Somewhere Between Hiatus and Sabbatical

The blog has been silent. It'll probably stay silent a little while longer while I figure out a few things related to how to remain online in a productive fashion. Productive for me, for you, and for the industry.

In the meanwhile, I want to alert you to a cover survey we're currently running. It's for a book called Danny Gospel set to be released in April 2008. It's a book that blew my socks off when it came in-house and I'm excited for it to hit shelves. If you're interested in weighing in with your opinion, head here.

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In other news, BHP recently picked up three awards at the latest Christy ceremony.

Deeanne Gist won for The Measure of a Lady (Romance)
Jamie Turner won for Winter Birds (Contemporary)
Beverly Lewis won for The Brethren (Contemporary Series)

Other winners included:

Madman by Tracy Groot (Historical)
Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn (Lits)
Plague Maker by Tim Downs (Suspense)
Where Mercy Flows by Karen Harter (First Novel)
William Henry Is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke (Young Adult)

After a few years of controversial keynote addresses, Lauren Winner offered a healthy dose of rah-rah inspiration for those gathered. It was a valuable and authentic message, but I do hope the night doesn't automatically become an evening of self-congratulatory backpatting. We need to be challenged, too.

What else?

Tammy Alexander won a RITA award for Inspirational Novel for Revealed.

At ICRS I picked up what turned out to be a remarkable novel called Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce. Some startling and wonderful writing. Check it out.

Finished The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall. Deeply original and surprisingly poignant. I can't really even begin to describe it other than to say it's about devastating grief, and what makes us who we are, and, well, a conceptual shark who feeds on your identity. I wish I'd written it.

Mike Snyder seems to have a book coming out next year. Claudia Mair Burney has a tremendous cover for her newest book (it looks even better in person).

All for now.