Four Kregel Titles Named 2025 Selah Award Finalists

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — On March 3, 2026, the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference announced the finalists for their annual Selah Awards. Four Kregel titles were named finalists.

To Kiss a Knight by Grace Hitchcock is a finalist in Audio. When Vivienne Poppy runs away from a marriage of convenience by taking up a new title, she discovers that the pseudonym isn't as dead as she thinks it is—making her the apparent wife of Sir Sebastian Larkby. Vivienne must decide whether to expose her true identity and break Sebastian's dying grandmother's heart—or feign marriage to Sebastian.

Grandma Ruth Doesn't Go to Funerals by Sharon J. Mondragón is a finalist in Contemporary Women's Fiction. In a small Southern town, bedridden Mary Ruth McCready reigns supreme, doling out wisdom and meddling in everyone's business. When her best friend has her world rocked by a scandalous revelation from her dying husband, Mary Ruth enlists her favorite granddaughter to track down the truth. With God, nothing is impossible, but the two of them just might have to ruffle a whole mess of feathers.

A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro by Heather Norman Smith is a finalist in General Fiction. As an anonymous do-gooder, Andy Clark lives out what his mama once taught him despite the tumorous mass that covers half his face and sets him apart. But then the girl who broke his heart in third grade settles into a next-door apartment, and unassuming Andy turns his generosity toward her daughter. Through the end of a marriage, secret philanthropy, and heroic acts, the new friends navigate grief and trusting God in this heartwarming Southern story.

The Trauma Tree by Lisa Saruga is a finalist in Christian Living. In this companion for healing journeys, Saruga walks with readers through her own story and the stories of survivors. Readers will discover the God-given resources they were created with, and learn to process emotions, find a healthy support system, and start an effective therapeutic path to healing.

The full list of finalists can be found here.

The mission of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is to inspire writers to connect with God, other writers, and industry professionals as they embrace their calling with excellence. The Selah Awards open each year and accept books that were published within the last calendar year, from January to December, and include books published traditionally and nontraditionally.

Kregel Publications is an evangelical Christian publisher that aims to develop and distribute—with integrity and excellence—trusted, biblically based resources that lead individuals to know and serve Jesus Christ.