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| Ted Dekker, Gina Holmes, Tosca Lee-Christy Awards 2012 |
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| Gina Holmes and husband, Adam, at Christy Awards 2012 |
This year was my third year to attend ICRS and the Christy Awards. My first year, I attended as media and interviewed the winners and runners up. The second year I attended was as a finalist for Crossing Oceans, and this year I was also a finalist in the long contemporary category for Dry as Rain. I didn't take home the award in my category, nor did I expect to. The beautiful and humble, Ann Tatlock opened up a can of whoop butt on me with her novel, Promises to Keep. The really cool thing was that the other novelist I was up against in my category was Ginny Yttrup for her wonderful novel, Words. She didn't take the award in the contemporary category, but did win a Christy for debut novel. I think the judges did a great job with their choices.
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| Gina Holmes and Ronie Kendig, Christy Awards, 2012 |
I won't rehash all the winners, (you can scroll down for Ane Mulligan's post on that). I will give a nod though to fellow Novel Rocketeer, James Rubart for being a finalist with his novel, The Chair, and Ronie Kendig for her win for Wolfsbane. I was so stinkin' proud of Ronie, I guess because she's the second sweetest person I know (right after our Ane Mulligan) and we came up together in the same graduating class. I should also say she's one heck of a great writer.
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| Ann Tatlock, Cindy Sproles, Gina Holmes Christy Awards 2012 |
So, the Christy Awards if you haven't been are basically a bunch of writers dressed up sitting at big round tables paid for (usually) by their publisher. We listen to a usually really cool keynote and MC, get inspired and challenged and then the finalists are announced. We get to go on stage, one by one and have some of the judges comments read while a medal is placed over our head. It's the closest we'll ever get to feeling like we've brought home the gold in the Olympics I suspect. Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn media (also a super nice lady) takes our picture on stage and sometimes while we're eating or milling about. (You can find those photos on the Christy facebook page).
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| Gina Holmes & Rachel McRae Christy Awards, 2012 |
After dinner, the winners are announced by the reading of their opening lines, which I think is a pretty cool way to do it and soften the blow to those of us who get a heads up that we're not about to hear our names.
It's a fun night. The coolest thing about it is that those who don't win, seem genuinely pleased for those who did. It's a small industry and many of us are pretty tight. (Tight enough thankfully, that we're willing to tell our friends they've got their medal on backwards...thanks Bonnie :)
I LOVE that they read the first sentence of a novel as a means of announcing the winner. Actually, I just happen to love first sentences.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're simply beautiful, dahling!
Bless Bonnie's pea-pickin' heart. Everyone needs a friend like that. LOL You look great, G. Love your dress, and you look really cool, standing between Ted and Tosca. :) Thanks for your sweet words.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all!! Just finagling is fantastic!!
Gotta love Ane's dyslexic fingers!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Gina, Jim, Ronie ... all of you! I have lots of new books to catch up on now.
Oh good gravy! Not my fingers - spell checker changed it somehow. I'm sure of it!!! ROFLOL.
ReplyDeleteHaha. That's Aen Ullmigan for you :)
ReplyDeleteAne, I FELT cool standing between them. Jim and I sat in the back of the room wiping each other's tears away as Ronie and the other winners posed with their Christy Awards. I think I saw Ronie making out with hers at one point. I told them to get a room. ;-) Next year, Jimbo!
Michelle, I love that they do that too. They really put together a top-notch production. Kudos to all that make the Christy's happen. We appreciate you!
I am LOVING the purple one-shoulder dress, Gina! So classy! And I find it interesting that Tosca Lee and Ted Dekker both chose to wear all-black. A reflection of genre, perhaps?
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