GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Kregel Publications is excited to celebrate three winners for the Foreword INDIES Awards for 2021. Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen won Gold in the Religious Fiction category, Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong won Silver in the General Romance category, and The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragón won Bronze in the Religious Fiction category.

Roots of Wood and Stone is a split-time novel about a museum curator and an intriguing diary that leads her to an old woman with Alzheimer’s, and the woman’s grandson, whom she can’t help but fall in love with. Wen’s story reveals the beauty of God’s plan and how our actions produce ripples for generations. Read more or purchase the book here.

Husband Auditions is a quirky romance-comedy about Meri Newberg, the last single woman in her Christian friend group. She’s all but lost hope of ever finding true love until she receives a strange present at a wedding—a 1950s magazine article showing “ways to get a husband”—which, in her desperation, she decides to try out. Read more or purchase the book here.

The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady is a humorous and heartfelt story about a group of women in a prayer shawl ministry. When they’re suddenly forced to move from their comfortable church location to the public mall, they’re confronted with the reality of the people behind their formerly distant prayers, and each must decide what God is really calling them to do. Read more or purchase the book here.

Winners were announced on the Foreword Reviews site. Find the complete list of winners at 2021 Foreword INDIES Winners.

Kregel Publications is an evangelical Christian publisher that aims to develop and distribute—with integrity and excellence—trusted, biblically based resources that lead individuals to know and serve Jesus Christ.

Iron Stream Media is thrilled to have received eight awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.  Awards included five Selah Awards, a Director’s Choice Award, the Yvonne Lehman Award, and a Foundations Award for a book releasing in Feb 2023. We are blessed to have so many authors who have done so well across so many aspects.

SELAH AWARDS

• Messy Hope by Lori Wildenberg ISBN: 978-1563094781
  Third Place, Christian Life
• Puppy Dog Devotions by Michelle Medlock Adams and Wendy Hinote Lanier ISBN: 978-1563094415
  Second Place, Children’s Literature
• The Endling by Deborah Maxey ISBN: 978-1645262640
  First Place, First Novel
• Soul Strong by Lucinda Secrest McDowell, Oasis Audio ISBN: 978-1563093272
  First Place, Audio Books
• Tempest by C. J. Campbell ISBN: 978-1563094460
  First Place, Speculative

---

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE AWARD

• The Endling by Deborah Maxey ISBN: 978-1645262640
  First Place, Fiction

---

FOUNDATION AWARD
We are so excited that Ben Randall, publishing as B. F. Randall, won a Foundation Award for Nonpublished Novels: Historical Biblical for his manuscript Between the Lightning and the Thunder. We look forward to helping Ben launching this title in February 2023 under Brookstone Publishing Group.

---

YVONNE LEHMAN AWARD
We are so happy that Iron Stream Media author and editor Eva Marie Everson was awarded the 2022 Yvonne Lehman Award for helping others answer God’s call to write. Lehman, who passed away in 2021, was a beloved writing coach and founder of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

---

Book these authors as guest speakers or for book signings by contacting Kim McCulla at kim.mcculla@ironstreammedia.com.  Limited supply of giveaway copies available for special events and interviews. Books can also be ordered through your distributor or visit www.newhopepublishers.com.

Iron Stream Media derives its name from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This sharpening describes the process of discipleship, one to another. Iron Stream Media provides a variety of solutions for churches, missionaries, and nonprofits that include in-depth Bible study curriculum, Christian book publishing, and consultative services. Iron Stream Media is the home of Iron Stream, Iron Steam Fiction, Iron Stream Harambee Press, Iron Stream Kids, Life Bible Study, and Brookstone Publishing Group. Through the popular Life Bible Study and Student Life Bible Study imprints, they also provide web-based, full-year and short-term Bible study teaching plans as well as printed devotionals, Bibles, and discipleship curriculum.

Pensacola, FL, June 1, 2022—The Christian Authors Network (CAN), which serves traditionally published authors, has a new president—Susan Neal RN, MBA, MHS. She is the Director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association and sold over 20,000 copies of her Selah award-winning book, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates. In addition, Susan won first place in the 2020 Christian Author Network (CAN) Marketing Award for Outstanding Broadcast Media.

Susan’s enthusiasm, vitality, and ideas will allow CAN to provide outstanding services and resources to traditionally published authors producing Christian books. CAN will get a new online membership platform (which will include reference guides, checklists, discounts on outside resources, courses, and monthly newsletters), and a new website. Susan plans to add new benefits to CAN’s membership program to help Christian authors get their books into the hands of more readers through savvy marketing in a technological world. Susan states, “I am excited to become the new president of Christian Authors Network. Members will receive their current benefits, a new website, and a membership platform with over 100 new author benefits! I like to learn the search engine optimization tricks and platform algorithms of the large tech sites (Amazon, Google, YouTube, etc.) and teach authors how to meet those platforms’ demands. When you do, you sell more books.”

The previous Christian Authors Network president, Angie Breidenbach, who diligently served this vibrant organization for a decade states, “I’m thrilled to see what Susan Neal can do with her skills and leadership. I will become a member of the new CAN, and president emeritus, but I will no longer be the contact. In fact, I will run a publishing house and an international genealogy school for professional genealogist certification at genealogicalstudies.com.”

The Christian Authors Network website URL and email are: https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/ and contact@christianauthorsnetwork.com

CONTACT: Susan Neal, 850–393–3681, SusanNeal@Bellsouth.net

Ada, Mich. (June 22, 2022)—Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is pleased to welcome Grace P. Cho to its editorial team. Grace will serve as Senior Editor.

Grace says, “I’m excited to be joining the Revell acquisitions team! I look forward to bringing my voice to the table and cultivating writers whose perspectives and stories will help all of us, as readers and as the church, see and experience a fuller picture of God’s glory here on earth.”

Grace joins Revell with exceptional experience, including an MA from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, her role as an associate pastor, and most recently, her role as an editorial manager and writer for (in)courage, a division of DaySpring.

“Grace adds a valued and needed voice to the acquisitions team at Revell, and a unique set of skills, both-pastoral and editorial,” says Andrea Doering, Editorial Director of Revell. “With a heart for elevating needed voices of color in our market, we’re thrilled to welcome her experiences and insights.”

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, publishes books that help bring the Christian faith to everyday life. Whether through fiction, Christian living, self-help, marriage, family, or youth books, each Revell publication reflects relevance, integrity, and excellence.

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Contact: Holly Scheevel, (952) 829-2555, hscheevel@bakerpublishinggroup.com

The team at Mountain Brook Ink is happy to announce two Carol Award finalists in the following categories:

• Historical Fiction (Biblical): Rain by Dana McNeely
• Romantic Suspense: Driven by Sara Davison

Our Mountain Brook Fire line is proud to announce that Alyssa Roat has finaled in the Realm Awards in General Fantasy and audio book for Wraithwood, and Bradley Caffee was a dual finalist in the Selah Awards, in First Novel and Speculative Fiction for The Chase.

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Good Book Company announces that Truth For Life: 365 Daily Devotions by Alistair Begg has surpassed 100,000 units in print sales (The Good Book Company, November 2021.)

Since its release in the fall of 2021, Truth For Life has consistently been a popular title at Amazon, book stores, The Good Book Company website, and with those served by the ministry organization Truth For Life. Each daily devotion offers a short reflection, prompts for real life application, relevant Scripture passages, and references for a yearly Bible reading plan.

In celebration of this milestone, we are pleased to announce the next volume of Truth For Life will be available in the fall of 2022 (The Good Book Company, October 2022). It follows the same format as the first volume of the devotional while offering new daily devotions and corresponding Bible references.

James Burstow, President of The Good Book Company, reflects, “It’s been so exciting to see the enthusiastic response to Truth For Life. We are honored to have published this wonderful distillation of decades of Alistair’s faithful, fruitful preaching, and are humbled and grateful to have reached this milestone so quickly. It’s our prayer that this second volume will impact people around the world with the truth of God’s Word daily.”

Reflecting on the impact of the first volume of Truth For Life, Bob Butts, the COO of Truth For Life, said: “We are always astonished and humbled to learn how God uses what we do at this ministry to reach people with the truth of His Word. The partnership with The Good Book Company continues to yield results beyond our expectations. May the Lord touch many more each day with this excellent biblical content!”

For media inquiries and access to promotional assets, contact: publicity@thegoodbook.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher at Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world. He graduated from theological college in London and served two churches in Scotland before moving to Ohio. He is married to Susan and together they have three grown children.

ABOUT THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY
Founded in 1991, The Good Book Company (TGBC) is an international Christian publisher. Their Bible studies, books, devotionals, videos, tracts, evangelistic courses, and training materials are used throughout the English-speaking world, and in translation in over 35 languages worldwide. Everyone at TGBC is passionate about the Lord Jesus, His word, His church, and His gospel of grace. They create and publish biblical, relevant, and accessible resources that will encourage Christians to keep going, keep growing, and keep sharing their faith.

(June 15, 2022) — On May 19, the Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association, (SEPA) announced the winners of the 2022 SEPA Awards at the ceremony held in Miami within the Expolit 2022 convention, where publishers, distributors, and colleagues in the industry met.

This year the “Bible of the Year” Award was dedicated to Jim Cook, who spent 25 years at Lifeway Global as “VP of International Sales” leading Lifeway’s international reach in distributing English, Spanish, and multilingual content licensing around the world. He was responsible for launching various resources and Study Bibles over the years, being a pillar of the Christian literature industry as well as a mentor to many. The winner in this category was the Biblia Centrada en Cristo, by Broadman & Holman.

This publisher was also awarded the “Harold Kregel Award – Book of the Year” for Apóstol para las naciones, written by César Vidal, and the Award for “Best Original Book in Spanish” to Ética cristiana, written by Miguel Núñez. This is the fourth time Pastor Núñez won in this category.

The Award for Distributor of the Year was presented to CLC in Chile. Editorial Portavoz was selected for the fourth time as Publisher of the Year, for the seventh consecutive time as Best Web Site, and for the second time as Best Presence on Social Media.

In the Best Cover and Best Bible Design and Best Cover of Book categories, the winner was Broadman & Holman with the Biblia Centrada en Cristo and Sus testimonios, mi porción by Kristie Anyabwil, respectively.  

This year, Pastor Miguel Núñez was the leading speaker. Authors Samuel Pagán, Nancy Guthrie, Itiel Arroyo and Aixa de López were also among the participants.

The complete list of winners is published on the SEPA web site at www.sepaweb.org, under the Awards section. The video of the Awards ceremony can be viewed on the SEPA channel on Youtube, SepaWeb, and on Instagram and Facebook under SepaSocial.

Iron Stream Media is honored to have Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven by Shonda Whitworth to be the latest book included in Freedom in Jesus Prison Ministries’ “One Million Books to Prisoners by 2025” project. On May 12, 2022, her book for prisoners and their families was mailed in boxes of thirty-six books each to the chaplains of 1,220 correctional facilities across the United States.

Author Shonda Whitworth says “When the Lord asked me to write Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven, I had to surrender fear and shame. I had to choose to be vulnerable and transparent. Now I see how my testimony, which is actually the testimony of Jesus, is impacting many lives. It is giving families hope for their future! My desire has always been that our incarcerated loved ones pray for their families on the outside and the families on the outside pray for their incarcerated loved ones. That’s why inside this book I included over thirty Scripture-based prayers. My dream has become a reality thanks to Iron Stream Media and Freedom in Jesus Prison Ministries who made it possible to distribute 43,920 copies of this book to 1,220 prisons across the US.”

So far, since the beginning of 2021, five new releases have been included in the project resulting in over 280,000 books being supplied to the incarcerated in the United States. For more information on the Freedom in Jesus Prison Ministries, visit www.fijm.org.

Book Shonda Whitworth as a guest speaker or for a book signing by contacting Kim McCulla at kim.mcculla@ironstreammedia.com. A limited supply of giveaway copies are available for special events and interviews. Books can also be ordered through your distributor or www.ironstreammedia.com.

Iron Stream Media derives its name from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  This sharpening describes the process of discipleship, one to another. Iron Stream Media provides a variety of solutions for churches, missionaries, and nonprofits that include in-depth Bible study curriculum, Christian book publishing, and consultative services. Iron Stream Media is the home of Iron Stream, Iron Steam Fiction, Iron Stream Harambee Press, Iron Stream Kids, Life Bible Study, and Brookstone Publishing Group. Through the popular Life Bible Study and Student Life Bible Study imprints, they also provide web-based, full-year and short-term Bible study teaching plans as well as printed devotionals, Bibles, and discipleship curriculum.

(Grand Rapids, Mich) May 2022 – Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is proud to announce the release of Zondervan’s Thompson® Chain-Reference® Bible in the New International Version (NIV). This is the first updated and revised edition of a Thompson Chain Reference Bible since Zondervan acquired the line from Kirkbride Bible Company in 2020.

“We are honored to continue the legacy of the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible through the publication of this edition – the first Thompson available in Comfort Print®,” said Melinda Bouma, vice president and publisher of Bibles for Zondervan. “We are beyond excited to introduce this timeless resource to a brand-new audience of Bible readers through its publication in the bestselling NIV. It is our hope that it will become a beloved resource to all who engage with it.”

With an acclaimed patented reference system, the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is a well-recognized topical study Bible that has been in publication for more than 100 years. First published in 1908, it now contains more than 100,000 references, covering over 8,000 topics, making the chain-reference system an ideal tool for comprehensive topical study. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible also offers a library of additional study resources that allows readers to interpret the Bible using related scripture passages rather than consulting a commentary.

The NIV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is printed in Zondervan’s exclusive NIV Comfort Print typeface for easy reading. Expertly designed specifically to be used for the NIV text, Comfort Print offers an easier reading experience that complements the most widely read modern-English Bible translation. This edition has also been updated with a two-color page design. Features include:

• Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear NIV
• Easy-to-understand Chain-Reference System with over 100,000 references
• Alphabetical and numerical indexes highlight study materials for over 8,000 topics, each with its own topic number, for exhaustive topical study
• An extensive study resource section includes biographical sketches, illustrated studies of the Bible, a concordance, Bible harmonies, and many other helpful study tools
• Fresh, two-color page design
• 66 book introductions
• 16-page full-color map section with map index
• Words of Jesus in red
• Two double-sided 3/8-inch-wide satin ribbon markers
• Exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print typeface
• 9.5-point print size

HarperCollins Christian Publishing announced the acquisition of the Thompson® Chain-Reference® Bible from Kirkbride Bible Company in December 2020 and released the Zondervan Thompson® Chain-Reference Bible in the King James Version (KJV); New King James Version (NKJV); New American Study Bible (NASB), 1977 text; and the English Standard Version (ESV) in June 2021.

The NIV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is available now.

Learn more about Zondervan’s Thompson Chain-Reference Bibles.

About Zondervan:  Zondervan, a worldwide leading Christian publisher of books and Bibles, is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Its publications include a variety of Bible translations for all ages; books in different genres and subject areas for the general reader; curriculum for individual and group Bible study; books for children and young adults; academic resources including textbooks and reference books; ministry resources; and books on faith and culture. Zondervan is located in Grand Rapids, MI. For more information, visit www.zondervan.com.

About Comfort Print:  Zondervan Bibles teamed up with 2K/Denmark, the world’s foremost Bible typeface foundry, to create exclusive Comfort Print Bible fonts. Comfort Print Bibles are easy to read at any size because the typeface was designed to be both efficient and readable. Zondervan Bibles believes that the beauty of the message should be reflected in the physical form of the book. Choosing the right typeface is one significant element in creating beautiful Bibles.

Contact:  Amy Bigler, Senior Public Relations Manager, amy.bigler@harpercollins.com 

(Manhattan Beach, CA & Newburyport, MA – June 9, 2022) – The Firebrand Group (firebrandtech.com), the book industry’s leading technology company for cutting edge software and services that enable publisher success, announced today that Angela Bole, current CEO at the Independent Book Publishers Association (ibpa-online.org), will succeed Firebrand CEO Fran Toolan on February 1, 2023. Toolan, who founded Firebrand as Quality Solutions, Inc. in 1987, passes the reins to Bole after 35 years as the company’s sole CEO. He will remain on the Firebrand Group Board of Directors post transition.

Upon launching Firebrand Technologies, Toolan understood that the publishing industry was a unique and creative business that needed efficient tools and workflow processes to thrive and be profitable. “These tools must accentuate the creativity in publishing,” he said at the time, “not hinder it.”

Today, the Firebrand Group includes Firebrand Technologies, NetGalley, and Supadu.  Firebrand Technologies Title Management Enterprise Software and Eloquence on Demand service headline a group of technologies that help publishers track and manage titles from pre-acquisition through their long tail of sales. NetGalley helps provide excitement about titles by connecting eBook and audio content with reviewers. And the newest addition to the Firebrand family of services, Supadu, is the leading provider of publisher e-commerce solutions in the US and UK.

In February 2021, Firebrand was acquired by Media Do International (MD-i), the US-based subsidiary of Japan’s Media Do Co., Ltd, one of the largest ebook distribution companies in the world retaining the largest share of Japan’s $4.5 billion eBook market.

“With the support of MD-i, the Firebrand Group is growing and innovating at an unparalleled rate of speed,” said Toolan. “The opportunities in front of us are very exciting, and I’m equally excited that Angela will be here to guide us going forward.”

Said Daihei Shiohama, CEO of MD-i: “Both here and in Japan, we are so excited to have Angela succeed Fran. We are determined to provide utmost support to Firebrand Group with Angela as new CEO. With the annual growth rate of close to 20% in Japan’s digital publishing market where NFT, XR, and other diversified elements stimulate the publishing industry, we are convinced that Angela will lead the group to uplift the global publishing industry’s expansion.”

Bole, a 2019 Publishers Weekly notable person of the year, began her career at an independent bookstore in Jackson, WY before moving to NYC in 2005 to pursue a Masters in book publishing from New York University. While in NYC, she held various positions with the Book Industry Study Group (BISG)–including a stint as interim executive director–where she spearheaded research into consumer attitudes toward ebook reading, oversaw initiatives supporting the industry’s transition to ISBN-13, and developed best practices and other documentation for use of the ONIX and EPUB standards. Bole served as treasurer of the International Digital Publishers Forum (IDPF) from 2011 to 2014, before moving to Manhattan Beach, CA to become ED and later CEO of IBPA, where she has stabilized and grown operations for the past nine years.

“During her years leading IBPA, Angela has transformed the organization into the leading association for advocating and supporting the growing community of independent publishers,” said current IBPA Board Chair Karla Olson (Director, Patagonia Books). “During the last two challenging years in particular, Angela made certain IBPA provided innovative and essential member support and increased efforts to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion within all aspects of the association. IBPA will be forever grateful to Angela for her leadership, her vision, and her passion for publishing.”

Bole officially assumes the position of Firebrand Group CEO on February 1, 2023. When asked what she hopes to achieve, she said, “Firebrand has been powering the publishing industry for over 30 years through quality software solutions and a dedicated and committed staff. Given all we’ve learned over the past few years, I hope to build upon what’s already working to enable even more efficiencies for the companies Firebrand serves. I know this will be a team effort; I couldn’t be more excited to join and lead the team.”

About the Firebrand Group
The Firebrand Group, consisting of Firebrand Technologies, NetGalley, and Supadu, provides leading software and services to help publishers achieve success. The Firebrand Group is owned by Media Do International (MD-i), the US-based subsidiary of Japan’s Media Do Co., Ltd, one of the largest ebook distribution companies in the world retaining the largest share of Japan’s ebook market. For more information, visit firebrandtech.com. For more information on Media Do’s services and corporate divisions, visit mediado.jp/english. The Firebrand Group’s bi-annual Community Conference shall be held in September this year in Baltimore, MD. For more information, please visit firebrandtech.com/conference. 

About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 4,000 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry. For more information, visit ibpa-online.org.