I am thrilled to be able to share with you the exciting news that Critical Condition won the 2012 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Love Inspired Suspense. Yee!!!
If you’d like to see the list of RT Reviewers’ Choice Winners, click the link. Scrolling down brings you to the Love Inspired categories, scrolling up a ways brings you to the categories for trade-length inspirational books.
And with Reviewers’ Choice Awards topping the news, what a perfect day to chat about what we love most about inspirational fiction. To start us off, I’m delighted to introduce Amber Perry, founding blogger of The Historical Christian Romance Review. She’s stopped by to share the top five things she loves most about inspirational fiction.
I first “met” Amber when she hired me to do a critique for her very first manuscript through last year’s ACFW conference. We quickly became good friends. She hails from Washington state, where she lives with her hubby and two adorable young daughters. She loves to read, and although she reads mostly historicals…I’m hoping that reading some of my current WIP has inspired her to try a little romantic suspense. 😉
Without further ado, here’s Amber… and please chime in at the end with the things you love!
I love Christian romance books (specifically historical) and even though there are gobs of reasons to like them, here are my top 5! Maybe your reasons are similar, maybe they are different—either way, you’ll have to comment and let me know. *grin *
1. Great Characters
What’s a story without great characters? That’s why I love this genre—I am rarely disappointed!
2. Clean Romance
I love a great romance! But, I don’t want to read anything that would be inappropriate. That’s why I LOVE these stories. I can enjoy the romance without all the unnecessary stuff. You know what I mean. *wink *
3. Good Christian message
Not only are these books entertaining, they are uplifting as well! I know I will come away with my faith in God stronger, in one way or another—and I love that.
4. Fun settings (this is where the historical stuff comes in—for me anyway)
I love to be swept away to another place and time. These books take me to Boston in the 1920’s or Montana in the 1870’s. How fabulous is that? But the same thing can happen with contemporary stories as well—or any genre for that matter!
5. Happy Endings
Believe it or not, there are some stories that don’t end happy! And there are some people who like those, and that’s great. For me, I gotta have a happy ending—and I can always count on that from a Christian romance.
Your Turn: So what are your top 5, or top 3 or even your number 1 thing when reading these kinds of books? God bless and Happy Reading!
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Thanks so much for joining us here today, Amber. I especially enjoy fast-paced stories, not bogged down by too much description or over-thinking on the characters’ parts, and if I’m kept guessing until the end who the bad guy is, all the better. 🙂
Sandra! It’s an honor to be here, thank you so much for having me! And yes, most definitely your stories are fabulous–I love your writing style, and I can’t wait to read more! 😉 Congratulations again on the award for CRITICAL CONDITION! That is so exciting!!! Per your comment above, I agree with you completely. I like fast-paces stories also–I can get bored pretty quick is nothing exciting is happening. LOL
CONGRATS, Sandra, on the award….hooray!
I think the 5 listed points are exactly my thoughts!
Hey Jackie! Its wonderful to see you here! I’m glad you can agree with those 5 points. Its nice to know there are books out there that can meet our “reading criteria” isn’t it? God bless!
I have similar reasoning. I love that they are clean and if my daughters were into reading romances I could share these books with them, unfortunately my girls haven’t gained an appreciation for romances yet but when they do my shelves are stocked for them. The faith journey in Christian romances is also a draw for me, every once in a while you find a story where the faith aspect resonates with you and it really does help you grow in your faith–love it when that happens!
Hello Eileen! (I have Watson’s in my family line….good name! ;)) I totally agree with what you said about how your daughters could read them. I love knowing that all the books I have are appropriate for my children–and not only that, they will find a good message in them as well. Amen to what you said! God bless!
Yay, congratulations, Sandra!!!
And, Amber, those are five great reasons to love Christian romance, for sure. 🙂
Hey Melissa– I’m glad you stopped by! I’m sure there are lots more reasons, but those sure are my “biggest”. LOL Thanks again–God bless!
Thank you for the congrats, everyone! It’s so fun celebrating with you gals!
Piggy-backing on a point Eileen made about her daughters reading her books, that’s one thing I feel strongly about that I want to write books that I’ll be perfectly okay with my children/grandchildren reading.
Congrats to you, Sandra!!
Nice to meet you, Amber. You have a great list of reasons to read Christian romance. My favorites are – the characters, the message, and the settings.
Hi Loree! Nice to meet you too!! Thank you for commenting–and I’m excited to see that you like the same things I do. 🙂 Thanks again and God bless!
CONGRATS, Sandra!
And yes, I totally agree with those reasons too!
Hi Jennifer! I’m glad you agree–and like I’ve said before, there are so many reasons to like Christian fiction, but for me these are the tip-top! 😉 God bless!
I agree with the reasons above, and I think perhaps one of the more important ones to me is that the romance is clean! I do not read very many books from the secular market anymore, as I never know whether or not I will happen on something I, as a Christian, do not need to fill my mind with!
Thanks for writing the kind of books we like to read – historical, suspense, romance and especially inspirational!
God bless 🙂
I so identify with this. I picked up a few secular romantic suspense to get a sense of what the ABA markets read like and in addition to the explicitness, the graphic violence in some was just too much for me. Made me realize how different the genre terms would mean from one person to another, depending on what their reading experience has been.
Hi! You are absolutely right–filling our minds with good clean stuff is the only way to go! And I am so grateful there are authors out there who write such great, uplifting and very clean but very good stories–just like Sandra! God Bless!
Grabs me on the first page; a character I can imagine as Rambo or the Rock; wonderful Christian messages that help us in our Christian walk; constant action that keeps me turning the pages; a heroine who isn’t too whiney.
Some great points Keneta. Thanks for stopping by. I love to put twists at the end of my scenes to keep readers turning pages, but I know one reader that hates books like that because she reads before bed, and then she can’t stop reading and go to sleep. 🙂
Hi Amber! Nice to “meet” you on Sandra’s blog. 🙂 I agree with all the reasons you listed, and love all the great books available now. ~ Sandra, I am still SUPER excited about your Award, dear friend! 🙂
Hi Patti! It’s nice to meet you too! LOL So glad you can agree, and yes, I too am so happy there are so many great Christian books out there now!! God bless!!
thanks so much, Patti Jo. Your prayers keep me going!
I love to be swept into a story I don’t want to leave 🙂
Angie