ACFW Carol Awards

Last night at the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference, the annual Carol Awards (formerly Book of the Year) were presented in St. Louis. The nominees were announced when I was in Atlanta this past summer. What a wonderful group of authors and books these are!

Below is the list of finalists with the winner for each category highlighted in bold:


DEBUT AUTHOR:
The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House)
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale Publishers) - interview and giveaway coming soon!!
Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing)

LONG CONTEMPORARY:
The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell)
Red Ink by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers)
Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House)

LONG CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE:
Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge (Harvest House)
Anna’s Return by Marta Perry (Berkley)
Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson)

LONG HISTORICAL:
Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs (Waterbrook Press)
Petra: City in Stone by T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing)
Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren (Summerside Press)

LONG HISTORICAL ROMANCE:
The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy (Barbour)
Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson (Summerside)
Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz (Revell)

MYSTERY:
Mirrored Image by Alice K. Arenz (Sheaf House)
Muslin Mystery by Vera Dodge (Guideposts)
The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard (Barbour)

NOVELLAS:
The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough (Barbour)
Ride With Me Into Christmas by Rachael Phillips (Barbour)
A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky (Barbour)

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE:
The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press)
Don’t Look Back by Lynette Eason (Revell)
Pursuit of Justice by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale Publishers)

SHORT CONTEMPORARY:
The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight (Love Inspired)
A Father for Zach by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired)
Winter’s End by Ruth Logan Herne (Love Inspired)

SHORT CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE:
Night Prey by Sharon Dunn (Love Inspired Suspense)
Legacy of Lies by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Love Inspired Suspense)
Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (Love Inspired Suspense)

SHORT HISTORICAL:
Her Healing Ways by Lyn Cote (Love Inspired)
Promise of Tomorrow by S. Dionne Moore (Barbour)
The Columns of Cottonwood by Sandra Robbins (Barbour)

SPECULATIVE FICTION:
The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin (AMG Publishers)
Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing)
König’s Fire by Marc Schooley (Marcher Lord Press)

SUSPENSE/THRILLER:
Predator by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan)
Fear No Evil by Robin Caroll (B&H Publishing)
Medical Error by Richard L. Mabry (Abingdon Press)

WOMEN'S FICTION:
Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett (Tyndale Publishers)
They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon)
Beyond Summer by Lisa Wingate (NAL)

YOUNG ADULT:
Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson (Revell)
The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (Zonderkidz)
Katy’s New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Zonderkidz)