Steven James and T.L. Hines are among the 2011 INSPY book award winners. Created by book bloggers to discover and highlight the best in faith-inspired literature, the INSPYs invite nominations from the Christian and general markets, with winners awarded in six categories.

With a primary focus on the online book market, OakTara, won in Romance with Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Catherine West, described as a “gritty and moving account of the Vietnam War.”

The Mystery/Thriller winner, James’ The Bishop (Revell/Baker Publishing Group), was said to “not shy away from the ‘tough’ questions about God.”

The winner in Speculative Fiction, Hines’ The Falling Away (Thomas Nelson), “managed to tackle a familiar subject (spiritual warfare) in a most unconventional way,” said the judges.

Passport Through Darkness by Kimberly L. Smith (David C Cook)—the winner in Creative Nonfiction—was said to portray “sacrificial Christian living as the absolutely normal and healthy choice for all Christians.” In the book, Smith and her husband were “willingly transparent with their weakness and present a realistic picture of what Christian living looks like.”

Saint Training by Elizabeth Fixmer (Zondervan) was named winner in the Literature for Young People category. Judges for the category said it was “realistic in its examination of religion without stereotype or fundamentalist views.”

From the general market, City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell (St. Martin’s Griffin), a book about American missionaries in China, took the General Fiction category.

The INSPY program is organized and judged by book bloggers who “have considerable experience and knowledge of books published for both the CBA markets and the general market,” according to the INSPY website. For more information on the winners and judges, go to inspys.com.

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