Valerie Nifora’s new novel wins ChristLit Book Award on launch day

Valerie Nifora’s What We Left Behind released worldwide Sept. 22, 2026, and earned a ChristLit Book Award the same day. The recognition spotlights a contemporary romance about regret, forgiveness and second chances, marking a notable shift for the Long Island author.

Why it matters: - The launch-day award gives Valerie Nifora’s new novel an immediate credibility boost. - What We Left Behind extends Nifora’s reach beyond historical fiction into contemporary fiction. - The story centers on themes that resonate beyond romance: regret, forgiveness, grief and hope later in life.

What happened: - Valerie Nifora’s What We Left Behind officially released worldwide on Sept. 22, 2026. - The novel received a ChristLit Book Award from the ChristLit Book Awards on the same day. - The award program describes itself as an internationally accredited Christian book award program. - Nifora is a Long Island author and an award-winning novelist and poet.

The details: - What We Left Behind follows Seth Abrams and Margaret Taylor after Seth returns decades after leaving the woman he promised to love. - Margaret is now a widow with grown children and a life she rebuilt after the breakup. - Seth returns famous and humbled, carrying the weight of the years they lost. - The novel asks what happens when a love thought lost forever returns. - Louise Jane, CEO of The ChristLit Book Awards, called the book emotionally powerful and praised Nifora’s voice and attention to detail. - Jane also described the novel as one of the most exquisitely told and deeply moving romances she has seen, citing its focus on “the agony of a love running out of time.” - Nifora said the book is about regret, forgiveness after decades, and hope arriving when life feels finished. - The ChristLit recognition follows earlier praise for Nifora’s novel Mary Whitcombe, which was also named a ChristLit Book of the Year in Fiction. - Nifora’s work has also received recognition from the Hawthorne Prize and the Independent Press Awards. - The novel is available now worldwide.

Between the lines: - The award positions the book as both a romance and a faith-oriented literary title. - The shift from historical fiction to contemporary fiction suggests Nifora is widening her audience. - Launch-day recognition can help a debut in the market stand out quickly, especially for readers who follow award-winning Christian fiction.

What’s next: - Readers can now buy and read What We Left Behind worldwide. - Nifora’s broader catalog remains available, including The Fairmounts, Mary Whitcombe, I Asked the Wind, The Quiet After You and The Shopkeeper’s Daughter. - More information is available on Valerie Nifora’s website and social channels, including Valerie Nifora Books, Instagram and Facebook.

The bottom line: - What We Left Behind arrives as both a new release and an award winner, giving Valerie Nifora momentum as she moves into contemporary fiction.