Presenting the Winners of the 2019 INSPY Awards
Hello, everyone! Today I can finally share the INSPY Winners 2019! The INSPY board had an array of titles that you nominated which then comprised the seven-category longlists. Then, of course we had to narrow those then down to a mere three for our 2019 shortlists. The task of picking a single novel then goes to our panels of judges; and today, we share their respective choice for a winner in our six categories. (The board decides the seventh, which is debut fiction.) Before we get to the winners, I have a few shout outs to make.
To those who nominated their favorite reads of 2018, we appreciate this! Without a list of fiction, this program wouldn’t work.
To everyone (publicists/publishers and book bloggers, to social media experts) who helped make another year for the INSPYs a success; thank you.
To our panels of judges, thank you for joining in the program; and ensuring we’re able to run an effective award program.
Congrats to all of the authors who received nominations, and to those who walk away with an award.
Finally (last, but not least) to my fellow INSPY Advisory Board members; thank you for all you do for fiction and this program. Like always, it’s fun to work with and call you friends.
Without further ado, let’s talk about the winners of the 2019 INSPYs!
INSPY Winners 2019
Following careful consideration, our incredible judging panels (as holds true of every year, we extend many thanks to) chose the 2019 INSPYs award winners in our seven respective categories.
After a great deal of reading, a calendar, author interviews and emails in excess, the INSPY Advisory Board announces the 2019 INSPY Award Winners.
Below are the seven winning novels in their respective categories alongside a statement from our judges on the reasons why they felt the book deserves this years INSPY award.
2019 INSPY Award Winners
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE / ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Falling for You by Becky Wade is what good Inspirational Fiction is made of. Readers will relate to Corbin and Willow and their personal struggles as the two work through the mystery and come face to face not only with each other, but with their faith. The story pace is balanced; the romance between Corbin and Willow, peppered with light-hearted and sweet moments, is one of great depth. Falling for You is a layered romance of mystery, struggle, and vulnerability that reflects our relationships with each other and God.
DEBUT FICTION
Though it’s a debut novel, Among the Poppies exhibits all the right elements a memorable story needs; charming and emotional in equal parts. The spunky heroine refuses to give up on anyone, which is just one of the qualities we love best about her;the swoony hero who never backs down from his duty as a soldier will win your heart over from the moment you meet him. Set during the tumult of WWI, J’Nell manages to weave good into a novel that doesn’t shy away from the conflicts and horrors of its setting. Those who enjoy Downton Abbey or historical fiction will find an inspired and romantic story inside the pages of Among the Poppies. It’s a solid debut that tugs on the heartstrings and stays with its reader.
Meet J’nell! A Conversation with J’nell Ciesielski
GENERAL FICTION
Katie Ganshert stepped into risky territory to bring us all a gripping novel with a much needed message for today. The multi-perspective view opened the doors to a more powerful story with deeper connections to the characters within. The characters faced a whole spectrum of emotions as they are forced to examine their views toward the people around them once they infringed upon their way of life. It develops a deeper sense of empathy for the readers as they step inside the shoes of others and examine their own biases they may or may not know they’ve held. A relevant story for current times, this is a novel not easily forgotten.
Meet Katie! A Conversation with Katie Ganshert
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof is a novel that offers a unique and touching story of loss, redemption, love, and family. Rustic cabins, apple orchards, freshwater ponds, and wooded hillsides allow the story to grow richly from the landscape of its Appalachian setting even amidst the hurt and uncertainty of life in the South in the years following the Civil War. The well-developed characters are simply captivating and abound with authenticity and vulnerability. Their insecurities, their fears, their needs, and their desires are wholly believable, heart-wrenching, and inspiring. The opportunities, the choices, and the trials that the characters endure are intricately developed, and from them there unfolds a story that is thoroughly enriching and endearing.
Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a novel that artfully balances hope and despair, perseverance and struggle, and faithfulness and uncertainty. With unflinching skill, the author explores raw emotions, painful experiences, and deep hurt. Yet, this journey through and beyond despair and heartache is significantly strengthened and uplifted by meaningful moments of grace and gentle reminders that hope, restoration, healing, and reconciliation are made possible through God’s mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love.
Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a thoroughly breathtaking novel. Bischof’s writing style is achingly beautiful and utterly immersive strengthened by a lyrical quality that is quietly profound. Within every word and phrase there is deep meaning, real truth, and thoughtful purpose. Carefully detailed, descriptive, insightful, and moving, this remarkable story is certainly one to be savored. We, the judges, wholeheartedly agree that Sons of Blackbird Mountain is truly worthy of the 2019 Historical Romance INSPY Award.
Meet Joanne! A Conversation with Joanne Bischof
LITERATURE FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Shawn Smucker’s The Edge of Over There combines atmospheric prose, compelling characterization, and imaginative storytelling to invite YA readers to ponder the spiritual and physical implications of death—a theme that gets to the very heart of the Christian faith. There is a pervading sense of mystery and suspense as the story unfolds, and Abra and Leo must sort truth from lies and friend from foe as they search for the Tree of Life and consider whether immortality on this side of “Over There” is a gift or a curse. The high literary quality of this thought-provoking read made it a stand-out among this year’s YA selections.
Meet Shawn! A Conversation with Shawn Smucker
MYSTERY / THRILLER
All three of us were quickly hooked within the opening pages that doesn’t let up until the end. Each timeline contains its own mystery, which keeps the story simmering with suspense regardless of which time period is being read about. We thoroughly enjoyed how the two time periods connect, and how the main characters in each time period are from the same family line. The spiritual thread of the power of offering grace and receiving forgiveness is significant through both time periods which adds to the strength of this story. The Reckoning kept us on our toes, kept us guessing, and had us turning the pages at amazing speeds, all while offering the most important lesson of all – knowing Jesus. It’s our privilege and honor to award the winner of the 2019 INSPY Mystery/Thriller Category to The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond.
Meet Jaime! A Conversation with Jaime Jo Wright
SPECULATIVE FICTION
It is our honour to recognize Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse as the INSPY Award winner in the Speculative Fiction category. While we enjoyed every novel on the shortlist, Mark of the Raven captured us with its powerful storytelling. Busse subverts the Chosen One trope by giving readers a conflicted and complex protagonist in Lady Selene. She feels fated to follow her family’s legacy, yet she has just learned how awful it really is and debates how or if she can rebel against it.
The themes of sacrifice, unity in diversity, discovering one’s identity, and learning to use one’s gifts intertwine to weave a magnificent story full of twists and surprises. Busse’s world-building is extraordinary. She explains all the fantastical elements through the story in magnificent fashion, showing rather than telling, enabling readers to become fully and naturally immersed in the world she has created. We eagerly await the continuation of the series!
Meet Morgan! A Conversation with Morgan L. Busse
We’d like to thank our judges for their hard work and careful consideration of each title. Another successful year for the INSPY program has come and gone – thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.
Congratulations to the winners and all of the nominated authors! You can meet our shortlist authors by searching the ‘2019 Author Interview‘ tag.
Do you spy a favorite or maybe a new #weekendreads option? Come by to discover which books our judges give an INSPY award: Presenting the Winners of the 2019 INSPY Awards Share on XSHARE ON PINTEREST!
Download the press release: 2019 INSPY Award Winners.
Wow this is amazing! I hadn’t heard about this until now but I’ll have to look more into how this all started. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!
Cool! Thanks so much for the interest, Leelynn. We appreciate this – and thanks for the congrats to the authors. :)