Best-selling author Max Lucado leads the field in the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Christian Book Awards for the second year in a row, with two of his titles in the Inspiration and Children categories.

Lucado, who has won 13 Christian Book Awards and been recognized as a finalist 37 times since 1978, was the first author to appear on the finalist list three times in the same year when he garnered that distinction in 2011, ECPA said.

Out of 244 entries of books and Bibles published in the past year—up from 223 for the 2011 awards—40 finalists in six categories were chosen to vie for the best Christian books and Bibles for 2012. The association's Christian Book Awards will be presented in Chicago, May 2, at the start of ECPA's Executive Leadership Summit. One title will be chosen among all the finalists to be named the 2012 Christian Book of the Year.

The debut of the New Author category resulted in six finalists from both fiction and nonfiction. In addition, the Non-Fiction category yielded a three-way tie for a total of seven finalists. Other ties were in the Inspiration, New Author and Bible Reference categories.

"This year's 40 finalists and five ties, represent the strength and quality of content our industry continues to produce, in both seasoned and new voices and from small, mid-sized and large publishing houses," said ECPA President Mark Kuyper.

Click here for a complete list of finalists.

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