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The winners of the Genesis and
Book of the Year contests will be
announced at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference Saturday
night award ceremony this month! All the talented finalists represent
excellence in Christian fiction whether they win the
top-of-the-mountain award or not.
The Genesis contest is for
pre-published authors and the Book of the
Year is for authors who are already published. Judges are volunteers
from among their peers as well as agents and editors looking for new
talent.
Hundreds of authors and
publishing professionals come together every
September at the annual conference to increase their knowledge of the
craft, meet other professionals, and further their careers.
What’s it like to be an American
Christian Fiction Writers member?
Janice Thompson says, “I joined in 2002, I believe, and my publishing
career took off, in part, because of the information I gleaned from
fellow ACFW authors. They literally poured into my life, teaching me so
very much. Talk about patient and caring! We are all dear friends to
this day and have even authored a novella collection together. Through
ACFW, I’ve had the opportunity to give back, at least as I’m able. I
love, love, love helping ‘young’ authors.
“The thing I love the most,
however, is the level playing field. It
doesn’t matter if you’ve published forty books or you’re trying to get
that first one published. ACFW gives everyone a chance to feel special,
loved, and valuable. And here’s the truth... you are special, loved and
valuable! Whether you ever publish a book or not. And it truly IS a
level playing field when you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with
fellow ACFW members.”
Are you an avid reader? Maybe
you have been trying to discover where
you fit in as an author. Or maybe, just maybe, you are looking for an
excellent writer to learn from on your own path to publishing.
Regardless, you will find them on these lists.
Print this article and take it
to the nearest bookstore. As you read
through these books, you’ll be uplifted, entertained, and inspired.
Want to know who the winners are? Visit http://www.acfw.com to
find out
after the conference. We’ll be releasing the results and you can
compare them to your picks!
2009 American
Christian Fiction Writers
Book of the Year Contest Finalists
Debut Author
A Passion Most Pure (Julie
Lessman)
Courting Miss Adelaide
(Janet Dean)
Every Good and Perfect Gift
(Sharon K. Souza)
Hero, Second Class
(Mitchell Bonds)
In the Shadow of the Sun King
(Golden Keyes Parsons)
Lits
Faking Grace (Tamara
Leigh)
Picket Fence Promises
(Kathryn Springer)
Single Sashimi (Camy
Tang)
Sweet Caroline
(Rachel Hauck)
Truffles by the Sea (Julie Carobini)
Long Contemporary
Lookin’ Back, Texas
(Leanna Ellis)
One Holy Night (J.M.
Hochstetler)
Stuck in the Middle
(Virginia Smith)
Summer of Joy (Ann
H. Gabhart)
Symphony of Secrets
(Sharon Hinck)
Long Contemporary
Romance
Along Came a Cowboy
(Christine Lynxwiler)
Controlling Interest
(Elizabeth White)
The Convenient Groom
(Denise Hunter)
Finding Stefanie
(Susan May Warren)
Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black
and White (Claudia Mair Burney)
Long Historical (Because
of a tie, we have six finalists.)
The Apothecary’s Daughter
(Julie Klassen)
Calico Canyon (Mary
Connealy)
Deep in the Heart of Trouble
(Deeanne Gist)
From a Distance
(Tamera Alexander)
I Have Seen Him in the
Watchfires (Cathy Gohlke)
My Heart Remembers
(Kim Vogel Sawyer)
Mystery
The Case of the Bouncing Grandma
(A.K. Arenz)
Death on a Deadline
(Christine Lynxwiler, Sandy Gaskin, and Jan Reynolds)
Drop Dead Diva
(Christine Lynxwiler, Sandy Gaskin, and Jan Reynolds)
For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls
(Nancy Mehl)
Of Mice . . . and Murder
(Mary Connealy)
Novellas
The Cookie Jar (Janet
Lee Barton in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Dressed in Scarlet
(Darlene Franklin in Snowbound Colorado Christmas anthology)
Santa’s Prayer
(Diane Ashley in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Snowbound for Christmas
(Gail Sattler in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Stuck on You (Rhonda
Gibson in A Connecticut Christmas anthology)
Short Contemporary
Buffalo Gal (Mary
Connealy)
Clueless Cowboy
(Mary Connealy)
Family Treasures
(Kathryn Springer)
Her Unlikely Family
(Missy Tippens)
White as Snow (Janice
Thompson)
Short Contemporary
Suspense
Bayou Paradox (Robin
Caroll)
Broken Lullaby (Pamela
Tracy)
Countdown to Death
(Debby Giusti)
Forsaken Canyon
(Margaret Daley)
Killer Cargo (Dana
Mentink)
Short Historical
Family of the Heart
(Dorothy Clark)
Masked by Moonlight
(Allie Pleiter)
Reckless Rogue (Mary
Davis)
Return to Love
(Susan Page Davis)
Sandhill Dreams
(Cara Putman)
Speculative
The Book of Names
(D. Barkley Briggs)
DragonLight (Donita K.
Paul)
The Restorer’s Journey
(Sharon Hinck)
Shade (John B.
Olson)
Summa Elvetica: A Casuistry of
the Elvish Controversy (Theodore Beale)
Suspense
Anathema (Colleen
Coble)
The Black Cloister
(Melanie Dobson)
Fossil Hunter (John
B. Olson)
Lonestar Sanctuary
(Colleen Coble)
Perfect (Harry Kraus)
Women’s Fiction
(Because of a tie, we have seven finalists.)
A Month of Summer
(Lisa Wingate)
Every Good and Perfect Gift
(Sharon K. Souza)
My Sister Dilly
(Maureen Lang)
The Perfect Life
(Robin Lee Hatcher)
The Shape of Mercy
(Susan Meissner)
Stepping into Sunlight
(Sharon Hinck)
Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon
(Debbie Fuller Thomas)
Young Adult
The Big Picture
(Jenny B. Jones)
The Fruit of My Lipstick
(Shelley Adina)
It’s all About Us
(Shelley Adina)
The Owling (Robert
Elmer)
Trion Rising (Robert
Elmer)
2009 American
Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Contest Finalists
(We will release the entrants’ manuscript titles after the scores have
been received back from the final round judges.)
Contemporary Fiction
Sharon Ball
David W. Fry
Jennifer Griffith
Ane Mulligan
Patty Slack
Contemporary Romance
Cathy Bryant
Kathleen Haynes
Lisa Jordan
Christy LaShea Smith
Eileen Astels Watson
Historical Fiction
Nancy Herriman
D’Ann Mateer
Christina Miller
Sandi Rog
Christine Schmidtke
Historical Romance
(Because of a tie—one is a double tie—we have six finalist entries.)
Jody Hedlund (double finalist with two entries)
Lisa Richardson
Connie Stevens
Gina Welborn
Lacy Williams
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
David Fry
Anne Greene
Dineen Miller
Lynda Schab
Alan Schleimer
Romantic Suspense
Mary F. Allen
Wenda Dottridge
Danica Favorite-McDonald
Kelly Ann Riley
Janet Warren
Science
Fiction/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
Valerie Comer
Megan Ebba
David Fry
Suzanne Krein
Lisa Tuttle
Women’s Fiction
Cathleen Armstrong
Marie Wells Coutu
Candee Fick
Julie Garmon
Ashely Weis
Young Adult
Kasey L. Heinly
Gretchen Hoffma
Susan Miura
Diana Sharples (double finalist with two entries)
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