As a founding Advisory Board member of the INSPY Awards, this is a special time for me. Each year I’m in awe of my amazing Advisory Board colleagues (and friends), who work tirelessly to maintain the integrity and longevity of the INSPYs as a reader/book blogger award. The passion we share for books is always evident in our emails, chats, and discussions with each other! We are excited to share the 2018 Shortlists and place them in the hands of our panel of talented judges!

The INSPY Award Shortlist announcement is below.

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The day has arrived – the one we’ve all been waiting on. We are ready to announce our 2018 INSPYs shortlists. 

We thank you so much for your continued support, especially throughout the changes as we strive to create a program that is considerate of the many wonderful novels written in this genre. 

Following multiple book deliveries plus multiple time zones, and juggling our respective schedules, the Inspy Awards Advisory Board is thrilled to (finally) announce the 2018 shortlist contenders. As each year does, another daunting task was placed before us to pick just 5 books in each category from a long list nominated by readers and bloggers around the world. After careful consideration and deliberation, the INSPYs Advisory Board is pleased to announce that the following books have been shortlisted in the 7th annual INSPY Awards.

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/ROMANTIC SUSPENSE 

– A New Shade of Summer (Waterfall Press) by Nicole Deese

– Then There Was You (Bellbird Press) by Kara Isaac

– Jane of Austin (Waterbrook) by Hillary Manton Lodge

– True to You (Bethany House) by Becky Wade

– Just Look Up (Tyndale) by Courtney Walsh

DEBUT FICTION

– Still Waters (Firefly Southern Fiction) by Lindsey P. Brackett

– Freedom’s Ring (Tyndale) by Heidi Chiavaroli

– Count Me In (I21 Publishing House) by Mikal Dawn

– Lady Jayne Disappears (Revell) by Joanna Davidson Politano

– Stars in the Grass (Shiloh Run Press) by Ann Marie Stewart

GENERAL FICTION 

– Perennials (Thomas Nelson) by Julie Cantrell

– A Trail of Crumbs: A Novel of the Great Depression (Kregel) by Susie Finkbeiner

– Life After (Waterbrook) by Katie Ganshert

– The Space Between Words (Thomas Nelson) by Michele Phoenix

– The Austen Escape (Thomas Nelson) by Katherine Reay

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

– A Note Yet Unsung (Bethany House) by Tamera Alexander

– The Road to Paradise (Waterbrook) by Karen Barnett

– Many Sparrows (Waterbrook) by Lori Benton

– A Lady in Disguise (Howard) by Sandra Byrd

– A Moonbow Night (Revell) by Laura Frantz

LITERATURE FOR YOUNG ADULTS 

– The Returning (Tyndale) by Rachelle Dekker

– Unraveling (Thomas Nelson) by Sara Ella

– For Love and Honor (Zondervan) by Jody Hedlund

– The Lost Girl of Astor Street (Blink) by Stephanie Morrill

– The Evaporation of Sofi Snow (Thomas Nelson) by Mary Weber

MYSTERY/THRILLER

– The Enoch Effect (Waterfall Press) by Rick Acker

– Death at Thorburn Hall (Bethany House) by Julianna Deering

– Crown of Souls (Bethany House) by Ronie Kendig

– A Portrait of Vengeance (Thomas Nelson) by Carrie Stuart Parks

– Imperfect Justice (Thomas Nelson) by Cara Putman

SPECULATIVE FICTION

– Raging Storm (Harvest House) by Vannetta Chapman

– The Divide (Tyndale) by Jolina Petersheim

– The Beast of Talesend (Indie) by Kyle Robert Schultz

– The Girl Who Could See (Indie) by Kara Swanson

– King’s Blood (Bethany House) by Jill Williamson

Congratulations to all of the nominated authors and shortlist contenders! We now turn the job over to our 2018 judges to select a winner in each category. Winners will be announced June 28th.

Download Press Release 2018 Shortlist Press Release.