Whitney Awards Finalists Announced
SALT LAKE CITY, UT: The Whitney Awards committee today announced the finalists for the 2008 Whitney Awards, a program which honors the best novels by Latter-day Saint writers. Sponsored and endorsed by LDStorymakers, an LDS authors’ guild, the Whitney Awards offer national recognition to authors whose books win in one of eight categories.
To be eligible for consideration, a book must have received at least five nominations from its fans. More than one hundred works by new and established authors in both the LDS and national markets met the preliminary criteria. Once a book is nominated, juries of authors and critics narrow the nominees down to five per category.
This year’s nominees are listed below in alphabetical order by genre:
ROMANCE: Seeking Persephone, by Sarah Eden, Servant to a King, by Sariah Wilson, The Sound of Rain, by Anita Stansfield, Spare Change, by Aubrey Mace, Taking Chances, by Shannon Guymon
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE: Above and Beyond, by Betsy Brannon Green, Do No Harm, by Gregg Luke, Fool Me Twice, by Stephanie Black, Freefall, by Traci Hunter Abramson, Royal Target, by Traci Hunter Abramson
YOUTH FICTION: The 13th Reality, by James Dashner, Alcatraz vs. The Scrivner’s Bones, by Brandon Sanderson, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (Book 3), by Brandon Mull, Far World: Water Keep, by J. Scott Savage, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George
SPECULATIVE: Ender in Exile, by Orson Scott Card, The Great and Terrible: From the End of Heaven, by Chris Stewart, The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3), by Brandon Sanderson, The Host, by Stephanie Meyer, The Wyrmling Horde: The Seventh Book of the Runelords, by David Farland
HISTORICAL: Abinadi, by H.B. Moore, Isabelle Webb, Legend of the Jewel, by N.C. Allen, Master, by Toni Sorenson, The Ruby, by Jennie Hansen, Traitor, by Sandra Grey
GENERAL FICTION: Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstrom, The Reckoning, by Tanya Parker Mills, Waiting For the Light to Change, by Annette Hawes, Fields of Home, by Rachel Ann Nunes, Keeping Keller, by Tracy Winegar
BEST BOOK BY A NEW AUTHOR: Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstrom, The Reckoning, by Tanya Parker Mills, Spare Change, by Aubrey Mace, Traitor, by Sandra Grey, Waiting For the Light to Change, by Annette Hawes
NOVEL OF THE YEAR: Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstrom, Fool Me Twice, by Stephanie Black, The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3), by Brandon Sanderson, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George, Traitor, by Sandra Grey
This ballot now goes out to members of the voting academy, a select group of LDS publishers; bookstore owners, managers, and employees; LDS authors; print and online magazine publishers; reviewers; and others working in the field of LDS literature.
Winners will be announced at a gala banquet on Saturday, April 25 at the Marriott Hotel in Provo, Utah. Tickets are now on sale at www.WhitneyAwards.com.
Special Lifetime Achievement Awards will also be presented that night to two persons whose bodies of works and tireless efforts have made a significant impact on the field of LDS popular fiction. This year’s honorees are Kerry Blair and Orson Scott Card.
To be eligible for consideration, a book must have received at least five nominations from its fans. More than one hundred works by new and established authors in both the LDS and national markets met the preliminary criteria. Once a book is nominated, juries of authors and critics narrow the nominees down to five per category.
This year’s nominees are listed below in alphabetical order by genre:
ROMANCE: Seeking Persephone, by Sarah Eden, Servant to a King, by Sariah Wilson, The Sound of Rain, by Anita Stansfield, Spare Change, by Aubrey Mace, Taking Chances, by Shannon Guymon
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE: Above and Beyond, by Betsy Brannon Green, Do No Harm, by Gregg Luke, Fool Me Twice, by Stephanie Black, Freefall, by Traci Hunter Abramson, Royal Target, by Traci Hunter Abramson
YOUTH FICTION: The 13th Reality, by James Dashner, Alcatraz vs. The Scrivner’s Bones, by Brandon Sanderson, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (Book 3), by Brandon Mull, Far World: Water Keep, by J. Scott Savage, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George
SPECULATIVE: Ender in Exile, by Orson Scott Card, The Great and Terrible: From the End of Heaven, by Chris Stewart, The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3), by Brandon Sanderson, The Host, by Stephanie Meyer, The Wyrmling Horde: The Seventh Book of the Runelords, by David Farland
HISTORICAL: Abinadi, by H.B. Moore, Isabelle Webb, Legend of the Jewel, by N.C. Allen, Master, by Toni Sorenson, The Ruby, by Jennie Hansen, Traitor, by Sandra Grey
GENERAL FICTION: Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstrom, The Reckoning, by Tanya Parker Mills, Waiting For the Light to Change, by Annette Hawes, Fields of Home, by Rachel Ann Nunes, Keeping Keller, by Tracy Winegar
BEST BOOK BY A NEW AUTHOR: Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstrom, The Reckoning, by Tanya Parker Mills, Spare Change, by Aubrey Mace, Traitor, by Sandra Grey, Waiting For the Light to Change, by Annette Hawes
NOVEL OF THE YEAR: Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstrom, Fool Me Twice, by Stephanie Black, The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3), by Brandon Sanderson, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George, Traitor, by Sandra Grey
This ballot now goes out to members of the voting academy, a select group of LDS publishers; bookstore owners, managers, and employees; LDS authors; print and online magazine publishers; reviewers; and others working in the field of LDS literature.
Winners will be announced at a gala banquet on Saturday, April 25 at the Marriott Hotel in Provo, Utah. Tickets are now on sale at www.WhitneyAwards.com.
Special Lifetime Achievement Awards will also be presented that night to two persons whose bodies of works and tireless efforts have made a significant impact on the field of LDS popular fiction. This year’s honorees are Kerry Blair and Orson Scott Card.
RobisonWells — 2/09/2009 09:12:00 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Woohoo! Way to go Kerry!
Congrats to Stephanie and Sariah and Jeff on being nominated for awards, too. Good luck!
As soon as I saw Kerry's honor, I knew I had to be at the Whitney's when her name is announced for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Now, Mr. Wells, if only you'll be able to get Kerry there without having to tie her up and carry her to her seat.
We love you Kerry Lynn Blair.
Congratulations go out to Jeff and Stephanie and Sariah, too. I've read all your books, and have no doubt their winning in their categories. Go, Stephanie, for Novel of the Year!
Deb
Oh, Jon. I can possibly understand why others may have been led astray, but surely you of all people recognize Rob's twisted humor. When I saw the press release this morning -- slightly, albeit significantly, different from the one I saw on Saturday -- I couldn't speak. Now all I can assume is that, as usual, Rob is ahead of the curve -- precisely 50 days before April Fools.
Wow, I am very honored. Rob, please pass on my sincere thanks to the committee.
I won't even complain when I lose to Mull. Promise!
Congratulations to everyone involved!
Pat
Thank you so much, everyone!
And Kerry, you are so very deserving of this award! Congrats!
This sounds like a fun event that honors LDS writers. I would like to attend, but I live 160 miles away. I was wondering if anybody is invited to the ceremony or is it only for LDStorymaker members and guests of the finalists. Also, when do tickets have to purchased by? Is there a cut off date for that?
Best of luck to everybody nominated.
Charlie Moore
Rob, a huge congratulations to you and the committee. Well done, though good and faithful MBA student.
Kerry, as always, you rock, and totally deserve this.
James, you'll complain. You just won't do it where Mull can hear you!
Charlie, anyone can come. It's a party, so the more the merrier! I don't know that we have set a cutoff date yet. Probably as long as we can still get food and tickets arranged, so you've got some time!
Congrats to everyone nominated and to the finalists.
Thanks everyone. Can't wait to see you at the dinner!
>>but surely you of all people recognize Rob's twisted humor.
I believe I'll take that as a compliment, whether it was intended or not!
And I checked: your name is in a big font at the bottom of this page:
http://www.whitneyawards.com/2008finalists.html
Sure, I guess Rob could have a hand in the content of the page. Who cares? A chance to congratulate on your work - I'm all for it!
I really can't believe some of those books are the finalists.
There are a few of those books I didn't finish because they were horrible.
I guess someone liked them.
Interesting comment, anonymous. When my wife and I go to dinner, I will order seafood and she'll order steak. Sometimes, our differences are simply based on our tastes. What story is going to be liked by everyone? Very few because of our individuality. We like different things.
You give the impression,correct me if I'm wrong, that since you didn't care for some of these books that they shouldn't have been selected (you're surprised, as if others should view things the way you do). Now, I might feel the same way with respect to not liking a selected book, but I'd never implicate surprise.
These awards, the ones with credibility, are usually not just several readers getting together and saying I liked that book. It goes beyond that. I may not agree with nominees or winners, but I will always offer congrats and respect because I know how much time and effort it takes to put out quality literature.
Just my opinion.
Charlie
This comment has been removed by the author.
Congratulations to all the finalists and to Kerry and Brother Card. Sariah, I gave my daughter the book you signed for me at Christmas. She gobbled it up. Best of luck to everyone and many thanks to all of you for the work you do away from the computer to elevate LDS fiction.
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