And the winners are . . .

PRESS RELEASE From Wynn Wynn Media

2008 CHRISTY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN ORLANDO—The ninth annual CHRISTY AWARDS dinner was held Saturday evening, July 12, 2008, at the Orlando Rosen Centre, in advance of the International Christian Retail Show. The Celebration of Christian Fiction featured a salon including esteemed publishing professionals Karen Ball, Dave Lambert, and Michelle Rapkin. Author, speaker, and radio personality Chris Fabry emceed the event. The evening was highlighted by the presentation of the Christy Legacy Award to Carol Johnson, former Editorial Vice President for Fiction at Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Johnson is a pioneering leader in the development of Christian fiction and a founder of the CHRISTY AWARDS.The CHRISTY AWARDS honor the best in Christian fiction in nine categories. The Christy Awards Advisory Board is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 CHRISTY AWARDS.

CONTEMPORARY (STAND ALONE)

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin, Thomas Nelson

“Never settle for less than the truth,” she told him. But when you don't even know your real name, learning the truth about who you are can be as elusive—and as magical—as chasing fireflies on a summer night.Charles Martin lives a stone's throw from the St. John's River in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and their three boys.

CONTEMPORARY (SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS)

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon, Viking Penquin

For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: “Come home.” Little does he know how much these two words will change his life.Jan Karon is author of the bestselling series of novels that feature Father Tim Kavanagh, an Episcopal priest, and the fictional village of Mitford, North Carolina.

HISTORICAL

A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin, Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Over the course of a Chicago summer, Violet Hayes’s world will open wide before her eyes. But in the wake of discovery, she must find a way to determine which path is the right choice for her life.Lynn Austin is a full-time writer, author of more than a dozen novels, and a three-time Christy Award winner who lives with her husband near Chicago.

LITS

Hallie’s Heart by Shelly Beach, Kregel Publications

Mona VanderMolen, an antiques dealer in a small Michigan town, is trying to keep her business alive when her fifteen-year-old niece, Hallie, suddenly arrives on her doorstep. As the two women work through their problems and learn to forgive, will an unfortunate accident tear them apart once again? Shelly Beach is a Christian communicator who speaks at women’s conferences, retreats, and seminars and writers’ conferences.Author of Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Beach is a college instructor and writing consultant in Michigan.

ROMANCE

Remembered by Tamera Alexander, Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

In search of her father, Veronique Girard needs transportation into Colorado mining country. Jack Brennan isn’t keen on driving a beautiful, young French woman to the rough-and-tumble camps, but Veronique isn’t about to take no for an answer. Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist and Rita Award winner whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers.

SUSPENSE

The Cure by Athol Dickson, Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Riley Keep, former man of God, now haunts the streets. Forgiveness from those who used to love him seems impossible…until he hears rumors of a small town in Maine where miracles are happening. Athol Dickson studied architecture and the arts at university, followed by a long career as an architect. Now a full-time writer, he’s the author of six novels. He and his wife live in Southern California.

VISIONARY

Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead, Thomas Nelson

Scarlet continues Lawhead's riveting saga that began with the novel Hood, which relocated the legend of Robin Hood to the Welsh countryside, conjuring up an ancient past, holding a mirror to contemporary realities, and shattering everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood. Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. Lawhead makes his home in Oxford, England, with his wife.

FIRST NOVEL

The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello, Revell, a division of Baker Publishing

Two dead men. 500 witnesses. Yet no one seems to know what really happened. As the FBI digs into the case, one thing is made clear: if no one else will talk, the stones will cry out. Sibella Giorello, a former geologist and fifteen-year features reporter with the Richmond Times-Dispatch, has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

YOUNG ADULT

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson, NavPress

Scotty Dawn has all the freedom a fifteen-year-old girl could want. But there are costs to such a life. Scotty doesn’t know who she is, where she came from, or who to trust. The answers she finds are darker than she had expected. Will she discover who she can trust and finally make sense of her world? Lisa Samson is the author of more than two dozen books, including the Christy Award-winning Songbird. She lives with her husband and three children in Kentucky.

The CHRISTY AWARDS are proud to honor both Catherine Marshall and her novel through the annual presentation of the CHRISTY AWARDS, which recognize novels of excellence. The CHRISTY AWARDS were established in 1999 to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview; to bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership; and, to provide an opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status.

Visit the CHRISTY AWARDS online at http://www.christyawards.com/.