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Contest
Deep River Books Announces the winners of their first Christian Writer’s Contest.
Bill Gaines, author of Blood on a Pew, is the first place $1000 prize winner of DRB’s first ever Christian Writer’s Contest. Bill’s manuscript is a deeply moving story of both tragedy and triumph. “It took my son’s death for me to fully comprehend the meaning and power behind the death of Christ on the cross,” Bill said.
The contest ran from February 15th to April 15th and was open for both fiction and non-fiction to new authors.
“Having a writer’s contest was a first for us and we were excited to see so many new authors enter their work to be judged by our five judges,” said Bill Carmichael, CEO and Publisher of Deep River Books. “We will definitely do this again. I am heartened to see so many quality Christian writers who are putting out materials to honor God and the Christian faith. There were so many quality manuscripts that were scored so closely together, any one of a dozen could have won first prize.”
Contestant entries were scored on various writing elements, including: Mechanics (formatting, grammar, punctuation, etc.); Style (is it fresh/unique voice, maintains reader interest?) ; Opening Paragraph (does it hook the reader, make them want to continue?) ; Setting (is it easy to picture, clearly defined?); Characterization and Dialogue (are characters or people clearly fleshed out, is the dialogue crisp and does it move the manuscript forward?); Pacing (does every chapter and paragraph move the story or message forward or bog it down?); Purpose (is the plot clear and is there a clear spiritual/faith element?); and Overall Impression (looking at the manuscript overall, how does it stack up?).
Here is a synopsis of the top three winners:
First Place, Blood on a Pew by Bill Gaines. On June 18, 2003, at 2:30 in the morning, Bill’s eldest son, “Billy”, under bizarre circumstances, fell through the tile ceiling of a Catholic Church, crashing onto a hard wooden pew thirty feet below. Billy was a promising football player at the University of Pittsburgh when the tragedy occurred. Blood on a Pew is a poignant story about a father’s grief, anger, and road back to wholeness, forgiveness, and healing.
Second place went to Cynthia Newman for Raising Queens. Cynthia is the mother of five daughters and her manuscript, filled with both humor and sound advice, is not only about raising girls to be “queens” (in the right sense of the word), but includes wisdom for all women about living life well. Her sub-title sums it up, “Timeless Wisdom for Living as a Modern Day Queen.”
Third place went to Richard Ehrman, for His Father Heart, a moving memoir of a co-dependent family filled with addictive behaviors; a father’s journey through guilt and despair; and finally to hope. When finding faith in Christ, this father begins to understand the true meaning of fatherhood and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and healing.
There were also a few other notable manuscripts of excellence, both fiction and non-fiction that received an Award of Excellence for their outstanding work.
Congratulations to all of the winners and those who received Awards of Excellence!