Ada, Mich. (June 30, 2020)—On June 28, The INSPY Advisory Board announced their list of 2020 INSPY Award Winners. This list includes four Baker Publishing Group titles: Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes (Debut Fiction), A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz (Historical Romance), The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jamie Jo Wright (Mystery & Thriller), and Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker (Speculative Fiction). The INSPY Awards were created by bloggers “to discover and highlight the very best in literature that grapples with expressions of the Christian faith.” This season’s awards were given to books published between January 1 and December 31, 2019. For a complete list of winners, please visit 2020 INSPY Award Winners.

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

(Bethany House; ISBN 9780764232664; ebook ISBN 9781493418787; $14.99)

The INSPY Board: “When it comes to debut novels, Whose Waves These Are impresses as not just a superior story but a stunning debut.”

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz

(Revell; ISBN 9780800726645; ebook ISBN 9781493416622; $15.99)

The INSPY Board: “Laura Frantz easily transports readers back in time with her vivid descriptions, beautiful dialogue, and charming characters. . . . A Bound Heart is a book that readers will keep coming back to again and again.”

The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jamie Jo Wright

(Bethany House; ISBN 9780764230301; ebook ISBN 9781493417285; $14.99)

The INSPY Board: “The Curse of Misty Wayfair is a unique and powerful story. . . . We were riveted by the complexity of both story lines and how they weave in and out of each other. . . . The suspense kept ratcheting higher until we were all surprised by the unpredictable conclusion.”

Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker

(Revell; ISBN 9780800728519; ebook ISBN 9781493417735; $14.99)

The INSPY Board: “Smucker takes readers on a man’s faith journey, reconciling his past with his present and reckoning with his views on God in the midst of life’s hurdles. Told with elements of magical realism Smucker’s take on visionary fiction is an immersive reading experience.”

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, Ill.— June 30, 2020— Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) is pleased to announce that two Tyndale fiction authors, Carla Laureano and Jolina Petersheim, received INSPY Awards, which were announced online on June 29th at www.inspys.com. INSPY Awards were created by bloggers to discover and highlight the very best in literature that grapples with expressions of the Christian faith. 

Author Carla Laureano won the 2020 INSPY Award in the Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense category for her title Brunch at Bittersweet Café. In it, baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around.  Publishers Weekly praised Brunch at Bittersweet Café, saying, “With fun food scenes and organic spiritual elements, Laureano’s book will be relished by sweet-toothed inspirational readers.” Brunch at Bittersweet Café was also awarded Gold in the Religious category for the 2019 Foreword INDIES.  This is Laureano’s first INSPY Award.  

Jolina Petersheim won her 2020 INSPY Award in the General Fiction category for How the Light Gets In, an engrossing novel about marriage and motherhood, loss and moving on.  When Ruth Neufeld’s husband and father-in-law are killed working for a relief organization overseas, she travels to Wisconsin with her young daughters and mother-in-law, Mabel, to bury her husband. She hopes the Mennonite community will be a quiet place to grieve and piece together next steps. Ruth and her family are welcomed by Elam, her husband’s cousin, who invites them to stay at his cranberry farm through the harvest. Sifting through fields of berries and memories of a marriage that was broken long before her husband died, Ruth finds solace in the beauty of the land and healing through hard work and budding friendship. She also encounters the possibility of new love with Elam, whose gentle encouragement awakens hopes and dreams she thought she’d lost forever. Publishers Weekly praised How the Light Gets In, saying, “With skillful plotting and vibrant characters, Petersheim reveals the pain of loss and the healing that comes from mercy and forgiveness.” This is Petersheim’s second INSPY Award.   

Karen Watson, publisher of Tyndale Fiction titles, shared, “Carla and Jolina represent some of the best in a new generation of skilled inspirational writers. They write with honesty about the challenges and hopes that define relationships in today’s culture. We are proud to have them represent Tyndale Fiction! We are also appreciative of the work of the bloggers who help bring reader awareness to the work of inspirational authors. In today’s environment, inspirational writers are an important source of hope and encouragement. The Inspy Awards help convey an important message to fiction readers across the spectrum: Take a fresh look at Christian fiction. You will be pleasantly surprised!”

The INSPY Awards are online at:  www.inspyawards.com  Facebook: @INSPYAwards  Twitter: @INSPYs

For more information on Tyndale titles, please visit www.tyndale.com. 

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.

Contact: Amanda Woods, amandawoods@tyndale.com, 630.784.5125

Memories of Glass, The Medallion, and The Seamstress Earn Prestigious Recognition

CAROL STREAM, ILL. (July 1, 2020) – American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) has announced its Carol Award finalists for 2020. Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) was recognized with all three finalists in the historical fiction category:  Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson (editors: Stephanie Broene and Kathryn Olson), The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke (editors: Broene and Olson), and The Seamstress by Allison Pittman (editors: Jan Stob and Sarah Rische).

“We are thrilled to be the publishing partner for these three talented authors and grateful to ACFW and the Carol Award judges for this recognition,” said Stephanie Broene, senior acquisitions editor at Tyndale House. “Each of these stories offers readers a glimpse into another world and time with an entertaining story that will hopefully impact them in memorable ways.”

In Memories of Glass, Melanie Dobson transports readers through time and place, from World War II Holland to contemporary Uganda, in a rich and inspiring novel that draws from true accounts to shine a light on a period of Holland’s darkest history and brightest heroes.

Cathy Gohlke’s The Medallion is an illuminating tale of courage, sacrifice, and survival. Similar to World War II fiction like Sarah’s Key and The Nightingale, The Medallion tells the compelling story of two couples whose lives are ravaged by Hitler’s mad war yet are eventually redeemed through the fate of one little girl.

The Seamstress, by Allison Pittman, is a beautifully crafted story that breathes life into a cameo character from the classic novel A Tale of Two Cities.

The full list of finalists is available at https://rushtopress.org/6996-2/.

For additional information about all Tyndale books and Bibles, visit tyndale.com. More information about the Carol Awards is available at https://www.acfw.com/contests.

The American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) is a professional organization devoted to the craft of Christian fiction.

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.

by Greg Squires

There is no doubt that the Christian Retail industry continues to undergo change and transformation. These changes and challenges excite and motivate us at The Parable Group towards purposeful innovation – one of our core values. Our team has spent the past several months listening to our customers and assessing market needs, and we are pleased to announce plans to release a new product this summer. The Parable Group is launching a new local website solution for Christian retailers—this August—with powerful features for retailers and their shoppers.

We’re so excited to offer this personalized solution for stores looking to establish their online presence, get discovered by more customers, and turn online traffic into foot traffic.

Our experienced team of technology and retail experts have been developing and preparing to launch traffic-driving websites that:

• Present an engaging, clean and modern design

• Display a store’s custom domain and local imagery to reinforce its community presence

• Drive foot traffic with reserve online, same day pick-up in-store and special orders

• Display a store’s on-hand inventory from nightly POS feeds

• Display a full Christian product offering (books, Bibles, kids, etc.)

• Reflect pricing based on store promotions and marketing group affiliation

If you’d like to be notified of launch updates and more details, simply connect with us at https://www.parablegroup.com/request-information-about-a-personalized-store-website

The Parable Group has recently acquired select retail services from Covenant Group, a long-standing, family-owned retail marketing group faithfully serving independent Christian retailers for over 35 years. With a coordinated and planned transition starting now through September 2020, The Parable Group will integrate Covenant Group’s print catalog and branded website services into their current data-driven retail marketing solutions.

“It has been our privilege to partner with many of the finest Christian retail operations in our industry, as well as develop trusted and mutually beneficial relationships with publishing and vendor partners,” said Chuck Wallington, President of Covenant Group. “Together, we have carried the message of the life-giving products we offer into millions of homes. Both myself and my family have been richly blessed through this industry, for four generations of Christian retailing and industry involvement. I am excited to help oversee this transition of catalog and branded website services into the very competent and trusted hands of The Parable Group team.”

As part of the transition, The Parable Group is launching a new local website platform for Christian retailers based on customer feedback and market need. The solution is designed to help retailers establish their online presence, get discovered by more customers, and turn online traffic into foot traffic. Wallington further added, “Covenant Group will assist stores in this aspect, as well as with the transfer of any catalog services, to make the transition as smooth and seamless as possible for the stores we serve. We realize that most retailers simply don’t have the time to devote to this process, and in many cases some of the technical expertise required, so our intention in forging this arrangement with The Parable Group is to take as much of that as possible ‘off the plate’ of our retail partners and prepare them for the Q4 shopping season.”

“Chuck has been an incredible supporter of this industry and his contributions are nearly impossible to quantify. His generosity and love for retailers have left a remarkable legacy,” says Greg Squires, President of The Parable Group. “We’re honored to continue this legacy and delighted to serve a broader network of Christian retailers. Our aim is to help retailers thrive in their ministry and adapt to a fast-changing marketplace.”

Covenant Group and The Parable Group have cooperated on several industry initiatives over the years, including the local product search website GetItLocalToday.com. As The Parable Group expands its new technology offerings this fall, it will continue to support the retailer, publisher, and consumer functionality available through the Get It Local Today program. More details will follow this summer.

The Parable Group helps Christian retailers, publishers, and ministries magnify their mission by connecting them to engaged Christian consumers, pastors, and church leaders. The San Luis Obispo, CA based data-driven marketing agency and media group has served over 1000 Christian organizations since 1985. For more information, contact sally.ross@parable.com or visit www.parablegroup.com.

Contact: Sally Ross, (805) 329-4020 sally.ross@parable.com

Peabody, MA (June 29, 2020) – Christianbook has recently purchased select assets of Christian Supply, Inc., one of the longest standing, family-owned Christian retail operations in the country faithfully serving the wider Christian community for more than 65 years.

In a message to customers, Chuck Wallington, President of Christian Supply stated “After more than 65 years of serving this area as well as individuals and churches throughout the nation, Christian Supply, Inc. is closing our doors. Please know that this was not an easy decision, and has only been made through much prayer deep soul searching. So it is with profound regret that we are announcing that we will no longer have the privilege of serving the spiritual needs of our customer “family” moving forward. We have not however, left you without our strongest recommendation of “where to go” to find help in the future with virtually all your Christian resource needs (both for individuals and churches.) We have made arrangements with our friends at Christianbook.com, the largest online retailer of Christian products in the world, to step in and service your needs moving forward.”

Ray Hendrickson, President and CEO of Christianbook commented “Just like Christian Supply, Christianbook is a family-owned and operated company dedicated to serving Christians worldwide. We admire the work of the Wallington family, which started in 1953 when Charles and Margaret Wallington opened a small Christian bookstore on a side street in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The family has continued in their footsteps, and served the Christian community with excellence for more than 65 years, receiving many awards along the way for their achievements and dedication to the Christian Retail industry. We applaud—and share—the values upheld by their mission. For more than 40 years we too have dedicated our efforts to offering our customers the largest selection of quality Christian materials with the best savings and the greatest service. The Wallington’s have graced and enhanced the market with their personal experience, professional integrity, and devoted stewardship. We appreciate all they have done, and we are honored to be entrusted now with serving Christian Supply customers, friends and family.”

In closing, Wallington commented “Christianbook.com is much like our own company; a family-owned business with decades of faithfully supplying the spiritual needs of both individuals and churches with the very best selection (and pricing) on every item they offer. We have the highest regard for this organization, and know that allowing them to serve you our customers; you will be passed along to “good hands”. Perhaps most importantly, they share the same Kingdom values and mindset that we have espoused, so your patronage will continue to support Christian brothers and sisters, as well as the many ministry partners they support in turn.”

As part of the transaction, Christianbook has acquired the domain name and customer lists associated with Christian Supply, Inc. 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, toys and games, gifts, academic resources, church supplies, DVDs and music. Christianbook.com provides additional information on its website, including author profiles and interviews, detailed product descriptions and excerpts, music clips, articles, reviews, specialized search engines, 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

Grand, Rapids, Mich. (June 23, 2020)—The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby has landed on the New York Times Best Sellers list for June 28, 2020, at #13 in the Paperback Nonfiction category.

“Naturally we are pleased with the renewed interest in The Color of Compromise. But it’s not just the number of units sold. More importantly, we are proud to be Jemar’s publisher and thankful that his message is resonating with readers at this pivotal moment in American history. It is our hope that his words will change the hearts and minds of everyone they touch,” said Stan Gundry, senior vice president and publisher of Zondervan Academic and Reflective.

“I’m feeling a mix of emotions right now,” says Tisby, who is co-founder and  president of  The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and a Ph.D candidate in history at the University of Mississippi. “It’s great news that my book has made the New York Times Best Sellers list. But at the same time, knowing what it took to get there and what sparked this renewed interest in the topic of racial justice—the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and on and on—is sobering.”

In the aftermath of those tragedies, people also seem to be turning to books: The Color of Compromise is one of 13 out of 15 books on the list that address racial justice.

In The Color of Compromise, Tisby surveys America’s racial past, from early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War, Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights era, to the Black Lives Matter movement, uncovering the roots of sustained injustice. He exposes the concrete and chilling ways people of faith have actively worked against racial justice, and the deafening silence or overt opposition of the white evangelical majority. Historically, the majority of the American church has failed to speak out against this evil.

“Paradoxically, although this is a book about the past,” Tisby writes, “it is really about the future of the American church.” He charts a path forward with intriguing ideas that challenge us to reverse these patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, and immediate action.

Tisby’s next book, How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice, will be released on January 21, 2021.

The paperback edition of The Color of Compromise was released on January 7, 2020 from Zondervan Reflective, an imprint of HarperCollins; the hardcover debuted on January 22, 2019. The publisher has made The Color of Compromise video study available for free streaming on Amazon Prime Video; it has over 500,000 minutes streamed since May 28.

About the Author:
Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is president of  The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, where he writes about race, religion, politics, and culture and cohosts the Pass The Mic podcast. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and CNN. His latest piece for The Atlantic is “The Familial Language of Black Grief.”  Tisby is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Mississippi with a focus on race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century.

• The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby  Zondervan Reflective.  The Color of Compromise is available in softcover, ebook, and audiobook editions.
• The Color of Compromise Video Study:  DVD, Streaming The publisher has recently activated these on Amazon Prime Videos so people with Prime memberships can stream them for free.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B083ZMNSB2/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
• The Color of Compromise – Study Guide (Coming 12/20)

Contact: Kelly Hughes, 312-280-8126 kelly@dechanthughes.com