Blog Blitz: The Christy Award Finalists 2023

Welcome to the Blog Blitz for The Christy Award Finalists 2023 organized by ECPA and hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! We extend our sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to The Christy Award 2023 Finalists & Winners!

YOU ARE INVITED

The Christy Award Gala 2023
Via webcast November 16, 2023 | 7 pm CT
Featuring Chris Fabry, Davis Bunn, Janette Oke, and a host of Christy-winning authors

Hosted by Christy Hall of Fame author Chris Fabry, the Christy Award Winners Gala will be held Thursday, November 16th at 7pm CT via free webcast to recognize the finalists and announce the winners of The Christy Award in nine categories, Book of the Year, and Amplify Award. The event will feature two literary greats, Christian fiction legacy authors Janette Oke and Davis Bunn. Award presenters will include Christy winning authors Amanda Cox, Toni Shiloh, Nicole Deese, Patricia Raybon, Jocelyn Green, Sarah Sundin, Terri Blackstock, Karen Witemeyer, Sharon Hinck, and Kara Swanson.

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The Christy Award Finalists 2023

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

A Seaside Wonder by Melissa Tagg (Larkspur Press)
All That It Takes by Nicole Deese (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
To Believe in You by Emily Conrad (Hope Anchor LLC)
To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)

FIRST NOVEL

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon by Linda MacKillop (Kregel Publications)
Porch Music by Kathy Maresca (TouchPoint Press Faith)

GENERAL FICTION

By Way of the Moonlight by Elizabeth Musser (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
When Stone Wings Fly by Karen Barnett (Kregel Publications)
Where the Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar (Tyndale House Publishers)
Within These Walls of Sorrow by Amanda Barratt (Kregel Publications

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson Publishers)
The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER

By Way of Deception by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn (Harvest House Publishers)
Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
Forged by Sara Davison (Mountain Brook Ink)
The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)

SHORT FORM

Always a Lady (in A Return to Hawthorne House) by Kristi Ann Hunter (Oholiab Creations, LLC)
Hopes and Fears (in O Little Town) by Amanda Wen (Kregel Publications)
Kiss Me on Christmas by Sarah Monzon (Sarah Monzon)

SPECULATIVE

Drawn in Ash by John W. Otte (John W. Otte)
Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media)
Yesterday's Gone by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall (Tyndale House Publishers)

YOUNG ADULT

Blood Secrets by Morgan L. Busse (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)
This Dreamer by Sara Watterson (Sara Watterson)
The Whisperer's Wish by Janilise Lloyd (Scrivenings Press)
Wishtress by Nadine Brandes (Thomas Nelson)
The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive their choice of The Art of Writing registration OR print copies of The Christy Award finalist titles for one category!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight October 27, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on November 3, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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REGISTER FOR THE CHRISTY AWARD 2023 EVENTS

The Art of Writing webinars on Thursday evenings, 7 p.m. CT $69
online October 19, October 26, November 2, November 9
This virtual conference for writers, storytellers, and publishing curators includes access and
recordings to four webinars organized by publishers.

The Christy Award winners webcast on November 16 at 7 p.m. CT. - free but registration is required.
Celebrate this year's finalists and winners with authors, editors, publishers, and readers!

REGISTER

The Christy Award® is a program of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999. For more information about ECPA, visit ECPA.org. For more information about the Christy Awards and Art of Writing conferences, visit ChristyAwards.com or email TheChristyAward@ecpa.org

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Book Review: The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar

About the Book:

From the bestselling author of Jewel of the Nile comes the thrilling tale of a woman who feels she has no future but soon discovers the fate of nations may rest in her hands.

The beloved daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon, Keren is sold into Daniel’s household to help her family survive. She becomes Daniel’s most trusted scribe, while taking lessons and swordsmanship training alongside Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared.

But after a tragic accident changes the course of her life, Keren finds herself in a foreign country, charged with a mysterious task: teaching a shepherd boy how to become a lord. When she overhears whispers that hint at his true identity, she realizes she must protect him from the schemes of a bloodthirsty king.

Jared cannot forgive Keren. Still, he finds himself traveling over mountains to fetch her back to the safety of home. When he discovers the secret identity of Keren’s pupil, Jared knows he must help protect him. Love battles bitterness as they flee from the king’s agents, trying to save the boy who could one day deliver their people from captivity.

Purchase at: Amazon ┃Barnes & Noble ┃Christianbook 

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My Thoughts:

Fire and Lightning! Keren, female lead in The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar, captivated me with her perceptiveness and intelligence. Her “voice” invited me into her story and kept me turning the pages. I devoured the novel, excited for the plot and relationship developments. Then I read the book again, with knowledge of what would happen, and enjoyed it more the second time! With an ancient setting, beautiful prose, and spiritual truths, The Hidden Prince deserves to be savored.

Like so many of Tessa Afshar’s novels, The Hidden Prince, embeds spiritual themes into captivating fiction. The characters deal with so many things: following God’s will, setting one’s heart on truth, moving from upheaval to fruitfulness. My personal favorite was the theme about flourishing in the desert. I marked over forty quotes during my readings. If I read the novel again, I’d likely find more nuggets of truth to meditate on.

The Hidden Prince swirls together powerful themes, a thwarted romance, and royal intrigue. The story holds a strong dose of tragedy for Keren and Jared, creating depth and emotional investment for the reader, but without feeling overly heavy. I enjoyed reading The Hidden Prince and rate it five stars.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

My September 2022 Reads and October 2022 TBR

My September 2022 Reads: 

1. The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I liked this book even more this time around. Read my original review.


2. Mothering by the Book  by Jennifer Pepito - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. Prayer Without Pretending by Angela Ashwin - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Absolutely amazing book on prayer.


4. The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar - ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ - Review available closer to release date.


5. Defending Honor by Lynette Eason and Kelly Underwood - ⭐⭐⭐½ - Read my review.


6. Falling for the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review..


7. Honor Bound by Hallee Bridgeman - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

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Expected October 2022 Reads:

1. The Brilliance of Stars by J'nell Ciesielski.


2. Life After by Katie Ganshert - My book club's October selection. 


3. Giving Your Words by Sally and Clay Clarkson - Sally is one of my favorite authors on parenting/homeschooling!


4. Embracing Advent by Jen Ludwig.


5. Suncoast Empire: Bertha Honore Palmer, Her Family, and the Rise of Sarasota by Frank A. Cassell - This has been on my TBR for several months and I'm not sure if I'll get to read it this month, but I'm keeping it on the list anyway.


6.  The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano.

What will you read this month?

My August 2022 Reads and September 2022 TBR

My August 2022 Reads: 

August 2022 was quite a month in my house. We started into our 2022-2023 homeschooling year. I worked on cleaning out a storage room. We celebrated my younger daughter's birthday. And we dealt with sickness for 10+ days.  Dealing with all the sickness was tough, but it did afford me extra reading time. 

Without further ado... my list of reads in August 2022:

1. Unwritten by Charles Martin - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Loved this book. It made me think - what drives a person to the point of suicide?


2. Nightshade by Ronie Kendig - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. Digitalis by Ronie Kendig  - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Not as good as Nightshade (book 1 in the Discarded Heroes series), but still entertaining.


4. To Love a Prince by Rachel Hauck - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, but not as good as some of her other works.


5. Winning the Gentleman by Kristi Ann Hunter - ⭐⭐⭐ - Just an okay read. I didn't like it nearly as much as Vying for the Viscount (book 1) in the Hearts on the Heath series.


6. Stuart Little by E.B. White - ⭐⭐⭐ - A read-aloud with my daughters. We loved everything except the ending... Margalo!

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Expected September 2022 Reads:

1. The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers - My local book club's selection for September. I read this novel when it released and I'm looking forward to experiencing it again! Read my review.


2. Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito - Currently reading and loving.


3. The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar - Currently reading and enjoying.


4. Prayer Without Pretending by Angela Ashwin - I'm currently reading and learning so much. Wish I had read it years ago!


5. Suncoast Empire: Bertha Honore Palmer, Her Family, and the Rise of Sarasota by Frank A. Cassell - I've been interested in Bertha Honore Palmer since I read about her as a side character in Jocelyn Green's Veiled in Smoke. I love visiting her estate, Historic Spanish Point, which is about 45 minutes away. Looking forward to learning more about her  and her family.

What will you read this month?