Award season is upon us, dear readers, and I am fascinated by the outcomes, aren’t you? The INSPY and Christy Award finalists were announced today and they are listed below. Nominations for the two awards are very different and I imagine that significantly impacts the results. For the Christys, publishers (and now independent authors whose books compy with specific criteria) submit nominations with each submission considered as a finalist by Christys judges, from which the finalists and winners are determined.
This year, the INSPY longlists were determined by popular vote by readers, bloggers, publishers, and publicists (authors are excluded from nominating their own works). The top 15 books in each category (those who received the most votes) made the longlists and the shortlists determined by the INSPYs Advisory Board. Those winners will now be determined by three reader/blogger judges in each category.
The results are completely fascinating to me. How about you? Any surprises? Any books not in the final lists that you anticipated? I’d love to know your thoughts, friends!
INSPY AWARD SHORTLISTS
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
London Tides (David C. Cook) by Carla Laureano
The Dandelion Field (Zondervan) by Kathryn Springer
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Howard) by Beth K. Vogt
A Love Like Ours (Bethany House) by Becky Wade
The Wonder of You (Tyndale House) by Susan May Warren
DEBUT FICTION
The Thorn Bearer (Vinspire Publishing) by Pepper D. Basham
Jaded (David C. Cook) by Varina Denman
A Noble Masquerade (Bethany House) by Kristi Ann Hunter
Love’s Rescue (Revell) by Christine Johnson
Irish Meadows (Bethany House) by Susan Anne Mason
GENERAL FICTION
A Cup of Dust (Kregel) by Susie Finkbeiner
The Art of Losing Yourself (Waterbrook Press) by Katie Ganshert
Secrets She Kept (Tyndale House) by Cathy Gohlke
Water From My Heart (Center Street) by Charles Martin
The Brontë Plot (Thomas Nelson) by Katherine Reay
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Wood’s Edge (WaterBrook) by Lori Benton
Not by Sight (Bethany House) by Kate Breslin
The Mistress of Tall Acre (Revell) by Laura Frantz
Luther and Katharina (Waterbrook Press) by Jody Hedlund
Through Waters Deep (Revell) by Sarah Sundin
MYSTERY AND THRILLER
The Last Con (Thomas Nelson) by Zachary Bartels
A.D. 33 (Center Street) by Ted Dekker
Vendetta (Revell) by Lisa Harris
Falcon (Shiloh Run Press) by Ronie Kendig
The Bones Will Speak (Thomas Nelson) by Carrie Stuart Parks
LITERATURE FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Season of Fire (Blink) by Lisa T. Bergren
Shades of Doon (Blink) by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
The Choosing (Tyndale House) by Rachelle Dekker
An Uncertain Choice (Zondervan) by Jody Hedlund
Siren’s Fury (Thomas Nelson) by Mary Weber
SPECULATIVE FICTION
The Methuselah Project (Kregel) by Rick Barry
Heir of Hope (Enclave Publishing) by Morgan L. Busse
The Shock of Night (Bethany House) by Patrick W. Carr
The Curse of Crow Hollow (Thomas Nelson) by Billy Coffey
Embers (Enclave Publishing) by Ronie Kendig
CHRISTY AWARD FINALISTS
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)
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 in scoring)
▪ 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)
▪ 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)
May 4, 2016 at 12:37 am
Thanks for the shout out to Christy award finalists. I’m so honored to be included in this group!
May 4, 2016 at 2:08 am
Congrats to all the finalists.
May 4, 2016 at 12:13 pm
It’s the best time of year for fans of Christian Fiction! Thanks for posting all of the awards in one spot.
I’ve read 18 from the INSPY Shortlist and 15 of the Christy Award nominees. I see several of my top 10 reads from 2015. I would have a tough time judging Historical Romance from the INSPYs and Historical from the Christy Awards.
I am looking forward to reading some of the books I haven’t gotten to yet and picking my own winners to see if they match the judges.
One thing different for me this year is that I didn’t find any new to me authors this time. While there are a few authors I haven’t read, they were already on my TBR or I’ve already heard of them.
I look forward to hearing the winners in late June.
May 5, 2016 at 3:59 am
Rel, thanks for posting these wonderful lists! I’m thrilled Not By Sight was nominated for the Inspys and I look forward to reading so many of these talented authors’ books. 🙂
Blessings!
Kate
May 7, 2016 at 1:20 am
These are very fascinating, Rel. Personally, I think the INSPY and Carol awards do a better job of representing the whole of the Christian fiction selection today. The Carol Awards even include shorter length novels and novellas in their awards. In my observation one’s novel will not even be considered for a Christy Award unless it includes major drama, extreme circumstances (problems with poverty, persecution, addiction, brokenness, adultery, rape, abuse) and much more. Please understand that I’m not saying that those things aren’t true and very real in some people’s lives. It appears to me though, that unless a book falls into any of these dramatic categories it is passed right over for a nomination. I do enjoy following all the awards and rejoice with and congratulate each author who receives a nomination or award.