THIS Drawing is now CLOSED. Thanks for entering!
Here's your chance to win some of the best books in Christian Fiction! This is a long post, with pictures and descriptions from this year's Christy Award nominees.
To enter: post a comment indicating which of these books you would like to be entered to win. Also please share with us any titles of Christian Fiction favorites that you have read recently and why you liked them.
Contest closes on July 11. The winners will be drawn on the day of the Christy Awards dinner, July 12.
What are the Christy Awards?
History
In the spring of 1999, nearly a dozen Christian publishers confirmed the need for establishing a Christian fiction award to recognize novelists and novels of excellence in several genres of Christian fiction. By late summer, ideas and planning had come together to launch The Christy Award, named in honor of Catherine Marshall’s novel and of her contribution to growth of the fiction Christians love to read.
The Christy Award is designed to:
- Nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview.
- Bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership.
- Provide opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status.
How the Awards Work
Every year publishers are invited to submit novels written from a Christian worldview and copyrighted in the year preceding the awards. Each novel is entered in one of several genre categories and/or the first novel category. Each category of novels is then read and evaluated against a ten-point criteria by a panel of seven judges composed of librarians, reviewers, academicians, literary critics, and other qualified readers, none of whom have a direct affiliation with a publishing company.
The Christy Awards 2008 Nominees (Book covers and descriptions below)
CONTEMPORARY (STAND ALONE)
¨ Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson)
¨ In High Places by Tom Morrisey (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)
CONTEMPORARY (SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS)
¨ Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon (Viking Penguin)
¨ A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley (Thomas Nelson)
¨ What Lies Within by Karen Ball (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
HISTORICAL
¨ Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ Tendering in the Storm by Jane Kirkpatrick (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
LITS (four nominees due to a tie)
¨ Doesn’t She Look Natural by Angela Elwell Hunt (Tyndale House Publishers)
¨ Hallie’s Heart by Shelly Beach (Kregel Publications)
¨ Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck (Avon Inspire, a division of HarperCollins Publishers)
ROMANCE
¨ Lightning and Lace by DiAnn Mills (Barbour Publishing)
¨ Remember to Forget by Deborah Raney (Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster)
¨ Remembered by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
SUSPENSE
¨ The Cure by Athol Dickson (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay (Moody Publishers)
¨ The Pawn by Steven James (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
VISIONARY
¨ Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead (Thomas Nelson)
FIRST NOVEL
¨ Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
YOUNG ADULT
¨ Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ In Between by Jenny B.Jones (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman (NavPress Publishing Group)
MORE INFO ABOUT THE BOOKS:
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin, Contemporary Stand-Alone nominee
Description:
When paramedics find a malnourished 6-year-old boy near a burning car that holds a dead woman, they wonder who he is---and why he won't talk! Chase, a small-town journalist, is assigned to cover the story and investigate the boy's identity. But will his search unearth long-buried emotions about his own history?
In High Places by Tom Morrissey: Contemporary Stand-Alone Nominee
Description:
After the death of their mother and wife, 16-year-old Patrick Nolan and his dad relocate to West Virginia and open a rock-climbing shop. But when grief drives the elder Nolan to try increasingly dangerous feats, Patrick and the local pastor's daughter realize they must act. Will they be in time?
Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson: Contemporary Stand-Alone Nominee
Description:
Heather Curridge is envied by most: she has a successful surgeon husband who panders to her every need, a smart son, a beautiful home, and money to shop, re-do her home, and install the newest pool in her back yard. But while Heather is outwardly content, inner turmoil reigns with memories of peers being mistreated in her Christian school and a feeling that she could be doing much more with her life. As Heather slowly starts to come out of her shell, she discovers unlikely friends in two old Quaker sisters and a grumpy nun who help her to discover how she can fulfill her life with God's work.
Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon: Contemporary Series Nominee
Description:
Wonderful news, Mitford fans! Father Tim, the beloved retired Episcopal priest, is back---and in response to a mysterious summons, he's taking a trip down "memory lane" to his hometown of Holly Springs, Mississippi. His journey is filled with colorful characters, heartfelt insights, and plenty of laughs---but will the destination yield surprising secrets, too?
A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley: Contemporary Series Nominee
Description:
Liz Hart shatters her marriage with one simple sentence: "Max, either the business goes or I do." The ultimatum exposes long unaddressed wounds in her husband, herself, and their four adult children. Will a fatal fire reignite their passion for each other---or destroy everything they've worked for together?
What Lies Within by Karen Ball: Contemporary Series Nominee
Description:
Kyla Justice's name means "victorious." But that's the last thing she feels. Having fought long and hard to establish her construction business, her schedule is now full of plans for malls and subdivisions, but her heart is empty. Where are the projects that matter? Then she's given the opportunity to build a center for inner-city kids. The obstacles don't stop her: opposition from area gangs, minimal funding, hesitant and deceptive suppliers, even the man who claims to love her and would marry her---if she would sell her business. Soon things get messier and lives are endangered. Will Kyla learn to accept what lies within her and rely on others not just to succeed, but to survive?
Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen: Historical Nominee
Description:
Charlotte Lamb, a fallen vicar's daughter, hopes to secret herself away in London's grim Milkweed Manor. But once there,she is mortified to find herself in the care of a former suitor, a physician whom her father long ago rejected as unsuitable, a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither could guess the depth of sacrifice that will be required of them.
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin: Historical Nominee
Description:
When Violet Hayes ventures to Chicago during the time of the World's Fair, her one goal is to find her mother, who has been missing from her life since she was nine. Naive, impressionable, and highly imaginative (having secretly ingested a diet of romance novels and true crime stories at school), Violet stays in Chicago under the care of her grandmother and her three great aunts. It is here that her perspectives on life are opened as she is exposed to the world about her, from high society to the poor immigrant families; from the suffragette movement to the security of a suitable marriage match. As Violet contemplates what course her life will take, she will discover the missing parts of her family's past, and ultimately, Violet will discover herself.
A Tendering in the Storm by Jane Kirkpatrick: Historical Nominee
Description:
This lyrical novel is based on a historical figure of the 1800s: the spirited and intelligent Emma Giesy. Emma achieves her goal of separating her family from the repressive religious community in which she grew up. But unexpected and dire consequences leave her family and her faith struggling to survive.
Doesn't She Look Natural by Angela Hunt: Lit Nominee
Description:
Former Washington adviser Jennifer Graham is willing to take on anything that would remove her unemployed-single-mom stigma---but when she inherits a Florida funeral home, her self-assurance is rattled. As she heads south with her mother and two sons, she wonders if dealing with death could bring new life into her career---and soul.
Hallie's Heart by Shelley Beach: Lit Nominee
Description:
Trying to prevent her Michigan antique business from becoming a thing of the past, Mona VanderMolen is even more worried about the 15-year-old runaway niece who suddenly shows up on her doorstep! As the two women work through their problems and learn to forgive, will an unfortunate accident tear them apart once again?
Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd: Lit Nominee
Description:
Lexi Stuart earned a master's degree in French Studies---but can't find employment. So she moves back in with her parents, takes a job at a Seattle cafe, and becomes attracted to the owner, Luc---until disaster strikes! Will Lexi let God replace her dreams with the plans he has for her?
Trophy Wives Club by Kristen Billerbeck: Lit Nominee
Description:
When she married seven years ago, Haley was convinced she'd snagged Prince Charming! Now Jay Cutler has abandoned her and she's suddenly aware of her lack of survival skills. At the suggestion of Jay's strikingly handsome attorney, Hamilton Lowe, she attends a divorce-care group at his church. Can her new friends guide Haley through this next phase?
Lightning and Lace by Diann Mills: Romance Nominee
Description:
Bonnie Kahler, immersed in grief since losing her husband, attempts to rise from the ashes of mourning. Will love and faith give her the power to conquer the demons within and evils without? In an attempt to outrun his past, Preacher Travis Whitworth arrives in Kahlerville, incognito. When he stumbles across a dead body, suspicion falls on his shoulders. Is Travis in too deep to win Bonnie's love? As Bonnie finds herself drawn to Travis, her life and heart are threatened. When secrets unravel, will she be strong enough to face the twisted truth?
Remember to Forget by Deborah Raney: Romance Nominee
Description:
Maggie Anderson comes to a realization as she is being carjacked: she is more afraid of the abusive boyfriend for whom she is picking up alcohol than the carjacker. In this moment, Maggie understands that she can let her life stagnate where it is, or she can stand up for herself and her freedom. In order to be free, she must leave behind and forget everything about her old life and begin anew.
Trevor Ashlock is another person trying to forget, in the small town of Clayburn, Kansas.
Will God's love, grace, and forgiveness be able to eradicate the past, or will Maggie and Trevor be able to come to terms with their devils and start over again?
Remembered by Tamera Alexander: Romance Nominee
Description:
Veronique Girard sets off to Colorado Territory from France after the death of her mother. She is searching for her father, who set off to make his fortune in American as a fur trader twenty-five years ago. Unfamiliar with the language, customs, and the land, Veronique sets out on a dangerous journey to find a man she doesn't remember and answers to her questions.
Jack Brennan has been working himself to death for the past fifteen years as a wagon guide to block out the pain of his wife and son's death. Now, he is ready to settle down in Willow Springs. When he is thrown together unexpectedly with Veronique, he becomes involved with her quest to find her father, but that is not the only way she has the potential to change his life.
The Cure by Athol Dickson: Suspense Nominee
Description:
When a small town in Maine becomes a mecca for miracles, Riley Keep journeys north to find out for himself---returning to a place and people he had left long ago. What he finds waiting is a hope beyond his wildest expectations! But will his past drag him away from this second chance at life?
My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay: Suspense Nominee
Description:
Cori signs up to take a mission trip to Indonesia during the summer after her senior year of high school. Inspired by happy visions of building churches and seeing beautiful beaches, she gladly escapes her complicated love life back home. Five weeks after their arrival, a sectarian and religious conflict that has been simmering for years flames to life with deadly results on the nearby island of Ambon. Within days, the church building the team had constructed is in ashes, its pastor and fifty villagers are dead, and the six terrified teenagers are stranded in the mountainous jungle with only the pastor's teenage son to guide them to safety. Ultimately, Cori's emotional quest to rediscover hope proves just as arduous as the physical journey home.
The Pawn by Steven James: Suspense Nominee
Description:
Special Agent Patrick Bowers has met only one person he's feared---until now. Working on a North Carolina serial murder case, he's caught in a macabre game of cat-and-mouse with a cunning killer called the Illusionist. The pieces of the puzzle don't add up. Can Bowers unravel the pattern in time to save the next victim?
Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet: Visionary Nominee
Description:
When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster's footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.
Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling-and forbidden-talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar's hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.
Auralia's gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck: Visionary Nominee
Description:
Susan Mitchell is wondering what happened to God's plan for her. Her life can't just be about cleaning, organizing her family, and being involved in damage control for her four rambunctious children, can it? When Susan opens a box in labeled "Dress Up" in her attic, her question is answered.
Upon opening the box, Susan finds herself thrust into a parallel universe where she must help bring heathens and warring territories "back to the Verses." Susan is a Restorer, a prophet like the Biblical Deborah. Together with an unfamiliar sword, it is Susan's job to show the inhabitants of this new world how Jesus can save people. This universe will forever change how Susan looks at life, love, and family.if she can get out alive.
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead: Visonary Nominee
Description:
After losing everything he owns, Forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for none other than King Raven, whose exploits have already become legendary. After fulfilling his quest, and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion, Will joins the heroic archer and his men. However, Will ends up in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging,unless he delivers King Raven and his band of cohorts. That, of course, he will never do. Wales is slowly falling under the control of the invading Normans, and King William the Red has given his ruthless barons control of the land. In desperation, the people turn to King Raven and his men for justice and survival in the face of the ever-growing onslaught.
Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee: First-Time Novelist Nominee
Description:
Clayton's life is stuck in the mud. His wife has been cheating on him for years, his literary career is uninspired, and his job as an editor is mediocre at best. But when he walks into a restaurant and finds a mysterious dark-haired stranger waiting for him, his life dramatically changes. The stranger claims to be Lucian, one of Lucifer's fellow fallen angels, come to tell Clay his story of the angels' dramatic fall from Heaven, Adam and Eve's Eden, and Christ's triumph on the cross - from a demon's perspective. This seems just the thing to get Clay's career jumpstarted, but it could mean his ultimate success or failure as Lucian's story seems to become more and more like his own.
The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello: First Novel Nominee
Description:
Two men plummet to their death from a factory rooftop---and hundreds of people on the ground below saw nothing! Or are they just not talking? It's up to FBI agent Raleigh Harmon to find out what happened---fast! Will she dig for the truth . . . even though it may mean her own downfall?
Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson: Young Adult Nominee
Description:
Fifteen-year-old Scotty Fitzgerald has spent her young life on the road, traveling to movie sets with her single mom, Charley. Yet even though she is wise beyond her years, Scotty still struggles to find her identity. Complicating matters is a mother who offers no guidance and a father she's never met.
Scotty is determined to discover what she wants from life, even documenting the journey on her "Hollywood Nobody" blog. But as Scotty begins to find dark answers to tough questions, will her story have a happy ending?
In Between by Jenny B. Jones: Young Adult Nominee
Description:
Sixteen-year-old Katie Parker's life just keeps going downhill. Her dad has been long since gone, her mother is in jail, and Katie has just been made a ward of the state of Texas. She thinks she's found a home in the Sunny Haven Home for Girls, but learns that she is to be shipped out to foster parents in In Between, Texas. Once she decides that she would rather stay at Sunny Haven rather than be shipped around from foster family to foster family, the action starts picking up. Katie does her best to terrorize her foster family, which is headed by the senior pastor of In Between Community Church, she falls into the wrong crowd in her high school, is blamed for vandalism, and has to deal with the antics of her foster mom's mother, Mad Maxine. But with the help and persistence of her new family, Katie might learn to open her heart and her life to God's will, as well as teach her family a few new life lessons.
Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman: Young Adult Nominee
Description:
Maggie McCarthy is more than ready to be just a regular teen. Ever since her mother's death, Maggie has found herself acting as a mother to her two younger brothers and serving as the resident housekeeper. All of that changes after she rescues a classmate and rival from sexual assault and becomes an accidental hero and celebrity at her high school. Now Maggie must reconcile popularity with true friendship, deal with the fallout of sexual abuse and redefine her place in the family. And with the help of an unlikely friend, Maggie begins to discover God's grace in her life. Author Michelle Buckman offers an edgy, realistic story for teen girls that honestly explores some of the most challenging issues today. Buckman balances tough themes with the hope found in God alone, leading readers to embrace their faith in everyday life. Sometimes everything you want is what you already have.
Whew! That's a long post! Good luck!
