Iron Stream Media is overjoyed to announce eight finalists in six different categories for the 2022 Selah Awards that will be presented at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in June. According to the awards staff, there were more entries than ever before this year with well over 400 entries. The First Novel and Fiction: Mystery/Suspense categories were particularly large this year.

The finalists are:

Audio Books

• Soul Strong, Lucinda Secrest McDowell, Oasis Audio
• The Stars in April, Peggy Wirgau

Christian Life

• Messy Hope, Lori Wildenberg

Children’s Literature

• Puppy Dog Devotions, Michelle Medlock Adams & Wendy Hinote Lanier

First Novel

• Tempest, C J Campbell
• The Endling, Deborah Maxey

Fiction: Mystery/Suspense

• Hoax, Leanna Sain

Fiction: Speculative

• Tempest, C J Campbell

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 Books, Iron Stream Fiction, Iron Stream Harambee Press, Iron Stream Kidz, and Brookstone Creative 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.

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.

Ada, Mich. (March 28, 2022)—Beth Allison Barr, author of the bestselling The Making of Biblical Womanhood, has signed a new contract with Brazos Press to publish two new books. Becoming the Pastor’s Wife will release in Fall 2024, and Losing Our Medieval Religion is slated for Fall 2026. Brazos has exclusive world rights. The projects were agented with Giles Anderson with the Anderson Literary Agency. “Beth Allison Barr captures exactly what we want Brazos to be: scholarly yet accessible, connecting historical Christian faith to contemporary issues in the church and the world,” said editorial director Katelyn Beaty. “Our team is thrilled to partner with her again.”

Becoming the Pastor’s Wife
A Baylor historian and Baptist pastor’s wife traces the history of the role, showing how it rose to prominence at the same time that women’s ordination became forbidden in many Protestant circles.

This book builds on the premise of Barr’s runaway hit, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, resembling its successful blend of historical research and personal narrative. It moves this conversation forward, both uncovering for evangelicals the historical origins of the pastor’s wife role as well as revealing how its emergence has contributed to evangelicals forgetting the historical reality of ordained women.

Losing Our Medieval Religion
A medieval historian traces church history to show the depth of amnesia within the American church and the impact it has had on contemporary theology and practice.

Beth Allison Barr (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specializes in medieval history, women’s history, and church history. She recently served as president of the Conference on Faith and History (2018–2021) and is an active supporter of Christians for Biblical Equality. Barr is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench, the popular Patheos website on religious history, and has written for Christianity Today, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, The Dallas Morning News, Sojourners, and Baptist News Global. Her work has been featured by NPR and The New Yorker. She is also a Baptist pastor’s wife and the mom of two great kids.

Contact: Shelly MacNaughton, (616) 450-5560, smacnaughton@bakerpublishinggroup.com

W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, today announced Waymaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed by Ann Voskamp, was named to the following bestseller lists the week following its March 15 on-sale date:

USA Today Bestselling Books (week ending March 20)
#8

Wall Street Journal Bestselling Books (week ending week of March 19)
#3 Hardcover Nonfiction
#7 Wall Street Journal
#3 Nonfiction Combined

Amazon Charts (week of March 20)
#20 Most Sold Nonfiction

Publishers Weekly (week ending March 19)
#7 Top 10 Overall
#2 Hardcover Frontlist Nonfiction

In WayMaker, Voskamp offers fresh hope in a disorienting world, as she charts her own journey out of deep, churning waters by discovering an actual compass—a SACRED Way. The book helps readers navigate to an effective, practical, daily way of life that drowns an army of fears, reshapes and redirects, and offers a fresh revelation of hope.

Voskamp is represented by William (Bill) Jensen of William K. Jensen Literary Agency.

Ann Voskamp is the wife of a farmer, mama to seven, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Broken Way, The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, and the sixty-week New York Times bestseller One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Visit AnnVoskamp.com.

Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Contact: Allison Carter, Director of Publicity, W Publishing, Allison.Carter@harpercollins.com

In a nice deal, Paraclete Press signed Glenys Nellist and CB Canga (Shannon & Associates) for the 2024 release of Song of the Seasons: a rhyming, whimsical, faith-building journey through the four seasons — for early readers who love nature and wonder and the beginnings of all things. 

Glenys Nellist was born and raised in a little village in northern England. The author of multiple children’s books, including the bestselling ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas, The Wonder That Is You, and four popular series: Love Letters from God, Snuggle Time, Good News and Little Mole, her writing reflects a deep passion for helping children discover joy and hope in the world. Glenys lives in Michigan with her husband, David. Paraclete will release Song of the Seasons in 2024. 

For more information contact publicist Rachel McKendree at rachelm@paracletepress.com. 

CHICAGO, IL—Independent Publishers Group (IPG) has added three new publishers to its digital and trade distribution divisions.

The Salariya Book Company, which will begin distribution with IPG on May 1, 2022, is an independent publishing company that produces compelling and commercially successful children’s books that entertain and inspire readers of all ages.

“IPG is thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Salariya’s digital publishing program,” said Alex Kampmann, vice president of business development. “We are excited to support their growth and success through our dynamic sales, marketing and distribution solutions.”

In its more than three decades in business, Salariya has amassed a robust backlist of over five hundred titles and publishes an average of 50 new books each year, ranging from picture books to information, fiction, art instruction and graphic novels. “We look forward to working with IPG on the digital strategy for our ever-growing library of titles,” said the company’s founder, David Salariya. “We intend to introduce new titles specifically for the digital marketplace, including a new version of our “You Wouldn’t Want to Be” series designed to be more accessible and appealing for readers with dyslexia.”

Starting distribution with Trafalgar Square Publishing on June 1, 2022, is AdiDev Press Pvt. Ltd. An India-based publisher of children’s picture books, AdiDev aims to introduce different aspects of South Asian culture and heritage by leveraging meaningful storytelling, beautiful visual elements and simple content.

New Reading Technology Pte. Ltd., which started distribution with IPG Digital on January 1, 2022, is an online story platform and community dedicated to creating a new generation of classic novels through creativity, imagination and technology.

About Independent Publishers Group:
Founded in 1971, IPG was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. Today, IPG’s wide reach into the book market includes distribution of both print and e-books from a wide array of publishers, digital printing and traditional publishing. With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its publishing partners in the United States and worldwide. IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987, and this acquisition formed the parent company Chicago Review Press, Inc., which now owns Chicago-based indie publishers Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books.

Contact: Sidney Thompson, Corporate Communications, 312.337.0747, sthompson@ipgbook.com 

Messy Hope by Lori Wildenberg recently won the Gold Award from Reader Views. The award recognizes the most creative and exciting new books. Reader Views is an organization dedicated to helping independent authors navigate the publishing world. Their awards program is designed to help level the playing field for independent authors and small presses by providing recognition for these books.

Wildenberg’s book provides hope to parents who have had a child struggle with depression or anxiety. Understandably, a parent’s fear for the well-being of a child will skyrocket if they have heard the following words:

“I’m such a failure.”

“No one cares about me.”

“I haven’t felt happy for a long time.”

“I don’t want to live anymore.”

How can parents offer hope when they are terrified themselves?

With suicide being the second leading cause of death in young people and depression and anxiety becoming the new normal, instilling hope for a future may sound impossible. However, in Messy Hope parent and family educator Lori Wildenberg, along with her daughter Kendra, explore practical steps that parents can take. More than a self-help book, Messy Hope offers a lifeline to parents to help their child overcome depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and experience a hope-filled life.

About the Author:
Lori Wildenberg, mom of a daughter who has wrestled with depression, is passionate about helping parents help their children navigate a messy life. Lori is a licensed parent and family educator, national speaker, and author or coauthor of six parenting books including Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home and The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections.

The Southern Christian Writers Conference (SCWC) awarded Peggy Wirgau’s debut novel, The Stars in April, a 2022 Notable Book Award for best in the Children’s/Young Adult Category.

Published in March 2021 with Illuminate YA, an imprint of Iron Stream Media, The Stars in April tells a fictionalized account of the true story of teen Titanic survivor and Michigander, Ruth Becker. “Centered on a historic event that so many find interesting, The Stars in April is an incredible book for readers of all ages, and we knew retailers would be intrigued,” says Bradley Isbell, COO for Iron Stream Media, New Hope Publishers, and Life Bible Study.

A School Library Journal Starred Review and Product Review in The Old Schoolhouse® magazine, wrote this about the novel: “go-to resource for homeschoolers” and has helped bring this book to the attention of educators.

“We absolutely loved it,” says middle school teacher Carol Stathakis, at Our Shepherd Lutheran School in Birmingham, MI. “Near the end, I was so teary that I had to hand off the read-aloud to a student while I regained my voice. After the final sentence was read, the class erupted in spontaneous applause.”

About the Author
Peggy Wirgau loves true stories from the past and writes through the eyes of ordinary people in history who faced extraordinary challenges and became heroes. Like Ruth s family in The Stars in April, Peggy hails from Michigan. She and her husband have two adult children and split their time between Michigan and Florida. www.peggywirgau.com

To book Peggy Wirgau for interviews or to request review copy,
please contact Kim McCulla at Kim.mcculla@ironstreammedia.com.

Ada, Mich. (March 30, 2022)—Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is pleased to announce that The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman has reached a significant sales milestone, with more than 100,000 copies sold. Revell has been the exclusive publisher of Freeman’s trade books for more than a decade.

“Emily’s gift for bringing soul practices with spiritual depth into the fabric of everyday life is extraordinary,” says Andrea Doering, editorial director for Revell. “We’re thrilled to be celebrating this significant sales milestone with her, as we aim to reach even more readers with her transformative messages.”

Emily P. Freeman is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books, including The Next Right Thing. In addition to her nationally ranked podcast, The Next Right Thing, with more than 15 million downloads, she is a Residency Lecturer at Friends University.  Her writing has been featured in Today Parents, Christianity Today, and Patheos.

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

Carol Stream, Ill. — (April 1, 2022) — You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type by Daniel G. Amen, MD, which released on March 22, 2022, from Tyndale Refresh, quickly skyrocketed to bestseller standing.

In its release week, the title debuted at #3 on the Publishers Weekly Bestsellers and #4 on the Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists, both in the hardcover nonfiction category. It also debuted at #21 on USA Today’s bestselling books list, spanning all categories.

In You, Happier, Dr. Daniel Amen shares that happiness is a brain function. With a healthier brain always comes a happier life.

He reveals the seven neuroscience secrets to becoming more than 30 percent happier in just 30 days—regardless of your age, upbringing, genetics, or current situation. After studying more than 200,000 brain scans of people from 155 countries, Dr. Amen has discovered five primary brain types and seven neuroscience secrets that influence happiness. In You, Happier, he explains these findings and offers practical, science-based strategies for optimizing your happiness.

Of this bestselling release, executive publisher Jan Long Harris shares, “The success of You, Happier makes us very happy because it offers so much practical help to those who want to become happier and healthier, which is almost everyone. It’s packed with information that readers can use to improve their brain and feel better as a result.”

Dr. Daniel Amen’s mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. He is dedicated to providing the education, products, and services to accomplish this goal. Dr. Amen is a physician, adult and child psychiatrist, and founder of Amen Clinics with 10 locations across the United States. Amen Clinics has the world’s largest database of brain scans for psychiatry. He is the founder of BrainMD, a fast-growing, science-based nutraceutical company, and Amen University, which has trained thousands of medical and mental health professionals on the methods he has developed. In addition, he has produced 16 national public television shows about the brain, and his online videos on brain and mental health have been viewed over 300 million times. Dr. Amen is a 12-time New York Times bestselling author. His books include Change Your Brain, Change Your Life; The End of Mental Illness; Healing ADD; and many more.

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of annual revenue—more than $110 million throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

For more information or for media inquiries, please contact Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com.

Host of Saved by the Barn and Founder of Barn Sanctuary Authors pens, “This Farm Is a Family”

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The founder of Barn Sanctuary and star of the popular Animal Planet series Saved by the Barn Dan McKernan is releasing the new children’s picture book This Farm Is a Family (April 5, Zonderkidz) to bring awareness to the plight of rescued farm animals and to teach kids about compassion and helping others during hard times.

In 2016, McKernan left his six-figure tech job in Austin and returned home to rural Michigan. McKernan turned his family’s historic, 140-year-old farm into a sanctuary for animals. Barn Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates farmed animals in-need and has saved 400 animals. Currently, 114 residents reside on the 70-acre property. Farmed animals are historically the most mistreated group of animals.

“As a former computer developer, I was always stuck behind a screen. I was unhappy, and I really wanted to make a difference in the world,” says McKernan. “When my dad called me and asked what to do with the family farm, I decided to trade my good living for a great life. The fresh air, walking on the earth, and the animals have transformed me. Barn Sanctuary saved me.”

In This Farm Is a Family the well-loved rescue animals at Barn Sanctuary decide to help Buttercup the cow who is having difficulty adjusting to her new home. Despite Buttercup’s resistance and fear, the animals rally together to show Buttercup love. The animals help Buttercup discover that she’s now part of their family.

“This picture book shares a powerful message about family and it’s another way we can educate children on the ways we can show compassion to all creatures,” says McKernan.

The book is featured in the spring issue of Jesus Calling Magazine.

About Dan McKernan: Dan McKernan is the founder of Barn Sanctuary and star of the popular Animal Planet series Saved by the Barn. In 2016, McKernan left his tech job in Austin, Texas, to transform his family’s 140-year-old farm into a safe haven for farmed animals. That safe haven is Barn Sanctuary. Author of a forthcoming children’s book, This Farm Is a Family, McKernan’s mission, through the work of Barn Sanctuary, is to change the way the world views farmed animals and help lead society towards a more compassionate and plant-based lifestyle.

Dan Social Media:

• TikTok: @danmckernan; 336K followers LINK
• Instagram: @danmckerna; 228K followers LINK
• Facebook: @danbarnsanctuary; 87K followers LINK
• Twitter: @danmckernan; 75K followers LINK

Barn Sanctuary Social Media:

• Website: barnsanctuary.org
• Facebook: @thebarnsanctuary; 558K followers LINK
• Instagram: @barnsanctuary; 165K followers LINK
• YouTube: @barnsanctuary; 92K subscribers LINK
• Twitter: @barnsanctuary; 30K followers LINK

Media contact: Jennifer VerHage, jennifer@poisedpublicrelations.com