In Nashville tomorrow evening, November 8, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is hosting the 2017 Christy Awards at David Lipscomb University where the 2017 winners of The Christy Awards will be announced. And what makes the event extra special this year is that we’re also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the renown novel Christy by Catherine Marshall (pictured right).
Is there anyone among us who hasn’t read Christy? Or seen the TV series with Kellie Martin as Christy Huddleston?
Let’s see a raising of hands… Anyone? Anyone? I thought not. ; )
As you may already know, Catherine Marshall wrote Christy based on the experiences her mother had as a young schoolteacher in the Great Smoky Mountains. I recently listened to the audiobook of Christy—read by Kellie Martin—and loved it! It felt like I was visiting dear old friends again. What a treasure!
Catherine Marshall was ushered into Heaven on March 18, 1983 at the age of 68. I was still in college at the time but I remember reading about her passing. How wonderful that, all these years later, her beloved novel is now available in a special Christy (50th Anniversary Edition), and is also—for the first time ever!—available in ebook too!
50th Anniversary Edition of the New York Times Bestselling Novel
I’m also excited to attend because I’ll be announcing the winner of the General Fiction category this year! (Yep, they’ll apparently let just about anybody do it!) But that’ll be fun reading the first line of the winner’s book.
That’s how the winner is announced…
The presenter reads the title and author of each finalist in a specific category. Then he/she opens an envelope and reads the first sentence from the winning novel. Pretty fun!
What’s also fun is that A Note Yet Unsung is a finalist in the Historical Romance category this year. Which is especially meaningful to me because I wrote that novel with Catherine Marshall’s Christy in mind—never even thinking about or knowing that this was the 50th Anniversary of the novel. Because part of the story in A Note Yet Unsung takes places in the Appalachian Mountains. “Christy’s” mountains. A neat “coincidence.”
In closing, I thought I’d share the opening lines to the three novels in the Historical Romance category. One of these sentences will be read aloud on Wednesday night. But regardless of whether it’s mine or not, I’m simply thrilled to have finaled and will happily cheer for either Elizabeth Camden (Dorothy Mays) or Joanne Bischof!
A Note Yet Unsung
by Tamera Alexander
Rebekah Carrington stood shivering across the street from her childhood home, satchel heavy in hand, cloak dusted in snow.
From This Moment
by Elizabeth Camden
Romulus White stood motionless in the crowded ballroom, staring at a woman he’d once longed for more than his next breath of air. (VERY NICE!!)
The Lady and the LionHeart
By Joanne Bischof
With the hiss of smoothing irons and the starchy scent of soap trailing her, Ella toted a bundle of hospital linens up the steps. (ALSO VERY NICE!!)
Sheesh, now I wish I could rewrite mine! ; )
So tell me…
How many times have you read Catherine Marshall’s Christy? Does it have a special place in your heart too?
And a BONUS question: How many of the 2017 Christy finalists (listed here) have you read?
Much love, friends,
Tammy
The 2017 Christy winners will be announced via live-stream Wednesday evening, November 8. Simply follow Litfuse on Instagram, and log in to the app when the gala begins; find the live-stream at the top of the app! See you there!
I’ll be there and hope to see you there too!
And in case you shop at TARGET . . .
Check out Christmas at Carnton at Target Stores nationwide
If you’re game, snap a pic of yourself with the book while you’re there, then share it on my Facebook Page! Thanks!!
Tamera blogs every first and third Tuesday at Inspired by Life . . . and Fiction, a group blog she shares with a wonderful community of authors. If you'd like to join the conversation on this post, Tamera would love to see you there!