Ada, Mich. (August 3, 2020)—Baker Publishing Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Andy McGuire to the position of editorial director for Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. McGuire’s appointment to the position follows the departure of David Horton, who is leaving the company after 22 years with Bethany House, most recently serving as vice president of editorial.

McGuire joined the Bethany House team in 2008 as an acquisitions editor for nonfiction with ten years of experience in the publishing industry. Since that time, he has helped the Bethany House division expand their list with a number of strong acquisitions including authors such as Tony Evans, Paula Faris, Susie Larson, Shaunti Feldhahn, and Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Before joining Bethany House, McGuire served as an acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers where he acquired both fiction and nonfiction.

“We’re tremendously grateful for the strong leadership Dave has provided for the Bethany House team during the past two decades—and for the passion, creativity, and vision Andy has consistently demonstrated in his work,” said Jennifer Leep, Executive Vice President of Trade Publishing. “We wish Dave the best in his future endeavors and look forward to a new season under the insightful and talented leadership Andy will bring for the team’s future.”

Bethany House has been publishing high quality books for over 50 years. Recognized as the pioneer and leader in Christian fiction, we publish over 75 new fiction and nonfiction titles annually in subjects including historical and contemporary fiction, Christian living, devotional, family resources, and theology. Our titles are frequently found on Christian bestseller lists.

Baker Publishing Group (Bethany House, Revell, Baker Books, Chosen, Brazos Press, and Baker Academic) is a leading producer of Christian resources that give insight and inspiration to readers worldwide. Our divisions reflect the broadest scope of topics, which includes fiction, self-help, inspiration, professional books, Christian living and academic titles.

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

CAROL STREAM, IL, August 5, 2020 — Oasis Family Media, parent company of Oasis Audio, has announced the rollout of Hollywoodland Audiobooks, a new imprint celebrating the lives and works of Hollywood screen legends. Initial releases focus on Hollywood’s Golden Age (1913–1969).

Hollywoodland Audiobooks — named for the original iconic sign in the hills above the Hollywood neighborhood — is a passion project of Oasis Family Media President Steve Smith. “I want to tell the stories that dig beyond the surface of icons,” said Smith. “We’re unearthing the layers of true stories that built the classic films and stars you might think you already know.”

The imprint’s debut release will be The Making of Casablanca (print edition originally published in 1992 as Round Up the Usual Suspects). The audiobook will be available September 8 and is narrated by industry powerhouse Scott Brick.

Other acquisitions for the Hollywoodland catalog include Myrna Loy: Being & Becoming, written by James Kotsilibas and Myrna Loy, and Charles Tranberg’s The Thin Man: Murder Over Cocktails. Both titles are narrated by Holly Palance and are scheduled for release in October.

Palance, an actress and journalist, has been entrenched in the film industry her entire life, as the daughter of Academy Award–winner Jack Palance. Palance said of the venture, “Hollywood is my hometown and I’m thrilled to team up with Steve Smith and Oasis to present the up-close-and-personal stories of the movies’ greatest stars.”

Hollywoodland audiobooks will be available on all major platforms.

About Oasis Family Media
Oasis Family Media houses Oasis Audio, a leading publisher of inspirational and family-friendly audiobooks for adults and children, and two imprints: Paperback Classics and Hollywoodland Audiobooks. The Oasis catalog includes more than 1,200 titles, adding 175 new audiobooks annually —from popular children’s series to romance and suspense fiction to business and self-help titles. Today, Oasis Audio is one of the largest independent audiobook publishers in the United States. To learn more, visit oasisfamilymedia.com

DALLAS, Texas – Joel Rosenberg, world-renowned Middle East expert and New York Times best-selling author, adamantly praised Dr. Hormoz Shariat’s upcoming book Iran’s Great Awakening (VOM Books) in his foreword.

“I consider Hormoz Shariat to be the Billy Graham of Iran,” said Rosenberg. “He is far and away the most watched and most influential Iranian evangelist in the world, and his story is well worth reading.”

In Iran’s Great Awakening, Shariat shares the details of his personal journey from the bondage of Islam to the freedom of Christ, including the process of establishing Iran Alive Ministries (IAM), an organization that reaches six million daily viewers in Iran through a satellite TV broadcast. Shariat also outlines the biblical prophecies about Iran, noting how they parallel current events, and ultimately concludes that Iran will be a Christian nation soon.

“Today, the mere mention of Iran often conjures up thoughts of war, terror and tragedy,” said Rosenberg. “But Hormoz and I believe a new day is coming. Soon, possibly very soon, the Lord Jesus will move His throne into the heart of Iran… The Islamic Republic will become the Christian Republic. The Islamic Revolution will become a Gospel Revolution.”

IAM reports the many efforts of the Iranian government to contain the spread of Christianity are failing, and God is raising up a Christian revival of historic proportions. For Shariat, this revival is personal.

In 1979, Shariat was a young Muslim on the streets of Tehran shouting “death to America!” while aiding the Islamic revolution. However, when the Islamic Government of Iran executed his 18-year-old brother, he had an encounter with God that changed his life forever. After this encounter, Shariat asked God to use his one life to save one million Muslim souls – which birthed his dream to create IAM.

Now, through the use of satellite broadcast, IAM reaches millions of Iranian Muslims worldwide with the gospel and has a significant role in the underground church planting movement in Iran. Since this ministry was founded January 1, 2000, Iran has been named the country with the fastest growing evangelical population in the world today.

Through Iran’s Great Awakening, Shariat examines this recent Christian revival in Iran by exploring the causes as well as the impact – on the Middle East and the rest of the world. He believes Iran is just the beginning of an unprecedented, massive move of God that is already sweeping over the earth.

“Shariat testifies first-hand that this prophetic, supernatural transformation has already begun in Iran,” said Rosenberg. “But it is far from complete. More is coming. Much more. He wants you to be part of it, and so do I.”

Iran’s Great Awakening will inform, encourage and inspire readers into revival. It will be available for public purchase on September 1, 2020 wherever books are sold. Find out more information at iranalive.org/awakening.

More About VOM Books
VOM Books, the publishing arm of The Voice of the Martyrs, is well-known for inspiring believers with bestselling titles such as Tortured for Christ, which sold over 10 million copies in 60 languages worldwide, Jesus Freaks: Martyrs: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, with more than 1.1 million copies in distribution, and highly-popular Extreme Devotion: Voice of the Martyrs.

Learn more about The Voice of the Martyrs at www.persecution.com.

WESTMONT, IL—InterVarsity Press is pleased to introduce Adam Dalton as the associate director of sales and to announce the promotion of Ali Galbraith to the role of digital sales manager and Rob McKenzie to academic sales manager.

“With so much uncertainty over the past few months, I’ve been incredibly grateful for the moves that we’ve been able to make at IVP to ensure the long-term success of the press,” said Justin Paul Lawrence, senior director of sales and marketing at IVP. “Adam Dalton has impressed me as I’ve met him at industry events over the past few years, and I was overjoyed to be able to add trade sales of his caliber to our team. Ali Galbraith has acquitted herself in the past at IVP with excellent results in international sales, publicity, and academic sales, and yet has done even more for our digital and internet retailer presence. I’m especially pleased to be able to have Rob McKenzie as our key representative to the world of higher education as he has already made excellent connections during his tireless work for IVP in the conference sphere. I look forward to working with all three for years to come.”

Dalton has more than ten years of experience in sales and marketing, working for the sales teams at Moody Publishers and Crossway. In his role as associate director of sales for IVP, he serves US and international trade retail and wholesale accounts, manages the relationship between IVP US and SPCK/IVP UK, and manages IVP’s internal sales team.

Galbraith joined IVP in 2015 and has served in various roles, including publicity assistant, executive assistant to the publisher, digital sales project coordinator, and most recently as the academic sales manager. As the digital sales manager, Galbraith will support the work of the sales department by directing and driving the sales relationships for key digital and online accounts.

McKenzie has worked at IVP since 2004 and worked most recently as the sales representative for trade, academic, and special markets. As the academic sales manager, he will present new resources to seminaries, colleges, and libraries. He will work with pastors and professors to provide desk copies as well as new and backlist books to use for their congregations and students. McKenzie will also work with bookstores and lead IVP’s initiative to provide books and study guides for Christian schools and homeschoolers.

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

Church Technology Company Launches Updated Version of Popular Presentation Software

BELLINGHAM, Wash., August 10, 2020 – Faithlife, the church technology company and makers of Logos Bible Software, today announced the release of its newly improved church presentation software Faithlife Proclaim 3.0.

Faithlife Proclaim is currently utilized by thousands of churches across the nation, servicing ministry leaders with software that makes worship and sermon presentations seamless and simple and ultimately enabling leaders to spend more time on ministry and less time tinkering with technology.

“In our continual pursuit to meet the needs of church staff so they can focus on their callings, we have added additional advanced features and capabilities to Faithlife Proclaim 3.0,” said Faithlife Founder and CEO Bob Pritchett. “This new version works with both in-person and online church services, which will equip churches across the country to maintain a standard of excellence no matter how COVID-19 affects gatherings now or in the future.”

New and noteworthy features of Faithlife Proclaim 3.0 include:

• A proprietary live-streaming capability unique to Faithlife Proclaim that allows churches to hook up their presentations to a live stream provider in addition to in-church presentation ability;
• Annotating screens with live markup so pastors and speakers can circle, point, underline and highlight information on their slides while speaking;
• Presenting multiple feeds on different displays, enabling worship experiences to go next-level;
• Providing different templates for displaying information on the new confidence monitor; and
• Saving different arrangements of your regularly used songs, so users can reuse any of their favorite arrangements easily, and display chord charts on the confidence monitor.

“The essential need to display worship and sermon presentations via live stream was not possible before Faithlife Proclaim 3.0,” said Pritchett. “We are excited to see how this revolutionary feature changes churches across the country as they seek to hold high-quality services online.”

Faithlife offers a 30-day free trial of Proclaim and Pro Media. To learn more about Faithlife Proclaim 3.0, visit proclaim.faithlife.com.

About Faithlife Proclaim
Faithlife Proclaim is a cloud-based software that enables pastors, worship leaders and church laymen alike to easily create quality presentations that are engaging to the congregation. Proclaim is team-focused, making worship preparation seamless with real-time updates and edits. Users have access to more than 5,000 free church graphics, 25 Bible versions and integration with SongSelect by CCLI, Planning Center, Graceway Media, Logos Bible Software and more. To learn more, visit Proclaim.faithlife.com/.

Media Contact:  Heidi McDow, 972-267-1111  heidi@alarryross.com

Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 10, 2020 – Thomas Nelson today announced A-list choreographer and creative director Laurieann Gibson has signed a one-book contract with W Publishing Group. Dance Your Dance: 8 Step to Unleash your Passion and Live Your Dream is planned for release in February 2021. W Publishing Group will have world rights in all languages.

“Laurieann has always danced her own dance and chased her dreams,” said Damon Reiss, vice president and publisher, W Publishing Group. “In this book, she shares her powerful blueprint to help free readers to chase theirs as well. She is as empowering as she is inspiring. We are thrilled to partner with her on this exhilarating message.”

Laurieann Gibson is one of the most important pop culture influencers in entertainment today. Having served as director and choreographer for numerous international superstars such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Diddy, and Alicia Keys, Gibson brings a unique brand of blending traditional artist development with movement and dance training to their collaborations. A classically trained dancer, Gibson studied at the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance Company, segueing from traditional theater dance to hip-hop with breakout artist Mary J. Blige. Over the years, Gibson’s expertise in developing artists’ performance skills along with her choreography and creative insight has led to her choreographing and directing world tours for some of today’s biggest pop acts.

Gibson is a judge on season 17 of FOX’s primetime television show So You Think You Can Dance and is starring on MTV’s reboot of Making the Band. Laurieann lives in Los Angeles, California, with her doggie “son”, Samson.

“Laurieann is one of those rare artists who is gifted at not only executing her own visions but helping others find their way,” says Meaghan Porter, Senior Editor. “Now the same motivation and inspiration she has offered to established stars and up-and-coming performers will be available to anyone who has a dream.”

Gibson is represented by Maximum Artist Group in Nashville, Tenn.

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, Publicity Manager, W Publishing, 615-902-2143  Allison.Carter@harpercollins.com

{July 29, 2020} New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee won two International Book Awards this week—one each for her 2019 pandemic thriller, The Line Between, and its 2019 sequel, A Single Light.

The double win is the latest highlight in a series of award nominations for the duology, which have already won Literary Titan silver (The Line Between) and gold (A Single Light), and finaled for many others including the High Plains Book Awards, the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Awards, Oklahoma Romance Writer’s National Readers’ Choice Awards (The Line Between), Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion, and Realm Makers Awards (both books). The Line Between was also a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for best mystery/thriller of 2019.

The International Book Awards celebrates excellence in all sections of the publishing industry. Over 2000 entries were submitted to this year’s awards.

The Line Between duology centers around 22 year-old main character Wynter Roth, who has just escaped a Midwest cult as a frightening disease begins its spread across the U.S. The Line Between released January, 2019 from Howard Books/Simon & Schuster. The book’s sequel, A Single Light (released September, 2019, Howard Books/Simon & Schuster) comes to paperback August 18. A Single Light is currently on sale for $1.99 in eBook through the end of the month.

Watching the news one year after the release of The Line Between, Lee—who has 11 bestselling novels to her credit—calls life “a bit surreal.”

The Line Between has been optioned by Radar Pictures (Jumanji) and Ed Burns’ Marlboro Road Gang Productions (Public Morals) and is in development for television as first reported by Deadline Hollywood: https://deadline.com/2019/01/edward-burns-radar-developing-the-line-between-thriller-novel-for-television-1202538907/

Lee is the multi award-winning, New York Times, and CBA bestselling author of 11 novels including The Progeny, Firstborn, Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, and The Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker. Her books have been translated into 17 languages and been optioned for TV and film.

Tosca received her B.A. in English from Smith College. A lifelong world adventure traveler, she lives south of Fremont, Nebraska with her husband and three of four children still at home. To learn more about Tosca, please visit ToscaLee.com.

Tosca is available for interviews and media appearances. Please contact mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com by email or by phone at 403.464.6925. 

THE LINE BETWEEN by Tosca Lee / HOWARD BOOKS / ISBN: 1501169092 / Pages: 384  

A SINGLE LIGHT by Tosca Lee / HOWARD BOOKS / ISBN: 9781476798646 / Pages: 384 Paperback On Sale: 8/18/20

Peabody, MA (July 30, 2020) – Christianbook has finalized an agreement with Cokesbury to purchase Bibles by the Case. Cokesbury, the retail and customer service arm of The United Methodist Publishing House, has been operating Bibles by the Case (BBTC) as an independent sales channel since November 2019.

Tammy Gaines, CFO of The United Methodist Publishing House commented that “Cokesbury gained numerous benefits from the short time we owned BBTC including augmenting our distribution methods and engaging with thousands of new customers as well as new publishers.”

Ray Hendrickson, President and CEO of Christianbook commented “We are thrilled to bring the Bibles by the Case brand into the 40-year tradition of the Christianbook group. We have shared the same ministry ideals of Bibles by the Case in bringing great prices on Bibles and other ministry materials to churches, organizations and consumers through Christianbook as well as our Bibles in Bulk brand. We are excited for this opportunity to expand our commitment to the spreading of the gospel through the products we sell each day and are honored that United Methodist Publishing House would entrust us with the customers of BBTC.”

Brian Milford, President of UMPH added “Former BBTC owners Russ and Becky Casenhiser were valued partners throughout our involvement and we are very confident that BBTC customers will now be well served by Christianbook.”

Since the company is privately held, no terms of the transaction are disclosed.

From its humble beginnings in 1978, operating out of mom and dad’s home in Lynn, Massachusetts, and carrying only a few academic titles at discounted prices, Christianbook has grown to become the world’s largest seller of Christian products. Through its online presence, Christianbook.com, and 65 unique catalogs the company offers the lowest possible prices and maintains an inventory exceeding 500,000 items. The wide selection includes books, Bibles, homeschool resources, gifts, toys and games, academic resources, church supplies, DVDs and music. Christianbook.com provides great content on its website, including author profiles and interviews, detailed product descriptions and excerpts, reviews, music clips and video content. The company provides not only great value but also exceptional customer service and support. In addition to receiving the Bizrate Circle of Excellence Platinum Award for 19 years, Christianbook is also a nine-time recipient of the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work award. The company currently employs a staff of over 550 employees, and operates out of a 370,000SF facility located in Peabody, Massachusetts, that houses our distribution center, full-service call center, and corporate offices. Christianbook is committed to the spreading of the gospel both through the products we sell each day and in our philanthropic support of missions around the globe. In particular, we seek to have an exponential impact on the kingdom by equipping overseas pastors and Bible school students, who then have a lifetime of impact in their ministries. We are also a proud supporter of the City of Peabody and many local charities.

For more information, please contact Bridget Timmins at btimmins@christianbook.com.

Committed to serving the church more effectively by combining their unique strengths

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (August 3, 2020)—Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) and Church Answers announced today the formation of a new ministry partnership dedicated to equipping local churches to grow and thrive in their God-given mission. Providing thoughtful, practical, and innovative resources, this partnership includes a multi-book, multi-year agreement with bestselling author and church strategist Thom Rainer, publishing books that cover topics vital to a church’s life and health in the coming decades. Each core book will have an accompanying video curriculum, participant’s guide, and other ancillary books to empower church leaders and inspire church members.

Tyndale senior VP and publisher Ron Beers says, “Tyndale is ecstatic about our long-term partnership with Thom Rainer and Church Answers. Thom is a gifted leader, teacher, and communicator whose personal mission aligns perfectly with Tyndale’s. He is so successful and respected among tens of thousands of churches, not only because he is a thoughtful and talented writer, but also because he knows perhaps better than anyone the needs and the heartbeat of church leaders and congregants alike. Working together, we will create tools that will serve the church in unique and powerful ways, so we can all participate more fully in the growth of God’s Kingdom, for his glory.”

In addition to the multi-book agreement, the partnership will feature a new line of Church Answers Resource products edited by Thom Rainer and copublished by Tyndale and Church Answers. These books will focus on key practical issues for the local church and will include leading authors in the genre.

Tyndale and Church Answers will also jointly promote the ministry site ChurchAnswers.com. This platform is one of the largest sites in the world focusing on local church ministry.

Recognizing that the local church is God’s plan for individual and societal transformation, Tyndale and Church Answers will work synergistically to help the local church fulfill its unique calling. New cutting-edge initiatives are currently in development to supply church leaders with the most up-to-date tools and information to help local congregations flourish in the twenty-first century.

Thom Rainer, founder and CEO of Church Answers commented, “I am grateful for the confidence Tyndale has placed in me to write books for local churches for the next several years. The alignment is perfect for Church Answers. Tyndale is one of the leading Christian content providers in the world. I am enthusiastic about our two organizations working together for local churches for the glory of God.”

Founded in Franklin, Tennessee, Church Answers began in 2019 as the continuation of the platform of Thom Rainer. Today, the organization reaches two out of three churches in North America and a growing number of churches globally.

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 $100 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.