Art of Writing 2026 Giveaway

Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for the Art of Writing 2026, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Conference

The Art of Writing conference will be held on November 6 in Nashville at the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel, Tennessee. This focused, four-session conference will bring together writers, storytellers, and publishing professionals, curated by Thomas Nelson Fiction's Laura Wheeler.

 

Session One: State of the Industry: What's Changing, What's Selling, and What You Can Do About It

The Christian fiction marketplace is shifting—and the authors who thrive will be the ones who understand why. This panel of publishing professionals opens with a data-driven look at the current state of Christian publishing, drawing on the latest market research to map what's actually moving books today. From there, the conversation gets practical: how platform sales really work, what authors can do to actively support their books, and why audio is the format no one can afford to ignore. Whether you're traditionally published or exploring indie paths, you'll leave with a clearer picture of the industry landscape and concrete next steps for your own author education. 

Panel moderated by Laura Wheeler, and featuring Kelsey Bowen, Stephanie Broene, Nick Gilbert, Becky Monds, and Kerri Potts.

Session Two: AI and the Christian Author: Ethics, Opportunity, and a Rapidly Changing Landscape

 

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the publishing landscape faster than anyone predicted—and for many authors, it's raising as many questions as it eyebrows. This panel brings together diverse industry voices to cut through the noise with clarity and hard-won wisdom. What can AI legitimately help you do? Where are the ethical lines—and why do they keep moving? What do you need to know to protect yourself legally and act with integrity as a creative? This session is about being informed, staying anchored in your values, and navigating a fast-changing landscape with wisdom. 

Panel moderated by Jeff Crosby, and featuring Chad Harrington, Hannah Johnson, and Joshua Tallent. 

Session Three: Soul of the Writer, Heart of the Story: Writing Fiction That Reaches Every Reader

The metrics are loud. The algorithms are relentless. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's a writer trying to create something that actually matters. This session begins with the writer and asks what it takes to stay spiritually and creatively whole in an industry that never stops measuring. From that foundation, the conversation moves into craft: how do you write fiction that carries deep conviction without losing readers who don't share your faith? What's the difference between a story that illuminates and one that lectures? How do you make those choices at the level of character, scene, and structure? This is a session for authors who believe their stories are for something—and want to write them in a way that proves it. 

Panel moderated by Amanda Cox, and featuring Amanda Dykes, T.I. Lowe, Johanna Vann, and Roseanna M. White. 

Session Four: Fix That Manuscript: Inside the Author-Editor Relationship 

What actually happens when an editor gets their hands on your manuscript—and how do the best author-editor partnerships improve the work without making it smaller? This Q&A session pulls back the curtain on the editorial process with real manuscript pages, real edits, and a real conversation between an author and editor who have done this work together. You'll learn the difference between different levels of editing and walk away with a clearer understanding of what to expect—and how to get the most—from your editorial relationships. 

Panel featuring Laura Wheeler, Vanessa Miller, and Marybeth Whalen.

Learn More about Art of Writing 2026

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New: Beyond the Books

Add-On: Get to Know the Finalist Authors during this special morning gathering of authors and readers. 

Meet and hear the hearts of the 2026 finalist authors in this intimate time of connection between authors and their readers, hosted by Amanda Dykes and ECPA President Jeff Crosby. Available to anyone registering for a single event or the bundle. Featured finalist authors will be posted on The Christy Award website after the Finalists Reveal webinar.

Learn More about Beyond the Books

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The Christy Award Finalists Reveal

Christian fiction fans are invited to register and watch the free webcast announcement of The Christy Award finalists in nine categories live on September 11 at 10 a.m. CST, featuring Christy Hall of Fame author Chris Fabry and ECPA president Jeff Crosby.

“With each passing year, I am more aware of the power that stories have to communicate goodness, truth, beauty and hope in our world,” states ECPA president Jeff Crosby. “And because of that, I am honored to be associated with the annual Christy Gala, which honors excellence in Christian fiction, and the Art of Writing conference that nurtures the work of writers of faith and contributes tools as they refine their craft.” The Christy Award® is a program of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999. For more information about ECPA, visit ECPA.org. For more information about the Christy Awards and Art of Writing conferences, visit ChristyAwards.com or email TheChristyAward@ecpa.org

Register Now for The Art of Writing & The Christy Award events

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive their choice of The Art of Writing registration OR print copies of The Christy Award finalist titles for one category!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 4, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 11, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Giveaway and Review: Restoring Hope by: Philippa Cleall

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Restoring Hope by Philippa Cleall, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Restoring Hope 
Series: Restored from Ashes #1 
Author: Philippa Cleall 
Publisher: Ark House Press 
Release Date: October 31, 2025 
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Can she find safety and belonging, before the past finds her? 

After escaping an abusive marriage, Hope Elkins returns to the quiet town of Wombat Valley to reopen her late grandmother’s café, The Hearth—not to chase a dream, but to rebuild her life. 

Drawn in by the scent of wood-fired pizza and the warmth of old and new faces, Hope begins to find more than comfort within the café’s walls. As The Hearth fills with stories and second chances, she forms unlikely bonds with others—Ruby, a fiercely guarded teen; Nova, a young mother on the run; and Joe, the gentle local vet carrying grief of his own. 

With the support of her new community, Hope begins to heal and is gently drawn back to the faith she thought she’d left behind. But when a charming, dangerous figure from her past resurfaces, she must decide whether to stand firm in the life she’s begun to rebuild, or risk losing it all. 

Restoring Hope is a tender, uplifting story of resilience, rediscovery, and the quiet strength found in faith, friendship, and a place to belong 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

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About the Author

Philippa Cleall is a Children’s and Family Counsellor and volunteer Court Chaplain on the south coast of NSW, in Australia. She has a heart for seeing communities become more trauma informed so they can care for those hurting with greater wisdom, compassion, grace, and truth.

Connect with Philippa by visiting philippacleall.com.

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Review

Restoring Hope is the first book I have read by Philippa Cleall, and I look forward to reading more. This small-town story is rich in real-life struggles looking towards hope and redemption while building a found family and community.

This story is set in Australia, and it took me a minute for that to really click in. When kilometers is mentioned and then ute and all the wildlife mentioned that are native to Australia, that is when my mind switched over, and I was there.

Hope has a past of her own, and as the story goes on, we really get to pull back the layers and see what Hope has been dealing with. Hope has moved to Wombat Valley to reopen her grandmother’s café. But Hope is a little withdrawn. When a women’s support group dealing with abusive relationships meets at Hope’s café, Hope feels led to share and begins to open her heart and experience. When the teenager Ruby shows up, Hope offers her some work, and Ruby finds a place in Hope’s heart. The different relationships throughout this story were great, and I got to see each one at a core level and watch them work through their past hurts.

This story does deal with some hard topics. Topics of abuse, toxic relationships, and teen pregnancy, while also dealing with a previous abortion. Philippa Cleall did a great job intertwining faith throughout the story. I loved watching the way the church ultimately came in and supported Hope. I loved the support from the church and the reminder that Christ is always there for us.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the author. A positive review was not required. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 B&N gift card + a 'Kangaroo Valley' souvenir prize pack from Australia!

(1) additional winner will also receive a 'Kangaroo Valley' souvenir prize pack!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 31, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 7, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for gift card. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Find Me in the Stars by: Dalyn Weller

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Find Me in the Stars
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫:Dalyn Weller
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫:Sunrise Publishing
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Season 2 of Jonathan Island #7
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞:Christian Romantic Fiction
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: September 1, 2026 Review:

Find Me in the Stars is the first story I have read written by Dalyn Weller. This is book 7 in season 2 of the Jonathan Island series. This story can be read as a standalone.

Lila moves to Jonathan Island to be the Special Education Teacher for Sam. Ethan has moved back to the island to try and revive the family farm and make it profitable. After the loss of his wife to cancer and finding himself a single father to Sam, who has Down Syndrome, he is trying to figure out his life after loss.

Pulling back the layers of Lila and Ethan was interesting. They both were struggling with their pasts and baggage. Letting go of things and realizing that there is room in their hearts for more. That not every heart is only open for one love, but there is love after loss.

Sam was one of my favorite parts of this story. He was so sweet. I loved watching him come out of his shell and learn things.

The one thing that kind of "rubbed me the wrong way" was the mention of homeschooling and how, because they took Sam out of public school to homeschool him, he wasn’t learning. This kind of puts a bad perspective on homeschooling. The cool thing about homeschooling is that you get the freedom to teach in a different way that works for your kids. So when Lila was getting push back from the principal, that kind of teaching would have been perfect in a homeschool environment. This doesn't effect my rating, it was just one thing that as a homeschool mom, stuck out to me.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the author. A positive review was not required. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.