The event drew a crowd of 280, a record crowd for the awards to accompany a record number of 161 submissions, according to Executive Director Donna Kehoe. The host was author and media personality Michelle McKinney Hammond.

Gohlke, whose novel William Henry is a Fine Name (Moody Publishers), won in the Young Adult category, was also recognized with a nomination in the First Novel category.

"It is so incredibly exciting and affirming," she told Christian Retailing. "I just feel the Lord has said this is the door and walk through this door. This is something I've wanted to do my whole life."

Other winners were: Turner's Winter Birds (Bethany House Publishers) for Contemporary (Stand Alone), Lewis' The Brethren (Bethany House Publishers) for Contemporary (Series, Sequels and Novellas), Tracy Groot's Madman (Moody Publishers) for Historical, Robin Jones Gunn's Sisterchicks in Gondolas (Multnomah Books) for Lits, Deeanne Gist's The Measure of a Lady (Bethany House Publishers) for Romance, Down's Plague Maker (Thomas Nelson) for Suspense and Karen Harter's Where Mercy Flows (Center Street) for First Novel.

Phyllis Tickle was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the fiction genre as both an author and editor. Kehoe said that attendees told her it "was the highlight of the evening, since she is held in such high esteem in our industry."

The evening also included a keynote address by Lauren Winner, author of Girl Meets God and visiting lecturer at Duke Divinity School, who humored the crowd with historical criticisms of the fiction genre. She presented her passion for Christian fiction, noting that "the really true truth-telling happens in fiction."

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