Christy Award Finalists Announced!

The Christy Awards Advisory Board announced the finalists for the 2016 Christy Awards yesterday. This award honors excellence in Christian fiction.

What a great group of finalists! I would be hard-pressed to choose the winner in several of these categories, or if I did, it would be a narrow win! I'm thrilled with the list of finalists as they are some of my personal favorite books from 2015. Click on the linked titles to read my reviews. I think this is a record-setting year for the number of finalist books I have read and reviewed. This is a great resource to use to build your personal summer reading list!

The 2016 Christy Awards finalists are:

CONTEMPORARY

The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Press)
As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press)
The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate (Tyndale House Publishers)


CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Anna’s Healing by Vannetta Chapman (Harvest House Publishers)
Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt (Howard Books)

FIRST NOVEL

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (Tyndale House Publishers)
Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group) (I can't believe I missed reviewing this one. It intrigued me so I bought a copy and LOVED. IT.)


HISTORICAL

The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Wood’s Edge by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Press)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
(Four finalists due to a tie)


Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group) (Another book that I stumbled across, bought a copy, and loved so much that I begged the author to let me be on her influencer team for her next release!)
Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund (WaterBrook Press)
To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


SUSPENSE

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks (Thomas Nelson, a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing)
Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Vendetta by Lisa Harris (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)


VISIONARY

The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes (Enclave Publishing)
Waking Beauty by Sarah E. Morin (Enclave Publishing)


YOUNG ADULT

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (Tyndale House Publishers)
Rebel by R.J. Anderson (Enclave Publishing)
To Get to You by Joanne Bischof (Independently Published)


Award winners will be announced via an online event at www.christyawards.com at 4 p.m. (EDT), Mon., June 27, 2016.

“For sixteen years we have hosted the awards at a dinner held in conjunction with the International Christian Retail Show,” said Donna Kehoe, executive director of the Christy Awards. “We value memories of the synergy among authors, agents, media, and all those in the publishing industry; the challenges given by outstanding keynoters; and the legacy of honoring those who write powerful, faith-infused stories. Due to the changing nature of the industry, however, we are transitioning to new ways of acknowledging the winners while remaining committed to awarding and promoting excellence in Christian fiction.”



It's a shame that they aren't having the big ceremony this year. I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend several years and it was an incredible event. I do wish they were having the online event in the evening so that it would be more accessible to working folks. But I will be eagerly watching for news of the winners!