Demopolis native Christy Kyser Truitt’s latest release, “Where the River Bends,” was awarded a third-place finish in the romance division of the Christian Choice Book Awards.

The contest distributed first-, second- and third-place awards in 22 categories from a pool of more than 400 entries. The inaugural contest was open to all self-published authors who released a Christian book in 2007-08 and featured a variety of categories ranging from poetry to Christian living. The contest was sponsored by Xulon Press Inc., the top Christian publishing company in the world.

“I was so thrilled when I received notice of this recognition,” Truitt said. “Writing Christian novels is a challenging and rewarding journey that God has led me to, and I’m so blessed that others are recognizing my work. My goal is to write about real people facing real-life challenges, but who ultimately get that there is a better path to follow than one of our own understanding.”

The 38-year-old mother of four is a former Miss Christmas on the River and Marengo County Junior Miss. and a 1988 graduate of Demopolis High School. The Auburn resident is currently an associate editor with the College of Science and Mathematics at Auburn University.

Truitt is also a freelance writer and copy editor for East Alabama Living magazine. The Auburn graduate serves as the financial advisor to the Sigma Lambda chapter of Kappa Delta and also as a member of the finance committee of Auburn United Methodist Church.

She is the daughter of Ed Kyser and Marsha Kyser, the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Philip Kyser and the niece of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mayton.

��Where the River Bends” is available at online bookstores or at The Mustard Seed in Demopolis. Personalized copies may be ordered through www.christytruitt.com.