Two Kregel Titles Win in 2026 Selah Awards

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — On May 28, 2026, the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference announced the winners of their annual Selah Awards. One Kregel title won first place and one placed second.

A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro by Heather Norman Smith won in General Fiction. Secret philanthropist Andy Clark navigates his differences from others and strikes up an unlikely friendship with the nearly divorced Della Rose. Set against the backdrop of a Southern town and a little apartment complex, this story addresses grief, trusting God, and what it means to be kind.

Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go to Funerals by Sharon J. Mondragón won second place in Women’s Contemporary Fiction. This heartwarming Southern tale follows Mary Ruth McCready and her granddaughter as they track down the truth in a small town where gossip flows. Last year, Mondragón’s The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs also won in the same category.

Kregel is pleased to congratulate these winners. The full list of winners 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.