2015 Christy Award Finalists

It's always exciting each April to learn who the Christy Award Finalists are! I was at work on Tuesday when they were announced, but that hasn't kept me from being thrilled about the nominees, especially a few who I have the honor of knowing personally.! Below is the complete list; those titles which are hyperlinked lead to my reviews.


“The finalists this year represent the widest group of publishers in the history of the awards and also include an independently published novel. Several of the judges commented on the growing diversity and overall excellence of the novels submitted,” said Donna Kehoe, executive director of the Christy Awards.

CONTEMPORARY

Farewell, Four Waters by Kate McCord (RiverNorth, an imprint of Moody Publishing)

Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate (Tyndale House Publishers)

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Multnomah)

Firewall by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House Publishers)

Undetected by Dee Henderson (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

CONTEMPORARY SERIES

The Amish Blacksmith by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner (Harvest House Publishers)

Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney (Abingdon Press)

When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

FIRST NOVEL

Feast for Thieves by Marcus Brotherton (RiverNorth, an imprint of Moody Publishing)

For Such a Time by Kate Breslin (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

House of Living Stones by Kate Schuermann (Concordia Publishing House)

HISTORICAL

The Advocate by Randy Singer (Tyndale House Publishers)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Viking)

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot (Tyndale House Publishers)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer (WaterBrook Multnomah)

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

SUSPENSE

The Color of Justice by Ace Collins (Abingdon Press)
[Note: I purchased this book and enjoyed it but never posted a review. Excited to see Ace Collins nominated for his first Christy!)

A Cry from the Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks (Thomas Nelson, a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing)

Sky Zone by Creston Mapes (David C Cook)

VISIONARY

Once Beyond a Time by Ann Tatlock (Heritage Beacon Fiction)

Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes (Enclave Publishing)

YOUNG ADULT

Failstate: Nemesis by John W. Otte (Enclave Publishing)

This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof (Independently Published)

Storm Siren by Mary Weber (Thomas Nelson, a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing)

The Christy Awards will be presented on Monday, June 28 in Orlando, Florida.

View blog reactions

The Amish Clockmaker

The Amish Clockmaker
(The Men of Lancaster County, Book 3)
Mindy Starns Clark and
Susan Meissner
(Harvest House)
ISBN: 978-0736957380
February 2015/358 pages/$13.99

Newlywed Matthew Zook is expanding his family’s tack and feed store when a surprising property dispute puts the remodel on hold—and raises new questions about the location’s mysterious past.

Decades earlier, the same building housed a clock shop run by a young Amish clockmaker named Clayton Raber. Known for his hot temper, Clayton was arrested for the murder of his beloved wife, a crime almost everyone—including his own family members—believed he’d committed, even after charges were dropped. Isolated and feeling condemned by all, Clayton eventually broke from the church, left Lancaster County, and was never heard from again.

Now the only way Matthew can solve the boundary issue and save his family’s business is to track down the clockmaker. But does this put Matthew on the trail of a murderer?

A timeless novel of truth, commitment, and the power of enduring love, where secrets of the past give way to hope for the future.


Read an excerpt.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mindy Starns Clark is the author of many books, which include the popular Smart Chick Mysteries, Whispers of the Bayou, Shadows of Lancaster County, and Under the Cajun Moon. In addition, Mindy’s plays and musicals have been featured in schools and churches across the United States. Visit her website.

Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Novels of 2008 and a Carol Award winner. She is a pastor’s wife and the mother of four young adults. When she's not writing, Susan writes small group curriculum for her San Diego church. Visit Susan at her website: www.susanmeissner.com, on Twitter at @SusanMeissner, or at www.facebook.com/susan.meissner.


MY THOUGHTS

I read and enjoyed the first book in this series, The Amish Groom (my review is here), but somehow missed The Amish Blacksmith, Book 2. Since each novel stands alone, I had no trouble jumping right in and connecting with this third collaborative book between Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner. I truly loved this story. It is clear that both authors blended their unique gifts into a seamless and powerful tale. While I don't know exactly how they approached the project, it is clear that Clark's background writing Amish and suspense novels provides a wonderful setting and plot while Meissner's talent for intertwining a contemporary story with one from the past shines, yielding beautiful and flawless transitions between Matthew's life and that of the mysterious Clayton Raber decades before. The many layers of this multi-faceted story gave me much to ponder, staying with me long after I turned the final page. Don't miss this compelling story of love and forgiveness.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Harvest House as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

View blog reactions