Three Books Final - and my weird realizations

I was deeply touched yesterday to find out that my three novels that released in 2008 were each named finalists in the ACFW Book of the Year Awards. I felt so warm and grateful that the judges appreciated the stories, and that my books were in the company of so many amazing authors.

It also spurred a few realizations.

First, I had to shake my head at myself - because the books are nominated in three different categories. It just reminded me how totally inept I am at doing things the way you're supposed to. It really isn't practical to write in different genres while trying to build a reading audience. It wasn't my plan. I just wrote the stories I cared about, and they were very diverse stories. I hope one day to figure out where I best fit, but in the meantime I'm so grateful for each of the stories and that there even EXISTS such a variety of genres in Christian fiction.

Another realization I had was that a lot of my warm happy feeling about this honor came from being happy for my characters. I fell in love with the characters in these three books (Stepping Into Sunlight, Symphony of Secrets, and Restorer's Journey) - and I'm happy for those characters to get to stand up and wave and say "hi!" - for them to have a moment of recognition. Is that weird?

Oh, well.

At any rate, I'm also thankful for ACFW - an organization that is doing so much to support, educate, and NOURISH writers. If you aren't familiar with them, be sure to check them out here! Honors come and go (or often don't come at all) but the fellowship of other Christian writers is a treasure that remains on all the hard slogging days.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

Online Book Club Features Renovating Becky

The Christian Author's Network hosts a fiction book club, You've Got Books. You can read a first chapter for free - and get new samples every week.

Right now they are featuring Get Cosy, Josey by Susan May Warren. On July 31st, as part of their special summer line-up of previously released books that are still in print, they're featuring RENOVATING BECKY MILLER. This book was recently named as a finalist for the ACFW Book of the Year Award.

Please stop by for a taste of a the story about a family that needs an Extreme Makeover Home Edition visit . . . and some other makeovers as well.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (2007 ACFW Book of the Year - 2nd place, Lit category)
Renovating Becky Miller (2008 Audie Award Finalist, ACFW BOTY finalist)
The Restorer (2008 Christy Award Finalist, ACFW BOTY finalist)
The Restorer's Son (Romantic Times 4.5 stars, Reviewer's Choice Award - Road to Romance, ACFW BOTY finalist)
New Releases:
The Restorer's Journey
Symphony of Secrets
Coming Soon:
Stepping Into Sunlight

Recognizing Variety

When I was working on my Master's thesis, I struggled to articulate a core belief that has shaped many of my life choices and my desire to work in the arts.

I believe that God is so awesome and multifaceted, that we need a variety of means to communicate with Him and about Him.

I love that He's given us a variety of art forms, music, drama, dance, poetry, sculpture, paintings etc., and even when we use them all, we only are able to convey tiny glimpses of His amazing love and glory. We constantly strive to utter the unutterable.

Within the art form of storytelling, I also believe we need variety.

Christianbook.com is highlighting the 2008 Book of the Year finalists, and as I browsed the collection of authors and titles, I thanked God for the wide range of genres and styles. Check it out! And consider trying a new author, or a new genre. You might see an new aspect of God's nature in a new way.

Book of the Year 2008 Finalists


Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

ACFW Book of the Year Finalists

I'm so delighted to see my friends offered encouragement through this recognition, and also so grateful for the honor of seeing three of my books on the list. Do you like playing "Where's Waldo?" The three books of mine are somewhere below. :-)

ACFW's 2008 Book of the Year Finalists:

Debut Author

Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll)
In Between (Jenny B. Jones)
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
My Soul Cries Out (Sherri Lewis)
Petticoat Ranch (Mary Connealy)

Contemporary Novella (*six finalists due to a tie)

A Cloud Mountain Christmas (Robin Lee Hatcher)
Finally Home (Deb Raney in Missouri Memories anthology)
Mississippi Mud (DiAnn Mills in Sugar And Grits Anthology)
Moonlight & Mistletoe (Carrie Turansky in Big Apple Christmas anthology)
Remaking of Moe McKenna (Gloria Clover in the Race to the Altar anthology)
Sweet Dreams Drive (Robin Lee Hatcher)

Historical Novella

Beyond the Memories (DiAnn Mills in Mississippi Memories anthology)
Finishing Touches (Kelly Hake in Missouri Memories anthology)
Love Notes (Mary Davis in Love Letters anthology)
The Spinster & The Cowboy (Lena Nelson Dooley in Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)
The Spinster & The Tycoon (Vickie McDonough in Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)

Lits (*six finalists due to a tie)

Around the World in 80 Dates (Christa Banister)
One Little Secret (Bottke, Allison)
Renovating Becky Miller (Sharon Hinck)
Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh)
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
The Book of Jane (Dayton/Vanderbilt)

Long contemporary

Autumn Blue (Karen Harter)
Like Always (Robert Elmer)
Taming Rafe (Susan May Warren)
When the Nile Runs Red (DiAnn Mills)
Within This Circle (Deb Raney)

Long Historical (*seven finalists due to TWO ties)

Courting Trouble (Deeanne Gist)
Fancy Pants (Cathy Hake)
Lady of Milkweed Manor (Julie Klassen)
Remember Me (Maureen Lang)
Then Came Hope (Louise Gouge)
Veil of Fire (Marlo Schalesky)
Where Willows Grow (Kim Vogel Sawyer)

Mystery

Days And Hours (Susan Meissner)
Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Sharon Dunn)
Gone With The Groom (Janice Thompson)
Sticks And Stones (Susan Meissner)
Your Chariot Awaits (Lorena McCourtney)

Short Contemporary

Heart of the Family (Margaret Daley)
The Heart of Grace (Linda Goodnight)
The Perfect Blend (Allie Pleiter)
Wedded Bliss (Kathleen Y’Barbo)
When Love Comes Home (Arlene James)

Short Contemporary Suspense (*six finalists due to a tie)

Caught Redhanded (Gayle Roper)
Her Christmas Protector (Terri Reed)
Nowhere to Hide (Debby Giusti)
Pursuit of Justice (Pamela Tracy)
See No Evil (Gayle Roper)
Vanished (Margaret Daley)

Short Historical (*six due to a tie)

A Time to Keep (Kelly Hake)
A Wealth Beyond Riches (Vickie McDonough)
Canteen Dreams (Cara Putman)
Corduroy Road to Love (Lynn Coleman)
Golden Days (Mary Connealy)
To Trust An Outlaw (Rhonda Gibson

Speculative

Demon: A Memoir (Tosca Lee)
DragonFire (Donita Paul)
The Restorer (Sharon Hinck)
The Restorer’s Son (Sharon Hinck)
Isle of Swords (Wayne Thomas Batson)

Suspense

Abomination (Colleen Coble)
Black Ice (Linda Hall)
Coral Moon (Brandilyn Collins)
Crimson Eve (Brandilyn Collins)
Ransomed Dreams (Amy Wallace)

Women’s Fiction

A Promise To Remember (Katie Cushman)
Bygones (Kim Sawyer)
Remember to Forget (Deb Raney)
The Oak Leaves (Maureen Lang)
Watercolored Pearls (Stacy Adams)

Young Adult

In Between (Jenny B. Jones)
On The Loose (Jenny B. Jones)
Sara Jane: Liberty’s Torch (Eleanor Clark
Sarah’s Long Ride (Susan P Davis)
Saving Sailor (Renee Riva)

CONGRATULATIONS to all the finalists, but also to all authors who are writing stories to glorify God. Your efforts matter.

His,
Sharon Hinck