Thursday, July 24, 2014

A Cover Reveal for Stephanie Greenhalgh


Release Date: Coming October 2014

 

Synopsis: In the small town of Woodsville, Ruby Hood it settling into her role as Guardian of the Wood. In the blink of an eye, her monumental high school graduation comes and goes without her attendance. There are too many other things on her mind. Her mom, Christine Wood, has just returned from caring for Ruby's ill grandmother. Kent Wolf finally gets released from the hospital and Kayla Wolf is desperate to make amends, while Dylan Hunter works to hone his Huntsman skills.

 

Everything seems like it’s going to work itself out, until Ivy Snow shows up on Ruby’s front porch with an RV filled with seven dwarves. As a new darkness casts a shadow over Woodsville, Ruby is unsure where to turn when turmoil erupts in the Wood, and finds herself aligned with an unusual cast of characters. One she is certain is lying to her. As time progresses, she wrestles to uncover the truth and save innocents. And as Guardian of the Wood, Ruby worries that she can’t save everyone, but what if she is the one who needs saving?

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

Well, it's going to be a busy year, and one that I am grateful for.


I've signed a 6-book contract with Harlequin Heartsong Presents and am signing a novella for Barbour's "Eligible Bachelor" collection to release May 15.


The Nosy Neighbor Mystery series is selling well, and I am working on the third in that series. God had blessed me beyond measure in my writing this year, and for that, I Praise Him!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Genesis 2014 Finalists

The finalists for the 2014 Genesis Writing Contest for Unpublished Writers.

These finalists will now move on to the final round of judging, and the winner of each category will be announced during the gala at the 2014 ACFW National Conference in St. Louis this coming September.

All semifinalists who are not moving on will receive their first and second round judged entries within the next week. Please be patient, as we get these out to you as fast as we can.

Congratulations to our finalists and thank you to all who entered Genesis 2014 this year.

Contemporary

Sally Bradley

Brandy Heineman

Jennifer Sienes



Historical (Through Vietnam Era)

Heidi Chiavaroli

Jennifer Lamont Leo

Cynthia Roemer

 

Historical Romance (Through Vietnam Era)

Kristi Ann Hunter

Marilyn Rhoads

Abigail Wilson

 

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Andrew Huff

Timothy Moynihan

Dennis Ricci

 

Novella

Nicole Deese

Grace Olson

Peggy Trotter

 

Romance

Susan Crawford

Tari Faris

Laurie Tomlinson

 Romantic Suspense

 Loretta Eidson

Michelle Lim

Carolyn Miller

 

Short Novel

Peggy Miracle Consolver

Candee Fick (double finalist)

 

Speculative

Megan Ebba

Jennifer Gallagher

Clint Hall



Young Adult

Sara Ella

Ashley Mays

Sarah E. Morin

Monday, May 12, 2014

Christian Retailing's Best Awards finalists



The following contests recently announced their finalists. Note and celebrate with us the ACFW members represented in the fiction categories of the following awards programs:

Christian Retailing's Best Awards finalists

Fiction: Amish
The Guardian, Beverly Lewis (Baker Publishing Group)
The Letters, Suzanne Woods Fisher (Baker Publishing Group)
The Outcast, Jolina Petersheim (Tyndale House Publishers)

Fiction: Contemporary

Damascus Countdown, Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale House Publishers)
Grace Unplugged, Melody Carson (B&H Publishing Group)
Unspoken, Dee Henderson (Baker Publishing Group)

Fiction: General

Iscariot, Tosca Lee (Howard Books)
Outlaw, Ted Dekker (Hachette Book Group)
When The Morning Glory Blooms, Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press)

Fiction: Historical

Flight of The Earls, Michael K. Reynolds (B&H Publishing Group)
Return to Me, Lynn Austin (Baker Publishing Group)
The Dancing Master, Julie Klassen (Baker Publishing Group)
What Once Was Lost, Kim Vogel Sawyer (WaterBrook Multnomah)
When the Clouds Roll By, Myra Johnson (Abingdon Press)

Fiction: Mystery and Suspense

Dark Justice, Brandilyn Collins (B&H Publishing Group)
Invisible, Ginny L. Yttrup (B&H Publishing Group)
Shattered, Dani Pettrey (Baker Publishing Group)
Vanished, Irene Hannon (Baker Publishing Group)

Young Adult Fiction

Captive Maiden, Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan)
Fairest Beauty, Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan)
Past Darkness, Laurel Woiwode (Crossway)
AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) Golden Scroll Awards finalists
Novel of the Year: 
Slow Moon Rising by Eva Marie Everson(Revell), 
The Ohana by C. W. Schutter (River Ranch Publishing), 
On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin (Revell), and 
The Survivor by DiAnn Mills (Zondervan)
CAN (Christian Authors Network) Golden Scrolls Award finalists:

Fiction Book of the Year finalists:

Catherine’s Pursuit by Lena Nelson Dooley (Charisma House Book Group), 
All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press), and 
On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin (Revell).

SELAH Awards (Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers' Conference) finalists:

Young Adult Fiction
Elaine Marie Cooper—Fields of the Fatherless (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Tessa Emily Hall—Purple Moon (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Eddie Jones—Dead Low Tide (Zonderkidz)

First Novel (Tie for Third)
Dianna T. Benson—The Hidden Son (Ellechor Publishing House)
Carole Brown—The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Aaron D. Gansky—The Bargain (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Tessa Emily Hall—Purple Moon (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Fiction: Novella
Paula Mowery—Be the Blessing (Pelican Book Group)
Linda Wood Rondeau—A Christmas Prayer (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Gina Welborn—Mercy Mild (Barbour Publishing)

Fiction: Speculative
Ian Acheson—Angelguard (Lion Hudson)
Lisa Belcastro—Shenandoah Crossings (OakTara)
Lisa Belcastro—Shenandoah Nights (OakTara)

Fiction: Suspense
Richard L. Mabry, M.D.—Stress Test (Thomas Nelson)
Linnette R. Mullin—Finding Beth (CrossRiver Media Group)
Jordyn Redwood—Poison (Kregel)

Fiction: Historical
Vikki Kestell—Joy on This Mountain (Faith-Filled Fiction)
Ann Tatlock—Sweet Mercy (Bethany House Publishers)
Liz Tolsma—Snow on the Tulips (Thomas Nelson)

Fiction: Romance
Rachel Hauck—Once Upon a Prince (Zondervan)
Maureen Lang—All in Good Time (Tyndale Publishers)
Davalynn Spencer—The Rancher’s Second Chance (Love Inspired / Heartsong Presents)

Fiction: Contemporary Women
Normandie Fischer—Sailing Out of Darkness (WhiteFire Publishing)
Anita Higman—Winter in Full Bloom (Moody Publishers)
Cynthia Ruchti—When the Morning Glory Blooms (Abingdon Press)

ACFW's hat is off to these authors. Congratulations!

Friday, May 09, 2014

Thursday, May 08, 2014

2014 Golden Scroll Awards

AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) announces finalists for the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards for Publisher, Editor, and Fiction Editor of the Year as well as their finalists for their Novel and Nonfiction Books of the Year. The winners will be announced at the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards, now a CBA sanctioned event, to be held Sunday, July 22nd from 12:30 to 
3 p.m. at the World Congress Convention Center in Atlanta, GA. 

Honored for outstanding ministry partnerships with their authors, the Golden Scroll Publisher of the Year finalists are Abingdon Press, New Hope Publishers, and Thomas Nelson Publishers.



Editor of the Year finalists are
Liz 
Heaney of Liz Heaney Editorial Services, 

Cindy Lambert of Somersault Group and Lambert Editorial, 

and Katara Patton of Tyndale House Publishers. 



The Fiction Editor of the Year finalists are Stephanie Broene of Tyndale House, 

Joyce Dinkins of New Hope Publishers, and Pam Pugh of Moody Publishers. 


AWSA Nonfiction Book of the Year Award finalists include
​:

Standing Tall After Falling Short by Emily Parke Chase from Wingspread, 

Unexpected Love: God's Heart Revealed in Jesus' Conversations with Women by Julie Zine Coleman from Thomas Nelson, 

Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices by Cynthia Ruchti from Abingdon Press, 

and Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts by Dena Dyer and Tina Samples from Kregal 
Publications.

The Novel of the Year Award finalists include
​:

 Eva Marie Everson for Slow Moon Rising: A Cedar Key Novel from Revell,

 The Ohana by C. W. Schutter from River Ranch Publishing, 

On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin from Revell, 

and The Survivor by DiAnn Mills from Zondervan. 


Other awards to be presented at the Golden Scrolls Award Banquet will 
​​
include CAN (Christian Authors Network) Nonfiction and Novel Books of the Year awards. The CAN finalists for Nonfiction Book of the Year include
​:

I Don’t Chase the Garbage Truck Down the Street in My Bathrobe Anymore by Dianne Barker from CrossBooks, 

Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries by Kathy Collard Miller from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 

I Believe in Heaven – Real Stories from the Bible, History and Today by Cecil Murphey and Twila 
Belk from Regal. 


CAN finalists for Fiction Book of the Year include
​:

Catherine’s Pursuit by Lena Nelson Dooley from Charisma House Book Group, 

All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti from Abingdon Press, 

and On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin from Revell. 


In addition, the AWSA Member of the Year, the Beyond Me Award, as well as the prestigious 2014 Golden Scroll Lifetime Achievement Award will also be presented at the Golden Scroll Banquet. Jerry Jenkins will be the keynote speaker with Stacy Hawkins Adams as emcee. Authors Carol Kent and Pam Farrel will present awards. Recording artist Gwen Smith will perform a parody written by Martha Bolton dedicated to editors and publishers
​.

 
The Golden Scroll Awards banquet are open to all authors, editors, publishers, agents, booksellers and other CBA industry professionals. Tickets are $54.99. For more information or to register for the banquet, go to www.ScrollAwards.com (http://www.scrollawards.com/) . 


AWSA, the sponsors of the Golden Scroll Awards Banquet, is an outreach of Right to the Heart Ministries and consists of over 400 top ICRS women authors who both publish and speak nationally. See _www.AWSA.com_ 

Monday, May 05, 2014

ACFW Genesis Semi-finalists 2014

2014 Genesis Semi-Finalists

Genesis

Here are the semi-finalists for the 2014 Genesis Contest.

Contemporary
Robin Archibald
Sally Bradley
Kimberli Buffaloe
Lindsay Harrel
Brandy Heineman
Tanara McCauley
Holly Michael
Carrie Padgett
Linda Sammaritan
Jennifer Sienes

Historical (Through Vietnam Era)
(Because of a three-way tie, Historical has 12 Semifinalists)

Heidi Chiavaroli (double semifinalist)
Pat Jeanne Davis
Mark Fisher
Kathleen Freeman
Jennifer Lamont Leo
Dana McNeely
Joanna Politano (double semifinalist)
Cynthia Roemer
Terri Wangard
Lora Young

Historical Romance (Through Vietnam Era)
Misty Beller
Paula Bicknell
Patricia-Riddle Gaddis
Kristi Ann Hunter
Robert Kaku & Gail Kaku
Elizabeth Lukinuk
Rachel Muller
Marilyn Rhoads
Delores Topliff
Abigail Wilson

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Janice Boekoff
Andrew Huff
Mary McCay
Marion McNair
Timothy Moynihan
Dena Netherton
Deb Read
Dennis Ricci
Chris Storm
Bob Sweet

Novella
Renee Blare
Nicole Deese
Beatrice Fishback
Sarah McDaniel
Grace Olson
Crystal Ridgway & Destanie Ridgway
Craig Savige
Christine Schimpf
Chandra Lynn Smith
Peggy Trotter

Romance
Jennie Atkins
LeAnne Bristow
Ashley Clark
Susan Crawford
Tari Faris
Laura Hodges Poole
Sherri Murray
Dena Netherton
Laurie Tomlinson
Andrea Michelle Wood

Romantic Suspense
Nancy Blosser
Loretta Eidson
Emilie Hendryx
Jackie Layton
Michelle Lim
Sara Luther
Carolyn Miller
Linda Rodante (double semifinalist)
Chris Storm

Short Novel
Meghan Carver
Peggy Miracle Consolver
Candee Fick (double semifinalist)
Nicole Jarrell
TC Larson
Kelly Anne Liberto
Sally Pitts
Crystal Ridgway & Destanie Ridgway
Preslaysa Williams

Speculative
T.J. Akers
Carol Eaton
Megan Ebba
Jennifer Gallagher
Clint Hall (double semi-finalist)
Margaret Hamlin
Lauricia Matuska
Don Palmer
Luke Scott

Young Adult
Erica Collins
Jennifer Dyer
Carol Eaton
Jessica Edgerton
Sara Ella
Glenn Haggerty
Karley Kiker
Ashley Mays
Sarah E. Morin
Kristen Joy Wilks

Finalists will be announced around mid-June.  The awards for the Genesis Contest will be given during ACFW’s national conference gala in September in St. Louis. 
Congratulations to all!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

A NEW YEAR AND REFLECTIONS ON THE OLD

In 2013, I published 21 books counting indie ebooks and traditionally published print books. That gave me a total of 34 publications since I started writing seriously in 2007. My goal was to quit the day job and become a full time writer. I met that goal in May of 2013 and published the 34 book on the last day of December. The book which squeaked in at the last minute was Mistaken Assassin.

Marilu wakes one morning to the realization that the man next to her is not her husband. That awareness is the beginning to ten year's of memories returning. One of which leads her to believe she is a paid assassin. As she struggles with the realization of who she is and what she was, she begins a search for her daughter. Things are complicated when she runs into Brad Morrison, the undercover agent who is the brother to the man Marilu had been hired to kill. Together, the two go on the run to prove that all is not as it seems and Marilu is nothing more than a Mistaken Assassin. Can she let go of her fear and uncertainty to let God's will prevail?

KINDLE         NOOK


I signed a five book contract with Harlequin, two of which released in 2013, with three releasing in 2014. I published two novellas with Barbour publishing. A Pioneer Christmas collection made the CBA best-sellers list at #8.

God has richly blessed my writing and I am looking forward to many more blessings in 2014. In addition to my sporadic blog here, I am also a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazine, Suspense Sisters, and Christian Historical Fiction Society.

I hope you stick with me on this crazy life of a hybrid author.