Ada, MI (June 9, 2021)—On June 2, 2021, Eva Marie Everson, contest director for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, announced the 2021 Selah Award winners in a presentation that took place at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina. Baker Publishing Group titles received twelve awards, including the 2021 Fiction Book of the Year, which was awarded to Sarah Loudin Thomas for her novel The Right Kind of Fool (Bethany House; ISBN 9780764234019; ebook ISBN 9781493428144; $15.99). Thomas’s book also received the first place award in the Historical/Biblical fiction category.

James R. Hannibal’s novel Chasing the White Lion (Revell; ISBN 9780800735784; ebook ISBN 9781493421145; $15.99) received the  Directors’ Choice award in the Fiction category and also took first place in the Mystery/Suspense Fiction category.

365 Ways to Love Your Child (Revell; ISBN 9780800738846; ebook ISBN 9781493427932; $9.99) by Julie Lavender received the first place Directors’ Choice award in the Devotional category.

Additional winners included:

Contemporary Women’s Fiction (First Place):  On a Coastal Breeze by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell; ISBN 9780800734992; ebook ISBN 9781493423149; $15.99)

Contemporary Romance Fiction (First Place):  Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish by Bethany Turner (Revell; ISBN 9780800735234; ebook ISBN 9781493423156; $15.99)

Contemporary Romance Fiction (Second Place tie):  Two Steps Forward by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell; ISBN 9780800727536; ebook ISBN 9781493421121; $15.99)

Historical Romance Fiction (Second Place):  Forever Hidden by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse (Bethany House; ISBN 9780764232480; ebook ISBN 9781493422814; $15.99)

Historical/Biblical Fiction (Third Place tie):  Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green (Bethany House; ISBN 9780764233302; ebook ISBN 9781493422753; $15.99)

Historical/Biblical Fiction (Third Place tie):  Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner (Revell; ISBN 9780800735708; ebook ISBN 9781493423187; $15.99)

General Fiction (Third Place):  The Promised Land by Elizabeth Musser (Bethany House; ISBN 9780764234453; ebook ISBN 9781493428250; $15.99)

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The Selah Awards were established in 2011 on behalf of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and was designed to honor the best books in Christian publishing. For a complete list of winners, please visit https://www.facebook.com/TheSelahAwards/posts/1729556497239301.

Bethany House is part of the largest independent Christian book publisher and seeks to uplift readers’ families, faith, and free time with our library of industry-leading fiction and bestselling, Christ-centered nonfiction.

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.

Contact: Karen Steele, (616) 676-9185 x100, ksteele@bakerpublishinggroup.com

 

 

Faithlife’s Kerusso Collective has partnered with Dr. Ralph Douglas West, senior pastor of The Church Without Walls, to release its first official feature in its to ensure the inclusivity of African American content and tools in Logos Bible Software so that all ethnic groups can appreciate, grow, and learn from the rich history and scholarship of the Black voice. I wanted to let you know the Kerusso Collective.

The Dr. Ralph West Preaching Workflow gives clear, step-by-step instructions to help pastors with sermon prep or Bible study. The workflow is free for Logos users and is adapted from “Weaving the Textual Web” by Dr. West, which is included in the book Power in the Pulpit: How America’s Most Effective Black Preachers Prepare Their Sermons, edited by Cleophus J. LaRue (Westminster John Knox, 2002).

“I have been preaching for 45-plus years. During my thousands of hours of sermon prep, I have developed a homiletic process called ‘Weaving the Textual Web’ that has served me well in the pulpit. What a blessing it is to work with the Kerusso Collective to make my exegetical method for studying and preaching part of the tools in Logos Bible Software. Download the workflow, type the text you’re preaching, follow the steps I’ve developed, and preach with confidence!” said Dr. West.

The Kerusso Collective was announced in November 2020 and includes a select group of respected Black faith leaders and scholars who will lead the intentional integration and assimilation of Black voices and representation into Logos.

More details about the Kerusso Collective and the Dr. Ralph West Preaching Workflow can be found at https://www.logos.com/kerusso-collective.

About Logos:  Logos Bible Software is Faithlife’s premier product and the preferred Bible study tool among pastors, scholars, students and lifelong learners worldwide who want to dive deeper into the intricacies of God’s Word, including Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Eric Mason, H.B. Charles Jr. and Dr. Charlie Dates, to name a few. The latest version, Logos 9, is designed to help ministry leaders spend more time serving the Church and includes multiple new features, many of which are specifically focused on helping pastors bring order to the chaos of busy modern ministry life. To learn more about Logos, visit https://www.logos.com/.

From adopting two children from South Korea to fighting for their newborn son’s life to pastoring a small congregation through adversity to joining Team Blake in 2020, the Tilghmans share how their focus on joy has helped them conquer numerous challenges in their new book

“In this uplifting debut, Tilghman, a Mississippi pastor and past winner of The Voice, and his wife, Brooke, emphasize the importance of celebrating small steps along the way to achieving one’s goals. [. . .] In their transparency about choosing optimism, the Tilghmans will inspire Christians to focus on the small things.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Todd Tilghman is that special artist that is not only immensely talented but also someone you buy into as a person. It was an honor to coach and win Season 18 of The Voice with him. On the show, fans got a small glimpse into his remarkable story. In Every Little Win, Todd and his wife, Brooke, tell the whole story of their lives. A story of faith, struggle, and championing the battles they’ve faced over the years.”
––Blake Shelton, The Voice Coach and Country Music Artist

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(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) April 27, 2021—When Todd Tilghman, pastor of two decades and father of eight from Meridian, Mississippi, auditioned for The Voice, he counted it as a win simply to sing in front of an audience outside of his family and church members. Despite no music or vocal training, he not only made it through the blind audition––with all four celebrity judges vying to coach him––but he also won the show’s entire eighteenth season. Fans were drawn to Todd’s tremendous joy onstage, which gave them much-needed inspiration during the hard challenges of a global pandemic.

In their new book, Every Little Win: How Celebrating Small Victories Can Lead to Big Joy (Thomas Nelson, June 22, 2021), Todd Tilghman and his wife, Brooke, share how decades of unrelenting challenges have taught them a joyful mindset. A mindset that helped him embrace winning NBC’s The Voice, and that has guided them as a couple to celebrate “every little win” among numerous challenges during their twenty-plus years of marriage.

In Every Little Win, Todd and Brooke share how their focus on joy and celebrating small, everyday moments has helped them to overcome numerous challenges over their twenty-plus-year marriage. Whether adopting two South Korean children, or fighting for their newborn son’s life, or pastoring a small congregation through periods of adversity, Todd and Brooke have discovered the enormous value of life’s little things. They know it’s not a common approach. People are often told to focus on “the big picture” and “just keep your eye on the prize!” to reach success and contentment––as if they were end goals. But the Tilghmans have discovered a different way––an approach that anyone can integrate into their own walk through life, being not just content, but joyously celebrating the everyday successes.

As Todd and Brooke detail their life story in alternating sections, they chronicle their journey from fear to faith to ever-present joy, emphasizing strategies and mindsets they’ve learned along the way for living a life unbound by fear. Todd shares the difference this has made in the book’s prelude:

On paper, our lives look very full but hardly remarkable—unless you look for the small wins. Huge achievements get noticed. But if Brooke and I had waited around to find joy until we got a big win, we would have missed out on the amazing life we’ve lived. Instead, we’ve found triumph in the mundane. Even in the middle of our hardships we’ve sought—and clung to—God’s goodness. This has brought happiness in our everyday lives and also allowed us to dare to try for bigger wins. Each step of fighting the fear, and looking for the win, brought us to where we are today. Not only did seeking small joys pave the way to every bigger step, these joys also built up hope within us until it was hard to contain.

Divulging a different part of their story in each chapter—and hiding no messes—Todd and Brooke share about being at the brink of divorce as a couple and how they reconciled, adopting two girls on a pastor’s salary (which is practically impossible), bouts with anxiety and depression, navigating social media as parents and as a couple, and of course, what it was like for Todd to win a singing competition on a national stage. For each step, they conclude with takeaway “wins.”

Among the wins readers can look forward to are:

• When we’re willing to put in the work in our marriages.
• When we use our strengths and trust God to bring others to help where we are weak.
• When we treat love as a verb. People need to feel our love before they understand God’s love.
• When we trust God. (He always has more in store for us than we think.)
• When we understand God’s sacrifice to adopt us as part of his family.

The authors also reveal gems like these:

• We win as we allow our kids to be comfortable with who they are.
• We win when we understand that sometimes God chooses us to bring hope to others.
• We win when we discover the goodness of God where we least expect it.
• We win as we discover that, in God’s economy, brokenness leads to beauty and scarcity to abundance.
• We win when we discover that on the other side of fear is freedom, and with freedom comes joy.

Through every page and every experience, the authors count their blessings. This book isn’t sugar-coated. It’s real. It’s honest. It’s intimate. And it’s hopeful. Just like Todd and Brooke Tilghman.

Every Little Win: How Celebrating Small Victories Can Lead to Big Joy is available June 22, 2021 everywhere books are sold. Learn more here.

About Todd and Brooke Tilghman:  Parents of eight, Todd and Brooke Tilghman currently live in Tennessee, having recently moved closer to Nashville for Todd’s leap-of-faith to pursue music full time. From 2011 to 2020, Todd was the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Meridian, Mississippi. He has the distinction of being the oldest winner, at age forty-two, in The Voice’s history. Todd has been singing in church since he was eight years old, and he is currently writing and recording songs for his first album, to be released in 2021. Brooke continues to cheer him on. Keep up with Todd’s latest music releases on all streaming platforms.  Learn more about Todd and Brooke’s new book, Every Little Win: How Celebrating Small Victories Can Lead to Big Joy, at www.everylittlewinbook.com and follow their journey on Facebook @toddtilghmanmusic, Instagram @todd_tilghman @brooketilghman, and Twitter @todd_tilghman.

About Tricia Goyer:  Writer Tricia Goyer is a USA Today bestselling author and has published 75 books to date, written more than 500 articles appearing in national publications, and is on the blogging team at TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites. She is a two-time Carol Award winner and a Christy and ECPA Award Finalist and regularly receives starred reviews in the Romantic Times and Publishers Weekly.

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.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Morgan Canclini-Mitchell, morgan@twopr.com, 615-933-8570
Lisa Bergmanis, lisa@twopr.com, 573-692-5641

Lion Hudson to Benefit from Personalized Service and Industry Expertise

ASHLAND, OH, June 14, 2021 – Baker & Taylor Publisher Services (BTPS), a leading provider of sales and fulfillment services to book publishers, is pleased to announce the signing of a full-service sales and distribution agreement with the SPCK Group, effective July 1, 2021 – US/CAN only.

The SPCK Group is the one of the world’s leading Christian publishers, formed following the acquisitions of IVP UK and, more recently, Lion Hudson by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a publisher founded in 1698. All three lists will be available from BTPS under this arrangement.

Lion Hudson (www.lionhudson.com) is a renowned Christian publisher that features an extensive list of award-winning books for adults and children under several imprints, including Lion Books, Monarch Books, Lion Scholar, Lion Fiction, Lion Children’s Books, and Candle Books. Their mission is to “see literature that challenges, encourages, and leads people to God, whatever their background,” with titles that cover a full spectrum of faith-based publishing, including Bible reference, history and biographies, leadership resources, children’s illustrated Bible stories and Bible reference, and picture books. They are a CBA publisher and member of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) Group.

Inter-Varsity Press UK (IVP UK, www.ivpbooks.com) is an evangelical Christian publisher spun out of the Christian Union movement in the United Kingdom. Its mission is to publish Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission throughout the world. Its strengths include Bible reference and commentaries, and Christian living. IVP UK also publishes academic titles under the Apollos imprint.

SPCK Publishing (www.spckpublishing.co.uk) has been publishing Christian books since the 17^th Century and these days is best known for its work with such authors as N.T. Wright, Rowan Williams, and Richard Rohr. SPCK aims to publish the very best Christian books in a range of genres, including theology, biblical studies, Bibles and children’s. SPCK Publishing also publishes spiritual fiction titles under the Marylebone House imprint.

“This new partnership with BTPS is a significant step for the SPCK Group in ensuring availability of all our titles in North America and growing the sales of our authors. We know that there is significant untapped demand in the USA and Canada for many titles from the Lion Hudson, IVP UK and SPCK lists, and we are excited about working with BTPS to both fulfill this demand and raise awareness further,” said Sam Richardson, CEO of SPCK Group.

“We are honored and privileged to partner with the SPCK Group, including Lion Hudson, IVP UK and SPCK Publishing, whose solid reputation for incredible adult and children’s books is known worldwide for helping people grow in the Christian faith,” said Randy McKenzie, Sales Manager of BTPS’s Christian Division.

About BTPS:  Baker & Taylor Publisher Services (BTPS) is a leading provider of economical services and solutions to book publishers, with a robust worldwide reach to all trade, Christian, and other book markets. BTPS services include sales and distribution, book manufacturing and inventory management, and third-party logistics. A division of Follett, BTPS collaborates with client publishers who benefit from Follett and Baker & Taylor’s positions as major suppliers of public libraries, K-12 school markets and higher education outlets. For more information, please visit www.btpubservices.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Baker & Taylor Publisher Services, Matt Warner, 419-564-4931  matthew.warner@baker-taylor.com

 

Worthy Books is delighted to announce the release of SATISFIED: Finding Hope, Joy, and Contentment Right Where You Are by Alyssa Bethke on Tuesday, June 15

Warm-hearted collection of relatable essays with recipes and photos, inviting women to embrace the ordinary and cultivate beauty in their lives.

Touching on topics like fear, worry, dissatisfaction, anxiety, and body image, Alyssa Bethke walks you through issues that rob you of your joy and helps you recognize them for what they are: distractions.

With all of its expectations and contradictions, this world can take a major toll on us. Be skinny, but not too skinny. Work and hustle but stay home and be a good mom. Be wild and free while tidy and pure. Love your husband but be independent.

In Satisfied, Alyssa Bethke shares a compelling collection of relatable essays that will help you embrace and cultivate beauty in your life. Along with healthy recipes and cozy home images, Satisfied will provide you with the knowledge that you are not alone in your fight to be fulfilled. Alyssa shows you the ways in which you are enough–not only for those around you, but for yourself.

Alyssa Bethke is a mother of three children, Kinsley, Kannon, and Lucy, and a dog named Aslan. She and her husband, Jeff Bethke, live in Maui, and are bloggers, YouTubers, and hosts of The Real-Life podcast. Jeff and Alyssa are the New York Times bestselling authors of Jesus > Religion and It’s Not What You Think and Love That Lasts. They are passionate about encouraging and strengthening families at familyteams.com a program that brings families together with the idea of becoming a team.

Media contact:  Katie Robison (Broaddus)| Senior Publicist | Hachette Nashville | C: 917.538.1417 

[NASHVILLE, TENN., June 14, 2021—] B&H Publishing announces the forthcoming release of former head football coach at the University of Georgia and the University of Miami Mark Richt’s first book Make the Call: Game-Day Wisdom for Life’s Defining Moments (August 31, 2021, B&H Publishing).

With endorsements from Bobby Bowden, John Maxwell, Jon Gordon, Dabo Swinney, Tony Dungy and Tony Evans, “Make the Call” reveals some crucial moments in Richt’s life, from his time as a player, through his years as an assistant coach and head coach, 35 years in all on some of the biggest stages of college football. He shares his experiences both on and off the field, gives wisdom for life and leadership and encourages readers to make what he believes is the most important call of all.

“This book is about my greatest (and not so great) football and life memories and about the decisions I’ve made along the way,” Richt said. “But it’s also about a chance for you to make the call yourself, at your own moments of truth.”

Throughout his career, Richt’s teams won two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships, five SEC division titles and one Atlantic Coast Conference division title. He was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year (2002, 2005), the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year and the winner of the national 2017 Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award.

After retiring from the University of Miami, Richt became a football analyst for ESPN’s ACC Network, in addition to doing many speaking engagements and charity work throughout the year.

“I don’t know if we’ve heard of a greater impact a coach has had on his players than Coach Richt,” said Devin Maddox, Publisher for B&H. “Mark Richt is a spiritual difference maker, and we are proud partners in his ministry.”

B&H is promoting the preorder campaign for “Make the Call” beginning June 15. For more information, visit makethecallbook.com.

Mark Richt is the former head football coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs and University of Miami Hurricanes and a longtime assistant coach for the Florida State University Seminoles. He is currently a football analyst for the ACC Network. Mark and his wife Katharyn are the parents of four adult children and two grandchildren.

B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources, is a team of mission minded people with a passion for taking God’s Word to the world. Because we believe Every Word Matters® we seek to provide intentional, Bible-centered content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, inspiring them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Among our print and digital releases for the trade, church and academic markets, titles include “The New York Times” No. 1 bestsellers “The Love Dare” and “The Vow,” No. 1 CBA bestseller “I Am a Church Member,” as well as the newly-revised Christian Standard Bible (CSB) version.

Contact:  Jenaye White, jenaye.white@lifeway.com

Iron Stream Media is pleased to announce seven finalists for the 2021 Selah awards across four categories. Winners were announced June 2, 2021, at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. According to Contest Director Eva Marie Everson, this year’s Selah Awards received the highest number of entries ever. That makes this announcement all that much sweeter.

Finalists are as follows:

Directors’ Choice Awards Fiction Finalists

• Grave Consequences – Debra DuPree Williams
• Abigail’s Secret – Marilyn Turk

Directors’ Choice Awards Devotional Finalists

• Soul Strong, 7 Keys to a Vibrant Life – Lucinda Secrest McDowell
• The Christmas Promise, A Journey from Cradle to Crown – Margie Williamson

Christian Life Finalists

• Enjoy Today, Own Tomorrow – Laine Lawson Craft, Ascender
• Faith Wins – Adam Groza, New Hope

General Fiction Finalist

• Outbound Train – Renea Winchester, Firefly Southern Fiction

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 New Hope Publishers, Iron Stream Books, Ascender Books, LPC Books, and New Hope Kidz. 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.

WESTMONT, IL— InterVarsity Press is pleased to introduce Bethany Olsen as the associate digital sales director and to announce several promotions and one new hire.

Olsen is a native of Washington state and holds a bachelor’s in music and a master of business administration from Western Washington University. Most recently, she was director of partnership engagement at Childcare International, a child sponsorship agency based in Bellingham, Washington.

“I have gotten to know Bethany over the past five years as she was our contact at a previous firm. Our collaboration with Bethany resulted in significant year over year growth. She consistently asked good questions about process and our content. Needless to say, I was very pleased when she applied for the digital sales director position,” said Justin Paul Lawrence, director of sales and marketing for IVP. “It is not often that talent of Bethany’s caliber comes available. She has a comprehensive knowledge of the publishing landscape and a keen business acumen. I have no doubt that she has a bright future at IVP and in the industry at large.”

The IVP editorial team has announced several changes to its department as well. Rebecca Carhart, assistant project editor, has been promoted to associate project editor. Cindy Bunch, director of editorial, said, “We are grateful for her good work in this role for the past three years and are especially grateful for how she capably handled the editorial and scheduling processes for the IVP Signature Collection.”

Rachel Hastings, who has worked as an assistant project editor, will also serve as an associate project editor. Bunch said, “Rachel has quickly proven herself invaluable to the trade team, both working with authors and solving problems on a daily basis.” 

Paloma Lee, IVP’s rights coordinator, will now be the rights specialist. Ellen Hsu, senior manager for rights and contracts, said, “Paloma is doing excellent work supporting our licensing work and has taken on additional responsibilities, including becoming IVP’s primary contact for Spanish and Portuguese language licensing. We look forward to seeing how she will continue to help IVP’s books reach broader audiences.” 

The print production department welcomed Ethan Lunow as the print production coordinator. Lunow has an undergraduate degree from John Brown University (BA in history, minors in business administration and New Testament Greek) along with graduate degrees from Wheaton College Graduate School (MA in Christian history, MA in historical theology).

Karen Savella Stallard joins IVP and the creative and customer engagement team as the part-time multimedia copywriter. Stallard has a background as an immigration lawyer with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a juris doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com

Iron Stream Media is excited to announce seven finalists in two Serious Writer Contests. Serious Writer is a club of writers and literary agents with a goal of providing free and affordable education as well as providing networking opportunities for authors of clean Christian books. Finalists will be announced June 30, 2021.

Book of the Year Semifinalists for books published January through December 2020:

• Say Yes by Britt Mooney
• Strength of a Woman Devotional by Lauren Crews
• Dakota Peace by Megan Kinney

Book of the Decade Contest for books published January through December 2020:

• Lake Surrender by Carol Grace Stratton
• Pursuing Prayer by Penny Cooke
• The Cheesehead Devotional Hall of Fame Edition by Judy DuCharme
• The Cheesehead Devotional Kickoff Edition by Judy DuCharme

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 New Hope Publishers, Iron Stream Books, Ascender Books, LPC Books, and New Hope Kidz. 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 by emailing orders@ironstreammedia.com.