From Katie Davis Majors, author of the New York Times bestsellers Daring to Hope and Kisses from Katie, two new nonfiction works to Multnomah.

The first book, Safe All Along, tentatively slated for release in Spring 2023, equips readers to experience the peace that comes with trusting God in the midst of tumultuous times. A second work, as yet untitled, will follow, along with a devotional product.

Laura Barker acquired world rights in an exclusive submission by Karen Yates at Yates & Yates.  For rights queries, please contact Denise Cronin, decronin@prh.com.

Multnomah is an imprint of the Random House Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

KINGDOM STORY COMPANY TO ADAPT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SEAL TEAM SIX STORY “FEARLESS” INTO FILM DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY ANDREW ERWIN

Kevin Downes to Join as Producer With Mark Ciardi
Screenplay by Academy Award^®nominee Jason Hall

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 26, 2022 – Kingdom Story Company has acquired the rights to adapt the New York Times bestseller Fearless by Eric Blehm and has hired screenwriter Jason Hall, best known for his Academy Award^®-nominated work on American Sniper and most recently wrote Gran Turismo for Sony Pictures, to adapt the screenplay. 

The announcement was made today by Kingdom Story Company co-founders Andrew Erwin, who will direct the film, and Kevin Downes, who will join Erwin in producing the feature along with Mark Ciardi and Jon Erwin. Kingdom Story Company has a distribution deal with Lionsgate. 

The film will tell the story of SEAL Team Six commando Adam Brown, a legendary hero who repeatedly overcame personal demons, including drug addiction and jail, to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a member of the elite Navy SEAL team. Supported by his family and drawing on his faith, Brown’s story of perseverance, heroism, and sacrifice is an inspiring story of patriotism and selflessness. 

“Eric Blehm’s bestselling book absolutely captivated me,” said Andrew Erwin. “Adam Brown’s journey from destructive addiction to the front lines with the Navy Seals is the most human redemption story I’ve ever read. Adam is a true American hero who overcame insurmountable odds to earn his way onto Seal Team Six, and the love story and the strong faith he had with his wife Kelley was truly special. We are tremendously honored to bring this story to life, and I can’t think of a better person to write this than Jason Hall. We are all honored by the trust the Brown family has placed in us to tell this story.”

Downes added: “This film is right in Andy’s wheelhouse. Fearless will not only take you behind enemy lines with SEAL Team Six, but into the heart and soul of one man and how he found the strength to step up. With its exciting setting among our country’s most valiant heroes and a story that delves deep into what it means to show true valor, Fearless will be a highly cinematic, compelling film.”

Added Kelley Brown, who was married to Adam Brown, “We are so blessed that such an amazing team will bring Adam’s story – as told in Fearless – to the big screen. His legacy is in good hands.” 

Andrew Erwin and his brother Jon previously directed American Underdog, I Still Believe, and I Can Only Imagine, among others. Fearless is published by Penguin Random House.

Reporting on crises: Initiative offers guidance

(July 2022 — Chicago, IL)—Some 50 Christians in publishing from 10 countries who attended the Crisis Publishing Initiative (CPI) Conference in Chicago last month gleaned an in-depth understanding of some of the biggest crises threatening the world—and gained key tools to help in reporting responsibly in the chaos of crisis.

In plenary sessions and a rich slate of workshops some 21 speakers delved into topics like covering war, hostage situations, vulnerable women and children, human trafficking, Christian persecution, and refugee movements.

The three-and-a-half-day conference organized by Magazine Training International (MTI) in partnership with the Evangelical Press Association, drew journalists from Austria, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Context for crisis and a framework for handling truth with a global perspective was offered in plenary sessions led by internationally-recognized experts, including Dr. Miriam Adeney, professor at Seattle Pacific University; Dr. Sam George, faculty member and director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College; Dr. Sandra Morgan, director of Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice; and Julia Bicknell, co-founder of World Watch Monitor in the U.K.

Top-of-mind for many was the war in Ukraine. Katya Yefetova, a photographer and videographer from Kiev, described the digital defense effort with which she was involved from the start of the war until just a few days before arrival in Chicago after a harrowing journey across Ukraine.

Jeremy Weber, director of CT Global, and Jayson Casper, a journalist in Lebanon, shared lessons about cultivating local sources and discerning their unique angle as they covered the war in Ukraine from afar.

Words and images matter
In addition to the sessions providing valuable context for those reporting on sensitive situations, participants were pushed to excellence in practical application of journalistic principles in their work.

Morgan described how word choice can perpetuate unhelpful stereotypes in reporting on human trafficking. A victim of human trafficking should not be referred to as a “prostitute” in news reporting, she said, but as a “victim of commercial sexual exploitation,” a more accurate description of the crime of profiting by the abuse of another’s sexuality.

When communicating the story of vulnerable children, Dr. Anita Deyneka, director emeritus of the board of Mission Eurasia, and Sarah Gesiriech, principal of 127 Global Strategies, encouraged attendees to avoid stereotypes and sensationalism and to consider how images and words reflect on at-risk children, families, and communities.

Other workshops encouraged journalists to look at the story and its impact from other perspectives.

Bob Klamser, executive director of Crisis Consulting International, provided tips on how to report on hostage situations and how to stay safe in dangerous environments.

Palmer Holt, founder and CEO of InChrist Communications, discussed disasters as a pressing justice issue and suggested questions reporters need to ask. Freelance photographer Gary Chapman and Weber addressed how to navigate the photographer/reporter partnership.

Melissa Harrison, senior programs manager for The Media Project, shared her personal tragedy, what it was like as a journalist to become the story, and how it has transformed the way she interviews crisis victims and their families. Morgan Lee, a digital media journalist at Christianity Today, covered the pros and cons of podcasting.

Reporting on regions where open sharing carries risk for people who lack religious liberty requires special consideration. While identifying details may need to be masked in order to tell a story, readers still need to hear about how God is working around the world. The complexities of this kind of reporting were addressed by experts including Casper; Asif Aqeel, Pakistani newspaper journalist and correspondent for World Watch Monitor; Heather Pubols, founder of le Motif; Gökhan Talas, founder of Miras Publishing Ministries in Turkey; and Dr. C.V. Vadavana, founder of Sathyam Literature Service Trust in India.

Several workshops focused on misinformation, disinformation, and lack of information. While these issues have always been important for journalists, the industry behind the spread of disinformation now has widespread power with social media and Internet sites that appear legitimate. Joseph Benjamin, publisher of Gujarati Christians in India, and Bicknell were among those who addressed this growing problem.

Faith foundation
In a world filled with brokenness and pain, journalists and storytellers have a responsibility that goes beyond accurately reporting on the current state of the world. With a faith foundation that is based on the hope of the resurrected Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, journalists respond personally to stories and point readers toward the hope and truth of a God who is always with us, even through the hardest experiences.

“I’m impressed every time I attend an MTI conference because it dives deep into a subject and it not only covers technical aspects but also the spiritual dimension,” says Benjamin. “You are prepared spiritually as well as professionally.”

During the conference, this essential faith component was lived out. Sonnie Gitonga, founder and director of Scars to Stars Foundation in Kenya, shared particularly difficult stories about the hidden crisis of violence against women. In a sacred moment following her workshop, rather than the expected question and answer segment, participants asked if they could gather to pray.

The professional component of care that incorporates spiritual truth and best practices in psychology was presented by Dr. Jamie Aten and Kent Annon, co-founders of Spiritual First Aid, using the Spiritual First Aid model developed by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute of Wheaton College.

Woven through the planned sessions and informal conversations over meals were thought-provoking questions, spirited conversations, and a deepening of new and existing relationships.

“This conference has been an amazing opportunity to learn from and connect with international experts,” said Katy Causey of Compassion International. “There are also many practical tools and ideas that I can apply in my everyday work.”

Real-time application
While the conference was on-going, stories related to CPI discussions unfolded around the world. Participants could apply what was learned to events like the attack on a shopping center in Ukraine and the death of trafficked migrants in a semi-truck in San Antonio, Texas.

Rather than simple answers to complex realities, attendees left with a solid context for ongoing work and access to an extended network of relationships. The application will vary based on each person’s emphasis, but participants were eager to continue learning and growing while responding to crises around the globe from their own sphere of influence.

The Crisis Publishing Initiative Conference in Chicago was the second organized by Magazine Training International. The first was held in Hungary in 2017, drawing some 60 people from two dozen countries. “This conference was a smaller group than in 2017,” says Morgan, who spoke at both, “but the impact was mind blowing!”

The mission of Magazine Training International is to encourage, strengthen, and provide resources to Christian magazines as they seek to build the church and reach their societies for Christ. Over the last 32 years, MTI offered 70 conferences, courses, and seminars in East/Central Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. In addition to courses and conferences, MTI provides online courses and workshops, free e-books, training videos, course manuals in a dozen languages, and other print digital, audio, and audio-visual materials in resource center on MTI’s website.

Written by Carla Foote, MTI board chair

Media Contact:  Sharon Mumper, President, (719) 598-9743, semumper@magazinetraining.com
More information is available on the event website or our website and Facebook.

CAROL STREAM, IL, July 29, 2022.  Robert B. Reekie, founding President of Media Associates International (MAI) and a pioneer in global Christian publishing training, died peacefully on July 18, 2022. He was 92.

Bob co-founded MAI in 1985 with the late James F. Engel, then Professor of Communication Research at Wheaton College Graduate School, and the late James L. Johnson, author and founder of the Communications Department at Wheaton Graduate School.

“Our vision was to be a catalyst for indigenous Christian publishing,” Bob said in a 2010 interview. “We were fervently committed to finding ways through training and guidance to see increasing print-media products conceived and published by Christians in the same countries where those materials would be sold and distributed.”

Starting with no salary or staff and only a typewriter and table in modest rental space, Bob assumed his duties as MAI President in May 1985. It was a step of faith that God would honor by ultimately growing MAI into a significant global work that to date has conducted trainings in more than 90 countries for 10,000 Christian publishing staff and writers.

“Bob was an inspiration and mentor to so many around the world,” said John Maust, who succeeded Bob as MAI President in 1998 when Bob retired. “His legacy will be felt for years to come.”

Bob was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 27, 1929, to Scottish immigrant parents. He held management positions with industrial firms there before leaving South Africa to pursue theological studies in America.

Completing his studies, Bob became a seminary professor of New Testament, as well as an ordained Baptist minister.  In 1962, he accepted a position with the David C. Cook Foundation.  As Executive Vice President and Director of the Foundation, he started its on-site training program and traveled extensively around the world.

Leaving Cook after 23 years and starting MAI presented Bob with perhaps the biggest challenge of his life. It was a decision lacking guarantees of success, but one Bob never regretted and that would help equip thousands of Christian communicators to create excellent culturally relevant content to nurture the Church and influence society for Christ.

“When Jim Johnson, Jim Engel and I planned, dreamed and talked about forming MAI, we knew the risk was mammoth, the future and sustainability uncertain, and the support for such a program quite unknown,” Bob said in the 2010 interview. “But we also believed that God’s leading was pressing us, and that it was opportune for MAI to launch into the deep.

“We called upon God to grant wisdom and strength to begin, reminded of Paul’s words to the Church in Corinth: ‘Therefore, since we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.’”

Bob is survived by his wife, Barbara Reekie, in Palatine, IL.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 6, at 1 p.m. at Community Church of Barrington, 407 S. Grove Ave., Barrington, IL  60010 (corner of Lincoln and Grove).

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to:  Media Associates International, 351 S. Main Place, Ste. 230, Carol Stream, IL  60188, tel. 630-260-9063, www.littworld.org.

I’m So Glad You Were Born by #1 New York Times bestselling author Earhardt releases September 27, 2022

Grand Rapids, MI – July 27, 2022 – Zonderkidz author and FOX & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt will be on tour this fall sharing about her new picture book, I’m So Glad You Were Born. Tickets for the following events are now available for purchase:

• Tuesday, September 27, at 3 pm ET, Live Signing, nationwide virtual event, in conversation with Caitlin Houston.  https://livesigning.com/soglad
• Wednesday, September 28, at 7 pm ET, Norwalk, CT at the Wall Street Theatre, in conversation with Megan Alexander. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ainsley-earhardt-im-so-glad-you-were-born-tickets-376730339587
  
• Friday, September 30, at 6:30 pm ET, Charleston, SC at the Charleston Museum, in conversation with Leyla Gulen. https://www.citypapertickets.com/events/127060122/ainsley-earhardt-book-release
• Sunday, October 2, at 2 pm ET, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, at the Ponte Vedra Beach Concert Hall, in conversation with Sean Hannity. https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005CF5E07EC7D7

Each ticket purchased will include a signed book. Additional tour appearances are being considered. Visit https://books.ainsleye.com to see all the information as it is updated.

The virtual “Live Signing” with Earhardt will take place for those fans who cannot travel and want to receive a signed copy of the book, on Tuesday, September 27 at 3 pm ET. Earhardt will appear on Facebook and talk about her experiences as a mother and how the book came together, while signing copies for fans.

Dedicated to her daughter Hayden, this book is meant to be shared with children to remind them just how thankful you are they are in your life and that they were created to be extraordinary. The book releases Tuesday, September 27 and is available for pre-order anywhere books are sold.

“My mother always told us on our birthdays each year how glad she was that we were born—and now I love saying that to my daughter, Hayden,” said Earhardt, during her book announcement this spring. “This book celebrates all the reasons we are so glad our children are born and how special they are. It reminds children they have a purpose, there’s a plan for their life, that God loves them and they are worthy of having a wonderful life. This book is about noticing the traits that make a child special, and I hope it helps parents, grandparents, and caregivers to slow down and take the time to tell the children in their lives how grateful and appreciative they are for all the special things that make a child who they are.”

Ainsley Earhardt is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, including two #1 childrens bestsellers, Through Your Eyes and Take Heart, My Child. She hosts a Bible Study with Fox Nation and has over one million followers on her social media platforms combined. Earhardt has been a co-host on the popular FOX & Friends morning show since 2016.

For more information, please contact Zonderkidz Publicity Director Jessica Westra at jessica.westra@harpercollins.com or Velvet Kelm at velvet@theMcollective.com.

Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imaginative, innovative and educational resources that represent a Christian worldview and build up God’s children and teens. For additional information, please visit www.zonderkidz.com.

Zondervan is a world-leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications. Zondervan, as part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan’s offices are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Media Contact:  Jessica Westra, Director of Publicity, Zonderkidz, Jessica.Westra@harpercollins.com

New book, “ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas,” releases by the late author Yvonne Lehman with daughter Lori Marett and Eva Marie Everson

Two-book collection now available from the South’s beloved romance novelist.

Black Mountain, NC – Late author and founder of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference Yvonne Lehman, with the help of her daughter, screenplay writer Lori Marett, and award winning author, Eva Marie Everson have launched their new book, ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas.  This collection is made up of two novellas, Somewhere a Rainbow and Smokey Mountain Sunrise. Published by Iron Stream Media, ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas is now available.

In Somewhere a Rainbow, Brooke faces the challenge of rebuilding her life after her unfaithful husband is killed in an auto accident. With most of her money gone, she takes her five-year-old son to Hilton Head Island—to a cottage almost as broken down as her life. When carpenter Jake Randolph offers to help, Brooke immediately distrusts him, but as the months pass he begins to melt the emotional ice around her heart. Then Jake reveals he’s concealing a secret past and Brooke’s hope of a brighter future is destroyed. Or is there a rainbow beyond the storms of heartbreak?

In Smoky Mountain Sunrise, Ramona Martin agrees to be dashing Andre Doudet’s girl for a summer in the incomparable Smoky Mountains. What possible harm could it do? But when she finds herself caught in a web of deceit, Ramona finds herself face-to-face with some of the most challenging  tests of her life—as an athlete, as a woman in love, as a Christian. Is posing as Andre’s girlfriend a game worth winning?

Prolific author Yvonne Lehman (1936 – 2021) founded and directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for twenty-five years. During her career, she authored, compiled, or edited 59 novels and 16 nonfiction books including those in the Divine Moments series.

Lori Marett, daughter of Yvonne Lehman, has enjoyed success in the world of screenplay writing, articles, and short stories. She and husband, Rodney, directed the Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival for several years and currently helms the Faith in Film Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Lori has written a novel, several nonfiction books, and currently has scripts under consideration by movie and animation production studios.

Eva Marie Everson is a multiple-award winning author and speaker who hails from the picturesque Southern town of Sylvania, Georgia. She is president of Word Weavers International, as well as the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference. She enjoys coaching new authors through her company, Pen in Hand. Eva Marie and her husband make their home in Central Florida. They are the parents of three fabulous children who have blessed them with the world’s greatest grandchildren.

ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas is published by Iron Stream Media and is now available at all major book retailers and online.

About Yvonne Lehman
The late Yvonne Lehman authored more than 70 books throughout her career. She founded and directed the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and was beloved worldwide.

About Iron Stream Media:
Making disciples as we go. 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, to one 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 series. Iron Stream Media is the home of Iron Stream Books, Brookstone Creative Group, Iron Stream Kids, Iron Stream Harambee Press, and Iron Stream Fiction. Through the popular Life Bible Study imprint, they also provide web-based year and short -term Bible study teaching plans as well as printed devotionals, Bibles, and discipleship curriculum.  https://www.ironstreammedia.com/.

Contact: Lori Heiselman, Lori@BiscuitMediaGroup.com, 714-553-5181
or Callie Daruk, Callie@BiscuitMediaGroup.com, 615-308-5638

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 22, 2022) – NavPress announced today that they plan to extend their bestselling LifeChange Bible study series in September with three new studies, expanding the line into biblical topics of broad interest. “We’re excited to bring this next generation of LifeChange Bible studies to a new generation of Christians,” said Caitlyn Carlson, acquisitions and development editor at NavPress.

To date, nearly 3 million people have used the groundbreaking Bible study series. Starting in the early 1980s, over the course of forty-five titles, the series encompasses every book of the Protestant Bible. “The series focuses on learning the skills of Bible study by studying the Bible,” Carlson continues. “You discover new things in the Scriptures, and at the same time you’re discovering new questions to ask, new ways to look at the text.”

Who Jesus Is, The Fruit of the Spirit, and Christian Community are the first three titles to apply the distinct form and structure of LifeChange to studies that each look at a theme or topic spread throughout the Scriptures rather than focusing squarely on one book of the Bible.

“We adapted the LifeChange structure to accommodate this new direction,” said Jack Kuhatshek, publishing industry veteran and author of nineteen Bible studies. Kuhatshek wrote the first three LifeChange topical studies and worked with Carlson to establish the series template. “We wanted to take into account both the distinct demands of a study that seeks to understand what the Bible says about a particular subject and the changes over time to how people engage with the Bible and one another when studying Scripture together.”

Future topical LifeChange Bible studies will release regularly, starting with Women of the New Testament, written by Joyce Koo Dalrymple, releasing in summer 2023. “I’m excited to contribute to this new era for the LifeChange series,” Koo Dalrymple wrote. “These studies are an excellent tool for drawing people into the Scriptures and helping them grow more confident in their study.”

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

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to people’s lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that brings spiritual impact, fosters life transformation, and helps lead in the mission of making disciples.

NavPress and the NavPress logo are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

 

July 22, 2022 — WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that, effective July 1, 2022, Amy Kruis transitioned into the role of Director of Author Relations, Acquisitions Editor; and Lauren Susanto has been promoted to Director of Publicity.

In her new position, Kruis will serve Crossway’s authors as they move through the publishing process. In addition to engagement with authors, she will join Crossway’s Publishing Division in acquiring new book projects for publication. Kruis came to Crossway in 2008 and has been instrumental in the company’s marketing and publicity efforts for over a decade. She most recently served as Director of Communications—overseeing the publicity and copywriting teams, managing author relations regarding marketing initiatives and plans, and handling other responsibilities within Crossway’s Communications Division.

Susanto has served as Crossway’s publicist since 2015, establishing relationships with both authors and media to promote Crossway’s book and Bible products to varied audiences. In her new role, Susanto will oversee all of Crossway’s publicity efforts and the publicity team.

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based content to honor our Savior and serve his church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information, visit crossway.org.

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org

Audiobooks and More – Paraclete Press announces state-of-the-art sound studio recording and editing services by Paraclete Audio

July 12, 2022 — Paraclete Press, a publishing house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has expanded to include a full range of audio recording and editing services, including audiobooks, voiceovers for video and radio, solo and ensemble musical recordings, and more from Paraclete Audio.

With the flexibility to record in the workplace, at home, or in Paraclete’s recording studio, Paraclete Audio is perfectly fitted to aid publishing houses, authors, and podcasters with every step of the process from recording, to editing, to final mastering and file upload. Narrators are also available upon request.

For a full list of services, visit our website at https://paracleteaudio.com/

For more information or to inquire about a project, contact Dan Pfeiffer at danp@paracletepress.com.