Christy Award Finalists 2020 -- Young Adult

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres." (from the Christy Awards website.)

These 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. I haven't read any in this category. :-(

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Christy Award finalists 2020 - Young Adult category you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists.

The Means That Makes Me Strangers by Christine Kindberg (Bellflower Press)

Home is where your people are. But who are your people?

Adelaide has lived her whole life in rural Ethiopia, where she and her family are the only white people she knows. Then her family moves to South Carolina, in 1966.

Adelaide promises she'll return to Ethiopia and become part of the village for good. But until she turns eighteen, Adelaide must adjust to this strange, white place everyone tells her is home. Then Adelaide becomes friends with the five African-American students who sued for admission to the white high school. As life in Greenville becomes more interesting, home becomes a much more complex equation.

Adelaide must finally choose where she belongs: the Ethiopian village where she grew up, to which she promised to return? Or this new place where she's become part of something bigger?

The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson (Thomas Nelson)

A plague of rats. A giant beast outside the village walls. A host of missing children. And one young woman determined to save her people.

In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina faces threats from all sides. An outbreak of rats has overtaken the village, a mysterious beast is on a killing rampage of the village's children, and Katerina's evil stepfather is a dark presence inside the walls of her own home. Katerina is determined to hunt and kill the Beast of Hamlin herself before more lives are lost.

When Steffan, the handsome but brash duke's son, comes to town seeking glory and reward, Katerina decides he might be the ally she's been looking for -- even though the only gentle thing about him seems to be the sweet music he plays on his pipe. But there's more to Steffan than she suspects, and she finds herself drawn to him despite her misgivings.

Together Katerina and Steffan must stop the enemy from stealing the children of Hamlin. But their interference might create an even worse fate for the entire village. Melanie Dickerson delivers another exciting fairy-tale journey of intrigue and romance in this reimagining of the classic Pied Piper story.

The Winter King by Christine Cohen (Canonball Books)

Ever since Cora's father disappeared through the ice, whispers about her family's 'curse' have grown increasingly louder. Desperate to help her mother and siblings survive another bleak season in the Winter King's frozen grasp, Cora begins to bend (and even break) the rules she has kept since she was a little girl. But when she discovers a secret that is much bigger than herself, she realizes too late that she has put herself -- and those she loves -- in even greater peril.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note the formats these giveaways are available in:

The Means That Makes Us Strangers - ebook

The Piper's Pursuit -- paperback or ebook -- winner's choice

The Winter King -- ebook

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the Christy Award Finalists 2020 -- Young Adult Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 14 2020. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Christy Award Finalist 2020 - - Visionary

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres." (from the Christy Awards website.)

These 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. I haven't read any in this category. :-(

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Christy Award finalists 2020 - Visionary category you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists.

Cry of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse (Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group)

Book Three in The Ravenwood Saga series.

Lady Selene Ravenwood has come into her full power as a dreamwalker just as the war with the Dominia Empire begins. Working with the other Great Houses, Selene and Damien use their gifts to secure the borders and save those devastated by the war. But conflict, betrayal, and hatred begin to spread between the Great Houses, destroying their unity as the empire burns a path across their lands. At the same time, Damien Maris starts to lose his ability to raise the waters, leaving the lands vulnerable to the empire's attacks.

The only one who can unite the houses and restore her husband's power is Selene Ravenwood. But it will require that she open her heart to those who have hurt her and let go of her past, despite the one who hunts her and will do anything to stop her power.

Will Selene survive? Or is she destined to fall like the dreamwalkers before her?

Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck (Enclave Publishing)

Book One of The Dancing Realms series

The dancers of the Order direct their floating world of Meriel with their movements, but are they steering toward destruction?

Calara spent her life learning dance patterns and seeking to become the perfect servant to her people. When she discovers the work of the Order is built on lies, she flees with a rough-edged herder, Brantley of Windswell. Pursued by soldiers, her journey through the suffering villages of the rim leads her to a forgotten truth that sends ripples through her world -- and through her soul.

Calara seeks clues to her forgotten family and discovers newfound courage in the face of danger, while her quest awakens a growing but forbidden affection for Brantley. Yet even his support can't fully be trusted, since he'd rather destroy the Order than bring reform.

She is a lone woman facing opposition from rim villages and treachery from the all-powerful Order. Can she restore the dance to its true purpose and bring freedom and hope to her people?

The Story Raider by Lindsay A. Franklin (Enclave Publishing)

Book Two in the Weaver Trilogy

Deceiving an empire is a treacherous game.

Tanwen and the Corsyth weavers race to collect the strands of an ancient cure that might save Gryfelle. But Tanwen has a secret -- Gryfelle isn't the only one afflicted by the weaver's curse.

As Queen Braith struggles to assert her rule, a new arrival throws her tenuous claim to the Tirian throne into question. Braith's heart is turned upside down, and she's not sure she can trust anyone -- least of all herself.

The puppet master behind Gareth's rise to power has designs on Tanwen and the story weavers and will stop at nothing to reclaim the throne. A plot to incite the angry peasants of Tir takes shape, and those dearest to Tanwen will be caught in the crosshairs. As the fight for Tir consumes the realm, no one can remain innocent.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Each title is available in both paperback and ebook format -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the Christy Award Finalists 2020 -- Visionary Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 14 2020. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Christy Award Finalists 2020 - Short Form

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres." (from the Christy Awards website.)

These 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. I've read two in this category. I'll include links to my reviews in the descriptions.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Christy Award finalists 2020 - Short Form category you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists.

A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall (Waterbrook)

Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community's ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she's stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she'd cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Green's Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister.

The Zooks take in Arlan and Madga, tending to the woman's illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm. Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God has in store for their futures and what miracles might lie around the corner this Christmas season.

A Flood of Love by Tracie Peterson (Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group) part of the Serving Up Love : a Four-in-one Harvey House Brides Collection.

After ten years away, Gretchen Briggs returns to her hometown in New Mexico to fill in at the Harvey House, only to be reminded of the reason why she left when Dirk Masteron, the man who broke her heart, reappears. Then suddenly, disaster strikes and together they must learn to put the past behind them and reconcile with God as they fear the worst.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2020/01/serving-up-love.html

Intrigue a la Mode by Regina Jennings (Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group) part of the Serving Up Love : a Four-in-One Harvey House Brides Collection

Willow finds herself drawn to the hotel's new busyboy, Graham, but little does she know he's a railroad heir working undercover to track down criminals using his trains. As he sets out to find the truth, another truth soon becomes equally urgent -- will the Harvey Girl he has come to love care for the railroad heir as much as she cared for the lowly busboy?

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2020/01/serving-up-love.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

A Christmas Haven is available in paperback or ebook -- winner's choice

A Flood of Love and Intrigue a la Mode are part of the Serving Up Love novella collection. It is available in paperback or ebook -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the Christy Award Finalists 2020 -- Short Form Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 7 2020. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Christy Awards Finalists 2020 -- Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Category

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres." (from the Christy Awards website.)

These 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. I've read two in this category. I'll include links to my reviews in the descriptions.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Christy Award 2020 -- Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists. 

Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group)

After Aggie Dunkirk's career is unceremoniously ended by her own mistakes, she finds herself traveling to Wisconsin, where her grandmother, Mumsie, lives alone in her vintage, though very outdated, home. Aggie didn't plan for how eccentric Mumsie has become, obsessing over an old, unsolved crime scene -- even going so far as to re-create it in a dollhouse.

Mystery seems to follow Aggie when she finds work as a secretary helping to restore the flooded historical part of the town's cemetery. Forced to work with a puzzling yet attractive archaeologist, she exhumes the past's secrets and unwittingly uncovers a crime that some will go to any length to keep hidden -- even if that means silencing Aggie.

In 1946, Imogene Grayson works in a beauty salon but has her sights set on Hollywood. But coming home to discover her younger sister's body in the attic changes everything. Unfamiliar with the burgeoning world of forensic science and, as a woman, not particularly welcomed into the investigation, Imogene is nonetheless determined to stay involved. As her sister's case grows cold, Imogene vows to find justice...no matter the cost.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/12/echoes-among-stones.html

The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker (Revell / Baker Publishing Group)

Ten years ago, Grace saw something that would forever change the course of history. When evil in its purest form is unleashed on the world, she and others from their religious community are already hidden deep in the hills of Tennessee, abiding by every rule that will keep them safe, pure -- and alive. As long as they stay there, behind the red perimeter.

Her older brother's questions and the arrival of the first outsiders she's seen in a decade set in motion events that will question everything Grace has built her life on. Enemies rise on all sides -- but who is the real enemy? And what will it cost her to uncover the truth?

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-girl-behind-red-rope.html

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock (Thomas Nelson)

One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.

Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn't until he's sidelined by an injury that he's forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.

Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher's daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate's drunken dad was loud -- and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father's conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.

Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she's fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he's using lies and his family's money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she's turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.

As Nate and Brenna deal with the present -- including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that's threatening their town -- the past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she'll have to learn to trust him again first .

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the Christy Award Finalists -- Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 7 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Christy Award Finalists -- Historical Romance

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres." (from the Christy Awards website.)

These 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. I've read all three in this category. I'll include links to my reviews in the descriptions.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Christy Award Historical Romance 2020 finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists. 

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin (Revell / Baker Publishing Group)

In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the  upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers' betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for -- fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.

Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family -- the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.

After Clay saves Leah's life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-Day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay's recurring dream comes true?

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-land-beneath-us.html

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White (Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group)

Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera -- and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question -- and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he'd feared.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-portrait-of-loyalty.html

The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson)

When art historican Kiera Foley is hired to authenticate a painting of a centuries-old East Suffolk maor, she hopes this is just the thing to get her career and life back on t rack. But from the time she arrives at Parham Hill Estate and begins working alongside rumored art thief Emory Scott, she's left with far more questions than answers. Could this lost painting of Queen Victoria be a duplicate of the original Winterhalter masterpiece, and if so, who is the artist?

As Keira begins to unravel the mystery behind the portrait, two women emerge from the estate's forgotten past. In Victorian England, talented sketch artist Elizabeth Meade is engaged to Viscount Huxley, then owner of Parham Hill. However, Elizabeth's real motive for being at Parham Hill has nothing to do with art or marriage. She's determined to avenge her father's brutal murder -- even if it means a betrothal to the very man she believes committed the crime.

A century later, Amelia Woods -- a World War II widow who has turned Parham Hill and its beloved library into a boarding school for refugee children -- receives military orders to house a troop of American pilots. She is determined the children in her care will remain untouched by the war, but the task is proving difficult with officers taking up every square inch of their world...and one in particular vying for a space in Amelia's long-shut up heart.

Set in three time periods -- the rapid change of Victorian England, the peak of England's homefront tensions at the end of WWII, and modern day -- The Painted Castle unfolds a story of heartache and hope and unlocks secrets lost for generations just waiting to be found.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-painted-castle.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the Christy Award Finalists -- Historical Romance Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 7 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Christy Award Finalists 2020 -- Historical

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres." (from the Christy Awards website.)

These 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. I've read two in this category. I'll include links to my reviews in the descriptions.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Christy Award Historical Fiction 2020 finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists.

The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts (Thoma Nelson)

Two young friends embark upon an epic journey across 1940s middle America in search of answers, a family, and a place to call home.

The only kind of life Brighton Turner understands is the one she has endured within the dreary walls of a rural Pennsylvania asylum. A nurse has thoughtfully educated and raised Brighton, but she has also kept vital information from her in order to keep her close. Brighton befriends a boy whom she calls Angel -- he doesn't know his name -- and as the two of them learn more about what lies beyond the walls they call home, they fight for their release and eventually escape.

However, the world outside the only place they've ever known is not what they expect. They have no real names, no money, and no help -- and they must rely upon the kindness of strangers as they walk and hitchhike from Pennsylvania to Michigan to find their last hope for home.

This heartbreaking journey, narrated in gorgeous prose, explores what it means to belong -- and to scour the universe with fresh eyes for the brightness within.

The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke (Tyndale House)

For fans of bestselling World War II fiction like Sarah's Key and The Nightingale comes an illuminating tale of courage, sacrifice, and survival, about two couples whose lives are ravaged by Hitler's mad war yet eventually redeemed through the fate of one little girl.

Seemingly overnight, the German blitzrieg of Warsaw in 1939 turns its streets to a war zone and shatters the life of each citizen -- Polish, Jewish, or otherwise. Sophie Kumiega, a British bride working in the city's library, awaits news of her husband, Janek, recently deployed with the Polish Air Force. Though Sophie is determined that she and the baby in her womb will stay safe, the days ahead will draw her into the plight of those around her, compelling her to help, whatever the danger.

Rosa and Itzhak Dunovich never imagined they would welcome their longed-for first child in the Jewish ghetto, or that they would let anything tear their family apart. But as daily atrocities intensify, Rosa soon faces a terrifying reality: to save their daughter's life, she must send her into hiding. Her only hope of finding her after the war -- if any of them survive -- is a medallion she cuts in half and places around her neck.

Inspired by true events of Poland's darkest days and brightest heroes, The Medallion paints a stunning portrait of ear and its aftermath, daring us to believe that when all seems lost, God can make a way forward.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-medallion.html

Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson (Tyndale House) 

This novel draws from true accounts to shine a light on a period of Holland's darkest history and bravest heroes.

1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie Van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese's son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese's dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape.

Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West's Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon's great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life -- and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/10/memories-of-glass.html

My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda Barratt (Kregel) 

A staggering love illuminating the dark corners of a Nazi prison.

Renowned German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is famous for his resistance to the Nazi regime and for his allegiance to God over government. But what few realize is that the last years of his life also held a love story that rivals any romance novel.

Maria von Wedemeyer knows the realities of war. Her beloved father and brother have both been killed on the battfield. The last thing this spirited young woman needs is to fall for a man under constant surveillance by the Gestapo. How can she give another piece of her heart to a man so likely to share the same final fate? Yet when Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and old family friend, comes to comfort the von Wedemyers after their losses, she discovers that love isn't always logical.

Dietrich himself has determined to keep his distance from romantic attachments. There is too much work to be done for God, and his involvement in the conspiracy is far too important. But when he encounters a woman whose intelligence and conviction match his own, he's unprepared for how easy it is to give away his heart.

With their deep love comes risk -- and neither Dietrich nor Maria is prepared for just how great that risk soon becomes.

Based on detailed historical research and including photos from both Maria's and Dietrich's lives, this is a true love story at once beautiful and heartrending. My Dearest Dietrich sheds new light on a world-famous theologian...and the woman who changed his life.

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Important to note:

The Bright Unknown, The Medallion and Memories of Glass giveways are for either a paperback or ebook -- winner's choice. 

My Dearest Dietrich giveaway is for an ebook 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the Christy Awards Finalists in the Historical Fiction Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 31 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!