The 2012 Genesis Semi-Finalist List is Here!

Congratulations to the Semi-Finalists in the 2012 Genesis Contest!

The Genesis Contest is the ACFW contest for unpublished Christian writers. Genesis has a number of categories/genres to enter, the opportunity for unbiased feedback on writers' work by published authors and experienced judges, and the chance for the category finalists to have their work read by Christian publishing house editors and literary agents. ACFW has been pleased to see previous category winners and finalists move further in their writing careers to become published authors.

The top 20% of entries from each category have now moved on to the semi-final Round. The semi-final judges will be published authors who will read and rank the entries.

Contemporary Fiction
Kimberli Buffaloe
Michael Ehret
Casey Herringshaw
Melissa Lewis
Michelle Massaro
Colleen Shine Phillips
Anne Prado
Will Schmitt
Sarah J. Smith
Chris Storm
Linda J. Truesdell
Brenda J. Young

Contemporary Romance
Cora Allen
Brenda Anderson
Jennie Atkins
Pepper Basham
Kimberly Buckner (double semi-finalist)
Tari Faris
Sarah Hamaker
Kara Isaac (double semi-finalist)
Ava W. Jenkins
Kimberly Johnson
Jessica Keller
Amy Matayo
Shannon McNear
Carol Moncado
Sherri Murray
Andrea Nell
Melissa Tagg
Cindy R. Wilson

Historical Fiction
Heidi Chiavaroli
Jessica Clochesy
Nancy Diekmann
Kathleen L. Maher
Christina Miller
Vanessa Morton
Rachel Neal
Leslie J. Payne
Sarah Thomas
Mary Kay Tuberty
Terri Wangard
Renee Yancy
Elizabeth Byler Younts


Historical Romance
Lance Albury
Whitney M. Bailey
Crystal L. Barnes
Karen Barnett
Debra Calloway
Brenda Carroll
Kay Chandler
Dawn Crandall
Barbara Curtis
Susanne Dietze
Terri Haynes
Lyndee Henderson
Kristi Ann Hunter
Melissa Jagears
Diane Kalas
Susan Anne Mason
Marilyn Rhoads
Christina Rich
Michelle Shocklee
Ginger Takamiya
Brenda B. Taylor
Brandy Vallance
Lanna Webb
Becca Whitham
Rachel Wilder
Lora Young


Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Jerusha Agen
Rich Bullock
Christen Civiletto Morris
Joseph Robert Courtemanche
Randall Gannaway
Dena Netherton
Deborah Quigley Smith
Matthew Sheehy
Chris Storm
V.B. Tenery
Larry W. Timm (double semi-finalist)
Michael J. Webb

Romantic Suspense
Sally Bayless
Paula Boire
Suzanne Bratcher
Arlene Coulter
Normandie Fischer
Kelli Hughett
Lesley McDaniel
Carrie Padgett
Ellen Parker
Pat Trainum
Katy Vorreiter
Terri Weldon

Speculative Fiction
Caleb Jennings Breakey
Dennis Brooke
Jo Hall
Stephanie Karfelt
Carla Laureano
John Leatherman (double semi-finalist)
William Ramirez (double semi-finalist)
Luke Scott
Regina Smeltzer
Amanda G. Stevens (double semi-finalist)
Heidi Treibel

Women’s Fiction
Connie Almony
Brenda Anderson
Robin Archibald
Sally Bradley
Kathy Buchanan
Diane Chase
Emily Conrad
Susan Hill
Kara Hunt
Ginger Marcinkowski
Susan Miura
Rachel Moore
Christina Nelson
Julie Scorziell
Katherine Scott-Jones
Dawn Alicia Shipman
Amy K. Sorrells
Julia Toto
Pamela Trawick
Erin Taylor Young


Young Adult
Linda Abels
Sandra Barnes
Kathleen Freeman
Sara Goff
Glenn Haggerty
Mary L. Hamilton
Barbara Hartzler
Katherine Hyde
Teresa Lockhart
Rondi Olson
Rajdeep Paulus
Martha Ramirez
Chawna Schroeder
Sarah Tipton
Cynthia Toney


Finalists will be announced at the end of May, and the winner’s will be announced during ACFW’s annual conference gala in September in Dallas.

The Resignation of Eve by Jim Henderson (Non-Fiction)

Why millions of today’s most committed church members may be ready to bolt—and what to do about it

In talking with women around the country, Jim Henderson has come to believe that an epidemic of quiet, even sad resignation is developing among dedicated Christian women who feel overworked and undervalued in the church. As a result, many women are discouraged. Some, particularly young women, respond by leaving the organized church . . . or walking away from the faith altogether.

The Resignation of Eve is a field report on what women have to say about how they’ve been affected—both positively and negatively—by their experiences within the church. Listening to their stories is crucially important because, across the board, the research shows that women are driving changes in the church. What will happen if many of them resign?

It’s time to pay attention before it’s too late—time to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who went out of his way to honor, elevate, and work through women wherever he went.

Containing personal interviews with women and surprising research from George Barna, The Resignation of Eve is a game-changing, conversation-starting book for women who have been engaged in the Christian church, as well as for their pastors and ministry leaders. 

My Review:

     The blurb from the back cover of “The Resignation of Eve” piqued my interest. The book is a compilation of conversations the author has conducted along the subject line of the lack of women leadership and acknowledgment in today’s churches.

     The premise of the book is intriguing and according to some of the statistics provided definitely a topic that needs to be discussed. However, reading through the book at times became disheartening. There seemed to be much emphasis on what women do in the church instead of why they do what they do in the church, regardless of status or acknowledgement. I would've like to see that aspect of this controversial subject matter explored more in-depth.

     That aside, my compliments to author Jim Henderson, who did an excellent job interviewing the women. His questions were deep, thoughtful and at most times thought-provoking which required the women to give the same care to their responses instead of typical worn out pat answers. 

     
     I recommend this book. Not only because the topic is worthy of discussion among pastors, ministry leaders, men and women alike in the church but because it will also lead to the discussion of why women do what they do in the church and the inevitable follow-up question, “Would they do it anyway?”

GIVEAWAY! - Leave a comment to receive a free copy of this book.

 

Jim Henderson

Jim Henderson is acclaimed by USA Today for having "blazed a new path as an innovator, author, church evaluator, self-professed subversive, and leader in the creation of new ways to be publicly and persuasively Christian in the twenty-first century."
Jim is a speaker, author, and producer. His most subversive act to date was buying an atheist's soul on eBay and then sending him to attend and review several churches. On the heels of that project, Jim hired another atheist (Matt Casper) to join him at various church services and share his feedback. Together, they recount their unique findings in a book titled Jim and Casper Go to Church (Tyndale, 2007).
After twenty-five years as a pastor, Jim formed Off the Map, an organization that produced live events designed to help people recover the lost art of being "unusually interested" in others, especially Outsiders. Today, Jim's company, Jim Henderson Presents, produces live events and television projects that look at the important role of religious spirituality in our lives. Jim is known for asking the questions others skip.
Jim holds a doctorate in transformational leadership and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today and on Fox News and This American Life with Ira Glass.

Find out more about Jim:
Jim Henderson Presents
Resignation of Eve
Read an except from Resignation of Eve
Jim Henderson's Facebook Page

Cash Burn

"Billions of dollars flow through Jason Dunn’s banking office each year. When he suffers a series of career setbacks and his marriage begins to crumble, he and his attractive new assistant devise a plan to disappear with a slice of the bank’s cash flow. The unwelcome appearance of his brother on the scene, just released from prison, threatens to sidetrack Jason’s plans. But Jason’s brother “Flip” has his own problems with a parole officer who isn’t fooled by this dangerous parolee. In the race to the jackpot between Jason and Flip, and the unwinding of their troubled history, the question soon becomes, Who will get burned?"



MY REVIEW:

Who will get burned? Everyone.

Secrets. Lies. Greed. Betrayal. Manipulation. Scheming. Deceit.  Revenge … and lots of it. Add intrigue and suspense into the mix and the result is Cash Burn.

The beginning of this book was difficult to get through. For me, the authors writing style was hard to follow and the first couple of chapters were loaded with minute and boring details, to the point where several times it jarred me out of the story. Redundancy was also an issue.  But, I kept reading. I am glad that I did.

Soon the pace quickened, the plot thickened and the twists kept coming.

And the characters began to show their true colors. 

In the end, Cash Burn is about choices.  And it all starts with two young  people who were in love and a choice that they made. Fast forward twenty years and the results of that choice prove catastrophic. And deadly.

Recommended. I base my recommendation of a book on whether the story survives the last page and finds purchase in your head after you’ve put it down. If you like intrigue and suspense and are not tied to a "and they all lived happily-ever-after" conclusion, this book is for you.

Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman

In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books—faith, community, simplicity, family—with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt.

When two women—one Amish, one English—each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer.

Set in the well-known Amish community of Shipshewana, Falling to Pieces will attract both devoted fans of the rapidly-growing Amish fiction genre, as well as those who are captivated by the Amish way of life.

More from Vannetta Chapman 

How I became a published author.

Twelve years ago, I graduated with my MA in English and started writing articles for Christian magazines. I was thirty-six years old, had been teaching for two years, and knew I loved language!  After publishing over 100 pieces with Christian family magazines, I was bitten by the novel-bug. I completed 8 novels before selling A Simple Amish Christmas to Abingdon Press (2010).

So you have any Amish background? 

Maybe! While researching my first Amish novel, I learned that my grandfather's family was from Albion, PA--so there might be Amish ancestors in my background!

What made you decide to write an Amish mystery series?

Sue Brower, executive editor with Zondervan, had read my submission, A Simple Amish Christmas. She loved the writing, but didn't need a romance writer. She called and asked if I'd be interested in writing something different. I said yes! I love suspense--in books and movies. I never doubted this was an answered prayer, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to write something new and different for Zondervan.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I'd love to hear from readers. They can find me through my webpage (www.VannettaChapman.com) or on facebook (Vannetta Chapman, author). Also I post to my blog 3 times a week (vannettachapman.wordpress.com).

Her Abundant Joy by Lyn Cote

Lyn Cote has had over thirty-five novels published. In 2006 Lyn's book, Chloe, was a finalist for the RITA, and her book Her Patchword Family was a finalist for the Carol Award, two of the highest awards in romance. (Her Healing Ways is also a Carol finalist this year.) Lyn also features stories of strong women both from real life and true to life fiction on her blog http://BooksbyLynCote.com Writing books at her lake cottage in northern Wisconsin, Lyn hopes her books show the power of divine and human love.

Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into writing.

I started writing as a child, continued to learn more through high school and college, then began teaching and being a mom--both creative pursuits. Finally a story came to me that wouldn't let me NOT write it down. :-)
 

2. Tell us about Her Abundant Joy.

Tagline: Can a beautiful young widow find peace in the arms of a Texas Ranger?

In 1846, young widow Mariel Wolfe survived the grueling voyage from Germany to start a new life in the "promised" land of Texas. Forced by circumstances to become a servant, Mariel is now determined to quit a harsh master. But how can a single woman face the frontier on her own? Texas Ranger Carson Quinn is responsible for leading her party of German immigrants safely through dangerous Comanche-held territory. As he watches Mariel hold her head high in spite of everything, he will stop at nothing to protect her.

But war is brewing: Mexico will not accept the U.S. annexation of the young Texas Republic without a fight. Honor bound to fight for Texas, Carson's deepest longing is to lay down his rifle. As Mariel and Carson fall deeply in love, could her painful past or this new war destroy all their hopes?  Will the tide of history sweep them far from peace, far from a life together?

"Her Abundant Joy is a wonderfully satisfying finale to Lyn Cote’s fascinating saga of Texas history. Riveting, engaging, unpredictable, it brings to the forefront a frightened and vulnerable German immigrant and a Texas Ranger whose family survived the turbulent years by grace and grit, faith and fortune. Not to be missed!”

KATHY HERMAN, author Sophie Trace Trilogy.

3.         Did you have any experiences that prompted your love of historical fiction?

My mother always took us to any little or big museum we came across. I've always loved history. Supposedly through my mother's family, I'm related to Sir Walter Scott, the author of the first historical novels. I don't know if that all family story is true, but it makes sense. If not by blood, by affinity.

 

4. How much time does it take to research your stories – what balance would you say there is between research and actual writing?

I love to do historical research so much that I have to limit myself to a few weeks at the start. I just get the major facts in place and start writing. As I write, I keep a list of questions to look up after the manuscript is finished. If I go back to research in the midst, I might not go back to story-telling. Getting lost in the stacks of a large library is close to heaven for me.

Kara, thanks for having me as your guest! I hope your readers will stop by and sample La Belle Christiane on my site.

On my homepage, I've posted my first never published manuscript, La Belle Christiane,. And I've archived the chapters on my site and will keep them there till the book is released in September. Its tagline is: Can the beautiful daughter of a French courtesan find a love that will last a lifetime?

Other places to find Lyn:

http://www.CraftieLadiesofRomance.blogspot.com

http://www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com

To purchase books, drop by http://booksbylyncote.com/SWBS/books/historicals

Lost In Dreams

Good morning, Roger and thank you for joining us today at Fiction with Faith.  First, let’s start with sharing with the readers who you are and where you’re from.

I’m just an almost sixty-five-year-old man who retired early to write Christian fiction.

Tell us about your latest release, Lost in Dreams.

Lost in Dreams is basically a continuation of Found in Translation, the first book in my Altered Hearts series.  Kim Hartlinger is returning from a life-changing mission trip to Mexico, only to face a major catastrophe that she thinks she’s responsible for.  She ends up with a major fatigue problem, but comes out of it at the prospect of a mission trip to California.  That trip has its own share of problems, though, and the ultimate question is what will free Kim from her guilt and allow her to live a normal life again.

Lost in Dreams is an interesting title.  How did you come up with it?

Thanks, Kara, but I have to be honest.  My editor came up with it.  The Barbour team didn’t think my original title, Prancing with Pebbles, would resonate with teen girls.  Even though I’d taken great pains to make Pebbles an irresistible title, I didn’t want to be a problem author—someone my publisher would find hard to get along with.  And I liked Lost in Dreams fine, so I didn’t protest.  It is a relevant title since Kim suffers periodic nightmares along with her fatigue.

Titles are not as easy to come up with as many may think.  How long did it take you to write this novel?

Asking that made me curious.  *G* I keep all of the old versions of my manuscripts and increase the version number by one every day.  It looks like Lost in Dreams took about five months.  That’s not taking into consideration the fact that I’d written the first chapter many months earlier.

What would you like the reader to take away from this novel?

I want teens to think about how important forgiveness is: God’s forgiveness, our forgiveness of one another, and—not at all least—forgiveness of oneself.  But I also want them to appreciate the importance of establishing and maintaining a good relationship with their parents—and keeping the channels of communication open no matter what.  Another important take away is the fact that jealousy not only hurts the individual, but can have a gigantic detrimental effect on a team.

This is your second novel.  Was there anything you learned from writing, publishing and marketing your first novel that made it easier this time around?

I learned a little extra patience.  At first, I didn’t fully appreciate the way an independent editor had edited Found in Translation.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was just helping me avoid potential reader objections.  I also learned that it’s impossible to do enough marketing.  I have to do what I can—and what’s appropriate for me—and leave the rest in God’s hands.  That’s where it should have been all along, don’t you think?

  

Yes, the perfect place for all our concerns is in God’s hands, but oh, it’s so hard leaving them there!  But thankfully, our God is a God of patience.  Speaking of patience, writing for the young adult market has its challenges.  There are so many other types of media vying for their attention.  What would you say to urge them to read your novel?

That’s an interesting question, Kara.  And my answer requires a bit of explanation.

I didn’t really have teens in mind when I wrote the first book.  But because it had an eighteen-year-old protagonist, it couldn’t be marketed any other way.  Adults seem to enjoy this series just as much as teens.  I suppose I was a little more teen-conscious when I wrote Lost in Dreams, but I definitely didn’t and don’t write down to teens.

Neither do I worry about trying to capture or imitate teen culture.  So perhaps I would say this to young adults: “You’re adults in the making.  You’re almost there.  I’m not pretending to be a teen anymore, and I know things have changed a lot in the fifty years since I was one.  But we’re both human, and I want to share my humanity with you, especially as it relates to spiritual issues.”

I think the best answer to your question is not what I would say to urge them to read my books, but what other teens would say.  Word of mouth is a powerful tool, and—if my books touch lives the way I pray they will—teens will tell their friends.

What an inspiring answer.  One that I hope adults and teens alike will take to heart as they read your novel and share it with others.  What are some other novels that you’ve written?

I’ve written six other manuscripts.  I wrote one as a prequel to the Altered Hearts series but it’s not even really a Young Adult novel.  I have one other manuscript I consider strictly YA, one that’s kind of on the border, one that probably qualifies as speculative fiction, and several that probably fall into the category of general contemporary fiction.  One of those may even be women’s lit.  All of it is strongly Christian, of course.  I enjoy reading an occasional secular novel—I’m an avid Harry Potter fan (am I permitted to say that here?)  —but nothing else is important enough for me to write about.

 Sure, you’re allowed to say that here!  Prayerfully, there are other Harry Potter fans reading this site.  Are there other projects you’re currently working on?

Absolutely!  Although I’ve plotted two more novels in the Altered Hearts series and written about 30% of the third book, Barbour hasn’t offered a contract on them yet.  However, they seem interested in a novel for teen boys that’s may be ten percent finished.  Because I’m a Preacher’s Kid and this book is about a pair of misfit PKs, it’s a lot of fun to work on.  I tried out the first few pages of it on a man friend recently, and he died laughing at all of the high school memories it brought back.

That sounds like a good read, so I can’t wait for that one to be released.  Some of the most recent books I’ve read have made me cry and I loved them, but I’d rather have a book in one hand while holding my stomach with the other.  Laughter truly is the best medicine.  How may our readers contact you?

I’d love to have your readers visit my website at RogerBruner.com or friend me at Facebook.com/roger.bruner.  I also have a Facebook author page.  One can never have too many good friends.  Especially if they’re big readers.  *big smile*

Thanks for stopping by Roger. Hope to see you here again soon!