Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is 2023 Debuts. I really didn’t have the energy to track those down, so I am going first books in a new series. Most of these are from favorite authors who have a lot of books to their credit, so the only thing my list has in common with the original topic is that they will be published in 2023. LOL!
Despite my TTT post last week listing all of the books I would love to have Santa pre-order, I have yet to receive them. My immediate family hasn’t had Christmas together yet, but I don’t anticipate any book gifts in my future. Most of them think I have enough books already. 😉 But I have been diligently adding to my NetGalley shelf and those are the books I am spotlighting today. I have quite the range of great books. Hope you find one to love!
Welcome to the Blog Blitz for The Christy Award Finalists organized by ECPA and hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! We extend our sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to The Christy Award 2022 Finalists!
The Christy Award Finalists 2022
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong (Kregel Publications)
FIRST NOVEL
All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon (Tyndale House Publishers) Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media) Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom (She Writes Press)
GENERAL FICTION
The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson Publishers) The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group) Under the Magnolias by T. I. Lowe (Tyndale House Publishers)
HISTORICAL
Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Drawn by The Current by Jocelyn Green (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan (Love Inspired) Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham (Barbour Publishing) Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER
Aftermath by Terri Blackstock (Thomas Nelson Publishers) The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
SHORT FORM
A Texas Christmas Carol (in Under the Texas Mistletoe) by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Mr. Nicholas: A Magical Christmas Tale by Christopher de Vinck (Paraclete Press) False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert (WoodHaven Press)
SPECULATIVE
A Time to Seek by Tracy Higley (Stonewater Books LLC) Dark Intercept by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson (Tyndale House Publishers) Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media) Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media)
YOUNG ADULT
A Gentle Tyranny by Jess Corban (Wander, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers) Realms of Light by Sandra Fernandez Rhoads (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media) Shadow by Kara Swanson (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media)
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive print copies of The Christy Award finalist titles from one category of their choice!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight November 3, 2022 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on November 10, 2022. 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.
Art of Writing on November 17, 12:30-5 pm at Lipscomb University in Nashville $99 A conference for writers, storytellers, and publishing curators.
The Christy Award Gala on November 17, 7-9 pm at Lipscomb University in Nashville $89 Celebrate this year’s finalists and winners with authors, editors, publishers, and readers!
Bundle the Art of Writing Conference & The Christy Award Gala $139
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
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Congratulations to all the fabulous authors who are 2022 Christy Award Finalists. I’ve read several of these books, including 4 that were my book club’s choices. All look so good! You are welcome for the additions to your TBR pile! 😉
Romance
All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese
Bookshop by The Sea by Denise Hunter
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
First Novel
All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon
Recorderby Cathy McCrumb
Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
General Fiction
The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin
The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox
Under the Magnolias by T. I. Lowe
Historical
Between The Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette
Drawn by The Current by Jocelyn Green
The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan
Yours Is The Night by Amanda Dykes
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Aftermath by Terri Blackstock
The Barrister And The Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson
On The Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright
Speculative
A Time to Seek by Tracy Higley
Dark Intercept by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson
Recorder by Cathy McCrumb
Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck
Historical Romance
As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin
Hope Between The Pages by Pepper Basham
Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen
Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
Short Form
A Texas Christmas Carol by Karen Witemeyer (in Under The Texas Mistletoe collection)
I don’t have to tell you that nothing is normal right now! Events are cancelled left and right, including 2021 Mardi Gras! Although Mardi Gras is celebrated across the Gulf Coast, New Orleans is famous for it. I went a few years ago to some family-friendly Mardi Gras events (yes, that’s a thing) and had a great time. New Orleans is one of my favorite places to visit. Despite the dirty streets and less than savory areas, the city is a great gumbo mix of culture, art, food, and fun.
This week’s Top 10 Tuesday is all about books with covers of purple, green, and yellow — the colors of Mardi Gras. Of course I am tweaking the topic yet again, this time with books set in New Orleans. Ranging from colonial times to present day and historical to suspense to women’s fiction, the books capture the New Orleans vibe. There’s even one that has a green/purple/yellow cover 😉 .
I have been blessed over the years in opportunities to meet fantastic authors. It’s always a thrill to interact with writers either face to face or via email and social media. In the ten plus years I have been blogging, I have interviewed a number of my favorites, and since I am not as creative as them I have a stock list of questions. For this week’s Top 10 Tuesday I decided to highlight the answers authors gave to my number one question — When did you know you were a writer? I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into their writing journeys. And to see the rest of the interviews, just click on the author’s name.
Pepper Basham author of The Red Ribbon (October 2020)
I feel like I’ve always been a storyteller, but I didn’t start ‘writing’ down those stories until I was about 7 or 8. I actually still have a story I wrote and illustrated from when I was 9. Poorly illustrated . . . it was pretty clear writing was more my forte than drawing (especially from the sizes of the noses on my poor people I drew 😉 .
Lori Benton author of Mountain Laurel (September 2020)
I’ve always been a writer, making up stories as a child. Really! I was in the third grade and already a voracious reader when my best friend said out of the blue, “I wrote a story.” She showed it to me, and I was instantly intrigued. Could I write a story? It was an epiphany. I wrote a story. And never really stopped. But one day I decided to get more serious about it (I was about 21 by this time) and see if I could write a novel and maybe (if I could figure out how one did so) get it published. That novel, which I did finish, wasn’t published. Nor the one I wrote after that. It was quite a few years later (22 years in fact) before my debut novel Burning Sky reached store shelves.
I wrote my first story at the age of eleven. It was about an inchworm. When I was twelve I wrote my first romance — about a girl who gets stuck in an elevator with her celebrity crush. And I really haven’t stopped writing since. Before I began writing, though, I loved stories and words and daydreams.
I think I have always been a writer. As a child, I was a voracious reader. I gobbled up books left and right. I started writing stories and poems in elementary school. Everyone in high school assumed I was going to become an English professor. It didn’t turn out quite like that, but writing has always been a part of who I am.
From the time I was about four, I loved words and reading. I won a writing contest in fifth grade . . . but I didn’t realize I was a writer until I was about twelve. We came back from an ocean trip and I sat on the porch and wrote a poem . . . and Boom! It hit me — I was a writer. I promptly shared this epiphany with my mom and my grandma, and they were duly impressed. LOL. That’s not to say I launched into an immediate writing career trajectory. Goodness knows I entertained plenty of other majors in college, though I wound up with a degree in Humanities that focused on literature and writing.
My first book was writing captions in my Bugs Bunny coloring book to make it an actual story. I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t writing. My first published books were nonfiction, though, mostly devotionals, before I started writing historical fiction.
I think it was when I sought to right what I considered was a wrong: In the early years of my marriage, my father-in-law told me that his family had rescued a Jewish boy during WWII. They risked their lives to shelter him for one year, and then they got him to England through the Dutch underground. I asked him, “Did he ever come back to thank you for what he did?” “No.” “Well — did anyone thank you?” “No.”
I never considered becoming an author outside of medicine until the death of my first wife, Cynthia. Almost a year after her passing, I began to consider turning the journaling I’d done into a book, but had no idea how. Finally, at a writer’s conference, I got an inkling of 1) how to write a book, and 2) how hard it is to get one published. But I did and it was. The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse has been out for a decade and ministered to many thousands who have suffered a similar loss.
I always loved reading and making up stories in my head. One year, my brother Jared gave me a diary for Christmas and I wrote all the time. That’s when I knew. Even if I never publish another book, I will always write stories. I enjoy it so much.
I have a big confession: I do not subscribe to Netflix! I think one of my kids has an account downloaded to my TV, but it is only watched when they come to visit. I know this is shocking, but I don’t even turn my TV on anymore. My husband watched Inspector Morris the past few months and has now moved on to Endeavor, but other than a few glimpses up from my book reading, I have not watched TV since April. I have to say I haven’t missed it either. The topic of which books should be made into movies/Netflix series always leaves me with mixed emotions. It would be great if wonderful books could reach more people, but frankly I would rather people enjoy the original source. 😉
For this week’s Top 10 Tuesday I am listing historical fiction that I think would make great movies. The books on my list have a number of strengths — great sense of time and place, interesting and perhaps little known topics, strong characters, intrigue, unputdownableness.
Happy Tuesday! Today That Artsy Reader Girl is challenging bloggers to come up with band names based on book titles. I’m musically challenged — I can’t sing and I never know who sings a song. But I do know books, and titles that intrigue me I believe would make awesome names of bands — country bands, heavy metal, 80s cover bands, etc. So here is my attempt. My list draws from books on my TBR shelves and includes 3 titles that are actual band names! Hope you find one to love!
If you are a fan of historical fiction, then Jocelyn Greenneeds to be your go-to author. She consistently creates novels with complex characters and meticulously researched historical details. Her books have opened my eyes to the Civil War, the early settlement of Louisiana, and the conflict between British, American colonists, and Native Peoples in the 1700s. I cannot wait to read her latest book, Veiled in Smoke which is set during the Great Chicago Fire and is the first book in a series that explores Chicago history.
Thanks so much, Jocelyn, for sharing with us today about your writing journey.
Q&A with Jocelyn Green
Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories as a child. When did you first become a writer?
The same was true for me. My first book was writing captions in my Bugs Bunny coloring book to make it an actual story. I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t writing. My first published books were nonfiction, though, mostly devotionals, before I started writing historical fiction.
Why do you write historical fiction?
History still matters today. We can learn so much from the people who lived before us, and how they shaped and were shaped by the events of their generations. Not only can we find inspiration from them, but also a much better perspective as we look at the world today. Unfortunately, so often, history is distilled into a list of dates and names — not interesting at all. The vehicle of historical fiction allows us to explore segments of the past through the lens of the people who lived it. We get to explore the full spectrum of the human condition through the novel.
Personally, I love learning while being entertained with drama, and studies show that when we’re curious about something — such as what will happen to our heroine in the next chapter — we’re far more likely to remember surrounding details, such as the historical context. To me, that’s the icing on the cake. When readers care about characters and learn about history at the same time, I’m thrilled.
What types of research do you pursue?
All kinds! I use books, scholarly articles, YouTube videos, site visits, interviews with historians and museum curators, interviews with experts on any given topic in the novel. For Veiled in Smoke, aside from reading every book and article about the fire and its aftermath I could find, I toured Chicago with a guide who designed a tour based specifically on what I wanted to know and see before I started writing the novel.On the same trip, I spent time in the Chicago Historical Society’s archives, reading primary source material such as letters, diaries, first person accounts of the fire, etc. Through the wonder of microfilm, I read newspapers published in Chicago during the weeks and months following the fire. An ongoing correspondence with CHS staff after I went home helped me fill in any blanks I had in my manuscript.
Other than the historical research, I also consulted with an art professor, bookstore owner, psychologist specializing in work with combat veterans, surgeon, and physical therapist to help me get other details right in my characters’ personal journeys.
Tell us a little about what inspired Veiled in Smoke.
I’m always looking for settings that are rife with conflict and great change, regardless of the century. The Great Chicago Fire was an unprecedented disaster that made 100,000 people homeless overnight, which was a third of the city at the time. Writing about the resurrection of both the city and individuals and families after such an event allows me, as an author, to explore themes of resilience, community, and faith in powerful ways.
How long does it usually take to craft a book?
If we are including the time it takes to research before I start writing, I would say about 18 months until the very last proofing round.
What does a typical writing day look like? Are you structured or informal in your writing?
A typical writing day looks like me sitting down in my office and cranking out about two thousand words before calling it quits for the day. There is usually a small pot of tea on my desk, a mess of research materials, and one sleeping cat, who is good for moral support. I’m pretty structured in my writing schedule, but I also expect interruptions. I’ve learned to build in extra time to the schedule to allow for those.
What are you working on next?
Veiled in Smoke is the first book of three in The Windy City Saga, so right now I’m working on the second book. I’m really excited about this series, because we get to watch a family grow through three generations, and see Chicago grow, too. Veiled in Smoke really is a family story, but it focuses more on Meg Townsend, one of the bookshop-owning sisters. Book 2 will be set in Chicago during the World’s Fair of 1893, and it’s the story of Meg’s sister Sylvie, who will be 43 years old when the story begins. Book 3 in the series will pick up with Meg’s adult daughter Olive in 1915, which is when the Eastland Disaster took place in the Chicago River. Each book explores a seminal part of Chicago’s history and how the Townsend family overcomes in the face of change and trials.
Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.
The honors her books have received include the Christy Award in historical fiction, and gold medals from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.
Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, strawberry-rhubarb pie, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.
Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago’s business district, they lose much more than just their store.
The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire–he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.
Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father’s innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.
Can you predict when a book is going to blow you away, even before you read it? I have found that I am a pretty good judge of when I am going to love a book. Favorite authors, the subject matter, the genre, even the cover are all good indicators of whether I will have an excellent reading experience. This week Top 10 Tuesday wants bloggers to look into their crystal balls and come up with 5-Star Reads from Our TBR Piles. Let’s hope I am a powerful prognosticator! 😉 There’s something for everyone on my list — contemporary, romance, women’s fiction, historical, suspense — hope you find one to enjoy too!
Top Anticipated 5-Star Books
The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck
A Gift to Cherish by Victoria Bylin
The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel
More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson
One Little Lie by Colleen Coble
The Solid Grounds Coffee Company by Carla Laureano
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
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