The 2013 Christy Awards were presented at the 14th annual Christy Awards dinner held on June 24, 2013 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview; bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership; and provide opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status.

The Christy Advisory Committee debuted the Christy Hall of Fame by inducting authors Lynn Austin, winner of eight Christy Awards, and Karen Hancock, winner of four  Christy Awards. The event also premiered the Christy Book of the Year Award, showcasing the novel that had the greatest  impact when placed against a set of criteria that includes literary quality, sales and life impact. A jury of three people read the year’s nine Christy Award winners and identified INTO THE FREE by Julie Cantrell as best exemplifying those factors.

For more information, go to ChristyAwards.com. The Christy Awards are also on Facebook and Twitter.

2013 Winners

Contemporary Romance
THE BREATH OF DAWN by Kristen Heitzmann (Bethany House Publishers)

Contemporary Series, Sequels, And Novellas
YOU DON'T KNOW ME by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

Contemporary Standalone
NOT IN THE HEART by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel
INTO THE FREE by Julie Cantrell (David C Cook)

Historical
FLAME OF RESISTANCE by Tracy Groot (Tyndale House Publishers)

Historical Romance
AGAINST THE TIDE by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers)

Suspense
RARE EARTH by Davis Bunn (Bethany House Publishers)

Visionary
SOUL'S GATE by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson)

Young Adult
CHILD OF THE MOUNTAINS by Marilyn Sue Shank (Delacorte Press, a division of Random House)
 

2013 Nominees

Contemporary Romance

• THE BREATH OF DAWN by Kristen Heitzmann (Bethany House Publishers)
• LETHAL LEGACY by Irene Hannon (Revell)
• WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER by Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Contemporary Series, Sequels, And Novellas

• TWO DESTINIES by Elizabeth Musser (David C Cook)
• YOU DON'T KNOW ME by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)
• WAITING FOR SUNRISE by Eva Marie Everson (Revell)

Contemporary Standalone

• THE AIR WE BREATHE by Christa Parrish (Bethany House Publishers)
• BORDERS OF THE HEART by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)
• NOT IN THE HEART by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel

• INTO THE FREE by Julie Cantrell (David C Cook)
• TANGLED ASHES by Michèle Phoenix (Tyndale House Publishers)
• WEDDED TO WAR by Jocelyn Green (River North)

Historical

• FLAME OF RESISTANCE by Tracy Groot (Tyndale House Publishers)
• WEDDED TO WAR by Jocelyn Green (River North)
• A WREATH OF SNOW by Liz Curtis Higgs (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Historical Romance

• AGAINST THE TIDE by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers)
• BE STILL MY SOUL by Joanne Bischof (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
• LOVE'S RECKONING by Laura Frantz (Revell)

Suspense

• DOWNFALL by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan)
• THE LAST PLEA BARGAIN by Randy Singer (Tyndale House Publishers)
• RARE EARTH by Davis Bunn (Bethany House Publishers)
• SUBMERGED by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House Publishers)

Visionary

• DAUGHTER OF LIGHT by Morgan L. Busse (Marcher Lord Press)
• SOUL'S GATE by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson)
• STARFLOWER by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers)

Young Adult

• CHILD OF THE MOUNTAINS by Marilyn Sue Shank (Delacorte Press, a division of Random House)
• FAILSTATE by John W. Otte (Marcher Lord Press)
• INTERRUPTED: A Life Beyond Words, by Rachel Coker (Zondervan)

See last year's nominees and winners: 2012 Christy Awards