Carol Awards Semi-Finalists 2023 – Short Novel + Giveaway

First off — what exactly are the Carol Awards?

They are awards given out by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in recognition of outstanding Christian fiction in the previous calendar year. So these 2023 finalists are books published in 2022. You might have read them already, you might not. I’ll include links to books I’ve read and reviewed.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the Carol Award finalists 2023 — Short Novel Category you would like to receive. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you’re entering that way) and if you win, that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy.

Of Note: In past years, ACFW has announced the three finalists of each category in June and then the winners during their annual Writer’s Conference in late August/early September. This year they’ve switched it up and have announced seven semi-finalists in each category which will be whittled down to three finalists the first day of the conference at the end of August and then the winners in each category will be announced on the final day of the conference. So., with only two days in between the finalist announcements and the winner announcements, we’re going to have to go with wading through the seven semi-finalists so these weekly giveaways are going to be lengthy. Sorry about that. And now here are the Short Novel Semi-Finalists.

Christmas at Whispering Creek by Barbara M. Britton; Pelican Book Group — paperback or ebook giveaway — All Samantha Williams wants to do is to use her teaching degree to instruct a classroom of second graders. But, after a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of twenty-three, and failed reconstruction surgery, Sam finds herself without a job and temporarily living with her parents. This isn’ t the life Sam expected. When a family friend dies and leaves Sam a house and land in Whispering Creek, Tennessee, Sam must decide if leaving Wisconsin for Southern living is in her lesson plans.

Nashville native, Cole Donoven, left his family’ s electrical business to write country music. When Cole’ s song-writing partner and girlfriend dumps him for a country music star, Cole abandons Nashville to hole up in Whispering Creek and compose one more song. The last thing Cole expects to find in the sleepy small town is a deceased friend, estate squabbles, and a Northern beauty. Will the chaos in Whispering Creek help create a bestselling song for Cole and possibly help him find a life-long collaborator?

Defending David by Barbara M. Britton; Harbourlight Books — paperback or ebook giveaway —

When a quiet journey to Jerusalem turns tragic, newly orphaned Rimona must flee a kinsman set on selling her as a slave. Racing into the rocky hills outside of Hebron, Rimona is rescued by a Philistine commander journeying to Jerusalem with six-hundred warriors.

Exiled commander, Ittai the Gittite, is seeking refuge in the City of David. Protecting a frantic Hebrew woman is not in his leadership plan. Although, having a nobleman’s niece in his caravan might prove useful for finding shelter in a foreign land.

Rimona and Ittai arrive in Jerusalem on the eve of a rebellion. In the chaos of an heir’s betrayal, will they be separated forever, or can they defend King David and help the aging monarch control his rebellious son?

Embracing His Past by Christina Miller; Love Inspired — paperback or ebook giveaway —

He came to find his son…
but might discover love along the way.

Stunned to learn he has an adult son, widower Harrison Mitchell’s eager to track him down and build a relationship. But when he uproots his life and moves to Natchez, Mississippi, he’s hit with another surprise: his new boss, Anise Armstrong, is his son’s adoptive mother. Now he must win her trust to prove he deserves to be a father and grandfather…and possibly a husband.

Betsy by Sarah Monzon; indie — paperback or ebook giveaway ––

She only has one rule she lives by. Do not, under any circumstances, fall in love with a musician.

There are a few things everyone should know about Betsy Vargas.

1. She is trilingual, fluent in Spanish, English, and sarcasm.
2. She has the voice of an angel but she would rather cut off her right hand than sing in front of other people. the reason has nothing to do with stage fright.
3. She was tricked into coming to a sewing group once upon a time. Even though she doesn’t sew, she keeps going for the friendship and the mocktails.

Being a professional sound engineer, Betsy Vargas knows what she’s talking about when she says musicians aren’t boyfriend material. They only care about themselves and their rise on the radio charts. Even though she worked with them every day, she knows to keep her distance. Something that is harder to accomplish when she’s hired to go on tour with the band, True North. Now, no matter which direction she turns, Asher North is there. The lead singer and guitarist seems to be impervious to her glares and sarcasm. Worse, he threatens to make her forget all about her number one rule. No falling for musicians.

Asher North has never heard a voice like Betsy’s before. She should be sharing her gift with the world, not hiding her light under a bushel. He finds her quips and barbs adorable and sees them for what they are–her attempt to protect herself. Little does she know, he’s a very patient guy, willing to wait for what he wants. And Asher has no doubts that what he wants is Betsy.

Read and Reviewed: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2022/10/betsy.html

Restoring Their Family by Allie Pleiter; Love Inspired — paperback or ebook giveaway —

A three-week retreat…

Could be life changing

Kate Hoyle came to Camp True North Springs to help her grieving children heal. She definitely didn’t come here to fall in love. But camp chef Seb Costa, working through a recovery of his own, soon cooks his way into the affections of Kate’s family—especially that of her troubled son. Would risking her heart when it’s barely mended be foolish? Or will they find the happiness they all deserve?

The Bells of Christmas by Amanda Tru; Indie — paperback or ebook giveaway –

When Tayde Wright lands a job at a distinguished magazine, she knows her dreams of being an investigative reporter are about to come true. But then her boss assigns her an advice column that is the equivalent of the magazine’s complaint box. Though she abhors writing clickbait to fuel the magazine’s online presence, she either follows her boss’s wishes and adopts the Wrongs made Wright column as her own, or she loses her job.

Her first column unexpectedly goes viral when an anonymous stranger replies, revealing a different side to Tayde’s column and completely humiliating her in the process. Now, Tayde must satisfy her boss’s wishes while also avoiding any further humiliation from the mysterious stranger, dubbed Mr. Bells.

Tayde’s journey passes alongside the stories of many others as she tries to right the wrongs of the world, but sometimes right and wrong are difficult to determine. Despite her best efforts, Mr. Bells continually paints her as the villain, and the public loves it. Who is Mr. Bells, and what compels him to respond to Tayde’s column? And why does he always ask the same mysterious question at the end of his letters?

Each story Tayde encounters changes her perspective and provides her more clues. It’s a message that will change the world, but can she lift her voice to speak it?

Hunted in the Wilderness by Kellie VanHorn; Love Inspired Suspense — paperback or ebook giveaway —

Protecting the evidence
means facing down assassins and an unforgiving wilderness…

Framed for murder and corporate espionage, future aerotech company CEO Haley Whitcombe flees in her plane with a camera full of evidence that could clear her name—until she’s shot out of the sky. Now trapped in North Cascades National Park, her survival in the wilderness depends on park ranger Ezra Dalton. Yet escaping the wild will mean nothing if they can’t outrun their merciless hunters…

Read and reviewed: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2022/09/hunted-in-wilderness.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please pay attention to the book formats available for this giveaway noted after the publication info for each individual title. Ebook wins are available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com kindle account. Paperbacks are available to readers in US and Canada.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of these Carol Awards semi-finalists, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 12, 2023. Good luck!

32 thoughts on “Carol Awards Semi-Finalists 2023 – Short Novel + Giveaway”

  3. Betsy by Sarah Monzon paper please oh my some wonderful books here. hard to choose one. so I put the others I am interested in on my list (smiles) thanks Kav

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  4. Scrolling through the first time, I was immediately drawn to “Embracing His Past” by Christina Miller. The little doggie on the cover looks so much like our precious Snickerdoodle who crossed the rainbow bridge last year at the age of 17 years, 7 months and 17 days. It was like I had an emotional draw to the book. Then when I went back and read the descriptions, I was still drawn to this book and would love the opportunity to read it. If I were fortunate enough to be selected, this one would definitely be my choice in a paperback form.

    Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Ah, what a cute name for a pup! Bet he brought you lots of joy — just saying Snickerdoodle makes me, well snicker. 🙂 Love that you found that connection with the story. I don’t know how I missed this one last year. Good luck, Kay!

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  9. My choice for today is Embracing His Past for the cute cover (big hunky hero with small cute dog), a widower finding love again (a favorite!) and the back cover description. This story sounds very emotional, heart-tugging & satisfying. I love unusual tropes 💖😊

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    2. P.S. Christmas at Whispering Creek was one of my choices, then I saw it’s available through Kindle Unlimited so I’ll be borrowing it. Also, Molly & the rest of Sewing in SoCal series got a cover/ book title makeover, I didn’t even recognize them on Amazon! I have the whole set in paperback with the old covers.

      I just read her novella Bookishly Ever After (Book Nerds and Boyfriends #1) and it was hilarious!! I connected with Emory right away…. she’s my kindred spirit 😂😂 I have next two waiting for me (Literarily For Keeps & Novelly Upon a Time)….I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to discover her writing! I tend to steer away from Rom-Coms even though I know she’s a popular author for that very reason (Bethany Turner first introduced me, and I love her). So not only am I going to read the other two novellas, but the Sewing in SoCal series will be right after that!

      I think you would enjoy the Book Nerds and Boyfriends series Kav, if you haven’t read them yet 😁 Sorry, not sorry for the long P.S. 😂

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      1. I don’t quite grasp Kindle Unlimited — but I’m thinking the author’s have to be paid in some way? Like you’re paying for subscription to all those books and every time one of them is borrowed, the author must get something, right? Otherwise, how could they afford to do it?

        I have read the Book Nerds and Boyfriends series by Sarah Monzon and you’re right — it’s fabulous. I think I’ll have to give it a re-read. I love the way her rom/coms also pack an emotional punch.

        And curious minds want to know — which SoCal covers do you prefer? I’m the original covers all the way and am so glad I got them when they first released. Those covers are so cute and bright and colourful and unique! Very eye-catching…the new covers are — meh — like all the others out there. Unmemorable.

        P.S. There’s no such thing as a too long P.S. 🙂

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      2. KU does work for authors in both getting paid & making their books available to readers who subscribe to KU. I’ve found that I actually have access to MORE books then if I were to pay for them individually, because I pay one price per month for all the books included in KU. A lot of indie authors have theirs through the program and some more popular authors (Susan Sleeman (her indies) for example) make their books available through KU (sometimes on a limited basis). For me, KU works & I feel I get enough out of it, while some readers may not. Here’s something I found for authors:

        “Kindle Unlimited works for authors by allowing them to offer their book through Kindle Unlimited and get paid a percentage of the total subscription revenue based on how many times their book was borrowed and how many pages were read. Authors are paid per page read, but only after the reader has read past 10% of the book. Kindle Unlimited also allows authors to present their works in front of millions of readers who have subscribed to Kindle Unlimited.”

        The SoCal covers I prefer are the old ones…I think they stand out more, catch the eye & are just plain fun! 😊

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      3. Huh, that’s interesting. I wonder how it compares to the income they earn from straight up sales? It sounds like a great way to hook a reader so that would be a huge benefit. Thanks for the info, Trixi! And I honestly wonder if there is anyone out there who prefers the new SolCal covers?!

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  11. Kav, I’ll go with Christmas at Whispering Creek by Barbara Britton. I always love to read a Christmas book and a couple of years ago my daughter went through breast cancer and reconstruction at only 37 years of age. She is cancer free now and, oh, how we thank God for that!

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    1. Praise God for sure! Such a hard journey for anyone, but when cancer strikes someone so young, it’s devastating. So glad to hear that your daughter is cancer free now. This story sounds like the perfect fit for you. Good luck, Cheryl!

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      1. Didn’t have time to reply the other day, Kav. Thanks so much! Yes, it came as a complete shock for all of us. She is lucky that it was caught real early. So thankful to God for that — and to her doctor, one of a minority that encourages his patients to start baseline mammograms at age 35 instead of 40. Kelli had put hers off for a couple of years so we are so grateful she did it when she did. If it hadn’t been for her doctor pushing for it, her story would probably be very different. Oh how good God was to us!

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