The new book club started off the new year with Colleen Coble’s Black Sands. Also during the first month of 2006, Barbara Huff agreed to be the Forum Administrator on the ACFW Website.

January also saw ACFW’s first official chapter established called “Writers of Inspirational Novels” or WIN, located in Tulsa, OK in the Southwest Zone.

The Atlanta area took chaptering to heart with “Writers of Remarkable Design” or WORD forming in February and “Visions in Print” or VIP coming together in March. Not to be outdone, during March ACFW members living in Indiana collectively got together and established the Indiana Chapter of ACFW

Also in March, a Scholarship fund was established for members and others to contribute to. The ACFW Scholarship Program would continue but with the extra money, the program could be enhanced beyond what ACFW could budget.

In April, ACFW’s first Conference Sponsorship Program was inaugurated with an e-mail blast sent to prospective sponsors for the 2006 Conference. April also saw another ACFW chapter birthed in the land of the Rocky Mountains with“Heavenly Inspired Story Writers” or HIS Writers.

Also in conjunction with the Conference, Wynn-Wynn Publicity was hired to promote the conference.

By May ACFW had six official chapters with the formation of the DFW Ready Writers in Dallas. Then on May 2nd, ACFW welcomed its 1000th member, Tracy Bartlett, by sending her a complimentary box of signed books and giving her a one year complimentary membership.

June brought about personnel changes. Meredith Efkin stepped down as Head Moderator and Cindy Woodsmall gave up her List Hostess duties. Jennifer Tiszai and Heather Tipton agreed to fell their shoes, Jennifer as a moderator and Heather as List Hostess. Tiff Miller stepped down as web support and was replaced by a team of volunteers under Lisa Tuttle’s supervision.

After several years of the same web design, the ACFW website underwent a re-design and the public side of the website debuted first. The new ACFW gender-neutral colors of Black and Gold/Tan were incorporated into the design along with a new logo.

Plans for the 2006 Conference in Dallas occupied most of the summer. As of July 29, 300 had registered for the event.

On September 20, 2006, the Operating Board met alone and then with the Advisors in a combined meeting at the Marriott-Addison in Dallas.

On September 21, the 2006 ACFW National Conference opened. Liz Curtis Higgs served as keynote.

For the first time sponsors partnered with ACFW to help financially with the conference. Sponsors for 2007 were Zondervan, Peterson Ink, Waterbrook, Faith Words, KMK Enterprises, and Steeple Hill.

With a sense of Academy Award-like anticipation, conferees, many wearing evening dress, sat down to an elegant gourmet meal at the Awards Banquet.

Pam Meyers announced Lena Nelson Dooley as the 2006 Mentor of the Year. Lena was presented with an engraved award.

Robin Miller announced the winners of the Book of the Year as follows:

CONTEMPORARY NOVELLA
1st - Pamela Griffin - STRAWBERRY ANGEL
2nd - Jane Orcut - DEAR BABY GIRL
3rd - Kristy Dykes - REUNITED

GENERAL FICTION
1st - Miles Owen - DAUGHTER OF PROPHECY

2nd (tie) -	Bryan Davis - TIE BETWEEN CIRCLES OF SEVEN
	Sarah Anne Sumpolec - THE REVEAL

HISTORICAL NOVELLA
1st - Pamela Griffin - LEGEND OF MERCY
2nd - Kathleen Y'Barbo - MARRYING KIND
3rd - DiAnn Mills - MISSING PAGES

LITS
1st - Kristin Billerbeck - WITH THIS RING, I'M CONFUSED
2nd - Diann Hunt - HOT FLASHES AND COLD CREAM
3rd - Siri Mitchell - KISSING ADRIAN

LONG HISTORICAL
1st - Tricia Goyer - DAWN OF A THOUSAND NIGHTS
2nd - Deeanne Gist - A BRIDE MOST BEGRUDGING
3rd - Tracey Bateman - THE COLOR OF THE SOUL

SHORT CONTEMPORARY
1st - Colleen Rhoads (Coble) - SHADOW BONES
2nd - Nancy Lavo - MISS MENACE
3rd - Elizabeth White - UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS

SUSPENSE
1st - Colleen Coble Overall BTY Award - DISTANT ECHOES
2nd – Colleen Coble - BLACK SANDS
3rd – Creston Mapes - DARK STAR

WOMENS FICTION
1st – Nikki Arana - THE WINDS OF SONOMA
2nd – Deb Raney - OVER THE WATERS
3rd – Eva Marie Everson & Linda Evans Shepherd - THE POTLUCK CLUB

SHORT HISTORICAL
1st – Tracey Bateman - BESIDE STILL WATERS
2nd – Vickie McDonough - SOONER OR LATER
3rd – DiAnn Mills - RENEGADE HUSBAND

The Overall Book of the Year was Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble.

Camy Tang announced the winners of the Genesis Contest:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
1st - Glynna Sirpless - A REASON TO DANCE
2nd - Kaye Dacus - HAPPY ENDINGS, INC.
3rd - Kristian Tolle - FLIRTING WITH DANGER

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
1st - Audra Harders - TIMELESS TREASURES
2nd - Andree Eisenberg - THE LEGEND OF RUBY SANCHEZ
3rd - Charlene Glatkowski - HALFWAY HOME

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
1st - Jill Eileen Smith - ONE MURDER TOO MANY
2nd - Robin Miller - ENEMY PROWL
3rd - Kelly Ann Riley - KITTY'S FIRE

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER
1st - Cheryl Wyatt - STEALTH SURRENDER
2nd - Susan Spencer-Smith - A DEATH IN THE PARSONAGE
3rd - Wayne Scott - THE DARK BOYS

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/SPECULATIVE FICTION
1st - Mirta Ana Schultz - AGE'S END
2nd - Rebecca Grabill - IN PERFECT DARKNESS
3rd - Sherry Thompson - SEABIRD

WOMEN’S FICTION
1st - Marian Merritt - LEGACY OF GRACE
2nd - Julie Saffrin - THAT SUMMER PLACE
3rd - Erin Keeley Marshall - THE BLUFF DWELLER

GENERAL FICTION (INCLUDES GENERAL HISTORICAL, MULTICULTURAL, YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY FICTION, CHICK-LIT)
1st - Christina Miller - Twilight
2nd - Lynne Gentry - North of Nowhere
3rd - MaryAnn L. Diorio - Sicilian Conspiracy

The top five scoring entries across categories were to be sent to the FaithWords editorial board, and the overall winner chosen would receive a $500 cash prize from FaithWords (formerly Warner Faith).

Only four finalists were sent to the FaithWords editorial board because one entrant withdrew late in the contest.

The four FaithWords finalists were:

Andree Eisenberg - THE LEGACY OF RUBY SANCHEZ
Audra Harders - TIMELESS TREASURES
Christina Miller – TWILIGHT
Marian Merritt – LEGACY OF GRACE

The Overall Winner of the 2006 Genesis Contest was:

Marian Merritt for Legacy of Grace

The conference closed out on Sunday with a presentation from the ACFW Newsletter team. The newsletter was about to undergo a facelift. The newly designed on-line newsletter named Afictionado was ready for viewing on the Internet.

In October President Rachel Hauck announced that nominations were open for Board elections. In November, elections opened for the positions of president, vice president, volunteer officer, publicity officer and zone officer. The terms for Pam Meyers as Secretary and Peg Phifer as treasurer would continue for one more year to allow for the staggering of terms as agreed to in 2005.

On November 30th the 2007 ACFW Operating Board was slated as follows:

Robin Miller-President
Pamela (Pammer) James - Vice President
Volunteer Officer - Michelle Hutchinson
Publicity Officer - Cara Putman
Zone Officer - Ane Mulligan
Secretary - Pam Meyers
Treasurer - Peg Phifer

In March the Operating Board held a face-to-face meeting at the Marriott-Addison in Dallas where the 2006 National Conference would be held. Sydney Zech, Conference Coordinator, also attended. The Board was able to see the facilities and choose the menus as well as discuss other points of business.

In June 2006, Tracey Bateman stepped down as president and the Advisory Board asked Rachel Hauck to step in as interim president until elections would be held in the fall.

In September Sydney formed a conference committee team to start plans for the 2007 Conference. Lisa Tuttle agreed to work as a paid contractor, maintaining the website after her term ends in December.

A new board position of Zone Officer to oversee the chapters was created. It was agreed that the number of Advisory Board members did not have to equal that of the Operating Board and with the addition of this new board member the AB would not be adding to their ranks as well.

In October Andrea Boeshaar and Kristin Billerbeck stepped down from their Advisory Board positions. Colleen Coble assumed the duties of the CEO.

Continue to 2007