Bits of News: 2013 Christy Award Nominees

Sometimes called the Oscars of Christian fiction, the Christy Awards recognizes excellence among Christian novels each year. Considered some of the best of the best, the list of nominees is a great way to celebrate the achievements of favorite authors or to find some new authors to try.
 
So without further ado, here are the 2013 finalists (speculative stories highlighted in orange):
 

Contemporary Romance

The Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann
Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon
Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert
 

Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas

Two Destinies by Elizabeth Musser
You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren
Waiting for Sunrise by Eva Marie Everson
 

Contemporary Standalone

The Air We Breathe by Christa Parrish
Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry
Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry
 

First Novel

Into the Free by Julie Cantrell
Tangled Ashes by Michèle Phoenix
Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green
 

Historical

Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot
Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green
A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs
 

Historical Romance

Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden
Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof
Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz
 

Suspense

Downfall by Terri Blackstock
The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer
Rare Earth by Davis Bunn
Submerged by Dani Pettrey
*This category includes four nominees due to a tie in scoring.
 

Visionary

Daughter of Light by Morgan L. Busse
Soul's Gate by James L. Rubart
Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
 

Young Adult

Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank
Failstate by John W. Otte
Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker