Shining a Light on Independent Christian Authors: Celebrating the 2024 Christian Indie Award Winners
Since its inception in 2008, the Christian Indie Awards has recognized independent authors and small publishers for their significant contributions to Christian life. The 2025 awards are now open for entries at ChristianAward.com. Winners enjoy several benefits, including receiving a trophy and certificate, extensive media coverage through 400 Christian media outlets, and a chance for their book to be featured in a retailer drawing at the Christian Product Expo trade show.
Additionally, winners can place the award emblem on their book cover, further enhancing their book’s visibility and prestige. Authors with books published from 2022 to 2024 are invited to enter the Christian Indie Awards. The awards are facilitated by the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA), which has been supporting the community since 2004.
The 2024 Christian Indie Awards has selected 70 finalists across 21 book categories, highlighting the year’s finest in Christian publishing. Notably, there were ties in the Christian Living and Mystery/Suspense categories. The winners were announced at The Well Conference alongside the CAN Marketing Awards on April 27, 2024, in Hudsonville, Michigan.
Susan Neal, the director of the awards, stated, “The Christian Indie Awards offer small publishers a platform to compete and determine which books stand out as the best.”
The winners of the 2024 Christian Indie Awards include:
2024 Christian Indie Award Winners
| Category | Place | Title | Author/Publisher |
| Anthology | 1st | The Night Cometh: 20 Fantastical Short Stories | Lorilyn Roberts / Rear Guard Publishing, Inc. |
| Bible Study | 1st | Nobody Sees This Creation: The Origin of the Devil and His Replacements | Paul Renfroe / Paradigm Lighthouse |
| Bible Study | 2nd | Surrender the Joy Stealers: Rediscover the Jesus Joy in You | Doris Swift / Elk Lake Publishing |
| Bible Study | 3rd | Dear Food, I Love You. I Hate You. Don’t Leave Me! A Bible Study Designed to Help you Shatter Food Strongholds for Lasting Health and Joy | Julia Fikse / One Step to Wellness |
| Business Finance | 1st | Resolve: A Personal Finance Planning Book for Twentysomethings Getting Serious About Stewardship | Will Ertel / Oikonomia Books |
| Children’s Picture Books | 1st | Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts | Donna Wyland / Elk Lake Publishing |
| Children’s Picture Books | 2nd | Be Still: A Mother’s Lullaby | Karla Bauer |
| Children’s Picture Books | 3rd | Love Connects Us All | Michelle Medlock Adams / Wren & Bear Books |
| Children’s 8-12 | 1st | Noise in the Night | Katrina Hoover Lee |
| Children’s 8-12 | 2nd | Ella Helps a Friend | JoAnne Check |
| Children’s 8-12 | 3rd | How to Kill a Giant | Carol Schlorff / Elk Lake Publishing |
| Christian Education | 1st | Rooted in the King’s Garden | Deborah Hall Subetto / Encourage Publishing |
| Christian Education | 2nd | America in the Balance | Rick Scarborough and Steve Feazel / 21st Century Press |
| Christian Education | 3rd | How to Be a Worship Songwriter | Stephen Robert Cass / Songs4God Media |
| Christian Living | Tied for 1st | Art for the Soul: Growing Your Faith Through Creativity | Kelly Brinkmann / Kelly Brinkmann Enterprises |
| Christian Living | Tied for 1st | Captive Set Free: How to Find Freedom Through Forgiving | Valerie Limmer / Green Sap Publications |
| Christian Living | 2nd | Mom, You’re Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You | Sandy Cooper |
| Christian Living | 3rd | The Next Thing | Cecil Taylor / Inscript |
| Devotional | 1st | The Christmas Devotional: Hope & Humor for the Holidays | Michelle Medlock Adams and Andy Clapp / End Game Press |
| Devotional | 2nd | The Gift of Tears: A 10-Week Devotional Journey | Annette Ford / Westbow Press |
| General Fiction | 1st | A Future and a Hope: Stories of Spiritual Healing After Abortion | Cynthia Jordan / Westwood Books |
| General Fiction | 2nd | The Wise Man | Michele Chynoweth / Elk Lake Pubishing |
| General Fiction | 3rd | Love on Life Support | Deb & Bruce Potts / Elk Lake Publishing |
| Gift | 1st | Tea Attitudes: A Blend of Tea, Life & Faith | Pamela G. Kennedy |
| Historical Fiction | 1st | All Battles End at Sunset | Jared Acuna / Hilt and Arrow |
| Historical Fiction | 2nd | Redemption’s Promise | Sandi Rebert / Dramatic Difference |
| Historical Fiction | 3rd | The Pardon | Rodney Powell |
| Memoir / Biography | 1st | King Solomon’s Empire: The Rise, Fall and Modern-Day Influence of an Iron-Age Ruler | Archie W. N. Roy PhD and Margaret P. Roy / Ambassador International |
| Memoir / Biography | 2nd | Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy | Janet Perez Eckles |
| Memoir / Biography | 3rd | Paws, Purpose and Possibilities: How therapy dogs and faith healed my heart | Gail Scoates |
| Mystery / Suspense | Tied for 1st | Uncommon Vengeance | Jennifer Haynie |
| Mystery / Suspense | Tied for 1st | The Chaos Spiral | Adam “Doc” Brackin / Wooton Major Publishing |
| Mystery / Suspense | 2nd | Dead Air: A Waco Mystery | Mary L. Hamilton |
| Mystery / Suspense | 3rd | East of Evil | Joni M. Fisher |
| Novella | 1st | The Innocent for the Guilty | Sandi Rebert |
| Personal Growth | 1st | Unstick Your Mind: Shift Your Mindset, Develop Grit & Break Barriers | Mimika Cooney |
| Personal Growth | 2nd | Not Over Yet – a single mom’s guide to reclaiming hope | Stephanie Bartelt / Not Over Yet Book |
| Personal Growth | 3rd | Grace Maps: Our Journey Guided by God’s Grace | Carmen Horne / Cotton Port Publishing, LLC |
| Poetry | 1st | Saint Express: That Weird Christian Kid | ChuChu Ukpabi / Faith Train |
| Relationships / Family | 1st | Mom, You’re Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You | Sandy Cooper |
| Relationships / Family | 2nd | Savage Marriage Study Guide: Overcome Your Past. Fight for Your Future. | Phil and Priscilla Fretwell |
| Relationships / Family | 3rd | God’s Grace and Grit: Surviving Your Fairytale | Carolyn Snelling and Tiarra Tompkins / Carpenter’s Son Publishing |
| Romance | 1st | Hope is Built | Davalynn Spencer |
| Romance | 2nd | This I Promise You | Mary A. Felkins / Gardenia Press |
| Speculative | 1st | Safe Harbor | Kristen Terrette / Elk Lake Publishing |
| Speculative | 2nd | The Genesis 6 Project | Michael Ferguson |
| Theology | 1st | Dear Saints: Catechesis on Saints | Jacob Huether |
| Theology | 2nd | One with God | Pierce Taylor Hibbs |
| Young Adult | 1st | The Diary of Daniel Shepherd | Jerry Schultz |
| Young Adult | 2nd | Recruit of Talionis | C.J. Milacci / Fayette Press |
| Young Adult | 3rd | Forgiveness at Skeleton Cove | Laura L. Morgan |
For media inquiries, please contact Susan Neal at cipa@christianpublishers.net.