Christian fiction's annual gala night featured a standing ovation for the woman credited with ushering in a new era for the category that has grown to one seeing increased sales and general market and media interest.

The 600-plus crowd for the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) awards ceremony at the close of the group's three-day conference in Indianapolis rose to applaud longtime Bethany House Editor Carol Johnson as she received the organization's first Lifetime Achievement Award last night.

The honor was presented by author Janette Oke, whose Love Comes Softly was an unsolicited manuscript Johnson championed for publication in 1979. That book "generated shelf space for our titles," ACFW President Cynthia Ruchti told attendees, who included scores of published authors and several hundred prospective authors.

In her presidential address earlier in the day, Ruchti noted that since ACFW's founding 10 years ago, it had grown from a handful of members to around 2,200, about a quarter of whom were published writers. Members released 20-25 new titles a month, she added.

For agent Steve Laube, a member of the faculty at the conference themed "Serving Him in Word and Deed," the record attendance was indicative of fiction's continued growth. "It is a very viable industry, and there are a lot of people who want to express themselves in story form," he said.

Award-winning and best-selling writers were among the instructors who presented more than 30 workshops, from writing basics and self-editing to publishing business essentials. Editors from more than a dozen publishing houses and agents met with prospective writers.

Prizes were presented in 15 categories at the closing banquet, renamed this year The Carol Awards in honor of Johnson's years of service. Steeple Hill and Thomas Nelson were among the big winners, while retired pastor Dan Walsh's debut title, The Unfinished Gift, garnered two top awards.

Below is the complete list of winners.

Contemporary Novella: The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers); Historical Novella: Christmas Bells for Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad (Steeple Hill); Short Contemporary: A Texas Ranger's Family by Mae Nunn (Steeple Hill); Short Contemporary Suspense: Evidence of Murder by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Steeple Hill); Short Historical: The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh (Revell/Baker Publishing Group).

Young Adult: So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson); Long Contemporary: The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry (Moody Publishers); Long Contemporary Romance: Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson); Mystery: The Case of the Mystified M.D. by A.K. Arenz (Sheaf House); Suspense/Thriller: Intervention by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan).

Long Historical: Stealing Home by Allison Pittman (Multnomah Books); Long Historical Romance: Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishing); Speculative: Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge (Marcher Lord Press); Women's: Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge (WaterBrook Press); Debut Author: Dan Walsh (The Unfinished Gift, Revell/Baker Publishing Group).

Other ACFW Awards: Mentor of the Year: Susan May Warren; Member Service Award: Fay Lamb; Editor of the Year: Sue Brower (Zondervan); Agent of the Year: Sandra Bishop (MacGregor Literary Agency).

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