2014 Selah Award Winners (and Finalists)

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE 2014

Ridgecrest, NC—

Alton Gansky, Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and Eva Marie Everson, BRMCWC Contest Director, announce the finalists in the 2014 Selah Awards, awarded to published authors each year during the “Blue Ridge” conference.

The Selah Awards are open industry wide and internationally to authors published by traditional and nontraditional publishing houses during the previous year. The awards were given during the awards banquet held on Wednesday evening, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The 2014 Book of the Year award is chosen by the contest director from the top scores/first place recipients.

This year, finalists were named in thirteen categories. They are (in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name, winners are noted in bold):

Children (Tie for Third)

Michelle Medlock Adams—God Knows You (Candy Cane Press)

Burton W. Cole—Bash and the Pirate Pig (B&H Kids)

Hannah C. Hall—God Bless You and Goodnight (Thomas Nelson)

Jill Roman Lord—If Jesus Came to Visit Me (Candy Cane Press)

Inspiration and Gift

Debora M. Coty—Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate (Barbour Publishing)

Cynthia Howerter & La-Tan Roland Murphy—God’s Provision in Tough Times (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Rose Chandler Johnson—God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Christian Life

Jo Ann Fore—When A Woman Finds Her Voice (Leafwood Publishers)

Cynthia Ruchti—Ragged Hope (Abingdon Press)

Linda Evans Shepherd—Experiencing God’s Presence (Revell)

Bible Study

Nick Hawkes—The Bible on the Key Issues of Life (Wombat Books)

Beebe Kauffman—Isaiah: Setting Things Right (Lighthouse Bible Studies)

Erica Wiggenhorn—Moses: Every Life Proof of God’s Promises (Crossbooks)

Young Adult Nonfiction

Bethany Jett—The Cinderella Rule (Regal)

Kelly McIntosh (Gen. Ed)—God Hearts Me; Daily Devotions for a Girl’s Heart (Barbour Publishing)

Cyle Young—Belly Buttons & Broken Hearts (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Young Adult Fiction

Elaine Marie Cooper—Fields of the Fatherless (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Tessa Emily Hall—Purple Moon (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Eddie Jones—Dead Low Tide (Zonderkidz)

First Novel (Tie for Third)

Dianna T. Benson—The Hidden Son (Ellechor Publishing House)

Carole Brown—The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Aaron D. Gansky—The Bargain (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Tessa Emily Hall—Purple Moon (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Fiction: Novella

Paula Mowery—Be the Blessing (Pelican Book Group)

Linda Wood Rondeau—A Christmas Prayer (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Gina Welborn—Mercy Mild (Barbour Publishing)

Fiction: Speculative

Ian Acheson—Angelguard (Lion Hudson)

Lisa Belcastro—Shenandoah Crossings (OakTara)

Lisa Belcastro—Shenandoah Nights (OakTara)

Fiction: Suspense

Richard L. Mabry, M.D.—Stress Test (Thomas Nelson)

Linnette R. Mullin—Finding Beth (CrossRiver Media Group)

Jordyn Redwood—Poison (Kregel)

Fiction: Historical

Vikki Kestell—Joy on This Mountain (Faith-Filled Fiction)

Ann Tatlock—Sweet Mercy (Bethany House Publishers)

Liz Tolsma—Snow on the Tulips (Thomas Nelson)

Fiction: Romance

Rachel Hauck—Once Upon a Prince (Zondervan)

Maureen Lang—All in Good Time (Tyndale Publishers)

Davalynn Spencer—The Rancher’s Second Chance (Love Inspired / Heartsong Presents)

Fiction: Contemporary Women

Normandie Fischer—Sailing Out of Darkness (WhiteFire Publishing)

Anita Higman—Winter in Full Bloom (Moody Publishers)

Cynthia Ruchti—When the Morning Glory Blooms (Abingdon Press)

The 2014 Selah Book of the Year was awarded to Michelle Medlock Adams for God Knows You (Candy Cane Press).

Thanks to the generous support of Crossbooks and LifeWay/Ridgecrest, the banquet was telecast live over the internet.

Dr. Seuss Quote

"Be who you are and say what you feel, 

the people who mind don't matter 

and the people who matter don't mind." 

~Dr. Seuss

Why Should I Go to the Doctor?

I hate being sick.

On one particular puny occasion, I woke up with a tingle in my throat and a runny nose, and by the end of the day, my head felt like it was stuck in the my washing machine’s spin cycle. Every body part minus my toes ached. When I realized I was too blah to even stop the kids from smacking each other around, I knew my optimism for healing was misplaced optimism. Off to the doctor I flew. I had an upper respiratory tract infection, URTI for short. That was me, Gina, the hurtie with the URTI. 

Why do we wait until we're miserable before we go to the doctor? Because we think we can solve our sickness on our own.

Every person goes through trials and tribulations. The easy solution is to take Job’s wife’s advice and “curse God and die.” Weakness isn’t admitting you need help. Weakness is suffering when someone or something is available to help you if you’d just ask.

Do you struggle with balancing family and/or job responsibilities with your desired time to _____? Do you batter envy and frustration over other people’s successes? Do you feel like you’re the only person in the world without _______?

Strength isn’t suffering through what you’re experiencing.

Strength is admitting your burdens, struggles, and failure and accepting the available help.

Now Jesus returns to prayer, an important and sometimes difficult topic. Here He gives the very essence of prayer. 

Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. 

Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. 

All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek. 

And he who knocks, will have the door opened. 

~Matthew 7:7-12a

Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference Selah Award Finalists

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eva Marie Everson, Contest Director

E:mail: blueridgecwc@aol.com

May 7, 2014

Ridgecrest, NC—Alton Gansky, Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and Eva Marie Everson, BRMCWC Contest Director, announce the finalists in the 2014 Selah Awards, awarded to published authors each year during the “Blue Ridge” conference.

The Selah Awards are open industry wide and internationally to authors published by traditional and nontraditional publishing houses during the previous year. The awards will be given during the awards banquet held on Wednesday evening, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The 2014 Book of the Year award is chosen by the contest director from the top scores/first place recipients.

This year, finalists have been named in thirteen categories. They are (in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name):

Children (Tie for Third)

Michelle Medlock Adams—God Knows You (Candy Cane Press)

Burton W. Cole—Bash and the Pirate Pig (B&H Kids)

Hannah C. Hall—God Bless You and Goodnight (Thomas Nelson)

Jill Roman Lord—If Jesus Came to Visit Me (Candy Cane Press)

Inspiration and Gift

Debora M. Coty—Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolates (Barbour Publishing)

Cynthia Howerter & La-Tan Roland Murphy—God’s Provision in Tough Times (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Rose Chandler Johnson—God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Christian Life

Jo Ann Fore—When A Woman Finds Her Voice (Leafwood Publishers)

Cynthia Ruchti—Ragged Hope (Abingdon Press)

Linda Evans Shepherd—Finding God’s Presence (Revell)

Bible Study

Nick Hawkes—The Bible on the Key Issues of Life (Wombat Books)

Beebe Kauffman—Isaiah: Setting Things Right (Lighthouse Bible Studies)

Erica Wiggenhorn—Moses: Every Life Proof of God’s Promises (Crossbooks)

Young Adult Nonfiction

Bethany Jett—The Cinderella Rule (Regal)

Kelly McIntosh (Gen. Ed)—God Hearts Me; Daily Devotions for a Girl’s Heart (Barbour Publishing)

Cyle Young—Belly Buttons & Broken Hearts (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Young Adult Fiction

Elaine Marie Cooper—Fields of the Fatherless (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Tessa Emily Hall—Purple Moon (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Eddie Jones—Dead Low Tide (Zonderkidz)

First Novel (Tie for Third)

Dianna T. Benson—The Hidden Son (Ellechor Publishing House)

Carole Brown—The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Aaron D. Gansky—The Bargain (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Tessa Emily Hall—Purple Moon (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Fiction: Novella

Paula Mowery—Be the Blessing (Pelican Book Group)

Linda Wood Rondeau—A Christmas Prayer (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Gina Welborn—Mercy Mild (Barbour Publishing)

Fiction: Speculative

Ian Acheson—Angelguard (Lion Hudson)

Lisa Belcastro—Shenandoah Crossings (OakTara)

Lisa Belcastro—Shenandoah Nights (OakTara)

Fiction: Suspense

Richard L. Mabry, M.D.—Stress Test (Thomas Nelson)

Linnette R. Mullin—Finding Beth (CrossRiver Media Group)

Jordyn Redwood—Poison (Kregel)

Fiction: Historical

Vikki Kestell—Joy on This Mountain (Faith-Filled Fiction)

Ann Tatlock—Sweet Mercy (Bethany House Publishers)

Liz Tolsma—Snow on the Tulips (Thomas Nelson)

Fiction: Romance

Rachel Hauck—Once Upon a Prince (Zondervan)

Maureen Lang—All in Good Time (Tyndale Publishers)

Davalynn Spencer—The Rancher’s Second Chance (Love Inspired / Heartsong Presents)

Fiction: Contemporary Women

Normandie Fischer—Sailing Out of Darkness (WhiteFire Publishing)

Anita Higman—Winter in Full Bloom (Moody Publishers)

Cynthia Ruchti—When the Morning Glory Blooms (Abingdon Press)

Thanks to the generous support of Crossbooks and LifeWay/Ridgecrest, the banquet will be telecast live over the internet. To access the live stream during the awards banquet, click on: http://ridgecrestconferencecenter.org/christian-writers-live#.U2k6Y_ldUuc.

For more information, you may email Eva Marie Everson at BlueRidgeCWC(at)aol(dot)com.