The winners of the tenth annual Christy Awards were announced Saturday ahead of this week’s International Christian Retail Show.
From each of the nine Christian fiction categories, a winner was selected by a panel of seven judges and recognized with the top honor, continuing a tradition that has been running since 1999.
The winners of the 2009 Christy Awards are:
Contemporary Romance Category
* Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
Contemporary Series, Sequels & Novellas Category
* You Had Me at Good-bye by Tracey Bateman (FaithWords)
Contemporary Standalone Category
* Dogwood by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)
First Novel Category
* Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake (David C. Cook)
Historical Category
* Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin (Bethany House Publishers)
Historical Romance Category
* From a Distance by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House Publishers)
Suspense Category
* The Rook by Steven James (Revell)
Visionary Category
* Vanish by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale House Publishers)
Young Adult Category
* I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke (Moody Publishers)
