Ada, MI (May 31, 2024)
ACFW board member Kathleen Y’Barbo Turner announced the Carol Award finalists in eleven categories on the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Facebook page. The Carol Awards are ACFW’s recognition for the best Christian fiction published in the previous calendar year. Nine Baker Publishing Group authors were chosen as finalists.
For a complete list of the 2024 Carol Award finalists, please visit https://acfw.com/acfw-contests/carol-awards/carol-award-finalists. Winners of the Carol Awards will be announced on Saturday, September 7, during the Awards Gala at ACFW’s conference in New Orleans.
CONTEMPORARY
He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox
Revell; August 29, 2023; ISBN 9780800742737; Ebook ISBN 9781493441280
Beekeeper Beckett Walsh was living her dream working alongside her father on their small farm until his unexpected death thrusts a new part-owner into her world. Callie Peterson threatens not only her livelihood but her beliefs about the goodness of the man she’d always perceived to be her kind and faithful father.
The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner
Bethany House; September 26, 2023; ISBN 9780764242007; Ebook ISBN 9781493443772
Pete is content in his simple life in a remote Montana town, but elderly widow Wilma is busy meddling in Pete’s life to make up for past wrongs. When the sister Pete was separated from as a child shows up, Pete must confront a difficult past, and Wilma discovers her long-awaited chance at redemption may come at too high a price.
HISTORICAL
The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt
Revell; November 7, 2023; ISBN 9780800741716; Ebook ISBN 9781493443420
In WWII Poland, two sisters fight against the darkness engulfing their homeland, one by entering a daring network of women sheltering Jewish children and the other by joining the ranks of Poland’s secret army. As Warsaw buckles under German oppression, they must rely on the courage that calls the ordinary to resist.
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin
Revell; February 7, 2023; ISBN 9780800736385; Ebook ISBN 9781493439645
In WWII Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt assumes the identity of a common shipyard worker, rowing messages to Sweden for the Resistance. His life depends on keeping his secret hidden—a task that proves challenging when he meets Else Jensen, an American physicist who seems to see right through him.
The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky
Bethany House; September 26, 2023; ISBN 9780764241055; Ebook ISBN 9781493443710
Art historian Gwen Monroe is evaluating paintings at a British estate when she uncovers a connection to the father she never knew through a 100-year-old journal. In 1912, Charlotte Harper struggles with a painful family secret that she can only confess in her journal, which shatters her faith and leaves her wondering if she can ever trust in love again.
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER
What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson
Bethany House; January 17, 2023; ISBN 9780764240409; Ebook ISBN 9781493440689
Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne has made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy—but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. When she’s asked to spotlight her childhood best friend’s missing person case on her podcast, she uncovers desperate secrets and must face the truth before she can move forward.
ROMANCE
The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese
Bethany House; April 11, 2023; ISBN 9780764241185; Ebook ISBN 9781493440719
After a meeting jeopardizes Ingrid Erikson’s career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But when the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters offers her a sealed envelope from her late best friend, Ingrid is sent on a hunt for a hidden package and must confront her past before she can find the healing she’s been searching for.
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Under Fire by Lynn H. Blackburn
Revell; March 7, 2023; ISBN 9780800737979; Ebook ISBN 9781493439676
Special Agent Tessa Reed left her demons in the past, but when she reconnects with USSS Agent Zane Thacker during a presidential fundraiser, one of those old adversaries comes to collect. These best friends must work together to protect the President and guard their own hearts.
Critical Threat by Lynette Eason
January 3, 2023; ISBN 9780800737344; Ebook ISBN 9781493439652
Working as a behavioral analyst with the FBI puts Grace Billingsley in contact with every sort of evil and every kind of person. But working with the son of a serial killer? That’s a first.
Baker Publishing Group offers their congratulations to all the Carol Award finalists and would like to acknowledge the American Christian Fiction Writers for their ongoing support to inspirational fiction authors.