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FIRST PLACE WINNER — LISA HARRIS Award-winning author Lisa Harris has been writing both fiction and nonfiction since 2000 and has twenty novels and novellas in print. She currently lives with her family in Mozambique, where they work as missionaries.
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TOP TEN FINALIST — MARLO SCHALESKY |
Marlo Schalesky is the author of eight books, including the Christy Award winning Beyond the Night and RITA finalist Shades of Morning, as well as nearly 1,000 articles. Marlo is also a graduate of Stanford University (with a B.S. in Chemistry!) and has earned her Masters in Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, from Fuller Theological Seminary. Marlo lives with her husband and six children in a log home on the central coast of California.
Read “Shadows of Remembrance” by Marlo Schalesky
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TOP TEN FINALIST — ELIZABETH GODDARD |
Elizabeth Goddard is an
award-winning author with well over a dozen romance and romantic suspense
novels, including the romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—winner of
the prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science
degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her
four children and become a professional writer. A member of several writing
organizations, she judges numerous contests and mentors new writers. In
addition to writing, she home schools her children and serves with her husband
as he pastors a church in Louisiana.
Read “The Dress” by Elizabeth Goddard
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TOP TEN FINALIST — CAMILLE EIDE
Camille Eide lives in the beautiful Northwest with her husband of 30 years and is mom to three brilliant college-age kids. She holds a PhD in Learning Stuff The Hard Way and loves old school rock, muscle cars, and Jane Austen. She also loves to read and write romantic stories with depth, subtle wit and the amazing grace of an unfailing God.
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TOP TEN FINALIST — LACY WILLIAMS |
By day, LacyWilliams is a stay-at-home mom battling dirty diapers and dog-hair dust-bunnies. By night, she is an award-winning novelist. She loves dogs, chocolate Klondike Bars and romantic movies. Her number-crunching husband is her #1 fan.
Read “Prince of Her Heart” by Lacy Williams
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TOP TEN FINALIST — CATHY LIGGETT
Cathy Liggett is the author of several sweet romances as well as Beaded Hope, winner of ACFW’s Carol Award for Women’s Fiction in 2011. She lives outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and their rescue dog Chaz who gives them both something to fuss over (lots!) while awaiting precious visits from their grown kids who are spread across the country.
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TOP TEN FINALIST — CHRISTIE LOVVORN |
Christie Lovvorn was born and reared in Birmingham, Alabama and now makes her home on the Gulf Coast in Mobile. Having loved words and storytelling her entire life, Christie earned a Master of Arts in literature as well as bachelor degrees in English and history. As a newspaper correspondent for the Mobile Press-Register, she has written human interest articles and she also teaches college English courses
Read “A Stormy Wedding” by Christie Lovvorn
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TOP TEN FINALIST — CINDY REGNIER
Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier’s since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area. She works for the local school district, writes in her free time and also enjoys reading, crocheting and all things about country life. Cindy is married to her wonderful husband Bernie. They have a son in heaven, two grown sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law, a big furry dog and a spoiled cat. Her greatest dream is to one day be published in the Inspirational Romance market.
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TOP TEN FINALIST — JILL URBACH |
Jill Urbach is an award-winning author whose first full-length novel, Two-Room Flat, was published in July 2013. She teaches a combined 3rd/4th grade class at a Christian elementary school, and moonlights as a jazz singer. Jill lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children.
Read “Messy Blessings” by Jill Urbach
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TOP TEN FINALIST — VALORIE BENDER QUESENBERRY |
Valorie Bender Quesenberry began
writing as a child, making up stories about a little mouse named Munster for her younger brother. As a young wife and mom, Valorie began writing articles for Christian women as an outlet for personal ministry and her own enjoyment.
Her first book, Reflecting Beauty, a Bible study for women, released from Wesleyan Publishing in 2010. Since then she has written four more books as well as many short stories. An avid history buff and especially enamored of the World War 2 era, she is presently working on a novel set in 1940’s Germany. Valorie is married to her high school sweetheart, Duane, a pastor, and they are the parents of three daughters and one son.
Read “The Day Macbeth Escaped” by Valorie Bender Quesenberry