Mike, who are you referencing in this comment? If those in the secular world of writing “art”, it’s debatable if they even have an inclination to understand anything to do with what Christians have to say creatively or otherwise.

May God bless every Christian author who is trying to reach out to unbelievers, but while we are commanded to be “salt and light” to the world, evangelism also includes those who help prepare disciples. I do try to get the gospel in my novels somehow (sometimes only symbolically) but my mission is to write about Christian themes for Christian readers in the hope that I can help them become better children of the Lord. That’s the best reason to write “Christian fiction” in my opinion. Fiction published in the Christian market with the intention of being “salt and light” is mostly preaching to the choir. Although I know for a fact some unbelievers end up reading those novels, and a few are led to Christ by them, it seems to me a Christian author interested mainly in reaching the lost would have better results outside the world of Christian publishing, under the secular radar so to speak, for the very reason of “type casting” that you mention. Other Christian authors like me do not intend to erase the boundaries of Christian fiction, as it is defined above. We’re here for the church, and we’re here to stay. So the Christy Award is mainly a way to encourage “discipleship focused” authors, and believe me, it is encouraging!

As for Nicole’s comment, I think they put RIVER RISING in the suspense category because they had no other category it matched better. When you write novels like mine, you get that a lot. I tend to ignore genre and just do my best to tell an interesting and meaningful story. Some form of suspense is always there, so that’s where the try to fit me in. A secular award might have the same problem.

“Mute Math started being labeled as a Christian rock band; they started getting shows that were only geared toward a Christian audience; and the more Word Records, the Christian division of Warner Bros., marketed them as a Christian band, the more doors Mute Math saw slamming in their faces. Rock journalists would type ‘Mute Math’ into Google, and links to Christianity Today and a site called JesusFreakHideout would pop up. Subsequently, no one in the secular world of music journalism would write anything about the band.”

So while the Christy’s may not detract from a book’s longevity (especially w/in the Christian community), who can say how many “doors” are being shut because of the Christian Fiction label? Something to think about. Thanks for your comments!