Whitney Award finalists announced

Thirty-five Mormon novelists have been nominated as finalists in seven categories for the 2011 Whitney Awards.

For the best general novel, the finalists are "Before I Say Goodbye," by Rachel Ann Nunes; "Gifted," by Karey White; "Evolution of Thomas Hall," by Kieth Merrill; "The Walk: Miles to Go," by Richard Paul Evans; and "The Wedding Letters," by Jason F. Wright.

For the best historical novel, the finalists are "Daughter of Helaman," by Misty Moncur; "Fires of Jerusalem," by Marilyn Brown; "Isabelle Webb: The Pharaoh's Daughter," by N.C. Allen; "Letters in the Jade Dragon Box," by Gale Sears; and "Miss Delacourt Has Her Day," by Heidi Ashworth.

Finalists in the romance category are "Borrowed Light," by Carla Kelly; "Captive Heart," by Michele Paige Holmes; "Count Down to Love," by Julie N. Ford," "The List," by Melanie Jacobson and "Not My Type," also by Jacobson.

In the mystery/suspense category, the finalists are "Acceptable Loss," by Anne Perry; "Bloodborne," by Gregg Luke; "If I Should Die," by Jennie Hansen; "Rearview Mirror," by Stephanie Black; and "Smokescreen," by Traci Hunter Abramson.

For the best speculative fiction, the finalists are "The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel," by Brandon Sanderson; "I Don't Want to Kill You," by Dan Wells; "The Lost Gate," by Orson Scott Card; "A Night of Blacker Darkness," also by Wells; and "No Angel," by Theresa Sneed.

Finalists in the youth fiction speculative category are "My Unfair Godmother," by Janette Rallison; "Shifting," by Bethany Wiggins; "Slayers," by C.J. Hill; "Tuesdays at the Castle," by Jessica Day George; and "Variant," by Robison Wells.

In the youth fiction general category, finalists are "Girls Don't Fly," by Kristen Chandler; "Miles from Ordinary," by Carol Lynch Williams; "Pride & Popularity," by Jenni James; "Sean Griswold's Head," by Lindsey Leavitt; and "With a Name like Love," by Tess Hilmo.

Wiggins, White, Moncur, Hilmo, Jacobson and Sneed are also eligible for the "Best Novel by a New Author" award.

Members of the Whitney Academy, including members of LDStorymakers and other industry professionals, have until April 23 to submit their votes in the categories they vote in.

Winners will be announced at a banquet on May 5 at the Marriott Hotel in Provo. Tickets are now on sale via www.WhitneyAwards.com.

Email: rappleye@desnews.com