evil by Robin Caroll with giveaways

Synopsis:~

With his father in a nursing home and his mother needing support, former Great Smoky Mountains park ranger Lincoln Vailes moves to the bayou town of Eternal Springs, Louisiana, to become a police officer.

Recent college graduate and eager social worker Jade Laurent has also moved there to try and right the wrongs of an abusive past. But someone is running her car off the road and pointing guns in her direction.

As Lincoln investigates her case, he uncovers ties to big-city gang warfare up north that appears to be making its evil way down south.

My take:~

Robin Caroll solidifies her reputation as a writer of stellar romantic suspense with Fear No Evil, an intriguing tale of the inescapable tentacles of gang warfare and those who stand courageously in the face of violence. Displaying her versatility by using different pacing to Deliver Us From Evil, with equally satisfying results, Robin reveals the damage wrought by past trauma experienced by Lincoln and Jade and their resulting life choices. Complex characterisation, palpable attraction and heart pounding action remain hallmarks of Robin's writing and make Fear No Evil as an essential addition to your bookshelves. Write faster, Robin!

With thanks to B&H for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Deliver Us From Evil

Character spotlight on Brannon & Roark

Visit Robin's website and blog

View the book trailer

Buy Robin's books at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Laura Frantz's Morrow Little

Morrow

Courting Morrow Little proves that The Frontiersman's Daughter was not a one hit wonder! Laura Frantz once again brings us a story of beauty and strength, just like her heroine, Morrow. I hope you enjoy spending time with Morrow and her men :)

Over to you, Laura:~

Brief physical description

Morrow is of French descent and very small in stature (described as a “pocket Venus” in 18^thcentury terms, or “a petite, cuddly armful”). She is somewhat voluptuous and inclined to plumpness and has dark brown hair threaded with a touch of red. Her most remarkable feature is her eyes – a curious shade of lavender blue.

Actor/famous person

Sophie Marceau (the princess in Braveheart) is also French and has just the right look for Morrow.

Strengths and weaknesses

Since she has grown up with only a father and spinster aunt to guide her, Morrow is a bit naïve about the real world, men in general, and herself in particular. Because of the trauma in her childhood, she struggles with forgiveness and almost misses out on the love of a lifetime. On the positive side, she is very maternal and loves children, babies especially. Her close relationship with her father is another one of her strengths. Though they don’t always see eye to eye on certain matters, she is, for the most part, respectful and loving.

Steven Dillaine as Major McKie

Quirk (if any)

She doesn’t have a clue that she is truly, breathtakingly beautiful and so she is tremendously self-conscious. When men pay her any attention she thinks them strange! In her words, “When I look in the mirror all I see is Morrow Mary Little, too short and too stout, who’s afraid of her own shadow.”

Owen Wilson as Robbie Clay

Your inspiration for the character

Kentucky history, once again :) Growing up immersed in the past (18^th and 19^th century), I’ve always had a fascination for Indian captivity stories and the relationships between white settlers and natives in frontier America. History has hidden so much from us and books are often inaccurate or one-sided. Because captivity was such a forbidden topic back then, many fascinating tales have been lost to the historical record. Courting Morrow Little combines a beautiful woman with a tragic past, a forbidden hero, and the rest of the story.

Background to the story

Morrow, almost 18, is returning home to Kentucky from Philadelphia where she’s been living with her spinster aunt who is a mantua maker. As she rides downriver to the “howling wilderness,” as it was then called, she begins to have nightmarish memories about her past and must face her many fears. Arriving in the settlement she hasn’t seen in two years, she is unprepared for all the attention men pay her. Of all her potential suitors, only one man captures her heart and he is forbidden. She must make some hard choices about faith, forgiveness, and love as she comes of age in a harsh world.

Jay Tavare as Red Shirt

Laura ~ it is always delightful to have you visit! I have already pencilled you in for a return visit next July to chat about The Colonel's Lady!

On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Robin Caroll's Lincoln Vailes & Jade Laurent from her just released suspense novel, Fear No Evil

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Courting Morrow Little and The Frontiersman's Daughter

Character spotlight on Lael Click

Visit Laura's website and blog

Buy Laura's book at Amazon and Koorong

The winners are................

Random.org selected the following winners:~

Signed copy of Ronie Kendig's Nightshade ~ Diane from CO

Thriller Tour Thrilling Giveaway ~ Susan from NC

Congratulations! Emails are on their way........................

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)