January 2026 - President’s Choice Award Winner
Mental Health Encouragement Book Award
Honoring William A. Stephens Jr.
Author of The Broken Mirror
Founder & Host of 1821 Productions
Some people don’t just talk about compassion—they live it.
William A. Stephens Jr. is one of those rare souls.
While The Broken Mirror powerfully gives voice to trauma, loneliness, and healing, William’s impact does not stop on the page. What moved me just as deeply as his book is who he is when no spotlight is on him.
William consistently goes out of his way to help veterans and homeless individuals—especially those who feel forgotten. In Christmas 2025, when many were celebrating in warmth and comfort, William was out delivering food to homeless people, meeting immediate needs with dignity, kindness, and respect. No cameras. No applause. Just a man who understands pain and refuses to look away from it.
That same heart is carried into his work with 1821 Productions, where through his podcast he uplifts people struggling with mental health challenges. He listens. He encourages. He creates space for honesty. He reminds others—especially veterans—that they are not weak for hurting, and they are not alone in their battles.
What makes William extraordinary is not only what he survived, but how he chooses to show up afterward.
He never complains about his own hardships. Instead, he uses his story to lift others. He turns suffering into service. Trauma into testimony. Isolation into connection. He is a man who understands loneliness deeply—and because of that, he makes sure others are seen.
William is living proof that healing doesn’t always look like perfection. Sometimes it looks like showing up for someone else, even while you’re still healing yourself.
That is why William A. Stephens Jr. so profoundly deserves this honor.
Because he doesn’t just write about hope—he delivers it.
He doesn’t just speak about mental health—he advocates for it.
He doesn’t just survive—he serves.
William, you are a light to veterans, to those without shelter, to those fighting silent battles, and to everyone who needs to be reminded that goodness still exists in this world.
Your voice matters.
Your heart matters.
And your life is making a difference—one person at a time.
Kind Regards
Johanna Vendel
CEO and Founder of PIHBA
January 2026 Winner Spotlight
Eide S. Nevets
Best Healing and Hope - Fiction with Purpose Book Award.
On behalf of The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards, it is our great honor and pleasure to formally congratulate you on being selected as a Winner in your award category.
Some fiction entertains.
Some fiction inspires.
But once in a while, a story arrives that quietly changes the way you see life itself.
Eide S. Nevets’ award-winning book Jane Doe's Alibi, earned - Best Healing and Hope - Fiction with Purpose category because it carries a powerful, hope-filled message: no matter how broken your circumstances, your life can still be turned around.
This story speaks directly to anyone who has ever felt lost, unseen, or uncertain about their future. Through moving characters and emotionally rich scenes, the book explores the idea that there are moments—divine moments—when unseen guidance, compassion, and human kindness intersect to redirect the course of a life. It is a reminder that sometimes the smallest acts of care become the greatest turning points.
One of the most touching elements of this book is how it portrays people helping one another rise from impossible situations—poverty, homelessness, discouragement—and discovering that hope is still available. That even when you have nothing left, you are not finished. That choosing differently, believing again, and accepting help can transform everything.
The quiet diner scene alone—where a struggling woman sits with a cup of coffee, unsure of what the day will bring, met only by the gentle kindness of a waitress—captures the heart of this story:
Healing begins with compassion.
Change begins with belief.
Purpose begins with hope.
This is why Eide S. Nevets earned this honor.
Because this book does not just tell a story.
It restores faith.
It awakens dreams.
It reminds readers that their life is not over yet.
A powerful, purpose-driven work that proves fiction can still carry Truth, Healing, Transformation, and Hope.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
January 2026 - Spotlight Winner. Honoring Andrew Rosenbarker.
Double Award Winner for - Best Devotional Prayer Book, and Turning Pain Into Purpose Award.
Some lives preach louder than words—and Andrew Rosenbarker’s life is one of them.
Andrew’s story is a testimony of radical redemption. Having come through addiction, alcohol abuse, and seasons where he could not yet see the harm he was doing to himself, he does not minister from theory or distance. He walks with people in their brokenness, offering truth, accountability, grace, and hope—together. His faith is not performative; it is lived.
What moved me deeply is the consistency of who Andrew is. There is no divide between the man on the platform and the man in personal relationships. From all the Testimonies in his book, everyone can only speak good about him. As an evangelist, pastor, father, and friend to many, his character and calling align. He communicates the gospel with clarity and authenticity—without spectacle or pressure—relying instead on faithfulness, truth, and the quiet authority of a life shaped by God.
Those closest to Andrew speak volumes. His wife, Mee Rosenbarker, describes his rare ability to welcome anyone and make them feel at home, and how—above all—she treasures seeing him as a devoted father who never misses his son’s moments. His son, Riley Rosenbarker, calls him a guide who gives wise counsel and opens doors for growth. This is leadership that starts at home.
Andrew’s obedience has borne lasting fruit. By launching the Brand New recovery group at Two Rivers Church, he bridged the gap between recovery and Jesus—seeds that continue to change lives today. He understands how hard it is to leave destructive paths, which is why he’s such a powerful example to youth and to anyone seeking a new beginning.
One simple practice Andrew shares stayed with me: spend time with Jesus in the morning—ask Him to lead your day—so that by evening, your heart is shaped more by obedience than regret. That wisdom reflects the heart of his devotional work: practical, prayerful, and purpose-driven.
Andrew Rosenbarker embodies what these awards represent. He turns pain into purpose, leads with humility and courage, and carries light into dark places—serving without recognition and loving without condition.
Congratulations, Andrew. Your testimony inspires faith, your life builds trust, and your work continues to guide many toward hope.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
January 2026 Winner Spotlight
Official Review — Best Inspirational Memoir of Hope & Resilience
Hope All the Way by
Theo Boyd
There are books you read—and then there are books you feel.
Hope All the Way is unquestionably the latter.
As someone who knows firsthand the deep and lasting pain of losing loved ones, this book touched my heart in a profoundly personal way. I have not read a memoir written with such sincerity, spiritual depth, and emotional honesty in a very long time. Theo Boyd’s story did not simply move me—it resonated with me.
From the very beginning, it is clear that Theo was raised with a strong Christian foundation, and that faith becomes the quiet yet powerful thread woven through every chapter of her life. With remarkable vulnerability, she shares moments of heartbreak, grief, and loss—losing her mother, losing her father, enduring divorce—yet she never loses sight of hope. Instead, she allows faith to carry her forward, one chapter at a time.
What truly sets this memoir apart is the intentional reflection Theo offers her readers. After each chapter, she includes thoughtful “think points” that invite you to pause, reflect, and connect your own life to hers. Questions such as “Do you believe in angels?”, “Have you had an angel moment?”, “What does home mean to you?”, and “Describe one of your happiest days” transform the book into a deeply interactive and healing experience. You are not simply reading about her life—you are reflecting on your own.
One especially moving aspect of this journey is how Theo shares her courage in facing fear head-on, including a powerful moment where she climbs onto a tractor after her mother’s passing—an act that symbolized both vulnerability and growth. These moments are written with such clarity and emotion that you feel as though you are standing right beside her.
Adding another layer of depth, Theo narrates her own audiobook. Hearing her tell her story in her own voice makes the experience even more emotional and authentic. You can hear the truth, the pain, the healing, and the hope in every word.
Hope All the Way is a beautiful testimony of resilience, faith, and the quiet strength it takes to keep believing after loss. Theo Boyd is an inspiration, and her story exemplifies exactly what the Prestigious International Hope Book Awards stands for.
I wholeheartedly recommend this remarkable book. It meets—and exceeds—the standards of excellence, purpose, and hope that this award represents. I wish Theo all the happiness that comes her way, and I pray that God continues to place His hand over her heart, protecting it, guiding it, and keeping it safe—so that it may never be broken again.
This is a memoir of hope in its truest form.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
Bambi - Author Of The Journey of Josephine
January 2026 Winner Spotlight - Best Memoir of Hope and Resilience.
On behalf of The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards, it is our great honor and pleasure to formally congratulate you on being selected as a Winner in your award category.
Some stories are difficult to read because of the pain they hold.
Others are sacred because of the courage it takes to tell them.
Bambi Lynn’s story is both.
Her life is marked by unimaginable trauma—abuse, betrayal, abandonment, and silence imposed by those who should have protected her. As a child, she endured harm at the hands of trusted adults and carried those secrets alone, with only a small rag doll named Josephine to hold her pain. That doll became more than comfort; she became a witness, a companion, a symbol of survival when no one else was safe.
Bambi’s journey did not soften with adulthood. She tasted love, only to have her heart broken. She became a mother, determined to give her child what she herself never received. She was abandoned again—left with children to raise, pregnant, and shattered by questions no woman should ever have to ask herself:
Why am I not enough? Why wasn’t I worth staying for?
Her little daughter walked the sidewalks calling for her father, asking strangers if they knew where he was. The ache of that moment alone could have broken a person forever.
But this is not a story of defeat.
This is a story of endurance, awakening, and redemption.
What makes Bambi’s story so profoundly moving is not just what she survived—but what she chose to become because of it. Through reflection, honesty, and deep inner work, she began to recognize generational wounds, extend compassion where bitterness could have taken root, and seek healing instead of remaining bound to pain. Her willingness to confront the truth—about her past, her parents, her marriage, and even herself—reveals extraordinary maturity and courage.
The symbolism of Josephine Priscilla, the rag doll, is breathtaking. A handmade gift from a mother who could not nurture in conventional ways became the very instrument God used to preserve a child’s heart. A fragile, imperfect doll stitched together from scraps became a metaphor for Bambi herself: worn, scarred, and yet still beautiful—still holding, still surviving, still worthy.
Through her writing, Bambi gives voice to children who grew up in chaos, to women who have lived in silence, to mothers who carry both guilt and grace, and to survivors who are still learning how to breathe freely. She does not sanitize the truth. She honors it. And in doing so, she creates space for others to begin healing too.
Her story is a reminder that:
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Survival is strength
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Telling the truth is power
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Healing is possible, even after decades of pain
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Purpose can rise from the deepest brokenness
Bambi Lynn’s life and voice deserve honor—not because of the trauma she endured, but because of the courage with which she chose to transform it into meaning, compassion, and hope for others.
Her story matters.
Her voice matters.
And the legacy she is building from ashes is nothing short of remarkable. Congratulations!
Johanna Vendel CEO and Founder of PIHBA
Bambi,
January 2026 Winner Spotlight
Bambi Lynn — The Inspirational Book of the Year 2026
For "The God Who Sees"
Some books inspire the mind.
Some encourage the heart.
But once in a generation, a book arrives that heals the soul.
The God Who Sees by Bambi Lynn is that book.
This breathtaking and deeply personal work is a sacred dedication to the women of Scripture—and to the women of today who see themselves reflected in those stories. With tenderness, truth, and spiritual depth, Bambi gives voice to the Eves, the Abigail's, the Tamar's, the Bathsheba's, the Leah's, the Mary's, the Deborah's, the women at the well, the broken, the silenced, the overlooked—and gently reminds each one of them:
God has always seen you.
What makes this book extraordinary is not only its biblical insight, but the lived testimony behind every word. Bambi writes from a place of authenticity—having walked through heartbreak, abuse, loneliness, and seasons of feeling unworthy—yet emerging with unshakable faith. Rather than allowing pain to silence her, she transformed it into purpose.
Her dedication pages alone are powerful enough to bring readers to tears. Each woman of the Bible is honored not with judgment, but with grace. Bambi reframes their stories through compassion—showing readers that God’s redemption is not reserved for the perfect, but poured out on the wounded, the struggling, the forgotten, and the searching.
Her message is clear and profoundly needed:
There is no shame too deep.
No past is too broken.
No secret too heavy.
No heart too wounded.
No woman too far gone.
The God who sees… still redeems. Still restores. Still calls.
This book reveals the sacred calling behind —a vision God placed in her heart more than 25 years ago. A vision of broken people becoming whole. Of shame replaced with dignity. Of labels replaced with identity. Of women finally seeing themselves the way God sees them: redeemed, chosen, loved, and purposeful.
The God Who Sees is not just a book.
It is a mirror.
It is a healing altar.
It is a whisper of hope to every woman who has ever wondered if she mattered.
This is why Bambi Lynn was chosen as The Inspirational Book of the Year, January 2026.
Because her words do not merely inspire.
They restore.
A life-changing, faith-filled work that every woman should read.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
January 2026 Author Spotlight —
Analee Vizcarra Vinyard
Author of "A Legacy of Love"
Winner of Best Inspirational Faith Based Book Of The Year,
and Best Faith Based and Spiritual truth.
Some stories are difficult to read because of the pain they carry—but they are also impossible to forget because of the hope they release. A Legacy of Love is one of those rare, sacred testimonies.
Analee Vizcarra Vinyard’s life story is heartbreaking, courageous, and deeply moving. After losing her mother at just fifteen, she was thrust into a controlling, abusive environment where her dreams were stripped away and her future was shaped by others’ choices instead of her own. Forced into a loveless marriage at only eighteen, Analee endured years of neglect, emotional wounds, and deep suffering. There were moments in this book that brought tears to my eyes—especially the unimaginable trauma surrounding her mother’s death and the painful experiences she and her brother were forced to endure at the cemetery.
And yet… This is not a story of defeat.
This is a story of faith rising from the ashes.
In the darkest moments, Analee reached back to the faith her mother had planted in her heart and turned to Jesus for survival, strength, and healing. Through her testimony, we see the power of God’s grace, the beauty of perseverance, and the truth that brokenness does not get the final word when Christ steps into the story.
Today, Analee stands not only as a survivor—but as a woman walking on purpose. Remarried, restored, and living in peace, she now carries forward her mother’s legacy by ministering love, hope, and encouragement to others. Her life is living proof that pain can be transformed into purpose and that God truly can redeem every chapter.
This book touched my heart deeply.
And I truly believe it will touch yours too.
A Legacy of Love is more than a memoir—it is a testimony of resilience, faith, and the unbreakable power of hope.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
Derail Johnson,
January 2026 — Winner Spotlight
Faith Based Fiction with Purpose Book Award
For The Family of Faith, Part 1
Some stories entertain.
Others awaken.
Derail’s work does both. His storytelling is bold, imaginative, and spiritually charged—proof that when purpose meets obedience, creativity can be resurrected no matter how long it has been silent. Then one ordinary workday became a divine turning point when his spirit cried out, “How do I begin again?” and the answer came clearly:
Pick that pen back up.
He obeyed—and everything changed.
Today, Derail is building a powerful body of work, a compelling multi-part series taking shape. "The Family of Faith, Part 1" stands out because it dares to explore difficult truths: faith versus corruption, power versus integrity, and the hidden cost of deception inside sacred spaces.
Through the gripping story of the Crawford family and their fractured megachurch empire, Derail challenges readers to confront uncomfortable realities while still holding space for redemption, truth, and accountability. His characters are complex. His themes are courageous. His purpose is unmistakable.
What makes this recognition especially meaningful is not only the quality of the story—but the journey behind it. Derail is a living example that delayed dreams are not denied dreams. That obedience can reopen doors. That calling does not expire.
Derail Johnson, our January 2026 Winner for Faith Based Fiction with Purpose—a writer whose voice is rising, whose vision is fearless, and whose story is only just beginning.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
January 2026
Holding Onto Hope
by Mae Renfroe Best Grief, Loss, Bereavement and Healing Book Award
Finding Hope in the Midst of Tragedy
There are moments in life when tragedy arrives without warning—leaving hearts broken, dreams shattered, and lives forever changed. Holding Onto Hope speaks directly to those moments.
This book is written for anyone who has walked the long and painful road of loss, heartbreak, and unanswered questions. Mae Renfroe writes with honesty, compassion, and deep faith, sharing not only her family’s journey through tragedy, but more importantly, the healing and redemption that are found in Christ.
What makes Holding Onto Hope so powerful is that it is not simply a story about what happened—it is a testimony of what God continues to do. Mae gently shifts the focus from her own pain to the reader’s life, reminding us that God is still writing our stories as well. Her words reassure us that even in the midst of devastation, God is present, working, and weaving meaning from what feels broken beyond repair.
I was especially moved by the way Mae expresses how God can take the bad, the ugly, and the shattered pieces of our lives and transform them into something beautiful—something only He could orchestrate for His glory. This book carries a quiet strength and a steady hope, rooted firmly in faith, reminding us that there is no true or lasting hope outside of God.
Holding Onto Hope is not about pretending the pain doesn’t exist—it is about learning how to hold on anyway. It is about trusting God when the road is dark and believing that healing is possible, even when the journey feels impossible.
This book is a comforting companion for the grieving, a source of encouragement for the weary, and a reminder to every reader that God is not finished yet. He is still writing your story—and hope is still alive.
A truly meaningful and faith-filled work, Holding Onto Hope is a beautiful reflection of resilience, trust, and unwavering belief in God’s promises.
With honor and appreciation,
Johanna Vendel
CEO & Founder
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
Creator & Host of Give Me Hope with Johanna
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