Introducing the Best Christian Fiction of 2015

Ever wondered what to read during these long, cold winter nights? 

It's award season in Christian fiction publishing right now, so today we're bringing you the winners from five (yes, five) awards for published authors, as judged by authors and publishing professionals (the Christy and RITA awards for inspirational fiction), and by readers and bloggers (the Grace, INSPY, and Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards).

Christy Awards

The Christy Awards are named for Christy, the groundbreaking novel by Catherine Marshall, who wrote over two dozen books which have sold in excess of 25 million copies. The awards were established in 1999 to honour and promote excellence in Christian fiction, and to showcase the diversity of Christian fiction genres.

The 2016 winners are:

Book of the Year and Visionary

The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

Contemporary

The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate

Contemporary Romance/Suspense

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

Contemporary Series

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

First Novel

Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason

Historical

Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Historical Romance

Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund

Suspense

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

Young Adult

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

The RITA® Awards

The RITA® Awards are run by Romance Writers of America, and are named after the organisation’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada. The Awards are specifically for romance novels, in a range of sub-genres (including Inspirational) and lengths (including long, short and novella).

Inspirational Romance

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter

Historical Romance – Long

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist (Howard Books)

The Grace Awards

The Grace Awards were established in 2010 to “expand the tent pegs of Christian fiction”. They allow traditionally published and self-published novels, and make no distinction between paper or digital formats: anyone can enter, as long as the book is Christian Fiction. The 2106 winners were:

Womens Fiction/General Fiction

Annabelle’s Ruth by Betty Thomason Owens

Romance/Historical Romance

Bridge Of Faith by Catherine West

Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historic Suspense

Trial By Twelve by Heather Day Gilbert

Speculative Fiction

Storming by K. M. Weiland

Action-Adventure/Western/Epic Fiction

Saving Eric by Joan Deneve

Young Adult

To Get To You by Joanne Bischof

The 2016 INSPY Awards

The INSPY Awards were established in 2010, and is described as the Bloggers’ Award for Excellence in Faith-Driven Literature. The INSPY Awards are only open to print books from a publishing house (be it a large traditional house, a small press, or a micropress).

Contemporary Romance / Romantic Suspense

The Dandelion Field by Kathryn Springer

Debut Fiction

Jaded by Varina Denman

General Fiction

Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Historical Romance

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

Young Adult

An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund

Mystery/Thriller

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks

Speculative Fiction

The Shock Of Night by Patrick Carr

2016 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award Winners

The IRCA is run by the Faith, Hope and Love Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Long Contemporary

Together With You by Victoria Bylin

Long Historical

To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander

Short Contemporary

Second Chance Reunion by Merrillee Whren

Short Historical

Out of the Ashes by Sandi Rog

Romantic Suspense

Gone Without a Trace by Patricia Bradley

Women’s Fiction

Ties That Bind by Cindy Woodsmall

Novella

Daughters of the Wind by DiAnn Mills


Congratulations to all these authors from those of us here at Australasian Christian Writers!

Readers (and writers): there are some great authors on these lists, so check one out and tell us what you think.

Book Review: Thief of Glory by Signmund Brower

By Iola Goulton

Thief of Glory was a finalist for the Historical Romance section of the Christy Awards, and a finalist in the General Fiction section of the INSPY Awards, for which I was one of three blogger judges. As I read Thief of Glory, I could well understand why it had been selected as a finalist (although perhaps not as a romance …). But while the Christy Award judges honoured Thief of Glory with not just the category prize but the coveted Novel of the Year, we awarded the INSPY Award for General Fiction to Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke, another novel centred around a child during World War II.

Why? Were we wrong? Is Thief of Glory actually the better book?

While I can’t speak for my fellow judges, I can certainly share my views—because I have been thinking about it. A lot.

What did the Christy judges see that we missed? That I missed?

I don’t know what criteria the Christy Awards are judged on, so some of this is mere speculation. What I can tell you is that the Christy Awards are judged by the industry—writers, publishers and editors—while the INPSPY Awards are judged by bloggers who read and review Christian fiction.

And that, I think, is the reason for the difference: writers vs. readers.

Thief of Glory opens with this weird prologue. I have to admit I skimmed it, because it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the description of the book, which was set in a Japanese internment camp in the Dutch East Indies during World War II (think Tenko).

It’s written in the first person, and shows the horrors of the camp system through the eyes of an intelligent yet mischievous ten-year-old boy. This viewpoint is one of the book’s huge strengths. The women and children of the camp face many physical, emotional and spiritual trials, many of which are downplayed because the narrator obviously doesn’t understand the implications of the events he witnesses.

I was truly impressed by the voice, the characters, the plot, the voice (yes, that impressed). Halfway through the book I was convinced I’d found the INSPY winner. It was an original plot, an original setting, and while the Christian aspects were understated, I thought they were all the more powerful for that: the women in this camp didn’t talk about Christianity. They lived it, under the most dire circumstances, facing dirt, deprivation and degradation in their daily battle for survival. I felt for these women, and I admired the camp children for their ability to find childlike joy in even simple things.

But …

But. (And I’m sorry, but I can’t explain this without giving a spoiler.)

Three-quarters of the way through the book, the tone changed. All of a sudden we were no longer in 1940’s Dutch East Indies, but in present-day America, in the mind of I didn’t know who. It turned out we were in the mind of the same boy only seventy years later, and he is now in the grip of Alzheimer’s. That’s not an easy place to be—it felt like a whole new story, and it took too long for me to get into the mind of this new-old character who wasn’t quite in his right mind himself. And that’s where Thief of Glory lost me.

I suspect what lost me is what the Christy judges saw as outstanding: a novel with two entirely different points of view, both equally convincing, and both the same character—the same character, separated by the years of life. From a writing craft perspective, it’s brilliant. A brilliant concept, brilliantly conceived and brilliantly executed. I really did feel I was in the mind of a man who was losing his mind. And the author used this old man to tie up all the loose ends of the plot in a manner that was--yes--brilliant.

But that same writing I can admire from a craft perspective simply lost me as a reader. I didn’t understand the change in point of view. I didn’t understand it was the same character (at first). I didn’t understand why we had to leave this fascinating character in an original and realistic setting and watch this old man argue with some woman. From that three-quarter point, I struggled. I’d thought the first three-quarters were outstanding, worthy of winning, but this last bit?

No.

And that’s why I couldn’t support Thief of Glory to win the INSPY: because three-quarters of an outstanding book isn’t enough. Yes, while I can now look back and see the technical brilliance of it, at the time, my reader self felt cheated, and I had to force myself to keep reading. That’s not good.

If you read Thief of Glory, it’s more than likely you won’t have this reaction … because I’ve just told you the spoiler. If you know to expect it, you might appreciate the writing craft in the way the Christy judges obviously did, rather than having the negative reaction I had (and I know I’m not alone in feeling this way—I’ve seen other readers and reviewers make similar comments). I would note that it is worth reading to the end, because the last ten per cent tied up all the loose ends and did leave me with a sense of completion.

But reader me didn’t like it. And that’s why I voted for Saving Amelie. Because while the writing in Thief of Glory may have been stronger, the story didn’t keep me engaged all the way through.

Thanks to the publishers for providing free ebooks for the INSPY judges.

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest  or Tsu.

I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog. I'm a Top 25 Reviewer at Christian Book, in the Top 1% of reviewers at Goodreads, and have an Amazon Reviewer Rank that floats around 2500.

Book Review ~ Burning Sky, Lori Benton

By Dorothy Adamek

"I remember the borders of our land, though I have been gone from them nearly half the moons of my life. But who there will remember me? What I have seen, what I have done, it has changed me... I am the place where two rivers meet, silted with upheaval and loss...Yet memory of our land is a clear stream. I shall know it as a mother knows the faces of her children. It may be I will find me there."

Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family's New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father's property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence. Her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land. 

When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa's vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? 

In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against "savages" abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa's safety unsure. Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage - the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

*****

Lori Benton’s debut novel Burning Sky is a refreshing love story, and so much more. It’s the story of prejudice and long held attitudes well entrenched in the frontier setting of North America in her developing years. Historically rich and accurate, the story is delivered by a diverse cast, complex and thought provoking in their motivations and actions. 

Lori writes a lyrical, deep story. The kind I most prefer. Her characters fight for the strength to flourish when everything they rely on has been taken from them. I don’t normally care too much for the love triangle Willa finds herself in, but I felt duly compensated by the well drawn characters of Joseph the Indian and Neil McGregor the Scotsman. And Willa just shines.

If you’re looking for a tender story, this is your pick. 

Highly recommended. 

*****

For your chance to win a special gift copy of Burning Sky, please leave a comment below. It's my pleasure to personally offer this book and I’ll announce the winner next Monday.   

Dorothy Adamek lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three gorgeous kids. She's the winner of the 2013 FHL ~ Touched By Love Competition. Enamoured by all things 19th century, she writes The Heartbeat of Yesteryear, Historical Romance - Aussie style. Come say G'day at her blog, Ink Dots. 

Book Review: The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

by Iola Goulton

Tandi Reese has escaped with her two children to Fairhope, a small village in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She’s broke, trying to escape her controlling husband and hopefully find herself and reconnect with her children, Zoey and JT. She rents a cottage on the grounds of a run-down stately home, owned by a reclusive old lady, Iola Anne Poole.

Soon after moving in, she finds Iola Anne dead, and is given the job of clearing the house in exchange for rent. While cleaning, she finds dozens of prayer boxes filled with letters, prayers from Iola Anne to her heavenly father, in which she has poured out the details of her life.

I will admit I didn’t actually buy this novel based on the cover blurb. I bought it because it had a character named Iola (even though Iola is dead by the time the novel starts). Iola isn’t exactly a common name, and I was intrigued.

My curiosity was rewarded: The Prayer Box was certainly worth reading. It’s been nominated for the 2014 Christy Awards in the Contemporary Fiction category, and it’s got to be a strong contender. The plot is tightly-woven, the characters are real and interesting, and the writing is excellent.

While The Prayer Box is written by a Christian author and published by a Christian publisher, it’s not preachy come-to-Jesus Christian fiction, but the nature and theme of the novel—prayer—is certainly Christian. The Prayer Box is about a broken woman with a life full of mistakes trying to rediscover herself, slowly realising that her identity is about her, not about her boyfriend or husband:

I wasn’t looking for Iola in these boxes. I was looking for myself, for the answer to the question I’d be asking and avoiding for years. How do you finally move beyond the past?

I don’t know why Lisa Wingate chose Iola for her character’s name. I don’t even know if she knows the meaning of the name. It’s a fascinating choice that underpins the book. Common wisdom is that Iola is a Greek name, meaning “violet-coloured dawn”—which doesn’t fit at all.

But I’ve always been told my name was Welsh, and after some online research a couple of years ago, I found the Welsh meaning of my name. It’s not “violet-coloured dawn”.

It’s “valued by the Lord”. And that’s what The Prayer Box is all about: Iola Anne Poole, who I believe knew she was valued by the Lord despite what others said about her, and Tandi Reese, who learned she was valued by the Lord, that she was the carpenter’s daughter both literally and spiritually.

Recommended.

Here's Lisa Wingate talking about the inspiration behind The Prayer Box:



You can find more about Lisa Wingate and her novels at her website.

Book Review - A Cast of Stones by Patrick W Carr

 
In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.
 
MY THOUGHTS:
 
Wow, what a journey!

Everyone recognises Errol Stone as the village drunk, and he's not yet nineteen years old. His one ambition is to earn a bit of money for his next fix of ale, so he won't fall apart. When a strange messenger wants a secret parcel delivered to Pater Martin, the reclusive priest, Errol is quick to volunteer. He knows the pay will keep sobriety at bay for at least another week, but comes to wish he hadn't bothered.

He never expects to be plunged, unwittingly, into the dangerous tension of church and politics. Opening his mouth to remark that he can see writing on a strange carved stone is his first big mistake. He is whisked away as a pawn in some weird game he can't understand, along with Liam, the village good boy, who seems perfect in every way. While he can understand why Liam, who can apparently do no wrong, may be desirable, he's at a loss to figure out why he's being dragged along too.

It's satisfying to see a main character develop from a pathetic alcoholic and self-proclaimed waste of space to a sharp and quick-witted young man who must remain on his guard every moment. Every time I picked up the book and said, "I wonder what Errol's up to," it was bound to involve intense intrigue, adrenaline and many secrets. There are the secrets he kept himself, which gradually unfold helping us to understand why he became a drunk at the age of 14. Then there are other secrets which he remains clueless about. Even the friends who want to train him up to be a reader of cast lots don't know. We don't know either. It seems only the baddies know.

The great question keeping us turning the pages is often uttered from the mouths of many different characters. 'What makes you so important, boy?" If only we knew. At a loss to answer, Errol doesn't have a lot of time to think about it, between having to defend himself from vicious murder attempts.

At the finish, my first move was to get hold of the second book, 'The Hero's Lot' on my kindle, as quickly as possible. It felt as if I was under a compulsion, as Errol was to get to the city of Erinon. This book should come with a warning, "Don't start unless you're prepared to put time aside for an epic trilogy." 

I quickly finished all three books in the Staff and Sword series and highly recommend them to all fantasy lovers. The final installment, 'A Draw of Kings' was published just this February, 2014. As a homeschooling mother, I'll be recommending the whole trilogy to fellow parents. It has loads of suspense, a terrific cast of characters, an impossible looking quest, a puzzling mystery and an unassuming hero who gradually learns why he is pivotal. Everything is based on the Bible, including the old church system of lot casting. You'll see that the Illustrian concept of the Holy Trinity is a mirror of ours. If you're looking for a new series, I'm sure you'll find Errol and his friends well worth it.

Paula Vince is the South Australian author of contemporary fiction, set around her own environment, the beautiful Adelaide Hills. She believes that nothing has the power to work on emotions and touch lives like a good story. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014.  Please feel welcome to visit her blog, www.justoccurred.blogspot.com

Book Review: Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish

By Iola Goulton

Liesl McNamara is the owner of Wild Rise, a specialty bakery in a small town in Vermont. The story is told on three different levels. This should be distracting, but somehow it isn’t (that could be because I’m a fact and history nut). The main story is that of Liesl, an only child who has inherited a love of breadmaking from her German mother and Oma (grandmother).

This main story of Stones for Breadis interspersed with stories from Liesl’s past—happy stories about her learning the art of breadmaking, and sadder stories of grief and loss. The third story is the place of bread in history—the labour required to produce a single loaf of bread is astounding, as is the role of bread in history. All are written in the first person, from Liesl’s viewpoint. There are also recipes linking to the story.

Our initial impression of Liesl is of a competent professional woman, but as the stories progress, we start to see her as a damaged individual with deep issues. She makes bread, in part, because that’s something she is able to control—unlike life. There are some painful and poignant insights into Liesl, into humanity, and into why we find it difficult to submit to God.

Christian fiction mostly stays within strict genre definitions. A novel might be a romance or romantic suspense or a thriller or Amish, but it’s definable. This is less so, and with a focus more on the internal journey of Liesl. This, combined with the threefold plot, the recipes and the beautiful use of language is why Stones for Bread doesn’t sit comfortably in any genre.

It is not romance, although there is a romantic element. It is not action or suspense. The closest definition is women’s fiction, but even that runs the risk of missing something. Sure, this is the story of one woman and there are elements all women will find familiar, but there is something more, and it’s that something that raises this book above average, above what I normally find in Christian fiction.

I didn’t read the recipes. I read the first one and thanked God I don’t have to put this level of effort into putting bread on the table for my family. Sure, even the fresh baked in-store bread from my local supermarket or bakery doesn’t match up to what Liesl sells at Wild Rise, but I know I’m never going to put that level of effort into baking a loaf of bread. Maybe that’s my loss. Recommended.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze for providing a free ebook for review. You can find more about Christa Parrish at her website.

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog.