CAROL STREAM, Ill.— June 30, 2020— Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) is pleased to announce that two Tyndale fiction authors, Carla Laureano and Jolina Petersheim, received INSPY Awards, which were announced online on June 29th at www.inspys.com. INSPY Awards were created by bloggers to discover and highlight the very best in literature that grapples with expressions of the Christian faith.
Author Carla Laureano won the 2020 INSPY Award in the Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense category for her title Brunch at Bittersweet Café. In it, baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around. Publishers Weekly praised Brunch at Bittersweet Café, saying, “With fun food scenes and organic spiritual elements, Laureano’s book will be relished by sweet-toothed inspirational readers.” Brunch at Bittersweet Café was also awarded Gold in the Religious category for the 2019 Foreword INDIES. This is Laureano’s first INSPY Award.
Jolina Petersheim won her 2020 INSPY Award in the General Fiction category for How the Light Gets In, an engrossing novel about marriage and motherhood, loss and moving on. When Ruth Neufeld’s husband and father-in-law are killed working for a relief organization overseas, she travels to Wisconsin with her young daughters and mother-in-law, Mabel, to bury her husband. She hopes the Mennonite community will be a quiet place to grieve and piece together next steps. Ruth and her family are welcomed by Elam, her husband’s cousin, who invites them to stay at his cranberry farm through the harvest. Sifting through fields of berries and memories of a marriage that was broken long before her husband died, Ruth finds solace in the beauty of the land and healing through hard work and budding friendship. She also encounters the possibility of new love with Elam, whose gentle encouragement awakens hopes and dreams she thought she’d lost forever. Publishers Weekly praised How the Light Gets In, saying, “With skillful plotting and vibrant characters, Petersheim reveals the pain of loss and the healing that comes from mercy and forgiveness.” This is Petersheim’s second INSPY Award.
Karen Watson, publisher of Tyndale Fiction titles, shared, “Carla and Jolina represent some of the best in a new generation of skilled inspirational writers. They write with honesty about the challenges and hopes that define relationships in today’s culture. We are proud to have them represent Tyndale Fiction! We are also appreciative of the work of the bloggers who help bring reader awareness to the work of inspirational authors. In today’s environment, inspirational writers are an important source of hope and encouragement. The Inspy Awards help convey an important message to fiction readers across the spectrum: Take a fresh look at Christian fiction. You will be pleasantly surprised!”
The INSPY Awards are online at: www.inspyawards.com Facebook: @INSPYAwards Twitter: @INSPYs
For more information on Tyndale titles, please visit www.tyndale.com.
Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of annual revenue—more than $100 million throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.
Contact: Amanda Woods, amandawoods@tyndale.com, 630.784.5125
