The award is given by the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) group, which according to their webpage, is “a professional organization devoted to the craft of Christian Fiction.” The award is named for renowned fiction advocate and editor Carol Johnson, and is given in 11 categories, which are:
- Contemporary
- Debut Author
- Historical Fiction
- Historical Romance
- Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
- Novella
- Romance
- Romantic Suspense
- Short Novel
- Speculative
- Young Adult
The awards are given each year at the gala at an annual conference in September. The 2020 winners were:
Contemporary
The Death of Mungo Blackwell by Lauren H. Brandenburg
Available as an ebook (Hoopla).
Debut Author
Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens
Available in print.
Historical Fiction
Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson
Available in print and as an eBook (Hoopla) or audiobook (Hoopla).
Historical Romance
The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin
Available in print, ebook (Libby), ebook (Hoopla), and audiobook (Hoopla).
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal
Available in print, ebook (Libby), ebook (Hoopla) and audiobook (Hoopla).
Novella
The Groom She’d Thought She Left Behind
(from The Runaway Brides Collection) by Darlene Panzera
Coming soon in print!
Romance
Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon
Available in print, on CD, ebook (Libby), ebook (Hoopla) and audiobook (Hoopla).
Romantic Suspense
The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey
Available in print, on CD, ebook (Libby), ebook (Hoopla) and audiobook (Hoopla).
Short Novel
A Rancher to Trust by Laurel Blount
Speculative
Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig
Coming soon in print!
Young Adult
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Available in print, ebook and audiobook.
I don’t know about you, but I have some reading to catch up on!!