High Five Friday!!

We have a number of authors to congratulate this month. So let’s give them all a cyber High Five!!.

Lena Nelson Dooley’s novel, Maggie’s Journey, received the Selah Award for historical fiction at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in May. As one of six winners for fiction, she celebrates with the other winners: Richard Mabry, Tracie Peterson, Christa Allen, Susan May Warren, and Linda Rondeau.

Sherrie Hansen Decker is pleased to see the release of her first inspirational novel Love Notes. Though she’s previously published five books, she wanted to write for the Christian market because  her characters told her she had to. “Hope’s faith was so much a part of her, and so strong, even though she’d lost everything dear to her, that it couldn’t be any other way. Faith was the only thing that would heal Tommy Love’s heart, a man who has everything he could want – except hope, joy, peace and love.”

Vannetta Chapman enjoyed her visits to Wisconsin one-room schoolhouses while researching her first novel for Harvest House. Research for A Promise for Miriam, which releases July 1 and is about a woman who teaches in such a schoolhouse, gave her the opportunity to “compare their type of education to what I had worked in, teaching as a public school teacher the last 15 years (grades 7 – college). Needless to say, I was impressed! Add a widow from Indiana who brings a daughter with very special needs, stir in a dash of romance and you have a story that is all about second chances and how God never gives up on us.”

Deanna Klingel rejoices that her book Bread Upon the Water finally releases today. “The book was scheduled to release before Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then Valentine Day, then “spring” now finally!!!” Does that make her extra special happy? You betcha!

Jill Elizabeth Nelson is delighted that Mistletoe Mayhem, her novella in the collection Season of Danger, won the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference 2012 Selah Award in the Novella Category.

Mary Anslee Urban celebrates finaling in the Write Integrity Books of Hope Contest for series books. The first book of her entry for the series Faithful Counsel Chronicles is due November 30.

Marie Coutu is also busy preparing her manuscript for a November 30 deadline. She, too, finaled in the Write Integrity Books of Hope Contest for her Mended Vessels Series.

June Foster is pleased to announce that she has signed a contract with WhiteFire Publishing for her novel Ryan’s Father which is expected to release in 2013. “Ryan’s Father, a story so dear to my heart, deals with a difficult topic from a Christian worldview. I am so pleased that this awsome publishing company is willing to take a stand with me. Thank you, WhiteFire.” 

Wow! What a great time these authors have had in the last month. High Five!! everybody!

What writing accomplishments have you had that will allow us to celebrate with you?