WRITING AWARDS
HIGHLIGHT CANADIAN
AUTHORS
A novel set during the Roman
Empire and a series of articles
from the anthology Hot Apple
Cider took the most awards at The
Word Guild Canadian Christian
Writing Awards this year. Awards
were given in 30 independently
judged categories, including non-
fiction books, novels, articles, columns and poems published during
2008.
The novel Christianus Sum
(which is Latin for “I am a Christian”) won three best (historical
romance and suspense) novel categories for first-time author Shawn
J. Pollett of Golden Valley, Ont.
(near Parry Sound). The story in
manuscript had already won free
publishing in last year’s Word Alive
Press competition.
Two articles from the inspirational anthology Hot Apple Cider
(That’s Life! Communications) also
won awards: two went to “The Diamond Ring” by N. J. Lindquist of
Markham, Ont. (inspirational and
general readership categories) and
one went to “It Was Then That I Carried You” by Angelina Fast-Vlaar of
St. Catharines, Ont. (personal experience category).
Other multiple winners include Toronto writers Tim
ANOTHER JUNO FOR
DOWNHERE
the Juno awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys,
awarded the “alt-rock” band
downhere with its third win for
contemporary Christian/gospel
album of the year at a ceremony in march broadcast live
on CTv.
The band’s winning album Ending Is Beginning (
Cen-tricity/david C. Cook) was nominated alongside work by
starfield, newworldson, article one and life support.
downhere won Junos previously in 2002 and 2007.
it was formed by marc martel and Jason Germain, former
roommates at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, sask.
Huff for Bent Hope: A Street Journal (Castle Quay Books)
and Greg Paul for The Twenty Piece Shuffle: Why the Poor
and Rich Need Each Other (David C. Cook).
British Columbia winners included Carolyn Arends,
author of Wrestling With Angels: Adventures in Faith and
Doubt (Harvest House), and John H. Redekop, who was
published in the Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Donna Dawson of St. Marys, Ont., won two awards for
her suspense thriller Vengeance (Word Alive).
The awards were announced at a public gala June
17 in Mississauga, Ont. Each included a cash prize. The
complete list of winners, selected from a record number
of 237 entries from writers in eight provinces, is available
at www.thewordguild.com.
The Word Guild also sponsors Canada’s largest Christian writers conference, Write! Canada (www.writecanada.
org). After the gala, 250 writers, editors, agents and publishers met in Guelph, Ont., June 18-20 for professional
development, networking and marketing. The conference,
founded and formerly managed by Faith Today, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
–BILL FLEDDERUS
VENGEANCE: A NOVEL
Author: Donna Dawson
James Kirk Benedict is an FBI agent,
a Christian and the son of two diehard Star Trek fans. While on a cruise
ship vacation, he finds himself in the
middle of a medical mystery as, one
by one, passengers begin succumbing
to a deadly, human-caused, flesh-eating
word alive, 2008.
disease. Are the victims being targeted?
248 pages. $20.95
(paper)
Is a virus running amok? Who could be
behind such a twisted plan?
Meanwhile back in San Diego, Benedict’s girlfriend, psychologist Dr. Julie Holding, is supporting him from afar. She
has her own challenges as she’s counselling a young victim
of violence from one of James’s earlier cases.
As the case unfolds, Benedict discovers links to a criminal mastermind called Nam, who wants to exact revenge
for pain he suffered as a child. As the story unfolds, two or
three other plot lines twist and converge – all explorations
and meditations on Dawson’s central theme, which is also
the title of the book.
Who gets to exact vengeance? What is the difference between vengeance and justice? Is vengeance ever warranted?
These are the questions that torment Benedict and are given
thoughtful treatment by author Donna Dawson, a writing
instructor at Fanshawe College in London, Ont.
